First, wow and thank you! I'm just amazed by all the positive responses to the story. Thank you so much for all the alerts. Special thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a review! I appreciate that so much!
I'm so lucky to have the awesome JoaniexJony for my beta! Thank you so much for all your encouragement and support!
Well, I hope you're in the mood for some sick Danny…
Hell Hath No Fury—Chapter Two
Steve leaned against the glass partition outside of Danny's ICU cubicle and watched as Danny's pulmonologist, Doctor Mira Suzuki, efficiently inserted a bronchoscope down Danny's throat.
Danny had come around shortly after arriving in the ICU. He'd been confused and disoriented at first, but quickly become lucid. They'd removed the breathing tube, replacing it with supplemental oxygen delivered through a nasal cannula. He was congested and wheezing, running a low grade fever.
Dr. Suzuki had shown up with the X-Rays Dr. Clark had ordered and broken the news that Danny had indeed developed aspiration pneumonia and that she needed to perform a bronchoscopy. The procedure would allow her to both suction out and collect samples of the sputum clogging Danny's lungs. Within minutes of Danny signing the release forms, they'd kicked Steve out and sedated Danny for the procedure.
"How's he doing, brah?" Chin settled next to Steve at the glass and gazed inside at his teammate.
"He's hanging in there." Steve tore his gaze away from his partner and looked at Chin. "What do we know?"
"Darlene Royce made her husband Phil a chicken salad sandwich spiked with ipecac syrup. Apparently, she'd found some credit card charges for lingerie that were definitely not her own. Believing she'd found proof of her husband's infidelity, she decided to share her pain by drugging his lunch," Chin shook his head. "There was some in the house which her cousin had been given after an overdose in order to induce vomiting. Darlene was pretty upset when I told her it could be fatal."
"How the hell did Danny end up with the sandwich?" Steve asked, pinching his brow between his fingers.
"Phil walked into the break room and saw Danny attempting to tip the vending machine to get a candy bar that had gotten stuck. He intervened and offered Danny his own lunch. Phil hadn't needed it since some of the guys in his department had sprung for a pizza," Chin explained.
"And Danny ended up paying the price for Phil's infidelity," Steve shook his head in disgust. "Jesus."
"Last place a cop ever wants to be is in the middle of a domestic dispute," Chin said somberly.
"Where is Darlene now?" Steve asked, his voice hard as he turned his gaze back to his partner. His suffering partner. His jaw clenched. His fingers curled into fists and it was all he could do not to throw a punch at the wall.
"Kono's booking her on assault charges. Lori is talking to the DA." Chin said. "They're going to join us here when they're done."
"Good," Steve's eyes narrowed in anger. "I want the book thrown at her."
As Dr. Suzuki removed the bronchoscope from Danny's mouth, Steve moved towards the doorway to Danny's cubicle. He shoved his hands into his pockets and waited impatiently for the medical staff to finish up with his best friend.
Finally Dr. Suzuki moved away from her patient, walking towards the door. She was a tall woman, at least as tall as Steve. And thin as a rail. Her shoulder length dark hair was just beginning to show signs of gray. She would have cut an imposing figure, but for kind eyes and a warm smile.
"You can go back in Commander," Dr. Suzuki said. "Danny will be out of it for a while, but when he wakes up his throat is going to be sore. I'll make sure the nurses leave you some ice chips—give him as many as he wants. Fluids are good for him right now. See if you can get him to take some Gatorade or water, but don't fret if he won't. We'll compensate with IV fluids until he starts to feel better."
Steve nodded, glancing inside the hospital room. The nurses had slightly raised Danny's bed, positioning him on his side to help his breathing. His partner's face was pale and even from the doorway, Steve could hear the wheeze.
Dr. Suzuki gently touched Steve's shoulder. "As soon as we get the lab results back, we'll get Danny on antibiotics. At this point I'm optimistic. He's very sick right now, but he's getting all the right support to help him make a full recovery."
"Thanks, Doc," Steve sighed, giving the doctor a slight smile.
