Safe and Sound
Trent was correct that once he got Clay settled and tucked into bed, the kid slept soundly for the next twenty-four hours. Trent got him semi-conscious and on his feet every eight hours so that he could take his meds, use the bathroom, and swallow a big glass of water and some crackers or toast before getting his temp checked and crawling back under the covers in Uncle Trent's spare room for another long, much needed rest.
The next morning at just after 9:30, Clay woke on his own and ran past Trent and Brock who were enjoying scrambled eggs and bacon at the kitchen table. Brock raised his eyebrows at Trent and shrugged at the sudden, unexpected appearance of Bravo's youngest who hadn't moved a muscle without being forced for an entire day and night.
Trent stood, wiping his mouth with a napkin before following the kid down the hall to the bathroom to confirm he wasn't about to vomit. Leaning in the doorway with his arms folded, Trent watched amused as Clay hopped around, scrambling to undo the tie holding up his sleep pants. Thankfully, he got them undone just in time to release an almost two minute long, strong, steady stream of nearly clear urine into the toilet.
The kid moaned in obvious relief, leaning forward to steady himself with his flat palm against the wall behind the toilet. When he was finally empty, Clay fixed his pants and turned to flop down on the seat of the toilet, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands.
"It has never felt so good to pee in my entire life," he sighed, turning his head to look up at his favorite uncle. He smiled happily up at Trent who was shaking his head. "And it didn't burn."
"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself," Trent dead-panned. "Do you need some time alone?"
Clay stood up slowly, grabbing hold of the sink when he felt dizzy.
"Woah," he said, looking back up at Trent confused. "I think I'm a little wobbly."
"Yeah," Trent said, coming over to steady his boy and get him re-seated on the toilet. "You might want to slow down there a little Speedy. You've been sleeping for over twenty-four hours, so it's going to take a few minutes to get your land legs back."
"What day is it?" Clay asked, confused. "I slept a whole day?"
"Sure did," Trent smiled. The medic reached out to feel the kid's forehead and cheeks. "How are you feeling? You're still running a little bit of a fever, so let's not start doing laps around the house just yet."
"I don't know," Clay said. "Everything's kind of mixed up. But I feel okay, I guess. How did I get here? I thought I was staying with Sonny. Is your dad okay? I'm starving Trent. Is Brock eating bacon? Can I have some? What day is it?"
"Well," Brock laughed, eating a piece of bacon and taking his big brother's place in the doorway. "Someone is rebooting. And he's clearly recovered his power of speech."
"You think?" Trent said, sarcastically.
"It's Wednesday, Squirt," Brock said. "There's bacon in the kitchen. And if you turn up the puppy eyes, maybe Trent will make us some more. Or better yet, maybe he'll pop open the tube of cinnamon rolls he's hiding in the vegetable drawer."
"Will you Trent?" Clay asked. "Please, can we have more bacon and cinnamon rolls? I'm starving."
Trent rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Derrick and Metal are one hundred percent right about you two con-artists," he said, turning to look at Brock.
"How about you stand here and supervise?" Trent said. "Make sure your little brother doesn't faceplant into the porcelain. Help him get showered and into some clean pajamas. Then make sure he brushes his teeth and see if he needs to use the bathroom before you come back out to the table."
"And then can I eat, Trent?" Clay asked. "I'm starving."
"So I've heard," Trent said. "Behave and let Brock help you get cleaned up. And your favorite uncle will work on frying up some more bacon."
"And cinnamon rolls?" Clay asked, hopefully.
"Yes, Shorty," Trent said patiently. "And cinnamon rolls. Because a little bird told me you are starving."
"We love you, Uncle Trent," they chorused in unison, laughing.
"You should love me," Trent grumbled, shaking his head and walking back out to the kitchen. "Both of you."
After breakfast, Trent got Clay medicated and settled on the couch. He vetoed Brock going to pick-up his PlayStation since technically Clay was still grounded.
"And since I heard that Jason was barely out the door before Sonny had to punish you for going full brat on him, and you followed that up with an Oscar worthy performance guilting him into letting you dodge the medicine you clearly needed at the infirmary," Trent scolded him, "You have zero ground to to stand on arguing that you deserve to be playing video games all day."
