Chapter 2

The next morning found Peter in front of June's waiting for Neal to appear but after waiting for ten minutes he decided to check on his friend and found him dressed only in a robe on the bed with an empty wine bottle next to him. That alone clued him of his partner's activities of the night before. It was when he put his hand on him and he felt the heat radiating from him that he knew that Neal hadn't taken his advice and now he was quite sick from his dip in the waters of the Hudson River in December.

The first thing Peter did was to call the office and report that Neal was out indefinitely due to sickness and that he would be in later. He then called his wife,

"El, Neal's sick and June is gone for the week. I'm going to bundle him up and bring him home…he's going to need us to watch over him once again. I'll explain more after we get him into bed," he added before ending the call and turning his attention back to Neal.

"What am I'm going to do with you, buddy?" he muttered under his breath as he began to strip him. It was then that he discovered him in his boxers that he realized that Neal hadn't showered from yesterday's dip in the icy Hudson River.

It didn't take Peter long to strip him completely and redress him in the warmest clothes he could find during which Neal opened his eyes and said, "Peter? Peter I don't feel good," a sign that Peter recognized and quickly got him to the bathroom toilet where Neal promptly threw up.

"You stay here while I pack for you…you are coming home with me so we can watch over you….you need someone and June isn't here," Peter told him in his best stern father voice as he left him hugging the toilet.

It was about an hour later that Peter and Neal drove up and parked in front of their townhouse. Peter was surprised when the door opened and it wasn't his wife who greeted him but his mother.

"Mom? I didn't know you were coming…but I'm glad to see you," he said as he greeted his mother.

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind my coming so early for Christmas, but with your dad gone the house is so lonesome in December. Peter had lost his father to a sudden heart attack a few months earlier.

"You know you are welcome whenever you want to come but especially now with Neal so ill," replied Peter as his mother grabbing one side of the young man being supported by her son and between the two of them they got him down the stairs and into the basement room that Peter had done over as an apartment with a separate bathroom.

"El told me about your young CI and that you treat him as part of the family so I'm quite familiar with his antics. We felt he would do better down here and I would be more comfortable upstairs," she explained as they hustled Neal downstairs and on to the bed.

"Mom since you have nursed my siblings and me through so many fool hearted antics that lead to sickness that you will be the perfect person to handle Neal; just consider him another son and treat him accordingly and by that I mean that if he drives you to wanting to take your hand to his bottom for you to do it…El and I have done it on numerous occasions," warned Peter.

"Does it help?" Carolyn Burke asked.

"For as long as it takes for his butt to cool down and sometimes weeks afterwards," replied Peter as they began to get Neal ready for bed. It was during this time that El joined them and asked,

"So what did Neal do this time?"

"Only disobey my orders to stay at the car while we rounded up a suspect. He then proceeded to chase the suspect, Thomas Cain, down and when Cain tried to dispose of the evidence that would convict him by dumping it in the Hudson River Neal dived in and retrieved it. I took him home and told him to take a hot shower before taking two aspirins and going to bed," Peter paused as he helped his mother and El put Neal under the covers. "I found him this morning drunk and still wearing his boxers…so he didn't follow my orders about taking the hot shower…and he wasn't even in bed but sleeping on top. Mozzie, a friend of his, must have come over with the wine and Neal didn't tell him about his dip in the Hudson because Mozzie would have made sure he went to bed," Peter explained as he pulled a rocking chair up next to the bed and sat down.

"His landlady, June, isn't here this week or I would have left him in her care as it is he can't be trusted to take his meds or stay in bed and recover so I brought him home," he added.

"Did you call Kathy?" asked El.

"Yep on the way over here and I told her the short version of what I just told you…she said she would have his medicine sent over and to keep him in bed and to use any method to keep him still and resting. He needs to drink plenty of fluids, too," Peter recited before getting up and quietly leaving his friend resting.

