Sometimes There's No Math
a Numb3rs story
by Tina
Don Eppes made his way up the walk to his brother's house, trying to balance a large pizza, a six pack of beer, and a large grocery bag. Not having a free hand to open the door, he rang the bell with his elbow. Charlie, who had been eagerly awaiting Don's arrival was there in an instant, relieving him of the pizza .
"Thanks Charlie," his voice was heavy with congestion as he turned quickly away from his brother, sneezing into the crook of his arm. "ETCHOOOOOOO!!!! Ishoooooooo!!!!!"
"You're still sick?" Charlie asked in surprise, he had been away at a conference for a ten days and Don had had the cold before he left.
"Yeah," Don sniffled wetly, "Etschoooooooo!!!! I just can't seem to shake this cold."
"Have you taken any time off ?" Charlie asked, already knowing the answer.
Don shook his head as he headed to the kitchen with the beer and the grocery bag. "You sound like Dad. We just finished a big case, I turned in the last of the paperwork tonight and I plan on taking a few days off now." He set the beer and the bag on the kitchen counter, reaching into the bag to retrieve a large box of Kleenex. He ripped the box open, pulled out a handful of tissues and blew his nose wetly. "Ughh, sorry about that bro."
Don discarded the tissues and washed his hands thoroughly at the sink. Charlie grabbed the plates, and Don grabbed two beers placing the rest in the refrigerator and joined Charlie at the kitchen table. "So what's up Charlie, how was your conference?" He turned away from the table coughing harshly into his fist.
"It was fine," Charlie answered distractedly. "Are you sure you're alright Don?"
"I'm fine man. What's going on?"
"It's Amita…." Charlie began.
"Is she okay?" Don asked with concern.
"She is, but someone is, well I guess the word is…um, stalking her." Charlie stumbled awkwardly over the words.
"Where is she now?" Don stood up with alarm. "Is she alone at home?"
"No, she's here. I didn't want her to be home by herself."
Don sat back down, the fatigue that had been overwhelming him just moments before now replaced by an adrenaline buzz. "That's good. Tell me what's going on, have you been to the police?"
"We have. I brought her there this morning. She didn't want to bother you Don, but this is scary…"
"This isn't bothering me Charlie, this is what I do. Now tell me everything."
Charlie spent the next hour given Don a detailed account of everything that Amita had told him and answering all his questions. It seemed that before Charlie had left for his conference in New York Amita had started receiving anonymous gifts, small things like flowers, and knickknacks. She had initially thought they might be from Charlie but then they continued and increased while he was away. They seemed harmless enough at first , left on her desk before a class she was teaching, or in her office mailbox. She began to get concerned the last few days Charlie was away as the gifts became more valuable and more personal, including jewelry. The previous day she had had lunch with a student she was advising in the student union. The lunch had been totally professional discussing the student's thesis, but Amita's stalker had apparently thought otherwise. She had received a nasty and threatening message on her home answering machine about her promiscuous habits. She had been stunned and afraid, watching over her shoulder as she drove to the airport to pick Charlie up that night.
Charlie had refused to let her go home after she told him about the message and the next morning he had accompanied her home to get her things before school. They were stunned to find that someone had been in Amita's apartment. She noticed several things slightly rearranged and there was a large bouquet of flowers crushed on the kitchen floor. The message light was blinking on the phone but Charlie pulled her out of the apartment without allowing her to touch anything else. The police had come and he had taken Amita back home with him later that morning.
Don listened intently to everything Charlie told him, planning a course of action all the while. When Charlie finished he reassured him that he had done everything correctly. He would call Megan in the morning to shadow Amita at Cal Sci and he would personally escort her to and from the college and back to Charlie's where he would stay as well until things were resolved. He would also be in touch with a friend on the local police force.
Charlie felt his anxiety ebb away as Don spoke, he had barely slept the night before and he could feel his fatigue overcoming his fear. He had wanted to call Don the night before but Amita hadn't wanted Charlie to bother him. However after the previous mornings events he had insisted. Not wanting to disturb him on a case he had simply left a message for him to stop over after work. The longer they waited for Don, the more nervous Charlie and Amita had become, he finally talked her into going to bed to try to make up some of the sleep that she too had missed the previous night.