"Come on, Trent," Brock argued when Clay keyed up the sad face. "Sonny already spanked him for being a brat. And it seems like he suffered plenty for skipping out on the shots. I mean, he ended up getting them anyway, and he got even sicker from the first medicine they gave him."
"And Sonny said it was all his fault because Jason trusted him and he was the adult in charge," Clay added. "He said I'm a kid and he should have forced me to take the shots like you would have done if you were there."
"Sonny did say that," Brock backed up the kid.
"Don't argue with me," Trent said, busting out the dad voice and staring them both down. "I already said it's not happening. And Clay, it's not your place young man to judge what Sonny should or should not have done. He's an adult. You are not. And the fact that he allowed you to play him because he loves you so much, and can't stand to see you upset, doesn't excuse that you used his big heart against him when you are plenty old enough to know what you did was wrong."
When Clay looked back at him like a kicked puppy, Trent knew he had made his point. He turned the scolding on his other kid.
"And you are supposed to be a role model," Trent said, pointing at Brock. "You should know better than trying to excuse his behavior or help him weasel out of punishment. At home you may have been the baby who was used to being looked after and getting away with nonsense, but here now, in this family, you are his big brother. Would your big brother back at home encourage or excuse your bad behavior?"
"No sir," Brock said, softly. He looked down, knowing Trent was right. And Jason would have blown his stack if he'd heard him trying to argue the kid out of a grounding the boss had given him.
Trent could see that both of his boys were suitably chastised. He was well aware that they adored and hated to disappoint him. Trent didn't enjoy having to get tough with his babies, but he could see for the first time how Bravo's boys who were so much younger than the other grown men on the team were gradually starting to team up in behavior that was skirting unacceptable.
Jason was continually busy and hadn't seemed to notice. But Trent missed nothing when it came to the health and general well-being of his kids. He had taken them on as his own, and he knew this sneaky, irresponsible nonsense needed to be nipped in the bud before it got out of hand and they found themselves in real trouble.
The senior members of Bravo understood from the beginning that Brock was very young, and allowances needed to be made for his age and level of experience. And Clay was literally still a child who required a whole different level of care and supervision.
If they were typical young recruits, living in the dorm and working with computers or mechanics on vehicles or doing base security, getting into and out of immature scrapes and close calls or making irresponsible choices like all kids do would not be a major problem. But Bravo knew that Brock and Clay were tier-one operators doing a dangerous, stressful and very adult job.
Their actions and decisions in the field were life and death for themselves and their brothers. The older men, particularly Jason as team leader and Trent as medic and team caregiver, were not going to put up with any behavior off duty that might unintentionally spill over into the field. It was a big part of the reason why they immediately brought the hammer down on Clay's teenage nonsense as soon as he stepped out of line.
And Trent could see that some tough love was going to be required to keep Bravo's two youngest walking the straight and narrow.
"Do you want me to go?" Brock asked, hesitantly. He knew Trent was right, and he was ashamed to have let him down.
Clay looked up at his favorite uncle pitifully at Brock's suggestion that maybe he should be sent away.
Trent took a breath, remembering that he was the mature adult in the room, and not about to lose his cool with two kids.
"No, son," he said, making and holding eye contact. "I do not want you to go anywhere. I've promised you on multiple occasions that my home is yours, and you are welcome here anytime day or night."
"I'm sorry, Trent," Brock said, sincerely. "I need to do better."
Clay sat quietly, drinking the juice Trent had given him. He wasn't sure exactly what was happening or why Trent was upset. But he did know that he could count on the medic not to lose his temper or get mad at him, and for some reason Trent had come close to losing his temper with Brock. The kid decided he should most definitely keep his mouth shut before he got his big brother in trouble or his own butt smacked. So Clay stayed still and waited for Trent to tell him what to do next.
"You do fine, Brock," Trent said calmly. "And I don't want you to be sorry. I want you to use your head. Remember that you have kids like this one and your wife's little brother who have their eyes on you at all times. I understand that's not a role you are accustomed to having, but you have it now. If Jason didn't trust that you could handle the responsibility, he wouldn't have put you in that position. And I am one hundred percent confident in you, and I have your back always. You hear what I'm saying?"
