A Little Under The Weather
Disclaimer: CBS owns Criminal Minds...
Summary: Emily's sick, and she never gets sick. When she's called in by Strauss for a meeting with her and the Director, can she keep control?
A/N: I didn't realize just how many oneshots I've done about my favorite agents getting sick, so after tweaking around some things I'm posting it as a multi chapter series of oneshots about getting sick. Enjoy.
Thanks for reading, and remember reviews are nice too.
J.D. Salinger said, "I don't exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean that."
Emily stood in the break room, heating up her hot tea when the urge hit her.
Grabbing a tissue quickly she covered her nose and mouth as she sneezed.
"Oh God" Emily murmured to herself, "Kill me now. I'd gladly welcome death."
"Don't ever tempt fate." Dave said walking in, but stood back holding up a file to shield himself from her, "So, just how contagious are you?"
"Screw you, pal" Emily muttered grabbing her tea out of the microwave.
She walked over to the small table, sitting down her eyes were watering and she felt like her head was stuffed up with Kleenexes.
"So I bet you wish you got that flu shot, huh?" Dave teased slowly sitting down at the table opposite of her.
"Are you here to ask me something or just to hassle me?" Emily muttered, reaching into her pocket for a cough drop, "I know when I actually do get sick that I always stay here to work, but God I'd kill for a chance to go home and sleep this off for the next three days."
Dave sighed, "I hear you, kiddo. But unfortunately you've got that meeting with Strauss, the Director and Hotch."
"Fuck 'em." Emily groaned out as she sipped her tea, "Garcia told me I look like I'm on death's door. If they want something from me, they can leave it in an email, text message or Tweet it. I just want to go home and sleep."
Dave chuckled, "I guess I forgot a sick Emily is a cranky Emily."
Emily looked up from blowing her nose, "Very funny. Very fucking funny."
Hotch walked in, "Emily, ten minutes."
"All right, all right." Emily muttered getting up, when Dave grabbed her arm, "What?"
"Here" Dave said, opening up his coat pocket he pulled out some cough syrup.
"What's that?" Emily asked warily taking the bottled liquid.
Rolling his eyes, "Don't tell me you've got eye problems on top of the cold?"
"No one likes a smart ass, Dave." Emily muttered, looking at the directions, "Huh."
"Just take it." Dave told her, "It'll help you with your meeting. So just go on and take it."
"Wow, what a pusher." Emily muttered uncapping the lid, pouring the liquid down her throat.
Dave stood in shock as she downed the whole bottle, "Whoa, there kiddo. A teaspoon, not the whole thing."
"Eh" Emily said grimacing, "Not so bad."
Hotch poked his head out, "You ready?"
"Mm hmm" Emily said grabbing her bottled water, "Ready as I'll ever be."
Hotch watched as she zipped up sweater, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm hoping to be better soon" Emily said setting the cold medicine down, "Ready?"
"Lets go" Hotch told her, heading out of the break room.
Dave watched as the brunette pair walked out of the bullpen. Picking up the discarded bottle he was startled when he heard a noise behind him.
"What are you looking at?" Reid said as he and JJ wandered in.
JJ plucked the bottle out of his hand, "Are you sick too?"
"No, this wasn't for me." Dave said, "I picked this up for Emily."
Reid looked over at the bottle, "You know this brand of cold medication has a high percentage of alcohol in it."
"What?" JJ asked, her eyes scanning the ingredients, "Shit, Dave you gave this to her? Well how much did she take?"
"The whole thing." Dave murmured.
"Crap" JJ said, "Well as long as it gets out of her system before the meeting, she'll be fine."
Dave shut his eyes, as he rubbed his temples, "She's at the meeting now."
"Uh oh" Reid said, "And you know how bad a sick Emily is on her own..."
"Don't remind me." Dave muttered, rubbing the back of his head.
He knew he was a dead man when Emily and Hotch figured this out. He contemplated running off to Guatemala.
Emily blinked as she stood before Strauss and the FBI Director, she wondered why she was seeing double.
Shaking her head lightly she looked over at Hotch and thought she could see a trace of amusement on his face.
"Agent Prentiss?" the Director said, "Shall I repeat the question?"
"Huh?" Emily said, closing her right eye as she tilted her head back to look at the ceiling, "I feel dizzy."
Hotch looked from the seemingly inebriated brunette to the two authority figures. Concern etched on his face, but he couldn't show that here, not with Strauss present.
"Agent Prentiss," Strauss said, watching the younger woman's face snap back to look at her.
"Ma'am?" Emily said then hiccuped, "Excuse me."
Strauss turned to look at the Director with a raised eyebrow, while Emily hiccuped again.
"Sorry, ma'am, sir." Emily said her voice slurring slightly.
"Agent Prentiss?" the Director said, "Can you please tell us what happened in the Laird case?"
"Yes, sir" Emily said her hands going on to the back of the chair, to hold herself up, "William Laird, he was..." Emily chuckled, "He was a really bad guy even for an unsub."
"Yes, we know that Agent Prentiss" Strauss said, "What we want to know what tactics you took to the apprehension of Laird..."
"Blah blah blah" Emily muttered, as she sat down looking up to see the amusement hit the Director's face.
"Excuse me?" Strauss said, "Agent Prentiss do you know what kind of damage can be done if the review board finds just cause in Laird's claim of being manhandled."
"You sure like to talk alot" Emily said shrugging her shoulders, "Ma'am, Laird is a six foot ten, two hundred and twenty pound man. And I'm... Well I'm tiny."
