Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.
Alright, this is officially going somewhere! I had a moment of brilliance while eating lunch and all those pieces I mentioned … yeah, they've come together beautifully. Thank you, as always, for your reads and reviews and I hope you enjoy the chapter =)
Much to his surprise, Hotch slept till his alarm rang the next morning. He hadn't anticipated being able to rest comfortably given he was used to listening for Jack. The SSA washed up and dressed before leaving his bedroom. The strong smell of coffee wafted down the hallway from the kitchen but he went to Jack's room first. The door was slightly ajar and the light off but Hotch could make out his son sleeping peacefully.
"Garcia?" he asked, continuing down the hall to the kitchen. Garcia looked up from a bowl of oatmeal and smiled.
"Good morning, Sir," she said. "How did you sleep?"
"Really well," Hotch replied, pouring himself coffee. "How's Jack?"
"Much better. The fever broke around three a.m. and after throwing up at four, he fell asleep. Did you check on him?"
Aaron nodded, sitting across from the lab tech.
"He's still sleeping."
"Good," Garcia said. "Hopefully when he wakes up, I can get him to eat something again."
"Again? Did he eat after I went to bed?"
"Yes," Penelope replied, standing. "He managed some dry toast. Can I get you some oatmeal, Sir?"
"You don't need to, Garcia."
"I insist."
Garcia began preparing another bowl of oatmeal.
"There you are, Sir. A hot and hearty breakfast."
"Thanks. Have you been up all night?"
Garcia nodded, sitting down again.
"You should head home, then." Aaron told her. "Get some sleep yourself."
"Oh, I'm fine. All-night gaming sessions have been good training for this job, plus we pull so many all-nighters with cases that I'm used to it."
Hotch smiled.
"That may be," he said. "But don't feel you need to stay here. I've got things under control."
"I know you do, Sir. Jack was telling me about how you convinced him to go to the doctor, and about the story you told him with Haley."
A strange sensation went through Aaron. He wasn't used to his team knowing personal things about his and Jack's relationship. It wasn't that he hid them, he just didn't openly share. To hear his lab tech talk about Haley felt foreign.
"He misses her," Aaron said. "Especially now. I've never had to fill this role for him."
"I know," Garcia said with a gentle smile. "But you're doing wonderfully, Sir. Jack said he felt better when you were talking with him about Haley."
"Really?"
Garcia nodded and Aaron smiled.
"Thanks, Garcia."
"You're welcome."
From the side pocket of her bag came a vibrating text-alert. Garcia retrieved the phone and frowned as she read the text.
"Everything alright?" Hotch asked.
"What? Oh, yeah, fine."
Aaron raised an eyebrow.
"Garcia."
"It's nothing," Garcia said, pocketing the device and smiling again. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay? I don't mind."
"It's fine," Hotch said. "But thank you."
Garcia began gathering her bags. Hotch watched her, knowing something in the text message had upset her but he didn't push the issue. Instead, he stood and handed Garcia her book, which she'd been reading as she ate.
"Thanks," Garcia stuck the book in her handbag. "Call me if you need anything else," she added.
"Thank you for everything," he said, following her to the door. "Are you sure everything's alright?"
"I'm sure." Garcia replied. "Have a good day, Sir."
"You, too."
Hotch closed the door after Garcia left, puzzled. Abandoning his breakfast, Hotch found his own phone and checked for messages. There weren't any so he called J.J.
"Hotch," she greeted. "How are you?"
"Fine," Hotch answered. "Did you just text Garcia?"
"I didn't," J.J. answered.
"Did anyone on the team?"
"I don't think so. Why?"
"She was here last night taking care of Jack but she just got a text and left suddenly."
"Did she say anything was wrong?"
"She said it was nothing but she was lying."
"I don't know," J.J. replied. "Do you want me to call her?"
"Yeah, make sure she's alright."
There was a beep on the line and J.J. glanced at her phone.
"I've got another call coming in," she said. "But I'll get in touch with Garcia."
"Thanks."
Hotch ended the call and returned to the table, sipping his coffee. He was glad Jack was finally getting some sleep and it made him happy - happier than he had let on with Garcia - that Jack felt his dad was doing a good job.
"Will?" J.J. answered the incoming call.
