"It's possible that Allison is still in the building," Vivian reasoned. "Let's search everywhere. Do you have the plans for this building?"
"Or course, the Principal has it." The teacher replied as they left the classroom with the three agents.
"Do you know any place the kids could hide at?" Sam asked.
"Sometimes…in the room where we keep the sport equipment, in the bathrooms…" She thoughtfully replied. "But, we already looked there. In fact, we called the FBI when we didn't find her. I was pretty sure she had left the school." She continued perplexed.
"We're going to search again," Danny replied, walking aimlessly. Sam replied upset with a "if you want, suit yourself, but we're wasting time," when Danny insisted to know if they had carefully looked over the security camera footage.
Vivian made a gesture to her colleague not to mind Danny. Sam knew Danny pretty well, but she too was also affected by cases involving kids.
The teacher guided them toward the sport center, the last place the girl had shown up on the security cameras. There had a crack around there, somewhere she could hide.
Calling the girl, they searched everywhere. It was Sam who finally raised a hand as she removed the ropes of a goal net.
"Hey," She spoke softly to the little figure before her. In a corner, curled up and with her head buried in her arms, Allison Griffith shivered.
Everyone stopped the search as the teacher sighed in relief. She tried to reach the girl, but Vivian stopped her. Sam was the only one reaching out to the girl at this delicate moment, as Danny stood a few steps behind.
Slowly, Sam was able to calm down the little girl, who finally raised her head and her blue eyes met Sam's, who couldn't help the chill that ran down her spine. She smiled at the girl as she stretched her arms toward her. The girl doubted for a second, before running to her and holding on tightly to Sam, as she sobbed uncontrollably. Sam was thankful that her back was facing her coworkers and not her face, as she fought the tears in her eyes, without realizing that Danny was doing the same thing behind her.
Vivian kept busy by calling Jack at the office, a task which she welcomed.
Once the paramedics examined Allison and informed that she was okay, Allison began sobbing again, still nervous, as she looked around and searched for something. "What's wrong? Are you looking for something?" Sam asked wrapping the girl in a blanket. The girl looked down and feeling embarrassed, she muttered: "Thumper, I don't know where he is. I've lost him."
Sam exchanged a confused look with Danny, who bent down at the height of the girl. "Were you looking for him, around here?" He asked.
The girl shrugged her shoulders. "He's always been with me, or if not, mommy took care of him. But he's not here; he doesn't like the new house. I can't leave him alone."
"Why wouldn't he like the new house?" Sam asked. Sometimes, kids talked about difficult issues using other means like other kids, pictures or even their mascots.
"Mrs. Mathison told me that she would buy a new one for me, but she doesn't understand. Thumper has always been with me."
"Okay, I understand that you've never left him alone," Danny replied. "Where do you think he could be?"
"I suppose he's at home, waiting for me. They didn't let Thumper come with me and I didn't get a chance to talk to him…" She replied, relieved that someone finally took Thumper into consideration.
Vivian approached. "There's a patrol car waiting to take Allison back home."
Neither Danny nor Sam had the guts to explain to Allison that 'home' wasn't the same home she was thinking about, but instead the Mathison home; where she would be all right and loved as Jack and Martin had corroborated.
"She'll be okay," Sam commented as she walked back to the car with Danny.
"Yeah, she's been lucky," Danny agreed, clearly thinking about something else. "Excuse me a moment," He continued as he dialed a number on his cell phone.
"Polly? It's Danny, again. I wanted to tell you that we found the girl but…have you gotten the information I asked for?"
Sam looked at him, intrigued. "Aha…sure, thanks. I'll call you back. Bye," Danny ended the call and said, "Orange Street, 35."
"What's there?" Sam asked as she put on her seatbelt.
"Thumper," Danny replied with a smirk. "Let's see if we're lucky."
"Are we looking for a rabbit?" Sam exclaimed.
"I had a panther," Danny simply replied, feeling the memories coming back…and with them Rafi…and Sylvia's call to him earlier.
…..
"Anyone want to share something with us tonight?" The moderator of the AA meeting, Adam Leonard, asked. Martin felt butterflies in his stomach when he saw Danny raising his hand.
It was a completely new experience for him, but he was getting used to those little secrets his colleague never revealed at the office. However, every time they met at the meetings, some little comment or attitude broke Danny's privacy and he wondered if it was a good idea going to the meetings with Danny.
