AN: This is my first fanfic of any kind so please review. I have no beta, sorry about any grammar or spelling mistakes (fee free to point them out in reviews, along with the grammar rule I screwed up). This is a basic fic of hurt Charlie and slight over protective Don. No spoilers
Charlie arrived at CalSci around 10am to meet Don in his office. While they usually meet at their dad's house to go over case files, Charlie had an 11am class and wanted to be able to go there directly after meeting with Don. They younger Eppes brother really enjoys consulting with the FBI. An overprotective Don was the only downfall of the two spending more time together. Don's protectiveness was bad enough in high school, when the older brother didn't even want him around. Now Don has started to cross the line. Not only is Charlie not allowed to go to crime scenes to collect data, he is also kept out of the office during particularly nasty cases and whenever a suspect is brought in. Even on the rare occasions where he can go to a crime scene he always has to wear a vest and has two agents watching him. Charlie understands why Don is doing this, and he does appreciate it, but every now and then he just wishes his older brother would lay off a little.
Shaking his head, Charlie cleared his mind and began thinking about what Don said over the phone. The older Eppes had told him to expect two large boxes of files to shift through for data. Knowing he would need a lot of space to work, Charlie locked up his bike and headed to his office to clear off his desk. Dressed in his usual fashion, a white shirt and a pair of khakis, Charlie walked down the hall towards his office. As he approached the door he noticed a small wrapped box on the floor with what appeared to be a piece of paper on top. Upon closer examination, bending down to grab the box, the younger Eppes discovered it was a note written on a standard piece of notebook paper. The paper was folded in half with Charlie written on it in nice, bold penmanship. Knowing Don would be there any minute, he grabbed the box and note the unlocked his office door.
The office was in it's usual state of unorganization. With boxes pilled in some corners and stacks of papers or books on nearly every surface, he knew he had to clear some area to put Don's work. He immediately set his bag, and the mysterious present, down on a pile of books then started clearing off his desk. After a few minutes he deemed there was a decent sized space to work on whatever Don was bringing over. Charlie sat down in his chair only to remember the box and get up to grab it. With the box in hand he sat back down to inspect the note. It read:
Charlie
Thanks for all the help , I really appreciate it. To let you know how much I love you I brought you a small gift. It's imported from Germany and I made sure to wrap it in your favorite color.
Love,
Your Secret Admirer
Charlie pulled the wrapping paper, which actually was his favorite color, off the box to find a very expensive looking box of chocolates.Knowing Don would stop him from eating them as soon as he arrives, and being hungry from missing breakfast that morning, the younger Eppes selected two pieces at random and shoved one in his mouth. It really was delicious chocolate. He cleared his throat and just shoved the second piece in his mouth when Don finally arrived.
"Hey sorry I'm late Charlie, I know you have a class soon. There was a hold up on a few of the files I thought you would need." Don walked over to the desk then placed two boxes of files down next to the chocolate.
Charlie coughed around the chocolate in his mouth and greeted his brother "It's no problem Don. So what do you need me to look at?"
Don sighed, "Well hold on, swallow what's in your mouth first so you don't choke on it. Where did you get these chocolates anyway? Amita?"
"No" cough, cough "They were sitting in front of the door when I got here from my 'secret admirer'" He handed Don the note, mentally preparing for him to flip out.
"What the hell Charlie?! Why would you eat that?"
Charlie rolled his eyes, "Come on Don, it's just chocolate. I even checked the package to make sure none of them have walnuts in it. And I gave you the letter." he interrupted himself by coughing again. When the coughing fit passed he cleared his throat. "Besides it's probably just from an overzealous student or something."
While listening to Charlie talk, and more importantly cough, Don found the trash can then threw out the reaming chocolates but kept the box, wrapping and note just in case (he's FBI after all). "You know you shouldn't eat chocolate other people brought you because of you SEVERE allergy to walnuts. Especially not if they're imported from another country! You don't know their practices, most of other countries don't require chocolate makers to tell you about cross contamination in factories." The older Eppes was too caught up in his rant to notice Charlie's face slowly becoming red as the coughing continued.
"Don" Charlie wheezed out.
Don turned to him alarmed. Noting his red complexion, lack of oxygen and sweating, he eased him out of his chair and down to the floor. Don grasped him by his shoulders.
"Charlie, listen to me! You need to calm down, you've been through this before and you know freaking out makes it worse. Where's your epi pen?! You have to tell me I don't know where it's in here!"
While still struggling to breathe, his throat closing up faster and faster, Charlie weakly gestured to his desk. Don quickly laid him back down on the floor then began riffling through the desk for the epi pen. Just as he opened the top drawer, Amita entered the office.
Taking note of Charlie laying on the ground struggling to breathe and Don looking frantic, she immediately ran to Charlie side worried.
"Don, what's going on?!"
"Amita, thank God. Call 911 now! Tell them there's an adult male suffering from anaphylactic shock due to walnuts in chocolate. Then go outside and lead them here."
She jerkily nodded her head, whipped out her cell and called EMS. While Don had been giving here instructions he was still searching for the epi pen. Cursing when he still couldn't find it he moved on to the last drawer, praying to God it was in there. After moving a bunch of papers, Don finally found the pen then turned back to Charlie.
Naturally, Charlie's condition had gotten worse. Don had been hoping he would never need to give his younger brother an epi pen injection to save his life again, but Charlie is a trouble magnet. He uncapped the pen, whispered reassuring words to an unconscious Charlie, then jammed the pen into Charlie's thigh. The effects weren't immediate but it was fairly fast. After a few minutes of just waiting there, the younger Eppes brother's breathing steadied out and he pried his eyes open.
"Hey"
"Hey",
"Yeah, just so you know, you're never eating chocolate again."
Charlie chuckled lightly, "Yeah, I figured that as soon as I couldn't stop coughing."
As he finished that sentence, Amita returned with two EMS workers.
Don addressed them first, '"I gave him his epi pen about two minutes ago. He just woke up."
The EMTs checked over Charlie then loaded him up on a stretcher.
"Hey Don, you're coming right?" Charlie asked sleepily.
"Yeah buddy, of course."
Before leaving the office, Don sent a quick text to David telling him the situation and asking him to come over to bag the note, box and wrapping paper as evidence. He then asked Amita to inform Charlie's 11am class that there was a medical emergency so class is canceled. After also, texting their dad about the situation he jogged to catch up to the EMTs.
Don caught up to the EMTs just after they loaded Charlie into the ambulance. As he sat beside Charlie and started at him as he lied there on a gurney, he vowed to find whoever sent him the chocolates. While they may not trying to kill him, his walnut allergy wasn't very well known, Charlie nearly died. At the very least his younger brother seems to have a budding stalker, if the note was anything to go by. No one's going to hurt his brother, on purpose or by accident, without dire consequences while he is physically able to protect him, even if it was just a love struck student.