Don sent Charlie off to bed and settled in on the couch as Amita had taken his old room. Charlie apologized and offered his own bed as he brought Don a blanket and pillow but Don had refused. Charlie felt a tinge of guilt as he stopped in the kitchen to clean up and unpacked Don's grocery bag. It was filled with all the supplies needed a sick day at home(or several sick days at home). There was another large box of Kleenex, several cans of chicken noodle soup, two packages of cough drops, and a jumbo sized bottle of NyQuil.
He made his way back to the living room with the NyQuil but Don refused. "No thanks Charlie. I need to stay alert just in case."
Charlie cringed at how hoarse his voice was. "I'm sorry to put this on you when your sick Don…"
Don waved him away, "I'm fine, now get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning."
"You know Dad won't be home for a couple of days," Charlie offered on his way out of the room. "You could sleep in his room…"
"I'd rather be down here Charlie, this is fine." He waved his brother off and Charlie headed to bed with a twinge of guilt for leaving his sick brother to sleep on the couch
As Charlie fell into an exhausted sleep, Don was wide awake in the living room. A combination of the severity of his cold symptoms and the rate at which his mind was processing all the details of Amita's stalker made sleep all but impossible. His sneezes came more and more frequently, his throat was aching, and the mild headache he had been facing earlier had increased ten fold.
After an hour of tossing and turning, he stumbled into the kitchen in search of something to ease his raw throat. He was standing in front of the open refrigerator looking for something to drink when he felt his nose tickling fiercely once again. Wishing he had remembered his tissues he turned away from the refrigerator and sneezed into his sleeve. "ETSHOOOOOOO!!! Ishoooooooo!!!! EhhhhCHOOOOOOO!"
"Bless you Don." He jumped at the voice behind him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Amita apologized.
"No problem," he croaked, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry I woke you…."
"You didn't, I'm not sleeping very well…."
"That's not a surprise. I don't want you to worry, we're going to get this guy…"
"You sound terrible Don, I don't want to bother you with this when you're sick…."
He put his hand on her arm. "This is no bother. I'm fine, I sound much worse than I am. Besides you are entitled to FBI service on this one. You've acted as a consultant on a number of cases with Charlie, we take care of our own. Besides," he continued. "You're family , I'm going to take care of you."
"Oh Don," she fought back a sob, "I'm so scared…."
He put his arms around her and pulled her close, "It's okay Amita." He patted her back reassuringly.
After a minute or so Amita calmed and Don was forced to pull away to sneeze. Still without his tissues his sneezed wetly into his fist. "EhhhhSHOOOOO!!!! Etchoooooo!!!!! `Scuse me." he mumbled, sniffling wetly.
"You really do sound terrible, what are you doing up?' She asked noticing how sick he looked.
"Just looking for something to drink." His voice was thick with congestion.
"How about I make you some tea?" She offered and he gratefully accepted. "You got have a seat and I'll bring it to you."
"Thanks ." He made his way quickly back into the living room to grab a handful of tissues, and blew his nose furiously while Amita was in the kitchen.
A few minutes later she brought a large mug of tea into the living room. "I added honey and lemon, I hope that's okay?"
"Perfect," he croaked, clearing his throat. "Amita….."
"That's the way my grandmother used to make it." She tried to busy herself smoothing out the wrinkles on the slipcover.
"Amita, " he touched her arm. "We're going to take care of this for you, we will get this guy. This is what we do. Ok…."
She looked up at him and smiled faintly, nodding. "It's just so creepy to think that he's been watching me, and in my apartment…."
"I know it is, but he's getting sloppy now and that's going to help us." He proceeded to fill her in on his plans for the next few days. After hearing the details and becoming more aware of the team's experience in similar matters she could feel herself calming.
"Are you sure it's not a problem though Don…." she began but her interrupted.
"It's not a problem. I`m positive." He touched her arm.
"Ok then," she nodded, "Thanks, I really do appreciate it Don. Do you want your room, I didn't think you'd be staying over and I could swap you for the couch…"
"No, but thanks, this is good. I want to be downstairs…. Just in case….."
She nodded and shivered slightly, "Ok then, I'm going to head back upstairs, I guess we could both use the rest. `Night."