"Today something happened and I want to say thanks to this group, because thanks to your support, I've been able to value it a different way and even help someone," He began.
"Go on," Someone encouraged him.
"When I drank, one of the excuses I made was that it was to forget, to close my eyes and forget the bad moments and the good ones relentlessly joined to them. We know it doesn't work like that. We can't forget, we can only confront and put them aside…at least the bad ones."
Danny paused.
"Today…I remembered one of those good moments and I was able to, someway, recreate them in the name of a girl. She's Allison and her stuffed rabbit, Thumper, was missing. She… she was living similar circumstances like the ones I lived at her age and then I remembered…a little stuffed panther I had and how important it was for me then."
Danny smiled nervously and drank some water before continuing. The others listened to him carefully. Sam had told Martin about it, so the story wasn't new to him.
"I realized that if it wasn't for you and the support I've gotten here for such a long time… possibly, my story with the panther, would've been lost by alcohol…or not, but I'm sure that I would never have seen Allison's happy face tonight when we found Thumper, her stuffed rabbit, for her."
Flashback
"Danny, it's been months since she left, don't you think the apartment has already been rented, empty…?" Sam asked.
"We won't lose anything by asking," Danny replied, driving the SUV through New York streets in the direction of Brooklyn Heights.
"It's a stuffed toy, Danny. What will you say at the office when we get back? What are you going to tell Jack? That we're looking for a missing stuffed toy rabbit? Okay, fine," She concluded realizing that there was no to convince Danny otherwise.
They entered the red brick building, which housed at least fifty apartments. The old man at the entrance hall, with a grumpy expression, didn't stop Danny from approaching and asking questions.
"The apartment is already rented," He said. "The murder occurred several months ago. Social Services came and took the girl with them. I rented the apartment two months ago."
"What happened with the Griffith's personal effects?" Danny asked.
The man raised his arms. "Those idiots left everything behind. My wife and I had to carry all of their things out the apartment. At least, the furniture was in good shape and we left it in the apartment for the new tenant," he explained.
"What did you do with the rest of their belongings?" Danny asked again.
"Sir, we're looking for something specific," Sam explained, surprised that Danny hadn't ask for it. "It's a stuffed toy, a rabbit…" The man raised an eyebrow. "It's important for the little girl… Allison, do you remember her?"
"Pete!" A far off voice exclaimed. An old woman approached them, shaking her head. "You're asking for the Griffith's belongings, aren't you?" She asked and not waiting for a response, she continued, "This grumpy old man wanted to burn everything but actually, we gave most of their things away, since nobody claimed them and we didn't have a place for the belongings."
"Damn," Danny said regretfully. Sam was surprised and couldn't understand why it was so important to Danny the he find that stuffed rabbit.
"But I remember the stuffed toy, the rabbit," She added with a smile. "She always had it with her and I was surprised when I realized that she didn't take it with her. So, I put it away for her."
"Do you have it?" Danny exclaimed.
"Yes, I put it somewhere. If you have time, I can go and look for it," She replied with a smile.
Danny looked at Sam with a triumphant expression and she couldn't help but feel happy about finding the missing stuffed toy of the day.
Sam sensed Danny's reasons for searching that stuffed toy. But her theory was confirmed when Danny gave Thumper to its owner, Allison Griffith. Trying to find something so significant during her childhood, Sam didn't find any and a sad feeling crossed her mind. It was what she didn't find and the memories of old secrets coming back made her to stop thinking. Sometimes she and Danny agreed. It was better leave the past alone.
End of flashback
"You can't imagine the happiness on that little girl's face and how comforting it was. It's something that never would happened if I hadn't decided stop what was leading me to my own self-destruction," Danny concluded.
An approximately fifty year old man raised his hand. Leonard pointed at him, greeting him and encouraged him to say something. "Go on Joe,"
"I've spent the day with my son, Joey. It's been a completely new experience for me. I don't remember ever being sober around him. I…I didn't know him. He's seven years old. We laughed, went to the park and we played. There was someone from social services, supervising, I suppose. Well, I guess it's normal. It's the first time that happens and it gave me the courage to keep going."
Martin didn't say a word. He didn't have anything to tell, actually. He doubted that he'd had to tell them of any experience. His addiction wasn't that deep, he concluded.
