Broken-Chapter 1
"Well that's an hour and half of my life wasted that I will never get back."
Kono looked up from the desktop where she was reviewing telephone records and smiled at Danny as he approached her.
"Learn anything from the chat room transcripts?"
Dan tossed the stack of printouts on the desktop in disgust.
"Did I learn anything? Yeah. Yeah I learned something. I learned that I am…old. I also learned that the day that Gracie turns thirteen I need to shoot myself and end my misery before it starts. That's what I learned.
Kona chuckled. Danny could be so dramatic sometimes.
"That bad huh?"
Danny shook his head and grabbed the stack of papers.
"I don't even know what language these kids are speaking. I mean look at this."
He flipped through a few pages before pointing to an entry.
"Is that even English?"
Kono didn't answer. She was focused on Danny's hand that was shaking as he pointed to page. What was up with that?
"Kono?"
"It's just the way kids talk these days Brah." Kona informed him before adding. "Hey…you OK."
"Yeah. Why?" Danny replied.
"Your hands. They're shaking D."
Danny dropped the stack of papers back onto the desktop before shoving his hands into his pockets.
"I'm fine." He assured her. "Just too much coffee this morning. That's all."
"You sure."
"Yeah I'm positive." Danny insisted. "I didn't get too much sleep last night so I've been pounding the coffee."
"I think it's more than the coffee Danny. You look horrible." She had kept her mouth shut for days. They all had. But it was hard not to notice the dark circles under Danny's eyes each day or the fact that he had lost a significant amount of weight in the preceding weeks, which on his small frame, was only more evident.
"Kono! I said I'm fine. Can you just drop it!" Danny snapped.
Kono was taken aback by his harsh response. Danny never raised his voice at her. Steve…all the time. It seemed to be par for the course in their relationship. Chin…occasionally. But never her.
"Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you." Danny said, running his hands though his hair in frustration. "It's just…I just…I need a minute. I need to get some air."
He stalked off toward the door, his head down and nearly ran straight into Steve who was on his way in.
"Hey Danno. Just the man I wanted to see."
"Not now Steve." Danny replied without looking up.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have someplace else to be?" Steve shot back sarcastically.
Danny stopped in his tracks, sighing. There were two ways this could go. He could reply with an equally snarky retort and prolong this conversation much longer than it needed to be. Which wouldn't be unusual for either of them. Or he could find out what Steve wanted and be done with it. He chose the latter.
"No." He replied calmly as he turned to face his boss. "I don't have any place else to be. What can I do for you Steven?"
"Well Daniel…If it woudn't be too much trouble, I was hoping you could run to the lab for me and pick up the test results Charlie just finished."
"Sure." Danny replied, turning toward the door.
"You're sure you're sure?" Steve goaded him. "I mean…I wouldn't want to put you out or anything."
Danny flipped him the bird as he continued toward the door.
"Love you too!" Steve hollered after him.
"Yeah. Yeah." Danny mumbled as he walked through the glass doors and disappeared around the corner.
Steve chuckled and turned to face Kono.
"What's with him?"
"I was hoping you could tell me Boss." Kono replied seriously.
"Beats me. I gave up trying to figure out his mood swings years ago."
"I think this is more than a mood swing Steve. I mean…have you really looked at him lately? He looks like shit."
Steve sighed. He had noticed. But he had been trying to convince himself that Danny was just going through yet another self-induced dramatic episode and he would eventually get over it. He always had in the past.
"Has he said anything to you?" Kono pressed.
"No nothing." Steve insisted. "I mean, nothing out of the ordinary. Just the typical Danny Williams drama. You know…Gracie's starting junior high. Or Gracie's texting boys. Or Gracie left for school this morning wearing a skirt that didn't touch her knees. God forbid!"
Kono smiled.
"You know Boss, maybe you should cut him some slack. It's not easy for him raising Gracie by himself."
"Are you trying to make me feel bad?" Steve asked her.
"No, I'm just saying…he looks up to you. Your opinion matters to him."
"Oh come on." Steve protested. "Danny knows I think he's a great father."
"I know. I'm just saying…Maybe Danny could use a non-judgmental friend to talk to right now. That's all.
"Fine." Steve replied. "When Danny gets back I will talk to him."
"Well that was fast." Kono replied with slightly confused look on her face.
"Kono, I'm not unreasonable. You think I should talk to Danny, I'll talk to Danny."
"Talk to Danny about what?"
Steve whipped around and was surprised to see Danny walking toward his office.
"Didn't he just leave like 5 seconds ago?" Steve asked Kono.
"Um…yeah." Kono replied.
Steve frowned and followed Danny into his office.
"You forget something?" He asked as Danny settled himself at his desk and started fumbling through some paperwork scattered there.
"Ah…I don't think so." Danny replied. "Hey what did you want to talk to me about? And make it fast. I wanna get this report done while I'm slightly motivated. And I'm pretty sure this motivation is fleeting so…clock's a tickin'."
Steve just stared at his partner for moment, totally confused.
"You're messing with me. Right?"
Danny paused as if giving Steve's question some serious thought before replying.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Danny!"
"What!"
Steve raised his hands and grimaced as though he was ready to strangle his partner. He took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing.
"I just asked you less than five minutes ago, to pick the test results from the lab. Ring a bell?"
"Oh!" Danny snapped his fingers and jumped up from his chair. "Right! The lab report."
"Yeah…the lab report. Danny what…."
"I'm going right now. I just gotta find my keys." Danny insisted moving papers around on the desk as he searched.
"You know what…never mind." Steve said.
"No! I'm going! Just give me a second. You don't have to get so pissy."
"I'm not getting pissy Danny. I just…"
"Yes you are!" Danny shouted. "God forbid I forget something! I got sidetracked talking to someone in the hallway and had a temporary brain fart. OK? Sue me! We not all perfect like you!"
"I never said you had to be perfect."
"Oh Please! I can never do anything right! You're always bitching at me about something!"
"I was just going to suggest, that since you are busy with your report, I could call Chin and have him swing by the lab on his way back from the crime scene. I wasn't bitching at you Danny! What the hell is the matter with you!
"Nothing! Nothing is the matter with me!"
Steve raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms across his chest. If Danny wanted to play this game, that was fine with him. But he was determined to stand there until his partner explained himself.
"Fine." Danny finally caved. "I got a headache. OK?"
"A headache?"
"Yes a headache. What? You never get headaches?"
Steve smirked and shook his head. Was Danny seriously trying to provoke an argument again? He wasn't going to take the bait. Not this time.
"Fine. You have headache. Why don't you call it a day."
"You're sending me home?"
"Yes Danny. I'm sending you home. You have a headache. Go home. Take some aspirin. Take a nap. Lose the headache. I will see you tomorrow."
"OK." Danny nodded. "I'll go home. Just as soon as find my keys."
"Check your pocket."
Danny slapped his hand on his pants pocket and sure enough, the keys were there.
"Once again, you again you always have to be right." Danny said coming around the desk and heading toward the door.
"I don't always have to be right. But in this situation I just happened to be. Deal with it!" Steve called after him.
Danny ignored him, storming out the office just as Kono was coming in.
"Everything OK?" She asked as Danny passed.
"Everything is great." Danny replied sarcastically, continuing out of the office without offering any further information.
Kono turned her attention to Steve.
"Is he going to the lab?
"No. He is going home.
"Home?
"Yes home. He's got headache and he's grumpy. And I don't like grumpy Danny. So grumpy Danny is going home. Can we get back to work now?"
"Yeah but is he OK?"
Steve sighed and shook his head.
"I don't know."
To be continued…