AN- I hate the last chapter. I don't know why. I don't think I did a very good job on the warehouse part. Anyway. In this chapter...there's not much I can say. Oh! I add Diana in this chapter. Only because she needs to be there for Dee at the moment. I think She'll only be in this chapter though. Hahaha! I threw her in to add to the growing tension between Rose and Dee! I'm so evil. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

"Dee? Dee? Are you ok sweetie?"

Dee looked up from his position in the corner of the waiting room. He was sitting on the floor with his knees bent up to his chest.

"Diana! When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago. I'm here on business; so don't expect me to be here all the time. I'm sorry I couldn't make it, for Ryo's funeral. We were really busy in LA."

"It's ok. I understand."

Diana sat on the floor with Dee.

"What's going on Dee?"

Diana spoke softly to him.

"It's Berkeley. We went and raided this warehouse...only the plan backfired and they caught us...he...he gave me his gun...and that was the last I saw of him, until JJ's team got there, and I found him...bleeding. He was dieing Diana! He gave me his gun when he was shot, because he wasn't going to make it."

Dee broke down.

"Another person...will die because of me. He was giving me his only protection when I wasted all my bullets."

Diana held Dee.

"Oh Dee. It's ok. They haven't pronounced him dead yet. There are trying to stabilize him now."

Dee looked at Diana.

"They told you how he was? They haven't told me jack shit the whole time. And here you come and they give you his whole life story! I'm gonna kill that quack! Let me at him!"

Dee stood up. Diana tried to hold him down. She wasn't too clear on why Dee was so mad with the doctors.

"Drake! Help!"

Drake rushed into the room to help Diana calm Dee down. Dee continued to thrash about madly, trying to get Diana and Drake off of him.

"Let me go! Those damn doctors! They wont tell me how he's doing!"

A nurse came in with a needle and sedated Dee. He calmed down after a few seconds.

"What happened to him?"

Drake asked Diana.

"I told him that the doctors told me Berkeley was hanging in there, and he went crazy. Do you know anything about this Drake?"

Drake smirked. He remembered what JJ had told him yesterday. He leaned down to whisper to Diana.

"JJ told me he thinks there's something going on between Berkeley and Dee. But don't let Dee know that you and I know. I guess Dee threatened JJ pretty good if he told a soul about it, and Dee would skin both JJ and I alive if he knew that JJ had told."

Diana had a small pang of jealousy in her heart at the thought of Dee and Berkeley together. She still had feelings for Berkeley, and she couldn't let Dee have him. It just wasn't right.

"You ok Diana?"

Drake asked when he had Dee kind of sitting in one of the chairs.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Do you know which room Berkeley's in?"

Drake pointed down the hall.

"355. They won't let Dee in because he's hasn't been acting himself."

Diana nodded. She walked down the hall, and stopped outside of Berkeley's room. Berkeley was sleeping. He had various tubes running from various parts of his body. His stomach was wrapped with bandages. A young nurse walked up to her.

"He'll be fine in a few days. The bullet hit his ribs, and almost grazed his lung. We did manage to successfully remove the bullet, but as a result he lost a lot of blood, and is having a bit of trouble breathing. The doctor said he should be able to breath on his own in a few days. He will need to be careful about what type of exercise he does for about six weeks though. If he's not careful he could re-open the wound."

Diana nodded.

"You are his partner, right?"

"No. I am his colleague, Diana Spacey."

"Oh yes. The doctor spoke with you when you came. How is that other guy...Dee I believe his name is, doing? I heard that he had to be sedated."

"Yeah. He's not doing too well. From what I was told by another detective, Dee and Berkeley were starting a thing."

Diana looked in on Berkeley's motionless form.

"Oh. I see. The doctor said that he wanted to speak with him personally when Dee had calmed down a bit."

Diana nodded.

"Dee has lost a partner before, so I can understand why he's so upset right now. Tell me something, when will the doctor be able to come in and speak with him? Dee is really going nuts over not knowing what's happening. Myself or Drake would be more then happy to accompany him to speak with the doctor."

"Well...Hold on a second."

The nurse walked away for a moment. Diana took in all she had learned.

'What if Berkeley really wants to start something with Dee?'

"Miss. Spacey?"

Diana turned around. The doctor was standing behind her.

"Yes?"

"I'm Dr.Fishman. We spoke earlier?"

"Yes. And please call me Diana."

"I want to speak with you and Dee about Berkeley. Follow me."

Dee was still a little out of it with the sedative they had given him, but with the help of Drake, he was able to walk.

"Doctor, would it be ok if Drake is here as well? He needs to hear this more then I do. And Berkeley is his boss."

The doctor nodded.

"Now, the patient in question, Berkeley Rose will be here for about three to four weeks. Depending on his condition. As the nurse has explained to you, Diana, Rose is having a bit of trouble breathing on his own. We managed to successfully remove the bullet, but it was very close to his lung. He also has a small fractured rib, because of where the bullet struck him. I estimate that he should be able to breath on his own in about a week or so, if not sooner. If he improves quickly, we may be able to release him sooner then three to four weeks."

The doctor paused and looked at the group.

"Regardless of when we release him, he will need to be in the care of someone, until he is fully healed. Which, right now, looks like it'll take about six weeks for him to be fully healed. Again, this is because the wound was so close to his lung. So strenuous activity is a no-no until six weeks are up. Now, what I need to know is who will be able to take care of him?"

