Everything We Are - Chapter 8
by Kadi
Rated: M
Disclaimer: It's not my sandbox, I'm only visiting for a time.
Near midnight, Andy convinced Sharon to lay down. Charlotte arrived a short while before, he'd sent Rusty and Ricky to get her. After another tearful reunion and more explanations, he finally talked his wife into laying down on the sofa with her head in his lap. He stroked her hair, careful of the bandaged wound just above her ear. He tipped his head back, feet up on the coffee table and stared at the ceiling. His eyes were heavy, but he couldn't seem to let them close. Sharon wasn't sleeping either, but she was resting at least. They hadn't found anything in the traffic footage, but it had given them some sense of purpose. Now, he sat gently winding soft strands of dark hair around his fingers.
They hadn't had any leads. The team was chasing down every tip, working every angle. After finding Annie, the former fiancee, they had all left. Buzz had gone along as well, he would need to work the equipment while she was interviewed. There were still uniformed officers outside, keeping the press back and manning the command center. They'd be back, after the interview, unless she gave them anything useful to go on. They weren't convinced she would, apparently she hadn't spoken to or seen Dunn since breaking up with him a few months after he signed away his paternal rights.
The house was too silent. Even with the kids in the kitchen, talking quietly among themselves, it was just too quiet. Odd, there were times when they longed for peace and silence, and now… he just wished Ian would run screaming through the room, banging his toys together. He sighed quietly and stroked his thumb along his wife's neck. It had been eight hours… time was ticking away from them. Andy tried not to think about it, but his mind kept returning to what he knew to be true. The longer it took… the less likely they would be to find Ian, or to find him alive.
When the phone on the cushion beside him began to vibrate, Andy looked down at it. Sharon lifted her head and they both watched the display. Provenza. She looked up at him and he knew that his apprehension was reflected in her gaze. Andy touched her face, fingers brushing her cheek gently. He drew his index finger down the bridge of her nose before he reached for it. He lifted it to his ear without looking away from her. "Flynn."
MC MC MC MC MC MC
The emergency room at St. Catherine's Medical Center wasn't usually bustling with activity. They got their fair share of traumas, illnesses, and broken bones. Usually people went to Cedars, so while they were steady, they were never overly busy. At the nurse's station, Sarah Paige fought a yawn as she filled out her shift change paperwork. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to getting home. There was a long, hot bath and a glass of wine in her future. Around her, the other nurses and swing shift personnel were doing the same. The noon to midnight shift wasn't fun, but it was always interesting.
"Hey Sarah." Nancy Donovan would be her nightshift replacement. She pulled a chart from the stack and began flipping through it to familiarize herself with the day's patients. "Anything interesting today?" She didn't mind the midnight to noon shift, it gave her an opportunity to have her afternoons free while she slept in the evenings.
"Not really. Mrs. Peters is back, she fell again. Adult protective services is getting involved this time. That's three falls this month, I think they're going to insist that she be placed in an assisted living facility." Sarah looked up from her paperwork and considered those patients which were still there. "We had a frequent flyer this afternoon, Mister Joey, he was found sleeping on the beach again. We're treating a pretty bad sunburn and sobering him up."
"Great," Nancy wrinkled her nose. He was a butt pincher. "Well, I'm glad I can share in your fun."
"The glamorous lives we lead." She chuckled. "You've got a kid in sixteen. We're waiting for social services to find a placement for him. They found him wandering around down in Venice Beach, no sign of the parents. He's maybe, two years old, could be younger. I despise people like that," she sneered. "If they do find the parents, I hope they lock them away in a dark, dirty place forever." She pressed down hard as she wrote, almost tearing the paper. "What kind of people do that? Leave a child all alone, tired, hungry, and in serious need of a new pull-up."
"That's terrible!" Nancy looked horrified. "When did they find him?"
"A few hours ago," Sarah shook her head. "Poor baby, he's been crying since he got here. He's had a bath, and let me tell you, that was fun. He keeps crying for his mama, and I doubt she even knows he's missing."
"People are just sick," Nancy agreed. "When will social services be down?"
"Just as soon as a case worker finds a placement," she sighed. "They've all got too many cases and not enough time to get to them all. They asked us to hang on to him until then. There's a social worker keeping an eye on him. You just need to check in every once in a while, maybe you can get him to eat something, we haven't had any luck."
