Chapter 18
As Hotch was pulling away from the hospital, the M's and the J's (as Jarrod called them) came in the house. "It sure feels good in here," Matt said, wiping the sweat off his face with the bottom of his t-shirt. "It's getting really hot and muggy out there." He grabbed the always present ice tea jug from the fridge, while Mike, after wiping the sweat away from his hearing aids with a paper towel, grabbed glasses from the cupboard and filled them with ice cubes from the fridge door. Matt poured the three glasses. As usual, there was also lemonade in the fridge as well, which he poured for Jack. Cait noted that Jack was even sweating from just sitting with Mike on the riding lawn mower.
"That's why I like the West Coast," Jake commented, rubbing his t-shirt sleeve across his forehead. "You're used to this sis?"
"No. Why do you think the AC is running," Cait smiled. "Guess I'll always be a northern California girl at heart. Plus, with the upstairs, we like to keep it comfortable for the boys."
Cait's cell rang. "Hi you," is all she said. She listened for about five seconds and hung up. The older boys all refilled their glasses.
The boys, drinking their ice tea around the kitchen island, with Jack sitting on it, compliments of Jake, all smiled. "Dad's on his way with Uncle Dave?" Matt smiled, as he silently grabbed a strawberry Maggie just cleaned. She swatted at her oldest grandson's hand, getting his big devilish smile in return. Cait just smiled.
"Grandma, can I have one too please?" Jack implored.
She handed one to him, looking at Matt. "That's how you do it." Maggie handed one to Mike as well.
"Whatever; the joys of being the youngest."
"No Matthew, the joys of being the politest. There is a difference."
"I know grandma, but be honest. He," pointing at Jack, "has the market cornered in cuteness. And don't let the shortness fool you. He knows how to play it." Jack smiled. "And you fall for it; every time." Matt smiled at her. Maggie just smiled back.
Mike, laughing along with his brothers and uncle, looked at Cait. "Mom, I think we deserve a swim."
"Yes, you do. But since you've just drank a gallon of ice tea, not for a half hour. Think you three can find something to keep you busy?"
"Grand Theft Auto 4," Jack said. Mike grabbed Jack off the island. Jarrod, just coming in from watering Cait's hanging flower baskets around the house, just shook his head. The three boys, the "thundering herd" Aaron called them, ran upstairs, rattling the pictures on the walls as usual.
Jarrod looked at Jake finishing his ice tea. "I could use one of them. It's getting brutal out there." Just then, Cait's cell phone pinged. She picked it up and read it. Jake poured a glass for his dad.
"We're in a severe weather watch until 2 am. Explains the current weather," she said.
Jake mixed up a re-fill of the ice tea jug, per Cait's instructions as he and Jarrod discussed how little they seen thunder and lightning living on the West Coast. Maggie and Cait finished with as much of the fruit as they could. "Cait, give me your car keys," Jarrod said. "I'll take them over to Dave's and put them in his fridge."
Cait grabbed her car keys. She gave her dad the security code to Dave's home, showed him the house key on her key ring, and told him which door to enter, closest to the kitchen. He and Jake carried to her car the veggies and fruit that would be kept there. Jake coming back in, heard a car horn honk. Obviously, Aaron and Jarrod had met at the bottom of the drive way. Jake smiled at Cait. "I'll help Aaron." The dogs woke up to the car horn and ambled into the kitchen.
Maggie rubbed her arm. "You supervise Doctor; I'll do clean up. I think we're done for the day except the turkey and we need a break." Cait smiled at her mother, and followed Jake into the garage.
Aaron pulled into the garage as Cait and Jake walked out. He smiled at the two of them who went to the passenger side. Jake opened the door. "Hey old man, need a hand?"
"Very funny," Dave growled. "If your sister wasn't here, I'd…."
Jake laughed at him. "For a profiler, you miss a few things," he said shaking Dave's hand. "She grew up with four brothers remember? Get her pissed enough, she can swear like a trucker."
"And not repeat a word," Cait smiled, as she reached in to help Dave get his leg swung around to get out of the SUV.
"You know, I can do that," Dave said.
