Author's Note: Another excercise in proving that my brain likes angst. I apologise. Really I do. Still, enjoy it :)

James is up early the next morning. He takes the opportunity to go out for a walk, some time to himself before Sam wakes up and monopolises his time. Not that he'd have it any other way. But sometimes, a calm start in the morning is just what he needs, and now Robbie's there, he can actually take advantage of the chance. He can hardly go out in the morning and leave Sam alone in the house on any other day.

He walks for about half an hour, not going anywhere in particular. He notes with satisfaction, that his knee feels better than it did when they got in yesterday. It still hurts a little, but he'd been expecting not to be able to move it this morning so a little pain isn't really a problem. He grabs some bacon and eggs on the way back. He'd have got more shopping, but he's left his card I the house and he only has three pounds cash in his pocket. Hey;ll have to go out again later, they've still got no food.

When he lets himself back into the house, he can hear Sam shouting inside. At first he thinks that the boy is shouting at Lewis, and he wonders what's happened that's made the kid turn on the man that he seems to love. But he soon realises that they are happy shouts.

When he walks into the living room, he sees Robbie and Sam sat on the floor, and it looks very much like Lewis is teaching the child how to play 'Snap', although James has no idea where the older man managed to find the cards. Sam loves it, slamming his hand down on the cards when he notices a pair, and happily shouting snap.

He makes them all breakfast and brings it through, just as the other two wind up their game. Over their food, they discuss their plans for the day, and Robbie insists that they do James' room next. They decide to go to the shops first though. Among all the food they need, they also need new paintbrushes. They forgot to wash them out the other day and they seem to be ruined.

Hathaway notices that Sam has barely eaten his food, even though he and Robbie are now almost finished.

"What's wrong with that egg eh Sammy?"

"Nothin'" Sam mumbles, "I not hungry." He pushes his plate away and climbs down from the table as James starts to gather up the dishes. Once he realises that his Dad is about to leave the room, Sam pulls himself onto Robbie's lap and sits there quietly. James frowns when he comes back in and sees this, its not like his son not to eat his food, or to be this subdued in the morning. Robbie just shrugs with a 'we'll just keep an eye on him' look and they get ready to go to the shops.

Robbie takes hold of James' arm as they get close to the house. The younger man looks at him quizzically, as he shifts Sam in his arms. The little boy fell asleep in the car and showed no signs of getting out. Robbie has hold of a couple of bags of shopping, and James'll go back for the rest when he gets Sam inside.

Hathaway looks to where Robbie is looking. There's a bottle and a piece of paper on his doorstep. James glances around nervously, he's still apprehensive of little notes being left for him, after what happened last time he got one. Admittedly, Martin Harper's father didn't at any point give him a bottle of wine. A paralysing drug yes, but not a bottle of wine. They go to the bottle and Lewis picks the note up, reading aloud.

"Dear Mr Hathaway,

I wanted to thank you and your friend for calling the ambulance and staying until they arrived. The police told me that you have given a description on the man that M Holton unmasked.

Sorry, about the quality of the wine, most of it was smashed in the raid. Hope you both came out of it relatively unscathed.

Thank you very much again,

Mr Carson"

James smiled.

"He didn't have to," Robbie looked confused. "Mr Carson owns the store that got smashed up."

Oh...How does he know your address James?" Hathaway smiled at the copper's instincts coming out in Robbie.

"Paper round. One of his lad delivers the paper every week."

"Every week?" Hathaway shrugs.

"I don't read the paper that much." Robbie shakes his head, that boy is forever destined to be just a little bit odd.

They go inside and sit Sam on the sofa, before bringing the rest of the shopping in and Robbie sets about cooking them some pasta for lunch. When he comes in twenty minutes later, with pasta mixed with pancetta, James is reading a book to Sam, who is looking very sleepy. He has a fist balled in James shirt and his head is resting on James' lap, the rest of his body curled into itself.

"Grubs up." James starts to get up, and Sam whimpers a bit.

"No" he mumbles, and tries to pull James back down onto the sofa. James responds by picking him up and carrying to the table. When Hathaway sits his son on the chair, Sam starts to cry.

"What's wrong mate? Come on, you've got to eat some lunch."

"Not hungry."

"Sam, what's wrong."

"Don't feel well. My tummy hurts."

"You still need to eat."

"No, don't want it."

"How about you come and sit on my lap to eat eh? You try and eat a little bit on my lap yeah?" Sam nods sadly and James picks him up, at the same time pulling the child's plate over.

Sam picks at his food for a few minutes. Eventually, Robbie takes Sam's hand and the boy shifts to look at him.

"Come on kidda, come over here. Let your Dad eat his lunch." Sam nods, holding his arms out for Robbie to grab him. Hathaway gives Lewis a grateful smile, and tucks into his pasta hungrily.