"I'll see what I can do," she said. Nancy pulled the chart on the little John Doe toddler. "Poor thing. I'll go and peek in on him. We can run through the rest of your list when you finish here, okay?"
"Sounds great," she smiled. "Thanks Nancy."
"Anytime girl, anytime." She took the chart with her and pulled her stethoscope around her neck. Nancy moved down the hall, sneakers squeaking against the freshly mopped tile. At sixteen she flipped open the chart and pushed into the room. "Hey Donna," she smiled upon recognizing the social worker. "How's our little guy?"
"Pretty unhappy," she was holding him, walking the length of the room. He was crying and fighting her. "I can't say that I blame him. He's had a pretty rough day."
"Aww." Nancy walked over and moved behind her. She swept his hair back from his face and frowned. Despite the tear stained, red face and swollen eyes, something bothered her about the child. "Where did you say he was found?"
"Venice Beach," Donna said. "He was wondering around, barefoot and alone. He had a couple of small cuts on the bottoms of his feet, but those got treated. He was hot, tired, and I think hungry, but he seems otherwise fine. Why?"
"He just looks familiar, that's all." Her lips pursed. "He's a cutie, though." She combed her fingers through his hair again. "Hey sweetie, I'm Nancy. You're not having a good day, huh?"
"Mama." He continued to cry and twist this way and that in the social worker's arms.
"I know." Nancy shook her head sadly. The unfortunate truth was, Sarah was probably right. His mother probably didn't even know he was missing. "I'm sorry buddy." She stroked his hair again and walked over to the counter that bordered one side of the room. "Are these his things?" She opened the bag and started sorting through it, wanting to compare it to what was recorded in the chart, all part of the shift-change.
"That would be it," Donna bounced him in her arms, trying to console the very unhappy child.
Nancy pulled on a pair of gloves before reaching in and drawing out the clothes. A frown drew her brows together. "Have you looked at these?" She held up a shirt. It was filthy, but not overly stained. "Where does an a two-year-old abandoned in Venice Beach get Ralph Lauren?"
Donna whistled. "Mom must be into some heavy stuff, or running tricks, you think?"
"I don't know. Those kind of women usually spend that on themselves." She pulled out a pair of khaki shorts and shook her head. "Calvin Klein." There was a belt pulled through the loops of the shorts, and it matched the blue of the shirt. "Okay, no." Nancy held up both items. "That belt had to cost as much as my Nikes. Are we sure about this kid?"
Donna looked puzzled. "I don't know. My office was called by the hospital. Beach patrol picked him up and brought him in to be checked out before being turned over to us."
Nancy was feeling uncertain about all of it. Her instinct wasn't jiving with what they thought happened. Or was it what they assumed? Her mother always told her that the first three letters of the word should tell her everything she needed to know about any kind of assumption. "Donna, I've got a friend with the police department. I'm going to call this in. I'm just not convinced it was a simple abandonment, not with designer duds."
"Go ahead," Donna shrugged. "It's going to be a while before we can place him anyway. I'll take all the help I can get, you know that Nancy. I don't mind being wrong about this little guy."
"Thanks Donna." Nancy stuffed the clothes back in the bag and stripped out of her gloves. "I'll just be a few minutes…" She paused before leaving the room and walked back over. With her cell phone, she took two pictures. One was a full body photo, the other was a closeup of his face. "I'll let you know what I find out. Bye honey," she waved, but he simply cried. She was starting to think that maybe he really was having a bad day. Back at the nurse's station, she used a landline to call her friend. "Hey, Bobby. I have a question for you. Are you working tonight?"
"Yeah," Bobby maneuvered his patrol car through traffic. "What's up Nance, got rowdy drunks already giving you a hard time, honey?" He chuckled. "I'm running patrol down in Inglewood tonight, I don't think I'll be able to swing by."
"Too bad." She smiled. "Listen, I've got a kid down here and the story I got from dayshift just isn't jiving." She adored Sarah, but she could be pretty focused, narrow minded about her tasks. "Beach patrol found him wandering around down in Venice Beach. They brought him in a couple of hours ago and called social services. We've still got him while they look for a placement, but here's thing Bobby. I pulled the clothes the kid was wearing, and it's all designer gear. I'm having a hard time believing that some strung out druggy or hooker let her kid wander off wearing Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein."
