Title: 'Won't Do'

Author: freeflow

Rating: T (maybe higher in terms of suggestive content, but nothing explicit)

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Chapter 4

'Hope this doesn't take too long. Otherwise I might just join Vin; shut my eyes and start howling.'

Seeing the nerves in Buck's stance, Chris tried to ease his friend's anxiety.

'No offense big dog, but I don't think I could carry you for very long.'

Smiling at the image that conveyed, Vin suddenly frowned.

'I ain't howlin''

Ruffling the curly hair, Buck grinned as Vin ducked away, pulling a face.

'Yeah, but you would if you could. Ya should, ya know. It's good for ya. Thing is, you and Chris, you ain't howlers. Me and JD, on the other hand...'

At this, Chris snorted.

'Huh, howler isn't what I'd call you two. Noisy, chatterbox, blabbermouth – that's more like you guys. Full of hot air, don't know when to quit –'

Catching Chris's eye, Buck grinned toothily, and the two adults knew what the other was thinking.

Yeah, and more names besides, if there weren't little ears listening!

'Hey! Alright, alright! We get the picture, okay?'

Giggling now, Vin slanted a look at the lady's man and smiled.

'I jist call 'em the lips on legs.'

Shocked into silence, but only for a moment, Buck erupted into heartfelt laughter. Lord, how he loved these boys! Never know what they are gonna do or say next...

He stopped short, however, at an impact on the backs of his legs and he looked down to find two small arms locked around his thighs.

'JD? What's wrong little britches? You alright?'

Feeling rather than seeing his boy shake his head, Buck reached around and pulled the child up in to his arms, where immediately the unhappy sniffles turned in to full blown wails.

'I don't like it!'

Eyes wide, both Chris and Buck looked first at each other and then the dark head buried in Buck's neck.

'Aw, well, JD, it's over now – you're alright son.'

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Chris felt the arm around his neck tighten in anxiety.

Glaring at his oblivious friend, he rubbed Vin's back gently, wincing as JD's cries grew even more piercing.

'It's alright Vin, JD's just a bit upset is all. You know we're just outside if you need us – can you be brave for me cowboy?'

Earning a wide-eyed nod from the boy, Chris could not help but feel a sliver of relief as Vin whispered;

'JD really does howl, huh?'

Laughing, he lowered the boy to the floor as the nurse returned.

'Well sure he does, pard. Learned that from his pa, after all.'

Moving forward, intending to get the whole ordeal over as quickly as possible, Chris frowned slightly as he met the nurse's eyes.

Pale and constantly moving, the man seemed unwilling to meet Larabee's gaze, and stretched out a hand to Vin instead.

Probably embarrassed about JD's reaction. Hell, who wants to be screamed about in a crowd of people – especially when those people are likely to be some of your next patients?

As Vin took the other man's hand and began to follow, he suddenly glanced back at Chris and, stopping, thrust his hand at his father.

'Will ya keep Spiderman 'til I get back? I don't wanna lose it. S'off Aunt Rain, an' I'm gonna put it on my lunch box.'

Sliding the sticker in to his top pocket, Chris nodded his head and patted the material over his son's treasure. Winking at the boy, the man smiled as Vin took in the action, and his face radiating his complete trust, turned and followed the nurse out.

Turning to the slowly rocking man behind him, he placed a hand on the back of the now quieting child supported by his friend's strong arms, and pushed dark hair away from wet cheeks. Slightly surprised at the actual tears - cynical it may be, but JD does, more often than not, makes a lot of noise without physically crying! – Chris lowered his face to sneak a look in to brown eyes, only to find them tightly closed. Blowing lightly over the damp features, he smiled as JD cracked an eyelid, then seeing Chris so close, reflexively turned to press closer to his father.

'Hey JD, it's alright. You don't have to cry any more. You've done all the hard work now. Soon we'll be in McDonalds and you and Vin can get an ice-cream each, if you want. How's that sound?'

