BLUE FLU BLUES
Dan blew his nose and threw the tissue into the now overflowing wastebasket. He felt horrible but he knew the only reason you didn't come to work was, you were either dying or shot, he was neither. But, the way he felt, he was dying.
He started another spasm of coughing, noting the stares he received from the office staff. He couldn't help it as he took a drink of his now cold coffee. Dan had been staring at the same page for the last few minutes, trying to decipher it through his dulled brain. He looked up to find himself staring at his boss, Steve McGarrett. Looking comfortable in his gray suit, Steve's arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe.
"How are you, Danno?" Steve asked with just a twinkle in his eye.
"You have to ask!" as Dan sneezed again and grabbed a tissue. "Afraid I have the blue flu, Steve."
Steve didn't like that comment "Don't even joke about it, Danno. Negotiations are very touchy at the moment. Things could break wide open" Steve informed him.
Before he could answer Dan broke out into another spasm of coughs, he could feel his face turning red and found it difficult to breath. Grabbing for his cup, he found it empty. Dammitt.
"Danno!"
Dan looked up, his eyes watery and red. His nose felt like sandpaper.
"Go home, get some rest. You look and sound horrible, and I don't want you infecting the office. Things could get hectic around here in the next few days and I will need all the manpower I can get."
Dan couldn't believe his ears; Steve was sending him home. Maybe he was hallucinating, too, he questioned. Not one to argue, he grabbed his coat and started putting all his medications in a brown paper sack. The last few days everyone had been giving him their own home remedies. But, he stuck strictly to over the counter medications. Steve was right; he would go home, but only after seeing the doctor.
XXXXXXXX
Getting home from the doctor's, Dan got ready for bed, but first he was taking a hot shower and then got into his pajamas. It was still early afternoon, his body told him otherwise. Climbing into bed, he fell immediately to sleep
Unfortunately, he was interrupted by a phone call.
"Williams", he said automatically, glancing at his clock radio, now realizing he had slept clear through the night and it was now 6 a.m.
"Get your butt down here now!" Steve barked.
Dragging himself out of bed, Dan threw on the clothes he had on yesterday. The sleep he had made him feel better, but not totally. He had thought he would be able to stay home a few more days. Not to worry, he had the doctor's prescriptions in his sack and hurried out the door. Maybe with a little gentle persuasion, Dan could convince Steve he should stay home, doctor's orders, of course.
When Dan arrived at the office he found the customary blue uniformed officers not there; he got a bad feeling as he headed into Steve's office.
To Dan's dismay he found Chin and Ben but no Duke, another bad sign. All of them were sitting down, and Steve had a pensive look on his face. Something had definitely happened overnight and Dan had a feeling of what it was. Maybe, he could get out of it, but the chance of that now happening was slim to none.
"Danno, glad you could join us. I'm sure you heard what happened."
Dan shook his head no. "But I can guess, the blue flu has struck HPD?"
"See, I knew I hired you for a reason", Steve's said his mouth in a tight line.
"So HPD needs some help. You all will be filling in some management type positions. I talked to the chief and he had some recommendations. Ben, I want you to cover the North Shore area, Chin, you're going to Kaneohe and Danno, you're going to HPD, Honolulu and be a desk sergeant." Dan couldn't believe his ears. He hated the desk sergeant when he pounded a beat. You would collar a suspect, do everything by the book and then wait for the Sergeant to direct you. Damm, he guessed it was payback time.
"Steve, any chance I could get out of this detail. I have a doctor's note." Both Chin and Ben gave him dirty looks. To prove a point, Dan started coughing again.
"No dice, Danno. HPD needs all the help it can get. Go."
Dan exited with Ben and Chin wondering what duties Steve had pulled.
Arriving at the station, Dan could tell something major had happened, usually the building overflowed with uniforms but not now. He saw more men in blue suits then blue uniforms. Grabbing the desk, he had brought some juice on the way in. The doctor had said to get plenty of fluids and rest, so one of two wasn't bad, he mused. When he opened the bag with his medications and tissues the office seemed to stare at him. He didn't know if they were staring at him, or the fact a coughing spasm had started.
Orders were orders though. Dan glanced at the paperwork on the desk. Surmising the Sergeant was pulling duty someplace else; he tried to make himself comfortable. Hearing the officers talking in the office, Dan had a feeling he would be here a while. Since neither side was willing to budge, he resigned himself to the task at hand.