Bobby cursed when he was thrown against his steering wheel. He'd hit the break a little too hard as he came to a stop at a red light. "Nancy, say that again? What was the kid wearing?" He snapped his fingers at his partner and put the phone against his shoulder. "Pull the description on that missing kid."
"Blue and white striped Ralph Lauren polo and a pair of khaki Calvin Klein shorts," she said, "with a blue CK belt. I mean, that belt alone would cost more than my shoes. I don't even want to think about what it costs to dress a toddler in that kind of outfit on a daily basis."
"I hear you." He shook his head. "Hang on, honey. We're running it." He looked over at his partner and pulled through the light when it turned green. He pulled over at the next available curb and put it in park. "Nancy has a kid in the ER, blue striped shirt, khaki shorts."
Eric was pulling it up on the in car computer. "Let's see…" He read the Amber Alert description. "Dark hair, hazel eyes, blue striped shirt and khaki shorts. He was barefoot, taken from his home about four this afternoon." He swiveled the computer toward his partner, showing him the picture.
"Damn." Bobby felt a sudden thrill. Could that be the kid? They hardly ever actually found them, especially alive. "Hey Nancy, tell you what, I'm going to give you a number. Take a couple of pictures and send them to it, along with pictures of the clothes the kid was wearing. I think you may have found a missing that got reported this afternoon. Mom isn't a druggy, or a hooker. She's an LAPD Captain, and… if you just found that kid, you became my hero."
"Honey, if I just found that kid, you can take me to dinner." She drummed her fingers against the desk. "Text me that number, I'll get the pictures over there. Who am I sending them to?"
"The name is Provenza," Bobby smirked. "He's a Lieutenant with Major Crimes. Eric and I are headed that way. I'll see you in a few." He ended the call and looked at his partner. "Is it entirely possible that we just found the kid of the lady that once called us amusing, incorrigible children?"
Eric laughed. "You know, that might just be what is happening here." He tilted his head. "But uh, Bobby, we are incorrigible children."
"True," he pointed out with a grin. "But she didn't have to laugh while she said it."
"Oh, she did." Eric leaned back in his seat while Bobby turned the car around. "Because it was amusing."
"It was kind of." His lips pursed. "Hey, how long has it been since we pranked FID anyway?"
"Uh…" Eric thought about it. "Not since she made us wash every single one of their cars."
"We might want to rethink that. You know, now that she transferred." He grinned widely. "Elliot is looking a little too full of himself these days."
Eric laughed outright. "Well we can't have that. Anything we can do to be valuable members of the LAPD."
While she waited for the boys to join her, Nancy sent the photos she had taken earlier to the number that Bobby sent her. Then she walked back to room sixteen and took pictures of the clothes he was found in and sent those photos as well. "Good news little man, I think I might know who you belong to…"
MC MC MC MC MC MC
"We've got him." There was a pause. "Get down to St. Catherine's, he's in the ER, room 16. I've got confirmation that it's him, and there's not a scratch on him."
Andy couldn't breathe. His hand had slipped to Sharon's back. He gripped the back of her shirt tightly. "What?" His chest burned, but he couldn't seem to convince himself to draw a breath.
"Do you need a translator?" Provenza was grinning, despite the gruff tone of his voice. "Get in the car, Flynn, drive to St. Catherine's Medical Center. Go to room 16 in the ER. There is a small human there waiting for you, and as I understand it, he's pissed as hell."
He pulled the phone away from his ear and he was just staring at it. Sharon felt panic threatening to well inside her. If it were bad news, someone would have come to deliver it personally, she knew. "Andy?"
Slowly his eyes moved to her face. He blinked. "They found him." He exhaled in a rush and felt the tension move out of him, leaving him limp. "He's at St. Catherine's, but he's fine…"
She stared at him. Her eyes began to fill with moisture. A hand covered her mouth. It pressed tightly against her lips. She took the phone out of his hand with shaking fingers and pulled it to her own ear. "Lieutenant," she could hardly breathe, much less speak. "Repeat?"
