Thank you to all who read, reviewed, followed or favourited my previous stories. Reviews are like easter eggs and it keeps the muse going! As always any and all mistakes are mine and I am no medical professional.
H 5 0 – H 5 0 – H 5 0
Life was good Steve thought to himself as he plonked down on the couch with remote in one hand and a Longboard in the other. The week had been a busy one; some crack dealer was safely behind bars and would not see daylight again until the start of the next millennium. Chin was out on a date, the time had come for him to move on, Kono was surfing her little heart out and Danny. Well Danny had a weekend of fun planned with Grace. He wasn't so sure what a weekend of fun entailed for the Jersey man but he was sure that as long as Grace was with him he would be happy. Now all he had to do after his morning workout was sit back enjoy his Longboard and some mindless television. Some work on the house was planned for much later, for now he would just enjoy the peace and quiet. He was halfway through his beer when his phone rang and the peace and quiet was disturbed.
Picking up the phone he looked at the caller ID and a frown immediately formed on his previously relaxed face.
"Grace honey, everything ok?"
"Uncle Steve" came the whisper over the phone, "can you come over to Danno's place?"
"Why are you whispering Grace, did the monkey escape from the zoo and the zoo keeper need help capturing her?"
"No Uncle Steve, this isn't a drill and we don't need to use our safe sentence. I'm ok; I just need you to come over."
"OK sweetheart I will be there in 15 minutes." Steven sighed relieved that they weren't facing another kidnapping situation. After Grace had been taken by Rick Peterson they sat down and decided that they needed to come up with a way for Grace to communicate with them when she was in distress. Being her Danno's monkey the sentence they came up with made perfect sense.
"Thank you Uncle Steve. Will you use your key to let yourself in?"
"Will do sweetheart." Knowing that he doesn't have to go into full seal preparation mode he takes the corner on 3 instead of his usual 2 wheels.
Whatever is wrong at his partner's house he knows that Danny will give him a full blown rant like the one he was on the receiving end of yesterday afternoon when they were chasing the crack dealer. "You're driving on a highway Steven, this isn't the Daytona 500. I've told you many times that we need to be alive when we actually arrest the scumbag we've been chasing all over the island! Slow down please! I will not ask nicely next time. I am at the end of my rope with you you Ninja freak!"
Steve just gave him one of his Seal stares and pushed his foot down further on the pedal. He always enjoyed going into a fight with Danny riled up because that was when the blond detective was at his most focused and he knew he didn't have to worry about his partner. All they had to do was catch the dealer and he would deal with Danny's rants afterwards.
Throwing his truck into a parking spot at the apartment block he was out of the truck before it even came to a complete standstill. Another one of his ninja tricks according to his partner. He took the steps two at a time and he barged into Danny's flat, startling the man sitting on his couch with an ice pack wrapped around his ankle.
"Steven what the heck? What are you doing here? Why didn't you call? Do we have a case?"
"Daddy I called Uncle Steve. I was worried about your ankle."
"O monkey I appreciate your concern but I promise you I will be ok. It's just a bad sprain. You didn't have to bother Uncle Steve."
"It's no bother Gracie. I was just lounging around the house." Turning to his partner he gives him a good once over. "Care to explain your sprained ankle Danny?"
"Danno was trying to change one of the light bulbs in the kitchen Uncle Steve and he slipped on the ladder and fell down. He was out for a second or two but then he came round again and his ankle was hurting. I took the ice pack from the freezer and we made our way to the couch. He didn't want me to call anyone but I know from first aid that when someone is knocked out then you need to go to the hospital."
Now standing next to her 6 foot something Seal protector wrapped tightly against his legs, she gave her dad her perfected over the years puppy dog eyes that melts the heart of the man in 0.2 seconds. She knew she was safe and she knew that her dad would get the care he needs.
Giving her a gentle squeeze Steve moves to crouch in front of his partner and gently takes his foot in hand.
Steve knew how painful a swollen ankle could be and how embarrassed the detective must be from his less than graceful tumble off the ladder and decides to crack a joke to try and ease the tension in the room. "Your magic red superhero cape not work this time Danno? Could you not just don your Halloween costume and fly to the ceiling to fix the bulb?"
