Back to Work

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No more than twenty minutes into Don's first day back his team had been handed a bank robbery case. A crew of five guys was robbing numerous banks in the LA area. It had been two weeks since his return. Don and his team had been working hard on the case nonstop but hadn't made much progress until today. Charlie had finally managed to predict the next bank the robbers would hit. According Charlie, they were supposed to hit today.

Don and the team arrived at the bank just as the robbers were walking out.

"FBI, FREEZE!" Don yelled as he drew his gun.

"FBI! Don't move!" David yelled just as one of the guys pulled a gun and started firing at the FBI agents.

Don and his team all ducked for cover as the returned fire. Don felt a searing pain erupt in his upper left arm as he was trying to get behind a pillar. The shot caused him to fall backwards; he hit his head on a concrete retaining wall as he fell. He must have blacked out for a minute because next thing he knew he an EMT was kneeling beside him.

"Can you hear me, Sir?" the EMT asked.

"Yeah." Don attempted to sit up but he pushed him back down.

"You need to lie back until we can get you fully checked out. Can you tell me your name?"

Don sighed but complied with the EMT's request. "Don Eppes. I'm fine, it's just a graze."

"I think I can make a better assessment of that Agent Eppes." he replied. "Did you hit your head when you fell?"

"Maybe." Don winced as the EMT prodded the tender spot on the back of his head.

"I take that as a yes. You're going to have to go the hospital and get checked out. You will probably need stitches in your arm and possibly in your head too, and you definitely need a CT scan. My partner is bringing a gurney over now." The EMT stated.

Don sighed and turned his head to the side, he just noticed David standing behind the EMT looking a bit concerned.

"Hey David, did we get them?"

"Yeah, we got 'em Boss. Don't you worry about that. I'm going to send Colby with you to the hospital."

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Two hours later after having both a CT scan and x-rays of his arm, Don was sitting up in a cubicle in the ER of Huntington Memorial as an intern stitched up the gash on the back of his head, they had already put twelve stitches his arm. Colby stepped around the curtain and took a seat on a stool in the corner of the room.

"Hey Don, do you want me to call Robin and let her know what happened?"

"Let's wait until Dr. Lopez comes back and lets me know if I can be released and then we can call. I don't want her to get all worked up and come down here with Ben if she doesn't have to." Don replied.

Half an hour later the doctor appeared around the curtain.

"Agent Eppes, I have the results from your scan and x-rays. Your scan shows that you have a minor concussion but that's nothing a little rest won't take care of." Dr. Lopez paused and pulled out an x-ray of Don's upper arm and hung it on the light board. "It looks like when the bullet passed through your arm it chipped your humerus." he pointed to a small fragment of bone on the x-ray. "It's nothing major, but you will have to wear a sling for about 4 weeks while it heals."

Don nodded his head. "Can I go home now?"

"I'd like to keep you a few more hours for observation but we will probably release you in about 3 or 4 hours." The doctor fitted Don with a sling and left the room.

Don lay back on the exam table with a sigh he covered his eyes with his good arm, suddenly exhausted. He could feel the pain killers the nurse had given him earlier start to kick in. He was about to surrender to sleep when he spoke in a quiet voice, "Hey Colby? Would you let Robin know that I'm okay and tell her not to worry, I'll be home soon."

"Sure thing Don. Get some rest; I'll be back in a little while." Colby stepped out of Don's cubicle to call Robin.

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Three and a half hours later Dr. Lopez came back and checked Don over again.

"Alright Agent Eppes, we're going to release you now. I'll send a nurse in with your discharge papers and care information. You're on medical leave for the rest of the weekend with that concussion. You can go back to work Monday, but you'll be on desk duty for the next 6 weeks."

"Thanks Doc." Don said as the doctor left. It was Thursday today which meant he would have 3 uninterrupted days with his family and after that he would be keeping semi-normal hours until he was released for active duty.

A few minutes later a cheerful redheaded nurse came in."Good evening Agent Eppes! I have your release papers and care instructions for you. First of all because of your concussion, you will need to have someone stay with you tonight to wake you up every couple of hours to make sure your head wound doesn't get any worse."

"My wife and I have a new baby, I don't think that will be a problem. He usually wakes us up every two to three hours." Don said with a small grin.

The nurse gave him a smile, "How old is your son?"

"Four weeks."

"That's great!" She replied. "Dr. Lopez wrote you a prescription for a pain killer and an antibiotic to help ward off infection. You shouldn't get any of your stitches wet for 24 hours and watch for signs of infection in your arm. If you notice an increase in pain or redness around the wound see your doctor because the wound could be infected. You should have a follow up with your regular physician in 10 days to have your stitches removed and to check the healing of your arm. Do you have any questions?"

Don shook his head.

"Alright then, if you just sign here, here, and here," the nurse pointed to a few spots on the papers, "You are free to go."

Don signed quickly and picked up the bag of bandages and meds. "Thanks." Don said as he headed to find Colby. He found him sitting in the waiting room talking on the phone. Colby hung up when he saw his boss walking towards him.

"You set to go Don?"

"Yeah lets get out of here."

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Don walked through the front door of his home. Robin must have heard the car door outside because she opened the door for Don before he could even get his key out.

"Don! Thank god, you're okay! What happened? Colby just said you were shot but that you were going to be okay and I shouldn't worry, but I don't know how I can't not worry when he says you've been shot!" Robin spoke franticly; her hormones were still all over the place sometimes.