"Good night Amita." Feeling much better after the tea, he curled up on the couch and drifted off to sleep quickly.
The next morning Megan Reeves awoke early to the sound of her cell phone. Groggily she reached over and grabbed the phone. "Reeves."
"Megan, it's Don. I'm sorry to wake you after I promised you a few days off." His voice was hoarse and thick with congestion.
She sat up in bed, "Don, you sound even worse. What's going on?"
He gave he the details of Amita's stalker. "I hate to bother you like this Megan, but I was hoping you could.."
"Follow her in her classes and at the university? No problem . What time do you want me there?"
Don smiled as she completed his sentence. "You're the best Megan thanks. Her first class is at 10:00 today. Can we meet you in her office at 9:30?"
"I'll be there. Should I call Colby and David to work the background info and contact the local PD?"
"No thanks, I'm going to handle that stuff. I don't want to call them unless we really need them. I'm sorry to ruin your time off though, I'll make it up to you on the other end…."
"Don't worry about that Don, I want to help. I'm just worried about you though, you've been sick for a while…."
"It's just a cold Megan, I'm alright."
"You've been saying that for weeks, have you been to the doctor?
"No time Megan. Once we wrap this up I'm going to bed for a few days and I'll be good as new."
"I hope so, I'll see you at 9:30 then."
"Thanks Megan, I owe you one."
Megan grabbed her bathrobe and headed to the shower. When she made her way to the kitchen she found Larry at her table eating and egg white omelet and toast. She found her self smiling yet again at his monochromatic diet.
He looked up, surprised to see her, "I'm sorry Megan did I wake you? I was trying to be quiet." He apologized.
"Oh no Larry, don't worry. Don called, I need to help him out with something today…"
"No time off after all? You`ve been working so hard lately"
"This is important Larry, it's for Amita."
Larry looked up surprised. "Is she alright? Did something happen?"
Megan poured herself a cup of coffee and joined him at the table. "She has a stalker, apparently things are escalating, so I'm going to be with her today while Don runs down some leads."
"That's terrible," Larry shook his head. "She and Charles seemed rather distracted yesterday, but they never said anything…."
"We'll get this guy Larry, and either Don or I will be with Amita until we do."
Don, Megan and Amita met in her office at 9:30 as planned. Don had convinced Charlie not to come, explaining that he and Amita should limit their contact at the university for the time being. He didn't want the stalker making a connection between them and guessing that Amita might be staying with Charlie and follow him to get to Amita. Charlie wanted to protect Amita of course, but a distracted Charlie on his bicycle was a far too easy target in his mind. They made their plans for the day and Don left them.
Don's first stop was at the bureau, he reported in to his director on the specifics of Amita's situation and alerted him that his team would be assisting with the case. He then made a quick stop in his office to rummage through his desk drawer for some cold medicine. He was on his way back out to his car when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He looked up to see the remaining two members of his team approaching him. Clearly Megan had called them.
"Hey what are you guys doing here. I told Megan not to call you."
"Oh, she didn't call….. I ran into her… getting coffee." David Sinclair grinned, his lie transparent.
Don smiled, "That's pretty likely considering you live ten miles sway from each other. But thanks guys. I really appreciate it." his voice seemed to be fading fast.
"Well, we couldn't let you have all the fun without us." Colby Granger chimed in.
David looked at Don with concern, " How are you feeling Don? You sound pretty bad."
"Really, you're looking pretty lousy too." Colby added with a grin.
"Thanks a lot Colby. I'm okay, I'm getting really tired of this cold though."
"You have been sick a long time Don. Have you been to the doctor?" David asked.
"Now you sound like Megan. Once this is done I'll crash for a couple of days…" he paused bringing his fist quickly to his face, "Etchooooooo!!! Isssshooooo!!!! Etchhhh!!!" he sniffled wetly.
`Bless you." Both offered looking at their boss with thinly veiled concern.
"You know Don, David and I can handle this stuff if you want to get some rest…" Colby offered already knowing what Don's answer would be.
"Thanks guys, but I need to do this for Amita, and for Charlie, but I could use the help."
Don updated them on the situation and his plans for the day. He made a stop at the local police station to check with the detective handling the case and David and Colby headed to Cal Sci to get copies of the rosters from Amita's classes, and to check with Human Resources for information on any new employees. They agreed to meet back at FBI headquarters.