"You go on in, Steve," Chin said. "I'll wait for Kono and then we'll do a food run. We'll pick up some Gatorade for Danny."
"Thanks, Chin," Steve scrubbed his face with his hand. "See if you can find the blue kind—Danny likes that one."
"You got it bruddah," Chin nodded.
Steve walked back inside the cubicle, pulling the hard plastic chair next to the bed. He sat down, slumping against the uncomfortable chair back. He settled his head against his hand and watched his partner sleep.
-H5-0—
Danny coughed, blearily opening his eyes. With great disappointment he realized it hadn't all just been a bad dream—he was still in the ICU and he still felt like shit. He wondered what time it was. From the low lighting and the lack of activity outside his cubicle, he guessed it must be night time. Next to his bed, Steve was slouched in a chair, softly snoring.
Danny shivered and coughed again. His chest felt like a hundred pound rock was sitting on it. It hurt like a son of a bitch to breathe and he couldn't seem to catch his breath. He found himself thankful for the oxygen placed just under his nose.
He didn't need a thermometer to know he was running a fever. His skin was roasting hot, and he could feel drops of sweat on his chest and face. It dampened his hair and was pooling in the small of his back. Yet despite the weight of the blankets covering him, he couldn't seem to get warm.
The heart monitor beeped softly in the background. He was no expert, but it sounded like it was beating faster than it should be. He didn't remember seeing his cardiologist, but Dr. Suzuki had explained the concern about damage to his heart. The electrodes for the EKG were everywhere. Wrists, both ankles, and all across his chest. He couldn't move without pulling one of the wires.
An echocardiogram had been scheduled for the next day. It freaked him out, and he didn't want to think about it. He still didn't even know why this had all happened.
Miserably Danny coughed again. He wasn't fond of hospitals in general, but he hated being in the ICU. It was impossible to get comfortable. The adhesive of the EKG pads was sticky and pulled at his body hair. The blood pressure cuff too tightly squeezed his upper arm. The pulse ox dragged on his finger making his hand feel clumsy. The IV's pinched, and they'd inserted two, both in his right arm and hand. The catheter tugged sharply at very sensitive and private parts of his body. His throat hurt and his stomach muscles were sore. His head pounded and every joint in his body ached.
Without question this would go down as one of the worst days of his life.
Steve suddenly started, coming awake with a jerk. Disoriented, his eyes darted around the room before they finally settled on Danny.
"Hey," Danny croaked.
"Hey," Steve replied, scrubbing wearily at his face. With a slight groan he pulled himself into an upright position and leaned forward. "How you feeling?"
"Had…better days," Danny wheezed.
The tickle started in his throat and before he could stop it, he was coughing uncontrollably. The deep wracking coughs ripped through his lungs, sending his stomach muscles into spasms. Pain spiked in his head and chest. His heart pounded. By the time the coughing subsided, Danny was completely spent. He lay limply against the pillows, eyes closed, panting in slow shallow breaths.
"You good?" Steve asked quietly, his fingers lightly brushing Danny's arm.
Eyes still closed, Danny slightly shook his head. He wasn't good. He was miserable. And a small part of him was more than a little afraid his lungs were going to completely close up and he was gonna die. Steve's fingers tightened around his forearm.
"I know it goes against your nature, Danno, but for once in your life, you should really try not to talk," Steve suggested lightly. "I mean, who knows, you might even find you like being quiet. Although, I'm not sure, that might be one of the signs of the apocalypse."
Danny opened one eye and glared balefully at his partner, momentarily distracted from the effort it took to breathe. He opened his mouth to speak but the tickle in his throat threatened to come back with a vengeance, so he thought better of it. He closed his eyes again and settled for flipping Steve off.
"Nice, Danno, I'm just trying to be helpful," Steve grinned slightly. "The Doc said your throat would be pretty sore so the nurse brought up some ice chips. You want one?"
At Danny's nod, Steve plucked a piece of ice out of the cup and gently slid it between Danny's lips. Danny gratefully sucked on the ice cube, the cold water soothing his ravaged throat.
