APOLOGY: Due to a FUBAR I found during a read through, I've had to rewrite 4 chapters and rearrange some events. Therefore, The Explanation has gone from Chapter 14. I'm reluctant to say where it is because it might not stay there. But it will turn up at some point, I promise! I'm sorry that I'm keeping you in suspense for so long. It definitely wasn't my intent -hugs-

GUEST2: Danny doesn't know that he's the target, yet. Watch out for the fireworks when he finds out.

BB-BB

Unfortunately, Frank and Jamie found Danny asleep. According to his nurse, he'd been loath to admit it, but he felt terrible. Aches, stings, and stabs, he was experiencing them all, as well as every other pain that he could and couldn't imagine. So he gave up, took the prescribed pain relief and anti-nausea meds, and slept. He only woke when a rapping noise roused him.

I hope Dad never finds out about this, or Erin either. Danny warily eyed his niece, who was leaning against the doorframe. "What are you doing here?

"Study period."

"I thought study periods were for studying."

Nicky shrugged and toyed with the waistband of her skirt. "What? I'm not allowed to visit my favorite uncle?"

Danny wasn't fooled. "Okay. What's up?"

Nicky shrugged again.

Danny thumped the bed beside him. "Sit. Talk."

Reluctantly, Nicky obeyed the first, but it took some more considerable prompting for her to obey the second.

"It's nothing really. I mean, it's not life or death or anything like that."

"But?"

"There's this girl, her name's Yana, and she's driving me crazy! She keeps volunteering to be the head of committees and projects at school, but once she's elected nothing gets done. Last semester she was in charge of finding the money for our three-day science class trip and it almost got cancelled because she didn't organise any sponsorships or fundraising activities so there wouldn't have been any money to pay for anything if other people hadn't stepped in." Nicky moved as if to stand up but Danny restrained her. "Then this morning I said I wanted to catch up with her during study period about next month's concert. She said she hadn't even thought about it yet. 'There's plenty of time, stop being such a nag!' Those were her exact words. I'm not being a nag. I'm just sick and tired of everyone else doing all her dirty work for her and getting none of the credit."

"So who gets the credit, then?" Danny interjected.

"She does, of course!" Nicky spat. "All her reports to the teachers and deans are full of the great work she's doing and what a wonderful leader she is. That's why she keeps getting re-elected. All the glory and none of the work, that's her!"

Danny cocked his head sideways. "Have you ever thought of just leaving her be?"

"And let everyone else suffer because of her laziness?" This time there was no stopping the teen as she jumped up. "If that trip hadn't happened, if we couldn't have let off some steam, the rest of term would have been a nightmare. For us, for the teachers, for the whole school and for our families."

"Don't forget the neighbourhood, the city, the county, the state, the country, the continent, the Western World, and all the developing countries on our great planet," Danny reminded her seriously.

For a second Nicky glared, then she bit her lip and thought about what her uncle was actually saying. "I'm blowing this all out of proportion, aren't I?"

Danny held his right thumb and index finger millimetres apart and widened them to full stretch as he spoke. "Just a lickle ickle teeny weeny bit."

"So you really think I should just let her fail?"

"What's the worst that could happen?"

Before she could answer, there was a knock on the door. "Danny Reagan?"

"Yes?"

"Hi, Detective Reagan." She stopped. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise you had a visitor. I'll come back later."

"Nah, I'm just going." Nicky gave Danny a kiss, gathered up her stuff and disappeared out the door, calling back after her," I'll ring you later!"

"Are you sure now's an alright time to visit? You're not too tired or anything are you?"

Danny shook his head at the visitor's enquiry. "It's quite alright. You work with my brother, Jamie, don't you?"

His visitor nodded. "I'm Probationary Officer Mason Dunnery. Did you know that Jamie was back at work this morning? Of course you did. You're his brother," she babbled. "I would have thought he would have taken another couple of days off, that's all." She shrugged.

"He never was very good at taking care of himself." At Mason's inquiring look, a conversation started, with Jamie Reagan as the central subject.

As the talk dwindled, Mason looked at her watch. "I'd better get going. I've just come off an early shift and I'm back on deck tomorrow. No rest for the wicked, as they say. Oh, by the way, I brought you a get well soon present."

"Just as long as it's not another bunch of flowers or bowl of fruit," Danny joked, taking the box into his hands. He read the label and his face lit up. "Seriously? I can't take this, Mason." He handed the box back, but his visitor refused to take it. "I'm serious. This is one of the most expensive brands of chocolate on the open market in America."

