behind closed doors

six

Jack had a fever; a fever that refused to go away. So Aaron took the day off to get his son checked up at the doctors. Their usual primary care doctor was booked for the week, so he had to bring him to a new clinic. A clinic they had never been to before, but Aaron had heard JJ mention to the team that this particular clinic was wonderful. The father and son sit in the waiting room, waiting to be called "Can I have your phone dad?" Jack's hazel orbs looked into Aaron's dark ones "I'm bored" the little boy says, his head laid on his father's arm. Aaron sighs and pulls out his phone then hands it to him "What game are you going to play?" he asks the sick boy "I'm not gonna play a game." Jack replies and clicks on the gallery icon. The little boy clicks through the pictures, smiling sadly at the sight of Emily. All Jack knew, was that she was away on a very important mission and his dad didn't know when she would be back. But Aaron didn't tell him that she's been back for a few months.

"Jack Hotchner?" an assistant calls as Aaron stands up and carries Jack on his side "This way, please" the nice assistant offers a smile and leads them into a private room. "You can lay him down here," she says, putting a protective sheet over the examination bed "The doctor will be with you in a moment" and with that, she leaves the room. Aaron sits on a stool beside the bed where his son was resting, running a hand over the little boy's stomach. 

The doctor enters, a clipboard in his hand "Hello Jack!" he gives them both a smile and turns to Aaron "and you are the father?" he asks, already knowing the answer. Aaron nods his head "Nice to meet you. My name is Doctor Ray" he introduces himself "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" the doctor sanitizes his hands "A fever that doesn't seem to be going away" he reads the notes from his clipboard "He's had this fever for three days straight." Aarons adds as the older man clicks his tongue "Oh poor boy. You must be exhausted just being here" he turns to Jack. The sandy-haired boy nods his head and begins to point "And I'm sad too." he tells Doctor Ray "Oh no. Why is that?" he asks, lifting the examination bed so Jack could sit up comfortably "Because I miss Emily" he says "Is that a friend of yours?" Doctor Ray asks back. Jack nods his head "She's on a mission. But she didn't even say goodbye" The old man hums and lifts a brow at Aaron "She was very close to us." Aaron adds, catching the side-eye that was pointed at him.

Jack lifts Aaron's phone "This is Emily" he shows him a picture of her. Doctor Ray widens his eyes in surprise "Oh! I know her." he says, joy in his voice. Aaron turns his attention to the doctor "Yeah, yeah... she came by here a few months back. Wow- been a long time. How is she, by the way? She must have a what?- a newborn by now." Doctor Ray blabs on, not noticing the colour drain from Aaron's face "Oh no- you must have her confused with someone else." he says, blaming the old man's age for the confusion "Oh no. That's her. Emily Prentiss right?" The doctor writes a prescription "I'm gonna put Jack on some anti-biotics. There's a virus going around schools, I suspect that's what causing this. But other than that, rest and some water will go a long way to help fight this off." 

With the help of Aaron, Jack gets down from the bed "Put your coat on buddy, I need to talk to the doctor" he points at the chair across the room so Jack can get dressed. Aaron approaches the doctor "Uh- Doctor, so you've met Emily?" he questions him as Ray nods "Yes. You do know her personally- right?" the old man feels he's revealed too much to a complete stranger. Aaron notices this, so he offers a friendly smile "Yes- yes I do. I just saw her a couple of days ago." he tells him as the doctor uncrosses his arm "I- I actually came to this clinic because she suggested it. Emily said that you were wonderful to her." Aaron lies, but this seemed to have appeased Ray "Yeah... when did she come by here? I forgot when she mentioned it, but it was a while back wasn't it?" he tries to make up a fake tale to get the doctor to reveal more information. Ray nods "It was a while back. About 10 months ago?" he estimates "She was about 4 weeks when she came by."  Aaron sighs in disappointment, everything was clicking together. That was around the time when she felt ill "She swore to me it was vertigo" he mutters to himself. Ray laughs "and it turned out she was pregnant." the old man says "Did she have a boy? or a girl?" he asks Aaron.