Agnes 17

Author's Note: A continuation of the last chapter. Anything in italics is a memory.

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LLLLLLL

Don sat with Agnes' head resting on a pillow which was resting on his lap. She had bloodwork today, an MRI that she needed to be sedated for, and a lumbar puncture, while sedated. She was done.

He had tried to justify all of the tests by saying these were common when boys and girls got to be her age and only had to be done every once and a while. She had been a good girl, complaining little and doing as the doctors had ordered. He was feeling less calm about everything. The lumbar puncture was something that they required at the last minute and Don sensed they were concerned and needed the test to confirm. He held her hand until she was sedated, paced outside the room where the lumbar puncture was being performed, and waited with her in recovery until she was conscious again the entire time holding her hand. He had refrained from texting Liz because he wanted to focus on Agnes and her needs before he told Liz all that had happened.

But now, sitting in their living room with Agnes knocked out, Don was ready to talk.

He carefully got up from his seat and laid Agnes down on the pillow and pulled the light blanket up to her shoulders before he texted Liz in the encrypted app.

Can you call? Your period sheets.

Don smiled at the memory of her embarrassment as they tumbled into her bed one time kissing passionately and he pulled back her covers to discover rust brown blood stains on the sheets and pulled back from their kiss. She had gasped, threw the covers over her mattress and her cheeks had gone a blazing red.

"Liz, I know you have a period," Don said as he rubbed her back.

"I know," Liz sighed. "It's just so…"

"So?" Don asked.

Liz sighed. "Look, everything with us has been very romantic…"

Don nodded, not sure where she was going with this.

"But there is a reality," Liz said as she met his eyes. "I have bad periods, ever since Agnes, and it's just easier to have one set of sheets that gets ruined. And that's totally boring and not romantic and maybe you even think it's gross…"

Don chuckled.

"I don't," he smiled at her. "We've avoided that entire time of the month, you and I, but I'm okay if we don't."

She looked at him surprised.

"The man who is a bit of a germaphobe wants to have sex with me while I'm on my period?" Liz asked him.

"Yeah, if you do," Don nodded. "It's a time of the month, it's what happens to your body, there's nothing gross or weird or strange about that. But we should probably use these sheets…"

She smiled at him. "You really aren't grossed out?"

Don shook his head in the negative.

Liz leaned in and kissed him and reached for his pants, pulling them down before she shifted and lowered her mouth to…

Don's phone buzzed and he immediately took the video call.

"Hey," he said as he looked at her pale and worried on the other side of the call. "She's okay."

Liz sighed and nodded.

"Did they have to sedate her for the MRI?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, and while she was out, they did a lumbar puncture," Don explained.

"Lumbar, that's the back, right?" Liz asked. "They punctured her back?"

"Spine," Don clarified.

Don heard mumbling in the background and Liz turned to face someone he couldn't see.

"Reddington said to keep her as flat as possible to avoid headaches and making her nauseous," Liz said. "Apparently, he's had one."

"It's a procedure they seemed to think was necessary," Don said.

"Why?" Liz asked.

"They didn't say," Don shook his head. "The Icelandic people seem to be sparse with their words and only speak in absolutes. They don't seem to do conjecture."

Liz nodded.

"When will they have the results?" Liz asked.

"We're seeing the doctor tomorrow," Don said. "I don't know if they'll have everything, but, hopefully they'll have something."

"How's she doing?"

"Passed out on the sofa," Don said as he turned the phone so Liz could see her. "She's doing okay, I gave her some soup and got her to drink a lot of water. That's what the doctors said to do."

Don turned the phone back to his face.

"Liz, I am a little worried," Don said softly as he walked away from Agnes. "When they said she needed the lumbar puncture, it was after they would have got some blood work and they hadn't mentioned it before…"

"Yeah, I was wondering…" Liz said softly as her eyes teared up. "They didn't want it before and…"

"I'm not telling you I'm worried to upset you," Don said apologetically.

"I know," Liz nodded as she wiped at her eyes.

"I just think there's something fishy about the extra test," Don said. "I'd like to include you in on the appointment tomorrow…"

"Yeah, let's…let's do that," Liz sniffled.

Don nodded.

"Any other news?" Liz asked.

"Nothing," Don sighed. "I do wish you were here. Well, I do, and I don't…"

"I wish I was there too," Liz sighed. "I wish…"

"I know, Liz," Don said softly.

She nodded.

"How are things going with Reddington and Townsend?" Don asked, changing the subject.

"We're getting closer, but I'm not sure I really care…"

"You need to continue to care, Liz," Don said. "Agnes and I want you with us, and that can't happen until Townsend is eliminated so…so whatever you can do to make that happen, well, that's one more step toward coming home."

Liz nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Don asked her. "Besides the worry…that is."

"Exhausted," Liz sighed. "But it's…there's a lot going on personally and with Townsend…"

"Talk to me," Don said.

Liz walked away from where she had been talking and into another room and shut the door.

"Have you been keeping track of my periods?" Liz whispered.

"No, why? Should I be?" Don asked, confused.

"It's just…you texted about the period sheets and…and I've got my period and am feeling like crap," Liz said.

"Oh," Don said. "Well, I wish I could be there to rub your lower back."

"I wish you were here as well," Liz sighed.

"Is there anywhere, where you are, where you could get a massage or…?"

"Not safely," Liz admitted.

"Oh," Don sighed. "I'm sorry, Liz."

"I just feel like total crap, and with Agnes…nothing is touching my headache," Liz sighed. "I just…"

"You need a good night's sleep," Don interrupted. "Maybe take something, drink some tea…"

"Yeah, until I hear from her doctors tomorrow, I'm probably not sleeping," Liz said.

Don nodded.

"Liz, not sleeping is not going to make it come any faster," Don sighed. "You'll be able to think more clearly if you've slept. Does Reddington have anything you can take to knock yourself out?"

"Promoting drug use for sleep?" Liz asked with a raised eyebrow.

"In this case, yeah," Don nodded. "Yeah, if it works for you—that's all I care about."

"I promise I'll try and sleep," Liz said as she met his eyes.

"Okay, well, I'll let you get to that," Don said with a smile. "Get a hot water bottle too."

Liz let out a small chuckle and nodded.

"Hopefully, next month I can rub your lower back in person and get you that hot water bottle," Don smiled at her.

"I hope so too," Liz nodded.

"The appointment is at 10:30," Don said. "I'll call you when we get into the office, okay?"

Liz nodded.

"Love you," she said quietly.

"I love you too, Liz," Don said before they disconnected the video call.

Don looked down at his phone then over at Agnes. He needed to get her into her own bed so she could be well rested for whatever tomorrow would bring. Don wished he could take something to help him sleep as well. For all of his advice to Liz, he wasn't sure how he was going to get any sleep tonight either.

To be continued…