"Here, Linda," Tara, a fellow nurse, handed the blonde a patient chart. "Thought you might want this one."
Linda looked at confusedly, before her eyes fell on the last thing she wanted to see. Across the form was her husband's messy hand writing. She closed her eyes, "Where is he?"
"Bed eight."
"Thank you." She quickly walked down the hall and yanked the curtain back, finding Danny sitting on the edge of the bed with Baez standing next to him.
"Hi, honey. You look mad. Are you mad?" Danny wondered, seeing a mix of anger and concern in his wife's face.
Baez suppressed a giggle as Linda walked towards him.
"What happened?" She demanded.
"Just a little knock on the head. I'm fine."
"Little?" Baez turned her attention to Danny, "he hit you in the head and stomach with a crowbar, took your gun, slammed you into walls, and threw you across the room."
Linda's eyes widened in horror as Danny scoffed.
"Half the time you were on your back."
"That's how I fight." Danny winced and put a hand on his ribs.
"Okay, I'd ask if you were okay, but you wouldn't tell me honestly." Linda reached into her pocket for the eye/ear light. "Okay, Danny, you know the drill. Follow the light." She frowned as Danny followed the light with his eyes. "You've got a concussion, mister. A big one."
The detective nodded, he knew what that meant- desk duty for the foreseeable future.
"Lie down."
"Why?" Danny seemed to challenge.
"Because I wanna check those ribs of yours." Linda felt Danny's ribs, noticing his body tense as she moved her fingers. "Looks like you've got a few bruised ribs. Maybe even cracked. I'm gonna get the doctor. He'll wanna do an X-ray. For your ribs and that head of yours."
"Why?"
"Danny, you were beaten within an inch of your life it sounds like. You shouldn't even be sitting up! In fact, lie down." Linda's face hardened when he didn't comply. "I'm dead serious, Danny. We gotta get going. There could be some internal bleeding... Tara!" She got the attention of the nurse.
"Yeah?"
"Could you get the doctor? I want X-rays done stat."
"Yes, of course." Tara went to fetch the doctor.
"D@mmit, Danny." Linda almost growled. "Here." She handed him an oxygen mask and flipped on the switch. "Why'd you have a fist fight anyway?"
"The son of a b!tch took my gun! And the other b!tch was holding Baez hostage. She had a gun to her head."
"Oh, wow. Are you okay?" She turned to his partner.
"I'm fine. He was the one who said I should get checked out." Baez jabbed her thumb in Danny's direction.
"Tara says that your patient needs X-rays?" The doctor asked.
"Yes. I think he's got a couple of bruises ribs, maybe a fracture. And he has a concussion. A pretty big one. I wanna make sure the swelling is down or nonexistent."
The doctor nodded, "you should've been a doctor."
"Yeah, you should've." Danny said from behind the oxygen mask.
"Regardless, I think it needs to be done ASAP."
"You're absolutely right."
"You okay?" Linda wondered when Danny plopped onto the bed after climbing the stairs.
"Yeah," He exhaled. "Never better."
"You have two cracked ribs, and three more bruised. While you were at it, why didn't you puncture a lung?"
"Linda."
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just worried, you know?" She stood in front of Danny, unbuttoning his shirt.
"I hate when you worry."
She smiled softly, "you're here, alive, and well... mostly. That's all that matters." She kissed his cheek and gently hugged him. "Shower?"
"Yeah." Danny nodded, standing slowly. "Y'know... with my injuries and all... I'm gonna need some help."
Linda rolled her eyes, "even when you're barely breathing, you think about that." She walked into the bathroom behind her husband.
"It's hard not to think about it when I've got the most gorgeous wife." He pecked her lips.
"Hmm... flattery's gonna get you no where. Nothing till those ribs heal."
"D@mn."
Linda grinned, "Come on. Lemme help you."