"Yes, Trent," Brock said sincerely. "You are right. I understand, and I won't let you or the boss down."
"You could never let me down," Trent said firmly. "But recently, you have flirted with annoying me, which I promise you is a big mistake."
"Yes, sir," Brock said. "Copy that."
Since the boss had confiscated Clay's phone before he left, and electronics were off limits while he was grounded, Trent knew that the kid needed something to keep him busy while he was awake or he would be climbing the walls and driving him crazy. The medic dug out an old Scrabble board game his second wife had left behind when she made her exit from his life. Trent taught Brock and Clay who were both smart as hell and intrigued by the board game they had seen online but never played old school.
Since it was the middle of the week, Katie was working and wouldn't be home until later on in the afternoon. That had prompted a bored Brock to show up at Trent's house looking for breakfast and to see how his little brother was doing. While Trent read the morning paper front to back and worked on fixing the sliding glass door that led to his deck, his boys spent the next several hours at his kitchen table engrossed in a highly competitive game of Scrabble.
Jason had called to check on Clay and get an update from Trent about what was happening in his absence.
"The kid is looking a lot better today," Trent reported. "The fever is still hanging on, which means the infection isn't near kicked yet, so I'm putting him down for a nap after lunch and his midday meds. He'll likely whine and fuss for a few minutes, but once he's asleep, he'll sleep all afternoon which is what he needs."
"I'm sorry you had to cut your trip short, brother," Jason said, sincerely. "If he's driving you crazy, don't feel like you need to stick to the grounding. Stick him in front of the computer or PlayStation and give yourself a much deserved break."
Trent chuckled lightly. "We're fine, Jase," he said. "Don't worry about the kid or me coming back early. I wouldn't have left if my parents needed me. The old coot did much better than expected, and they have several of my sisters and brothers still there in town to help if needed."
"Still," Jason said. "You rarely get to spend time with your family. I know how much you love Clay and how he depends on you, and I truly could not handle Bravo and that kid without you."
"Well, Boss," Trent reported. "Right now he's with Brock in my kitchen playing Scrabble. They've been going all morning since I shut down their plan to dodge the electronics ban and hook up Brock's PlayStation."
"The video game junkies have been playing Scrabble all morning?" Jason asked surprised. "Like actual Scrabble with the little wooden squares? Not online Scrabble."
"Yep," Trent laughed, texting him a picture of Bravo's Five and Six at the table engrossed in their game. "It's like 1975 up in here. And I haven't heard any whining or complaining about being on lockdown. I'm saving Monopoly for tomorrow morning when I fully expect Brock will be back looking like a lost lamb without work or Katie to keep him busy."
"Did Sonny tell you that I'm taking you all out Saturday?" Jason said.
"He sure did," Trent said. "He and Derrick are looking forward to a kid-free night out with the grown-ups."
"Sonny sounded like he'd been paroled from Attica when I called yesterday morning to check on how he and Clay were doing," Jason laughed. "Derrick said the kid put him through the ringer."
"He was definitely looking spent when I showed up to take Trouble off his hands," Trent agreed. "Clay's not making any confessions to me, and Sonny won't snitch on him, but we both know the runt must have been awful for Sonny to dish out a spanking."
"Derrick claims Sonny told him he and the kid were both bawling when it was over," Jason said.
"I believe it," Trent said. "When we first got him, I thought the kid would need a permanent bodyguard to keep Sonny from strangling him. And now he's got poor ol' Sonny hunting down slushies and giving tummy rubs. If you had told me that was coming a year ago, I'd have said, 'no fucking way'."
"I don't think anyone saw that coming," Jason chuckled. "Especially not Sonny."
"Alright Boss," Trent said. "Good talk. Relax and enjoy your last couple days with Mikey. Everything is fine here, and Clay is definitely moving in the right direction. A few more days of quiet rest and taking his meds and he'll be in good shape when you get home on Friday, and hopefully ready to get back to work on Monday."
"Thanks for everything, Trent," Jason said sincerely. "I know you hear this a lot, but brother, you truly are the best."
Shortly after noon, Trent cooked up some grilled cheese sandwiches, tater tots and tomato soup for his boys. Brock and Clay cleaned up Scrabble and set the table for lunch before Bravos Four through Six sat down to eat, talking and enjoying their relaxed time together.
