165A/N: Thanks everyone who is reading and alerting this story. I hope you're having as much fun reading it as I am writing it. Thanks to Pippinheart: I am so sorry I missed your name last chapter. Yeah Max is a jerk, he'll come around though. Flowerfairy30 and Vampireotaku: Glad to see you guys joining this crazy ride. Nympha Fluminis: Glad you liked the first story and reading the second. Shannon Jethro Gibbs Snape: I might not get the next chapters up so quick. It all depends on school and my muse. Whatif-Ifonly: Yeah that little remark that Gideon made about Trish came from your inspiration. Thanks for the info. Charmony: Thanks for the beta work and the love and friendship. Bless you my sister.
Chapter 3
"Hi Dr. Jacobs," a young nurse greeted the two of them as they entered the emergency room. "What brings you here on your night off?"
"Hi Katie. I need to get Spencer looked at; I think he has appendicitis."
"Oh." Katie smiled at the little boy who had curled up in one of the chairs. "Is this your boyfriend's son?"
"Yes, Jason's out of town so here we are." Sarah looked up from the form she was filling out. "Who's working tonight?"
"Dr. Beatty and Dr. Adkinson are both here. Which one would you like?"
Sarah thought for a moment. "I think, since his dad isn't here, he'd do better with Savannah. Can you put a note on his chart for me?"
"Will do," Katie walked over to Spencer and crouched down to be on eye level with him. "Can you come with me sweetie? I need to get you checked in."
"Okay," Spencer sighed as he tried to sit up. His face paled and he clapped both hands over his mouth. Katie recognized the signs of someone about to vomit and quickly grabbed a pan and held it under his chin just as he started vomiting a second time. She looked up at Sarah.
"You know, we're not that busy right now. I'm going to go ahead and take him back to a room and we can triage him there."
Sarah nodded as she put an arm around the boy and helped to guide him as he followed the nurse. Once in the main part of the ER, Katie laid a gown on the bed.
"Can you change into this by yourself or do you want some help?" she asked kindly.
"I can do it," Spencer answered softly. Sarah caught the look on his face as he stared at the floor.
"What is it, Spencer?" He whispered something so quietly that she couldn't understand his words so she bent over to put her ear near his mouth. "I'm sorry sweetie. What did you say?"
Spencer licked his lips before repeating himself. "I said, do I have to take off everything?" he replied just a shade louder than before.
"Nope. I just need you to change your shirt," Katie said with a smile. Sensing his nervousness, she said quickly, "I'll step out and let you change ok?" She ducked out the door, waiting in the hallway until the little boy called her back inside. A few minutes later, she dropped the chart in front of Dr. Adkinson.
"Was that Sarah I just saw walking into the exam room?"
"Yeah, she's got her boyfriend's son with her. She asked specifically for you; something about the kid's dad not being here."
Dr. Adkinson raised an eyebrow. "Does he seem like the type to give us trouble?"
"No, but he was very nervous when I told him to change into the gown."
"Hmm. Okay well let me go take a look at him." The doctor rose and headed for the exam room, skimming the chart as she went. She knocked on the door as she went in. "Hi Spencer, I'm Dr. Adkinson. Katie tells me that you don't feel good." Her dark eyes swept over the boy lying on the stretcher. The pallor of his skin immediately put her senses on alert.
"No ma'am," Spencer whispered, clinging to Sarah's hand. His hazel eyes followed the doctor's movements as she approached him.
"Can you tell me what's wrong?"
"My stomach hurts and I threw up," he answered miserably.
"He's been running a fever too. Jason had to pick him up from school shortly after noon today," Sarah interjected. "I gave him some Tylenol earlier today but he seems to have gotten worse."
"How many times has he thrown up?"
"Twice; once at home and once when we first got here. He's also got rebound tenderness to the right lower quadrant," she explained.
Dr. Adkinson turned to the little boy. "Will you show me where your tummy hurts?"
"Right here," Spencer whimpered, his hand pointing to the right side of his stomach. He bit his lip as the doctor moved closer to his side.
"I'm just going to listen to you, okay?" Dr. Adkinson said quietly as she bent over him. She quickly examined her patient then turned to her colleague. "I think we need to run some blood work and do a CT scan. It could be appendicitis."
