AN: This is my first Numb3rs story and I am new to the fandom so please be kind :-)
The Good Book
Their fingers were touching, it was barely skin to skin contact but it was enough to sustain the bond of father and son. Alan knew he shouldn't be surprised by the cold, waxy feeling of Don's rough skin but he was. When he thought of his son he imagined him vibrant and full of life, gun holstered at his hip like a man marching into battle. Now in this cool, clinical atmosphere Don looked more like a child like a soldier. It had been such along time since Alan had seen him so vunerable and he hated every second of it. Although there had been so many close calls over the years and despite the fact that Alan had always known the nature of Don's work he was not prepared for this eventuality.
Until now the dangers of Don's job had never been a reality, not until now. Not until that knife that been driven through Don's skin into his delicate insides. Terror was not enough of a word to describe the kalidescope of emotions that Alan had suffered when he received that phone call. His chest had tightened to the point where he thought he was having a heart attack, he had struggled to breathe for he forgot how many minutes before he was able to recover his calm exterior and pick up his car keys without barely a tremour skittering through his hand.
Ever since Don had coded Alan had found himself trapped in a constant state of emotional agony. Children were not supposed to die before their parents and the thought was revolving around his brain constantly as he squeezed his son's limp fingers. He had had the same thought when they had discovered just how far his wife's cancer has really gone. Charlie had barely been able to cope then, if Don died...
Well that didn't really bear thinking about.
Don was a stubborn man, he had been that way since birth and the fact he was still here at all was proof of that. His son couldn't die in the very hospital he was born, Alan refused to acknowledge the possibilty that God could be that cruel. He had to be believe in his son, believe that Don was going to come back to them and that everything was going to be OK.
It was at that moment his son's raw gravelly voice cut through his thoughts causing a smile to twitch near the edges of his mouth aas he turned his full attention to his injured boy.
"Good book?"