1987

When Shawn walks into the house after getting home from school, Henry immediately knows that something's amiss. He's a father. He notices when Shawn is feeling under the weather.

For example, Shawn doesn't ask if he can go hang out with Gus or if Gus can come over. His face is pale, and he shivers randomly. Shawn looks at the program that's on TV (a show called M*A*S*H; Henry loves it, Shawn could do without it) and doesn't ask if Henry will change it. He doesn't even stop by the kitchen for an after-school snack.

Shawn must be dying, Henry concludes.

"Shawn?" Henry calls to Shawn's retreating back.

Shawn stops, his hand on the stair railing. "Yeah, Dad?"

"Where are you going?"

Shawn looks over his shoulder at his dad, his brow slightly furrowed, causing him to look a little pouty. "I'm going to my room. Is that a bad thing?"

Henry scratches his head. "No. No, son, that's fine. Are you feeling alright?"

Shawn swallows and nods his head furiously. "Yeah, I- I feel great, Dad. Just fine. Perfect, actually."

Henry smiles bemusedly. "Try again."

Shawn sighs heavily. "I'm a little tired. I think I'm going to take a nap."

He's taking a nap? Should I call the hospital? Henry nods slowly. "Alright, come get me when you're ready for dinner. I'll make you some soup."

Shawn gives him a thumbs-up and treks up the stairs. Henry glances at the landline and considers calling Maddy's hotel in Dallas and telling her that Shawn is feeling so under the weather. She'd cancel her conference and get on a plane immediately if he did. He shrugs it off; it's nothing he can't handle.

Besides, he really wants to watch this episode of M*A*S*H. Apparently, it's the one where Margaret and Hawkeye hook up.

Three hours later, Shawn hasn't come to get him. Henry changed the channel an hour and a half ago, and he's been listening for any retching, flushing toilets, or coughing from upstairs, but there's nothing. He's starting to worry, so he gets up from the couch and heads to Shawn's room.

Shawn's door is closed, and Henry stops for a moment to look at the artwork that Maddy taped onto his door years ago. Henry's favorite is Shawn's drawing of two cops – one is Henry, and the other is Shawn, and they're working a case together.

Henry stares at it for a moment and then lifts his fist to knock on Shawn's door. When he hears no response, he quietly cracks it open and peeks into Shawn's room.

Shawn is tangled all up in his sheets. His face is practically white, and his hair sticks to his forehead. He clutches his sheets in both of his fists, and he still shivers. Henry barely sets foot into the room when Shawn's back arches and he starts hacking.

Henry sits by Shawn's side and lifts Shawn up a little bit so that he can breathe easier. Shawn looks at him through bleary eyes. "Dad?" he croaks.

Henry pushes Shawn's hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, it's me, buddy."

Shawn smacks his tongue. "I feel awful." His voice is hoarse.

Henry presses the back of his hand to Shawn's forehead. "Jesus, Shawn, you're burning up." He strips the covers off of Shawn. "Stay here, and don't pull the sheets back up. I'll be right back in just a minute." He hurries to the bathroom and gets the thermometer, a washcloth, and a bowl that Maddy keeps underneath the sink. He returns to Shawn's room in exactly 45 seconds. "Here," he says, shaking the thermometer, "open your mouth."

Shawn does and lets his father stick the thermometer under his tongue.

Henry looks down at his watch and waits a full minute, and then he pulls out the thermometer. He lets out a low whistle. "102.4." He wrings out the cold water from the washcloth. "Why'd you go to school when you felt that sick?"

Shawn sighs in relief as soon as Henry lays the washcloth on his forehead. "You wouldn't let me stay home, remember? The rule is I have to have a 100 degree fever before I go to school. You took my temperature and I just had a 99 degree fever."

Henry purses his lips. He and Maddy might have to consider changing that rule. "Alright, well, you and I will get through this. Do you want something to eat?"

Shawn blanches. "Just thinking of eating makes me want to puke."

Henry smiles tiredly and removes the washcloth from Shawn's forehead. "Well, you need to eat something, son." He sighs. "Get into your pajamas and come downstairs. We can watch whatever you want."

Shawn perks up. "Really?" When Henry nods, he painstakingly swings his legs over the side of his bed. "Okay."

Henry stops him. "On one condition," he says, holding up his index finger.

Shawn's shoulders sag. "What is it?" he mumbles.

"You eat something. Just some soup, I promise. Nothing that your mother wouldn't eat."

Shawn purses his lips and considers the offer. "That's fair."

Henry smiles and gently pushes Shawn towards his bathroom. "Alright, get on it, squirt. I'm going to go make your soup."

Shawn's favorite movie is Back to the Future. When he comes downstairs, Henry has the soup on the stove and Shawn wiggles his way under his father's arm, and Henry has to resist smiling.

"Let me guess," he says, stirring the soup with his free hand. "Star Wars?"

Shawn giggles and shakes his head triumphantly. "Nope! Guess again."

"Hmmm." Henry examines the soup and decides it'll be fine to leave for a minute or two. He turns and heads to the fridge, Shawn still huddled under his arm. "Is it Fox and the Hound?"

Shawn briefly pauses to consider the proposition, but shakes his head again. "Nope. One more guess."

Henry opens the fridge, leans down, and pulls out two cans of Sprite. He passes one to Shawn and opens the other. "Let's see," he says, guiding Shawn to the couch. He waits until Shawn plops down on the couch and then trades sodas with him. "It has to be Back to the Future. That's it, isn't it?"

Shawn grins. "You knew all along."

Henry winks. "'Course I did. It's your favorite movie." He nods to the VCR. "You get it running, and I'll get your dinner."

Six minutes into the movie, Henry brings Shawn his soup and Shawn eats it slowly and carefully, taking a sip of Sprite whenever he feels like he's about to throw up.

Thirty minutes into the movie, Shawn falls asleep on Henry's shoulder, and Henry looks down, smiles, takes a drink of Sprite, and keeps watching his son's favorite movie.