Sam becomes extremely clingy, and refuses to relinquish his grip on Robbie. So as it stands Robbie is stripping wall paper one armed, his left arm holding Sam, who is dozing on his shoulder.

Suddenly, Robbie's phone goes off and James quickly takes Sam off him so he can answer it

"Hello? Adrian is that you?" James grins. Kershaw. He'd had the pleasure of meeting DS Adrian Kershaw a few years after he started working with Robbie. Kershaw had been a DC when Lewis was working with Morse, and the two younger men had hit it off rather well. In time, James and Kershaw had also got on very well, even if they had developed a friendly rivalry.

"James, Adrian wants to know if we fancy the pub later?" Hathaway nods to the child in his arms.

"Nah, he's ill, and in any case, they wouldn't let him in the pubs. Tell him cheers, but I'll pass, catch him another day. You go though, don't let us stop you"

"James can't come mate. But yeah I'm up for it. Not a late one though, I'm not as young as I used to be" Robbie laughs at whatever Adrian's answer is. "Cheeky sod! The Trout then? Half seven?" He puts the phone down.

"You don't mind Jim?"

"Nah, course not. Someone's gotta look after your social life sir." He repeats something he said to Lewis ages ago, although he can't remember for the life of him remember what case it was.

"What is it? Gang up on an old copper day. You and Kershaw, I swear, you two are the cheekiest bloody coppers I know."

"We aim to please."

.

They get Hathaway's room stripped and half painted by half five. James takes the paintbrushes out into the garden and sticks them in a bucket full of water When he returns, he decided to make them dinner. He prepares Shepherd's pie and then wanders into the living room, where Sam and Robbie are watching Thomas the Tank Engine on the DVD that Robbie brought over with him. He picks up the wine that the shopkeeper left for them.

"Robbie?" he says, wiggling the wine bottle.

"Aye, only a small one mind, I'm off to the pub later remember." Hathaway comes back with two glasses and pour half a glass for Robbie, and a much fuller one for himself. Lewis raises an eyebrow at him as he takes a sip of his wine. He's never been a big wine drinker, and this stuff just goes to consolidate his view that the grapes themselves actually nicer.

"I'm not going to get drunk Robbie, not with Sammy about." Lewis nods, even though he's not entirely sure of the truth in the statement.

Dinner is ready at about quarter to seven and this time, Sam manages to eat some of it. But he quickly decides that he doesn't want any more. He makes a grab for James' wine glass.

"Beena." Sam says, still trying to get hold of it.

"No, its not Ribena Sam. Its wine, and its definitely not for kids." Sam stops his campaign to get hold of the glass at that, and climbs onto James' lap.

"Feel hot Daddy, I don't like it" James feels the boy's forehead and frowns. Sam does feel a little warmer than he should. Robbie stands up.

"Have you got a thermometer Jim, where is it?"James points at a nearby box.

"Should be in there Robbie, cheers."

Sam's definitely got a temperature, although it's not dangerously high. Hathaway gets up with him and walks over to the box where the thermometer was located.

"I think you need some medicine little man. Open your mouth Sammy. I promise, this one tastes like strawberries, its not nasty like the other one."

"P'omise?"

"I promise." Sam takes the medicine and then goes to sit on the sofa. James looks at the clock.

"Right he had that at quarter past seven, so he can't have any more till..." Hathaway consults the back of the bottle. 6 hours between doses. "Quarter past one" Robbie looks at his watch.

"Bloody hell, I'm supposed to be there in ten minutes. And I didn't even finish my wine." James picks the glass up, there's only about a quarter of it left.

"Problem is easily solved" he states and the drinks the rest. He sees Lewis expression. "I promise Robbie, no more." Lewis nods, James wouldn't lie to him outright like that, not about drinking, not after last time.

Lewis leaves, and Hathaway puts Sam to bed. The little boy is clingy and grumpy and he refuses to let James leave the room.

.

"So Robbie, why couldn't James make it. I haven't seen the bugger for ages."

"His bairn's ill. And it was a bit short notice Adrian. We'd never have found someone to look after Sam." Kershaw chokes on his beer.

"His kid? When the hell did Hathaway father a kid? And with who? Is she a looker, I always reckoned that jammy sod would get a right looker."

"Aye, hard to believe isn't it? The little lad is four. Great kid. Bloody good for James as well. As for his wife, well, she was a looker yeah." Kershaw sighs quietly.

"What happened to her?" Robbie recounts the events of three months ago. From the moment that James had turned up on his doorstep, kid in tow, to the moment that he'd left Hathaway's house, the lad leaning on a crutch and waving goodbye. After he's finished, Kershaw gives out a low whistle.

