Work Text:
Jack watches as Robby sits at the kitchen table with the two oldest boys. He’s helping each of them with their homework before dinner. They’re both working on math and needed a little help. Jack loves watching him in his element: teaching. He’s naturally good at teaching, and Jack knows that’s one of the reasons he’s such a good chief at the Pitt. People appreciate the way he explains things and that he gives them the opportunity to try and to potentially fail without judgment. He realizes nobody is perfect and it comforts people to know he doesn’t expect perfection, only best effort.
The girls are working on puzzles, mostly quietly. Junie lets out the occasional squeal of excitement when she gets a piece right.
Clark is sick with the flu, running a fever, congestion, cough, body aches, lack of appetite, the works. He’s currently sleeping. In the big bed, for old time’s sake.
Jack is off tonight, but ironically Robby is not. He’s covering for somebody who had a family emergency.
Robby finishes up with Milo and then works quietly with Jake for a little longer, their heads bent close together looking over his work.
Nell comes over and reaches up for Jack so he picks her up and says “What’s up, Nellie Girl?”
“I’m hungry. When is dinner ready?”
“Just a couple more minutes.”
They’re having baked chicken and a side of mixed veggies that probably nobody but Jack and Robby will touch, but they’ll be offered nonetheless.
As soon as it’s done, Jack portions out some for the girls and cuts up their chicken. He makes a plate for Milo but leaves his chicken for him to cut up. They’re working on some of those more independent skills with him.
By this time, Robby and Jake have finished. Jake goes to put his work away while Robby comes to make a plate. He presses a firm kiss to Jack’s cheek as he passes. Jack grins at the small gesture of affection.
Jake comes back in and makes his own plate, adding a small spoonful of veggies alongside his chicken. Likely just for good show, but Jack appreciates it.
Everybody starts eating and Clark comes shuffling out of the bedroom, bleary eyed and flushed with fever. He walks over and climbs into Robby’s lap, front to front, and lays his head on Robby’s chest, tucked up under his chin. He’s nearly too big to sit like that anymore. Luckily he’s a pretty shrimpy little guy for his age and, of course, Robby is a big guy.
Robby continues eating, occasionally rubbing Clark’s back. Clark is quickly back out again, head slightly tilted back and mouth hanging open.
Robby’s time at home comes to an end though, and he has to get ready for work. He stands up and carries Clark to the couch, gently laying him on it.
But Clark wakes up and starts crying.
“Shhh,” Jack hears Robby soothe their youngest son. “Papa has to go to work, Clark Kent.”
Clark cries hoarsely and says “But I want you.” His voice is wrecked and he sounds awful.
“Hey, rest your voice, baby boy. You’ll see me in the morning.”
When it’s clear that Clark isn’t going to settle, Jack leaves his dinner and makes his way to the couch to take over so Robby can get ready.
Jack sits on the couch and cradles Clark in his arms like a baby, and it’s telling that Clark doesn’t feel good because he doesn’t even protest being held that way.
Heat radiates off of him, and when Robby passes back through, Jack asks him to get a cool wet cloth.
He puts it on Clark’s forehead in hopes of cooling him down some. He’s nearly due for another round of Motrin, but in the meantime Jack will try to make him more comfortable.
Robby, now dressed in his black scrubs, quickly clears plates in the kitchen and throws them in the dishwasher before going around for hugs and kisses.
Junie, Papa’s girl to the core, stalls him leaving.
“One more hug, Papa!”
He acquiesces.
“One more kiss!”
He laughs and gives her a kiss.
“I have to go, June Bug. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She follows him to the door and yells “I love you, Papa!” as he gets in the car.
“Okay, Junie. Close the door, please.”
She glares at Jack but closes the door and walks back toward the couch.
Everybody disperses to their own various activities. Nell wants to watch a movie and requests Brave. Junie goes back to working on a puzzle but also watches the movie as she works. Milo goes down to the playroom and Jake goes to his bedroom.
Jack tells the girls he’s going to lay Clark down and that he might lay with him a minute to make sure he stays asleep. He reminds them to get him if they need him.
He takes Clark back to the big bed and lays him down. Clark stirs around and gives a hoarse cry.
“It’s okay, Clarky. I’m right here,” Jack shushes him gently. He lays down beside him and puts his hand on his body so he knows he’s not alone.