"St. Catherine's," he replied. "Room 16, ER. Get down there. You might want to let one of the kids drive. Tao says you might want to take ear plugs, he's not a happy camper!"
"We're on our way," she said tremulously. "Lieutenant… thank you."
"Yeah, well…" He cleared his throat. "Anyway, hurry up. The nurses are starting to complain about all the racket." Provenza hung up before he could say something truly emotional…. or she could start crying. He couldn't handle a crying Captain.
The phone slipped out of limp fingers. Sharon moved into his lap and caught his face in her hands. She kissed him. Lips, cheeks, and then buried her face in his neck. When his arms finally came around her, she shuddered. "Andy…"
"I know." His arms moved around her. He held her tightly. "We should go…" He couldn't seem to move just yet, instead, he continued to hold on to her. Just a moment longer. Just long enough for his heart to start beating again, and the room to stop spinning around them. "Okay," he breathed quietly. "Okay." Andy set her away from him and stood up. He held tightly to her hand and drew her with him. They'd get Ricky or Rusty to drive.
When they arrived at the hospital, they found Provenza, and the rest of their team, waiting near the nurses station. They hurried toward him. "Lieutenant?" Sharon called, the moment they were near enough.
He turned, brows lifted. "Captain." He smiled at both of them. "Right down there," he pointed down a long hallway to the left of the nurse's station. "I laid eyes on him myself. He's—" Provenza stopped talking, they'd already turned and headed down the hall. "I'll fill you in later," he decided.
Tao chuckled. "Would you want to be talking to you right now?"
He shrugged. "I could learn a lot from me."
"Uh huh." Tao shook his head and went back to filling out the paperwork for the hospital.
They heard him crying as they neared the room. Sharon dropped Andy's hand and jogged toward the room. She pushed into the room, almost tripping over the door, with Andy on her heels. He was unhappy alright. He was even fighting Julio, who was trying to comfort him as he stood, holding him in the center of the small treatment room. Her eyes locked on him, and for a moment, she couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She gripped the door tightly with one hand. The other was pressed against her stomach. "Ian."
Thick and hoarse though the sound was, it was familiar enough to have the child's head lifting. He twisted toward the sound, and upon seeing his mother, he began to fight the arms holding him in earnest. "Mama."
Hands at her hips propelled her forward. Andy's fingers gripped her almost painfully as she was pushed further into the room. It pulled her out of her stupor. Sharon's legs felt heavy with the first few steps, but then she didn't care anymore and she was reaching for her child. She lifted him away from the Detective and turned with him in her arms. Ian's arms went around her neck, and he clung just as tightly. Her hand cupped the back of his head while her other arm curled beneath his bottom.
His cheeks were damp, salty with tears as she kissed them. She held him close and lay her cheek against his, lips against his hair. When her legs buckled beneath her, there were arms already around her, holding her up. She pressed her face into Andy's chest, and finally, the emotion which had been looking for an outlet for the past several hours worked its way free. A choked sob was torn from her.
Julio moved out of the room and ushered the social worker and the nurse out ahead of him. In the hall, he found the Captain's three kids waiting awkwardly. Rusty was shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Julio smirked and nudged him. "Don't be a weirdo, get in there." He nudged the kid toward the room.
Rusty shook his head. "She's crying." He flashed a wide-eyed look at the Detective. "It's… No." He couldn't do the whole… crying thing. It always freaked him out. Somethings shouldn't happen, like ever. Sharon crying was one of them.
Sanchez rolled his eyes at him. "Like I said, don't be a weirdo." He jerked his head toward the older son. "Do something with him?"
"I've got it." Ricky shoved Rusty into the room ahead of him. "She does this sometimes, you know. You'll get used to it."
"Thank you," Charlotte said quietly, and followed her brothers into the room. She pushed the door closed behind her, shutting out the outside world. She pulled her phone out and sent a text to her stepsister. "It's really him," She sent. "He's really okay." She chewed on her bottom lip. She had spoken to Nicole while waiting for her layover in Denver. Her stepsister was only not with her dad and his wife because of her own small boys. With her phone, she took a picture of the tearful reunion and sent it to her. Charlotte glanced at her brother, watched him shrug.
Ricky had his hands shoved into his pockets, waiting, watching. Gone was the helpless feeling. Although it was hard to watch his mother cry, at least it was… not a bad result.
