An extra early posting today just for deborah!

Chapter 4

Frank Reagan was nervously pounding on the door to his son's hotel room early Thursday morning. Jamie had not answered numerous calls or texts from his anxious father who was just about ready to send one of his men down to the desk for another key when he heard the door click open. He was stunned at the sight of his disheveled son as he followed him into the room and watched him collapse back down on the bed, pale and sweating.

"Christ," was all he could mutter.

"Yeah," was the only weak reply. Jamie figured that about summed it all up as he put his forearm across his eyes. The light hurt. Physically hurt. To be honest, every damn part of his body ached at this point, up to and including his eyelashes.

"When?"

"Somewhere around three this morning. Woke up with it and hasn't stopped since."

"Baker too, and nine others in the hotel now. Six from our flight in total. Eddie was right, it does seem to be food poisoning... everyone that's sick had some type of salad at lunch yesterday afternoon. A few of the women are looking dehydrated already. I have a Dr. Brenner coming from the local hospital any moment now to look at you."

"Good, if he can't stop this, then give him your sidearm and have him shoot me," Jamie moaned as his other hand came down to rest on his sore, clenched stomach. "It will be a mercy killing."

Frank gave a soft chuckle as he walked over to the bedside and sat down on a chair. "Can I get you anything, son? Water? Crackers or some toast?"

"God no, can't keep anything down… wait, my phone. I dropped it somewhere over there," he gestured weakly to the right side of the bed without uncovering his eyes. "I keep hearing it buzz, but I couldn't find it."

Frank searched through the covers thrown over the bedside before finding the device lodged between the wall and the nightstand. He scrolled through the lock screen noting several messages in addition to his earlier inquiries. "Eddie's been trying to reach you," he said, and then was startled when Jamie sat straight up in bed and gasped.

"Is everything okay?" he asked in a sudden panicked voice as his frightened eyes met Frank's. "What's wrong?" He quickly grabbed the phone and unlocked it, nearly hyperventilating before sighing in relief as he looked through the messages. Eddie had just been checking to see if he was feeling any better before she was off to the grocery store; there was no emergency. She was fine. The baby was fine. No one was injured or lying dead in the street. Kaylin was safely tucked in her yellow ducky jammies just as she should be. He sagged back down on the pillows, not really sure where all the panic welling up in him had come from. His heart was still racing though, and that dream continued to haunt him.

Frank was puzzled by Jamie's strong reaction, but he chalked it up to the distress of the situation, and any further thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door as Dr. Brenner from West Memorial Hospital and the state health officials arrived to investigate the suspected outbreak of foodborne illness.

"Commissioner," Dr. Brenner addressed Frank as he walked into the room. "I understand we have another patient here."

"Yes," Frank said as he stood up to shake the other man's hand. "This is my son, Jamison. He was feeling off last night, but he said his major symptoms started about three this morning."

"Consistent timetable with all the others," the doctor commented as he set his bag down and started to remove some items. "My colleagues from the state health department have taken samples from the kitchen and swabs from the others afflicted. All things are pointing to the packaged lettuce that was used in the salads yesterday. There have been other similar outbreaks in the region. These symptoms will probably last between one and ten days." He moved over to the bedside which elicited a small groan from the occupant. "Now, Jamison..."

"Jamie, please let's not be so formal, and for the love of God... ten days?"

"Okay, Jamie," Dr. Brenner started again with a small smile as he leaned over and quickly took a temperature reading from his forehead. "With luck it usually runs its course before then. Well, you're at 102.5... that's pretty high. I take it you haven't been able to keep anything down since this started," he continued as he felt for Jamie's pulse and took out a stethoscope to listen to his heart. "Also quite high," he frowned as he looked up at Frank. "Does he have any pre-existing conditions?"

"He had a severe pneumonia and issues with an enlarged heart last year but that was cleared up," Frank confirmed with an uneasy feeling settling into his own stomach.

"Our biggest concern is dehydration," Doctor Brenner explained as he took a blood pressure reading. "98 over 65, and that's low. I've recommended we take two of the other patients to the hospital for IV fluids, including your assistant Detective Baker." He glanced down at Jamie. "With his history and these vitals, it looks like we have a third."

"No, uh uh, no way!" Jamie countered as he scooted up on the pillows shaking his head. "Not if I don't absolutely need to," he said as he looked at Frank. "I have to get home to Eddie and Kaylin before this storm hits, Dad," he pleaded. "Please!" The sudden movement was too much for his weak stomach and he was forced to reach over and grab the waste can at the side of the bed, heaving up nothing of any substance.

