Chapter 1- Awakening

(Mobile phone goes off on a night stand)

"Awwww man" yawned an extremely tired Danny Messer as he picked up his cell and squinting pressed the button he hoped would answer the call. He really should have put his glasses on first he thought to himself as he wondered whether he had made the right choice of button.

"Hello" he said in a typical crackly morning voice

"Hi Danny it's Mac, I need you down here right away. It seems someone enjoys committing crimes at 3:30am."

"Inconsiderate bastard's" Danny replied still half asleep

Mac chuckled at his younger co-workers brash comment; Danny definitely said what he felt when and where he felt it.

"Couldn't have put it better myself" Mac added still chuckling slightly "Anyway I trust you will put in an appearance as soon as possible"

"You know me Mac, I'll be there"

Mac then rattled off the location of the crime scene and suggested they meet there to save time.

So Danny rubbed his watery eyes and placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Waking people up at this time was inhumane. But admittedly not as inhumane as murdering someone, he groaned as he lifted himself out of bed. He'd been feeling quite ill last night like he was coming down with something and it seemed the early night had not cured this feeling as he hoped it would. So as soon as he stood up straight he was attacked with the most painful headache he himself had ever experienced.

"Brilliant, I think this day can only get better" He said aloud whilst massaging his temple. Although an ominous feeling crept into his mind. He had a nasty suspicion that by the end of the day the headache and the unholy hour he had been unceremoniously woken at would be the least of his problems.

So he cautiously got dressed making sure he didn't disturb the vice that seemed to be slowly tightening around his head. And headed into his kitchen to get breakfast

But as soon as he thought about ingesting food he felt like he was going to heave. He squashed the nausea just in time and decided it was maybe best to give breakfast a miss.

30 minutes later he arrived at the crime scene and was immediately joined by Mac and Flack.

"Hey Messer u ok?" Asked a worried looking flack

"Yeah I'm fine" Said Danny in a distinctly hoarse and absent voice

Mac met flacks gaze they were both thinking the same thing 'YEAH RIGHT!'

"Well I hate to say this buddy but the body in the basement looks in better shape than you" replied Flack in a matter of fact tone

Mac winced Danny wasn't the kind of person who liked sympathy in fact he hated it it made him feel weak. So saying anything that might imply he wasn't quite up to the job might well be the last thing you'd ever did. Mac got a mental image of Danny attempting to kick the living shit out of Flack. This made him smile of course Danny wasn't that extreme but the guy was still a hotbed of passion and emotion and Mac knew if you pushed Danny Messer's buttons those emotions would without doubt or delay come bubbling furiously to the surface.

Danny's eyes met Flacks and for a moment he was angry that his recently developed weakness was that obvious, so much so flack could have sworn Danny was going to off on one of his famous hot-headed rants. But then Danny took a hold of himself 'for fuck sake the guys only concerned about your well being'

"Well what can I say I'm not a 3:30am in the morning kind of person" Said Danny in a clipped tone

Flack once again evaluated the CSI's appearance; the poor guy certainly did not look well at all. But Flack knew that if he didn't drop it Danny was going to get pretty pissed. He respected the guy, but he sure seemed defensive about being thought of as not quite on top form. So after mulling it over flack eventually formulated what he deemed and equally fake response "I am definitely with you on that one Messer"

After another moments pause flack continued "Alright guys shall we get this over with, I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to a large mug of black coffee and I aint getting it till we've processed and got back to the station"

"There is no such thing as getting this over with Flack this is murder scene we going to take as long as it takes to get the evidence, so it looks like that coffee is a long way off" Recited Mac in a serious and patronising tone

Mac's stern expression soon broke into a smile "Although I must admit I've got a bit of a caffeine craving as well"

Danny was to engrossed in feeling like shit to take much of the slightly amusing exchange in and moved robotically with the other two down to the basement apartment.

Mac looked worriedly at the side of Danny's head (who seemed totally oblivious to his superiors attention) and once again met eyes with the equally concerned flack. Mac wasn't sure Danny was up to this at all. But he justified that there would be nothing he could do to stop him from working aside from firing his stubborn ass and that obviously wasn't an option. So letting out a frustrated sigh and casting another knowing glance in the police officers direction he continued down the stairs to the basement apartment in which they would find the makings of their next case.