A/N: Time's been flying by for the past few chapters but I'm slowing it right down. This is 1-2 weeks after chapter 17.

"Okay, seriously McNally?" Gail looked around the waiting room from her left to her right before glaring at Andy. "People are staring," Gail hissed through gritted teeth. Andy continued to bounce the one year old on her hip in an effort to quell his cries, to no avail. Gail was right. People were starting to stare. When they first got to the crowded emergency room waiting area people seemed mildly intrigued by the two young female police officers and the crying infant. He was a cute kid after all; tight blonde curls, dimples, and blue eyes that got even bluer the more bloodshot his eyes became. He was wearing just a diaper and a pair of shorts. It was an unusually hot day for late June; by far the hottest it had been in the city since the previous summer. They even said that it might be a record setter. The waiting room was crowded when they got there and had been filling up even more in the ten minutes since they'd arrived. Gail had gotten good at blocking out aggravating sounds over the years; she'd had good practice listening to her mother. It wasn't so much the crying that bothered Gail, it was the staring. They must have looked like utter fools. Half the people in there were probably just feeling ill because they didn't have the sense to drink a cool glass of water. Who were they to judge, Gail groaned internally.

"Gail, I am trying," Andy whispered back bouncing from one foot to the other.

"Give 'em to me," Gail conceded, extricating the now wailing child from Andy's embrace.

Gail tried her best to calm the distressed child but made no progress. 'I am NOT a babysitter!' she screamed internally, bouncing around, avoiding the gaze of the onlookers.

"Holly, hey!" Gail heard Andy call from behind her.

"Hey Andy," Holly greeted cheerily.

Gail whipped around surprised, "what are you doing here?" Another witness to their misfortune and ineptitude, excellent.

"Good to see you too," Holly chastised jokingly, "I'm meeting my dad for lunch."

"Oh," that explanation would pass.

"Who's your friend?" Holly smiled.

"Come on Hol, you've met McNally like seventy-five times," Gail joked. Four eyes rolled in their sockets.

"I meant this little guy," Holly smiled and leaned down to take the baby's hand and look him in the eyes.

"Prince Cries-A-Lot," Gail deadpanned. It wasn't even one in the afternoon and she was so done with this day, with this itchy uniform, with long sleeves, and with shoes.

"We brought his mom in for an overdose. We're waiting for him to get checked out and for someone from child services to get here," Andy explained, "and he hasn't stopped crying since the ambulance."

"Can I try?" Holly asked Gail. Gail wondered if she was deaf but eagerly handed off the infant. Holly rested him on her hip, brought her face to his eye level and made cooing sounds. She was wearing one of the biggest smiles Gail had ever seen. The boy slowly started to quiet down, but he was still far from silent. Holly used one hand to anchor him on her hip and the other to casually feel around the boy's back, chest, and head. "Was it Meth?"

Gail and Andy looked at each other and then both answered, "probably."

"Yeah," Holly sighed sadly, "I can smell it on him," she leaned forward and looked into his mouth. Holly turned back to Gail, "take him for a second? I'll be right back."

Gail and Andy watched Holly breeze past them into the heart of the Emergency Room.

The boy's cries immediately started to gain force again, "she better be coming back soon," Andy sighed.

Every eye was on the two Coppers when Holly returned a few minutes later. She was carrying a plastic cup in her left hand and she had her fore and middle finger submerged in the water.

"Hold that for a sec?" Holly passed the cup off to Andy and took the boy from Gail. His cries became less urgent as soon as soon as he was back in Holly's arms.

"I think he likes you," Andy commented with a smile, glad that he was at least quieting down somewhat.

"Well I like him," Holly smiled at the infant as she shifted him onto her right hip. She returned he fingers to the cup that Andy held out for her. It was mostly ice, filled in with cold water.

"What are you doing?" Gail asked skeptically.

"He's teething," Holly answered, removing her fingers from the cup and slipping them into the little boys mouth. She gently massaged his gums with her icy fingers as he began to suck gently on them. After a few moments he began to calm considerably, obviously still in distress but momentarily content.

"I hope you washed your hands," Gail smirked and raised an eyebrow which earned her a halfhearted nudge from McNally.

"Of course I washed my hands," Holly chose to ignore Gail's double meaning. The once screaming infant was now nestled comfortably in Holly's arms, his head resting on her collarbone and neck, while gripping her shirt with his right hand.

"Sorry I'm late, you ready?" Holly's dad approached her through the automatic Emergency Room doors not yet noticing her company, "Oh! Afternoon Officers," he greeted Gail and Andy with a smile. He was still dressed in scrubs but had left his white coat behind.

"Dr. Stewart, this is my partner, Andy McNally. Andy this is Dr. Stewart; Holly's dad."

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Stewart," Andy smiled as she shook his proffered hand. Such a suck up, Gail forced herself not to roll her eyes.

"Oh please, it's Geoff," he smiled wide and placed his hands on hips. "Who's this little guy?" He placed his hand on the infants back and tried to get a look at his face.

"We brought his mom in for an overdose. We're waiting with him until we can get him seen and someone from child services shows up. It's pretty packed today" Gail sighed and looked around the waiting room. Her and McNally's complete lack of grace with the child was embarrassing, but she hated seeing kids in trouble. It wasn't their fault. Holly was right; you could smell Meth on him. He was probably going through withdrawal and he can't even talk yet.

"How long have you been waiting?" Geoff looked at his watch as did Andy.

"Twenty minutes?" She answered.

"That's quite a long time," he said to the little boy, "let me go see who's on call for PEDs,"

"Thanks dad," Holly smiled as he walked back through the automatic doors.

"Your dad's a doctor here?" Andy asked.

"Yup," Holly swayed back and forth with the little boy.

"He's a pediatric surgeon," Gail corrected, hoping he might be able to get the boy some help.

"Fancy," Andy smiled, impressed.

"I guess, in a world in which getting blood on you is fancy," Holly joked. She felt the boys bum and then scrunched up her face, "guys, I think someone here needs a change."

"McNally, I'm done changing your diapers," Gail deadpanned.

"Har har. Very funny Gail," Andy made an unimpressed face at her as Holly's dad walked back out through the automatic doors.

"I talked to Richards, she's on call for PEDs, and she's gonna take a look at him as soon as she finishes up with her patient. Should be about five more minutes. I should have a free hour when I get back so I'll try and swing by then," he said with a smile. "Hungry?" He looked over at Holly.

"Starving!" Holly passed the boy back to Gail.

"Wait," Gail looked down at the baby and back up at Holly, "I thought you said he needed a change?"

"Good memory!" Holly smiled, "can I bring anything back for you guys?" She asked as she turned to leave.

"A six pack?"

Andy glared at Gail, "we're good thanks. Nice to meet you," Andy smiled at Holly's dad. Gail and Andy watched the Stewarts as they walked out the doors. "Well that was lucky," Andy commented.

"Something like that," Gail returned her gaze to the little boy who had started to fuss again.

"So...do you wanna rocks, paper, scissor?" Andy asked with a slight cringe.

"Hell no," Gail dismissed, "we're gonna wait for the nurse and plead ignorance."

A/N: Stretch your legs because you're going to need to buckle your seat belts next chapter.

P.S. I love you all