Expecting a pleased response or at least a lessening in the tears, both Chris and Buck were stunned to hear the wails erupt once more, at twice the pitch as previously.

Bouncing the child up to face level, Buck wrapped one arm under the boy's thighs and raised the other hand to his face, wiping the tears and clucking in distress.

'Hey hey hey! JD, son, come on, it's not so bad. Why you still crying huh? That needle can't have been so big that you still –'

'I ain't gonna get no McDonalds, 'cause I ain't had no needle 'cause I ain't no good!'

The outburst, stammered through heaving breaths and backhanded swipes at a gooey nose, had different effects on the two men listening. Buck, mortified at the wrenching desolation in his boy's voice, raised a gentle hand to JD's head and pressing a kiss to the wet face, jumped to his defence.

'You are good, JD, why would you say something like that? You're my boy, and ain't no one gonna tell me that you're not good, not even you, ya hear?'

Chris, however, had felt a rush of fear burst through him at the child's words, and raised a pale face to the boy.

'JD, what do you mean, you didn't get a needle? The nurse didn't –'

'Mr Larabee?'

Turning with a sharp response ready on his lips, Chris reined in his temper at the sight of a small, girlish woman with a high pony tail and a welcoming smile, which while plastered across a flushed face slowly slipped at Chris's expression.

'M – Mr Larabee? Er, I'm here to see to the boys? I'm Rain's friend.'

Sweeping his gaze down over her clipboard, pink scrubs and blue tabard, covered with lions and elephants and all the jungle animals that Vin had in his Noah's Ark at home, he almost threw up.

Pushing past the woman, and vaguely hearing Buck's questioning 'Chris?', he thrust himself through the crowd, ignoring the shouts of annoyance and anger as he bodily moved people from his path.

Bursting through the swinging doors in to the corridor where his son had been led, he spun around, searching for any sign of a children's ward, of the nurse, of his boy.

Seeing nothing but occupied gurneys and puzzled faces from various medical staff, his heart began to beat harder, adrenaline blocking out the questions from a doctor who approached him. Shaking off the soft hand which he only saw as holding him apart from his child, he let out a coarse yell.

'Vin?!'

Hearing the panting of approaching bodies behind him, he spun to where he knew Buck would be.

For now ignoring the questions in his friend's eyes, he focused completely on the child he held.

'JD, son, I know you're upset, but we've got to know. Where did the man take you? And why did you say you didn't get a needle?'

Frozen by the urgent tone in Chris's voice, and tearing up once more at the sudden movement back towards the source of his upset, JD stared wide eyed at his second father.

Well aware of the child's background and unwilling to heap anymore trauma on the boy, Chris nevertheless felt the seconds tick by as his son was conspicuously gone from his care. Stepping forward, he stroked the dark head once, and coaxed gently;

'JD, buddy, did the nurse give you the injection?'

Calming under the soft hand, JD shook his head haltingly and leaned further in towards Buck.

'You're not in any trouble, little bit. But you gotta tell us what happened. What did the nurse say to ya?'

Rubbing a small hand over his father's collar and picking idly at a stray thread there, JD nuzzled the warm neck and sniffed hard.

'He said that I won't do, I ain't no good. He don't like me, 'cause I talk too much and a ya ain't s'posed to talk unless someone talks to you first. I won't do Buck, he reckons I won't do. I ain't no good, so I don't get no needle and no McDonalds. And now Vin's gonna get one, and I won't.'

With JD beginning to cry once more, Chris raised terrified eyes to Buck, watching in distracted dismay as the big man folded his child back in to his chest, stroking the back of the dark head and swaying in a soothing motion.

'God Buck, who the hell did we let take our children?'

Looking around frantically, Chris again noticed the petite nurse, and the concerned doctor standing just behind her. Locking in on the two before him, his fury coagulated, and all thoughts of comforting and reassuring left his mind.

Straightening with a predatory intent, Chris caught and held the stunned gaze of the attending, and cocking his head to one side, whispered with dark promise;

'Where the hell is my son?'

To be continued.