"Hey, darling," Will answered in his southern drawl.
"Is everything alright?" J.J. immediately asked. Will didn't call while they were on a case unless something was wrong and the sigh that followed did nothing to ease J.J.'s worrying.
"Henry's sick."
"Sick with what?"
"I don't know. Flu, I guess. He's got a temperature of a hundred and two."
"Did you call the doctor?"
"Yeah, he said to give it a day and call back tomorrow if he still had a fever."
"Has he eaten anything?"
"Nothing. He's thrown up, though."
J.J. rubbed her forehead.
"You're supposed to have meetings all day, aren't you?"
"I am," Will replied. "I didn't want to worry you so I texted Penelope, asking what I should do. She said that she'd take care of Henry today."
J.J. sank into a chair, understanding now why Garcia had left Hotch's place so quickly.
"The case isn't going well," she said. "I don't know when I'll be home."
"It's alright, love. After today, my schedule is clear so I can stay with him."
"Garcia said she didn't mind?"
"No, she said it was no trouble at all, which surprised me. Why isn't she working the case?"
"Jack Hotchner is also down with the flu," J.J. explained. "Garcia was there last night to give Aaron a hand with him. Kevin is working the case with us."
"Do you think Henry got sick from Jack?"
"Maybe," J.J. answered. "I suppose Hotch and I could have spread the germs."
"Well, it doesn't matter how he got it. I'm sure he'll be fine."
J.J. heard the doorbell in the background.
"Oh, that must be Garcia. I'll call you later, J.J. Love you."
"Love you, too." J.J. said, ending the call. She immediately called Hotch back.
"Hotchner."
"It's me," J.J. said. "I know where Garcia went off to so quickly."
"Where?"
"My place. Apparently Henry's caught the flu as well and Will has meetings all day. She volunteered to take care of him today."
"That's not what I was expecting to hear," Hotch replied. "It's a bit strange, isn't it?"
"What? Both of our sons getting the flu in the same week?"
"Yeah."
"Probably not as strange as we'd like to think. Kids are susceptible to viruses more than adults are and you and I probably acted as carriers between them."
"I suppose," Hotch said.
"I'll talk to Garcia but I'm sure Henry will be fine. Jack, too," she added.
"I'm sure, too."
"I'll check in later."
"Alright. Talk to you then."
Hotch ended the call, feeling uneasy. It seemed like too big of a coincidence that Henry had the flu as well but J.J. had a valid point. Kids picked up illnesses like dogs picked up scents. Jack had probably gotten sick from school and before Hotch knew his son was contagious, he spread the germs at work. J.J. likely had a strong enough immune system to combat it but when she went home, Henry got it from her. Trying to convince himself it was just part of nature, Hotch went down the hall to check on Jack. He could immediately tell that the fever had returned.
"Jack?" he whispered, feeling the little boy's head. It was hot and dry. Jack didn't wake up and Hotch retrieved a cloth from the bathroom and began sponging the small face.
J.J. was sitting in the conference room, deep in thought, when Prentiss came in.
"Everything alright?" she asked, opening a protein bar. J.J. looked up.
"I just got off the phone with Will," she said. "Henry's got the flu."
"Him, too?"
"Yeah," J.J. answered. "It makes sense, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Henry probably got sick from Jack through Hotch and I … that makes sense, doesn't it?"
"Yes." Emily nodded. "You know what kids are like; they get sick at the drop of a hat."
J.J. nodded but didn't look convinced.
"Garcia is staying with him," she informed her friend. "Will has to be away all day."
"That's nice of her. How is Jack? Did you talk to Hotch?"
"Yeah," J.J. answered. "But I didn't actually ask how Jack was. He and I were talking about how Henry got sick."
"Do you think it's more than a coincidence?"
J.J. sighed.
"I don't know."
Will had left for his meetings almost as soon as Garcia had arrived. He showed her where the medicine was, thanked her, and left. Garcia, who was beginning to feel tired and slightly overwhelmed, went to Henry's room.
"Hi, Henry," she said with a smile and the three-year-old waved listlessly. "Your daddy tells me your tummy hurts."
Henry nodded.
"Well," Garcia said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I know just the thing for an upset tummy."
"What?"