Even with Clay still being sick, and as Trent predicted fading fast, it felt good to have the calm, peaceful rest away from both base and the field. All six members of Bravo were relishing this much needed time to just chill out and regroup, whether they were vacationing out of town or hanging out together at home.
After lunch, Trent checked the kid's temperature which was still slightly elevated despite the Tylenol.
"I know you are starting to feel a lot better than you have for the past few days, honey," Trent was patient but firm with his kid. "The medicine is definitely working, but you are still sick and worn out from your recent adventures, not to mention all the moving locations, rotating babysitters, and strong antibiotics injected in your sore bottom or churning around in your touchy belly."
Clay was currently overtired and pouting at Brock packing up to head home and Trent's announcement that it was time for a big glass of water, his meds, and a long afternoon nap tucked in his actual bed in Uncle Trent's cool, dark, and quiet spare room.
"By now Runt, you clearly know that I am not Sonny, and your days of manipulation to get your own way are over," Trent said calmly, with no heat. "I'm having zero fuss. So finish your water, use the bathroom, say good-bye to your big brother, and march your little tail off to bed. I need to talk to Brock for a few minutes. And then I'll be in to sit with you until you fall asleep."
When the kid looked up at his favorite uncle, exhausted from his morning activities and half-heartedly considering if he should protest, but secretly thinking a backrub and nap sounded really good, Brock stepped in to help his much-loved baby brother avoid any trouble.
"Come on Squirt," Brock said lightly. "We both know you aren't going to win this one. And I can promise you that arguing with Trent never ends well."
"He knows that from experience," Trent said, straight faced.
"Be good, and tomorrow morning I'll bring donuts for us, and coffee to put Uncle Grumpy in a cheerful mood," Brock laughed. "Maybe he'll even play Monopoly with us. You can be the banker."
"You're coming back tomorrow?" Clay said, yawning.
"Where else would I be?" Brock teased. "I'm going to drop Katie off at work so after lunch I can take her car in to get the oil changed. We'll stop at Dunkin' on the way to her school. She can get herself a fancy caramel coffee, and I'll get our breakfast and be here before you wake up."
"Will you get me chocolate frosted?" Clay asked, moving to lean back against his trusted caregiver knowing Trent would hold him from behind, wrapping him in his warm, strong arms.
"No sprinkles," Brock finished for the kid. "I know the drill."
"Get going, sweetheart," Trent said, kissing the top of his boy's head and swatting his backside to get him moving in the right direction. "I'll be in shortly."
"Yes, sir," Clay said quietly, clearly worn out. "Love you."
"Love you back," Trent smiled, nodding toward the bathroom.
"See you tomorrow, Shorty," Brock said. "Have a good rest."
"Bye Brock," Clay waved. "Tell Katie I miss her."
"Will do, tough guy," Brock promised.
Once the kid was out of earshot, Trent led Brock out on the deck to talk to him before he headed back home. The older man knew his kid would be fretting about the mini-lecture he had dished out earlier, and he wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings and that they were on the same page.
"I don't expect Clay to understand why I was not happy," Trent explained. "but I want to be sure that you and I are clear."
Brock looked up, making eye contact with his most loved brother. "You were pissed off that I was immature and tried to help Clay talk his way out his grounding?" he asked.
"Sit down, kid," Trent said, pointing to the deck chair. "Encouraging the kid to fuss about a punishment he clearly earned annoyed me, but it's more than that Brock."
"What did I do, Trent?" he asked, getting anxious. "I would never do anything or let Clay do anything bad or dangerous."
"Relax, son," Trent said, putting his hand on the kid's head. "I'm not mad, I'm concerned. I hope you know I love you and Clay as much as if you were my own kids. I worry about you both, and I don't want either of you to get hurt or in any kind of mess that might impact your futures."
"You know I love you best, Trent," Brock said. "I would do anything for you, and I don't ever want to disappoint you. And neither does Clay. He loves Jason as much as if he was his biological dad, but he loves and depends on you just as much. And so do I."
"Do you have any clue why I am worried, Brock?" Trent asked honestly curious.
"Not really," he admitted. "I don't know what this is all about."