Diana was about to pounce on the idea, but remembered that she would only be there for a few days. Then there was always Drake, but Drake had his hands full at the precinct, so that left Dee.

"Dee...you should take him. I won't be here long, and I'm sure Drake wont mind."

Dee thought for a second. His mind going over everything he and Berkeley had shared with each other over the past few weeks. And before Dee even thought about it, he replied.

"Yes. I will take him when he gets released from the hospital. Drake, you should, for the time being take his job. James can take your position with JJ. Ted is fully capable of doing things himself. So he wont miss having a partner."

"If you say so Dee. Are you sure you want to take him? It's no problem for me...but after Ryo and all..."

Drake stopped. He wanted to make sure Dee was ready for there to be someone else in his life that he had to take care of.

"Yes. I hate being alone in that place, and Berkeley and I have been getting along great lately. I am sure I want to do this."

"Ok. It's settled then. Dee will take Berkeley when he is released from the hospital."

Drake told the doctor. The doctor nodded his approval, and escorted the trio out of his office.

'Dee will be alone with Berkeley. And if what Drake told me is true...'

Diana stopped by Berkeley's room again. The door was open, so she went in.

'What if he wants Dee? But...he lusted after Ryo for so long, and now that he's gone...I had hoped he would notice me.'

Diana felt tears at her eyes. She had wanted Berkeley for so long.

'It's just not fair. Dee always gets what he wants.'

Diana felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong Diana? Berkeley will be fine. You heard what the doctor told us."

Drake spoke softly to her. He wasn't sure why she was so upset.

"No, it's not that. It's just what you told me earlier about Berkeley and Dee. Are they really?"

Drake smiled.

"Diana, is that it? No. Not as far as I know. JJ said it's just a rumor though. Don't take it so hard."

Diana nodded her head.

"Where is Dee anyway?"

"I put him back in the waiting room. He was feeling the effects of that sedative they gave him earlier."

Diana felt her tears dry up as she and Drake spoke for a few more hours. They had left Berkeley's room, and where now in the hospitals small canteen. Diana had a cup of coffee while Drake had a Coke.

"So, why are you here? I didn't think we needed help with anything at the precinct."

"I am here because I wanted to..."

She paused.

"I wanted to talk with Berkeley. You know I have liked him for a while now, and I wanted to see if maybe...I could."

"Oh."

Drake felt the realization wash over him.

"You thought maybe you had a chance with him after Ryo's death. I see."

Diana nodded her head.

"I know. It's really cold, but...Drake, I have liked him for a long time...and then you told me about Dee and him. I just....I don't know."

Drake looked at her eyes. Tears were held there that refused to fall. He reached for her hand, and held it in his.

"Diana, it's ok. They weren't really even together so it's ok. It's not like you were intruding on him. Hell, he doesn't even know you're here right now. Dee doesn't know that JJ has told anyone about this. And for all we know, this could just be a rumor. Dee and Berkeley were enemies when it came to Ryo. The only thing that's been going on between them is, Berkeley becoming Dee's partner for this case. That's all."

Diana nodded.

"Thank you Drake. I should just leave. I only came to see Berkeley, but now that I think about it...I would much rather he make a decision like this on his own. Without me being there."

"Wait Diana... that's not what I meant. Hey!"

Before Drake could get her, she had already walked out of the canteen and was on her way out of the hospital

Dee paced Berkeley's room restlessly. He had done nothing but stay in this room ever since the meeting with the doctor the night before.

'Taking Berkeley in while he heals. This should give me ample opportunity to set my feelings in the right way. If I do feel for him...maybe I will feel something while he's in my care'

Dee thought to himself.

'And what about Diana? Drake said she just up and left for LA again. I know there's more to it then that, but he wouldn't tell me.'

Dee sat down tiredly in the chair. He felt tired, physically and emotionally.

'God I hope he wakes up soon. I want to see his brown eyes, and hear his silky smooth voice again.'

Dee remembered the things he and Berkeley had talked about during the stakeout.

'I never did tell him about Jess...and about Arnon, Barry, or Tommy either. I wonder though...if I told him about that, would he still be able to accept me? If I told him that he had been the one who was like my father, and had found me in that alley when I was a kid, would he still want to even talk to me?'

Dee thought to himself. He felt a little ashamed about how he grew up as a kid. Left in an alley to fend for himself as a child. Being taken in by some cop and a nun. Left to wonder who his real parents were and why he was given up in the first place.

'I bet Ryo's with Jess now. I wonder if I made Jess proud of me. I tried to be true to myself. I tried my best to live honestly. I hope I kept my promise to him.'

Dee felt his eyes close. He was really tired...maybe just a few hours of sleep wouldn't kill him.

AN- Wow. Another chapter down. Sorry for the long wait. Been places. I just found out I wouldn't be going to New York for the rest of the summer, so I will be updating this quickly. I had hoped I wouldn't go to New York just yet, because a friend of mine is leaving for college in about 3 weeks. Anyway...'nough of my rambling. In the next chapter...Dee takes Berkeley home with him. And the two talk about some things. The case with the drug ring heats up, as well as their relationship. See ya next time!