At that moment, he began to doubt why he was there, but he understood that Danny wouldn't let him go so easily. In fact, when he was later introduced to Ed Gordon, his sponsor, he felt trapped and anxious. The situation was strangely real in a surreal world to him.
Ed Gordon, a retired policeman, was an expert at making anyone laugh. Gordon was a person that you'd meet and feel as if you'd known him for years. A while later, Martin forgot all about the trapped and anxious feelings he'd felt before.
However, he couldn't help but notice Danny stepping away from Amanda, whom he had been talking to and, with the cell phone on his ear, his gestures spoke loud and clear about the argument that he was having with someone. His immediate reaction was to approach him, but surprisingly, Ed Gordon stopped him. "No, let him solve his own issues. Let's go on with our conversation. Danny has his own sponsor, leave him alone for now."
"I'm not sure if it's a good idea to come with him here. We work together, it's not…"
Ed Gordon had just met Martin but he realized that there was more to the special friendship between these two men and it wasn't just about the job.
"Just like you demonstrate a professional attitude at work, you're here for a reason, Martin. He is too. This place gives you the opportunity to feel vulnerable without being judged or afraid," He smiled. "I also lived that phase, but it's been so long ago that I don't remember why I came here in the first place," He lied.
"That's exactly what I mean. What do I tell him tomorrow at work? Do I pretend it didn't happen?" Martin asked distressed. Danny had ended the call and he'd swear he was going to throw the cell phone against the wall, in frustration. However, he kept quiet, leant on the wall; trying to calm down, Martin supposed.
He observed how Amanda grabbed her coat; it wasn't a good night to chat with Danny. She was leaving when Raymond stopped her for a moment before walking toward him. Ray Coleman, Danny's sponsor, the person who helped him when his strength weakened, something Danny had told him, rested a hand on his friend's shoulder and whispered something, as firmly led him to a chair.
"Sit down," Ray said. He had noticed Danny's gesture and right when Danny looked to throw the cell, he stopped what he was doing and headed toward him, stopping just a second to make certain that Amanda was okay. "Danny, calm down and come with me," He whispered, forcing him to sit down in the chair. Danny looked at him bewildered. "Okay, now tell me what happened, but please calm down," Ray insisted.
Danny sat down, but he was far from calm. It wasn't a good thing to lose control like that, especially in that place. But he couldn't stop himself. Ray being there was a God-send, Martin witnessing his outburst, however, was a disaster.
"What's going on, Danny?"
His cell phone started ringing, shortly after Danny and Amanda began talking.
Frowning at the caller ID, Danny excused himself and stepped away. "Sylvia?" He confirmed more than asked.
"Why haven't you called me?" She asked in a clearly upset tone. "I've been waiting all day for your call, Danny."
"Um...listen; I'm sorry, I was wor…"
"Don't make excuses," She cut him off. She didn't want to listen to him.
Danny tried to keep calm. "What's the matter?"
"You have to go tomorrow morning to Saint Andrews Hospital. Early. Ask for Dr. Trafford, he's going to be waiting for you," Was the surprising replied he received.
"What! What are you talking about?" Danny asked surprised. "You can't do that without asking me!"
"That's what I've been trying to do all day, Danny, but there's no way to get you to answer your phone or call me or listen to what I'm telling you!" She exclaimed before continuing. "Rafi is dying, okay? There's only one way to try to save his life and that's by you doing those tests."
Danny froze. "I didn't….didn't know anything."
"What do you mean?!" She yelled. "What did Rafi talk to you about, then? Didn't he tell you?"
"No…"
"I don't believe you, Danny. You just don't want to help him. That's it, sure. You feel better with Rafi in jail. That way, you keep living your life…"
"That's not fair and it's not true!" Danny exclaimed trying to keep his voice low, but he was really upset and his body language clearly gave away how he felt.
"Prove it," She screamed sobbing. "Go to the hospital, have the tests done tomorrow. I already told you; Saint Andrews Hospital. Dr. Trafford. We'll talk afterwards."
Trying to memorize the name, Danny realized he had no options. "What tests are you talking about?"
"Take a urine test and don't have breakfast. It's a blood draw, a simple blood draw," She said. "I have to go, I've got night shift and I'm late. Bye."