"A special Penelope-Garcia-Super-Duper-Awesome-Make-You-Feel-Better-Smoothie. How does that sound?"
Henry shrugged and Garcia sighed.
"Oh, I know, sweetheart," she said, brushing his blonde hair back. "Do you think you can at least try it?"
Henry nodded.
"That's my boy," Garcia said, kissing Henry. "Do you want to stay in bed or lounge on the couch?"
"Couch."
"Okay."
Garcia lifted Henry out of bed and settled him of the couch, tucking the blanket around him and handing him the remote.
"Find something to watch," she said. "And I'll start on that smoothie."
It was a rough day for Jack and Henry.
"I don't understand," Hotch said to Rossi later that evening. "It's like Jack is getting worse."
"What do you mean?"
"The doctor said it might take a few days for him to feel better but his fever is going up and he keeps vomiting even though there's nothing there tothrow up."
Rossi frowned.
"Is he sleeping?"
"Not really," Hotch replied. "He's camped out in the bathroom, afraid to go back to bed."
"And I bet he hasn't been eating, either?"
"We've managed a few popsicles and about half a water bottle."
"What are you going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you going to take him to the ER?"
"I don't know. I've thought about it but the doctor said it was just the flu."
"It's your decision," Rossi said. "But I'm sure you're thinking about how dehydrated he's getting between the fever and the dry heaving."
"I am," Hotch said with a sigh. "But I was hoping you could tell me what to do."
"Have you asked Jack what he wants to do?"
"No, I didn't want to scare him."
"Daddy!" Jack's voice carried down the hall and Aaron instantly knew something was wrong.
"Call me back." Rossi said immediately, clearly having heard Jack's cry. Aaron dropped his phone on the table and ran down the hall.
"What's wrong, Jack?"
He didn't need to ask. A thin trail of blood was running down Jack's chin.
"It's alright," Hotch said, trying to downplay his reaction. He knelt next to Jack and wiped the blood away with a Kleenex.
"Am I going to die?"
"No, buddy," Aaron replied. "Will you be alright for a minute?"
Jack nodded and Hotch left the bathroom, picking up his phone again.
"Is everything alright?" Rossi answered on the first ring.
"No," Hotch replied. "He's vomiting blood. I'm going to take him to the ER."
"I think that's a wise decision."
Hotch uttered a shaky sigh.
"Are you alright, Aaron?"
"I'm scared, Dave. Something is happening to Jack and I don't know what."
"That why we have doctors. They'll figure out what's going on."
Hotch sighed again.
"Can I talk to Jack?" Dave asked.
"Sure," Aaron replied, walking down the hallway. "Jack? Uncle Dave wants to talk to you."
Aaron gave Jack the phone and left to gather what he'd need to take to the hospital.
"How are you doing, Jack?"
"What's going to happen to me, Uncle Dave?"
"Your daddy is going to take you to the doctor again." Dave said. "Can you do something for me, Jack?"
"Uh-huh."
"Can you put on your brave face for your daddy?"
"Is he scared?"
"A little bit," Dave answered. "And that's okay but seeing how brave you are will help him be brave, too."
"Can I be scared?"
"Of course you can," Dave answered. "Do you remember what I told you about bravery?"
"That it's okay to be scared but you gotta keep moving forward."
"Right." Dave said, smiling. "So do you think you can wear your brave face?"
"Yes."
"Good job," Dave said. "I'm proud of you, Jack."
"Are you going to be home soon?"
"Soon," Dave replied. "And I promise I'll come see you as soon as I am. Is that okay?"
"Yes."
"Good. I love you, Jack."
"I love you, too."
"Jack? Is Uncle Dave still on the phone?" Hotch asked, coming back into the bathroom. Jack nodded and handed the phone back to his dad.
"Dave?"
"Yeah, I'm here. Keep us posted, alright?"
"I will."
Aaron ended the call and picked Jack up.
"We're going to the hospital, aren't we?"
"Yes," Aaron said, carrying Jack towards the living room. "Is that okay?"
"Yes." Jack said, remembering what Uncle Dave had told him. Aaron smiled and kissed Jack's cheek.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go then."
"How is he?" J.J. asked Garcia.
"Sleeping," Garcia replied, yawning.
"How's the fever?"