"I know, right?" Mason enthused. "I should know. I must be one of the biggest buyers of this product in the country. I think I buy about a box a month. And it's the nicest, too."

"I wouldn't know about that," Danny admitted. "I've never been able to afford it. Two kids, a wife and a mortgage, you know the drill."

"Not personally," Mason disagreed. "Well, now you don't have to afford it. Have those ones on me. Go on, open it."

Danny slowly chose a piece of chocolate out of the box. Reverently, he peeled back the wrapping around the delicacy. He listened to the paper slowly ripping revealing the treat hidden below. He took a long sniff as the aroma wafted toward his twitching nostrils. "Mmm!" he hummed in delight. "That smells heavenly!" He ran his fingers lightly over the surface of the dark brown cube. "So smooth, so sleek, so soft," he murmured. "Last chance to take it back," he offered only half seriously.

"No, I'm good," Mason chuckled, enjoying that Danny was getting such obvious delight out of her present.

Danny put the first piece between his lips. His eyes shone as his teeth broke through the only just slightly soft chocolate and met with a satisfying crunch. "So how good's my brother at his job?" This casual question led to another lively exchange, this time on the subject of Officer Jamison Reagan.

"Looks like he won't need any lunch."

Chewing on his sixth chocolate, Danny grinned at his wife. "Thish ishn't lunch. It'sh chocolate."

Two pretty women in one day. Interesting. Especially since he's supposedly married. "I'd better get going." Mason pushed herself off the window sill she had been sitting on. "Thanks for the ammo, Danny. See you later."

"Bye."

Linda eyed her husband suspiciously. Ammo? "Don't go on my account. The doctor's probably running late, anyway."

"I've stayed too long as it is." Mason mumbled more goodbyes and scampered out the door.

"You really do have to work on your people skills, hon," Danny chided. "That scowl tends to scare people off, not exactly conducive to a happy relationship with my fellow police officers now, is it? Oooh ohh," he suddenly groaned. When Linda reached for the call button, he hastened to interpret for her. "That definitely sounds like Dad talking to Naomi out there. Can't you hear them?"

Linda listened and smirked. This is going to be fun! She had just enough time to clear the seat and sit down before the door was pushed open. "Dr Owno!" she exclaimed.

"Yes?"

"Sorry. We weren't expecting to see you. We thought we heard Dr Rathbone talking to Danny's father in the hall."

Dr. Imran Owno's red curls bobbed as he shook his head. "I don't know anything about that, but I can ask the nurse on the way out, if you want me to?" he asked Danny. "Righto. Follow my finger."

Danny was sure it was the hundredth time since he'd been admitted that he'd heard those words. The back of said finger appeared from above Danny's head then dropped below his chin. It appeared from past his ear and disappeared just past his nose. It was always the same finger. The one beside the thumb. He struggled to remember what it was called. Oh yes, that's right, the index finger. Danny reckoned he could even pick it out of a police line-up. Pink index finger on the right hand, approximately four and a half inches in height, slightly more than one inch in diameter, and about two and three quarters of an inch in circumference. No white nail tip, but visible signs of recent trauma to the right side. The healing wound is jagged and blunt as if it had been caught on something or possibly had something torn from it. Sitting just below the finger pad is a rough patch, indicative of having a wart recently removed. A thick vein prominently runs up the middle of the lowest joint, disappearing a little over halfway through the second joint. The fingerprint is a straightforward pattern of arches over and under a whorl.

But that wasn't why he was sick of hearing those words. He was sick of hearing those words because the tests were always followed by the words "You're showing steady progress." In other words, "Be patient. Not much has changed but we won't say so. We don't want you losing hope."

Sure enough, Dr. Owno uttered the expected words. "The corneal abrasion is healing well. Providing you continue with the treatment regime I won't need to see you again before you are discharged. I'm in surgery all day tomorrow, so I'll have my receptionist contact you with an appointment for the Out Patient's Clinic in five days."

Danny decided to bite the bullet. "So when can I go back to work?"

"I'll let you know in five days."

"Ball park?" Danny challenged.

"I'll let you know in five days." The doctor packed away his instruments.

"Thanks for your time, Dr Owno. I've got to go and get our boys, so I'll walk you out." Linda picked up her handbag and followed the doctor out the door.