When David and Colby returned they found Don in his office sitting at his desk, engrossed in a stack of files. He had a large box of tissues on his desk and the trashcan beside him was full of used tissues. He looked up as they entered. "Hey guys," he cleared his throat. "What do you have?"
They pooled the information they had received at CalSci with what Don had gotten from the police. They didn't have a lot of leads to follow. Their work was frequently interrupted by Don's sneezing, coughing, and nose blowing. David and Colby grew increasingly concerned about him, but new better than to suggest he head home.
They worked well into the afternoon compiling a list of potential suspects. As Don left to meet Amita, David and Colby left to run down some leads. He found Amita waiting with Megan in her office clearly anxious. Megan reported no incidents and no clear suspects, though she had a few hunches. Amita wanted to stop home for some clothes, but Don was reluctant to allow her back to the apartment. They ended up deciding to send Megan along with Colby or David while Don brought Amita back to Charlie's. She reluctantly gave Megan a list of what she needed.
Amita was mainly silent on the ride home. Her reverie was interrupted by more sneezing from Don. "Etchhhhhhh!!! HehhhhhCHOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Etchoooooooo!!!!!"
She looked over at Don with concern, "Bless you Don."
He nodded his thanks and sniffled wetly. "How are you feeling?" She asked, relieved to focus on something other than her fear.
"I'm fine. How are you doing?"
"I'm ok I guess. This is just so creepy…"
"I know it is, we'll take care of things. Colby and David are looking at some potential leads right now. It shouldn't be too long for us to find him." he reassured. "And you're safe until we do."
"Thanks , I really appreciate this…."
"Don't worry about it Amita, you're family."
They returned to Charlie's house and made their way inside. Charlie was nervously pacing around the living room when they arrived. He hugged Amita in relief. Don made his way to the kitchen to give them a few minutes alone and to try to find something to soothe his throat. A few minutes later Charlie and Amita joined him in the kitchen. Amita offered to cook supper but there wasn't much food in the house after Charlie and Allen had both been away. They eventually decided on pizza delivery though Don really didn't feel like eating.
Megan, David, and Colby arrived with the pizza delivery man. After dinner there was much discussion trying to get input from Amita to pinpoint potential suspects. Don finally ended the questioning as he noted both Amita and Charlie becoming more and more anxious. Amita looked relieved and excused herself to take a shower and go to bed and Charlie disappeared to the garage. David, Colby and Megan stayed for another hour or so discussing the case with Don. They were all worried about his condition but he brushed off their concerns.
As they were planning to leave he excused himself to check on Charlie before they left. He found his brother in the garage, furiously scribbling and then erasing equations from the large blackboard he kept there. Don could tell from his intensity that Charlie was very frustrated. He looked up as Don approached him. "If only I could get the equation ….."
"Charlie…" Don touched his shoulder.
"I know that if I can pinpoint the exact formula….."
"Charlie!" Don spoke more firmly. "Sometimes the math can't get you an answer…."
"No," Charlie brushed away his arm. "I know I can get this! I just need the right theory…." He continued to scribble frantically.
Don gently pulled him away form the board and turned Charlie to face him. "We'll get this guy Charlie. I promise, and we'll keep Amita safe. You need to let me do this."
"No Don, I need to….. To take care of her… to protect her…"
"You can take care of her Charlie, but you need to let us get this guy. There's too many variables for you to solve this one with math right now Charlie. Let us get some more data for you first."
"But….I…." Charlie tried to go back to the board but Don held him firmly and pulled him back to the house.
"Once we get more information Charlie, then we'll need the math." he spoke reassuringly sensing his brother's frustration and feelings of helplessness. "Let us do some investigating first." Charlie allowed himself to be lead back into the living room and then excused himself to head up to bed.
"Is he alright?" Megan asked looking after Charlie with concern.
"I think so," he paused to sneeze forcefully, "Ehhhhh CHOOOOO!!!! Hehchooooo!!!!! He's just feeling pretty helpless in nailing this guy."
"You really sound terrible Don," Megan began but he interrupted her.
"Megan stop, it's just a cold."
"I don't know, it seems like more than just a cold."