The day turned into night and the only way Dan knew what time it was when food appeared on his desk. Breakfast meant Spam, eggs, white rice with gravy. Lunch and dinner were usually a plate lunch and sometime stew. He was happy for the food, but he started to feel worse. He now had his suit jacket permantently on and couldn't seem to stay warm, no matter how much coffee he drank. The only good thing was he had stopped coughing. His chest felt a little tight but he chocked that up to his sleeping in an upright position.
The days blurred into the same, case after case, going through as he directed each officer. Dan could tell who hadn't been in the field for a while. He noted each officer who seemed to be falling out of their uniform and the intensity of their patience. As for the rest, he was only able to grab catnaps because as soon as he got comfortable the phone would ring.
When would it end? Dan lamented. Didn't anybody make compromises anymore? From what he had overheard, the negotiations were at an impasse. Both sides were unwilling to budge even an inch. He shook his head, that wasn't the way it's supposed to work. You were supposed to find common ground and then work out the details. As far as he knew he might be here the rest of his life. Steve had called on him periodically to see how he was doing. And Dan gave him the same update every time and the same request, he wanted to go home. He was feeling more cranky and irritable with each passing hour
About the third day, the mood in the squad room had perceptibly changed. Working seventy-two hours straight, everyone's nerves were getting frayed. Dan could feel the tension permeate the precinct in every corner. There were a few instances were men almost came to blows, a bad sign, a really bad sign. To make matters worse, Dan had run out of his medications and had tried to get them refilled. The pharmacy's response was they would have to call the doctor and his health benefits were in question, due to the strike.
Dan didn't know what else could happen. He felt ready to go to the negotiations himself and physically persuade the members to a settlement. As each officer came in, their tempers were on the rise, as well as Dan's. His coughing had stopped but now he felt his chest was tight. Unable to go to a market, let alone finding anyone who would, the only liquids he was able to manage was water and coffee. As the days wore on the coffee became worse. And to think he had complained about Steve's so called coffee.
The food still arrived hot, unfortunately Dan could no longer taste anything, and apparently his taste buds had gone on strike, too. He chuckled quietly to himself, god, you needed something to laugh as, things were getting absolutely morose around the precinct. Every morning the paper would come and every morning he could hear the collective groans all the way from Sunset Beach to Honolulu. Dammitt, he wanted to go home and get some sleep. He felt he needed toothpicks to prop his eyes open. The last time Steve called Dan practically begged to go home, but like usual the iron man wouldn't budge. Steve even had the gall to tell him he sounded better, knowing in fact the office was teasing him that he sounded like Marlene Dietrich.
Dan had just fallen asleep when a large Hawaiian officer came to his desk and banged loudly. He tried to ignore him. He didn't have a suspect so he could wait, just five lousy minutes, that's all he needed.
The knocking persisted so Dan had to open his eyes.
"Ok, what can't wait five minutes?" Dan's temper flaring.
"Listen, Bro", the officer accented Bro, "My wife, see, she's expecting a baby anytime and I just got a phone call. She's in labor so I'm leaving. The duty officer ain't here so you're the next best thing." The officer was now poking his fingers into Dan's chest, it hurt, but Dan wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.
"Listen, Bro. Nobody's leaving. I'm sorry your wife is having a baby, but my orders are nobody goes home until the dammed strike is over with. Got that." Dan stood up only to feel the ground roll under his feet and the room sway.
Dan blinked his eyes to focus in on the officer. He was finding it difficult to understand him as well. The Hawaiian's words seemed to slur. He could see the Hawaiian's fist headed straight for his face. But Dan didn't feel it as he passed out even before the officer touched him.
He woke to find himself in a hospital bed and Steve standing over him. He had an IV in his left elbow and Steve was blurry, realizing he was in an oxygen tent.
"Steve!" Dan exclaimed thankful for some relief from the hellhole, which he just came from.
"Hello, Danno," Steve said with only a hint of smile and just an undertone of malice.
"I take it the strike's over, no more blue flu?" Dan said hopefully, not wanting to go through that hell again.
"You could say that, Danno, but I don't think so. See, your flu turned into pneumonia and you started an epidemic, the HPD officers who weren't on strike are now sick and the whole Five- 0 office is sick", Steve glared at him.
Dan suddenly wanted to crawl into the biggest whole he could dig.
"Sorry, Steve. I did have a doctor's note." Dan said in his defense.
"Danno, next time you're sick and I want you to stay, do me a favor"
"What?"
"Just shoot me, ok."
"Sure Steve. You're the boss!"
