Chapter 13
After they had finished breakfast, Cait unplugged her re-charged cell phone on the lunch counter and called the hospital to check on Dave. The boys worked on getting the table and kitchen cleaned up. She got an update from the nurses, who then transferred her to Dave's room. Cait put the phone on speaker.
"What?" was the gruff answer they heard.
"Hi you!" Cait said. "How are you feeling? And btw you're on speaker."
"So there's little ears?" Dave growled.
"Yes, so watch your language." Cait paused for a second. "Forget the question; we've all got a pretty good idea about how you're feeling." The boys looked at each other and smiled. Jack covered his mouth as a giggle was about to escape.
"Cait, I'll give it to you in one sentence. Get me out of here." Jack giggled out loud, Matt and Mike smirked at each other, and Cait and Aaron just shook their heads.
"Dave, Aaron and I will be there by lunch."
"Cait, the slop they serve around here cannot be called a meal." She rolled her eyes at Aaron.
"Dave, have the nurse give you a sedative. We'll see you soon," Aaron said.
"As usual Aaron, your humor has the bite of a toothless dog."
"See you in a bit Dave," Aaron said laughing as Cait ended the call.
Jack looked at the two of them. "Can I go along? Pleasssse. I was so scared yesterday. But Uncle Dave sounds like Uncle Dave and I want to spend some time with him. Pleassssssssse?"
They looked at each other, remembering what Cait had told Dave, which she, of course, had relayed to Aaron later. "You go upstairs, get your teeth brushed and out of your pj's. Mom and I both need to take showers, and we'll talk about it." Jack took off for the steps.
Cait looked at the boys. "Can you keep him busy while we get ready?"
"Sure mom," Mike answered.
"But hey guys, Pete and I sorta wanted to hit the batting cage this morning again, and we need Mike to pitch to us."
Aaron looked at his oldest sons and gave them the eye roll he had received from them more than once. "You don't think we've already made up our minds." Looking at Matt, he added, "You are going to shower and shave when?"
"After I got back home dad," he laughed.
"Good plan. Grandma doesn't like your scruffy look any more than we do," Aaron smiled.
"Speaking of grandma, what's the plan for picking the three of them up?" Matt asked.
"Until we know more about Uncle Dave, let's play that by ear," Cait said. "Just have your cell on you and be ready to go to the airport, if needed." Matt smiled and nodded as he and Mike finished the kitchen. Cait and Aaron left to get ready.
In less than an hour, Aaron and Cait made their way to the hospital, with Jack happily chattering away in the backseat of Aaron's SUV. Thirty minutes later, they walked into Dave's room to hear him swearing. "God damn place doesn't even have the Military channel on the…."
Cait cleared her throat and looked at him. Dave was still in bed, but sitting at an angle, with the TV remote in his hand.
"Thank God; I'm bored out of my head," he said as he shut the TV off, cursed at the remote in Italian, and threw it on the bed.
Aaron rubbed Jack's neck, who walked in this time. "I think Uncle Dave is feeling better." Jack giggled. Cait walked over and kissed his cheek.
Jack ran over the other side of the bed, having learned from his parents to go the opposite side of Dave's hurt leg. He pulled a chair over and climbed up on it to stand by Dave's bedside. "You look a whole lot better Uncle Dave," he smiled, reaching out to touch Dave's shaved face. "But Uncle Dave, you gotta look." Jack pulled his lower lip down. "See Uncle Dave? Do you see it?"
Dave couldn't help but smile. "I see it champ. Way to go." They exchanged high fives. Cait noticed that Dave was only sitting at a 45˚ angle and they had his right leg slightly elevated with pillows. He cocked an eyebrow at Aaron. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm working from home. Can't you tell?" Aaron smiled.
"Jeez, you got the Ice..." Cait sternly stared at him. Dave wickedly smiled as Aaron laughed.
"How do you really feel?" Aaron asked his partner.
"Considering the lousy food, a bunch of women working on me around, umm, well you know where, and the ten channels available on the TV, I'm peachy."
Jack gave him a puzzled look. "Is that good or bad, Uncle Dave?"
As Cait and Aaron laughed, Dave looked at Jack. "Champ, make me a promise OK? You'll always keep me young."
Jack smiled. "Kay Uncle Dave. Promise." They shared a fist bump as Dave relaxed.
"I'm just really glad you're here," he said. Looking at Cait, he added, "So when do you break me out of this god forsaken place?"
She looked at her watch. "Aaron and I are meeting with Dr. Nickoli at noon. We should know more then."
"Why am I not in on that conversation," Dave demanded.
Cait rubbed his arm. "You will be; after he talks to the two of us. Dave, you may get out of here soon, but you won't be going home for a while. You need too much follow up care. I know the situation and asked to meet with him, before he discussed it with you."
Dave eyed Aaron sharply. "You're in on this?"
"And will back my wife," Aaron snarled with a smile. "You sir, will not mess with her." Leaning on the tray table, he squeezed Dave's left foot. "Dave, we're just trying to look out for you."
Jack reached over, grabbed Dave's hand and whispered, "I wouldn't mess with her either Uncle Dave."
Dave looked at Cait and Aaron. "Good call; bring the kid for back-up."
Aaron smiled. "I learned from the best of the best." A little later, a hospital aide brought in Dave's lunch tray. He silently fumed at what was there, can I even call this an entrée he thought, but devoured the fresh fruit, veggie flavored toasted chips and pudding.
Jack beamed at him. "Chocolate pudding is the bomb Uncle Dave."
"Word," Dave smiled at Jack as he put the last spoonful in his mouth. As he leaned back into his pillow, he added, "What I wouldn't give right now for a couple of cannolies."
A nurse poked her head in the door, looking at Cait. "Dr. Nickoli is here."
Cait looked at Jack. "You and Uncle Dave going to be OK?"
"You bet mom. But can I have my DS?" Cait pulled it out of her handbag and handed it to him.
"Can I sit with Uncle Dave?"
Aaron scooped him off the chair and set him next to Dave's left side. "There ya go buddy. Just be really careful of Uncle Dave's other leg."
"I will dad," Jack solemnly promised. Dave pulled him up into the croak of his arm and smiled.
Dr. Nickoli laid out the two options for Dave's care upon leaving the hospital, which he said would be tomorrow. Cait looked at him and said, "There's a third," outlining her plan.
Aaron looked at his wife. "Doc, you sure? You know Dave is going to fight that tooth and nail."
"Aaron, you heard the other two. Do you think Dave would have any part of that? Trust me; Dr. Nickoli heard the outline. I'll give Dave the whole plan when we talk to him."
Dr. Nickoli looked at them. "Agent Hotchner, I can understand your concerns. But from what I've learned about my patient, I think Dr. Barkley's plan is a viable option." He looked at his charts, and then smiled shyly, "Honestly, I didn't want to walk in there and give him the other two."
The three of them walked into the room, a plan in hand to battle with the legendary profiler. They looked to find David Rossi, co-founder of the BAU and young Jack Hotchner snuggled together, sound asleep.
Cait smiled at Dr. Nickoli. "You take care of the rest of your patients, Doctor. We've got this."
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