So this popped into my head whilst thinking about the 10th anniversary of September 11th. It's one of those things that I don't want to post a story about but yet kind of feel like I have to. Even though I live in UK and it didn't affect me on a personal level, I still feel physically sick whenever I watch anything to do with it and when I listen to the brave families of people that were lost and the brave people who are still dealing with the tragedy, my heart aches for them!
We must NEVER forget the lives that were cut short, and continue to be affected by those awful events of that day! I know I will never forget!
Don't own anyone or anything that is associated with the TV show!
I wrote this straight onto my laptop which I don't usually do – it wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it -Hope its ok…
Steve, Chin and Kono poured over video footage of a car speeding away from a crime scene when the door to the office was thrown open.
Danny staggered in, looking for the entire world liked he'd slept in his clothes, "I'm glad you could join us," Steve joked, knowing it was still quite early.
"Geez McGarratt, give me a break! It's only 7.30!" Came the snarled reply, followed by the slamming of an office door.
Steve looked up from the footage, confusion easily discernable on his face. He looked at his two colleagues in front of him, "What just happened?"
The cousins both shrugged their shoulders while trying to see over their boss's shoulders to the detective who had just shut himself in his office.
Steve turned to look towards his partners' office but couldn't see anything untoward that is until he heard a crash. He glanced at Chin and Kono, a glance that told them to carry on with what they were doing while he went to investigate.
He made his way slowly over to Danny's office wondering what was going on with the blonde detective.
He knocked on the door a proceeded to enter even though he had not heard Danny give permission.
First thing he noticed was the broken mug on the floor, obviously thrown at the wall, "What's the mug ever done to you?" He joked trying to diffuse the obvious tension in the room.
"Don't remember giving you permission to come in…" Danny turned towards Steve, who gasped audibly at the sight in front of him.
His partner, well didn't look like the Danny he knew. He was dishevelled, his hair was a mess, and it was obvious that he'd slept in his clothes, although sleep might have been a loose term, but the thing that got Steve the most was the smell of alcohol on his breath, "Have you been drinking?"
"Might have had a beer or two…what's it to do with you? What are you, my keeper?" Danny snapped back at Steve.
"Did you drive here?"
"Well duh… how do you think I got here? I'm not superman like you, you know!"
Steve's alarm bells were ringing in overdrive now. This was so not like Danny, "You could have killed someone, hell you could've been killed you moron!" Steve couldn't help his voice rising – he was extremely concerned about his friend.
This got Chin and Kono's attention and they immediately joined Steve in Danny's office, "Great a party – who's got the beer?" Danny sneered, as he staggered from behind his desk, knocking into Steve as he went.
Steve caught his arm to stop him from falling, "Don't touch me…" Danny hissed, which almost caused Steve to let go, but he didn't, he kept his friend upright.
"Are you alright brah?" Kono asked even though it was blindingly obvious that he wasn't.
"I'm fine, or at least I would be if you all got out of my face!" He yelled as he pushed his way past his anxious friends, "I'm going home. I can't stand being stared at!"
He was already out of the door by this time, storming towards the main door to the office which he proceeded to pull instead of push.
"Come on damnit!" He shouted at the door as his friends watched on helplessly, not knowing what was wrong with the detective, and so not knowing how to help him.
Suddenly Danny kicked the door, and then sank to the ground to sit in silence.
Steve looked at his two colleagues at a total loss. Chin had the same concerned expression on his face that he was sure he carried and Kono had tears in her eyes. Seeing Kono's tears spurred Steve into action, "I'm taking him home. Something has obviously happened, but he's in no fit state to be here. I'll get him home then I'll speak to the governor. Chin, will you and Kono continue going over the film footage with a fine tooth comb and call me if you find anything…"
Chin clapped Steve on the shoulder, "You know it…take care of him," he finished, turning towards his distressed colleague.
Steve nodded as he gathered together some of Danny's belongings that he had scattered over his desk.
Chin and Kono gave Danny a sympathetic glance as they went back to work. Steve crouched down next to him, "I don't know what's bugging you Danno but I'm taking you home…"
"Don't wanna go home…" came the mumbled reply, "I'll remember if I go home…"
That remark caused Steve to wonder even more what was bothering his friend.
After a thirty minute drive, in utter silence, they arrived at Danny's meagre apartment. If Steve had been concerned by Danny's behaviour earlier then the state of the apartment had sent his anxiety levels soaring. Basically it looked like everything had been turned over!
"Danny did you do this?" He asked, wondering if he ought to get the crime response team out.
Danny glanced at the destruction in front of him and just shrugged his shoulders. He staggered over to the fridge and grabbed a beer.