Sylvia ended the call and Danny remained looking at the phone. A wave of fear and anger invaded him and caused him to start losing control but he suddenly saw Raymond Coleman, his sponsor, just two inches in front of him, invading his space, grabbing him and starting to talk to him, asking him to calm down. Was his anger that evident? Danny wondered about the people there, they didn't seem realize his situation. And Martin? He almost panicked feeling that vulnerable, but it looked as if Raymond was the only one understanding what was happening to him.
Just a little bit calmer, he tried to explain a matter he didn't understand well, but he was only able to state the facts, empty facts, that didn't explain his reaction, which had another meaning, long time ago, on a invisible rope that kept them close with no chance of escape.
…
Dragging the suitcase through the FBI corridors, Martin looked around nervously, not knowing well how to confront Danny about last night's situation. Not having too much time and regretting the fact he had to take a plane to Washington in the afternoon, he expected a chance. But he didn't see his colleague.
"Are you leaving?" Vivian asked, noticing the suitcase.
"Yeah," He groaned. "Is Danny here?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Not yet, he called to say that he's going to be late," She explained.
"Did he say why?" Martin asked again, instantly regretting his question, when he noticed the surprised look on Vivian's face.
"No," She replied. "Is there something you want to tell me, Martin?"
"No, no…it's just that I wanted to give him some things that he asked for." He lied, knowing that Vivian wouldn't believe him.
"All right," She conceded. Something happened with her three colleagues and she was out of the loop. She was upset, but she also wondered if it was better that way. Her responsibility could make her to do something she wouldn't like to do.
When Martin saw his colleague entering the bullpen and heading directly to Jack's office, one hour later, he thought the scene from the last night had to do with it, but the only thing he remembered was the story Danny himself had told in the AA meeting. However, Sam didn't look worried about anything and she was there with Danny. Frowning, he tried to focus on the files he had to work on, which he was able to work on for some time.
It wasn't much time what kept Danny in Jack's office. As he left and headed for his desk, Danny felt Martin's eyes over him and he felt embarrassed, although not a lot. The events of that early morning at the hospital, made him get distracted with other issues.
"Morning," He greeted casually.
"Good work yesterday," Vivian greeted with a smile. Danny looked at her and then Sam, who laughed.
"I warned you that it'd happen, Danny." Sam laughed.
He shrugged his shoulders. "It was worth a try."
"Reggie had a stuffed toy his aunt gave him when he was born. It was a little tiger, but it looked really big beside him," Vivian started talking. "He got used to it and he always carried it to sleep. One day, he was already seven years old, the stuffed little tiger still worked out for him, and Marcus and I took him to a friend's home for a sleepover. Marcus had to leave the restaurant we had gone to for dinner, go back home, take the tiger and give it to him. My son caused a scandal when he realized he didn't have his tiger." Vivian laughed. "It was more important the need than the shame of confessing that he couldn't sleep without his tiger. I didn't think it was that important at seven years old but…"
"You see?" Danny laughed, as Sam raised her arms as if giving up.
"Yeah…" Martin smiled. "I also had 'someone', but I won't tell you what it was," He added. "I'm going to grab some coffee. Anyone else wants something?" He continued as he stood up. "Danny?" He asked specifically, which called Vivian's attention.
"Sure," Danny agreed.
An opportunity to talk, Danny thought.
"I'm leaving for Washington this afternoon," Martin started, placing the paper cup on the coffee machine. Danny didn't say anything so Martin continued. "Last night…I spent some time talking to Ed Gordon. I think it'll work out, he's easy to talk to and…"
"Good," Danny said smiling. "You'll do well. And he's a jokester…you'll do well with that too."
"Danny…" Martin protested. Danny was always laughing at his expense. In a way, it was true that the rigid education he'd received had influenced him and Danny was right on the other side. That way of verbally shaking him, rather than making him upset, had led to the deep friendship they shared.
Martin finally burst into laughter but he realized that they wouldn't talk about anything related to the AA meetings. "And you, what are you doing? Are you going to accept that friend's proposal…Polly?"
"I don't know yet. I've got some pending issues," Danny replied.
"Does it have something to do with what you were doing this morning?" Martin was serious.
"What I've been doing this morning?" Danny laughed, which made his colleague blush.
"I'm sorry," Martin replied. Throwing the empty paper cup, he sighed. "Let's go back to work. I have several reports to finish before leaving. Um…do you know what? Ed Gordon gave me several addresses in Washington, in case I wanted to attend any meeting…but…I don't know what to do. It's other people…"
"Go, it's the same everywhere, just more to the South," Danny replied with a smirk.
