I own nothing. Short story. Only two or three chapters. I hope you all like! Enjoy!
"It's Mac," I said into my phone, "You're shift started two hours ago. You better have a damn good excuse for running so late."
With a sigh I hung up the phone and looked at the clock once more. Danny had been late before, but never this late. I was beginning to grow worried when my phone buzzed with a txt.
Looking down at it I noticed that it was from Danny. It said that he wouldn't be able to come in today. Shaking my head I grabbed my jacket and car keys. This wasn't acceptable and I was going to make sure he knew that.
I got in my car and started to drive to Danny's apartment. He didn't live that far away, but with the heat wave that had hit New York I wasn't going to walk knowing people would be getting angered easily today.
Once I got to Danny's apartment I went up to his door and knocked loudly. I didn't know what I was going to say, but I was frustrated enough by the heat and Danny blowing off work that I didn't care.
The door opened a crack before shutting all the way. A latch was undone and the door swung open all the way. I opened my mouth to start telling Danny off, but noticed that I was looking at air.
"Down here," a small voice said calmly.
Looking down I saw a six year old boy holding the door knob. He looked like a mini Danny Messer, right down to the glasses adorning his face. I was shocked, but shook it off when he started to talk again.
"My dad showed me your picture before," he said motioning for me to come in, "You're his boss, right?"
"Your dad," I said in disbelief."
"Yeah," he said nodding, "Hard to believe?"
"I thought he would have told me," I said sighing.
"Dad thought it was safer this way," he said going into the kitchen, "Water?"
"Sure," I said following him, "What's your name?"
"Luca," he said handing me a bottle of water, "My mama named me."
"Luca," Danny's voice said before I could say anything.
"I'll be back," Luca said grabbing another bottle of water and a plastic pail.
I watched Luca run into a room only to hear what sounded like vomiting a moment later. Danny really was sick and from the sound of it calling me would have been too hard.
Sitting at the kitchen table I looked around the apartment. A picture of Danny holding a baby, Luca I guessed, hung on the wall next to one with him and Luca at a baseball game.
A few other pictures like that were around, but I couldn't find one with the mother and from how the apartment was decorated to seemed like no woman was living here either.
Luca ran out of the room, I assumed a bedroom, and through the living room into another room. When he ran back out he was holding a bottle of medicine and a damp wash cloth.
I waited awhile longer before deciding to go into the bedroom and see exactly what was going on. Once I stood up and made it half way to the bedroom Luca walked out and stared at me.
"Sorry about that," Luca said sighing, "Dad has the flu I think."
"That's why you sent me that txt," I said nodding.
"How'd you know it was me?" he asked confused.
"Because Danny would have called," I said smirking.
"True," he said sighing, "I tried to have him call you, but he's going between sleeping and puking his guts up."
"I see," I said taking my phone out.
"What are you doing?" he said staring at me.
"Stella," I said into the phone, "You're in charge. Danny's sick and I'm going to make sure nothing happens to him. No, I don't need your help. I'll call if I do. Bye."
Luca stared at me after I hung up. He looked confused, but that confusion turned to anger. He glared at me and closed the door to the bedroom like he wanted to make sure Danny couldn't hear us.
"I don't need your help," Luca said firmly, "I can take care of my Dad."
"I know you can," I said calmly, "But I'm not going to let you do it alone."
"Dad takes care of me when I'm sick," he said glaring, "I can take care of him when he's sick. It's only fair."
Sighing I shook my head and realized how much Luca was like Danny. There was no way Luca would openly admit he needed my help until he was proven wrong. I couldn't just leave him here to take care of Danny though.
"I'm staying," I said sitting on the couch.
"You're insane," Luca said grabbing his hat.
"Where are you going?" I asked sitting up.
"Store," he said rolling his eyes, "Dad is going to run out of meds soon. Anyway, these ones suck. I'm going to get more."
"I'll go," I said standing up again.
"No," he said firmly.
"Who's going to watch Danny?" I asked knowing it would work.
Luca stared at me for a moment before looking at the closed bedroom door. A sad sigh left his lips and he took off his hat. Going to a piece of paper he wrote something down before handing it to me.
"Get this," Luca said softly, "Exactly this."
"Okay," I said nodding.
I took the piece of paper from Luca and started to walk to the store across the next street over. I realized it was a good thing that I had gone to Danny's. The people on the street were acting crazier then normal.
As I walked I thought about Luca. He seemed to be more mature then any six year old I had ever met. It was like he was used to taking care of someone while they were sick.
Going into the drug store I grabbed the exact medicine Luca had written down and paid for it. On my way back to Danny's I wondered what could have made Luca an expect at taking care of someone.
When I got back I found the door unlocked. I went inside and saw the bedroom door open. Quietly I went to the doorway and opened my mouth to announce my presence.
"You're going to be fine Dad," Luca said tearfully, "You just have the flu. You're going to get better. You have to. You promised to teach me about DNA. Please get better Dad."
Listening to Luca made my heart break. He was begging Danny to stay alive. Someone close to him must have died before. From the way he was acting it was most likely his mother.
I went back to the front door and closed it a bit louder this time. I waited a moment until I heard the bed creak and Luca walk into the living room. He grabbed the bag from my hand and took out the bottle.
With a quick look over the directions Luca went back to the kitchen and got a chair. I watched him push it against the counter and stand on it. He then climbed on the counter and reached for something that he couldn't reach.
Walking over to him I took the can and placed it in his hand. He turned around and glared at me before jumping off the counter and getting a can opener out. When the can was open he poured it in a pan and started to heat it up.
"Damn," Danny's voice said before a huge bang.
Luca jumped slightly and handed me the pan. Before I could say anything he ran into the bedroom and started to talk quietly. I couldn't make out what either of them were saying, but I knew that it wasn't good.
I didn't want to hear Luca telling me off if I was the one sick. It wasn't that it would have been out of anger, but seeing the sadness and worry in his eyes would have been enough.
"Come on Dad," Luca said helping Danny out of his room, "Let's get you on the couch."
Luca and Danny stumbled through the living room until Danny was finally resting on the couch. Without wasting a moment Luca ran back into the bedroom and brought out an empty pail.
Sighing I poured some of the hot soup into a bowl, got a spoon, and brought it to Luca. Luca nodded in thanks before kneeling next to Danny's head and starting to feed him slowly.
"You don't have to do this Kid," Danny said his voice hoarse.
"And you shouldn't talk," Luca said firmly, "But you are anyway."
"I'll make it up to you," he said quietly.
"Yeah," Luca said nodding, "You'll talk to your boss."
"My boss?" Danny asked confused.
Luca simply shook his head and fed Danny some more soup. It had only been about five spoonfuls of broth, but Danny already looked like he was going to explode if he at anymore.
I took the bowl that Luca handed to me and placed it in the sink. There was no way anyone was going to use that bowl again until it was washed. When I came back Luca and Danny were talking again.
"You're boss is here, Dad," Luca said placing a blanket over Danny, "He's going to help me look after you."
"What?" Danny said looking over at me, "Mac?"