In The Wrong Place
Chapter 6
"Jeannie! Sweetheart! Weren't you supposed to be coming home tomorrow?" Mike said beaming broadly and walking over he gave his beloved daughter a warm and welcoming hug...
"Yes, but I thought I'd surprise you...Aren't you glad to see me? " Jeannie said pretending to be hurt...
"Oh boy am I glad to see you...You're a sight for sore eyes...mmmmmm and the smell of that meatloaf is just heavenly...I'm sure glad you're here honey.."
Jeannie hugged him again...
"You know you're awfully late... I was just about to ring the bureau looking for you but I didn't want to ruin my sur...prise." As she was talking she glanced down and saw that there was a huge bloodstain on the right side of Mike's trench coat. "Oh my God, Mike...Are you hurt? What happened?"
At first Mike was confused but following Jeannie's gaze he saw the bloodstain and quickly moved to calm Jeannie's fears...
"No, sweetheart..I'm not hurt...It's not mine...It's ...it's Steve's..."
"Steve's! Oh no! Where is he? Is he alright? Why didn't you say something? Mike?"...
" Now, now, Calm down..He's at the hospital but he's going to be fine..Listen let's go get some of that meatloaf and I'll tell you the whole sorry tale...Ok?"
Guiding Jeannie back into the kitchen, they sat down to eat and Mike told her all about the shooting of Officer Shaffer, and Landers and how lucky Steve had been that afternoon...
"Poor Steve! That's awful!...Are you sure he's alright?"
"Yes, he's in good hands...They were giving him something to help him sleep when I left...Hopefully we'll get to pick him up in the morning."
"Well, he simply can't go home by himself...not while he's healing from something like that.. First thing tomorrow , I'll make up the spare room and he can stay here for a few days until he's strong again.. Can't he Mike?"
"Of course he can sweetheart...but he might take some convincing about that. You know how much Steve hates being fussed over."...Mike said smiling at how his daughter was already in full Mother Hen mode. Poor Steve wouldn't know what hit him...
"You just leave that to me...I can handle Steve Keller..." Jeannie said smiling at Mike and immediately got up to clear away the dishes..
While Jeannie was busy tidying up in the kitchen, Mike went into the living room , picked up the phone and rang the hospital to see how Steve was doing. The night nurse informed him that Steve was sleeping peacefully and that his blood pressure was finally back to normal...Then he rang the station and talked to Sgt. Haseejian and inquired about the detail on Landers...Landers had been driven home and hadn't left since. Satisfied that everything was in order, Mike locked up and soon father and daughter retired up to bed.
As they parted on the landing Jeannie suddenly turned and threw her arms around Mike in a bear hug...
"Hey, hey whats that for?"
"Oh Mike...That might have easily been you today in that building...I worry about the two of you, you know when I'm in Arizona..I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you...and poor Steve!..."
"There, there...it's alright now..Steve is going to be fine and as for me well it would take a lot to kill an old codger like me...Come on off to bed with you and stop worrying...You must be tired after your trip...and I'm really pleased you're home honey...I've missed you..."
"I've missed you too...but we have a week together now...You know I am kind of tired..Goodnight...Daddy" and kissing him on the cheek she headed down to her room...
Mike watched her as she went and he felt a warm glow in his heart...
"Goodnight honey...sleep well" and turning to go to his bedroom he beamed broadly and muttered under his breath to himself..."she called me Daddy..."...
Mike Stone slept peacefully until his phone rang at seven am...
"Hello, Stone..." Mike answered drowsily... It was Captain Rudy Olsen..
"We're asking Joe Landers in for a preliminary meeting to set up the inquiry into yesterday's incident at twelve pm. I'm going to need your testimony. Do you think Keller will be released from the hospital this morning and if he'd be up to attending? "
"I'm not sure about Steve. I'll have to check with his doctor and get back to you but I'll be there"
After hanging up , Mike got up,showered,shaved and dressed and once more rang the hospital to inquire about Steve. The day nurse paged Dr. Armstrong and within minutes the doctor was informing Mike that Steve was doing much better.. The doctor was happy with his blood levels and all drips had been disconnected. He was off the cannula and all monitors and his wounds were clean and redressed. He wasn't feeling sick anymore and had even managed to eat a small bit of toast for his breakfast. The only meds he was still on were the painkillers...By all accounts, the doctor was happy to discharge him into Mike's care provided that he took it easy ,got plenty of rest and only undertook light duties. Mike told the doctor that he would pick him up at ten o'clock and that he would make sure that Steve followed doctors orders.
Jeannie got up shortly after and arriving downstairs found Mike in the kitchen whipping up a batch of pancakes for their breakfast...
"Good..morning..." Jeannie said yawning drowsily.."I thought I smelled your delicious pancakes..."
"Morning honey..Thought I'd make them as a welcome home breakfast...Say, if you're still tired why don't you go back to bed for a while after you've eaten"
"No...I'm fine.. I slept like a log last night...Did you ring the hospital yet?"
"Yes, Steve's much better today. I'm going to pick him up at ten but I need to go to his place and pick him up some clothes and things first and then Rudy wants us back at the office for a preliminary meeting with Joe Landers for twelve..."
"Will Steve be up to that having only just being released from the hospital?"
"Well, I'll see how he is when I get there. Don't worry sweetheart, I won't let him overdo things..."
"Mike... Can I come with you this morning? " Jeannie asked anxious to see for herself that Steve was ok and reckoning that Mike might need a little help to stop Steve from over doing things as he put it...
"I don't see why not but I'll drop you back home before we go into the office...I don't know how long we're going to be. Are you ok with that?"
"Sure, While you're at your meeting I'll have time to get the spare room ready for Steve."
"Now, Jeannie, Steve hasn't agreed to that yet...I'd hold off on those plans until he has.."
"Oh he will...Mike...you just leave that to me..." Jeannie said smiling and Mike couldn't help thinking that poor Steve didn't stand a chance...
After breakfast, Mike cleaned up while Jeannie got dressed and ready and by nine o' clock, they were on their way to Steve's place to pick up his clothes and other things he would need to stay in Mike's for a few days. Having packed an overnight bag with Steve's belongings, they headed for the hospital...Both father and daughter travelled in silence as they looked forward to seeing Steve...Mike was thinking of how glad he was that Steve was going to be ok and wondering if he would be up to going to the office straight from the hospital while Jeannie was just really looking forward to seeing for herself that Steve was alright...When Mike had said yesterday that Steve had been hurt, Jeannie's worst fears had been realized. She had grown very fond of her father's young partner and their friendship had come to mean an awful lot to her. She had been looking forward to them spending some quality time together now that she was home for a week and inwardly cursed the officer who had so recklessly endangered Steve's life...When they pulled into the hospital car park , Jeannie couldn't help but feel worried about Steve...He had only been shot yesterday and yet they were releasing him today. And knowing how Steve never let anyone know how badly he was hurting Jeannie vowed at that moment to keep a very close eye on Steve...a very close eye indeed...