PAU
Dan blew his nose and threw the tissue into the now overflowing wastebasket. He felt horrible but he knew the only reason you didn't come to work was, you were either dying or shot, he was neither. But, the way he felt, he was dying.
He started another spasm of coughing, noting the stares he received from the office staff. He couldn't help it as he took a drink of his now cold coffee. Dan had been staring at the same page for the last few minutes, trying to decipher it through his dulled brain. He looked up to find himself staring at his boss, Steve McGarrett. Looking comfortable in his gray suit, Steve's arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe.
"How are you, Danno?" Steve asked with just a twinkle in his eye.
"You have to ask!" as Dan sneezed again and grabbed a tissue. "Afraid I have the blue flu, Steve."
Steve didn't like that comment "Don't even joke about it, Danno. Negotiations are very touchy at the moment. Things could break wide open" Steve informed him.
Before he could answer Dan broke out into another spasm of coughs, he could feel his face turning red and found it difficult to breath. Grabbing for his cup, he found it empty. Dammitt.
"Danno!"
Dan looked up, his eyes watery and red. His nose felt like sandpaper.
"Go home, get some rest. You look and sound horrible, and I don't want you infecting the office. Things could get hectic around here in the next few days and I will need all the manpower I can get."
Dan couldn't believe his ears; Steve was sending him home. Maybe he was hallucinating, too, he questioned. Not one to argue, he grabbed his coat and started putting all his medications in a brown paper sack. The last few days everyone had been giving him their own home remedies. But, he stuck strictly to over the counter medications. Steve was right; he would go home, but only after seeing the doctor.
XXXXXXXX
Getting home from the doctor's, Dan got ready for bed, but first he was taking a hot shower and then got into his pajamas. It was still early afternoon, his body told him otherwise. Climbing into bed, he fell immediately to sleep
Unfortunately, he was interrupted by a phone call.
"Williams", he said automatically, glancing at his clock radio, now realizing he had slept clear through the night and it was now 6 a.m.
"Get your butt down here now!" Steve barked.
Dragging himself out of bed, Dan threw on the clothes he had on yesterday. The sleep he had made him feel better, but not totally. He had thought he would be able to stay home a few more days. Not to worry, he had the doctor's prescriptions in his sack and hurried out the door. Maybe with a little gentle persuasion, Dan could convince Steve he should stay home, doctor's orders, of course.
When Dan arrived at the office he found the customary blue uniformed officers not there; he got a bad feeling as he headed into Steve's office.
To Dan's dismay he found Chin and Ben but no Duke, another bad sign. All of them were sitting down, and Steve had a pensive look on his face. Something had definitely happened overnight and Dan had a feeling of what it was. Maybe, he could get out of it, but the chance of that now happening was slim to none.
"Danno, glad you could join us. I'm sure you heard what happened."
Dan shook his head no. "But I can guess, the blue flu has struck HPD?"
"See, I knew I hired you for a reason", Steve's said his mouth in a tight line.
"So HPD needs some help. You all will be filling in some management type positions. I talked to the chief and he had some recommendations. Ben, I want you to cover the North Shore area, Chin, you're going to Kaneohe and Danno, you're going to HPD, Honolulu and be a desk sergeant." Dan couldn't believe his ears. He hated the desk sergeant when he pounded a beat. You would collar a suspect, do everything by the book and then wait for the Sergeant to direct you. Damm, he guessed it was payback time.
"Steve, any chance I could get out of this detail. I have a doctor's note." Both Chin and Ben gave him dirty looks. To prove a point, Dan started coughing again.
"No dice, Danno. HPD needs all the help it can get. Go."
Dan exited with Ben and Chin wondering what duties Steve had pulled.
Arriving at the station, Dan could tell something major had happened, usually the building overflowed with uniforms but not now. He saw more men in blue suits then blue uniforms. Grabbing the desk, he had brought some juice on the way in. The doctor had said to get plenty of fluids and rest, so one of two wasn't bad, he mused. When he opened the bag with his medications and tissues the office seemed to stare at him. He didn't know if they were staring at him, or the fact a coughing spasm had started.
Orders were orders though. Dan glanced at the paperwork on the desk. Surmising the Sergeant was pulling duty someplace else; he tried to make himself comfortable. Hearing the officers talking in the office, Dan had a feeling he would be here a while. Since neither side was willing to budge, he resigned himself to the task at hand.