Martin looked at him. "What's up with you today? Aren't you going to give me a break?" And, not expecting a replied, he headed for his desk.
Sometimes he used jokes to keep safe what he didn't want to tell or what he was dealing with. Danny knew what Martin pretended that morning and he wouldn't let him go that far. What happened in AA meetings, stayed there.
More things remained behind locked doors. So, having to talk to Jack that morning, right after coming back from the hospital, was complicated for him, especially when he didn't want to give too many details about what was going on.
Having memorized what he wanted to tell Jack, Danny left the elevator and stepped toward his superior's office. Softly knocking on the door, he got Jack's attention before entering Jack's office.
"Mrs. Mathison called me this morning," Jack said with a incredulous look.
He wasn't expecting that. Suddenly, Danny forgot his memorized words, as he attempted to come up with an explanation. But Jack didn't look angry. "I suppose that it was a kind gesture on your behalf," Jack continued, "but I won't include it in the final report."
"Eh…that's…oh well, that's okay," Danny stuttered. "Um…listen…I want to ask for…I need one day…maybe just a morning off…" He added.
"Does this have something to do with your visit to the hospital this morning?" Jack asked, frowning. Danny hadn't said much and now he wondered if Danny was sick.
"Oh…yes. It's… just routine," Danny started.
"Is it anything that I have to worry about?" Jack asked.
"No…no," Danny didn't know what to say. He had memorized the words, but it wasn't working out now.
Fortunately for Danny, Jack was one to interfere with anyone's life, and he trusted Danny. "Okay, then, you can take tomorrow morning off," Jack replied.
"Yep," Danny sighed. "I'll come in as soon as possible," He added as he opened the door.
"Sure," Jack put his glasses back on before focusing on the documents on his desk, but he looked up and followed his agent's steps toward his desk. He saw him greeting his colleagues and thought that he had nothing to be worried about.
Jack wasn't aware of anything being wrong until three days later, when his superior, Alexander Olczyk came into his office, visibly angry.
The definitive order, from Deputy Director Victor Fitzgerald, caught Olczyk off guard, even though it wasn't a surprise to him. Jack Malone was well known for taking his investigation to the edge of the legality and putting him in awkward situations.
Picking up the phone to call his agent, he decided it would be better to talk to him, directly, so he went down the three floors from his office and entered Jack's office. Olczyk was also intrigued about what Jack was investigating, what he was investigating about a person with the reputation of George Gordon. A former politician with a solid career, he had gained respect and prestige when he developed and created the Caroline Foundation, a personal initiative that began in the late seventies and today was a big organization which had several Centers around the United States. Supported for the most part, by the altruistic contribution of friends and supporters, but also his work, the Caroline Foundation had become an important and well known support to families at risk of being a broken home. In accord with Social services, they worked with kids, helping with their education, providing the basic needs of the families and helping them to stay together and avoid separation and the need to be sent to foster homes. It also helped to improve the economic and emotional situation of the families. The success of the programs had given George Gordon public recognition, several awards, which helped the donations to the cause, improved the social work along the years.
Olczyk sensed that George Gordon had to be a good friend of Victor Fitzgerald. So Jack had better have a good reason for investigating him.
Thinking about it, he opened Malone's office without announcing himself and skipping the courtesy, he asked: "Why are you investigating George Gordon?"
Surprised by the tone and attitude of his boss, Jack finally frowned and invited Olczyk to sit down with a gesture but it was useless, since Olczyk didn't move or change his questioning tone.
"You mean George Gordon… the senator?" Jack asked intrigued. Gordon wasn't a senator anymore but he seemed to keep that position perpetually.
"Of course," Olczyk replied sharply, before Jack could finish asking his question.
"Well…no. We're not investigating George Gordon. Why would we do that?"
"There's an agent from your team asking awkward questions, and I've received a call from up above to stop this immediately."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack replied. And added: "but you seem to know more than me, Alex," Whatever it was, Jack didn't have control over it, and taking the conversation to a more informal way, he tried to keep the matter just between them, as colleagues with years of experience.
But he failed.
"Right, then we'll ask your agent. I understand the control you have over your team is…" Olczyk began but Jack didn't let him continue.