Frank rubbed his face as he looked between his son and the doctor. "Take him," he said as he held his hand up as his youngest started to protest. "Jamie, I will figure out a way to get you and Baker home before tomorrow night. I can't leave her stranded here either. The whole department will shut down without Abigail at the helm," he smiled and turned back to the doctor. "Do you think they'll be able to fly tomorrow?"

"On a commercial flight? No way."

"I'll walk," Jamie said sullenly as he sank back and covered his eyes again. He had the chills now and was visibly shaking. "I told Eddie before... I left that I'd... walk home if I had to." He wasn't about to mention the real motivation for that statement because that had obviously flown out the window for the time being. Stupid. Freaking. Salad. So much for eating healthy.

"Eddie is his wife," Frank explained to the puzzled Dr. Brenner. "She's pregnant and they also have a three-year-old in a new house. He's worried about them, although he knows damn well his family would look after them if needed, now don't you, Jamie?" he said a little more sharply as he turned back to his son and pulled a blanket over the shivering boy. "We'll charter a copter and airlift the two of you if we have to. I have some favors I can call in. Garrett was able to get our scheduled flight moved up to noon. Everyone who is able to will get on that plane tomorrow, and the rest will be taken care of. The mayor can figure out a way to get his own people home."

"Okay," Dr. Brenner said as he gathered up his equipment. "The manager said the hotel shuttle will be available in about twenty minutes to take these three over to the hospital. We can pull some blood there to check his electrolyte levels. See if you can have him ready to go by that point. I'll have them ring the room."

Frank turned back to his son after the door closed. "All right," he said in his 'no nonsense, this is gonna get done with no questions' voice, "let's get you up and changed into something clean. I'll pack up all of your things and put them in my room for the time being."

"Dad, I..." Jamie started mournfully. Something deep inside him wanted to confide in his father... to run to him like he used to do as a small boy and tell him all about the car and the terrible dream that had plagued his night, so Frank would wrap him up in those rugged arms and make all the bad stuff go away, but he stopped. He was a grown man with a family now, and he was supposed to be the strong one. "I... have another long sleeved t-shirt and some sweatpants in my bag over there." He said as his teeth chattered and his stomach was rolling dangerously again while he stood up and took the items to the bathroom. "Please call Eddie and let her know I'll talk to her when I can."

###

Eddie was nearing the front of the checkout line at the grocery store when her phone rang. She had purposefully bundled Kaylin up as soon as she was awake and fed so they could get in and out of the 24-hour store early before the storm crowds descended and her daily "afternoon" sickness set in. She smiled when she saw Jamie's caller ID.

"Well, hellooo sexy," she answered seductively in a low voice as she took a few steps away from her daughter sitting in the cart. It was her intention to continue to wind Jamie up until he came home the following night. This shifting hormone thing was okay sometimes.

"Ahem, Eddie? Is that you? It's Frank."

Eddie grimaced and instantly turned bright red with embarrassment when she realized she was speaking to her father-in-law before the panic set in, and she wondered why exactly he had Jamie's phone. "Frank? What's wrong? Where's Jamie?" Kaylin's bright blue eyes were on her, sensing the tension in Eddie's voice.

"He's, um..." Frank winced as he listened to the sounds coming from the bathroom. "He, uh isn't feeling well this morning, and asked me to give you a call so you wouldn't worry that he hadn't answered you. I'm sorry, I thought you'd be more concerned if you saw it coming in from my phone."

"What's going on, Frank?" Eddie was nervously sensing there was more to come.

"It's food poisoning," her father-in-law confirmed. "You were right. Most likely the lettuce they used in the salad. There are at least eleven people ill here at the hotel. Jamie and Abigail Baker are two of the worst. We're going to run them over to the hospital with the shuttle so they can have an IV so they don't get dehydrated." He paused when he heard her breath hiss. "Now don't worry, sweetheart. The doctor was here and said it's just something that needs to run its course over the next few days."

"Frank..."

"I promise, Eddie," he assured. "I've cancelled his other appointments, and he'll call you later when he's up to it. He had a bit of a rough night." Frank had no idea of how accurate that statement was. "I'm looking into airlifting the two of them back to the city tomorrow if they can't make the regular flight. He'll be home by nightfall, one way or another... no worries. We're just about ready to leave the hotel now. I've got to get him ready to go."

"Okay... please just ask him to call when he can," Eddie conceded to his sincere tone as she pushed her cart forward towards the cashier. "Thanks for letting me know." She saw Kaylin's eyes light up as she spotted yet another little golden book with a soft yellow fuzzy duck on the front. She smiled as her daughter laughed in delight when she reached over and handed it to her.

"Don't tell your daddy about that one," she smirked as she hung up the phone and started putting her items on the conveyor belt. "He'll be home tomorrow, baby."

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