"You know , I could stay here tonight and you could go home and get some rest." David offered.
"I'm available too ," Colby offered. "You really look like you could use the break."
"I'm fine guys really. I appreciate your concern, but I'm up for this." They all looked doubtful and he added. "I'll let you know if I need to take you up the offer though. I promise."
The three agents reluctantly packed up their notes and left after finalizing plans for the next day. All were worried about their boss but knew that there was nothing they could do for him at that point. After they left Don changed into his sweats and tried unsuccessfully to settle down to sleep. Without the discussion and distraction he once again realized how lousy he really felt. His head ached and was full of congestion , his throat was raw and the sneezing and coughing were becoming more and more constant. He tossed and turned for quite some time before finally making his way up to the second floor to rummage through Charlie's medicine cabinet, hoping he would find something he could take for his cold. He managed to find some Tylenol and some Sudafed which he figured couldn't hurt.
As he was making his way downstairs he felt the urge to sneeze building once more. He struggled to contain the sneeze until he was all the way down and into the kitchen, not wanting to wake Charlie and Amita. He barely made it into the kitchen before exploding into violent sneezes. AhhhhCHOOOOOO!!!! ETCHOOOOOO!!! Ishhhhhhhh!!!!!" Not finding any tissues in the kitchen he grabbed some paper towels to blow his nose. After a brief pause the sneezes started once more, "Ehhhh CHOOOO!! Ishoooooo!!!! Heh… hehhhhh CHOOOO!!!"
"Bless you!" Don jumped at the sound of his brother's voice behind him. "Sorry Don, " Charlie apologized, "I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's all right Charlie. I just didn't hear you coming." Don cringed inwardly, that was twice in two days that he had been surprised by someone approaching him. The cold was no excuse, he thought, he really needed to get back on his game. "I didn't mean to wake you …."
"You didn't," Charlie lied, " I was still awake. Can I get you anything Don?"
"Nah, I just took some Sudafed and Tylenol. I was just going to grab something to drink…."
"I could make you some tea…" Charlie offered hesitantly, taking care of Don wasn't a usual role for him.
"You don't have to Charlie……"
"It's no problem, it'll just take a minute." Charlie grabbed the tea kettle and filled it with water.
"Well if it's not a bother," Don accepted gratefully. The tea had really helped him sleep the night before and he hoped it would as well a second time. "Thanks Charlie." Don washed his hands and made his way to the couch.
Charlie appeared a few minutes later with a large steaming mug. Don took a sip and was pleased to find the same combination of honey and lemon that Amita had made the night before. "Oh Charlie, this is perfect. Just like Amita`s…."
Charlie smiled, "I know, she's made it for me when I've been sick. It always seems to help me sleep."
Don slowly sipped the tea and then settled in for a somewhat restless sleep. He awoke in the morning, not at all surprised to be feeling even worse. He groaned and pushed himself up to a sitting position. He coughed harshly and could feel that the congestion was spreading to his chest. He reached for a handful of tissues and tried to blow his nose, but got no relief. He made his way to the kitchen and was pleasantly surprised to find Charlie, dressed in his bathrobe, standing a the counter stirring a large mug of tea. Charlie handed Don the mug which he accepted gratefully.
"You really are the best, bro." Don called after him, his voice hoarse. Charlie cringed as he waved off his thanks, and made his way upstairs.
Don sat down at the table and slowly sipped the tea. After a few minutes he could feel some of the congestion clearing and his nose started to run. He took a handful of tissues and blew his nose wetly. He could feel the fatigue and aches working to overwhelm him. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed and sleep for days. He finished his tea and forced himself to get up and go upstairs to take a quick shower. The shower did much to improve his aches and congestion, but also set off a long bout of deep coughing. He finally caught his breath and slowly dressed himself in pair of jeans and a sweater from his stash of clothes left at the house. He made a mental note to stop home for some clothes, and at the pharmacy for some Dayquil after he brought Amita to school. He took another dose each of the Sudafed and Tylenol, knowing he really needed something stronger.
He made his way back to the kitchen and reluctantly toasted himself an English muffin for breakfast. He wasn't hungry at all, but knew he needed to eat something. He could see Charlie and Amita watching him with concern, but knew they were reluctant to push the issue. He was grateful that his father was away, because Don knew that even though Charlie and Amita knew he was sick they would defer to him, his father absolutely would not.