"You want something to drink? We got you some Gatorade." Steve asked.
Danny shook his head, cautiously venturing a few words. "Ice…good."
"You want another one?" Steve asked.
Danny nodded, eyes still closed, and opened his mouth when he felt Steve press the ice chip against his lips. The cool trickle down his throat was heaven and greedily he waved a finger towards Steve to indicate he was ready for another one.
Before Steve could fish out another ice chip, Danny heard the sliding glass door of the cubicle open. He opened his eyes to see who his visitor was.
A pretty blonde nurse carrying an instrument tray stepped inside and smiled apologetically at the two men. "Hi guys, sorry to interrupt. I'm Becky. I've been assigned to Danny's room for the night."
The nurse set the tray on a nearby table and then moved to Danny's left side and checked the placement of the blood pressure cuff around Danny's upper arm. She hit the button on the nearby machine to start the reading.
Danny rolled his head on the pillow to look up at her as the cuff tightened uncomfortably around his arm.
"How are you feeling tonight Danny?" She asked as she pulled a thermometer out of her smock pocket.
"He feels like crap," Steve supplied.
"I…can talk…" Danny wheezed in a breath, glaring at his partner, "For myself…Steven." He coughed slightly, feeling the urge to cough building in the back of his throat. Carefully he breathed in and out, managing to contain it before it got out of control.
"I know you can talk, Danno, believe me," Steve said dryly. "I thought we'd agreed you shouldn't."
"Not…my mother," Danny whispered, closing his eyes.
"I'm going to take your temp now, Danny," Becky explained as she gently turned Danny's head on the pillow. She slid the tip of the thermometer into Danny's ear, pulling it back out after it beeped an alert that it was done. "102.5," she said. "It's up a little bit. I'll get you some more ibuprofen. Hold on, I'll be right back."
Becky slipped outside the room. Danny lost sight of her as she walked around a corner. He turned his eyes to his partner.
"Know…who?" Danny grimaced, his voice like gravel.
Steve gazed somberly at his best friend, having no problem interpreting Danny's shorthand. Slowly he nodded. "Yeah, we do. You weren't the intended target, Danny."
"Who?" Danny wheezed a painful breath.
"Phil," Steve answered. "Look Danno, we don't have to talk about this now."
"Why?" Danny pressed, confusion all over his face.
"Because Phil is a cheating bastard and his loony tunes wife decided poisoning him was an appropriate response," Steve said harshly. "I hope they charge her with attempted murder."
"They have…two kids," Danny winced, his throat like sandpaper.
"Well maybe she should have thought of them before she tried to kill their father," Steve responded softly.
"Good…point," Danny conceded, exhaustion overwhelming him.
Becky reentered the cubicle holding a small paper cup. She filled a plastic cup on Danny's bedside table with water and popped a straw into it. She handed him the pills and then helped him sit up slightly so he could swallow.
Becky eased Danny back down on the bed and then swung her stethoscope from around her neck and fit the earpieces into her ears. "How's your breathing, Danny?" she asked.
"Feels…like an elephant's…on my chest," Danny admitted, his breath whistling in his chest.
"All right," she said as she slipped the chest piece under the top of Danny's hospital gown. "Let's have a listen. Just breathe normally for me, okay?"
Danny flinched as the cold metal diaphragm pressed against the bare skin of his chest. He closed his eyes. For several minutes the nurse slowly moved the chest piece from place to place as he breathed and then repeated the process on his back. After studying some of the readings on his monitors, she adjusted a knob on the wall over his bed.
"You're pretty congested, so I've increased your air flow. It should make it a little easier for you to breathe. If you start to really struggle, we can put you on a mask." Becky said.
She turned around and picked up something from the tray table. "You should also start to use this," she said, handing the object over to Danny. "It's a bronchodilator and it'll help open up your air passages. Use it when you start to wheeze."
Next she picked up a small bottle. "Dr. Suzuki has also prescribed cough syrup with codeine. Two tablespoons every four to six hours. It'll give you relief from your cough and help you rest."
