Reflections

Chapter 6

Lee woke the next morning actually feeling close to normal again, thanks to Amanda.

He realized that it wasn't so bad being mothered... in a way.

He just wouldn't want it on a day-to-day basis!

Getting up slowly he went to get his clothes and take a shower.

When he came out a half hour later Amanda greeted him as she was folding the bed sheets and blanket from the couch putting them back in the hall closet and stated, "Good morning. I see you're looking a whole lot better. How do you feel?"

Lee smiled and nodded replying, "Like I can take the world on again. How about you?"

Amanda shrugged answering, "Well, I'm fine. But you know how early I get up usually?"

Lee chuckled as he deadpanned, "You mean with the birds, right?"

Amanda rolled her eyes at him and commented, "All right, Funny Man. Yes. What's wrong with greeting the day that way? You get a lot more done, I think. Anyway, look what time it is..."

Lee looked at the stove clock and responded with a shrug, "So? It's 8 AM. Big deal."

Amanda shook her head answering, "Yes, but I didn't wake until you were almost done showering. I guess I must have been a bit tired..."

Lee warily queried, "But you're okay, right? You're not sick again, are you?"

Amanda stated, "No. But I never sleep late. Unless we've been on a stakeout all night or I'm really not well, you know. I guess everything going on lately caught up with me. But I'm all right now. Can I get you coffee?"

Lee sighed replying, "Sure, only I think the machine's on the fritz. I couldn't get it to work a few days earlier-"

Amanda shook her head answering, "I just had to clean it out. Run vinegar through it once a month and it'll do just fine-"

Lee shook his head commenting, "Yeah, but you'd have the vinegar taste in there. No dice."

Amanda sighed remarking, "Lee! You do the vinegar cycle and then the water cycle. Trust me. It's a lot cheaper than getting a repairman to fix it or getting a whole new one. Don't you look at your instruction manual?"

Lee embarrassedly replied, "Wish I'd known that three coffeemakers ago..."

Amanda sighed shaking her head as the phone rang.

Lee picked it up commenting, "Stetson...Oh, hi. Yeah, she is. Just a minute, please. What? Oh... Um, thank you. I'm feeling much better."

Giving the phone to Amanda he mouthed, "Your mom..."

Amanda took the phone stating, "Hi, Mother..." as Lee went to get coffee.

He heard her then respond, "What? Oh, no! All right. I'll be there as soon as I can, okay? Tell them to stay in bed, please. All right. Bye, bye."

Lee came out giving her a cup of coffee and asked, "What's wrong?"

Amanda taking the cup he offered remarked, "Thank you. It's Phillip and Jamie. Looks like they caught the flu. Are you sure you're feeling better here? Because I have to go."

Lee winced slightly and replied, "Both of them? Oh, boy...Well, I'm fine now, thanks to my excellent nurse, uh work partner. Don't worry about me. I'm heading into work today. I'll be fine. You go ahead. And thank you."

Amanda took a few sips of the coffee and giving him back the cup answered, "You're welcome. Glad you're well again...See you later."

Gathering all of her things she left as Lee finished getting ready to head into work.

But as he was about to leave his phone rang again.

He stated, "Stetson."

Sighing he asked, "Fred? What do you want?"

As he listened his face changed as he groaned, "What?! Billy and Francine called out? Why?"

Crestfallen he shook his head answering, "All right. Then call Petrie and Rogers and-"

Lee then commented, "Great! Fine time for them to be out! Okay. Then you and Jeffreys and I will-"

Clearing his throat irritatedly he barked, "No whining, Fred! I'll be in and we will get to work...What do mean, how about Amanda? No! Because she's home taking care of her kids who also have the flu!"

After listening a few more minutes Lee shook his head growling, "Enough, Fred! I'm leaving now! Goodbye!"

Slamming the phone down he threw on a tie and grabbing his keys was about to leave when he remembered the coffeemaker was still on!

Going back into the kitchen he turned it off and shaking his head groaned as he left, "I'd better get a bonus for putting up with Fred today!"

When he at last reached the Agency he noticed Mrs. Marston wasn't at her desk but a man was sitting in her chair and seeing Lee asked, "Password?"

Lee sighed as he made something up stating, "Free for all."

Luckily, he was given his I.D. and he headed to the elevator.

There was hardly anyone on the floor as Lee got off the elevator and seeing Fred asked, "What's going on? Where is everyone?"

Fred shrugged commenting, "Flu's going around. You know, I'm not feeling so hot myself today and-"

But Lee shook his head cutting him off stating, "Save it, Pal! You're just afraid of doing actual office work...It's not that hard-"

Fred groaned nodding as he answered, "That's because Amanda does your work for you! You should see all the files that are on your desk as well as everyone else's...Take a look..."

Lee who was about to retort took a good look around and gulped replying uneasily, "Oh, brother!"

Jeffreys then came out of Billy's office and remarked, "Uh, Lee? Mrs. Melrose needs you to call when you can."

Lee nodded as he headed to the phone and Fred then remarked, "Oh, Lee? There's a note here about a meeting at the State Department in 20 minutes. Francine was supposed to go, but-"

Lee sighed and nodding answered, "Okay. You're up, Fred. Get outta here now!"

