Work Text:
It hadn’t been all that long since the flu had ravaged the 126, taking Carlos down with them, weakening his immune system and leaving him vulnerable; or at least that’s what Carlos deduced when he caught the very next cold going around work. He was normally very healthy, rarely missed school as a kid, or work as an adult, and now here he was, at death’s door for the second time in just over a month.
Still, having just used a good chunk of his sick time on the flu, and not wanting to use anymore, Carlos was out of bed, and ready for work; he was also miserable, clutching his cup of tea, while TK bustled around the kitchen, far too chipper for Carlos' liking.
“Maybe you should take more vitamins?” TK suggested, rifling through the fridge. “Do we have lemons? My dad does this thing with lemons in the blender that’s supposed to be miraculous. He had a crazy cousin who swore it cured his cancer.”
The cheerful rambling that would normally be endearing, was murder on Carlos’ pounding head at that moment, but he resisted the urge to snap. He would only hurt TK's feelings, then regret it once he felt better.
“I’ll just pick up some cold medicine on my way to work,” Carlos turned his head to cough into his sleeve, "Don’t worry about it, babe.”
TK glanced over at him and frowned. “You really don’t look good, ‘Los. Why don’t you call in and I’ll set you up in bed before I leave?”
Tempting, Carlos thought. The pressure in his head was intense, and he hadn’t slept well at all.
“Can't, I just took time off when we had the flu,” Carlos reminded his partner. “I’ll be fine. Just need to take something for my headache.”
TK's frown deepened.
“You be careful with the med's huh? That stuff makes you drowsy, and you need your wits about you, Carlos,” he warned, sounding uncannily like Carlos' mom.
“Don’t worry,” Carlos repeated, slowly standing, “I’m always careful. You be careful too, and ah!” Carlos held up his hands to ward off TK's attempt to kiss him, “No good-bye kiss. You don't want to get sick too. Neither of us wants that.”
TK crossed his arms, disappointed. “Yeah, ok. You should ask your mom to make soup, though. I’ll feed it to you tonight. With my mask on.”
Carlos stretched an arm out to give TK a loving pat on the back, “Sounds good babe. See you tonight.”
Carlos did stop at the drug store for cold medicine, and he took some in the parking lot before heading into the station. He was starting to feel nauseous, and he wished he had eaten breakfast, but he’d had no appetite. For once, he was glad to park himself at a desk and catch up on paperwork, rather than battle it out for the best patrol assignments.
Time ticked by, and all Carlos wanted to do was go back to bed. Even with the pills his head throbbed, and the pressure in his sinuses worse, not better. He rubbed gingerly at his forehead hoping for some relief, and tried not to cough. Finally, he decided to take another couple cold tablets, because obviously the first two weren’t working, and he managed to get back to work.
Roughly an hour later, Carlos was interrupted by his sometimes partner, Officer Garcia.
“Taking a paperwork day?” She asked brightly, jumping up to sit on the desk. “How's it coming? Want to head out on patrol with me after lunch?”
She offered him half of the granola bar she was munching on, but he pushed it away, stomach turning.
“No thanks,” he croaked, and she watched, concerned, as he was wracked by a coughing fit.
“Wow,” she whistled, taking in his flushed cheeks, baggy eyelids, and defeated posture. “You look like shit. No offense intended, but you should go home.”
Carefully, he shook his head, catching his breath. “Nah, I’m already here. I’ll tough it out.”
She eyed him critically for a few minutes, and he wondered if she was planning to tattle to the desk sergeant, who had the power to send him home…but then she shrugged, hopping to her feet.
“If you’re sure, but I’ve got some cough syrup in my locker. At least take that. It worked wonders for me when I had that cold.”
Garcia was gone and back with the bottle before Carlos could object, even if he had wanted to.
“You didn't take any cough syrup already did you?” She asked, before handing the bottle over. Carlos was feeling light headed, and barely listening…but he shook his head no.
“Ok, well take 2 capfuls and you’ll be feeling better in no time!” She promised, turning to go, then pausing, “Read the label, make sure you’re not allergic or anything.”
Carlos huffed, waving her off. “Sure thing,” he told her, “Thanks Garcia.”
The writing on the label was tiny, but the gist was that it contained codeine. He wouldn’t bring it home, but it was worth a try to get through his shift.
Half an hour later, Carlos was feeling pretty damn good. His sinuses still ached, he coughed occasionally, but it was like background noise, not the main show. More importantly, everyone around him had developed colorful auras, and it was both beautiful and remarkable; all those people going about their work, completely oblivious to the wonders around them. Carlos thought it was a shame, and he spun his chair around a few times, thinking, and watching his coworker’s whirl by, laughing softly to himself. He stopped when spinning got boring, tipped himself way back, and realized he could take in an amazing light show right on the ceiling... flashing orbs, moving and dancing to their own beat…it was riveting, so he continued to watch, following along, losing himself, trying to fathom how he ever lived without these lights…
“Carlos?!”
The loud voice started him, and the lights flew away, leaving him face to face with his old friend Garcia. Wow, did he love her. Another thing he hadn't noticed before…and now he was ashamed, because he couldn’t even think of her first name.