"I know you can," Cait said. "But you're not supposed to. And therein lays the difference that you need to learn for a few days." Jake wrapped his strong arm around Dave's back and gently pulled him out of the seat. He got Dave's left foot to floor of the garage and helped move him away from the car door. Aaron came around the SUV as Jake got Dave settled. Aaron shut the door. "Now, put on arm over both those shoulders and we'll get inside." Dave glared at Cait for a second and then did as he was told. Aaron and Jake got him into the house.
As they came through the kitchen, Maggie greeted Dave. "I'm so glad you're staying here. It gives Cait one less thing to worry about this weekend."
"As opposed to me being a pain in the butt," Dave said.
"Gee, the way Cait talks, I thought that was all the time," Maggie teased. She rubbed Dave's arm. "You look wonderful. I'm glad you're OK. This family needs you." Dave just smiled and Aaron slid out from his arm so Dave could give Maggie a kiss and say hello to Mudg and Beans, standing in front of him with tails wagging a mile a minute. Aaron handed the bag of Dave's meds to Maggie.
"Hey old pal," Dave smiled giving Mudg a good rub. "Missed you too." Mudg melted to his touch. Beans barked at him. "Hey girl, I'm getting to you." Beans got the same treatment as the rest around Dave smiled. He shook Jarrod's hand as he asked, "Where's the boys?"
"They just got done mowing the lawn. They're upstairs playing Grand Theft Auto," Cait said. "And no, you're not joining them. Its nap time for you." Aaron wrapped Dave's left arm back around his shoulder.
"You heard the Doctor."
"I don't need a damn nap."
"In your world maybe," Cait said. "But in my world, just getting around this little bit has taken more out of you than you realize. And I'm the doctor, and you're not. Get going."
"Jake, just get him moving," Aaron smiled. They started to take Dave to the study.
When they were out of ear shot of the kitchen, Dave mumbled under his breath, "I'm in a damn medical dictatorship."
"And the dictator happens to be my wife, so watch it," Aaron warned in a whisper.
Jake, trying to stifle his laughter at the two of them, failed miserably. "You two are worse than me and my brothers." Cait following them into the study, smiled widely.
As they entered, Cait went ahead. "Dave, you do have a choice. If you want to sleep on top of the covers in your clothes, I can put a blanket over you. If you want to crawl in, Aaron can help you out of your running pants and polo." That is what Dave requested to wear home, given Dr. Nickoli's options.
As Dave started to open his mouth to protest his options, a yawn slipped out. Aaron smiled at him and simply said, "Busted."
"Shit," is all Dave said.
Cait smiled at him. "Dave, the recovery process does take some time. But you will make leaps and bounds if you just listen to me. I'm on your team, remember?"
Dave relaxed. "Have I told you lately that I love you more than you deserve?" Cait just shook her head at him as Jake got him set down on the bed.
"Can you two handle arguing with him from here?" Jake smiled. Cait and Aaron just laughed.
"Thanks Jake for the lift," Dave said sincerely.
"Any time Dave; glad I'm around to help," he smiled as he rubbed his shoulder and left the study.
"Can I just lay on the top if you get me out of my shirt," Dave questioned.
"Sure," Cait answered, helping him pull his polo off, and getting his right leg swung up on the bed. Dave scooted his body to get his head on the pillows. Aaron pulled a light weight blanket from the closet shelf and he and Cait got Dave covered. Mudg ambled in to check on his master.
"Dave, do you want us to draw the blinds on the window," Cait asked. The sun moving to the west was shining brightly through the window.
"Yeah," Dave yawned. Cait looked at Aaron and smiled. Aaron drew the blinds, making the study darker. "How do I get you if I need to get up?"
Cait smiled, nodding at Mudg, settling into the carpet next to his bed. "Just send Mudgie out."
Cait poked her head in twenty minutes later. It was tough call as to who was snoring more; Dave or Mudgie. She smiled and pulled the door so it was slightly open, giving Mudgie his chance to get them alerted.
