Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. I do not own anything you recognize.
Previously on Criminal Minds- Snuggling Spencer into his side, Aaron closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes.
CM
Morgan stepped out of the bathroom, sighing when he caught sight of Rossi leaning against the wall beside the door. "I'm alright, Rossi You can quit with the mother hen routine now." he said as he walked to the bed with the older man right behind him. Taking a seat on top of the blankets, he wasn't the least bit surprised when his friend sat down next to him. Rossi had been his shadow ever since he'd woken up.
Dave eyed the protesting man critically before shaking his head. "I think we'll let Dr. Sawyer be the judge of that." he declared.
"You can't be serious." Derek grumbled, glaring at the senior profiler. "I'm totally fine, man. I don't need to go see anyone."
"I wasn't asking, Morgan." Dave sternly said, crossing his arms.
"Doesn't matter" Derek scoffed. "I said I'm not going and I'm not going!"
"Really?" Rossi questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, really," Morgan replied, employing his best Hotch glare.
Seeing that his fatherly act wasn't getting him anywhere with the younger man, Dave decided to try a different tactic. "Derek, wouldn't it be better to go and make sure there aren't going to be any ill effects before you get home with Spencer rather than something happening to you when you two are home alone tonight?" he softly asked. "Spencer was traumatized enough last night. I don't think he needs to go through that again."
Morgan frowned. "I hadn't thought about that. I guess it would…" he stopped, eyes widening as a thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute! You mean you guys still trust me to take care of Spencer after what happened last night?"
"Of course, why wouldn't we?" Dave questioned. Seeing the guilty expression on Derek's face, he sighed. "What happened last night wasn't your fault, Morgan."
"Wasn't it?" Derek countered. "I'm a seasoned FBI agent. I shouldn't have been duped by some snot nosed kids."
"They may have been kids but they were very bright kids. Putting the drug on the doorknob was an ingenious way to deliver it. I don't think I've ever seen that done before." Rossi said. "It was a smart move though. That's probably the one place we all touch that we never think about. Don't beat yourself up about falling for it. They could have gotten any of us with that little trick."
"I guess so." Derek hesitantly replied with a shrug.
"I know so." Dave stated, smiling as the younger man nodded. He slapped Derek's leg and added, "Now go on and finish getting dressed. We need to get to Aaron's room before he and Spencer leave."
It was Morgan's turn to grin. "Gimme five minutes" he responded.
CM
Hotch rushed to the door as soon as the first knock sounded. Looking through the peephole and seeing his friends, the father swiftly opened the door.
"Shhh" he warned before shuffling over to the couch at the far end of the room. He lowered himself onto the soft cushions and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't want to wake Spencer if I can help it."
"Rough night?" Dave inquired, taking a seat.
"You have no idea." Aaron muttered around a yawn. "I don't think either of us got more than a couple of hours of sleep."
"Nightmares?" Morgan quietly guessed.
Hotch nodded. "He woke up screaming about the attack more times than I care to count. In the dreams the boys either killed you or his shot went wide and hit and killed one of us." He related.
"Great" Dave muttered, running a hand down his face. Spying his friend yawning out of the corner of his eye, the senior agent made an executive decision. "Alright, new plan. Aaron, go back to bed. Morgan and I will take Spencer to his appointment."
"That's not necessary." Aaron protested. "I'm perfectly capable of taking Spencer to the doctor."
"No, you're not." Dave argued, holding up a hand before the younger man could open his mouth to protest. "Aaron, you're exhausted. You driving is not an option and you know it."
"We can…"
"No." Rossi firmly stated. Crossing his arms, he locked glares with Hotch. "Now here's how it's going to go. You are going to plant your butt in that bed and get some sleep while we handle Spencer."
"Now wait just a minute! I refuse…" Hotch cut off as a whimper sounded from the bed.
"I've got him." Morgan said. He stood and hurried over to the bed. Sitting down on the edge, he smiled as Reid's eyes opened to half-mast. "Morning, Pretty Boy" he greeted.
Yawning, Spencer fisted his eyes to clear his blurry vision. Looking up and seeing his best friend's smiling face, the youngster quickly sat up and threw his arms around the older man's neck. "Mowgan! You *yawn* you'we otay!" he sleepily exclaimed.