He lays there for about 20 minutes while Clark settles. He’s restless at first but his body finally gives in and he conks back out.
Jack makes his way back out to the girls and finds them where he left them. With everybody situated, Jack grabs a load of laundry to fold and put away. Most of it belongs to Milo and Clark so he’s in and out of their room putting clothes away.
He goes to the bathroom to put a few washcloths away and takes a moment to relieve his bladder. He figures he’ll be quick enough and doesn’t bother locking the door.
Of course, luck is not on his side and Junie slams the door open so unexpectedly and with such force that Jack startles and pisses all over the side of the toilet where it immediately starts dripping down the side onto the floor.
“Shit!” Jack squeezes his eyes shut in frustration and corrects himself “Shoot! Junie, you scared the life out of me.”
Junie giggles.
“What do you need?” Jack finishes relieving himself, tucks himself away, and grabs cleaning wipes to clean the toilet and floor.
“I wanted a snack.”
“We just had dinner.”
“I didn’t like the dinner. I want a snack instead.”
Jack sighs and finishes wiping the floor, tosses the wipes in the trash, and washes his hands.
“You can have some cheese and fruit.”
Junie sighs. “Fine,” she agrees.
Jack gets her cheese and fruit and then goes back to putting away laundry.
One of Jake’s shirts made it into the pile so he makes his way to Jake’s room and knocks on the door.
No answer, so Jack knocks again.
When there’s still no answer, Jack frowns. It’s way too early for Jake to be asleep. Unless maybe he’s getting the flu from Clark and isn’t feeling well.
Jack knocks for a third time and when there’s no answer he tries the handle. Locked.
“Jake?” He calls in a loud voice.
No answer.
His heart rate spikes in worry.
He grabs one of the little keys that can unlock the bedroom doors from the outside and unlocks it.
Jake is not in the room. He checks the closet just in case but he’s not there either. He even desperately checks under the bed.
When he realizes he’s truly not in the room, Jack makes his way to the window. It’s closed, but it’s not locked.
Fuck.
He goes to the basement door and calls down to Milo, asking if Jake is down there with him. He’s not.
Jack stands there momentarily, lost. He can’t leave the kids to go out looking for him. Jake doesn’t have a phone so he can’t call him. He doesn’t want to go extreme yet and call the police.
He doesn’t want to bother Robby at work, but he doesn’t see anyway around it.
It occurs to him to try calling Janey. He tries her twice with no answer.
Double fuck.
He reluctantly hits Robby’s name in his phone.
“Jack?” Robby answers with concern in his voice.
Jack sighs. “I didn’t want to bother you at work, but we’ve got a problem.”
“What’s up?”
“Jake isn’t in his room and his window is unlocked. He’s not in the house. He left.”
Robby is quiet for so long that Jack looks at the phone to make sure they didn’t get disconnected.
“Robby?”
“I… I’m just…” Robby stutters and then Jack hears him quietly talking to somebody on his end. “Sorry, I was letting Dana know I’m leaving. I was just shocked when you told me. I didn’t know what to say. I’m on my way home though.”
“Okay. I’m sorry, babe.”
“Hey, we’re a team, right? I would be upset if you didn’t call me for help.”
They disconnect, and Jack takes up pacing. He tries Janey one more time with no answer.
He hears a door open and looks over to see Clark coming out of the bedroom, crying his pitiful hoarse cry and grabbing his ear.
“My ear,” he sobs. He reaches up for Jack to hold him.
Jack picks him up. “Oh, baby boy. Ear aches are the worst,” he sympathizes.
Ear infections are common with the flu and Jack is sure that’s what’s going on. He takes him to the couch and puts him down. Nell immediately comes over and rubs his arm comfortingly.
Jack grabs a heating pad to put against Clark’s ear as well as the Motrin he’s due to get.
As he’s getting Clark situated, Robby walks in.
There’s concern etched on his face but he also looks ready to jump in and take charge where needed. Another thing Jack loves about him.
“What happened?” Robby indicates toward Clark.
“I think he has an ear infection. I haven’t had a chance to look yet.”
Robby nods.
“Any word from Jake?”
Jack shakes his head. Robby scrubs his hand down his face.
“I’ve tried Janey a few times with no answer. I can go out looking for him, I just couldn’t leave the kids.”
“I’m not sure if there’s any point in you going out to look for him? Where would you look?” Robby asks gently.