"Come on, Alex", Jack cut him off. "What's going on? You know my team has had to deal with a traumatic experience and I don't think asking for my head again or destabilizing my team is the most intelligent thing you can do right now, even though you're just following orders."
"You're not that important, Jack. And stop making excuses about the ambush your agents were involved in. Everything has an end date." Olczyk said. "I know you have no clue what's going on, so we better ask agent Taylor, your agent, why he's been persistently calling Social Services in Miami, asking for sensitive information related to George Gordon."
Jack tried to keep a straight face, as he shifted in his seat.
"He's insisted so much, that it came to Gordon's attention. So, now he's furious, because you know how important his public image is to continue receiving the support for the foundation that he runs."
"That doesn't make him untouchable," Jack said frowning.
"So you acknowledge that you're investigating him."
"I'm not acknowledging anything. I've told you I don't know anything about you've told me. My agents usually look over unsolved cases constantly, not having to tell me, unless something relevant comes up. Asking for information doesn't mean that someone's being accused of something." Jack didn't have a clue about what was going on with Danny, but since the ambush, with or without end date, he couldn't put his hand in the fire for him. Still, he tried to reason the easiest way possible.
"Well, since I have to give an answer and you don't have it, I have no choice but to ask agent Taylor, directly," Olczyk replied, pointing to the phone.
That's what Jack was most afraid of. He knew Olczyk and could deal with him. But his agents were in a more vulnerable position.
"I've been receiving complaints that you're pressuring Social Services in Miami to give you several files, which you've already been told that you won't get," Olczyk said, as soon Danny opened the door.
He had never been good at dealing with his superiors and the surprising comment left him speechless. He had to make a big effort to try to understand what was going on. Taken off guard by Olczyck's question, Danny froze.
"It's a personal matter," He finally replied, and he knew that it had been a mistake as soon as he saw Jack close his eyes momentarily.
"And, are you using your FBI credentials to get something that you'd never obtain otherwise?" Olczyk asked.
Danny didn't know what to answer. "It's important to me," He replied.
"Yes, I've heard that, a personal matter. But you understand that you've committed a very serious offense."
Danny looked at Jack confused, who frowned. He didn't have a clue what was going on and at that moment he didn't find a better explanation. "Come on, Alex, we've all done the same thing, at some point in our careers."
"I'm waiting for your explanation, Agent," Olczyk insisted, ignoring Jack's words.
"I can't…I can't give you any, Sir. As I said, it's a personal matter. I don't think I've compromised anything trying to get something that's not important for anybody else, but me."
"So you say. But I don't care about your reasons. The issue is that you used your credentials," It was a weak excuse, but it's exactly what Victor Fitzgerald wanted. "Starting today, you'll have the next three weeks to think what you've done. You're hereby suspended without pay, for the next three weeks. Reflect on what you did and decide whether or not it's worth trying to do it again. If you do it again, the consequences for you are going to be grave." He warned.
Olczyk left Jack's office, leaving Jack and Danny completely speechless.
Danny had turned pale. What had happened? What had he done? He thought about his brother's words, could there be any truth to the story Rafi had told him? Why hadn't he believed him when Sylvia and even the doctors at the hospital, gave him a chance?
Flashback
Danny arrived at the hospital that early morning, just as Sylvia had told him to. Although upset, he had memorized the name of the hospital and the doctor he should meet. Despite his anger, he was there. Nobody would tell him that he hadn't helped a brother who had abandoned him for several grams of cocaine and something else.
"I'd like to speak with Dr. Trafford, please. My name's Danny Taylor, he's expecting me," He said to the young woman at the reception desk.
"One moment, please. You can have a seat in the waiting room. I'll call you when he's ready."
Impatiently, he looked at the time. He'd be late. 'Damn it,' He muttered as he dialed Jack's cell phone number.
"Malone," He heard at the other end of the line.
"Jack, it's Danny. Listen…I'm…I think I'm going to be running late."
"What's going on?" Jack asked.
"I'm at the hospital for a routine test, but this is full of people and…"
"All right," Jack cut him off. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, yes, it's not important. Thanks Jack." Danny silently cursed; he wasn't going to give any explanations. If Rafi had gotten into his colleagues' lives, it had just been an accident. It wouldn't happen again.
Ten minutes later, Dr. Trafford explained to him why he was there, as a nurse pricked his arm with a needle and drew his blood. He finally knew what was happening to his brother.
