Chapter 10

As the Hotchner family got ready to leave to pick up the pizzas and visit Dave, the boys secretly worked on a plan. Cait and Aaron just smiled at each other and let them do their thing. Yet when Aaron whistled for them a little before 4:30, they came bounding down the steps, like their usual herd of elephants and looked at their parents. "You ready guys?" Aaron asked.

"Yup dad," Mike answered.

"All set dad," Jack added. They both noted that he was toting his backpack. The family loaded up in Cait's vehicle, and they left for the hospital.

They made a quick stop at Sal's to get the pizza. Sal, long known in the area, knew his customers just as well. When Aaron and Mike ran in to get the pizzas, Sal had them in one of his red delivery bags to keep them warm. "Since we're not doing delivery to your home, I assumed you're taking this to Dave." Aaron gave him a look of question. "I heard about it on the news. Drop the bag off on your way back home. And tell Dave to get well for all of us."

Aaron smiled as he paid, and Mike grabbed the bag. "Absolutely Sal; and thank you." Sal and Aaron shook hands.

As they headed north on I-95, the older boys questioned Cait on Dave's latest condition, while Aaron drove. His cell pinged of a text message. He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Cait. "I don't read and drive, remember?" Aaron smiled. Jack was unusually quiet. Normally, as they neared the heart of the District, Jack would always comment about seeing the Washington Monument.

"It's from JJ. Her and the team want to know if Dave is up for visitors," Cait read.

"You know more about that than I do Doc. Text her back." Cait fired off a reply as Aaron pulled into the hospital parking lot. They all got out and the older boys went to the back to gather up Cait's supplies, and the pizza bag. Jack getting out last with his backpack, held his arms out for Aaron to carry him.

He looked at Cait. She looked back, giving him the message; just go with it, as she softly smiled.

They walked in, got on the elevator and made their way to Dave's room. When they got there, they noticed the door was closed. Jack clung tighter to Aaron. A nurse happened to walk by that recognized Cait. "They are changing his wound dressing before he fully wakes up. They'll just be a couple of minutes Dr. Barkley." Cait thanked her as two nurses walked out. She had a quick conversation with them, as they assured them all that Dave was making a normal recovery.

Cait walked in the door, followed by Matt and Mike. Aaron and Jack came in last. Cait walked over to the bed as Dave began to wake from his med-induced sleep. Cait, noticing much more color in his face, gently rubbed his shoulder.

After a minute or two, Dave opened his eyes. The nurses had the shades drawn, allowing in just a little sunshine as his room faced to the west. He looked at Cait, who rubbed his chest. "Hi you."

"Hi back," he crocked. "Is that water mug still around?" Cait smiled as she reached for it on the stand next to his bed. She let him drink as both the boys grabbed a foot. Aaron stood next to the other side of the bed, still holding Jack.

As he finished drinking, Dave looked around. "Is that pizza I smell?" he asked in his usual voice.

Matt was the first to speak up. "You bet Uncle Dave. From Sal's; just like you ordered."

"And Uncle Dave," Mike added, "Sal says to tell you 'hi' from them all and get well soon." Dave smiled as the boys laid the pizza boxes out on his hospital stand that fit around the bed.

Aaron nudged Jack. "Hi Uncle Dave," he barely said.

"Hey champ," Dave smiled as Cait got everything ready for them to eat. They offered thanks for the meal together. She took two pieces of pizzas, put them on a paper plate and set them on Dave's chest.

"You can lean up to eat, but only with your shoulders."

"How in the…." Cait just looked at him. A nurse came in with an extra-large pillow and put it behind Dave's head and shoulders.

"That should help Agent Rossi." He thanked her and grabbed a piece of the pizza and gobbled it down.

"That's good," Dave commented. "I'm starving," as he grabbed the second piece.

"Slow down Dave. I know you're hungry, but go easy. Let your stomach digest a little. There's plenty here for everyone," Cait said. They enjoyed the meal together. Dave joked it was the first time he ate pizza with milk instead of a beer, which they all laughed at. Yet Jack ate sparingly and mostly in silence, sitting on Aaron's or Cait's lap.

Jack brightened a bit when Matt helped him pull out the pictures from his backpack the older boys had helped him color earlier and the three of them creatively taped them around the room. Dave chuckled as Matt stood on a chair and lifted Jack in the air so he could tape to the ceiling above Dave's head the picture he colored by himself. "That's awesome champ," Dave commented. Jack just smiled back. Dave looked at Cait and Aaron with a question.

Before they could even look at Dave, the team came in the door. Jack happily smiled that Henry had come along with JJ and Will. After Henry said "hi" to Dave, he and Jack played with their cars on the room floor as the team checked on their teammate. They all chatted and joked for about an hour when Dave tried to stifle a large yawn.

Cait took one look at him and knew the signs. The nourishment that he had received was kicking in. His body just now needed the time to sleep to put that food to work in restoring his blood pressure, and him in general. The team quickly said their good-byes while the Hotchner's gathered up everything from the meal.

The oldest boys went to the left side of bed and gave Dave a hug as Cait got him settled. Jack walked over to the same side and Aaron set him on the bed next to Dave. Jack laid his head on Dave's chest and his little hands clung tight to the shoulders of Dave's hospital gown. "Night Uncle Dave; I love you," Jack quietly said. He leaned back up, reached his right hand and rubbed Dave's cheek. "You're whiskers are as bad as daddy's," he smiled. Yet Dave read his tone and look.

"When you come to see me tomorrow champ, I promise I'll be shaved and a whole lot better," Dave said. Jack looked at him and smiled, and then reached for Aaron to pick him up. Dave looked at Hotch, who slightly nodded towards Cait.

"Come on guys, lets head down to the car. Mom is going to check on a few things with the nurses and then she'll meet us." The boys all said their "good nights" to Dave as Aaron squeezed his foot and said his "good night" as well.

Dave watched the door shut and then looked at Cait. "What's wrong with Jack?" Cait lovingly smiled at Dave, seeing the concern across his face. She replayed the conversation with she had with Aaron about Jack the night before.

"Cait," Dave said as he started to yawn again.

"Dave, like I told Aaron, I don't believe this is a bad thing. That demon needs to get out. You getting shot, along with Grandma just dying brought it all to the surface." She rubbed his chest. "He'll be fine. He's young and resilient. That demon just needs to be exercised. You and your dumb luck are giving him that chance to happen. You sleep; you'll see a different Jack tomorrow." Dave yawned again as his eyes started to close. Cait kissed his temple, and softly said, "I promise." She rubbed his chest until Dave fell into a deep sleep.

After they got home and the boys settled upstairs, Aaron climbed into their bed, rolled on his right side and quickly started to snore, the last week finally catching up to him. While Cait did sleep when Aaron was gone, it was not that deeply and she joined her husband in bed less than twenty minutes later. Before she reached to shut the bedside lamp off on her nightstand, she pulled the drawer of her night stand slightly open and clicked on a button, repeating a pattern she used to do every night some years ago. Clicking the light off, she curled into her side of the bed and fell into a slumber as well.

The upstairs monitor she had covertly set up again that afternoon while the boys were in the pool woke her in the depth of night with the sound of her youngest son going head to head with his demon.

"MOM-MY!"

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