The day turned into night and the only way Dan knew what time it was when food appeared on his desk. Breakfast meant Spam, eggs, white rice with gravy. Lunch and dinner were usually a plate lunch and sometime stew. He was happy for the food, but he started to feel worse. He now had his suit jacket permantently on and couldn't seem to stay warm, no matter how much coffee he drank. The only good thing was he had stopped coughing. His chest felt a little tight but he chocked that up to his sleeping in an upright position.
The days blurred into the same, case after case, going through as he directed each officer. Dan could tell who hadn't been in the field for a while. He noted each officer who seemed to be falling out of their uniform and the intensity of their patience. As for the rest, he was only able to grab catnaps because as soon as he got comfortable the phone would ring.
When would it end? Dan lamented. Didn't anybody make compromises anymore? From what he had overheard, the negotiations were at an impasse. Both sides were unwilling to budge even an inch. He shook his head, that wasn't the way it's supposed to work. You were supposed to find common ground and then work out the details. As far as he knew he might be here the rest of his life. Steve had called on him periodically to see how he was doing. And Dan gave him the same update every time and the same request, he wanted to go home. He was feeling more cranky and irritable with each passing hour
About the third day, the mood in the squad room had perceptibly changed. Working seventy-two hours straight, everyone's nerves were getting frayed. Dan could feel the tension permeate the precinct in every corner. There were a few instances were men almost came to blows, a bad sign, a really bad sign. To make matters worse, Dan had run out of his medications and had tried to get them refilled. The pharmacy's response was they would have to call the doctor and his health benefits were in question, due to the strike.
Dan didn't know what else could happen. He felt ready to go to the negotiations himself and physically persuade the members to a settlement. As each officer came in, their tempers were on the rise, as well as Dan's. His coughing had stopped but now he felt his chest was tight. Unable to go to a market, let alone finding anyone who would, the only liquids he was able to manage was water and coffee. As the days wore on the coffee became worse. And to think he had complained about Steve's so called coffee.
The food still arrived hot, unfortunately Dan could no longer taste anything, and apparently his taste buds had gone on strike, too. He chuckled quietly to himself, god, you needed something to laugh as, things were getting absolutely morose around the precinct. Every morning the paper would come and every morning he could hear the collective groans all the way from Sunset Beach to Honolulu. Dammitt, he wanted to go home and get some sleep. He felt he needed toothpicks to prop his eyes open. The last time Steve called Dan practically begged to go home, but like usual the iron man wouldn't budge. Steve even had the gall to tell him he sounded better, knowing in fact the office was teasing him that he sounded like Marlene Dietrich.
Dan had just fallen asleep when a large Hawaiian officer came to his desk and banged loudly. He tried to ignore him. He didn't have a suspect so he could wait, just five lousy minutes, that's all he needed.
The knocking persisted so Dan had to open his eyes.
"Ok, what can't wait five minutes?" Dan's temper flaring.
"Listen, Bro", the officer accented Bro, "My wife, see, she's expecting a baby anytime and I just got a phone call. She's in labor so I'm leaving. The duty officer ain't here so you're the next best thing." The officer was now poking his fingers into Dan's chest, it hurt, but Dan wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.
"Listen, Bro. Nobody's leaving. I'm sorry your wife is having a baby, but my orders are nobody goes home until the dammed strike is over with. Got that." Dan stood up only to feel the ground roll under his feet and the room sway.
Dan blinked his eyes to focus in on the officer. He was finding it difficult to understand him as well. The Hawaiian's words seemed to slur. He could see the Hawaiian's fist headed straight for his face. But Dan didn't feel it as he passed out even before the officer touched him.
He woke to find himself in a hospital bed and Steve standing over him. He had an IV in his left elbow and Steve was blurry, realizing he was in an oxygen tent.
"Steve!" Dan exclaimed thankful for some relief from the hellhole, which he just came from.
"Hello, Danno," Steve said with only a hint of smile and just an undertone of malice.
"I take it the strike's over, no more blue flu?" Dan said hopefully, not wanting to go through that hell again.
"You could say that, Danno, but I don't think so. See, your flu turned into pneumonia and you started an epidemic, the HPD officers who weren't on strike are now sick and the whole Five- 0 office is sick", Steve glared at him.
Dan suddenly wanted to crawl into the biggest whole he could dig.
"Sorry, Steve. I did have a doctor's note." Dan said in his defense.
"Danno, next time you're sick and I want you to stay, do me a favor"
"What?"
"Just shoot me, ok."
"Sure Steve. You're the boss!"
PAU