Chapter 26

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Logan rushed to Mac's office only to find him stretched out on his couch, left arm draped over his eyes, apparently sleeping. She stood there for a few minutes just watching.

"I don't like people staring at me." Mac groaned.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you, if you were resting."

"I appreciate that, but we came here to talk."

"I know." She said playing with the copies of the tapes Colleen had given her.

"All right." Mac said getting up off the couch. "Let's talk."

"Here are your copies of the first tapes of Danny's interview."

"Thanks."

"Not a problem. Listen, Mac I think I know who may have leaked Danny's DNA results."

"Who are you looking at?"

"Eric Thomas?"

"Eric?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, but why him?"

"It's mostly what happened between him and Ricky Miro."

"What happened?"

"There was a look that past between them and Ricky didn't seem a little bit worried that we wanted his DNA."

"Why would you want his DNA?"

"I just wanted to see how he would react to us getting a sample?"

"Does he have a record?"

"Yeah, but he was picked up on burglary charges. There wasn't a need to take his DNA then."

"So his DNA isn't on record."

Logan shook her head. "Fingerprints - yes, DNA - no."

"So what about the 'look' that took place?"

"I thought Eric was going to loose his lunch when he saw Ricky."

"And Ricky?"

"He was a little nervous until Eric walked into the room and then he got real arrogant, like he didn't have to worry about us having his DNA."

"Do you think it will match any of the unknowns we have?"

"I don't know." Logan said acting like there was something else that she needed to say.

"Talk to me, Logan."

"Well, ah, hmm." Logan seemed unsure how to continue.

"Just spit it out." Mac demanded.

"Okay, Ricky made a comment about Don protecting Danny because they're brothers."

"WHAT!"

"Yeah I know. I was able to cover with Donnie, but I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this from him."

"So he definitely heard what Ricky said."

"Yeah, he heard. He even asked me what Ricky meant?"

"What did you say?"

"I didn't know."

"You think he believed you?"

"For the moment, but as I said before I don't know how long I can keep it quiet."

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After Aunt Nola returned to the hospital she immediately went back into Danny's room to do whatever she could to help him calm down.

"You know Danny, my love." She said while giving him a sponge bath. "I'm so proud of the way you handled yourself with Dr. Perez."

Danny just looked at her.

"I know that had to be so scary, but you listen to what Sheldon and Carlos told you to do and you did a wonderful job."

Danny moved his right leg.

"So you agree with me?"

Again Danny moved his right leg.

"You want to know something else?"

Right leg.

"We went to the restaurant across the street and Adam came up with a great idea on how to be able to help you communicate better."

Danny cocked his head to the right.

"I'm assuming that means yes and what else?"

Right leg.

"Well Adam suggested that maybe you can use a laptop."

Danny held up his right hand.

"I know, I know. But I remember a patient I had a couple of years ago that had arthritis in his hands and he used this apparatus that enabled him to type."

Danny's face lit up as he came to understand what Nola was saying. 'Hey then I can talk, er, ah communicate with you all.' He thought to himself.

Nola finished with Danny's bath. "Now I'm going to get some help to change your bedding and then I'll leave you alone."

Left leg.

"What?"

Danny grabbed her hands as best as he could.

"Oh!" She said. "No Danny, I don't mean leave you, leave you, I mean let you rest, leave you."

Danny sighed and let go of her hand.

"Oh Danny I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you. You're like a nephew to me." She smiled down at him.

Danny smiled back and made a typing motion.

Nola laughed. "Adam went to get his laptop and to stop by a shop and pick up the thing I was telling you about."

Right leg.

"OK, let me get some help." Nola said as she took the basin, washcloth and towels she had been using over to the sink.

Danny used his leg to knock on the bed rail.

"What?"

He wrote something in the air.

"What? Wait slow down."

He held his hand up in the air and wrote. 'D'

"D."

Then an 'O'

"O"

'N'

"Oh you want Donnie?"

Danny smiled at Don being called Donnie. Right leg.

"You want him to help me."

Right leg.

"I think that would be OK. Let me go get some clean bedding and gown, then I'll grab Donnie and well get you all settled."

Danny moved his right leg three times.

Nola smiled once again, she leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead. "I love you."

Danny pointed to his heart and then to her.

"I know you love me to."

Right leg.

"I'll be back now don't you go anywhere."

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Mac and Logan sat in silence for a few minutes.

So do you think we should tell Don?" Mac asked.

Logan sighed. "Yeah at least him, but I don't want to. What about Danny?"

"I want to hold off for at least a little bit longer before I tell him."

"I'll leave that up to you and his Mom."