"Rafael is gravely ill. The excesses have damaged his liver to such point that he needs an urgent transplant. Otherwise, his life expectancy isn't good. I don't know if he or his wife explained this to you."
"No…well, something, but I didn't know it was that bad," Danny said.
"We've been evaluating his case and right now, there's no time to wait for a compatible liver for Rafael, so we thought that the best way is looking to the family for help. I suppose that if you're here it's because you've given your consent…"
"My consent…for what?" Danny asked fearfully.
"We can extract a piece of liver from a compatible family donor, and transplant it into Rafael. He told me you're his only living relative so…didn't your sister-in-law tell you any of this?" The doctor asked concerned, as he noticed Danny's surprised, yet fearful, expression.
"No…she…she told me about several tests…a simple analysis…" Danny didn't know what to say or what to do. And he wasn't sure about the health of his liver, either, which he too had abused with alcohol for many years, before he became sober.
"Yes, well. If you agree, we'll need to do something else apart from the analysis that we're doing here today. Tomorrow morning we'll have to do a more delicate test. We would have to do a biopsy, which means, taking a sample of your liver to analyze it and study the compatibility with Rafael. We need to be one hundred percent certain that you're compatible.
"Listen…I'm not sure that I'm…" Danny started.
"I understand your hesitation. You should know that you can refuse and we'd just add Rafael to the transplant waiting list, but as I've told you, we think that's not an option for him. It also looks like there's no way to find his other siblings, so…"
"Other…siblings," Danny muttered. "Listen, there are no other siblings. I don't know what Rafael told you, but I'm pretty sure that's part of his hallucinations."
The doctor frowned. "Is it not true? Rafael explained to us that he has two other siblings, a brother and a sister. He also gave us the names."
Danny shook his head as the doctor was talking. "No, no…that's impossible. I'd know about it and we never…we never talked at home, about having another brother or sister, and I never saw them."
"Your brother told us they were taken away, adopted. That your parents never talked about it again and he even hesitates about the fact. Rafael is aware of his mental weakness, but he seems very sure about this."
"But, he never told me about this until…"
"Did he tell you about this possibility?"
"Yes…several days ago…in prison. Um…why…why is he in prison if he's so ill?" Danny was confused; he didn't understand what was happening.
"He's not there anymore. He's here. You can talk to him if you wish."
"I can't," Danny said quickly. "I'm late for work," He tried to justify.
"Right, but think about that test. You could help him, could save his life. Or, maybe you could try to find those siblings."
Danny shook his head. "I don't know…I'll come for that test, but I don't think I can help."
"Okay," Dr. Trafford wouldn't let him go without taking that chance. "In that case, come back tomorrow, at 9.30. It won't take more than two hours of your time. You'll feel just a little discomfort but it'll go away throughout the day."
Danny didn't know what to say, feeling trapped at the moment, so he found himself in Jack's office asking for a free day, without no reasons and badly, just because of a stupid stuffed toy.
The stuffed toy, his colleagues' jokes, Martin's attempt to talk about last night in the AA meeting, his departure to Washington, the documents on his desk to organize, weren't enough to make him forget the events of that morning, the call from Rikers several days before asking for him to go there. Rafi wanted to talk to him. About what? About the past? From the beginning, he knew it wasn't a good idea, but now he didn't know what to do.
Throughout the day he tried dialing the phone number he knew he should call. He hesitated about getting the information that way.
At seven, it was already dark, Jack had left, Sam was in the archive room and Vivian had also left because of a family matter. If there was any moment he could call, it was then. Nervously, Danny picked up the phone and dialed the number. He had to clear his throat, realizing that being nervous caused his voice to crack.
"We can't give you that information right now, Sir. You have to come here in person and fill out a form…" The woman on the other end of the line explained.
"Listen, I know that, but it's important. I can give you the file's number if you want…"
"I'm sorry, Sir, but I can't give you the information that you're requesting."
"Look, I'm a federal agent, I'm working with missing persons," Danny gave her his ID, aware of the mistake of breaking protocol, but he knew that he wasn't the first one to do something like that. Besides, what harm could it cause? "I need that information. It's urgent for a case we're working on."
"One moment," The woman on the other end replied.
"Agent Taylor?" Another voice spoke after a moment.
"Yes, I am," He replied anxiously.
"I'm sorry, but I can't give you that information. If you need it, you have to come here, fill the form and we'll see what we can do for you."