-00CM00-
The family that was gathered enjoyed an hour in the pool. Since Cait had purposely designed the home to have the pool area in the shade of the house partially in the afternoon, it was pleasantly comfortable. Yet, she insisted that everyone wore sunscreen. But the mugginess hung in the air. Jarrod and Maggie floated around on air mattresses, both catching a bit of a nap. Jack and Mike played pool basketball along the shallow end as Cait and Aaron swam lazy laps, helping her stretch her hip and lower back out, which she could always use. Matt and Jake just lazed in the deep end.
A little after two, Cait looked at Aaron. "Who's going to pick up Sean and Leslie?"
Matt smiled. "Me and the bros." Mike happened to see the exchange. He looked at Jack. While Jack, having just completed kindergarten, couldn't sign exact words to Mike, he somehow always got his message across to his brother when his hearing aids were out, mainly just using the short cuts of sign language. And Mike, with his keen ability, could read lips as well. That was Jack's fallback position. They got out and showered off the chlorine. Matt joined them.
The boys dried themselves off with the towels Cait had around the pool, and moved into the laundry room to change back into their underwear and shorts. Jack looked at his brothers. "When do think mom will let me wear boxers like you guys?"
Matt smiled, as he signed for Mike. "Have fun with that one bro." They headed for their rooms to get fully dressed.
As they came back down to tell their parents they were heading for the train station, Mudg appeared out of the study. Matt walked out into the pool area, where Cait and Aaron were now stretched out in the lounge chairs. "Mom, dad; Mudg just walked out of the study."
"Check on Uncle Dave and tell him we'll be right there," Aaron said.
The three boys walked into the study with Mudg on their heels. Beans wasn't far behind. Dave rolled his head to see the boys walking in, as he yawned like someone that took the power nap he needed. "Hi guys." He was answered with a chorus of "Welcome home!" Dave smiled broadly.
Jack jumped onto his bed. "Hi Uncle Dave; feel better?"
"Champ, I feel like a million bucks."
Jack looked at Dave. "Is that good?"
"Yeah champ, that's really good," Dave smiled.
"How'd you sleep Uncle Dave," Mike asked.
"Ya know, for a pullout bed, it's pretty comfortable," Dave answered. "Guess that's why your mom had it special made." The boys smiled. He noticed they were somewhat dressed up for a Friday afternoon. "What's going on?"
"We're heading out to get Sean and Leslie," Mike said.
"Uncle Dave, do you need us to do anything," Matt questioned.
"Ummm," Dave hedged. "I really need to go to the bathroom."
"Where'd mom put the bedpan Mike," Matt asked.
"I don't know bro, maybe the closet shelf" Mike said. Jack giggled, giving the charade up. "Come on Uncle Dave, we'll help you. Mom gave us the lay of land." Between the three of them, with Jack in charge of taking care of Dave's hurt leg getting out of bed, Matt and Mike got him into the kitchen bathroom, as Jack alerted his parents. Matt, holding Dave up on his right side, stood next to him as he used the toilet.
"Just how you wanted to spend a couple of minutes, right?" Dave said as he finished.
Matt looked around to see where Jack was. "If you have to take a dump, call dad. I'll miss that job thank you." Dave just laughed. The boys got him into the great room and Cait helped them settle Dave into the recliner.
Aaron handed him the remote. "Great. The Cubs are on WGN."
"A good New Yorker like you and you let Uncle Willie con you into being a Cubs fan," Aaron laughed.
"He's Uncle Willie from Chicago; what can I say."
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A/N: The Cubs are one of the two professional baseball teams in Chicago. The Cubs play on the north side of Chicago, while the "White Sox", Gideon's favorite baseball team, plays on the south side. While David Rossi, by CM canon is from Long Island in the New York City area, Joe Mantegna is a very proud north side Chicago kid and diehard Cubs fan. In "25 to Life" (S6), as Erin Strauss in talking to Dave in the opening scene of the episode, you can see a Cubs baseball hat in the shelves behind his desk. I felt I needed to explain the continuity error the CM writers missed. Gee, a continuity error by the CM writers. There's a first. ;) WGN is the Chicago "superstation" that is carried by most, if not all, of the American cable and satellite TV networks. They broadcast most of the Cubs baseball games.