A/N: I don't own Blue Bloods, CBS, or any other known entity. Story title and description come from "Sleeping at the Wheel" by Matchbox Twenty, which I also do not own. The title for this chapter comes from the song "Bleeding Out" by Imagine Dragons, which (again) I do not own. I do own Allie and a few other characters that are likely to appear as the story progresses. Darker themes arise in later chapters, so please be forewarned. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please review. :)
Chapter 1: I'm Bleeding Out
"Police! Stop!"
Jamie groaned as Evan Vance, the suspect they were chasing, ran even faster. Jamie and Eddie had been gaining on Evan when some 'concerned' citizens stepped in the way, armed with phones set to record video. Jamie nearly trampled over them, which caused him to lose his footing momentarily. Eddie kept up the chase, cornering Evan as they flushed him toward other officers who were waiting.
Evan turned, lashing out at Eddie with a knife. He caught her in the arm, gashing her deeply. The other officers quickly took Evan down as Jamie finally joined them. He tended to his partner as the other officers took Evan away.
"Took you long enough," Eddie quipped.
Jamie just rolled his eyes.
Danny hovered at the desk as Linda made her way out from behind a curtain. "I know you're here for your drug dealer, but you're gonna have to wait," she told him. "Dr. Kurtz is in with her right now."
"That's okay, I'm just enjoying the view," Danny replied, smiling.
Linda gave him a mocking look. "Yeah, because the ER has such a wonderful one of those."
"It does when you're here."
She looked at him. "Sweet talk won't get you in to see her any quicker."
He shook his head.
"Yeah, okay," a young woman said as she started walking out from behind another curtain further down. "Keep that up, and you're gonna be banned from the midnight show." She shook her head, walking over to the desk where Linda and Danny were standing. "Hey, Linda, do me a favor and page a real doctor for the gentleman in room 9, will you?"
"Oh?" Linda replied, amused.
"Yeah, apparently I'm far too young and far too pretty to be anything other than a stripper. And he swears he saw me dancing last night at the club, wearing nothing but a smile." She turned to look at Danny as if he were there every day and not a stranger to her. "Hi."
"Hi," Danny replied.
"Dr. Allison Daniels, Danny Reagan, my husband," Linda introduced.
"Nice to finally meet you," Allie said, extending her hand toward Danny. "I've heard a lot about you."
"You have?" he asked, shaking her hand.
"Oh, yeah. Tons."
He furrowed her brow at her.
"Hey, I never break a vow of silence," Allie said, winking. She turned back to Linda. "So, I'm going to head down there to put through these drink orders for table 9, and then I'm going to practice my dance moves on one of the poles in the cafeteria."
Linda chuckled. "Okay, Allie."
"Nice to meet you, Detective."
"Danny," he told her.
"Allie. I'll see you in a bit, Linda." She walked away, and Danny looked at his wife.
"That's the new trauma doctor you were talking about?" he asked her.
"Yep," Linda replied.
"How old is she?"
"Somewhere around Jamie's age, I guess."
Danny looked at Linda. "Don't go gettin' any ideas now."
She shook her head and feigned an innocent look. "I would never attempt to hook your brother up with a beautiful, intelligent, single young woman."
He scoffed. "He's doing just fine."
"Who is?"
Danny spun around quickly to find Jamie standing behind him. "What're you doing here, kid?" he asked rather than answer the question.
"Ahh, Eddie got swiped when we were chasing down a perp," Jamie replied. "Came here to get her stitched up."
"The doctor's in the middle of something, but I think she's due to see Eddie soon," Linda said.
"That's fine. The bleeding's stopped, anyway."
Linda shook her head, knowing that Jamie was being more sarcastic than serious. "It's a busy day. Car accident, with several victims."
"Nothing too severe, I'm assuming. Otherwise, you'd all be running around like crazy."
"Still busy."
He shrugged slightly.
"Oh, be still my beating heart," Allie drawled as she walked back over, fanning herself with her clipboard. "Why, if it isn't Dallas himself in the flesh. My, my, my."
Danny and Linda looked at each other as Jamie laughed and turned around.
"Well, well, well," he said. "Looked at what the cat dragged in."
"The cat had nothing to do with it," Allie said in her normal voice. "How the hell are you?"
"I'm good," he said as he hugged her tightly. "How about you?"
She shrugged. "Eh, settling in, I guess." She let go of Jamie and stepped back. "So, do lawyers get to play dress up? Because if I had known that, I probably would've chosen a different career path…"
He shook his head. "No, they don't. There have been a few changes. What about you? I didn't think pedi docs used the adult ER as their playground."
"Is that where I am? Because I could've sworn I was at da club…"
Linda laughed softly while Danny shook his head.
"What?" Jamie asked.
"Oh, I'm a stripper today," Allie said with a dismissing shrug.
"Oh, okay," he replied.
"So, of all the ERs in all of New York City, you end up in mine. But, you don't look sick or hurt, so who's our poor injured party?"
"My partner, Eddie."
Allie glanced down at her clipboard. "Ahh, yes, Officer Janko. Next on my hit list." She smiled, gesturing for Jamie to take her arm. "Lead on, MacDuff."
Jamie shook his head but played along. "Still see-sawing with your sanity, huh?"
She chuckled. "Only way to survive in the ER."