"Listen, do you know how cold it is in New York? Somewhere outside there is a person missing that we need to find as soon as possible. We need that information."
"Conduct your search another way. There's a protocol that we have to follow, just like you. Send an agent here from the FBI offices in Miami if you'd like. But I can't give you that information by phone, no matter how urgent the matter is."
Danny continued with the phone in his hand, they'd hung up on him. Somehow he felt relieved of not having to investigate a story he had promised to deeply bury. He admitted that Rafi's hallucination was just that, a hallucination.
He'd have the tests done. But he wouldn't feed his brother's insane ideas, he decided.
End of flashback
"Well?" Jack asked. "Would you mind telling me what are you doing, Danny?"
"I don't…I don't know, it's nonsense, Jack. How the hell did he know?"
"What did he find out? " Jack insisted. "Do you know what a fool I made of myself in front of Olczyk, not being able to give him a reasonable explanation as to what's going on? What were you doing?"
"It's…it's personal," Danny insisted.
"Yes, that's what you said, good answer. Three weeks of vacation," Jack replied angrily.
"That's not fair, I didn't do anything wrong,"
"Using your credentials to get personal information you wouldn't otherwise get…that's something, Danny," Jack observed. "We've all done it at one time…but it's been to gain access to a database or files. You can't expose yourself that way."
"I don't get it, I was only asking for my personal file, my family's file. What does that have to with Olczyk? Who called him? Why?"
"Have you heard of George Gordon?" Jack asked him. He understood Danny's confusion.
"No," Danny frowned. "What does he have to do with any of this?"
"That's the first question Olczyk asked me." Jack replied.
"I don't know who he is." Danny confirmed.
"Sit down," Jack said.
"Jack…"
"Sit down, damn it! And listen to me!" Jack exclaimed. 'Why was it so difficult for him to listen?'
Danny sat down and crossed his arms. Jack sighed. "You can't keep secrets from me, or give me on half-truths. Not with me, I'm your boss. I want to know exactly what's going on and you won't be leaving this office until you tell me."
Danny shook his head. "There's nothing to tell. It's something personal."
"What were you doing at the hospital?" Jack opted for what came to him at the moment, that most recent event.
"It's personal," Danny replied again, stubbornly. "I've been suspended because I mixed my personal life and work. That's clear, isn't it?"
Jack felt his heart racing, but he tried to keep his cool. "I'm not Olczyk. Danny, you know what I had to evaluate from you when you joined us. I'm not using it, but I know things about you that I know, you wouldn't like me to. I can help you, if it's necessary. You can trust me."
"I can't explain it," Danny swallowed. He was aware of Jack knowing some issues about him that would make him hesitate when he allowed him on his team.
"The hospital, Danny. Why did you go there?" Jack asked again.
"It's Rafi," Danny finally replied. "They asked me to do some lab work and then they asked me to have another test, if necessary. It's routine."
"Routine," Jack repeated. "What's going on with Rafi?"
"I don't know; he's sick. Jack, I'm sorry about what happened. Honestly, I don't get it, but if things are like this…well, I'm sorry. I don't want to cause you any trouble," Danny continued as he stood up.
That behavior was unusual for Danny. Jack was plenty aware of Danny feeling uncomfortable with this situation and wouldn't answer his questions.
"Okay, take this time as a vacation and think about it," Jack agreed, unable to learn anything else. He wouldn't subject his agent to an interrogation, not after what had happened. The ambush Danny and Martin were involved in had caused consequences still present in their behavior, especially on Martin and Danny.
Danny was leaving his office when Jack realized something. Standing up, he called, "Danny, I need your badge and your gun," It wasn't easy to tell him that.
"Right," Danny replied, removing both things and handing them to Jack. "Vacation," He continued.
"Yeah," Jack reassured him with a slap on his back. "We'll talk."
Danny left, unnoticed. Neither Sam nor Vivian realized it until late in the day, when they noticed his absence. Jack didn't tell them too much. He was also confused, it was unfair, he admitted. Danny had acted wrongly, but as he well said, it wasn't a reason for Olczyk to be that angry. There wasn't a reason for a suspension like that.
Fortunately, in the following days Nick Carter's team would take over the Missing Persons Unit, as Jack and his team enjoyed several real vacation days.
By the time they returned to work, Martin would be back from Washington and Danny's absence would be less noticeable.