"Not funny Steven! Now please leave my foot alone and take your leave. Gracie and I have a fun afternoon planned and you are not invited."
"Aaah Danno and here I thought my invite has gotten lost in the mail. I'm hurt." Feigning a broken hearted look he uses the look on his face to disguise his surprise as he looks down at Danny's ankle.
"Daniel, did you have a look at your foot after you got to the couch?" Now all serious and in semi seal mode Danny looked at his partner with a quizzical look on his face.
"No Steven I didn't. Grace brought over the icepack wrapped in ice and held it there. She then disappeared obviously to give you a call and I haven't looked at it again. Why do you ask?"
"Well I'm afraid that you have an open fracture and we need to get you to the hospital as soon as possible." Looking up he sees both Danny and Grace's faces go as pale a pail of freshly milked milk. "You really don't do things by half do you partner?"
Turning to Grace he gently takes her hand and leads her over to a chair next to her dad. "Gracie do you think you can pack an overnight bag for Danno ? He might have to spend the night in hospital and we all know how he feels about those hospital gowns. And I'm not sure all the nurses have recovered from Danno flashing them the last time he was there."
"Steven!" comes the grumble from the injured man
Remembering the drama with her Danno's last hospital stay Grace giggled and rushed off to go and pack the items requested. She stopped by her room to get Mr. Snappy, knowing that Danny likes to cuddle with something when he comes round from the anesthesia. "I wonder if Danno will see faeries and unicorns again" Grace mumbles as she busies herself with her seal given task.
"OK Danny, while Grace is busy with packing let's get you ready. I have called an ambulance. I don't think we should move you unless necessary. How you're not feeling any pain I don't know."
"Who says I'm not feeling any pain Steven. Ranting and raving at you makes me forget the pain. I'm putting up a brave front like any father would do. I don't want Grace to be scared but I hope those EMT's come soon. I think I've grinded away all the enamel on my teeth!"
Luckily for Danny there was a knock on the door and soon a couple of EMT's entered the room and got busy with preparing their patient for transfer. Ignoring the blonde detective as if he wasn't in the room Steve and Grace answered all the questions. Danny was just happy that they had given him an IV for fluids and some pain medication to take off the edge. He knew that it was only enough to make him comfortable for the transfer to the hospital but he would survive till they gave him the good stuff. He was a born and bred Jersyian and they didn't come tougher than him.
Steve picks up Grace and leans her over Danny so she could give him a goodbye kiss. "OK Danny I'll take Grace and we will meet you at the hospital. She can stay with me till you are better. She has enough stuff there from your weekend visits. You just do as these nice people tell you to and don't give them a hard time."
"I will let you know super Seal that I am always amiable, agreeable, charming, winsome, law abiding and neato with people who don't try and get me killed on a daily basis. These fine people will have no trouble from me! I am saving that for when I am better and I can kick your ass again."
Hiding her face in Steve's shoulder Grace giggles at her dad who is clearly feeling the effect of the pain medication and may just have swallowed a thesaurus as well.
Staring down at his partner with a goofy grin on his face he can' t help but laugh at his partner knowing that his partner would never use the words kick ass in a sentence when Grace was near. "Neato Danno ! That's a new one. I will have to remind you about that one once you aren't under the influence anymore."
Steve and Grace move to stand to the side as the EMT's leave the room. "Come on Gracie let's see if we can beat the ambulance to the hospital. If we do I'll buy you a pink milkshake while we wait to hear from the Doctors."
"Steven you will not continue with your Dayton 500 dreams with my daughter in the car, you will drive like a normal citizen and reach the hospital at the same time as we do. Do you hear me?"
"I'm sorry Danno did you say anything?" the seal shouts as he tears out of the parking lot with a safely secured Grace in the back seat. He would never endanger Grace's life in any way and he knows his partner knows it.
He's just ranting because he is nervous. He's been picked up by this EMT team before and the guy who drives must have been 2nd in the class for advanced driving after Steve. "Oy I might not reach the hospital in one piece" he mumbles to himself as they set off on their journey to Queens Medical Centre, resigned to what might happen on the way there. At least he knew Grace was in good hands and her weekend would not be completely spoiled.