"Nan, oh man I think we need to talk to her after we tell Don, before we confront Chief Flack."

"Boy this is getting bad."

"Yeah." Mac was playing with his cell phone before he finally flipped it open and dialed.

Logan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah Don. Hey could you please come over to the lab? Logan and I have something we want to discuss with you? Yeah, of course it has to do with the case. What? No Don, you know better then that. Okay, we'll see you in a little bit in my office, Bye."

"Mac what's wrong?"

"He seems to think that he was going to interrupt something private?"

"Private? Why would he think that?"

"We'll have to find out. It just doesn't make sense."

"No it doesn't, but I have to ask?"

"Ask what?"

"I've seen some exchanges between you and Don that begs to ask. Is there something 'private' going on between you two?"

"If you're asking about possible feelings, then yeah, there's something between us. But I'm not sure how this news we're about to give him is going to change that."

"How long have you known that Danny and Don are brothers?"

"Approximately three weeks, I told you as soon as I knew."

Mac nodded. "I remember."

"Mac, you've known Donnie a whole lot longer than I have. How do you think he'll take the news?"

"He's going to be hurt. But I think the fact that we've waited so long to tell him is going to hurt more."

"But we were doing it to protect both him and Danny?"

"Yes, but it will be hard for him to understand that. And I can't help but think of what is going to happen between him and his father."

"Who doesn't know yet that he has another son."

"Yeah, that too."

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"Flack. Hey Mac what 'cha need? May I ask why? Does it have to do with the case?

Are you sure? I mean I don't want to interfere with something private? Well I guess I can come then, your office? Bye.

"Don, are you all right?"

"Yeah, Stella I'm fine. I just have to go talk to Mac and Logan."

"Oh, all right. When will you be back?"

"As soon as I can. I want to see Danny."

"Don't worry about Danny. Sid wants to sit with him for a little while, and once Adam gets back with the stuff he went to get, we'll be able to keep Danny occupied for a while, so you're covered there."

"Sounds good. If he asks for me though just let him know what's happening and that I see him as soon as I can."

"Will do. Be careful." Stella said hugging Don.

"I promise to be careful. We don't need someone else in the hospital."

"No we don't. See you later"

"Later." Don said before giving Stella another quick hug.

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Lindsey, Sid, Sheldon and Stella where waiting for another chance to see Danny.

"Hey, where's Donnie?" Nola asked walking into the waiting room with a clean hospital gown and bedding in her arms.

"Mac needed to see him at the lab, why?"

"Oh, boy." Nola moaned.

The four friends looked at her with worry on their faces.

Sheldon stood up. "As something happened to Danny?"

"No. It's just that I've given Danny a bath and I need help to change his bedding. He wanted Donnie to help."

"Maybe I could help?" Sid suggested. "I wanted to spend sometime with him anyway."

"I'm sure that once we tell him why Donnie isn't here, he'll understand."

"Yeah, he will. Come on let's go." Nola said holding out her hand towards Sid.

"Yes, Ma'am." Sid smiled taking her hand. "I be glad to help Danny out anyway possible."

Nola and Sid walked back into Danny's room. "Okay Danny, Sid's going to help me change your bed."

Danny didn't seem happy with this situation.

"Listen to me a second." Sid said leaning over to look into Danny's eyes. "Mac, Logan and Don needed to go to the lab to check on something, understand?"

Right leg.

"Okay, good. Now lets get you into a clean gown and bedding."

Danny shrugged.

"That's all right Danny. Don't worry Don will be back as soon as he can and you can see him then, all right?"

Right leg.

"Shall we?" Sid asked Nola.

"Yeah, the sooner we do this, the better he'll feel.

"Now understand it's been a while since I've done this kind of thing let's hope I can remember how to deal with a living being." Sid laughed.

Danny moaned.

"Just kidding Danny. I promise this won't hurt. Right Nola?"

"Right." She laughed. "As long as we don't roll him off the bed, we'll be fine."

'Oh great I'm in the hands of a couple of clowns.' Danny thought as Sid and Nola began to work. After a quick 5 minutes, Danny had on a clean hospital gown. He had fluffed pillows with clean cases and laid on clean sheets. 'Oh this feels good.'

"Finished." Nola said. "Now I'm going to check his chart and make some notes." Nola said. "Sid why don't you hang around and talk?"

"I will gladly do that." Sid said sitting down in the chair. "So Danny. Did Nola tell you about the idea Adam came up with to help you communicate?"

Right leg.

"Good, good. I think you'll do better once you can talk to all of us……"

Nola smiled at the two guys as she quietly left the room.

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