Steve marched over and snatched it out of his hand, "You've had enough!"
"I've not had nearly enough!" Danny insisted as he grabbed the bottle and had the top off before Steve could react.
"Danny what's going on? You're actually scaring me," Steve admitted.
Danny paused in his beer drinking and set the bottle down on the kitchen side, "It never goes away…"
Steve was about to question what the detective meant by that statement when Danny stumbled from the kitchen onto the pull out bed. He sat down heavily and pulled out a photo from under the pile of bed clothes.
Steve took hold of it. It showed a young man in a police mans uniform, smiling broadly under his hat. Steve looked from the photo to his partner who was looking over with a fondness he hadn't seen before, "That's Pete…he was my first partner…"
Steve waited patiently for Danny to explain the significance of the picture, "Do you know what day it is on Sunday?"
Steve felt slightly unnerved by Danny's stern expression, "Yes I do Danny. I'm sure everyone in the world knows what day it is on Sunday…it's not that easy to forget."
Danny nodded as he rose on unsteady legs to retrieve his beer. He slumped back onto the bed, beer sloshing out of the bottle, "He was there…"
Steve looked from Danny back down to the smiling young man in the picture, "Pete was at the Towers?"
Danny nodded as he took a mouthful of beer, "He was on duty and got called to the city…" He closed his eyes as memories came flooding back, "I was off work with the flu…can you believe it? The flu of all things…" he took another mouthful of beer, "He called me to tell me that the towers had been hit and that they had all been mobilised for the rescue effort…"
Suddenly the beer bottle flew across the room, "He didn't come back!"
Steve felt a lead weight form in his stomach, he'd been away with the navy and had only seen what had been broadcasted on the news channels – it hadn't been that personal for him, "God Danny, I'm sorry…" It didn't seem enough, but it was all Steve could give at that time.
"They called me to tell me he'd gone…later that day…just like that! I was at home lying in bed while my partner went and got himself killed…" Danny broke off as tears overflowed from tired eyes, "They said that he saved people, they didn't know how many but he saved them…he was a hero…"
"Yes Danny he is," Was all he could think of to say.
"I got a call yesterday from a girl he saved…Molly…she was four at the time…she'd been in nursery…she came to the precinct about two weeks after the attacks with her family to say a thank you to everyone that helped…she gave me a bear to put on Pete's grave, but of course, there isn't one…" Danny swallowed hard as long buried, or so he thought, emotions started to make an appearance, "She called to tell me that she'd never forgotten him and that every year she laid a single flower outside our precinct in his honour"
"That's a nice way to remember him…" Steve said as he moved a little closer to his distressed friend. He could see walls that Danny had forged starting to crumble, "Twelve other officers from our precinct died that day, but I still miss him…" Danny cried as his face started to contort as the pain began to take over.
Steve, although normally at a loss, moved over until he was sat next to his friend and took him into his arms. Danny made no noise but the trembling of his body told Steve all he needed to know. Danny was still grieving, and that's what he needed to do.
"How's Molly doing?" Steve asked.
"She said she's doing ok," Danny stumbled over the words slightly, "She said that she's got a cat and she's called it Pete…" He started to laugh a little after that, "Pete hated cats…"
"Oh," Steve smiled.
He could feel Danny start to relax, "You going to try to sleep?"
Danny sat up straighter, surveying his apartment as if for the first time, "What the hell happened here?" He enquired.
Steve smiled, "You did!"
Danny looked at Steve in shock, then he relaxed a little as everything came flooding back, "God, did I drive to work?"
Steve nodded, "That's why you're here…you drove me back…" Again Steve nodded his ascent.
Danny ran a hand over his face and through his hair, "God…"
Steve got up and took charge, "Right bathroom, freshen up, and then bed. I'll sort out everything in here so don't worry about that. You need rest."
Danny stood up on unsteady legs, "I'm sorry Steve. That was very unprofessional of me. It won't happen again…I promise."
Steve slung his arm around his friend, "Don't be sorry, just remember your friend, and remember that you have others who are here to help you through anything!"
Danny nodded as he made his way to the bathroom. When he got back he was surprised to find his bed made and ready for him to get into – but also the picture of Pete was on his bedside leaning up against a glass with a single white rose standing proud behind it.
So that's it. I realise that Danny came out of his not so sober state pretty quickly, but I didn't want to drag it on.
Apologies if I got anything wrong with anything to do about that day, but I only watched the news pictures and to be honest haven't watched that much since – I get to upset.
Again let us never forget the lives lost and the other lives changed forever on that autumn morning in 2001! RIP