"That's rough. Poor bugger."

"Aye. Not had the easiest year, had James. Excuse me mate, just going to nip to the toilet."

As he washes his hands, Lewis realises that he feels a little sick. That's typical that is. First night at the pub in a fair while and he's ill. Its probably whatever Sammy's gone and picked up. Well its inevitable really, James will probably get it at some point soon too. Still, its a pain.

.

James stands up shakily. Bugger it, he's coming down with the same thing Sam's got. But he hopes Sam doesn't feel like this. James' vision is blurring and his stomach is seemingly trying to knot itself. He staggers into the living room. One look at the dinner things and Hathaway decides that they can wait till morning, instead, opting to flop onto the sofa. Within minutes, he is asleep, all pain forgotten.

He's oblivious to the sirens and flashing lights outside.

.

Robbie stays at the pub for another hour, before he decides that he should be getting back. He feels a little guilty that he's left James looking after Sam while he goes to the pub, and he's ready to go back and help. He bids Kershaw farewell outside and they go their separate ways, after having made promises to meet again soon, with James this time.

Once he gets to Hathaway's road, Robbie's stomach has eased up a little. He frowns as he looks up, the house on the end of the street, has white and blue police table across the front gate and there is a uniformed copper standing guard. He recognises the man and goes over to talk to him.

"Hiya Frank, what's going on here?"

"Inspector Lewis." Robbie shakes the proffered hand. "I didn't know you lived round here."

"I don't, I'm staying with a friend. What's happened?"

"Oh, geezer's been beaten to death. Friday night, what else?" Lewis feels a chill in the pit of his stomach, and it's nothing to do with how he felt earlier.

"What's the victim's name Frank?"

"Er Edward. Edward Holton I think...why?"

"Nothing, just wondered. I better be off mate." Lewis says as he heads back to James' house, leaving a confused constable in his wake.

He lets himself into the house and immediately starts to speak.

"James I think we might have a problem-" He begins, before he realises that he can hear Sam crying in the living room.

"James?...Sam kidda, what's wrong."

"Unca Robbiiiiiie" Sam sobs and Lewis rushes into the living room, heart in his mouth. The boy is stood next to the sofa, pushing James as he sleeps and crying fearfully.

"Sam, calm down, tell me what's wrong. Shhh Laddie, come on. What's wrong?" Sam swallows back sobs and turns back to Hathaway.

"...I c-can't wake up Daddy." Sam pushes on James' arm again and when nothing happens, he cries louder. "He not waking up...e-even when I push hard on his arm." Lewis can see that the little boy has worked himself up into a real state. He gives Sam a hug, squeezing him a little.

"Shh now bonny lad, Daddy probably had a bit too much wine. Come on, we'll wake him up now ok?" The four year old nods, hiccups breaking through his tears.

Lewis pokes James. Nothing happens. He turns to the wine, to see how much James drank. But there's no more missing than there was when he left. He frowns, shaking Hathaway a little as Sam watches.

"Come on Jim, wake up you lazy sod." The frown doesn't leave his face as he mutters; "Wake the bloody hell up and help me take care of your son." Its then that Lewis realises that James is very relaxed, his head lolls back and his eye lids open a little. Robbie can see the whites of his eyes as they too roll back, and suddenly everything feels much more worrying.

"Jim?" the ex inspector says shakily, as he puts a hand on James' neck to feel for a pulse. When he eventually finds it, James' pulse is weak and erratic and Lewis realises that something really bad has happened.

He turns James on his side, into the recovery position, and quickly calls an ambulance. Sam goes back to trying to wake his father up and Robbie knows he should stop him. But he has too much to do. He reflects that its lucky he feels better now, with a stomach ache, this would be even harder to...That's it! The wine. Its got to be the wine. After all, they both had the Shepherd's Pie, as did Sam, and clearly whatever it is, has effected James worse. But Robbie only had a few sips of wine, and James had at least two glasses, two and a quarter if you count the wine of Robbie's that he finished up.

He picks Sam up, the boy is still crying, and he knows he should explain, but right now, he needs to sort some things out. He grabs one of Sam's non spill cups from a box, and fills it up with wine, making sure it can't leak out from anywhere.

"Whatever you do Sammy, You mustn't drink this."

"Not Beena?"

"Definitely not lad."

Robbie then calls Innocent. He tells her what's going on, what he suspects. She's shocked, understandably and after she assures him that she'll get forensic down to examine the bottle, he promises that he'll keep her informed of what's going on.

Next he grabs Sam's comfort blanket from where the kid had dropped it on the floor in his panic. He also grabs the medicine that James had given Sam earlier, he has a feeling that he's going to be at the hospital for a while, and he has no choice but to bring Sam with him.

