Coffee and Aspirin

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The next morning was awful for Jamie. Not in the sense that he was exhausted and felt awful or that he felt ill, but he felt awful because a crying little Henry was having one of those moments.

Last night, Henry and Jamie had finished up the charts for the rules, punishments, and rewards for their newfound relationship. In one of those moments where they were working on them, Henry had explained his issues: depression and anxiety as well as a chance of bipolar disorder.

And Jamie, an adult who had been working with children of the same or similar disorders, knew what kind of episode Henry was having.

Jamie felt awful because, for once, everything he had learned from physiology school wasn't helping him aid Henry's stress.

He didn't want to color, he didn't want to squeeze something, Jamie truly didn't know what to do.

Henry was laying in the middle of the living room of his apartment, bawling. He just kept going from one thing to another, from angry and sad to happy, and then back to being sad. It pained Jamie to see his baby like this.

"Henry," Jamie called, finally deciding to do something that may work. Henry whimpered in response.

"Get off the floor and come eat please." His words may have been soft but his tone was harsh. Henry shook his head, "No, no, no!"

***
Henry knew it was a bad idea from the start but he wanted to test out Jamie's flexibility with the rules. Would he keep them? More importantly, would he keep the punishments?

Jamie set his rag down, the one he had been using to clean last night's dishes, and walked over to him. "I'm going to count to three. When I reach three I want your butt in your chair and your food in your mouth, do you understand?"

Henry sobbed, kicking his feet angrily.

"One." Jamie began counting and he saw Henry freeze up, only his body racking from hiccups.

"Two." Jamie's brows furrowed strictly. Henry sat up but didn't move. Jamie wasn't actually going to punish him for having an episode, would he?

"Three."

Neither one moved. Henry thought he would have gotten away from punishment but then his armpits were being lifted and he was being carried to his chair in the kitchen.

Jamie sat him down, moved his plate so that it wasn't near him, and grabbed a sheet of paper from the fridge and a marker from the basket (the fridge is magnetic so the rules, punishments, and rewards are stuck to it. A clipboard is also on the fridge with a basket of markers and pens) and handed them to Henry.

Henry sniffled as he looked at the paper. Jamie grabbed the rag he'd been using earlier and said, "I want the front to back with an apology. You are to write: I promise never to throw a tantrum again. Understand?"

Henry nodded softly, uncapping his marker. At least it was a red marker. Red was his favorite color.

^^^
After the dishes were put away, breakfast was cleaned up and Henry had finished his lines and breakfast, Jamie had Henry join him on the sofa, sitting on his lap.

The two didn't say anything at first. Only Jamie rubbing Henry's stomach in soft circles in the silence of the apartment.

"Henry, baby," Henry's lip wobbled at being spoken to. He didn't want to be yelled at again.

Jamie looked at Henry concerned but lovingly, easing a few of Henry's nerves. "Why did you have a tantrum?" Jamie asked.

Henry looked down and shook his head. He wasn't sure why. Yes, he wanted to test Jamie but that wasn't why he had thrown a tantrum.

"I-I dont's know..."

Jamie's hands rubbed Henry's hips. "Do you think Jamie enjoys punishing you like that?"

"N-No." Henry could feel the tears breaking from their dam.

"Right, I don't. So next time when we have an issue like this, what're you going to do?"

Hesitantly, Henry quietly answered, "... Talk to J-Jama."

Jamie kissed his head tenderly. "Exactly."