“Carlos, are you okay?” She asked, gripping his chin, and forcing him to look her in the eyes. “Holy shit,” she breathed before he could answer, “how much cough syrup did you take?”
Carlos let his head flop to the side. It felt too heavy to hold up. How did other people do it all day long? Carry their heads around like it was nothing? He asked Garcia, and she gave a low whistle.
“Oh yeah, you are so high!”
Was he? When had that happened...he didn’t remember climbing anything.
“Carlos!” Garcia again, and honestly she was starting to get on Carlos' nerves. “Did you take anything besides the cough medicine? Come on, focus!”
Carlos tried. He loved her after all, so he should do what she asked.
“Cold medicine,” he said waving a hand, “harmless stuff.”
Garcia snorted, muttering about dosages, and then she was slapping the side of his face, trying to get his attention. He pushed at her, but she grabbed his shoulders and gave him a shake.
“Do not move!” She warned, “I’m going to track down some help, then get you out of here. Stay!”
That was no problem. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not when he could spin in his chair all day and just enjoy the ride.
Carlos was upset about leaving his chair at first, but Garcia swore riding in her car would be even better. Someone named A.J, who Carlos thought seemed familiar, hauled him up, and between A.J and Garcia, he was dragged outside, mostly against his will.
“You’ll say good-bye to my chair, right?” He asked, worried.
A.J huffed at that, staggering, and barely maintaining his hold on Carlos when he lunged back toward the station. “What in the hell is he on? He's delirious, Garcia,” A.J marveled.
“A lot of cold medicine, and I gave him cough syrup too. I’d like it if that didn’t get around.” She muttered, opening the door to her car, “I’ll take him to his boyfriend. He's a medic at the 126, and he's on shift…just help me get him in.”
Carlos wasn’t sure he wanted to get in the car, not when there were butterflies everywhere! He resisted, but together A.J and Garcia managed to shove him in.
“You ok from here?” A.J asked, and Garcia must have said yes, because soon they were alone, driving fast, and Carlos didn’t like the car at all, his nausea coming back to haunt him. His stomach lurched, and Garcia yelled.
“Don’t you dare puke in my car Reyes! Do not!”
TK waited at the station house, after a cryptic call from one of Carlos' fellow officers, who said he wasn’t feeling well, and she was on her way to drop him off. When TK suggested she just take him home, she had told him it would be a bad idea to leave Carlos alone. That had TK worried, pacing at the open bay doors, until a little red car pulled up only a handful of minutes later.
TK recognized Officer Garcia; Carlos often patroled with her. She seemed like a decent person, but now she stepped out of the car with a grimace, motioning TK over.
“You're gonna have to help,” she told him, opening the passenger side door, “took two of us to get him in here.”
Whatever TK expected, it wasn’t Carlos, reeking of vomit, talking to his own hand as if could, and would, answer back.
“What the hell? Did he get dosed with something?” TK asked, crouching to get a better look. “Hey babe, are you ok?” He asked, trying to keep his cool.
Garcia looked sheepish. “Sort of. He took a lot of cold medicine, then I gave him cough syrup. With codeine. I didn’t realize!” She defended when TK glared back at her. “He told me he was good, not allergic or anything. But he didn’t mention all the decongestants he'd already popped.”
TK was pissed, but his concern trumped that. “Ok well let’s get him inside, and my captain can take a look at him. Carlos, come on, can you stand up for me?”
Carlos didn’t answer, but he brightened and then lunged at TK, who managed to catch him, barely, while Garcia disentangled his feet from the car.
“God, I have missed you so much!” Carlos enthused, squeezing TK tight enough to hurt. TK grunted, adjusting to Carlos' weight, wishing he was strong enough to carry him.
“That’s nice to hear, babe,” TK told him, urging him toward the station. “Let’s get inside and find out what’s going on with you huh? Can you move your feet? Walking is easier when you do.”
Garcia cut in, closing her car door. “You got this? I have to get back, I’m technically on duty…can you keep me informed? I feel terrible. I covered for him, let the sergeant know he's got a cold and went home. We got him out of there before anyone noticed he was acting strange. I think, anyway.”
TK nodded absently, most of his attention on keeping Carlos upright. “Yeah, I’ll have him call you when he's…more himself.”
Getting Carlos inside was a challenge, not just because Carlos couldn’t walk straight, but because he wanted to stay outside to befriend the bugs and butterflies. Nancy and Mateo came to lend a hand, hindered by Carlos’ refusal to let go of TK in case he ‘disappeared’ again.
“You see,” Carlos told Mateo, slurring his words, “You gotta watch your friends, really watch, cause if you don’t, they vanish! Poof! Like, I remember TK from this morning, but then he left, and I thought I’d lost him, until just now, when I found him again!” Carlos laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard or said.
Nancy was torn between worry and amusement, but Mateo joined the laughter, slapping Carlos on the back.