Jack shakes his head and shrugs. “I feel like I need to do something though. This happened on my watch.”
“And it could have just as easily happened on my watch. Don’t blame yourself for this.”
Robby gets his phone out and says he’ll try Janey too.
When he gets no answer, he shakes his head and puts his phone away.
Milo walks up from the basement and instantly senses the tension in the room and notices Robby being back.
“What happened?” He asks nervously.
“Listen, Goose. This isn’t something for you to get worried about, okay? I mean it. Do you hear me?” Jack makes sure he has Milo’s attention. “Jake left and we’re not sure where he went, but we’re going to find him.”
Milo bites his lip, seems to take a second to decide if he should in fact worry, and nods. Jack nods back at him, showing him he appreciates the trust.
Robby says “Let’s start where we can. You check Clark’s ear, and I’ll see if I can call any of Jake’s friends from school.”
Jack finds his bag of medical supplies and grabs the otoscope.
Clark protests being moved off of the heating pad with a weak whimper. “Okay, Clarky, okay. Let Daddy look in your ear real quick and then you can lay back down.”
Jack gently sticks the otoscope in his son’s ear and looks around. He instantly sees a full, angry red ear drum.
“Yep, you’ve got an ear infection, buddy.”
He lays Clark back on the heating pad and calls in a favor from a coworker to call in the prescription for antibiotics so they can get him started sooner rather than later.
He lets Robby know it’s infected and that he’s got antibiotics being called in after Robby gets off the phone.
Robby nods in acknowledgment before updating him. “Jake’s friend, David, doesn’t know anything. I couldn’t get ahold of Will.”
He’s about to try one more friend when there’s a knock on the front door. They look at each other before walking to the door together. Robby opens it and they find Janey and Jake standing there.
Jake’s head is down, and Janey looks apologetic with a hint of disappointment toward Jake.
“He came to my apartment, and I left my phone at work so I wasn’t able to call.”
Jack and Robby both sigh in relief.
“We’ve had a big talk about how he can’t just leave and come over whenever he wants, but I expect you’ll also want to have a serious talk with him.”
“Jake, man, you cannot sneak out the window. You are 14 years old. What if something had happened to you? What if somebody had taken you?” Jack says sternly.
Jake looks up with tears in his eyes. “I just wanted to see my mom.”
“And that’s fine. Do you think we’d ever say you couldn’t see her?”
Jake shrugs.
“We might say give us time to figure out how to make it happen, but we would never tell you that you can’t see your mom, Jake.”
Jake is looking down and to the side and he sniffles.
“Look at me,” Jack says gently, and Jake looks into his eyes. “That is your mom, man. We’ll never keep you from her if we can help it. And if we can’t figure it out in that moment, we’ll figure it out as soon as we can. All of this was completely unnecessary.”
Jake sniffs and nods.
“We love you, buddy. And we want what’s best for you, but we also need to know you’re safe. This cannot happen again.”
Jack catches Jake’s eye again and says “Hey, can I have a hug, man?”
Jake walks forward and Jack wraps him in a hug.
Robby says “Clark has the flu so you may not want to be here, but you’re welcome to stay a while and spend some extra time with your boy if you want.”
Jack nods. “We’ll go about our usual routine and get the kids to bed. You guys can hang out out here or in Jake’s room. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Janey hugs both Jack and Robby and whispers “Thank you.”
They go off to Jake’s room and Jack turns to Robby. “You going back to work?”
Robby purses his lips in thought.
“You know what? Nah. They’ll survive the night without either one of us.” He looks around and says “Alright, who wants Papa to do bedtime tonight?”
The girls cheer and jump up and down. That sets Clark off in a hoarse wail.
Jack picks him up and brings the heating pad, taking him back to the big bed. He lays down with him and lets him snuggle in. They don’t get night time snuggles often anymore so Jack pulls him close and soaks it in.
He dozes off and wakes a couple of hours later to Robby crawling into the bed with them. Jack lifts his head and looks at him. Robby leans over and kisses him before whispering “Everybody’s where they should be. Janey left. Jake is asleep in his bed.”
Jack nods tiredly and lays his head back down against Clark’s. Robby leans down and places a gentle kiss on Clark’s cheek before settling in on his side of the bed.
Jack falls back to sleep to the soft snuffles of Clark’s congested breathing, Robby’s quiet snores, and the comfort of knowing his family is safe and sound in their beds.