Just then the paramedics arrive, and Lewis goes trough what he knows and suspects as calmly as he can. They agree that it looks like James has been poisoned with something, and they put a breathing mask on him, in case he stops breathing. Robbie can't help but notice that James hasn't regained consciousness at all.

It takes all his energy to try and keep Sam calm during the ambulance ride. The littleboy has clearly worked out that something is very wrong with his father, and fear is causing him to cry and wriggle in Lewis' grasp. Once they get to the JR, James is wheeled off, amid urgent voices and long words, to be treated as quickly as he can be. Robbie is left in the waiting area, clutching a bag with a blanket and a beaker full of poisoned wine, and trying to comfort an almost inconsolable child.

.

Its an hour later, when a nurse comes up to him and speaks.

"Mr Lewis?" he nods. "Mr Hathaway is out of the operating theatre now. They've performed a gastric Lavage." At his blank look, she explains. "They've given him a stomach pump. He's in a side room, you can go and see him now."

"Is he going to be ok?"

"Its early day's yet Mr Lewis, why don't you and the kid go and see him?" Lewis' heart sinks. If James was safe, they'd have told him so. 'Early days' is just another way of saying, don't get your hopes up.

.

James looks terrible. He's deathly pale,and the veins under his skin stand out blue and obvious. There's a tube feeding oxygen into his nose, and a drip, giving him God knows what to help him out. Robbie slumps into the chair, a hand over his eyes.

"Daddy?" Sam asks, and Robbie pulls himself together. He needs to be strong for he little boy stood next to him.

"Come here bonny lad, Come and sit up here. We can watch over your Dad for the doctors, for a little while yeah?"

After twenty minutes of alternately crying and staring at James lying in the hospital bed, Sam falls asleep in Robbie's arms. Once he's sure that the boy is indeed asleep, Robbie slumps in the chair.

"Shit Jim, what the bloody hell have we got ourselves into this time eh lad?" Sam snuffles in sleep and clutches Robbie's hand in his sleep.

"You've got to pull through this bonny lad. Sam needs you." There's no answer, just the rasping sound of James' breathing and the soft beeps of the machines he's hooked up to.

"Fuck James. I'm too old to look after a kiddie again. Don't leave me without a choice...please."

.

An hour later, James' only son wakes up. Sam sits up on Robbie's lap, gravely taking everything in. He doesn't start crying again, but he's holding onto the older man's shirt very tightly.

"Unca Robbie?" he says quietly, not wanting to make too much noise.

"Yes Sam?"

"Why is there a tube in Daddy's nose? What's it for?" There is fear in the timid voice and Robbie recognises it as fear of the unknown.

Well kidda," Lewis pauses, unsure exactly how much he should explain. "Your Dad isn't breathing as much as the doctor's would like him to be, so they've put that tube there to help him get enough oxygen." Sam nods, staring at the bed. He still looks unsure and Lewis realises that teaching him about what is happening, is the only way to ease his fear. The boy is a lot like James in that respect, happier if he understands things.

"And that tube there," Lewis continues, pointing at the IV drip, "Is giving Daddy all the medicine he needs."

"Cos he can't have it in his mouth if he's asleep?"

"Aye bonny lad." Lewis certainly isn't going to explain the difference between asleep and unconscious to the child. Especially when he isn't sure which state he younger man is in.

"What about on his finger, why's that for?"

"Its a clip to see how his heart is doing. See that screen there? Those numbers are to show the doctors and nurses how well his heart is beating."

"Is Daddy's heart working prop'ly?" Lewis smiles despite it all, there's never been anything wrong with James' heart, physically or emotionally.

"Oh yes. Don't worry about that." The little boy smiles a little, and Robbie can see that he was right. Now that Sam understands what is going on, he seems calmer, although he's still clinging to Lewis like there's no tomorrow.

"Is Daddy gonna die?" Sam asks, and all the fear is back in his voice. Robbie had been hoping that Sam wouldn't ask him that question.

"Daddy is very ill Sammy. He drank something that was really bad for him. But the doctors are good, and they are working hard to fix him ok?" Sam nods again, and Lewis breathes a mental sigh of relief. He doesn't want to plant that doubt that James will be ok in Sam's mind. This way, he hasn't promised the lad things that he has no control over.

"Come on bonny lad, we've got to go home now."

"No! Not leave Daddy on his own. He'll be lonely." Robbie smiles sadly.

"He's not on his own Sam, all the doctors will come and check on him. How about you give him a good night kiss eh?" He holds Sam over the bed, as the little boy kisses James' cheek.

"Na'night Daddy." James' hand twitches and Robbie smiles. Asleep rather than unconscious then. That has to be good.