Disclaimer: I don't own CSI:NY – I'm just borrowing them for a little while and will put them back when I am finished playing. I do own Kelli Taylor and the other characters that you don't recognize – please ask before borrowing. And any errors or typos are all my fault – as I don't have a Beta yet. Also anything in Italics means that my character or someone else is using American Sign Language.
a/n: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and I can't believe the number of hits that I've gotten so far. Kelli is on the mend.
Chapter 21 – 30 Days – Are You Kidding?
At the lab Chief Hillborne knocked on Mac's office door.
"Good morning Chief."
"Good morning Mac, I was actually looking for Kelli Taylor, but I see that she is not in her office."
"Kelli is out sick."
"Do you know when she will be in?"
"No."
"Is she at home?"
"No, she is in the hospital, where she has been a patient for the last week and a half. Why are you looking for Kelli?"
"I wanted to inform her of the review board's decision."
"Well, you can tell me and I can tell Kelli."
"Deputy Inspector Stanton Gerrard has been placed on suspension for thirty days without pay."
"Thirty days, that's all?"
"Yes."
"And no demotion in rank?"
"That's correct, and also he has been ordered to stay away from Ms. Taylor, unless it is work related."
"Has Gerrard been informed of the board's decision?"
"I just finished informing him before I came here."
"How did he take it?"
"He is not a happy camper right now."
"I bet."
At the hospital Kelli strolled up and down the halls until lunchtime. After lunch Kelli asked one of the nurses at the nurse's station where the hospital chapel was located.
"It's located in the other wing on this floor."
"Would it be okay if I leave this wing in order to go to the chapel?"
"Sure, it will be okay. I'll just make a note in case someone asks where you are."
"Thanks," said Kelli before walking down the hall towards the other wing.
At the chapel Kelli entered the quiet oasis and sat down to quietly pray.
"Hi, are you okay?"
Kelli looked up to see a woman, dressed in a navy dress suit with a clerical collar. "I'm fine, thank you."
"My name is Rev. Ida Armstrong-Whitehouse, but you can call me Rev. Ida."
"Hi, I'm Kelli Taylor. I just came here looking for a quiet place to think."
"I can leave you alone," Rev Ida started to stand up.
"No, please stay."
"Okay," Rev. Ida sat back down. "So how long have you been a patient here?"
"I came in a week and a half ago, with asthma, pneumonia and plus my blood sugar was up a little."
"So are you feeling better now?"
"I am, Doc Cassidy says that I may be able to go home tomorrow."
"That's good. Are you looking forward to going home?"
"Yes I am. I'm missing my normal routine, especially now since I am feeling better."
The two of them were quietly talking when Mac walked into the chapel. "Well, I finally found you."
"I left the nurses know where I would be," Kelli said. "Rev. Ida, this is Detective Mac Taylor, my fiancé. Mac, this is Rev. Ida Armstrong-Whitehouse."
"Hi, nice to meet you Detective Taylor."
"Likewise, please call me Mac," Mac replied, shaking hands with Rev. Ida.
"And everyone calls me Rev. Ida. You look like you need to talk privately, so I'll leave you two alone."
"Thank you," Kelli turned towards Mac. "What's wrong?"
"Chief Hillborne came to see me this morning, he was looking for you."
"He was? Did he say why?"
"He wanted to inform you of the review board's decision regarding Gerrard."
"Did Hillborne tell you what the board's decision was?"
"Gerrard is suspended for thirty days without pay."
"And?"
"That's it."
"Thirty days. They have to be kidding."
"And he was ordered to stay away from you unless it is work related."
"Come on, let's go back to my room." Kelli and Mac walked out of the chapel – heading for Kelli's room.
"So when did you get taken off the oxygen?"
"This morning and Doc Cassidy says that I may be able to go home tomorrow."
"That's great," Mac smiled. "I'll bring in some of your clothes when I come in this evening."
Back in Kelli's room, Beth's husband was visiting, so Mac pulled the curtain between the two beds for privacy.
"I can't believe that Gerrard only got suspended for thirty days," Kelli signed. "Tell me if you had been the one to do what Gerrard did, don't you think that you would have gotten more than a thirty day suspension?"
"I would have been busted back down to patrol," Mac replied. "Gerrard has friends in high places. And maybe one or two of them were on the review board."
