February Night

Chapter 69

A sneeze followed by a cough was heard from the living room and sighing, Lucy came from the kitchen. For the last two days Spencer was suffering a bad cold and no tea or medicine had really helped so far. "Are you alright?", Lucy asked as she handed him a cup of tea and sat down next to him.

"Sure", he murmured nasally, due to his blocked nose, and took a sip of the hot beverage.

"You don't look like you're feeling all well", she countered.

"Lucy, I am, believe me. It's just a little cold." He sneezed again. And just when Lucy was about to say something, his phone started to ring. "Garcia?" Spencer got up from the couch and slowly walked through the living room, listening to Penelope's words. He sighed and let a hand run through his hair. Lucy watched him and feared that there was a case. "Alright, I'll be there in twenty minutes", Spencer said and then hung up. "I've got a case." He went towards the bedroom to get ready.

"But...you're sick!", Lucy exclaimed and jumped from the couch to follow him.

"I'm just having a cold, that's not exactly sick", Spencer said while he threw some clothes in his to-go bag.

"It is!", Lucy disagreed. She couldn't believe that he was so stubborn. How could he leave for a case, put himself into danger, when he wasn't feeling hundred percent well? "You should stay home and get better first! I'm sure they can manage that case without you", Lucy started another try. But Spencer shook his head.

"I just have to go. I'm doing alright, don't worry."

"Don't worry?!" Lucy couldn't hold back a sarcastic laugh that made Spencer turn around. "What the hell do you think I'm doing whenever you're out on a case? Of course, I'm worrying! I always worry when you have to hunt those psychopaths and serial killers!" She now almost screamed but she just couldn't help it. Suddenly, all the emotions, all the fears she had when Spencer, and Luke as well, were out on a case risking their lives to save others, came out.

"But you knew from the beginning that this is my job!", Spencer now shouted back, throwing his to go bag on the floor. "I told you that I have to be away a lot, I told you that my job is dangerous! And you've told me that you can live with that!" For a moment, Spencer and Lucy just stood there in the bedroom, staring at each other while they were heavily breathing. Spencer tried to hold back a cough and failed. Then, he bent down, grabbed his bag and walked past Lucy without saying another word. She wasn't able to follow him. Her knees were shaking and she felt like she needed to sit down. When Lucy could hear Spencer slamming the front door shut, she sank down on the bed and buried her face in her hands.

What the hell had that been? They had never fought until now. And she was wondering if he couldn't understand her point or just didn't want to. Lucy was mad at him for being so selfish – or no, selfless – to go out on a case where he had no idea what to expect while he was sick just to save other people's lives. She was just worried; even more than usual. And he seemed to just not care. Of course, this was his job. But...Lucy let out a deep sigh and whipped away the tears that had started to stream down her face. Then she got up and went to take a shower to calm herself down. But even two hours later she couldn't stop thinking of their fight and what she'd do if she wouldn't have the chance to say sorry to Spencer. Yes, there was always a possibility that he wouldn't return after a case. And never had that fear been bigger than tonight.

Biting down her bottom lip, Lucy wandered through her and Spencer's apartment. She felt restless and took her phone repeatedly, thinking about calling or texting Spencer. But she didn't want to piss him off even more or disturb him at work. And she also didn't want to give in just like that. She was stubborn and had her pride, as he did as well.

Alright, if she couldn't call Spencer, she'd just call Luke. Her fingers flew over the display as she dialed her brother's number.

"Lu? What's the matter?", she could hear Luke's voice only a few seconds later.

"I...uhm...Luke, listen, Spencer and I, we...we had a fight right before he left for the case and...ugh I'm worried."

"Okaaay", Luke slowly said; obviously waiting for her to continue talking. Lucy sighed and slumped her body down on the couch.

"I know you'll say it's childish, but I don't want to call him now. He might still be angry at me and I...I'm afraid that I won't have the chance to say sorry to him and...Luke, can you please-"

"Yes, I'll have an eye on him and I promise you, nothing's going to happen to him, sis", Luke interrupted her rambling and she could hear that he was smiling. "What was your fight about?", he eventually asked after some seconds.

"He's having a bad cold and I asked him to stay home for once because I was worried he could put himself into even more danger when he's not fit", she quietly told Luke.

"Oh. Well, he's definitely having a cold but we'll give him tea and all that and he'll be fine, Lu. Don't worry too much."

"Thank you, Luke", she replied and when Luke had to leave, she hung up and felt a bit better now. She knew that the others would look after Spencer and that they wouldn't put him into any danger. They'd rather leave him back at the police station when he wasn't feeling all well.

Lucy had spent the rest of the evening with a book and some TV show before she'd crawled into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. However, her slumber was disturbed by her phone which started to ring in the middle of the night. Groaning, Lucy rolled over and touched for it. "What the hell?", she murmured into the phone.

"Lucy, listen." Luke. Why was Luke calling her in the middle of the night? But before she could ask that question, Luke already continued. "Spencer got shot."