"I've got to get back to work and finish my reports, etc. I'll try and return as soon as I can," he added as he kissed both of the women in his life and left Neal in their capable hands.

It was a few minutes after Peter left that Neal's medicine arrived and when the doorbell rang El went the answer it leaving Carolyn sitting at Neal's bedside. It was about then that Neal started to wake up still feeling the effects of the wine. He woke and finding a strange lady sitting at his bedside asked,

"W-where's P-Peter and who are y-you?"

"Peter had to return to work and I'm Peter's mother, Carolyn. El will be back in a few minutes so you just lie still," she ordered in her best motherly voice.

"I f-feel s-sick!" Neal said as a green hue settled on his face. Carolyn just had enough time to bring a waste basket to his side before he threw up again…it was only dry retching since he had already emptied his stomach at his apartment.

It was then that El came down with medicine in hand. "The directions say that he's supposed to take this every four hours until the fever breaks," as she handed the bottle over to her mother-in-law.

"He's never going to keep these down as long as he is nauseated…you wouldn't happen to have something for the nausea?" asked Carolyn as she looked back at Neal miserably shaking under the covers.

"Kathy also sent these suppositories over to fight the nausea," El whispered in Carolyn's ear. She had an inkling that they would not be welcomed by Neal and they might have a fight on their hands.

Carolyn nodded and approached Neal. "Your medicine has arrived son, but before you can take them to help with your fever and cold you must take something to rid of your nausea…okay?"

Neal nodded as he started to push himself in a sitting position only to be patted on the hand and told, "No sweetie, it wouldn't do any good for you to try and swallow anything, you would only bring it back up before it had a chance to do you some good. So I want you to roll over on your side," she began to explain as if she was talking to a child when Neal said,

"You aren't going to give me a shot!" anxiously.

"No, of course not," Carolyn said as Neal relaxed momentarily, "I'm going to insert this suppository into your rectum so it can melt within your body and the nausea medicine can be absorbed into your system and soon the nausea will be gone and you can take your other medicine and get better," she added quickly.

Neal who hadn't followed much of the conversation had started to roll over as he was told. It wasn't until he felt his pajama pants being pushed down that the rest of the statement caught up with him and he cried,

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and began to struggle.

It only took two hard smacks to his backside for Neal to quiet down…that and what Carolyn added afterwards,

"Do you really want me to add to your discomfort Neal? I would imagine that dealing with a fever, cold and nausea would be enough for anyone but if you don't calm down and do as I say you will have a sore bottom as well."

Neal nodded and allowed the suppository to be inserted thinking that it would only be that once when Carolyn added sternly,

"Now you will be getting more during the rest of the day to be sure that the nausea is gone."

Neal didn't reply but rolled back on his back and took his medicine without complaint but vowing he would make those embarrassing suppositories disappear as soon as Carolyn's back was turned.

"Carolyn, the delivery boy said that it looks like the weather is going to turn nasty…I'm going to go out and stock up on supplies. Will you be able to handle Neal while I'm gone," El asked as she prepared to go back upstairs.

"If you will stay with him for a moment while I get something; then I can guarantee that Neal will behave like an angel," she said as she darted back up the stairs leaving Neal and El alone.

"Oh Sweetie, try and behave…she already loves you like a son and will have no trouble treating you like one. Peter said that his mother was a force to be dealt with when she was in mother mode," El warned as she bent down and kissed Neal on the forehead.

Neal nodded but before he could say anything Carolyn had returned and Neal's eyes widened drastically when he saw what she was carrying…a hairbrush with a handle.

"I used this on Peter enough times while he was growing up and he will tell you that it packs a mighty sting when applied to your backside Neal; but you need to take your medicine so you can get over this and if I have to use this constantly to make sure that you mind I will."

El smiled and left vowing to hurry back as soon as possible and dreading the thought that when she returned Neal's bottom would be very sore. He had met his match in Carolyn.