"I wonder what will happen when I go back to work."
"What do you mean?"
"Will he be giving Victim Services a hard time because of me?"
"I hope not."
"You probably have to go back to work?"
"I do."
"Do you think that I need to worry about Gerrard coming here?"
"I don't think so; Hillborne didn't even know that you were here in the hospital. But if he does come by, get the nurses to call security."
"Okay."
"You just keep getting better and I will see you later."
"I'll walk with you as far as the elevator."
At the elevator, Kelli looked around before pulling Mac into the empty T.V. room, kissing him. Mac was startled at first, and then eagerly responded, their tongues dueling. They kissed until Mac reluctantly pulled back. "You need to go back to your room and I need to go back to work."
"I know."
Wednesday morning Kelli was walking by the elevators when Doc Cassidy stepped out of the cars. "Good morning Kelli."
"Good morning Doc," Kelli greeted her doctor.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Good, I'm feeling more like my old self."
"Good," Doc nodded. "Let's go back to your room; I want to check your breathing."
Back in Kelli's room, Doc listened to Kelli's breathing. "Good. Now I'll be right back as soon as I get a sterilized suture removal pack." Within a few minutes Doc Cassidy pulled a pair of latex gloves on and a face mask. Opening the sterilized pack, he quickly snipped the sutures holding the central line stable, then gently pulled on the tubing – removing the central line.
Kelli watched in amazement at the length of tubing that was removed. "Wow, I had no idea that the tubing was that long," Kelli remarked as Doc bandaged her shoulder before removing his mask.
"Yeah, the central line was in there quite a ways – it's to ensure that the antibiotics would be properly distributed throughout your system. Now the bandage should stay on for 24 hours, so I recommend that you don't take a shower until tomorrow."
"So when will I be able to go home?"
"You can leave whenever Mac comes to pick you up," Doc chuckled. "I'll call Mac and let him know. And I want you to stay home for the rest of this week and make an appointment to see me at the clinic next week."
"Great, I am definitely ready to go home," Kelli smiled. "So I have to stay home from work until I see you next week?"
"Uh huh, I don't want you to do too much too soon, because you don't want to get sick again. And I'm going to give you a couple of prescriptions for antibiotics which you are to take until they are finished."
"Okay, I'll do that. Thanks Doc."
"Take care Kelli, and I'll see you next week."
Kelli was dressed and waiting with her belongings when Mac walked into her room twenty minutes later. "Hey, Doc tells me that you are itching to get out of here," Mac greeting Kelli with a hug and a lingering kiss.
"Umm," Kelli came up for air, licking her lips. "Yeah, I am definitely ready to blow this popsicle stand."
Out in the car Mac looked at Kelli and asked. "It's almost lunchtime, am I correct in assuming that you are hungry."
"Oh yeah."
"How about we pick up some Italian on the way home?"
"That evening Mac had just arrived home and had just changed out of his suit into jeans and t-shirt, when the doorbell rang – triggering the flashing light.
"I'll get it," Kelli told Mac who was in the kitchen, preparing to start dinner. Kelli checked the peephole, opening the door to find Danny, Don, Lindsay, Sheldon and Stella standing in the doorway.
"You didn't think that we wouldn't celebrate your first evening home," said Stella, her green eyes twinkling."
"We brought Chinese takeout," Don indicated the paper bags that he, Lindsay and Sheldon were carrying.
"I've got the beer," grinned Danny.
"Well, in that case – how can we say no," Kelli smiled, as Mac joined her at the door. The gang trooped into the apartment, Stella bringing up the rear carrying a huge basket covered with blue plastic wrap.
After enjoying the Chinese takeout, they all gathered in the living room, Kelli and Mac sitting on the couch – everyone else sitting on various chairs or sprawling on the floor. Don sat the gift basket on the coffee table in front of Kelli.
"You guys, you didn't have to do this," Kelli said before opened the envelope – pulling out the card. "Hoping that you feel better soon," Kelli read before opening the card and seeing that it had been signed by all the CSIs, lab techs from each shift, along with police officers, detectives and volunteers. "Wow, Mac look at this, look how many people signed this."