"Yeah kiddo, I'm just fine." Derek assured the little boy. "Hey, come on Pretty Boy no tears, I'm alright. Nothing bad happened to me."
Hotch filled with pride as he watched Morgan sooth Spencer to sleep. The young man had learned a lot about taking care of a little one in the short time Reid had been a child. He would make a good daddy one day. "If he ever settles down, that is." Aaron thought. Seeing Reid's hands still fisting Morgan's shirt, he realized just how much the night's events were still affecting the toddler. Spencer needed to be close to Derek right now. He needed that reassurance. Knowing what he had to do, the father looked at the man sitting next to him. "Okay Dave, you can take him." he reluctantly agreed.
Seeing how hard this was for his friend, Dave bit back the witty retort he was planning on saying. Instead, he simply said, "Thanks Aaron, we'll take good care of him."
"I know you will." Aaron replied before glancing at the clock on the nightstand. "Better get going or you'll be late."
"Yeah" Dave muttered. "Get some sleep." He instructed, patting the younger man on the back. He then stood and walked over to the bed. "Time to go, Morgan" he whispered.
Derek nodded. He slowly rose and followed Rossi across the room and out the door. The two quickly made their way down the elevator, through the lobby, and out of the hotel. They crossed the parking lot and climbed into their black Durango.
Rossi strapped his seat belt on and started the engine. Putting the gear shift in reverse, he waited for the thunk of the passenger door. When that didn't happen, he glanced in the rearview mirror to find Derek sitting in the middle of the bench seat. Confused Dave spun around. Seeing two skinny arms wrapped tightly around one of Morgan's, the profiler chuckled. "I take it you're riding in the back?" he teased.
"I don't have much choice." Derek answered as he gently rearranged the little boy so his head was leaning on his arm. "I don't think he's planning on letting go anytime soon."
"No, I don't suppose he is." Dave agreed. Turning back around, he backed out of the parking spot. "I have a feeling he's going to be your little shadow for a good while to come."
"He can hang on me all he wants to." Morgan quietly muttered as he rubbed the sleeping toddler's back.
"I hear ya." Dave replied, turning onto the highway.
The rest of the drive was spent in silence. With the almost nonexistent early morning traffic, they were able to make it to the hospital in mere minutes. After parking, the profilers strode across the lot and into the sliding glass doors. Bypassing the emergency room desk, the men continued down the hall and around the corner to the bank of elevators. A slow trip later, Morgan and Rossi stepped out of the metal contraption. They checked the wall signs before heading down the left corridor. About halfway down they finally found the office they were looking for.
Knowing Morgan had his hands full, Rossi softly knocked on the door before opening it a crack and glancing inside. "Knock, knock" he called.
"Morning guys, come on in!" Dr. Sawyer greeted. He closed the book he was reading and slipped on his lab coat. Walking over, he shook both men's hands. "Agent Morgan! Good to see you up and around. Are you doing alright? No dizziness or headaches or anything?"
"No, I'm good." Morgan answered as he followed the physician over to the exam table. He carefully laid his sleeping charge down and reluctantly took a step back. "No problems at all."
"But we'd appreciate it if you took a look at him also." Dave swiftly added.
"You've got it, Boss." Sawyer replied. Pulling an otoscope out of his top pocket, he checked Spencer's ears. "Much better" he announced as he picked up the temporal lobe thermometer. The doctor ran it across his patient's forehead and then glanced at the reading. Nodding, he set the instrument down.
"You need to check his right shoulder and his backside. He bruised them last night during the attack." Rossi instructed.
"Will do." the physician responded, without taking his eyes off his patient. He examined both bruised spots and coated them with Arnica cream. He passed the jar to the two men before depositing his gloves in the trash and turning back to the table. There was one more test he needed to conduct before he delivered his findings. Picking up a tiny hand, Dr. Sawyer gently pushed down on one of the fingernails. Frowning at the result, he turned to the profilers.
"What's wrong?" Dave worriedly questioned.
"Well, his fever's normal and his ear's just a tad red so that's good." Sawyer related as he leaned back against the table. "But he's a little bit dehydrated still. Any idea why?"