She held their child between him, and while she shook with silent tears, he held them both. He had known that these tears would come eventually, and felt his own throat tighten and ache with emotion. Ian had stopped crying, but he had a vice grip on his mother's sweater. Andy buried his hand in her hair and gripped the back of her head. He lowered his mouth to her tear streaked cheeks, and kissed away the moisture. His lips found hers and the salty tang of her tears mixed with the familiar taste of her kiss.
She reached up, curled a hand behind the back of his neck and drew him closer. Sharon rose onto the balls of her feet, and sobbed against his mouth. Her kids were watching, and for once she didn't care. Her hand fisted in his collar, his grunt told her that her nails had scoured him. Sharon shuddered against him. She gazed up at him, their eyes met, and reflected the same relief, the same joy. Their hurried, ragged breaths mingled as their lips moved more gently against one another. Her hand ached from the grip she had on his shirt collar. She released it and lay her fingers lightly against his jaw.
Between them, Ian had his head laying against her shoulder. His face was tucked against her neck. Andy lay a hand against his head. The other was still around her, pressed against her lower back. They continued to gaze at one another, even when his wife lay her cheek against the top of their son's head. He continued to hold them both, and wondered if he'd ever be able to let them go again.
It was minutes, but it could have been hours. Sharon exhaled quietly and lifted her head again. She shifted Ian in her arms when he grew heavy. He whimpered and she crooned softly. "You're okay," she promised. She let her gaze wander the room, and found her kids waiting, somewhat patiently near the door. "Hey," she bounced him in her arms. "Look, baby." Sharon turned slightly, let him see them. "Guess who is here to see you."
"Rutthy." Ian had his fingers in his mouth, but recognized the brother that he saw the most often first.
"Hey," he said, voice thick with emotion. "Mini-Flynn." His hands were buried deeply in his pockets. "So, you're rockin' some ugly hospital green huh? Good thing we brought clothes."
"Dinosaurs." Charlotte held up the clean pajamas she grabbed on her way out the house. She wriggled them at him. "Bet you're glad to see these, huh?"
"And maybe, we thought to bring something else." Ricky pulled a familiar matchbox police car out of his pocket. "Also…" He pulled a little red camaro out of the other, another toy car. "This is what you want to be driving buddy. You need to say, Mama, I need hot wheels."
Ian made a noise that might have been a giggle, but buried his face more firmly into his mother's neck. She rubbed his back while Andy reached for the police car. He took it, but curled his hand between his body and his mother's. Sharon sighed quietly. It was only natural that he would be a bit insecure for a while. "Think maybe they can say hi," she asked quietly, and moved slowly toward them. When Ian didn't seem concerned, she held out an arm and beckoned the three of them closer.
Ricky and Charlotte went easily, but Rusty stood back. Ricky rolled his eyes at him. "You really are a spaz, aren't you?" He tugged him over and practically thrust him at his mother.
Charlotte giggled quietly. "Just when we think we've got him all broken in."
"Rutthy, paz." Ian reached out with his foot and touched his arm.
Ricky snorted and started to laugh. "Oops."
"Nice, thank you, Richard." Sharon shook her head at them. This time, she decided she'd let it go. "Do you want to see Rusty?" She leaned him toward his brother and she thought Rusty might balk at the idea. They gazed at one another for a moment. Her brow arched, and she waited. When Rusty reached for the toddler, he went to him.
"Hey little dude." Rusty held him. "So… this is, not fashionable. Maybe we should get rid of it, yeah?"
"Paz." Ian fluttered his lashes at him.
Rusty rolled his eyes. "You're not supposed to abuse the cool brother. You abuse the not-cool one," He jerked his head toward Ricky.
Andy curled his arms around his wife from behind and settled his chin against her shoulder. "So, just when we think they've matured and grown as individuals…"
"They get together and begin acting like twelve-year olds," she observed. Ian only allowed himself to be held by his brother for a short while. He was reaching for his mother again just a few moments later. Sharon pulled him back into her own arms, but only long enough to pass him to his father. She felt the shudder that ran through her husband when he held him, and understood. She leaned up to kiss him gently.