Charlie left for CalSci about twenty minutes ahead of Don and Amita. When they arrived , they found Megan and a very agitated Charlie outside Amita's office.
"Hey, what's going on guys?" Don asked as Amita tensed beside him.
"He was here!" Charlie was visibly upset.
Don looked to Megan who nodded, "The place is trashed, it's definitely our guy."
Amita made her way toward the doorway, but Don gently grabbed her arm. "Amita, you don't want to go in there…"
She stopped, tears in her eyes, "But it's my office…. I need to….."
Megan stepped in and put her arm around Amita, gently turning her away from the office. "Not now Amita, you can go in after. How about we go to Charlie's office." Amita allowed herself to be lead and Charlie followed as Don stopped to take a look in the office. The room had definitely been trashed and there were several messages scrawled on the walls. "You have to go home sometime" and "slut" and "whore" among others. Don cringed and realized that he definitely needed to keep Amita out until the room was cleaned.
He called David, who was with Colby at FBI headquarters. "I need you to come and bring Charlie and Amita over there. This guy is ready to blow and I want them safe. I want Colby on the office until the local CSI's get here. Megan and I will be at Amita's place, waiting. You two can come for back up once you're done."
He went to Charlie's office and explained his plans. Megan had already asked Larry to have both Amita and Charlie's classes cancelled for the day. Charlie was initially reluctant to go, but when Amita pleaded with him to come along, he couldn't say no. Don reiterated his plans and though the others were still worried about him, the surge of adrenaline had clearly brought him back up a notch.
Don and Megan headed to Amita's apartment. Megan wore a long sweater and hat that Amita had left in her office, hoping that she would pass as the young woman to the stalker whom they were sure was watching. The apartment was empty on their arrival, but there were definite signs that someone had been there. As they settled in to wait, Don felt his symptoms worsening. His sneezing and coughing were coming more and more frequently and he was starting to feel warm, very warm.
After about twenty minutes he was questioning how effective he would be once the stalker made his move. Megan was watching him closely but remained silent about his condition.
"Megan, I'm not doing too well. I'm going to call Colby for back up."
She nodded, "You look really terrible Don, we should probably get you out of here."
"No, I don't need to go, I just want some more back up." He cleared his throat and called Colby. "Hey Colby, I need you over here for back up. I'm starting to fade fast…"
"I'm on my way Don, the CSI is already here." Colby was grateful for the close proximity of Amita's apartment to the school as he ran to his car. He called David to check on his location and update him on Don.
A few minutes after Don hung up the phone, the stalker made his move. They heard a noise in the bedroom as the balcony door was pushed in. The young man barreled into the living room, gun drawn. He made for Megan, but his face twisted in anger as he realized that she wasn't Amita. "Where is she?" He demanded, shoving Megan back and waving his gun at Don. Don had managed to draw his gun and pointed it at the man before him. `The slut, she still isn't here. I thought she was a nice girl, but now she's out all night, she's with different men…." He was clearly becoming more and more agitated.
Don tried to talk him down, have him give up his gun, but had no luck. Megan had her own gun drawn by that point and tried as well. In one wild moment the stalker turned wildly towards Megan raising his gun and Don took that moment to make his move. He lunged at the man, knocking away his gun, and pinning him on the floor. Megan was quickly beside him on top of the assailant, handcuffing him.
Don leaned back, struggling to catch his breath, the sweat dripping from his face. Megan looked up with concern, "Are you alright?" She mouthed and he nodded. At that moment Colby and David burst into the apartment. Colby went to Megan to help remove the suspect, and David went to Don. He helped Don to his feet, and gently guided him out of the apartment. He was shocked at the heat radiating from his boss, clearly he had spiked a high fever. Don felt weak enough at that point to allow himself to be lead.
Once they were back to David's car he turned to Don, "Where to boss?" Don managed a shrug, before closing his eyes. "I'm thinking the ER?" The fact that Don didn't argue confirmed to David how sick he was. He called Charlie and Megan and drove Don to the nearest hospital.
David met the others at the elevators at the hospital. Charlie and Amita both looked somewhat frantic. "Is he alright?" Charlie asked as soon as he saw David.