"Still at one-oh-two but he hasn't thrown up in a few hours."
"That's good, I suppose," J.J. replied, glancing at her watch. "Will should be home soon."
"Okay," Garcia said, yawning again. J.J. smiled.
"You must be exhausted. When did you last get any sleep?"
"What day is it?" Garcia asked.
"Wednesday."
"Oh. Then … Monday, I think. I don't know."
"Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine," Garcia said. "Just tired."
"Thank you, again, for looking after Henry."
"Don't mention it," Garcia said. "After all, what are fairy-godmothers for?"
J.J. laughed but stopped when Rossi come into the room, looking concerned.
"I'll call you back in a minute, Garcia," she said, hanging up. "Rossi, what's wrong?"
"Hotch is taking Jack to the hospital."
"What?"
"He's vomiting blood; they're on their way to the ER now."
"What happened?"
Rossi shrugged.
"Hotch just said he kept getting worse. His temp went up and he can't keep anything down."
"That's concerning. Is Hotch alright?"
"He's worried, to say the least. He's going to call as soon as he knows anything."
J.J. sighed.
"I wish we were there, for both Jack and Henry."
"So do I," Rossi said. "But we're needed here. The best we can do is work extra-hard to solve the case and then we can go home."
"Yeah, just let me call Garcia back and I'll be right in."
Rossi nodded and proceeded to the conference room and J.J. dialled the lab tech again.
"Everything alright, buttercup?" Garcia asked.
"No," J.J. said. "Hotch is taking Jack to the ER."
"What happened?"
"He's vomiting blood."
"Oh," Garcia was speechless. "I … I have get to the hospital. As soon as Will gets home, that is."
J.J. looked at her watch again.
"It should be any minute. Let us know how he is, alright?"
"Of course. Bye, J.J."
Garcia was pacing when Will came home. She rushed to explain how Henry was and what had happened before heading to the hospital.
"Excuse me," she said to the nurse at the desk.
"May I help you?"
"Yes, I'm looking for Jack Hotchner. He was brought in by his father."
"Are you family?"
"No, but - "
"I'm sorry, but only immediate family is allowed to visit in the emergency department."
The nurse looked back at her computer screen, unaware she had said the wrong thing to a tired and overprotective Garcia.
"Excuse me," she said again and the nurse looked up, annoyed. "But I need to see him."
"I told you, only immediate family - "
"That's not acceptable!" Garcia exclaimed, pulling out her FBI badge. "That little boy's mother is dead and I'm the closet thing he has to family besides his father. I work for the FBI and have the ability to hack into your computer system and put notes on your files for not cooperating with the federal government. So," she said, resuming her sweet voice. "I need to see Jack Hotncher."
The nurse looked slightly intimated but nodded.
"This way," she said.
"Thank you."
The nurse led Garcia through a maze of curtain-created hallways, stopping outside of one and pushing the curtain open slightly.
"Mr. Hotchner, there's a woman from the FBI here to see you."
The nurse moved the curtain out of the way and Garcia stepped forward.
"Garcia, what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, Sir, but J.J. called me and I came as soon as Will got home."
"Would you like me to call security?" the nurse asked and Aaron shook his head.
"No, it's fine."
The nurse nodded and left and Aaron raised an eyebrow at the lab tech.
"She wasn't going to let me in," Garcia said with a shrug and Hotch shook his head but there was a small smile on his face. Garcia smiled back and turned to Jack.
"How are you feeling, Jack?"
"Okay." Jack mumbled, his eyes barely open.
"They gave him a sedative," Hotch replied. "And they're hydrating him through the IV while we wait for blood work to come back."
Garcia nodded.
"Do you mind if I wait with you?"
"Of course. How's Henry?"
Garcia sank into a chair opposite Hotch's.
"About the same as Jack was the first night Morgan and I came."
Hotch sighed, watching Jack's breathing.
"It's terrifying," he said absently. "Watching your child be so sick and not being able to do anything about it."
"They'll be fine, Sir. Both of them."
Hotch glanced at Garcia.
"I want to believe you," he said. "And I know I should but until I know what's wrong with him, I'm going to worry."
Garcia didn't have an answer for that and the two of them lapsed into silence, watching Jack sleep.
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