Chapter 25
December 7th
The doctor shakes his head as he steps into the room. She is asleep. On her side facing the door, her partner stretched out across the pull out cot/chair. Also facing the door, the cop on the door giving a half nod as he checked his badge before carefully opening the door for him. He was never going to to used to being checked before being allowed entry into a room in his own hospital. No matter how many times he had treated it an officer it still unsettled him.
"Good morning." He said, watching as she scowls but doesn't otherwise move.
"That's an opinion." She murmurs, not bothering to open her eyes and he gives her an indulgent smile she can't see. Watching out of the corner of his eye as the cop checked the ID's of the others behind him.
"You have some visitors." The does finally get movement, the doctor smiling as she blinks awake and focuses as Jack and Sean step in.
"Hey boys." She struggles to sit up. Jack stepping forward to help settle her and help her with the controls.
"Easy " Sean grumbles and she shakes her head as she let's them fuss over her.
"What are you doing here?" She asks even as she accepts the hug from both boys, watching as they both focused on her foot before glancing over to where their father was laying. She has to angle to focus on Erin as she stepped in next with Nicki.
"They refused to go to school without seeing you first."
"We wanted to come over last night but Grandpa said no." Sean explained and she wasn't surprised.
"You needed to rest, we needed to rest. I'm fine." She says softly, hands holding Sean's to stop his fussing with the blankets. Feeling him squeeze it tightly.
Erin glanced over to the mound of blankets on the cot. "How is he?" Maria glanced over and grabbed the towel hanging over the side rail of her bed. Twisting it and snapping it against his shoulder
"Reagan, guests." Maria says and he grumbles, focusing on her.
"What?" He rolls and blinks into the room. "What are you guys doing here?"
Erin smirks. He looks adorable buried in blankets and confusion. "Saying hello. Dad said you were going home to sleep."
"He lied." He stands. Holding his broken arm against his chest as he padded to the side of the bed. Fussing with the blankets just like the boys had and Maria can't help but smile.
"Alright. We gotta go if we are gonna get to school on time."
Maria accepts the careful hugs, watching as they cross to their father and repeat the goodbyes.
"Are you coming home today?" Sean asks as he stops at the end of the bed and she shrugs,
"Hopefully." She says as she glanced to the doctor. Missing the half glance Erin shoots towards Danny, who did catch it and purposely did not meet it.
"We will discuss it." The doctor answers evasively because he still needed to evaluate her this morning.
"See you later." Jack says and she nods watching as they head to the door. Maria smacking a hand into Danny's stomach, watching as he flinches and focuses on her.
"Go. Walk them down."
"They're fine!"
"Daniel Reagan get out." He holds up two hands. Trailing behind his family and she smiles at his back. "Bring back food!"
"Yes Ma'am."
"What's going on Danny?" Erin hisses at him, watching as he dodges her look again.
"Nothing."
"Are you together?" Erin asked quietly, earning a silent half glance that was answer enough "Does Dad know?"
"He doesn't not know."
"How long?"
"What does that matter?"
"Do the boys know?"
"We know!" Jack calls back and Erin and Danny both slow their speed letting the distance grow.
"Mind your business!" Danny calls to their back. But inside could feel the tension he had been carrying dissolve. He thought they knew but they had been careful to keep the PDA's behind closed doors.
"How long?" Erin demands, watching as Danny shrugs, messing with his tie.
"I don't know how to answer that… it's nothing concrete… it just. Is."
"Is?! Danny she's staying at your house enough that Sean asked when she was coming home? What is it? Once? Twice a week?"
"A bit more." Danny said uneasily, watching as both of Erin's eyebrows raise.
"A bit more?! How much more?"
"Does it really matter?"
"Are you sleeping with her?"
"None of your business!"
"Daniel!" She hisses. "What the hell…"
"I know!"
"She is your partner!"
"I know!' He says firmly before against softer. "I know but…'
"Do you love her?" He froze because he had known the answer to that question for far longer than he had been able to say.
"Yeah." He whispered, eyes tearing slightly as he glanced at her, the ring on his hand and the hallway they had just come down. Watching as Erin deflated her hand touching his arm, squeezing gently. "I do. And I don't know how the hell we got here but… we're here and we're dealing okay. The boys are okay. What the hell does it matter if we are? Or not? What we do outside of work doesn't matter if the drama from home doesn't follow us there."
"Okay.' Erin says softly because she could see this was hard for him. 'Just. Be careful."
"We are."
"And Danny." He stops. Facing her. "I'm happy for you. She's a great woman."
He accepts the hug, and acceptance for what it is. A peace offering.
Danny pushes open the door, she's arguing with a nurse about not getting breakfast, "Ma'am you need to eat for the doctor to release you."
"I got her.' He says interrupting them, holding up the bag.
"She really shouldn't be eating outside food."
"It's a breakfast burrito. Egg, sausage, cheese." Danny says evenly, passing the bag to her. Watching as she tore into it with a smile, the nurse shaking her head as she dropped out of the room. "What did the doctor say?"
"Um... they want to run another course of antibiotics... so probably not until tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Yeah, the bone was exposed to the outside for awhile and he just wants to be safe... so he said wants another 24 hours of IV medication."
Danny nods, glancing down at her leg, "How does it feel?"
"Long as I don't try to move it. It feels just fine."