Linda glanced over at Danny as Jamie and Allie walked away. "So, what were you saying about gettin' ideas?" Linda asked.
Danny just gave her a look.
"Officer Janko," Allie said as she walked through the curtain with Jamie. "I have to say, on behalf of the staff here at Saint Victor's, I do apologize. I can only imagine what you must be going through, having to ride along with him every day."
Jamie groaned. "Bite me," he told her.
Allie scoffed slightly. "I'm a little busy at the moment tending to your lovely partner. But, if you want, you can get in line behind the guy at table number 9."
Eddie looked between the two of them. "How do you two…?" she started.
"Harvard," Jamie and Allie said simultaneously.
Eddie nodded. "Ahh."
Allie snapped on a pair of gloves before pulling the gauze off of Eddie's arm. "Ooo, what a pretty sharp force injury we have here," she commented.
"Thanks, I try hard," Eddie quipped.
"Mmm, not hard enough. You could do better."
Eddie snorted a soft laugh.
"Alright, I'll grab a suture kit and an intern, and we'll have this done in no time, sound good?"
"An intern?" Jamie asked.
"It's a teaching hospital," Allie explained. "I'm gonna show 'em how to do the pretty decorative stitches." Allie winked as she walked out the door.
"So, I guess you weren't kidding when you said you'd go find a doctor," Eddie started. "But, I didn't think you'd start dating her so quickly."
Jamie just rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Natalie," Allie called out as she walked back toward Linda at the desk. "Grab me a suture kit from supply and I'll show you something awesome."
"Okay!" Natalie Charles, one of the interns, replied.
Allie turned to Linda. "Hubby went in with Dr. Kurtz's pharmacist?" she asked.
"Yeah, she's finally lucid enough to interview," Linda replied. "So, how well do you know my brother-in-law?"
Allie shrugged. "Well enough, I guess. We both went to Harvard. He's a good guy."
"You like him," Linda said.
"He's a good guy," Allie repeated. "It's good to see him again after all this time."
"You two should catch up. Go for coffee or drinks or something."
Allie shrugged as Natalie came over. "We'll see what develops." She looked at the kit in Natalie's hand. "Perfect. Alright, Nattie, let's go have us a little home ec class, shall we?"
"So, that's it," Allie said as she finished the last stitch. "Not too bad, huh?"
"Is it gonna scar?" Eddie asked. "Because, I'm totally game for that."
"Nah, I'm too good to give you scars. Just pretty designs. But, I gotta warn you. If you come back again, I'm gonna draw turtles or something more fun."
"You can stitch turtles?" Natalie asked.
"Sure," Allie replied. "I did a few fun designs while stitching kids in the pediatric ER. Kids never cried about getting their wounds stitched while they were watching an artist draw a turtle with suture silk. Parents didn't mind, either, because the kids were happy. They wanted to see what the doctor was drawing."
"…seriously?"
"No, not seriously," Allie replied with a head shake and an eye roll. "I can sew designs, self-taught, but I would never do that on a patient."
"What if I requested turtles, though?" Eddie asked.
Jamie sighed.
"Eh, maybe next time," Allie replied. "Alright, Natalie. Your reward for your involvement is to finish up the discharge for Officer Janko. I gotta see to another matter. Eddie, it was nice to meet you. Take care of yourself, huh?"
"Will do," Eddie replied.
"Jamie, good to see you again."
"Good to see you too," Jamie replied.
"Take it easy," Allie said, making her way out of the room.
Eddie looked over at Jamie. "You are not seriously going to let her walk out without getting a number, are you?" she asked.
Jamie arched his eyebrows.
"Oh, come on!" Eddie continued. "You have to! Your best friend from college that you lost touch with comes back into your life, and you're just going to let her go?"
"It's not like I don't know where she works," Jamie countered.
"Yeah, but you should definitely get her number. Or at least give her yours."
"And don't do that thing where you say it's 911," Natalie added. "Girls really don't go for that."
Eddie and Jamie looked at her.
"Sorry, couldn't help myself," Natalie said. "Here's the paperwork you need to sign, and you'll be on your way."
"I'll, uh, catch up," Jamie said as he headed out of the room.
"Atta boy!" Eddie called after him.
"No, I will not send in another damn stripper, just because you like red-heads better," Allie said as she walked out of room 9. "My God."
Jamie chuckled softly. "Still pleasing the crowds, I see," he said.
"You know how it is. I'll do anything within reason."
Jamie smiled.
"So, what can I do for you, Dallas?" she asked as she sat behind a computer.
"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to go out and get a drink," he said. "We could have a chance to catch up without us being interrupted by requests for stripping and turtle stitches."
Allie laughed softly. "Yeah, sure. When and where?"
"After shift tonight, and I know a place." He pulled his card out and scribbled a number on it. "Call me when you get off."
She arched her eyebrows.
He glared lightly. "You know what I mean."
Allie simply smiled.
"So, call me when your shift is over, and we'll catch up."
"Sounds like a plan." She stood up, walking around the desk. "I'm really glad to see you again," she said as she hugged him tightly.
"You too," he replied, hugging her back as tightly.
"I'll call you later."
He let go of her, and she went back behind the computer. As he started to walk away, he turned around. "Ciao, Principessa."
She smiled. "Ciao, Dallas."