Don pulled his wife into a hug with his good arm. "I'm okay. An arrest went bad and I caught one in the shoulder, just a through and through. I'm fine. The only problem is that the bullet chipped my humerus when it went through so I'll have to wear the sling for a few weeks. I have a slight concussion so you are going to have to wake me every couple of hours tonight. But I'm fine, just a little worse for wear." Don gave her a kiss and tightened his hold on her as Robin clung to him.

They stood like that for a few minutes before Don spoke again, "Its late, you look tired. Why don't you go take a shower and then we can go to bed."

While Robin was in the shower, Don wandered into Ben's room where the baby was sleeping soundly in his crib. Don longs to pick up his sleeping son but knows he won't be able to with only one good arm. Instead he just stands next to the crib and gently runs his good hand over his son's soft hair and gently fingers Ben's tiny hands, reflexively the baby wraps his tiny fist around Don's index finger.

Don can't help but think about how differently things could have happened today. He couldn't stop thinking about how if the shooter's aim had been a little better, he could be laying on a slab in the morgue, Ben could be fatherless, and Robin a widow.

Normally Don wouldn't dwell on something like this but his life had changed so much since he and Robin got married and Ben was born he was afraid of losing what he had. Don was starting to think that he should look into changing careers or at the very least taking a desk job. The only problem is that he doesn't have a clue as to what else to do with his life. Sure there were the offers to work in the private sector but that wasn't something he was interested in.

Don's thoughts were interrupted when Robin came in and wrapped her arms around him, taking extra care to avoid jostling his injured arm.

"Hey, sweetheart." Robin whispered quietly.

"Hey."

"How are you feeling?" Robin asked as she placed a gentle kiss on his temple.

Don shrugged, "Alright for now," he gave her a small smile, "Whatever they gave me at the hospital is good stuff."

Robin noticed Ben's tiny hand holding Don's finger, "Do you want me to pick him up for you?"

Don nodded; he took a step back from the crib and settled in the gliding rocker. Robin picked up Ben and gently laid him in Don's good arm against his chest. Don watched his son stretch a little before snuggling into the warmth and safety of his chest.

Robin leaned back against the crib and crossed her arms, waiting for Don to say something. She knew there was something he wanted to talk about but he wasn't going to talk until he was ready so there was no use pushing him.

They were quiet for several more minutes before Don broke the silence.

"I think it's time I took a desk job." his voice was low and Robin had to strain to hear the words.

That certainly wasn't what she was expecting. She knew Don had been second guessing some of the choices he has made in his career ever since the stabbing last year; but she never thought Don would want to take a desk job.

"Don, you love being out in the field."

"Robin, I can't stop thinking about how differently things could have gone today. I just turned forty; I'm not as quick as I used to be."

"No one expects you to be as fast as you were when you joined the Bureau Don." Robin thought a moment, "Is it your fault you got shot today? Is there anything you or anyone else could have done to prevent this from happening?" Robin challenged him.

"If I had moved faster to get behind the pillar I wouldn't have gotten shot."

"Were you deliberately moving slowly?"

Don looked at her sharply, "No, of course not! I moved as fast as I could, but I didn't have enough time to reach the pillar before all five of them opened fire on us!"

Robin watched Don as it dawned on him what he had just said. He was too caught up in second guessing his actions that he hadn't fully realized that what happened wasn't because of him.

"So unless you could turn into The Flash there was nothing you could have done to prevent this." Robin stated.

Don smiled slightly at the reference to his favorite childhood comic book. By now you'd think he'd have learned there was no point in arguing with a lawyer. He sighed, "Okay, you're right about today; but I'm still serious about taking a desk job."

Robin was about to cut in but Don stopped her, "I don't want you to be worrying constantly about me when I am at work. I know you and my dad and Charlie would all feel better if I had a nice safe desk job and the greatest danger I face is getting a paper cut. Hell, I'd feel better if that was the greatest danger I face at work."

"Don, you are not cut out for a desk job, you know that. Last year when you got hurt and were out of the field for three weeks, you were itching to get back by the end of week one. I want you to be happy. I won't be happy if you're not happy and you're not going to be happy sitting at a desk for the rest of your career." Robin stopped and thought a moment, "You're going to be on restricted duty for what, the next four weeks?"

"Six." Don corrected.

"Why don't you see how the next six weeks go and at the end of the six weeks you are able to look me in the eye and tell me that you will be completely content with desk duty for the rest of your career, you can take a desk job."

Don could tell from the look she was giving him that there was no way he was going to get around this. "Alright."

"Good." Robin studied her husband's features, Don's brow was knit tight with pain and he looked exhausted, she was about to tell him to go to bed when Ben started to fuss. She moved to take him from Don but he shook his head. She had a feeling Don needed the comfort as much as Ben did.

"I'll go make a bottle but when I get back, you're taking a pain pill and going to bed while I take care of Ben." Don was about to protest but Robin continued, "Don, you look exhausted; I can tell you are in pain, and how do you expect to feed Ben with only one functional arm?"

She had a point; there was no way he could hold a bottle and Ben at the same time. Don just looked at her and gave a one shouldered shrug as she left the room to head down to warm up a bottle; she had been alternating between breast feeding and bottles.

Don slowly rocked Ben as he spoke softly. "Shhh, it's alright Ben. Mommy will be back to feed you in a few minutes. Don't you worry about me Buddy, I'm alright. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I love you way too much for that."

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