Chapter 6

Jack woke to Mudgie putting his cold nose against his hand outside of the blanket of his bed. When Mudg stayed with the Hotchner boys, he bunked on the rug at the foot of the bed of his best bud. Jack rolled onto his back and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. As he looked to see the sun shining in his window, he knew something wasn't right.

Crawling out of bed, with Mudg closely following him, he made his way to the room next door where his brother Mike slept. He looked in to find Beans, their family dog, on her feet, looking at Jack with anxious eyes. Beans, a trained assistance dog, always slept in Mike's room, in case of an emergency at night. Mike, with an 80% hearing loss, and not wearing his ocular hearing impacts as he slept, needed the back up.

But that got Jack's young senses in higher gear. Beans needed to go outside as badly as Mudg. Beans usually wakes up when mom and dad get up. So does Mudg. This isn't right. While it was Jack's job to get Beans, and Mudg if he was there, let out on Saturday mornings, and Sundays if they were at Uncle Dave's cabin, Jack knew for a fact, that yesterday was Tuesday.

As he led the dogs down the steps and woke up a bit more, he thought to his himself, Mrs. McKee taught us that Wednesday follows Tuesday. Descending the steps further, he noticed something else. More importantly, what was missing; he couldn't smell coffee. As he led the dogs to the garage door, he noticed that the alarm was still set. His stomach churned a bit, as he put the code in to unlock the system, just as his parents had taught him. As he saw the red light on the panel turn to green, he turned the dead bolt and opened the door. The dogs rushed out into the garage. Jack followed them out and opened the back door of the garage to let the dogs loose to relieve themselves. By the way they sped out the door, Jack thought they really have to go. Jack, as he was taught by his parents, re-bolted the door. Jack entered the half bath off the kitchen, did the same, and washed his hands, standing only on the first step of the foot stool that was there for him to use for that very purpose. I'm getting to be a big boy Jack quietly smiled to himself.

He walked into the kitchen and looked around. Having watched his older brothers drinking out of the milk container, and getting stern looks and words from his parents, he quietly smiled at his opportunity. He opened the refrigerator door, pulled out the large container of apple juice, and loosened the lid. Looking around one more time, he mimicked his brothers as he took a drink of the juice. Putting the lid back on, he slid the container back in the fridge and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his pj's.

Yet he looked around the kitchen. He was one of the best students in learning to read a clock face, with the help and prodding of Uncle Dave, who gently guided him to learn to tell time by not looking at a cell phone. Unlike my brothers he proudly smiled at himself, remembering Uncle Dave's words. Yet Jack noticed that the time on the microwave read 8:05. That's not right Jack thought to himself. Before he could react on that thought, Beans barked at the door.

Padding back over to the door, he loosened the dead bolt, let the dogs in, shut the door, locked it, reset the alarm and followed them into the laundry room. He feed them and walked into the bathroom. He grabbed the foot stool and carried it into the laundry room. He set it near the front of the laundry sink. Jack grabbed the water dish for the two dogs, and climbed up the three steps. As he looked in the laundry sink, he saw his dad's suit coat and dress shirt cuffs soaking, with the water in the sink a pinkish, almost red color. Jack climbed down off the steps, hurriedly went to the bathroom, and dumped the dog's old water into the toilet. Grabbing the handle of the cold water faucet in the bathroom, he got it running, and ran back into the laundry room to get the foot stool. Something is very wrong his young mind processed. He filled the water dish for the dogs, carrying it carefully into the laundry room and set it down next to the dogs.

Jack turned out of the area and raced for the only place where he knew could find out what was wrong. He sped across the kitchen, through the great room and raced towards his parent's bedroom.

When Jack covered the distance to his parent's bed, he noticed that both of them were there, with his dad holding his mom. Dad's done with the case Jack brightly thought to himself and jumped up on the end to the bed. Both his parents stirred.

Before Aaron could get his arms out from under the blanket and comforter that warmed their bed, Jack flew across his body, tackling his dad to the mattress. "Hey dad! Glad you're home."

"Me too buddy," Aaron said as pulled his arms out of the warmth and gave his youngest son a large hug. He kissed Jack's head. Cait rolled over to face the two of them, and rubbed Jack's side.

"Mornin' mom!" Jack reached over to give her a kiss. As Cait pulled the sheet, blanket and comforter back, Aaron tucked Jack in between them. Jack put his feet up against the exposed skin of Aaron's thigh, who only wore his boxers to bed. "Whoa buddy! Cold feet? Again? You let the dogs out?"

"And feed them," Jack proudly boasted. "But the microwave clock said its 8:05. I know my brothers sleep in." Jack rolled his eyes. "That it's 'a summer vacation' thing. But mom, you never sleep this late." Rolling to look at Aaron, Jack added, "Neither do you dad, except Saturday mornings with mom."

"I got home pretty late last night from the case buddy," Aaron said, "And mom was waiting for me to come home."

"But dad, don't you have to go into the office?"

"Not this morning bud. I got the morning off."

"How come?"

"Chief Strauss said I didn't have to be in the office until noon."

"Jack," Cait asked, "Where are the clock hands when its noon."

"They're both on twelve mom; at the top of the clock" Jack answered. Cait smiled and Aaron rubbed Jack's arm. "Dad, Chief Strauss really said you could sleep in?"

"Yes, she did buddy. Why?"

"Cause Uncle Dave calls her the Ice Queen. I don't think she's nice."

"Jack, that's not true" Cait said "No matter what Uncle Dave says, you don't say that about her."

"That's right buddy; she's my boss. I have to respect that."

"And Jack," Cait added, "that means you do the same."

"Got it mom," Cait's youngest son smiled at her. As she pulled Jack into a hug, Aaron's cell phone pinged. He grabbed it off the night stand as Jack looked into his mother's eyes.

"Mom, not another case? Dad just got home."

"Jack, it's not that. I promise. But I need you to do dad and me a big favor."

"What's that mom?"

"Your dad and I need to talk to you and your brothers. If dad and I start making breakfast, can you get them out of bed?"

"Depends mom," Jack answered. "What's for breakfast?" Cait rolled her eyes at Aaron. It was clear their youngest son was growing up too fast, and greatly influenced by his older brothers.

"Scrambled eggs and bacon," Aaron said, rubbing his youngest son's head.

"Dad," Jack said, looking deeply into his dad's eyes. "That's easy."

"Then get at it bud," Aaron said, as he got Jack out from the covers and sent him on his way. As they heard Jack's little feet running up the steps to get his brothers up, Cait looked at Aaron and nodded at his cell. "It was the hospital. He rested comfortably through the night and is still sleeping."

They heard Jack getting his brothers up. Aaron looked at Cait. "You ready to do this?"

"We do this together, right?"

"Always."

###