Marie Force - Fatal Identity

“What if it is?”

“One thing at a time.”

“What can I do?”

“It’s kind of a big thing, but I need someone on Josh until we know what we’re dealing with. I’m sure you have plans this weekend—”

“Actually, Elin is going wedding dress shopping with her friends for the weekend, so I’m on my own.”

“How do you feel about hunkering down in a hotel with him until we know more?”

“I’d much rather hunker down in a hotel with Elin, but since that’s not happening this weekend, I can do it.”

“Are you sure? I’m technically not allowed to ask you to do anything, and I’m not sure how the OT will work. I’ll clean it up later with Malone.”

“Don’t sweat it. It all comes out in the wash.”

“In case I forget to tell you, you’re the best.”

“Yeah, yeah, so you say until you get mad with me and I’m not the best anymore.”

“When was the last time I was mad with you?”

“Um, when I tuned up Elliott?” he asked of the man who’d assaulted his fiancée.

“That was a very specific instance of you doing something stupid.”

“Sort of like you punching Ramsey?”

“Just like,” she said with a laugh. “Touché.”

“Where’s Josh now?”

“My living room.”

“Seriously? You brought him home with you?”

“Where else was I supposed to take him? HQ is off limits to me at the moment, and I wanted him somewhere that no one could get to him. This place is like Fort Knox these days, so where better?”

“I’ll come get him.”

“Enter at your own risk. Nick and Scotty are down hard with something that could be the flu but more closely resembles the bubonic plague.”

“Ah, damn, that’s too bad.”

“Puts a damper on my plans for a restful break,” she said as she looked in on Scotty and then Nick. Both were sleeping peacefully—for the moment.

The doorbell rang, and Sam headed for the stairs, praying it was Harry. “I gotta go. I’ll see you when you get here.”

“I’ll be there within the hour.”

“Thanks again.”

“No problem.”

It was a huge problem and an even bigger imposition, but he wouldn’t say so, and that made him the best partner she’d ever had. He did whatever she asked of him, no matter how outrageous the request.

She reached the living room as Brant ushered Dr. Harry Flynn into the house. “Thank God you’re here. My boys are sick as dogs.”

The handsome, dark-haired doctor kissed her cheek. “Boys plural?”

“Scotty came home with the same thing Nick has. They’re both scary sick.”

“Dr. Harry’s on the job. Lead the way.”

“Be right back,” Sam said to Josh as she took Harry upstairs, first to Scotty, who hadn’t budged since she tucked him in.

Harry took his temperature with a thingie he swiped over the boy’s forehead. “One-oh-three. That’s one heck of a fever. Did he mention any symptoms other than the vomiting?”

“He could barely hold himself up, let alone talk.”

“And he was fine this morning?”

“They both were—and then they weren’t.”

“It’s going around. We’ve seen it in the office.”

Sam felt slightly better to hear her guys hadn’t been taken down by something random.

“It’s usually a miserable day or two before they start to rebound.” He finished examining Scotty. “Let me take a quick look at Nick.”

“Right this way.”

Nick woke up while Harry was taking his temperature. “What’re you doing in my bedroom?”

“I came to seduce your wife since you’re not capable at the moment.”

Nick groaned and attempted a smile. “Hands off. She’s all mine.”

“One-oh-two,” Harry said, reading from the LCD. “How did it come on and what’re your symptoms?”

“I was in a meeting and my head started to buzz and my stomach started to hurt and within five minutes, I felt like I was going to pass out. Fortunately, Melinda saw it happen and was all over it. She and Brant got me out of there before I could puke in the White House.”

“Did she have her hands on you?” Sam asked of the blonde bombshell agent she called Secret Service Barbie.

“Relax. I didn’t feel a thing other than the need to puke.”

“I love how she’s jealous even when you’re sick as hell,” Harry said with a laugh.

“That’s my girl,” Nick said, his eyes closing. “True blue.” His hand found hers, and he linked their fingers.

No matter what the circumstances, he always knew how to handle her, and Sam didn’t mind being handled as long as he was the one doing it.

“I don’t think either of them needs more than rest and fluids. Unfortunately, it’s got to run its course. If they get any worse, don’t hesitate to call 911 and get them to the hospital.”

“That’s it? That’s all we can do?”

“For now. I’ll be checking in with you, and we’ll keep tabs on how they’re doing. Try not to worry. I know it’s hard to see them so sick, but you should see a big improvement by tomorrow. The most important thing is keeping them hydrated. Push the fluids.”

“All right. If you’re sure.”

He kissed her forehead. “I’m a phone call away if you need me. I promise they’re going to be fine.”

For the first time since she’d seen Nick looking like death warmed over, Sam relaxed ever so slightly. She wouldn’t completely relax, however, until they were both back to normal.

After she and Harry checked once more on their sleeping patients, she walked him downstairs and gave him a hug at the door. “Thanks for coming.”

“Anytime. Don’t hesitate to call me if they get any worse, okay?”

“You’ll be the first to know.”

He passed Lindsey McNamara on the ramp, and they exchanged a few words before Brant admitted Lindsey.

“Is it safe to come in?” Lindsey asked.

“Enter at your own risk,” Sam said. “We’re down hard with the flu.”

“Yikes.”

“At least my suspension is well-timed. I’m needed here for the next few days.”

“Silver lining,” Lindsey said with a smile. She glanced at Josh, who sat on the sofa, his leg still bouncing nervously. “Are you going to tell me what this is about?”

“I can’t. Not yet anyway. But suffice to say it’s a matter of paternity, and if it turns out to be something, it’s gonna be huge.”

“Say no more.”

Sam introduced her to Josh, and Lindsey explained the process of obtaining a cheek swab to test his DNA.

“How long will it take to get results?” he asked.

“I’ll put a rush on it, but it could be four or five days.”

“How will you know if someone is a match to my DNA?”

Lindsey glanced at Sam before she replied. “The basic DNA fingerprint or profile that we use for law enforcement or human identity purposes is called the nuclear or autosomal STR profile. STR means short tandem repeat, which describes repeating segments of DNA code at particular locations on the human genome.”

Josh’s eyes glazed over as Lindsey explained the technicalities.

“We’ll be looking for a match to your biological father,” she said when she seemed to realize she’d lost him. “The Y chromosome is passed down from father to son. The Y-STR profile for a father and a son should exactly match, except in rare cases of mutation. So this wouldn’t work for identifying a daughter, because a girl wouldn’t have the Y chromosome. The lab will rely upon a combination of information from autosomal STRs and the Y-STRs to make a determination of father/son. You see?”

Judging by his baffled expression, he didn’t see. He didn’t see at all. But he said, “I think so. Thank you for explaining.”

“No problem.”