"I can't believe how big he's gotten," Charlotte sighed. "He was barely walking at Christmas." She pouted. "I'm missing practically everything." She knew that they face-timed at least once a week, but it wasn't the same thing, not even remotely.
"He's grown an inch since I was here last month," Ricky pointed out. "Ma, what are you feeding him?"
"We sprinkle a little miracle grow on his kibble every once in a while," Rusty drawled.
Sharon took the pajamas from Charlotte with a smile. "When you see him again, I'm sure he'll be even bigger." Yet, they would be seeing him again, and she almost teared up again at the thought. "Why don't the three of you wait outside," She suggested. "We'll get him changed and then we'll see what we need to do to take him home, okay?"
"Sure." Charlotte shrugged. "I remember seeing a few hot doctors when you had him here, so, you know. I'm good with that." She smirked. "Come on Rusty!" She looped an arm through his. "Let's go check out the hotties."
He gave Sharon an aggrieved look. "Yeah, let's do that," he said drily. He let Charlotte tug him toward the door. He wanted to check with Lieutenant Provenza anyway, and find out what happened to Daniel Dunn. If anything. Had they even found him yet?
They waited for the children to leave the room, and stood, silent and somewhat awkward for a moment. Andy shook his head at the ridiculousness of that and carried Ian over to the gurney to sit him on it. He didn't like the idea of being out of their arms, so he sat with the child in his lap instead. Sharon looked around the room and spying the cabinets which stood on one wall, she began opening them until she found several clean wash cloths. She took one of them and wet it before joining them. She washed the evidence of his tears from his face and tossed it aside, then she started working the small hospital gown off him.
While they dressed him in something warmer, and a lot more comfortable, she looked him over. From head to toe she checked him for any sign that he'd been injured, touched, or hurt in anyway. There were a few bruises on his legs, nothing overtly terrible. The cuts on the bottoms of his feet gave her pause, and although she shuddered at the horrors of having been abandoned to wander alone, she lifted first one small foot and then another to her lips. When Ian tipped his head back against his father's shoulder and smiled up at her, she thought her knees might buckle again. Instead, she drew the pajama bottoms up his legs and lifted him into her arms again once he was dressed. She held him, their foreheads pressed together. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"
With a soft giggle, Ian held his arms out from his little body, stretched as wide as they would go. "Bunches," he said.
"That's right." Her voice shook with emotion. "Bunches."
Andy lay his hands against her hips and drew her to him again, so that they stood between his legs. "More bunches that you could ever count, pal." His arms moved around them, pulling them impossibly closer. His lips moved against his wife's ear. "More than you could ever count," he whispered to her.
"Hm." Her lips curved into a smile. "I know." She thought again of all her fears, her doubts at being what he needed. She considered all the questions which rang through her mind at whether or not they were doing the best for him. The thoughts were quickly chased away. Whatever else might be true, this was their life now. This child was theirs. This small, precious life was entrusted to them. This being that they created together, against all odds and sanity. Somehow, in spite of every obstacle that lay in their path, be it their age, their jobs, and life in general… they seemed to continue to make something out of all the chaos. However tiny it might be, this little oasis of life was theirs. She would hold on to it, cling to it, for however long they were allowed. She would fight for it. Life didn't often provide second chances, but here they were. Sharon wouldn't allow them to squander it. They could only do the best they were able, and love him through any and all shortcomings. "Are you ready to go home?" The question was asked of her son, but her gaze was directed at her husband.
While Ian just nodded, Andy swept a lock of hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Let's get the hell out of here," he said. Before he could wake up and realize this was just a dream. He stood and wound an arm around her shoulders, keeping her close. Together, they left the room.
They rejoined the others, their children and team, at the nurses station. Sharon shifted Ian in her arms, so that he was held on her hip. Her hand stroked his back while his head lay against her shoulder again. "Are you Nancy," she asked, of the young woman in scrubs.
"Yes ma'am," She replied with a smile. "He seems a lot happier now."
"Thank you," Sharon said thickly.
"You're welcome," Nancy said. "I'm happy that we were able to put him back where he belongs. I'm sure someone would have realized soon, but… well, better now than later." She reached out and touched his hair. He turned his face, bashfully, into his mother's shoulder. "I really have to thank these guys," She waved a hand toward the uniformed officers standing nearby. "Bobby and Eric told me who to contact, otherwise we might have been hours just cutting through all the red tape with social services."