"Yeah, Spencer was up every couple of hours with nightmares. Hotch said a few were so bad that he was sick after." Morgan explained.
"That'll do it." the doctor agreed, brushing a stray bang out of the toddler's face.
"How bad is it? He's not going to have to endure another IV, is he?" Dave inquired, suddenly wishing he'd let Aaron bring the toddler. The last thing he wanted to do was hold Spencer down while they stuck him.
"No, he's not that bad off, yet." Sawyer replied. "Just see to it that he drinks a lot of fluids."
"We'll do that." Rossi said. He made a mental note to stop and get some of those Pedialyte drinks and popsicles for the flight home. He'd force the kid to drink them if he had to.
"Is it safe to fly home today or should we wait a few more days?" Morgan queried.
"Little Britches is good to go." The doctor answered. "I don't know about y'all jetting off yet though. I need to take a quick peek at you before I decide."
"That sounded so wrong." Morgan groaned as he obediently climbed up on the end of the table. He sat still through the extremely thorough exam and blood work and then slid off the uncomfortable table. "So, am I fighting fit?" he asked.
"Depends on who you're planning on fighting," Dr. Sawyer joked. Smirking, he said, "You're fine, dude. I'll have the blood work run anyway but I don't foresee it showing anything."
"What about side effects? Is there anything we need to watch for?" Rossi questioned.
"Other than the headache he probably had when he woke up, no" Sawyer replied. "Y'all can fly home with no worries."
"Thanks doc" Derek said, shaking the man's hand. "for everything."
"It was my pleasure." The doctor answered as he put his supplies away. "You take good care of Little Bit now and tell him I said to be good."
"How about you tell him yourself?" Dave offered, stepping up to Spencer's side and placing a hand on the little boy's shoulder.
Dr. Sawyer quickly grabbed the older man's arm. "You don't have to wake him up on my account." He told the profiler.
"Actually, I do. Spencer will be upset if we leave without allowing him to say good bye. He's gotten rather attached to you." Dave countered before turning his attention to Reid. "Spencer, Spencer wake up buddy" he called as he gently shook the toddler's shoulder. He smiled as the boy's forehead scrunched up and his eyes slowly slid open.
"Tiwed" Spencer grumbled around his thumb. The toddler rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. They popped right back open as the sight of the unfamiliar room registered. Tensing, the youngster swiftly sat up and looked around. Seeing only Morgan, Rossi, and the good doctor, he relaxed. "Hi Dw. Sawyew" he timidly greeted before reaching for Morgan.
Morgan scooped the little boy up and ruffled his hair. "It's okay Munchkin. The doc's already checked you out." he assured the toddler. "We woke you up so you could tell Dr. Sawyer goodbye."
Spencer eyed the three men skeptically for a moment. Deciding they were telling the truth, he pulled his thumb out of his mouth and asked, "Awen't you toming wif us?"
Dr. Sawyer smiled. "Sorry, Little Buddy, I've gotta stay here." He regretfully told the youngster.
"But, but what if my eaw tawts huwting again?" Spencer questioned.
"It won't." Sawyer assured the toddler. "But even if it did, your family knows how to take care of it until you land and they can get you to your regular doctor."
"But I don't lite him." Reid protested. "I lite you."
"I know Little Buddy. I like you, too." Sawyer said. "But I just can't go. My home and my job are here." Seeing the toddler starting to tear up, the young man quickly came up with something he hoped would pacify the boy. "I'll tell you what. I've got some vacation days coming in a couple of weeks. How about I come visit you then? Does that sound good?"
"Yes!" Spencer declared, reaching out and giving the doctor a hug.
Grinning from ear to ear, Sawyer snapped his fingers. "Oops! I almost forgot! I've got something for you, champ!" The doctor walked over to the cabinets and pulled out a bag. He hurried back to the table and handed the mini agent the plastic bag. "Here you go, Sport. Something to keep you busy on the plane ride home."
"Fant you" Spencer said, taking the bag. After looking to Rossi for permission, the youngster excitedly reached into the sack and pulled out his first prize; a book. Looking at the picture of the boy painting himself on the cover, he giggled. This was definitely one to read with Garcia. Handing the paperback to Morgan, Reid reached into the bag again. Bringing out a big pad of paper with an attached paint set, the little boy squealed in delight.