"I'm happy that you have made the effort to reach out and help with Clay, especially since the Liberia fiasco," Trent said. "And believe me, so is Jason."
"I want to help you and the boss," Brock confirmed. "And I truly like to do things with Clay. He's like a little brother to me."
"And that's great, Brock," Trent assured him. "That's a good thing for both you and Clay."
"So, I still don't understand, Trent," Brock hesitated.
"I am concerned that lately, in the past month or so," Trent started, "You and Clay have, on more than one occasion, teamed up for sneaking around and being less than honest. And I know it's small things that aren't a big deal and don't really matter. But I'm concerned that Clay especially, because he is still a child, might start blurring the lines and thinking that you are onboard with lying and sneaky behavior. Things like pretending to be working out in the gym and then sneaking off for milkshakes or hiding at the dog park while you are on duty."
Trent could see from his expression that his kid knew exactly what he meant.
"I"m sorry, Trent," Brock said. "Sonny told us both off back when I got in trouble with Jason for hiding my stomach flu. Clay was mad at Jason and tried to say he was unfair for punishing me. Sonny was not having it. He told me and Clay we needed to have the boss tear up our butts. It seemed like Sonny was just being his usual crotchety self, but after what you said about Clay and Corey watching and looking up to me, I get what you're saying. I'm his big brother and an adult. I should never let him think it's okay to sneak around or lie or criticize the adults. It won't happen again Trent, I promise."
Brock paused, looking down. "It was stupid of me," he said quietly. "But I guess I got carried away having someone closer to my own age to hang out with. I love everyone on the team. And I am always happy to be with you or Jason, and I don't want this to sound like an insult because I love being able to come to your places, but you guys could be my dad. I mean both Jason's kids are older than me. And I don't want to wear out my welcome and be a pain in the ass you have to take care of like a kid." Brock looked up at Trent to see his reaction, hoping he didn't say the wrong thing.
When Trent didn't immediately respond, he started to ramble.
"And with the team, sometimes I feel like a tag-a-long kid. You, Jason and Sonny all have this long history, Ray's got his own family and kids. Before I got married, when I was back in the dorms, at least on weekends when we weren't spun up I used to hang out and feel like I fit in with the guys there who were all around my age. Now obviously I have Katie, so I'm not alone, but she's got her own friends I don't even really know, and they're all girls - which now sounds really stupid when I hear it outloud because it's not like I'm in high school. But then Clay showed up, and he was so much younger and I felt bad and understood how it was for him just kind of tagging along, not having anyone his own age. And he was always getting into trouble, partly I think because he was bored and lonely. And he likes to do a lot of the same things I like. When I talk about online stuff or movies or video games, he knows about a lot of the same things. We have stuff in common. And he likes Cerb. Likes to go running with us."
He stopped to take a break knowing he probably sounded like some immature kid having a meltdown.
"I don't know Trent," he said. "I'm sorry I messed up. But, I understand what you're saying. And I will definitely use my head and remember that I'm expected to be a good role model for Clay and not act like some irresponsible frat brother. It won't happen again. I promise. And tell Jason, I won't mess up again."
Trent was not expecting that. And Bravo's medic prided himself in always being ready for anything when it came to his team. He had no idea Brock felt this way. But Trent knew he should have known.
"Okay, Brock," Trent said, busting out the gentle but firm voice he usually reserved for Clay. "How about you calm down and take a breath. I'm going to need a second to process all of that."
"Forget I said it, Trent," Brock said, regretting he'd opened his big mouth. He stood and backed toward the stairs to make a quick exit. "I have to get going. Katie wants me to get some stuff at the grocery store. And I need to cut back the bushes in the front of the house before she gets home. I'll talk to you later."
The next thing Trent knew, his kid was off the deck and heading to his car.
Trent sighed. "That went well," he said out loud to himself.
Trent knew he needed to get Clay settled. The kid who hated to be left alone would be anxious if he woke up and Trent was gone, so sneaking out while he was asleep was not an option. Trent took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.
"I know he's a royal pain in the ass, but sorry brother, I'm not taking him back," Sonny answered laughing.
"You're hilarious, Sonny," Trent said. "And I'm already pissed off at the condition I found Clay in when I had to drive home at zero dark thirty to clean up your mess before he ended up back on the pediatric ward. So save the routine, because I need to get him settled for the afternoon, and I need your help."