"He `s okay Charlie." David explained as he led them down the hallway to Don`s room. " They just moved him to a room and the doctor is with him now. I just brought him because the fever was so high. And because he didn`t argue when I suggested it"
"He must have been near death if he agreed," Charlie offered with a half smile and the others laughed.
"He did manage to take down the suspect before he went down." Megan added, "The adrenaline rush totally carried him."
At that moment the doctor exited Don's room and approached the group. "You're with Mr. Eppes?" He asked looking at the group.
Charlie stepped forward, "I'm his brother. Is he alright?"
"Yes, he'll be fine, but he is pretty sick at the moment. He's got a fairly significant pneumonia, with a very high fever. He's also suffering from mild exhaustion and dehydration." Charlie cringed with guilt as the doctor continued. "I'm going to keep him here for overnight at least. I want to start some IV antibiotics and some fluids. We'll see how he is in the morning and go from there."
Charlie thanked the doctor and asked if they could see him. He surveyed the group before him and paused for a moment. "Yes, but please keep it brief. He really needs some rest.
The group silently filed into the room. Don opened his eyes sleepily and smiled "Hey guys," He croaked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Amita approached first leaning in to hug him. "Oh Don, thank you ! I'm so sorry…."
He pulled back to look her in the eye. "Amita, don't be silly, you don't have anything to be sorry about." She tried to apologize further, but he put his finger to her lips. `Shhhhhh." He pulled her back into a hug. "I'm fine Amita, don't worry." Amita nodded and squeezed Don's hand as she made room for Charlie to approach the bed.
"Don, I don't know how to thank you….."
"Knock it off Charlie," Don ruffled his hair, embarrassed by all the attention.
"Thanks," Charlie whispered leaning in for a quick hug.
Don patted his brother's back and returned the hug. "Anytime Charlie, anything you need."
Charlie moved back from the bed to join Amita as Megan approached next. "Thanks for having my back." She kissed him on the cheek, looking stunned at heat she felt. "God Don, you're burning up!"
"Yeah," he smiled faintly, "I believe that's 103 degrees or so they tell me. The Tylenol hasn't kicked in yet."
"We should probably let you get some rest." David suggested and the others agreed.
"We'll check in on you tomorrow Don. Feel better." Colby added
Goodbyes were exchanged as the agents and Amita left the room, with Charlie lingering behind the others. "Don, I know you don't want me to thank you, but you've got to know how much this meant to me…. And I just really feel so bad that you`re so sick…"
"I know Charlie. But I needed to do this. You couldn't have stopped me if you tried." Don's voice became even more faint.
"I owe you one," Charlie offered, once again hugging his brother before turning to leave.
"Oh wait Charlie, who was he?"
"The stalker?" He asked and Don nodded. "He worked at the coffee shop across from campus. Apparently he's taken a couple of Amita's lecture classes too. I guess you were right about not having enough data for the math to go on…."
"Sometimes that's just how it is Charlie, you just have to go on instinct…." he paused, clearing his throat." Oh Charlie, there is one thing you can do for me," Don whispered.
"Anything Don,"
"Don't tell Dad that I'm in the hospital."
Charlie cringed before replying. "Too late, he called to say he was home when we were on our way over. He should be hear any minute. Sorry…."
As if on cue the familiar voice of Alan Eppes was audible coming form the hallway. He poked his head in the door. "Where is my son the extremely heroic patient?" Despite the joking tone, the worry was evident on his face. "How are you Donny?"
"I'm okay Dad. You don't need to worry about me." Don waved his goodbye to Charlie who slipped out of the room.
"Well clearly I do, because you were not doing it yourself." Don tried to clear his throat to respond but Alan touched his arm. "You don't have to explain Donny. Charlie told me what happened. I know that you did what you had to do. I'm proud of you son." He pulled a chair over and settled in beside the bed.
Don smiled, closing his eyes. "Thanks Dad."
"Anytime son." Alan replied, but Don was already snoring softly.
Written in response to Weekly Hatching #132 (mine!!!!). Write a fic where a character sneezes and utters the line "I just can't shake this cold" Also written for the Bunny Challenge(it's way overdue!) My first Numb3rs fic - be gentle with me :)