"A paint set, wonderful" Dave groused, thinking of the mess the kid was sure to make.
"Don't worry Pops. This is that new fangled paint set. The paint is already in the brushes and they only make marks on that paper." Sawyer explained. "So he can have all of the fun and none of the mess." Gazing down at the excited toddler, he said, "I think you missed something, Sport."
Grinning, Spencer hurriedly handed off the paint set, dug into the bag, and pulled out his last prize, a bouquet of Tootsie Roll pops. "Fant you! Fant you!" he hollered, reaching for the doctor.
A surprised Sawyer took the toddler from Morgan. Feeling tiny arms wrap around his neck, he hugged the little boy to his chest. "You're welcome, Little Buddy" he whispered.
Smiling, Rossi glanced down at his watch. He sighed as he noted how late it was. "Spencer, we need to be going, buddy. Dr. Sawyer has to start his rounds soon and I'm sure he'd like a few minutes peace before he does." Dave told the youngster as he walked over to the two.
"Otay" Spencer said. He reluctantly released his grip and went to his surrogate grandfather.
"Thank you for all your help, Dr. Sawyer. If you ever decide you want a change in scenery, let me know. I'll be more than happy to help you." Rossi informed the younger man.
"I'll keep that in mind." Sawyer answered, patting the profiler on the back. He walked his visitors to the door and stopped. "Y'all take care of Little Bit for me. And make sure you stop by the nurse's desk on the way out. Nurse Julie will have a special treat for the kid if he tells her he was a good boy for me."
"We'll do that." Morgan agreed, shaking the doctor's hand. "See you later, man."
"Go on, get outta here." Sawyer playfully said. "Go get the young'uns treat before he starves to death."
"On our way" Dave replied. "Thanks again for everything."
Dr. Sawyer watched the profilers walk down the hall and then turned and went back into his office. "It's gonna be awfully boring from now on." He muttered before shutting the door.
CM
Rossi stepped up to the nurse's desk and looked at the huddle of nurses standing around the small desk containing the patients' files. "Go ahead, kiddo" he coaxed.
"Nuwse Julie, Dw. Sawyew said I was a good boy." Spencer recited with a hopeful smile.
"Oh, he did, did he?" Nurse Hilda snarled as she spun around, glaring at the toddler.
Spencer shrank back against Rossi. "You, you'we not Nuwse Julie." He stammered.
"You're not Nurse Julie." The hateful woman mimicked. "Perceptive little thing, aren't you?"
"Listen lady!" Morgan growled.
"No, you listen." The nurse interrupted. "I remember you. You're that family that Dr. Sawyer's so taken with. That man's bad enough. He doesn't need…"
"Nurse Hilda! Cease and desist this instant!" a stern looking elderly nurse commanded. Hands on her hips, the petite, grey haired woman rounded on the cross nurse. "You do not speak to our patients and their families that way! We are here to provide comfort, not sarcasm."
"I won't be…"
"Silence! You are off duty, effective immediately! Go to the lounge and wait for me there!" the head nurse ordered, pointing towards the opposite hallway. When Nurse Hilda remained where she was, the tiny nurse yelled, "NOW!" The nurse tapped her foot impatiently until the scolded nurse scurried out of sight and then turned and stepped over to face the profilers. "I apologize for Nurse Hilda's behavior. She evidently has some problems with Dr. Sawyer that I didn't know about. Rest assured I will get to the bottom of it though. I'll be talking with her about her attitude also."
"That's a good idea." Dave weighed in. "Now if you'll excuse us, I think we'll be going now."
"Wait, you can't leave without your precious little boy's treat." The nurse called. She hurried into the room behind the desk. After retrieving the treat from the fridge, she rushed back to the agents. "Here you go, Little One" she said, cutting the top off the popsicle before handing it to the toddler.
"Fant you" Spencer answered. He popped his thumb out of his mouth, replacing it with the icy treat.
"Nurse Julie, I take it?" Dave guessed.
The nurse nodded. "Nice to meet you, sir." She greeted with a smile.
"It's nice to meet you, too ma'am." Dave echoed. "And thanks for saving us from Nurse Hilda. My grandson is nervous enough about doctor visits. He didn't need her scaring the fool out of him."