"You are well like by so many people in the lab. You have no idea how many people would ask me everyday how you were doing," Mac replied – looking at the card.
"So we decided to do a gift basket for you," said Lindsay.
"We were going to give it to you while you were in the hospital, but then we got so much stuff, that we decided to wait until you got home," explained Stella.
"You guys are the best," Kelli's eyes watered.
"Will you show us what you got there before you start with the waterworks," drawled Danny, from where he was sprawled on the floor.
"Danny," Lindsay protested as she and Stella both smacked him on the back of the head.
"Ouch, what was that for?" Danny groused, rubbing his head.
Kelli and the others laughed at the injured expression on Danny's face. "I missed all of this," Kelli said, wiping tears of laughter from her face.
"Danny's right, let's see what you got," grinned Don.
Kelli untied the ribbon and started unpacking the basket. There were magazines, puzzle books, lottery tickets, fruit, slippers, scarf, billfold, scented candles, body lotion and some cans of soup. Kelli laughed when she saw the cans of soup – tomato soup (her favourite kind). "Wow," Kelli looked at everyone. "Thanks so much guys. I'm really touched. Did you know about this?" Kelli turned to Mac.
"I knew about it, but I didn't see what all was put into the basket."
"So Mac, you didn't contribute anything towards the basket?" Don teased.
"I do have something for Kelli, but I didn't want to include it in the basket," Mac replied.
"You didn't have to get me anything. You already gave me my ring back to me this morning," Kelli glanced at her left hand where her engagement ring was back on her ring finger.
"I know, but I think that you will like this," Mac placed a gift wrapped box on Kelli's lap.
Kelli tore the wrapping paper off the box – removing the box cover. She unfolded the layers of tissue paper inside until she uncovered a shadow box with a framed picture.
"Oh Mac, you remembered," Kelli said, as tears started trickling down her cheeks.
"What is it?" Stella asked curiously.
"It's a framed picture of my dad in his army uniform and the shadow box has his medals and uniform patches," explained Kelli. "Ever since I saw Mac's shadow box with his service bars and medals, I wanted to display Dad's stuff the same way. But I had it packed away from my move."
"That is so special," said Lindsay.
"Yeah it is," agreed Kelli, passing the picture and shadow box to Lindsay for her and the others to look at.
"Are you going to hang them here in the apartment?" asked Stella.
"No," Kelli shook her head. "I want to hang them up on my office wall, next to the framed sketch that Mari did of Mac at Cozy's."
"We saw a teenage girl with a dog when we came into the building lobby," said Sheldon, as he placed the framed picture and shadow box on the coffee table. "I didn't think that your building allowed pets."
"That was Shelby," replied Don. "And the dog is her service dog."
"Her service dog?" Danny frowned. "But the dog wasn't wearing a harness that a seeing eye dog wears."
"That dog is her hearing ear dog," Kelli explained. "Shelby is deaf and her dog hears for her."
"Hears for her. How does that work?" Danny asked curiously.
"Boo-Boo alerts Shelby to the doorbell, phone, smoke detector and even whenever someone calls her name," Kelli replied.
"It's really neat to watch," said Don.
"Interesting," said Sheldon.
Stella noticed Kelli trying to hide a yawn and remarked. "Well guys, it's getting late, so I am going to head out. See you all at work tomorrow."
"Okay Stella, thanks for coming by," said Kelli.
The rest of the group followed Stella's example and decided to leave as well, leaving Kelli and Mac sitting on the couch by themselves.
"So what are your plans for tomorrow?" Mac asked.
"I am going to enjoy a nice, long hot shower. It will be so nice to be able to wash my hair after not being able to do so for a week and a half, and to get rid of the hospital smell."
Two weeks later Kelli finally got the all clear from Doc Cassidy, to be able to return to work. So the last Monday in January Kelli walked into Max's office. "Hey Max, long time, no see."
"Kelli," Max looked up from his paperwork. "It's good to see you. We've missed your smiling face around here."
"It's good to be back, but I suppose that there is a ton of paperwork waiting for me?"
"I had someone from HR to come in three times a week, so there wouldn't be such a backlog of paperwork."
"Okay, I'll get right to work."
"I don't want you to overdo it. I don't want you to get sick again."
a/n: I know that it is a short chapter but I promise that there will be more to come.