Sharon glanced toward them. Her eyes narrowed, then she laughed in recognition. "You two." Her lips pursed. "Well, thank you all."
Bobby shrugged. "You're welcome ma'am, but uh, you know… we aren't always in trouble."
"Hm," she hummed, unconvinced. "I'm sure, officer."
"Is there something we've gotta sign," Andy asked the nurse. "We'd like to get him home. He's pretty beat."
"I have your release papers right here." She pulled a clipboard off the desk. "Just sign and initial," she had highlighted the areas. "Since this was a missing persons, Social Services has already left. You just have to deal with me now, and after you sign, you're all done."
Andy reached for the clipboard and the pen that she provided. He quickly scrawled his signature and initials. "That's it then, we're out of here buddy."
"Almost." Nancy held out two sheets of paper. "Prescription. Antibiotics for the cuts on his feet. They're pretty shallow, and didn't need stitching, but he was wandering around on them for a while." She smiled sympathetically when his parents and family winced. The mother shuddered and held him closer. She felt even better for having gone with her instincts. "The other is aftercare instructions, and this…" She took a copy of the release papers and handed it over. "Is yours too. Now you're all done."
Andy took it all, held it in one hand and lay his hand against Sharon's back, between her shoulder blades. "Okay, you heard her. Let's roll guys." He jerked his head toward the exit, indicating the kids should go ahead.
"Bye," Nancy waved at Ian, and smiled when he wriggled his fingers back.
Provenza and Sanchez walked out with them. "The Command Center has already been removed," he explained. "Taylor recalled it while you were in with the kid," the Lieutenant explained. "He had a couple of cars remain behind, uniforms to hold back the press. I'm calling him when you leave here. He's going to give you half an hour to get home, and then he's putting out the release that Ian's been found. We're still looking for Dunn."
"Go home," Sharon told him. "All of you. Get some rest. Pick it up tomorrow. I'm sure he's gone to ground for now, if not, Patrol has his description. He's not going to get far."
"No," Julio promised darkly. "He's not."
"Good." Rusty glanced at them and shoved his hands into his pockets. He stared at the ground while he walked.
"By the book," Sharon reminded them. "We have a history with Mr. Dunn. Let's make sure that, whatever we do, we remain beyond reproach."
"You really are in love with the rules," Provenza rolled his eyes. "Yes, we will do it by the book. It's the way we've been doing it. Go home, don't call us, we'll call you."
"You don't gotta tell us twice." When they reached Sharon's silver sedan, Andy unlocked the doors and pulled open the back passenger door for her. Rusty was with them, Ricky and Charlotte had ridden in his rental.
Provenza waited until the Captain climbed into the backseat with the toddler and secured him in the carseat. When Flynn closed the door, making it clear she was riding in the back. He shook his head. "She's dead on her feet. Make sure she gets some sleep, yeah?" He shrugged when his partner smirked at him. "Don't look at me like that, she turns into a stark, raving witch when she's tired."
Andy chuckled. "Yeah, whatever you say." He slapped his shoulder. "Don't worry, I never have any problems putting her to bed."
"Oh god," He groaned. "I could have gone the entire, rest of my life without ever hearing that." Provenza turned away, while Sanchez laughed. "We're leaving, Julio. Let's go."
"Yes sir," he continued to grin.
Andy rounded the car, but leaned against the driver's side for a moment. "Hey, Louie. Thanks."
"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "Don't call me that."
He smirked as he slid into the car. Rusty just slanted a peculiar look at him. "You two are weird."
"We try." Andy waited until everyone was buckled in before starting the car. "You know, that's assuming of course that you're normal."
"Me?" Rusty snorted. "Not even close. I was young and impressionable, you all corrupted me."
Andy shook his head and pulled the car away from the hospital. "If that's what you want to believe," he drawled easily enough. The kid was probably right, though, they had probably corrupted him a bit. It didn't matter now. Andy glanced into the rearview, Ian was leaning against the side of his car seat. Already his eyes were drooping. His eyes met Sharon's for just a moment. Then she went back to combing her fingers through her son's hair and playing with one of his small hands. It was time to get his family home, and repair the pieces that Dunn had cracked but could never break.
