Fic: Choices, Chapter 3 (Numb3rs, Charlie / Colby, Don / Martin, David / Ian)
Title: Choices, Chapter 3
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger,
Don Eppes / Martin Fridegord,
David Sinclair / Ian Edgerton
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
NUMB3RS Main List
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
“Anyone home?” David hollered from the door. He was balancing Helen with one
hand and carrying her bag with another.
“In the kitchen. Dinner’s ready in ten minutes.” Ian yelled from the kitchen.
“I brought some company, do you mind?” David grinned.
“You brought guests? You could have warned me!”
“But you don’t have to cook for this guest, she has her own bottles with her.”
“Bottles?” Ian came from the kitchen. “What are you talk-” He spotted Helen and
chuckled. “Give her to me.”
David handed the baby over to Ian and started pulling stuff out of her bag.
“She was getting fussy in the car, and her diaper`s dry, so she’s probably
hungry. You don’t mind if she stays overnight?”
“That was really stupid question.” Ian propped the baby against his shoulder.
“Of course I don’t mind. Did Charlie take Granger somewhere for the evening?”
“No.” David put on bottle into the microwave, and the rest of them to the fridge.
“They had to go to the hospital, and their babysitter had to leave.”
“Hospital? What happened?”
“Alan had a stroke, they are all there.”
“How bad is it?”
“Bad.”
“Is he gonna make it?”
“I have no idea.” David sighed. “They said that the next twenty-four hours are
critical.”
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Don sat on the bench in the waiting area and stared at his coffee cup. Martin
was reading a two year old newspaper.
“Hey Martin…”
“Yeah?”
“What did you want to talk about? When we talked on the phone you said you
wanted to talk about something.”
“Your apartment.”
“What about it?”
“It`s a dump.”
“And?”
“And you spend most nights at my place.”
“So?”
“You pay rent for a crummy apartment that you don’t use.”
“I think I know where this is going….”
“Good, because I think it would be better if you just moved in.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
Don chuckled. “I gotta warn you in advance, I’m not the easiest person to
live with.”
“Believe me, I already knew that…”
“Mr. Eppes?” Doctor approached them carrying a stack of papers.
“Yes?”
“Since you and your brother are the only family members, I need to talk to you
about certain things.”
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“This was nice…..” David yawned and leaned back against the couch cushions. Helen
was dozing on the couch between him and Ian. The end credits of Casino Royal were
rolling on the TV-screen.
“You both look like you’re about to fall asleep.” Ian smirked and rubbed Helen’s belly.
“Just about…..” David stretched his arms above his head. “You look good like that.”
“Like what?”
“With kids. You wanna have some of your own?”
“At some point. You?” Ian countered.
“I don’t know. I mean I like kids, but this whole profession and kids don’t really
mix. It’s different with Colby, Charlie could take time off and stay with the baby.
And Charlie makes enough money to have a regular sitter and-”
“David. That’s just a question of organising and prioritising. I can choose my gigs
and stay with the kid if I need to.”
“Are you serious?”
“Why not? I’m not getting any younger, and I’m older than you. We don’t need to
decide anything now, but you should think about it.”
“Okay.” David chuckled. “I’ll think about it.”
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Charlie and Colby walked in to the waiting area. Or to be more accurate, Colby
pushed Charlie in, and the mathematician looked like he was about the freak out.
“How’s Megan?” Don asked.
“Better, she’s resting. She send her condolences.”
“Chuck, we…. We need to talk.”
Colby picked up the cue and turned to Martin. “How bout we go get something
to eat?”
Martin nodded and followed him out.
“Did they tell you something new while we were gone?”
“Yeah…. Remember what the doctor said about the twenty-four hour time limit?”
“What about it?”
“They did more tests and…. If he survives those twenty-four hours, we have to
make a decision.”
“About decision?”
“Charlie…. He’s not gonna recover. We need to decide if we want to keep him
on life-support.”
TBC