"Prentiss" Hotch said, feeling his eye twitch not missing the look of annoyance on Strauss' face, "What's the matter?"
"Hmm?" Emily said, "Oh nothing, nothing. Is it hot in here?"
The Director looked over at Hotch, "It appears she's drunk."
"What?" Hotch said, shaking his head, "No, no. Not at all, sir."
"Agent Prentiss, have you been drinking?" Strauss asked.
"No." Emily said, leaning forward to unzip her sweater, "Only water. And a lot of cough syrup."
"Cough syrup?" Hotch asked.
"I don't feel so good." Emily said fanning herself, "I've been under the weather."
"You didn't get your flu shot?" the Director asked, seeing her shake her head as she face contorted in pain.
As Emily stood up, feeling herself get hot and light headed her stomach lurch. She rushed for the door.
"Agent Prentiss" Strauss called out, "We're not through here."
"I didn't manhandle anyone" Emily said inhaling, "Especially not Laird."
Emily moved for the door, not bothering to stop when Strauss told her to.
"Agent Prentiss" the Director said, "Agent Prentiss?"
The two FBI officials watched as Hotch stood up making his way over to Emily who was resting her head on the door.
"I think she's asleep" Strauss said frowning at the sight.
Hotch lightly touched Emily's shoulder, "Emily?"
Emily's eyes shot open and she reached over grabbing the wastebasket and vomiting in there.
Hotch turned around and could see the shock on their faces.
"So I think we're done here. Right?" Hotch asked.
"Yes" the Director said, "I think every thing's been cleared up..." the Director cleared his throat, "Can you take that wastebasket with you? I don't think I'll need it anymore."
"Agent Hotchner?" Strauss called out before the brunette pair walked out of the office, "Once Agent Prentiss is... well, I'd like it if you could get her to sign the necessary paperwork regarding this meeting."
"Yes ma'am." Hotch replied, turning around he rolled his eyes, as he helped Emily walk out of the office.
Once the pair made it to the bullpen Hotch helped her up to his office, allowing her to rest in there until he could drop her off at home to rest.
She adamantly protested his offer of allowing him to tend to her but relented when he reminded her that she just vomited in the Director's office, and either she allow him to help her or Garcia.
And Garcia wasn't a great choice for her, unless she wanted to be coddled and treated like a three year old.
Hotch closed his office door, and turned around seeing Dave leaning on the door frame to his own office.
"How is she Aaron?" Dave asked.
Hotch narrowed his eyes at his friend, "Better now that she's not high from the cough syrup you gave her. Honestly Dave you'd of been better off giving her a bottle of Scotch."
Dave sighed, "I honestly didn't know that there was that much alcohol in the medicine. Seriously, you think I'd want her drunk for that meeting? How bad was it?"
"Dave, she told off Strauss." Hotch said, seeing Dave chuckle lightly, "It's not funny."
"That part is." Dave said laughing, Hotch gave him a warning look, "Sorry. What else?"
"Outside of that she was professional with the line of questions" Hotch said, "But she wanted to get out of there immediately and ended up vomiting in the Director's trash can."
Dave grimaced at that, "That doesn't sound fun. Look Aaron, I am sorry, I never intended..."
"I know, Dave. I know." Hotch said sighing as the two walked down the catwalk.
As the two walked into the break room, Dave sat down, watching Hotch pour himself some coffee, "So are you going to be taking care of her?"
Hotch sat down, nodding, "Yeah, she's got a bad case of the flu. I'm going to make sure she's fine."
"Mm hmm" Dave said raising an eyebrow at him, "I'm sure that's all it is."
Hotch raised an eyebrow at his friend, "Dave..."
"All I'm saying is no one would blame you if you two got together" Dave said picking up his mug and walking out.
Sighing, Hotch wandered back up to his office to finish up his paperwork, while Emily slept on his couch.
His eyes kept adverting to the brunette and when it was time to go he walked over to her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder chuckling lightly when she groaned at being woken up.
"What?" Emily said, her voice husky from sleep.
"Time to go home." Hotch said helping her sit up, "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've got the flu and someone decided to give conga lessons on my head." Emily said.
"Ha ha" Hotch said lightly, "Come on."
The two walked out of the office, down into the bullpen. Hotch smiled when she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"You ok?" Hotch asked, kissing her forehead.
"Better" Emily said sighing, "Is it the cold medicine, my hallucinations or did I hear Dave giving you advice to pursue me?"
"Well that certainly wasn't your hallucinations." Hotch said chuckling, "I know it's wrong not to tell our friends about us, but I like this. Just us, something that's just ours. Don't you?"
Emily nodded, "So where to? My place or yours?"
"Well I guess we can go to yours, since you didn't bring your go bag." Hotch told her, "If that'll be fine."
"Yeah, that's fine." Emily said, "Can we get there soon, my head's starting to feel fuzzy."
"So I guess that means no sex tonight?" Hotch said, "I like my women conscious."
"Wow, talking dirty to a sick girl?" Emily rolled her eyes, "Naughty boy."
Hotch shook his head, as the two got into the elevator, "Come on, we need to get you well."
"I wonder why? Because someone wants to get lucky?" Emily said pulling out her tissue, as she coughed in to it.
"Yeah that's the reason." Hotch said smirking as the doors closed.
"The trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind." G.K. Chesterton
To Be Continued...
Well I hope you all enjoyed this, let me know.