"I understand sir. I will be having a talk with her about that." Nurse Julie replied.
"Thank you" Dave said, smiling as Spencer laid his head on his shoulder. "We've got to be going now. It was nice meeting you."
"You gentlemen have a good day." The nurse answered. She waved at the family as they headed down the hall to the elevators. Seeing the men step into the lift, she turned with a sigh. It was time to deal with her hateful colleague.
CM
Rossi and Morgan got off the elevator at the lobby. Stopping in front of the small gift shop, the senior agent turned to his friend. "Here Morgan" he said, handing Spencer to the younger man. "Why don't you two go check out the gift shop for a few minutes?"
"Okay" Morgan agreed. "And what are you going to be doing?"
Dave smirked. "I'm going to have a little talk with the Chief of Staff."
Derek returned the grin. "Call me if you need back up. I'd be more than happy to let him know what I think."
"I'll remember that." Rossi replied. Hearing Spencer's stomach growl, he chuckled. "Sounds like you'd better bypass the gift shop and take him straight to the cafeteria instead."
Morgan nodded. "Come on Pretty Boy, let's go get you something to eat." He said. Turning to the older man, he whispered, "Give'em Hell Rossi!"
Dave rolled his eyes. "Go get the kid something to eat." He playfully huffed, swatting the younger man on the arm.
"We'll save you a seat." Morgan said before turning and walking across the lobby towards the sign announcing the cafeteria.
Sighing, Rossi started for the main desk. He had a VIP to see.
CM
Hotch looked up as his door opened and Spencer raced in followed by Rossi and Morgan. "What took you so long?" he worriedly asked as he gave the toddler a quick hug. "Is something wrong with Spencer?"
"Relax Aaron, Spencer's fine" Dave assured his friend. "We stopped by the breakfast nook downstairs to get Spencer some breakfast."
"Did you give him his antibiotic?" Hotch questioned, smiling as the toddler ran around him and jumped onto the couch.
"Yes mom" Morgan teased, ruffling Reid's hair as he dashed past.
Aaron nodded. "So, it's safe for us to fly home today?" he queried, frowning as Spencer rushed past him again.
"It is." Dave answered. "I already called the jet. We board at noon."
"Okay" Aaron said, eyeing Reid suspiciously. "Dave, what did you feed Spencer?"
"He ate that Puffs cereal he likes so much." Rossi responded. "Why?"
"Is that all?" Hotch prodded.
"No, I let him have a candy bar while we were at the hospital." Morgan replied. Seeing Hotch's glare turn on him, he quickly added, "I took him by the cafeteria to get something to eat but nothing looked even vaguely appetizing. And with his queasy stomach I didn't want to give him anything that might make him sick again. So I got him a candy bar from the gift shop to tide him over until we got back here."
"Great" Aaron huffed, dropping into a chair.
"What? What is it?" Morgan questioned, wanting to know what had his boss so worried.
Aaron took a moment to get himself together before staring up at the confused man. "Derek, have you ever heard of a sugar high?" he asked.
"Yeah, why?" Morgan inquired.
"Oh no! You mean that's why Spencer's going full blast?" Dave queried, glancing worriedly at the youngster.
"Yes, Spencer's going to make the Energizer bunny look like a turtle the next few hours." Aaron related to the horrified men. Catching Morgan's eye, he smirked. "Good luck, Morgan"
"Good luck! What do you mean good luck?" Morgan asked, hoping the answer wouldn't be what he thought it was. His hopes were dashed when Hotch called Spencer over.
"Yes siw" Spencer said as he fidgeted from foot to foot.
"How would you like to go to Morgan's room to play until its time to go to the airport?" Aaron questioned.
"Tool!" Spencer hollered, jumping up and down. "Fants, Hotch" The toddler hugged Aaron and then raced over to his best friend who was looking rather pale. Grabbing the man's hand, he started pulling him towards the door.
Dave hurried over to the door, holding it open for the dynamic duo. "Have fun, Morgan!" he called as the man trudged past him with an overexcited Spencer dancing around him. Shutting the door, he burst out laughing. He couldn't wait to see what kind of shape the young man would be in after a few hours of dealing with Reid on a sugar rush.