CHAPTER 2
10:30 pm
The Cabin
"Cait, you may be right. If he isn't better by morning we might need to take him to the doctor." Much as he hated to say it, Chance was sick. Really sick.
The lethargic toddler just laid on the sofa, head against him, showing no interest in the food he typically liked to play in, or in anything for that matter. He wouldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and had spent most of the night awake fussing the last couple days and still didn't seem any better.
"Go ahead to bed, Cait. I'll stay up with him."
"No, you stayed up last night, it's my turn."
Her husband shook his head silently. "You're tired, I'll be alright. Besides, if I moved now I'd disturb him, and I think he might finally be getting a little bit of rest."
How could she argue with that? She was exhausted, and she knew it showed, and he did look to be sleeping a little more peacefully now. Hawke would probably fall asleep before too long anyway and just sleep there for the night. "Alright," she conceded at last. "Do you want me to get you anything before I go up?"
"Nah, just leave the kitchen light on if you don't mind and I should be good."
"Fair enough." She leaned over to give him a brief kiss before going up stairs. " `Night."
"Goodnight Cait."
\A/
Stroking soft blond locks of baby fine hair, Hawke listened to the constant ticking of the clock on the mantle and watched the rising and falling of the toddler's chest nearly perfect in rhythm with it. Almost two hours, he thought to himself, that was a new record for how long he'd slept straight through the most he'd slept since he had gotten sick, maybe things weren't quite as bad as they seemed. Shifting, Chance rolled over toward the edge of the sofa, resting still for a moment, then he sat up, coughing and rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Daddy?"
"Shh… Daddy's here, daddy's here."
"Thirsty."
He handed him the sippy cup off the table which Chance took readily but then shook up and down. "Empty."
"Want some more?"
"More pease," Chance requested.
"You hold tight a minute and I'll get you some more."
"No leave, Daddy," he coughed again then held out his arms.
Hawke picked him up and carried him to the kitchen, setting him on the counter and pouring another cup of juice then handing it back to him. "Good now?"
He nodded.
String picked him up once more and carried him back to the living room, settling him on the sofa again. "Get some sleep, buddy."
\A/
8:00 am
The Following Morning
The Cabin
Caitlin pulled on her shirt and continued down the stairs, seeing Hawke lounged across the couch, Chance laying against his chest.
"Hey sleepy head," Caitlin greeted, laying a hand on his shoulder, "sleep well?"
"Not too badly." He offered her a slight smile. "I think Chance was feeling a bit better too."
"That's good. Still planning on taking him to the doctor?"
"Yeah, I guess I should."
"I'll take him then while you go get ready."
"Let him sleep a few more minutes; it was pretty late by the time we actually fell asleep."
"Ok, in that case, I'll work on breakfast and come for him a little later."
\A/
8:15 am
Saint John's Apartment
Saint John, still dressed in only pajama bottoms, pulled the front door open, sleepily greeting his unexpected visitor.
"Mike? So you do occasionally get up before four in the afternoon. This is news to me."
"Only on special occasions," he grinned wryly, "unfortunately none of my commanding officers seem inclined that way, but seriously, this has to be a short visit. I just thought I'd say goodbye before I leave."
"When are you coming back, and do you have any rabid animals that might attack me anytime I decide to come over and make myself at home?"
"It wasn't rabid. I don't think it was anyway. And that was my neighbor's dog I was just watching for the week. I wouldn't suggest you making yourself at home though, have a feeling the landlord wouldn't appreciate that much."
"Well I don't think Ms. Witherspoon or whatever her name was like either of us much anyway, and eve less so when we were together."
"Then you don't have a whole lot of reason for going over there then. I'm leaving for good, at the very least a while. I've been reassigned overseas to the base in Afghanistan, leaving in a couple hours."
"I wish you the best. Anything I can do to help?"
Not unless you can have the president change my orders. I'm told these came from the top so there's no getting out of it this time."
\A/
8:45 am
The Cabin
"Cait, forget breakfast, get the chopper started!"
"What's-"
"Just do it now!"
He picked up the heaving toddler and carried him out to the waiting helicopter on the dock, climbing into the back.
"Fly towards Foxridge," he instructed as he tried to settle the child. "And get them on the radio."
"Foxridge Medical Center," the voice over the radio crackled a moment later.
"This is Stringfellow Hawke. I'm bringing in a three and a half year olf child by helicopter. He's been running a fever the last couple days that suddenly spiked; he's throwing up and shaking pretty badly, breathing quick and shallow…."