The first week of December brought another wave of snow in addition to a slight dip in criminal activity. Intelligence was working on small drug-smuggling ring that appeared to be folding fast. "Jay." Erin picked up her phone. "I'm sorry I missed your call, I was in an interrogation. Did you get the guy?"
"It's Kate," he replied, "The school just called, she's running a slight fever."
"Oh no." Erin put her hand to her mouth. "We got the confession so I'll get someone to cover me so I can go pick her up."
Jay nodded and turned to Atwater, who gestured that he could handle things on their end. "I'll be home early, okay? As soon as I can."
After speaking with Hank and receiving the go-ahead to pick up her daughter, Erin jumped in her Jeep and peeled out of the parking lot to get to Kate's school as fast as she could. In the five months that Kate had been a member of their family, she hadn't been sick and rarely complained of feeling poorly even with broken and sprained arms. Motherly instinct took over, and Erin had a gut feeling her baby really wasn't feeling well.
Erin wished she had been in the Sierra so that she could turn the lights on, but she as able to make it to Hillside Nursery School in record time. Erin parked in the fire lane before switching off the car and briskly making her way to the school entrance. "Where's the nurse's office?" Erin asked the woman behind the front desk. She swung her keys impatiently as the woman continued to write on the different colored slips of paper. "My daughter is sick." Erin placed her hands on her hips, pulling back her long winter coat and revealing the badge clipped to the waistband of her dark jeans.
"Down the hall, to your left." The woman looked up from the paperwork and directed the detective on where to go.
"Thank you." Erin sped walked down the hallway and into the nurse's office. "Hi, I'm here for Kate Halstead." She glanced around the small room, taking note of the kiddie-sized chairs and posters encouraging the little kids to wash their hands and cover their mouths.
"Hello Mrs. Halstead. Kate's in the other room. I'm going to need you to sign her out and take a pass to give at the front desk." The older woman smiled at Erin. "It's only a slight fever, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry."
"Thank you," Erin said gratefully as she hastily signed her name on the clipboard and handed it back to the woman. The nurse gestured to the back room, indicating that it was where Erin would find her daughter.
"Mommy," whispered a small voice as Erin entered. Erin followed the familiar tone to the far bed in the corner, where her baby was lying on her side.
"Hi baby." Erin sat down on the plastic bed Kate was lying in. "I heard you're not feeling too good, huh?"
Kate shrugged. "I'm sorry you had to come from work." She looked up at her mother tiredly, "I said I was fine but Miss Carlson said I feeled warm."
"I wasn't busy and it's okay to tell an adult if you're feeling sick, okay? I don't mind leaving work especially if it means I get to spend time with you." Erin stroked her daughter's cheek. "Let's get you home, sound good?"
Kate nodded and lifted her arms. Erin scooped her up and grabbed her backpack from the chair. "Thanks again," she said to the nurse and walked down the hallway that she had entered through.
The lady at the front desk gave a sympathetic look Kate when Erin handed her the green slip that allowed Kate to leave school. "Poor thing." the woman said benevolently, stamping the slip. "Feel better sweetheart."
"Thanks." Erin replied and exited the school. She slipped Kate into her car seat and buckled her up, placing a soft kiss on her warm forehead.
"Did you feel sick this morning baby?" Erin looked in her rearview mirror as they drove along the street, "Like before school?" The little girl had been silent since Erin had buckled her in.