Becky opened up the bottle and filled the plastic measuring cup that came with it. She walked around the bed and slipped a hand behind Danny's neck, helping him to sit up slightly so he could drink the cough syrup.
"Blech," Danny griped, scrunching his face and smacking his lips. "That's nasty."
"Here," Steve held out a cup of water with a straw.
Danny took a sip, gratefully washing the vile taste from his mouth. "Thanks."
Danny fell back against the pillows, watching as Becky picked up the last item from her tray. It was a small IV bag. She hung it on a metal bracket of the IV stand next to Danny's bed and attached it to one of the lines already running into Danny's arm.
She adjusted the flow and then turned towards her patient. "Dr. Suzuki did find bacteria when she did the bronchoscopy, so she's prescribed IV antibiotics. Let me know if you start to feel nauseas. Dr. Suzuki also prescribed an anti-emetic."
"Will all this help bring his fever down and clear up the pneumonia?" Steve asked, his blue eyes full of concern.
"That's the idea," Becky nodded. She patted Danny lightly on the shoulder. "Give it twenty four hours and you should start feeling a lot less like crap."
"I like her," Steve pointed a finger towards Becky and grinned.
"Back off," Danny rasped, weakly waving a hand towards Steve. "She's…my nurse."
Becky laughed. "You're doing great, Danny. Your symptoms are very typical for someone with aspiration pneumonia. You just hang in there. I'll be back to check on you in a bit, but if you need anything just hit the call button. Okay?"
"Mm…hmmm…" Danny nodded sleepily.
"Get some rest," the nurse advised. "If you're having trouble sleeping, let me know and I'll get you a sedative."
She smiled as she let herself out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.
"You should…go home Steven," Danny blinked drowsily at his partner. "You're…exhausted."
"I'm fine, Danny," Steve picked up the inhaler and put it in Danny's hand. "Here, use the inhaler. You're wheezing."
"Bossy…control freak," Danny groused, but he put the inhaler to his mouth and released the medication.
"Stop your whining," Steve countered. "Go to sleep."
"You…go to sleep," Danny slurred hoarsely, his eyelids growing so heavy he could barely keep them open.
"You first," Steve grinned and settled back into his chair.
Danny forced his eyes open and looked at his best friend. "You really don't…have to stay."
"Well it's pretty obvious from the mess you got yourself into today that you need a babysitter," Steve smirked. "I think I'll stay."
"Blaming…the victim, Steven?" Danny arched an eyebrow at his partner. "Why am I not…surprised? Neanderthal."
"Danny, would you just shut up and go to sleep already?" Steve slouched in the uncomfortable chair, folding his arms across his chest. He settled his head against the chair back and closed his eyes.
Danny opened his mouth to speak again and promptly started coughing.
"When are you going to learn to listen to me? C'mon…you know I'm always right." Steve asked, exasperated. He unfolded himself from the chair and grabbed the cup of water from the nightstand, holding the straw to Danny's mouth so he could drink.
"You…" Danny sputtered, hacking and wheezing. His eyes watered. After another few sips of water his lungs and throat calmed down. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly in and out, completely spent.
"You finished?" Steve's face twitched in frustration.
"You're…delusional," Danny rasped, cracking an eye open and glaring at his partner.
"You're impossible," Steve glowered sprawling in the chair.
"Shut up already," Danny whispered carefully, grinning impudently at his best friend. "Trying to sleep here."
"Good night, Daniel," Steve shook his head in irritation. Deliberately he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
"Steve?" Danny said, gazing seriously at his partner slouched so uncomfortably in the hard plastic chair next to his bed.
"What?" Steve grumbled, impatiently lifting his head and opening his eyes to slits.
"Thanks," Danny said softly.
"Anytime," Steve replied quietly. He cleared his throat and leaned his head back. "Now go to sleep."
"Night, Steven," Danny smiled. He closed his eyes. He felt the medication kick in, the urge to cough subsiding. The weight lifted somewhat from his chest. Drowsily he drifted until the sound of his partner's steady breathing finally lulled him into sleep.
tbc
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