Author's Note – This story contains the spanking of an Adult; if you don't like don't read

I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters!!

The characters are out of synch with the characters we love on the show

I meant to do this!!!!

Don sat at his desk with a wince to do his paper work.

"Go home and rest Don."

Don looked up to see Megan Reeves standing over him.

"I'm fine."

"You got shot; you're not fine."

"Megan, I have paper work due by midnight, if I don't get it done I'm in trouble not you." "You're father is going to be mad when he finds out you stayed here and didn't go to his house."

The statement caused Don to stand quickly.

"No!

Megan, promise me you won't tell him. Please, Megan?"

Megan stared at her boss and finally shook her head.

"No, he asked me to call when you got hurt and I'm going to call."

Don glared at her unable to speak. Colby and David choose that minute to walk in. "What's going on?"

Seeing their boss's face caused Colby to take a few steps back and David to fall silent. David glanced between the two.

"Everything okay?"

Don't start to stalk away when it finally hit David what him and Colby had come upon. "You're not really going to call Mr. Eppes are you?"

"I promised him I would."

"Why?"

Megan jumped surprised to hear Don's voice.

"You won't take care of yourself."

"I do too."

"Then why did you almost die that time!?"

Colby leaned to whisper to David, "What are they talking about?"

Don and Megan both turned their glares on him.

Don sighed, "Look, I'll finish my paper work, go home...no, I'll go to my dad's place, and I will tell him what happened. You have to at least give me a chance to tell him Megan." "We'll all help you with your work if you tell him tonight."

"And if he's sleeping?"

Megan raised an eyebrow causing Don to smile,

"Is that what I look like when I do that?"

David and Colby snickered. Megan rolled her eyes and headed for the conference room where the four could work without interruption. The three boys followed and soon the four were immersed in the work. It was almost two hours later when Don sighed,

"We're done."

The group let out a cheer and Don leaned back in his chair. Megan looked at Don expectantly.

"I know Agent Reeves! I was just thinking that maybe we should tell Colby what we were talking about."

The fact that Don wanted to talk about it surprised David but he didn't question him; he was, after all, the only one of the group that knew Don's secret...that Don had paid the ultimate price for his deceitfulness. Megan again raised an eyebrow but this time Don simply nodded and so Megan began...

FLASHBACK

The first week of June (the year before) had been surprisingly calm...that should have been their first warning. The second week went as well as the first but the third week...well, that was plain torture. On Monday they had gotten called to a hostage situation; the suspect tried to run for it but Don tackled him. Don winced and Megan asked if he was OK.

"I'm fine...I think I bruised some ribs."

Don didn't bother getting checked out; later that day his father called but Don put him off.

"He's going to be worried Don."

"Drop it Reeves. No one tells him or Charlie anything or so help me you'll find yourself suspended for disobeying an order. Got it?"

"Yes, sir"

So, no one said anything. Then two days later they'd gotten called on a robbery...everything had gone in their favor until the end. Suddenly gun fire could be heard; a suspect came running outside and Don and David ran after him. They tackled him together and soon Don was back at Megan's side.

"How many left?"

"The two carrying the guns."

Without warning a gunfight ensued.

"Stay low!"

The fight didn't last long however; Don stood to cuff the suspect when he fell on his back; the sound of a gun going off echoed through the streets. It was David who found his voice first,

"AGENT DOWN! GET THE MEDICS NOW!"

Megan helped Don to his feel and pulled him back to the safely of the medics.

"I'm fine; I just got the wind knocked out of me."

David tried talking Don into going to the hospital but he refused; it was Megan who talked him into letting the medics look at him.

"He should get it check out. I don't like the look of them ribs."

Don refused to listen promising her that he would get his ribs looked at if they didn't feel better by that weekend. The next day David and Megan showed up to work early expecting to see Don; he wasn't there. Megan shrugged her shoulders,

"Maybe he went to the doctors."

David wasn't so sure but he waited to say anything. When Don hadn't shown up by lunch and Mr. Eppes had called David got scared.

"I'm going to go see if he's home."

"He's probably sleeping."

"I'm still going."

"David..."

David blew her off, storming to the elevator. Megan followed.

"If he gets pissed off I'm blaming you."

"Fine"

David drove, going well over the speed limit, to Megan's dismay. When they got to the house they saw Don's car parked.

"I told you; he's sleeping and he's going to be mad we disturbed him."

"You know what Megan, why don't you wait in the car."

"David, I..."

"No! If you'd been paying attention they you'd know he was more hurt then he let on. He was starting to get sluggish; he'd said it was because he was tired but I didn't believe him. I tried calling him; got nothing. Mr. Eppes calling and wanting to talk to Don was his way of letting us know that Don never went over. He promised Charlie and Don never reneges on a promise... especially to Charlie."

With that said David ran up the stairs that led to his boss's apartment. After knocking for a mere ten seconds he pulled out a key and unlocked the door.

"Where did you get the boss's house key?"

"Charlie gave it to me...Don!"

There was no answer so David led the way inside. Both agents kept a hand on their guns.

"Don!"

With a nod of his head, David sent Megan in the direction of the kitchen while he went to the bedroom; he knocked before entering. What he saw shocked him. Don was sprawled on his bed, blood lined around his mouth, blood on the bed.

"Megan!"

His yell brought the female agent running.

"Oh my..."

"Call 911!"

The ambulance showed up within minutes and whisked Don away leaving David and Megan with the task of telling Don's father and younger brother. The four of them rushed to the hospital.

"My son was just admitted; Don Eppes."

"Fourth floor sir."

David had an elevator waiting and the four quickly got in. Once on the fourth floor they could do nothing but wait. Half an hour later a doctor emerged,

"Eppes family."

Allen stood.

"I'm his father Allen, his brother Charlie, and co workers; they found him."

"Not a moment too soon; Don broke a couple ribs. When he got shot the bullet forced one of the ribs to puncture his lungs. He probably had some trouble breathing but thought it do to the pain of the ribs themselves."

"What about the blood?"

The doctor looked at David before turning to Allen.

"You're sons ribs also nicked a major artery. He was internally bleeding for at least fifteen minutes before he threw up. If your son's co workers hadn't found him when they did, he would have died. As it is, we'll have to surgically repair the damage. He'll be in the hospital for a couple weeks, rehabilitation for a couple more weeks with light duty, but then he'll be able to go back to full duty with a month."

"Thank you doctor; How long will the surgery take?"

"A couple hours at most; are any of you able to fill out his insurance forms?"

David raised his hand and accepted the paper work from the nurse who had just entered the waiting room.

"I'll let you know how everything goes when it's over."

Allen could only nod.

A/N – I'm not a doctor nor affiliated with the medical profession so I have NO idea if what I wrote is correct but it sounded good and fit with my story!