Sarah nodded. "That's what I was thinking too." Noticing the terrified look on the child's face, she squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It's going to be okay Spencer. Dr. Adkinson will take care of you."
"I want my dad," Spencer sniffled. "Are you going to poke me with a needle?" he asked the doctor.
"Well we do need to get some blood and give you some medicine to make you feel better," she answered gently.
"No, I don't want it!"
"Spencer…" Sarah started to speak.
"I said no! I want my daddy!" Spencer started thrashing around on the bed, trying to get up despite the fact that Sarah was holding him down.
"Spencer, stop. You're going to make yourself sick again," she said sternly.
"I don't care! I want my daddy!" he shrieked at the top of his lungs.
"Sarah, can I talk to you outside for a moment?"
"Sure Savannah," Sarah answered, letting go of the little boy and following the doctor out of the room.
Once in the hall, Dr. Adkinson turned to her colleague. "Where is his father?"
Sarah sighed, "Out of town on a case. I called him just before we left the house but he wasn't in the hotel. I left a message with the front desk, but so far he hasn't called back."
"Does he have a pager?"
"Yes, and I tried that too. He must be somewhere that he can't answer it." Sarah paused as the pager she habitually carried with her went off. She glanced at the number on the display. "Actually, that's him now."
Dr. Adkinson nodded. "I'll write some orders and we'll take things from there."
Sarah ran her hand over her hair as she walked to the phone sitting on the nearby counter. She wasn't looking forward to this conversation.
"Sarah? What's wrong?" Gideon's concern came over the phone as soon as the line connected.
"I'm at the ER with Spencer." She paused for a second. "Jason, I think he's got appendicitis, but he's fighting us about drawing his blood so that we can confirm it. I don't think I'll be able to get him to drink the contrast for the CT scan either."
Gideon sighed through the phone. "Let me talk to him."
"Hang on; I'm going to have to transfer the call into the room and go get it." She quickly pressed a few buttons then hurried back into Spencer's room. She quickly grabbed the receiver. "Are you there?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
Sarah turned to the little boy who was now curled up in a tiny ball. "Spencer, your dad wants to talk to you."
Spencer rolled over and accepted the phone. "Daddy, I'm scared and I don't feel good."
"I know kiddo, but I need you to listen to Sarah. She's going to help the doctors make you feel better."
"They wanna poke me with a needle!"
Gideon ran a hand over his face as he sank down on the bed. Rossi narrowed his eyes as he watched his friend. "Spencer, this is what they have to do. It's the only way to make you well."
"But I don't want to. I want to go home and I want you to come home too." The boy's tone was rapidly changing from scared to angry and sullen.
"Spencer, stop it right now." Gideon purposefully made his voice stern when all he really wanted to do was jump through the phone line and cuddle his son in his arms. "You will listen to Sarah and your doctor and you will do what they tell you. Do you understand me?"
There was silence for several long moments before his son whispered very softly, "Yes sir."
"Good boy. Now, let me talk to Sarah."
A few minutes later, Sarah hung up as two nurses came into the room. "Hi Debbie, hi Candy."
"Hi Dr. Jacobs, rough night huh?" The shorter of the two women greeted her before turning to the little boy. "Hi Spencer, my name is Candy. I need to take some of your blood; it that ok?"
"Is it gonna hurt?" Spencer asked as he blinked back tears, his arms wrapped around his middle.
"It will feel like a really big pinch."
"Do you promise?" he asked his hazel eyes wide in his pale face.
"I promise baby," she said with a gentle smile as Debbie gathered some supplies. "Debbie is just going to help you keep your arm still while I do this."
Spencer nodded before turning his frightened gaze to Sarah. "Will you hold me?"
"Of course sweetheart."
Five hours later, a frantic Gideon hurried into the waiting room. He strode quickly to the desk and the young woman sitting behind it. "I'm looking for my son. His name is Spencer Reid-Gideon."
"He's in room seven. You got here just in time; they're taking him to surgery soon." Katie smiled at the anxious father. "I'll show you where to go."
He followed her through the door and down the hall, trying to keep his steps even as he fought his worry. He nodded to the nurse in thanks as he spotted Sarah standing in the hall. "Sarah!"
She looked up. "Jason, thank goodness." She pulled him into a hug. "Spencer is terrified and he's getting worse. The surgeon thinks his appendix has ruptured and they have to do surgery tonight."