Sonny immediately pulled himself together.
"What's going on, Trent?" he asked. "I thought the kid was on the mend. The new meds aren't working?"
"It's not Clay," Trent answered. "Relax. Despite your lack of a backbone when it comes to managing our resident menace, the kid is going to be fine. And the meds are working. But he's still sick and I need to give him his antibiotic and put him down for the afternoon."
"So what do you need me for?" Sonny said, relieved to hear Clay wasn't on his way back to the infirmary.
"It's Brock," Trent said. "I know how he operates, and I'd bet my last dollar he's heading your way now."
"Heading my way for what?" Sonny said. "Let me guess. Mama gave him a talking to and now he's got his tail between his legs, his wife is working, and he's looking for someone to promise him that he's not in trouble. Am I right Mama Trent?"
"You know Sonny," Trent returned. "I'll say it again. You are a lot more perceptive than you pretend to be. But, I'm still smarter than you, and I absolutely know that you act like you have no sense to avoid having to deal with shit. But today, I'm tied up here with the other kid, Jason and Ray are AWOL, and you are up to bat, brother."
"How's this for perceptive?" Sonny scoffed. "Your two little darlings have been testing the waters to see how far they can go. You finally took off the rose colored glasses and snapped back causing the dog whisperer to piss himself. And now I have to spend my afternoon off smoothing his feathers and promising that his mama still loves him."
"Brock said that you verbally thrashed him and Clay a couple months back after the boss put Brock on punishment," Trent said. "What did they do to piss you off?"
"They were both moping and feeling sorry for themselves," Sonny said. "Blondie, who we all know is on perpetually thin ice, decided to bitch and moan about how unfair and mean the boss was to punish his partner in crime. I put our spoiled brats back in their place and told them what they both need is for the boss to paddle their sorry asses and remind them who is in charge."
"Bet that shook them up," Trent laughed.
"Apparently, I wasn't scary enough," Sonny went on, "Because the very next day, as I'm sure you remember, they were sneaking around on the plane. Brock hiding in his cot when he knew the other one was high on sugar and keeping a secret hoard of candy from you. It's silly kid stuff. But perceptive ol' Sonny here is guessing you are realizing that if we don't shut this down now, it could turn into a problem if they keep pushing the envelope thinking it's harmless and not a big deal."
"Exactly," Trent said. "We are on the same page."
"And I don't think we are the only ones reading this book," Sonny said. "I know the boss is so buried in shit with work and Ellis' special missions he can barely come up for air. On top of having to raise a third kid after he lost his ex-wife who was the main caregiver of the first two. And dealing with Clay who we all know is action packed with issues."
"Yeah, I know," Trent sighed. "And like the rest of us, Jason is no spring chicken anymore. Clay is a huge responsibility. So who else has noticed the rookie shenanigans?"
"A few weeks back," Sonny started. "Metal, out of the blue, mentions something about Bravo's kids being up to no good. He must have assumed I knew what he was talking about, because he clammed right up when he realized I was in the dark."
"That's not like Metal to keep a secret when he knows as well as the rest of us how important it is to have the young kids buckled down and not one step out of line, both in and off the field," Trent said.
"We both know Metal would never cover for anything he saw as a problem," Sonny agreed. "So I figured it was kid stuff, same as we've both seen. He mentioned Derrick before he decided not to rat them out. So my guess is pretty boy told Metal about some stupid shit the wonder twins got into that Metal and Derrick found amusing."
Sonny paused before continuing. "And keep in mind that Alpha hasn't had an operator under thirty since the tier one teams were established. Metal hasn't had to deal with kids on his team at this level."
"Hold on," Sonny said. "Surprise, surprise. Guess who is knocking at Uncle Sonny's door as we speak. Go take care of the baby. I've got this."
"Thanks Sonny," Trent said. "Call or stop by later once you've got him sorted. Clay will be sleeping for the rest of the afternoon and Katie will be home in a couple hours looking for Brock. I'll just be sitting here enjoying the peace and quiet."
"I'm actually looking forward to hearing what nonsense this one is about to drop on me," Sonny said, shaking his head. "I'll talk to you later."
"