Fred left grumbling how he didn't know what to do at those meetings anyway...

The phone rang at his desk then and he barked, "Stetson, and it better be good!"

It was Amanda who winced as she queried, "I guess I don't have to ask how it's going for you. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Lee sank into his desk chair and replied shrugging, "Oh, it's great. Billy and Francine as well as half the staff are out because of the flu. Fred and Jefferys are...Well, they're here doing what they can, which tells you I'm up a creek without a paddle. How about you? How are the kids?"

Amanda sighed stating, "They're already fussy because they can't run out and play, but I reminded them they'd be in school otherwise today and I'd be at work."

Lee nodded and commented, "Yeah. I hope they're okay soon. Hey... Before we hang up here, I kinda know about filing my own stuff, but how about everyone else's?"

Amanda questioned, "What do you mean?"

Lee sighed answering, "Well, there's piles of stuff on Billy's desk and Francine's, where she has some sort of Inbox/Outbox kinda thing? I dunno what to make of it frankly..."

Amanda nodded stating, "Well from what I gather, the case files that are completed with debriefing summaries are put in the Inbox for her to review and then hand into Billy. But since he's not here to put them away, I guess you'll have to. Now, the Outbox is for case files that haven't been finished as yet and just need to be typed up and matched with the debrief summaries with the correct dates. Do you understand?"

Lee's head was spinning from confusion as he answered slowly, "I-I think so. But the case files have I.D. numbers, correct?"

Amanda replied patiently with a sigh, "Yes, so you don't wanna mix any of them up...Lee...If I could arrange it, would you like me to come in for a little while and-"

But Lee shook his head responding firmly, "No! Really... Thank you, though. You've had your hands full enough lately, what with trying to recover from your own bout and then taking care of me and all. I-I appreciate it. I'm gonna hang up now, because I have to call Jeannie and see how Billy's doing, all right?"

Amanda commented, "Okay. But call me anyway if you need help figuring out anything, all right?"

Lee smiled warmly into the phone as he nodded remarking, "Will do. Bye."

The following week came and Billy and Francine came back as well as some of the steno pool that had also been stricken with the flu.

About an hour later Billy called Lee and Jefferys into his office and asked, "All right. Which one of you lost the file on Crowley? The embezzler scheme?"

Lee looked at Billy and then at Jefferys stating, "I gave it to Jefferys."

Jefferys shrugged answering, "And I gave it to Fielder who was doing the Outbox stuff at the time. He told me you checked it and had him put it away-"

Lee sputtered, "I-I told him to leave it on my desk and I would finish it! It was one of the last files I had to complete yesterday-"

Jefferys replied, "But yesterday was Sunday."

Lee sighed as he responded putting up a hand with Billy glaring at him, "I know, I know! No overtime. But you didn't see the chaos in here with you all out. It was unbelievable!"

Just then Amanda came into the bullpen with a cheery hello to everyone and Francine greeted her with, "Not now, Miss Mary Sunshine! We got real trouble here!"

But Amanda shook her head stating, "Oh, Francine. Calm down. I think I know why everyone's upset. It's this file here on Crowley, right?"

Francine stared in amazement at her and asked, "Wh-Where did you find it? We've been looking for it all morning!"

As Amanda started to explain Francine grabbed her arm and pulled her into Billy's office exclaiming, "Amanda found it, Billy!"

Billy sighed deeply and nodded commenting, "Good work, Amanda. Where was it?"

Amanda swallowed hard and stated, "Well, Sir. Fred did put it away, but it was in the O box-"

Lee queried, "The O box?"

Amanda nodded nervously and continued by replying, "Y-Yes. Not O as in Outbox, but the other O-"

Francine sighed and shaking her head asked, "The Outgoing box? Where we put file copies to be sent to the Capitol and other places by Express Mail?"

Amanda nodded and answered quickly, "Yes, b-but I happen to find the original file by accident in the envelope addressed to the State Department and made sure it wasn't sent out...So, here it is. Safe and sound."

Handing it to Billy she remarked to everyone, "Well, I'd better head back to my desk and finish the rest of my work. Excuse me..."

As she left Jefferys queried to Lee, "Did you get any of that? I didn't know there was an Outgoing box. Just folders, right?"

Lee bewildered at that point shrugged commenting, "I guess."

Billy sighed answering, "All right. Has anyone seen Fielder recently?"

Francine answered, "He was taking something upstairs."

Billy's mouth twitched as he looked at the time and stated, "Take an early lunch, People..."

As he left his office everyone followed heading back to their desks and Lee immediately went to take Amanda by the elbow asiding, "Lunch time. Now..."

As a puzzled Amanda nodded and grabbed her purse out of her desk drawer she asked innocently, "It's awfully early, isn't it?"

Lee shook his head calmly commenting with a sigh, "Not today, it isn't! Let's go..."

As they got in the elevator Billy watching them go replied to Francine, "From now on, we make sure we aren't both out sick at the same time!"

As Francine nodded in agreement Billy got on the phone and dialed a number and when the party answered he yelled, "FIELDER! MY OFFICE NOW!"

The End