"Where is he?" he asked as he pulled back from his girlfriend.
"In here." She led the way into the room. Spencer turned his head and burst into tears as he reached for his dad.
"I'm scared Daddy."
Gideon leaned over the stretcher and wrapped his son up in his arms. "I'm here kiddo. I'm right here," he said, trying to sooth the frightened child.
"Are you going to let them take me away?" he whispered plaintively.
Gideon sat on the side of the bed, pulling him into his lap. "Spencer, the doctor has to get the infection out of your tummy. In order to do that he has to take you to a special room and make you sleepy so he won't hurt you."
"I have to have an operation, don't I?"
"Yes, you do. But I promise you; I will be right there when you wake up." Gideon kissed the top of his head. "I love you Spencer." He looked over at the door to see two nurses standing there waiting.
"The OR is ready for him," one of them said.
Gideon nodded and looked back down at his son. "You need to let go of me for now, Spencer. But I will see you as soon as you wake up. Can you be brave for me for just a little bit longer?"
Spencer nodded. "I'll try Daddy."
"That's all I ask son."
Gideon watched as they wheeled Spencer out of the room on the bed, and sent up a little prayer that everything would be alright as they took his frightened son out of sight.
Max Ryan took a deep breath as he stared through the window into the waiting room at his agent. Gideon was pacing around, nervous energy rolling off him in waves. He stepped into the room as the father spun around with a hopeful look on his face, clearly expecting someone else.
"What are you doing here?" Gideon all but growled.
"I wanted to know how Spencer was doing," Max replied.
"What do you care? He's just interfering with my job," Gideon snapped as fear made him slightly reckless.
The senior agent looked down. "I deserved that. Look Jason, I'm sorry. My ex had just called and then the Raleigh police were on the line with this case and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."
"Mr. Gideon?" A new voice invaded the heavy silence.
"Yes?" Gideon spun to face the surgeon, his boss forgotten in a heartbeat.
"Spencer came through the surgery. He's got a big infection in his abdomen so he's going to be in the hospital for several days, but he's headed for recovery and he should be just fine in time."
Gideon and Sarah, sitting in a chair to the side of the room, took their first easy breath since the whole ordeal had started, smiling at each other in relief.
"Thanks Robert," Sarah said, shaking the surgeon's hand.
"You're welcome Sarah," he replied as a nurse appeared behind him.
"Mr. Gideon? Your son is in recovery. We were told he'd do better if you were there when he wakes up?"
"Yes please." He glanced back at Sarah. "Are you coming?"
Sarah shook her head. "I think he'll do better if it's just you for now. I'll see him once he's in a room."
Gideon nodded before he followed the woman as she led the way back down the hall. Just as the two reached the doors, a muffled scream sounded and the agent immediately tensed. "What's going on?"
"I don't know." The nurse pressed the plate to open the doors, revealing Spencer thrashing around on the bed as three people tried to hold him down. The little boy's eyes were still closed and the heart monitor was beeping rapidly.
"Let me in," Gideon demanded with all of the authority he could muster.
"Sir please, we need to calm him down. Otherwise he could tear his stitches." One of the OR staff members blocked his way.
"And if you don't let me hold him, he's not going to come out of this. He has violent flashbacks from an abduction when he was five and when he's in the middle of one, he doesn't respond to anyone but me." Gideon knew he was pleading, but he was desperate to get to his son before things got any worse.
The man in front of him stared at him for a moment before nodding and moving back out of the way. Gideon hurried to the bed and pulled his son carefully into his lap, wrapping his arms around him securely. He began to sing softly just as he had so many times before. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Spencer's body relaxed and his eyes fluttered open.
"Daddy?" he whispered hoarsely.
"Yeah kiddo, I'm right here, just like I promised." Gideon pressed a kiss to his son's sweaty forehead. "You're safe, and I'm right here with you."
Spencer snuggled down deeper into his father's embrace. "I love you Daddy."
"I love you too, son." He rocked the child until his breathing evened out and his eyes drifted closed in slumber once more. Easing him back carefully to the bed, he nodded his head to the silently waiting staff and they moved swiftly back in to place to ensure that no damage had been done by Spencer's violent nightmare and Gideon's unconventional actions.