“Yeah, we work in different buildings, babe,” TK interrupted the merriment, steering Carlos toward the kitchen, “That’s why you haven’t seen me. It's not a mystery, and I didn’t vanish. Plus, we are more than friends,” TK pointed out, forcing Carlos into a chair at the table, trying to pry his fingers off of his shirt. “Please let go, I just want to sit down in my own chair. Not going far, I swear.”
Sitting directly in front of Carlos, TK noted his enlarged pupils, sagging eyelids, and inability to focus. He was high on something for sure; TK recognized the signs.
Tommy was quick to join them, toting her medic bag, and Nancy and Mateo backed up to give them space. TK was glad his dad and Judd were upstairs doing paperwork, because he wasn’t sure how many people Carlos would want to see him like this…or if he'd want Owen to tell ultra-serious Texas Ranger Gabriel that his son was stoned at work.
As it was, examining Carlos wasn’t easy, especially with Nancy and Mateo laughing at his antics, roaring when Carlos started picking invisible bugs out of TK's hair. It was a problem until Tommy shot them a reproachful look, and sent Mateo to find clean clothes to replace Carlos' sullied uniform.
“Carlos, can you tell me what you took today? What kind of medicine?” Tommy spoke slowly, pinning Carlos' hands to get his attention. Carlos looked her dead in the eye, unblinking.
“I never noticed what a shiny person you are, Tommy, until right now,” he said, and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.
“TK, do you know what he took?” she asked instead, keeping hold of Carlos hands so he wouldn’t pet her ‘aura'.
“I know he had a head cold, he hardly slept last night. Looked like his head was hurting this morning, but he insisted on going to work. We have no cold medicine at the house, cause, well, I’m not supposed to take it, but he said he would stop for some on the way to work…oh! And the officer who brought him here said he took cough syrup with codeine. More than he should have, probably.”
Tommy pondered that, but not for long. “So, he was sick, overtired, maybe dehydrated, then we can assume he took some cold medicine, maybe a lot, then the cough syrup? No food either?”
TK felt like shit. “No breakfast. I should have made him.”
Tommy gave a small head shake. “You didn’t know. And I think he's going to be fine,” she regarded her patient for another minute, considering the information she had, and grabbing another B/P quick, before Carlos pulled the cuff off one Velcro hook at a time…
“I’m confident this is drug induced delirium,” she concluded out loud, “Accidental I’m sure, from too much cold medicine, and the addition of codeine into the mix. He might be sensitive to anticholinergics, or maybe to opioids…but his vitals are what you’d expect, he's not in immediate danger. His hallucinations, lack of short-term memory, drowsiness, and slurred speech are all indicative of delirium. Good news is it will wear off. Bad news, he will be embarrassed and probably still suffering from a cold.”
TK breathed a sigh of relief, lightly batting Carlos' hands away from his hair. “So, what do I do?”
Tommy gave his hand a motherly squeeze, and nodded toward the stairs.
“We,” she stressed the we, “get your dad and Judd down here. They will help you put Carlos in the shower, clean him up, then put him to bed upstairs. That way we are all close if you need us. You're officially off duty, so watch him like a hawk! Go along with his hallucinations, so long as they don't get scary, and comfort him if they do. You're good at that.”
Standing, she patted Carlos' leg, then gathered her things, minus the blood pressure cuff that was keeping Carlos entertained.
“I'll send your dad and Judd down. You wait here.”
Tommy was right, Judd proved invaluable for getting Carlos up the stairs, and into the shower. Then he left so TK could strip his partner, and gently wash away the vomit, taking his time, allowing Carlos to relax in the steam. TK thought about all the times Carlos had taken care of him, and found he was glad for the opportunity to return the favor. Drugged up as he was, Carlos wasn’t worried about being the strong one, instead he was pliant in TK's arms, rambling about talking lady bugs and light orbs, scared of his own sneezes.
It was not an ideal situation, but TK would be there for Carlos, no matter what, no limits; so, with loving hands he guided Carlos' arms into the sleeves of an AFD hoodie, his legs into clean sweat pants, toweled his hair dry, and kissed him fondly on the forehead. With Judd's assistance once more, they tucked Carlos into bed, and TK sat beside him to stroke his hair, listen to his ramblings, and encourage sips of water, until he had drained the cup.
With the water gone, and Carlos hopefully hydrated, TK settled them back in the single bunk, snuggled close, because it was the only way they'd fit. Carlos’ rested his head on TK's chest, and they relaxed, Carlos tugging at TK's buttons, rolling them between his fingers, working out some lingering restlessness. TK let him, enjoying their proximity, and these unexpected moments together. Carlos was right, you had to keep an eye on the people you love, or they could vanish, leaving you lost and confused.
“TK?” Carlos asked eventually, around a massive yawn. He sniffled, then coughed, and TK passed him a tissue. He didn’t even mind when Carlos handed it back used.
“Yeah, babe?” TK prompted, after such a long pause that TK was sure Carlos had fallen asleep. Shrugging when Carlos remained quiet, TK began imagining to himself all the kind, and meaningful words his uninhibited partner had meant to say before dozing off…but then…
“TK? Would you let a lady bug live in your ear? Like, if it had no place else to go?”
And TK sighed…yeah, delirium.