This is a quick one shot that I thought of and quickly wrote. I wish we would get more sick Steve, but until then...
Steve knew this was gonna be a bad week. His radiation poisoning hadn't interrupted his life as much as he thought it would...yet. Sometimes though, the pills from the liver transplant and the radiation poisoning just kicked his butt, and then add a trying case on top and it was bound to be one of those weeks. He tried to kept how bad he was feeling hidden, but his friends always knew when it was one of those days. Danny always picked up some extra paper work, offered to do interviews and grab lunch. Somehow hot tea always ended up on his desk too. Junior would pick up extra stuff around the house and make sure Steve wasn't over working himself. He also was sometimes Steve's ride home too. He always worried about his boss and friend. He knew he would never ask for help, so Junior always helped and didn't try to mention it.
They all knew when Steve was having a day, he would be in his office more, didn't hardly eat, was paler than normal and wasn't his lively normal self, even though he tried to be. Junior always knew first, Steve's morning swim would be shorter or non existent, Steve would have hot tea instead of his normal coffee with butter, his showers would be longer and he would disappear into his bedroom more often than not. He normally kept to himself, and Junior wouldn't mention it.
This week had been just plain crazy. They had caught a murder case that was kicking all their butts. A local teenager turned up dead, with no witnesses and no criminal background. They have felt like they have interviewed half the island, and they were just 2 days post murder, with still no solid leads. They just wanted answers for the girls family and for this crazy, exhausting week to be over.
It was now Wednesday, and Junior was going to take a morning jog before we went into work, to blow off some steam. Steve had gotten a call earlier in the week that Chin Ho and Abby were going to be on the island for the day. Steve planned to get breakfast to catch up, before he had to go into work. Chin obviously understood that Steve couldn't meet for as long as he had hoped, cases were just unpredictable. They were meeting at 5:30 am. Steve was always up by 5:00 am. Old habits die hard i guess. So when Junior woke up at 5:20, he hopped out of bed, put some running shorts on, tied his shoes and dropped by the kitchen to hydrate before his run. As head was turning the doorknob, he heard some shuffling from upstairs. Instantly on high alert, thinking it was a possible intruder, Junior grabbed the gun Steve kept in his cabinet, and headed the stairs.
Why would someone break in? What was here that they would want? Also, it was an odd time of day for a burglary, but as his job had taught him, criminals sometimes don't always think things through.
As he got closer, he realized the noise was coming from Steve's bedroom. Junior heard more shuffling noises as he got closer, he prepared his gun and thought of of how he would handle this. As he prepared to turn the door knob and open the door, the shuffling suddenly turned into gagging. It instantly dawned on Junior what was happening. Steve was home, in his bedroom, getting sick.
As Junior rushing through Steve's bedroom door, he caught sight of Steve and his heart sank.
Steve was tangled in his sheets, trying to sit up as he violently got sick all over himself and his sheets. Junior rushed in to help him sit up. Steve was too weak to sit up without support, so Junior helped him sit up by sitting behind him and holding his shoulders. The poor guy had sweat through his shirt and it looked like he had gotten sick at least one other time on the floor beside his bed. As Steve was just dry heaving, he kept rasping out "Sorry...Jun...ior..Im sorry..."
As the heaving finally stopped, Steve stiffly sat back and leaned into Junior, he was exhausted and seemed like he was trying to hide some discomfort.
Junior finally spoke, now over his shock of finding his roommate in this kind of condition. "Steve, why didn't you tell me you were feeling this bad?"
"I tried," Steve hoarsely replied, grunting in pain and folding into himself, "I tried calling...a few times and never got an answer.."
"Awh man.." Junior now remembered that his phone was dead last night, and he probably never plugged in in before he went to bed. "Steve, my phone was dead, i am so sorry. I knew you were going with Chin so i didn't even think to check in with you."
"It's okay, i'm not your kid, you don't have to make sure you know where i am at all times."
"Okay, lets get you outta this bed and get you cleaned up, do you think you can stand?" Junior asked.
"Yeah i think so, i'm so dizzy man." As Junior helped Steve sit on the side of the bed and move him to the chair in the corner of the room, as soon as Steve stood up, his legs gave out and he fell to his knee's heaving again. There wasn't much left in his stomach, but his stomach was heaving just to make sure.
When Steve was finished, Junior helped him sit on the floor against the mattress while he took off the sheets to clean them.
Steve was miserable, his stomach muscles ached, he felt like puking again and his head was killing him. He decided that laying on the ground would possibly make him feel better.
Junior was done stripping the bed of the soiled sheets, when he heard Steve's phone ring. Forgetting that Chin was waiting for Steve at a restaurant, he quickly answered the iPhone and explained to Chin the situation. Chin being the patient, caring man that he was, said he would grab some breakfast and then head to Steve's house, not even thinking twice that Steve had left him hanging.
Junior then knelt down to Steve, who was still laying on his back on the floor of his bedroom; "Hey Steve, are you feeling any better? Chin is on his way here, should i call Danny and have him come?"
"Just let Danny know i won't be in today, just help me back into my bed and ill figure it out."
"Steve i will help you to bed, but i'm not leaving you here by yourself. You are in no shape to be left. Chin is coming, do you need him to pick you up anything?"
"Have him pick up some Excederin Migraine, i ran out last week and that normally takes the edge off.."
Steve instantly was more worried about Steve than before, he had picked up the last bottle of Excederin for Steve last time he picked up grocery's, which was about two weeks ago, and Steve was already out? He must have been feeling bad for a while and never said the slightest thing about it. Steve was always so strong and the one to take charge and face any situation head on without flinching, but this was so much different that anything Steve ad ever faced, and it broke Juniors heart to see his boss and friend so weak and sick.
Chin responded to Juniors text that he had just stopped at the drugstore and would be there in 15 mins. Steve was now asleep, lightly snoring, but he still looked pale. Junior was grateful that Chin was coming by, Steve was worrying him, even though he knew this was Steve's new reality. Junior quickly answered Steve's ringing phone, this time though it was Danny. Steve woke up briefly and then went back to sleep. Junior let Chin in about 10 minutes later, thankful that he had some help dealing with a sick SEAL.
Junior was distressed that Steve was dealing with all of this on his own for a while, it also made Junior that much more willing to jump in and help anyway possible.
It wasn't that long ago that Steve stepped in and saved Juniors life, in more ways than one, now it was time for Junior to pay some of that back.