Just Give Me a Reason

Chapter 1

We walked into our house after a two-week honeymoon in Barbados and to my surprise it was clean. And quiet

"Hey we're home." I called and Antonio and I looked at each other and shrugged

"Let's enjoy this last hour we got alone." Antonio kissing me, he moved his hands down and squeezed my butt. He's been very affectionate since we said I do he couldn't keep his hands to himself. He back us into the wall as the door opened

"Ew!"

He sighed and we pulled apart, and saw Gaby, Casey, the kids. My parents stayed with Marco the first week. Then the Dawson's took over for our week with Eva and Diego

"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" Marco shouted at he ran over I bent down and caught him

"Hi baby!" I said kissing his cheek over and over I missed him more than I thought was possible this was the longest we've been away from him since he was born.

"So, nobody missed me?" Antonio asked holding his arms up Gaby and I laughed at him

"I miss you daddy." Marco said and I handed him over as Eva and Diego came over and hugged me

"I heard a rumor we have a new track star in the family," I said kissing Diego's cheek,

"I'm running the 50 meter and I'm anchor for the relay."

"Proud of you Diego." Antonio said wrapping his free arm around him

"How are you lady?" I said looking at Eva she shrugged

"Good,"

"That's it?" Antonio said with an eye roll

"Yeah I mean you guys where only gone two-weeks, that's not really long enough to miss you." She said and he looked surprised

"Ok I'll remember that, isn't some school beach trip coming up?"

"Yeah I don't quite remember either." I said looked at her and she hugged me then Antonio and kissed his cheek

"I missed you papi, and you too bonus mommy."

"Now your guy laying it on thick, welcome home Mr. and Mrs. Dawson." Gaby said

"Thanks. And thanks for watching them, I hope they didn't drive you too crazy."

"What are you crazy? We had a blast." Casey said

"Why don't we order in for dinner my treat as a thank you." Antonio offered

"When do I ever say no to you buying me things?" Gaby said to him

We both went back to work two days later and the real world hit us head on it's like all the sick people and criminals took a break and now that we were back so were they.

"Cortez I got a peds case for you in treatment two." Maggie said handing me the chart, I looked it over 6 years old temp, fatigue, headache.

"Nobody knows how to treat the flu at home anymore?" I said and she laughed

"Think of it as job security, if half of these headaches, toe stubs, and leg cramps did come in this place would be bankrupt."

"Good point." I said then walked into treatment two

"Hi I'm Dr. Cortez you must be Shiloh." I said to the little girl on the table she was clearly very sick she was pale

"I heard you have fever what's going on?"

"The temperature and the headaches started yesterday." Her mom answered

"Did you give her medicine?"

"Tylenol which usually works but it did nothing this time."

"Ok let's take a look." I said as I checked her ears

"Any nausea or vomiting?" I asked

"Once but so I doubt it's bacterial." The dad spoke up

"Hmm." I said as I check her glands which were swollen

"Are you going to do cultures?" Her mom asked

"Well I don't want to rule anything out just yet. Is there anyone you know with similar symptoms?" I asked

"no."

"Do you feel stiff or achy back here?" I asked Shiloh as I touched her neck

"Yeah when I move my head."

"Ok."

"Meningitis?" Her mom asked

"We're going to run some tests ok, so I can get a better look."

"What kind of tests?" Shiloh asked she looked a scared of course and I smiled at her

"We're going to have a to do a poke in your arm and a poke it your back so we can figure out how to get rid of this headache okay?" She nodded

"Let me go get what I need and I'll be back ok?" I said giving her a smile

"Hey lab results they said it was urgent." Maggie said

"The little girl in two?" I asked and she nodded as I looked up the results

"April I need you to move that little girl in two into iso, and do not let any of the family leave."

"What's wrong?" Maggie asked and I looked at her

"We got to call the CDC she has influenza B."

"Oh my God I'm on it."

"Thanks." I said as I looked through her medical records then I went to talk to the parents

"Influenza B? I've never even heard of it how did she get it?"

"That's the question, has your daughter been vaccinated?"

"No none of our children are." The mom said

"Well the virus is transmitted by silva so any long term contacts can be effected and as to our protocol I have to notify her school. In the meantime you two and your other children should be vaccinated."

"I'm not sure we want to do that. The immune system is fine on its own once you start adding foreign bodies and extra proteins things ger messed up."

"It can't be anymore messed up than your 6 year old contacting a very deadly and basically extinct disease because you decided to not follow proper childcare."

"Can we just go be with our daughter?"

"I'll send a nurse in to watch the other kids." I said then walked out

"Cortez." I turned to see Will

"Hey."

"Welcome back Cortez. Or is it Dawson now?" He laughed

"Legally it's Dawson but I'm still going to practice under Cortez I thought about hyphenating but I think Cortez-Dawson is a mouth full."

"Just a little bit, um listen have you seen Nat?"

"Not today, actually she hasn't called me back since yesterday."

"Oh ok."

"Wait!" I stopped him from walking away

"What did you do?" I asked and he sighed

"Look I messed up... Nat caught me and Zoe kissing." He said and I punched his chest

"Ow."

"You son of bitch! How could you do that to her!?"

"Ow! I know, I know I messed up but look I just need to talk to her."

"No you need to give her space because she doesn't want to hear your bullshit excuses and neither do I. Just leave her alone I'll take it from here." I said then pushed him out of my way