Chapter 19

XXXXXXX

The warm May sun was beaming down its welcoming rays as Danny sat on the front steps of the apartment building. It would be a beautiful morning to sit on your front stoop, drink coffee and read the paper.

Of course, that is if there wasn't a dead body being carried out of the front door.

Ambulances and police cars littered the streets. Danny glanced over to where Turner was being examined by a paramedic. One of Dornvald's bullets managed to hit him but it didn't find flesh in great thanks to a wonderful invention called Kevlar. He scooted over as several C.S.I.'s passed so they could finish processing the scene. It was a clean shoot, no question. Even if it weren't, Danny doubted anyone would bother to ask too many questions anyway.

From where he sat he could overhear Jack on the phone with who he could only assume was Victor. "He died immediately. No, but I am sure I can get Amadi to identify the other shooter. That's not necessary. How's Martin? Yeah, we will be by later today. See you then."

Danny was curious as to how Victor would take the news. Would he feel satisfaction in knowing that the man who shot his only son was dead or would he feel the same sense of emptiness that Danny felt because Martin was none the better for it?

"The scene is clear," Jack remarked as he exited the building. "Why don't you go home and get some of that rest you keep arguing you don't need."

He looked up at him from where he was sitting, his eyes squinting in the bright light. "Too wired, I don't think I can."

"Try it anyway." And with that Jack walked away.

He watched Jack's retreating figure and thought about how much life had changed in the last 38 hours. Everyone was worried that Viv was going to die but now she was recovering just fine while Martin's life was hanging in the balance. He sat there contemplating what sorts of things lay ahead for him and the team but found that his thoughts kept straying back to one Dr. Emma Close.

She was stubborn; but so was he. She was opinionated; but she spoke the truth. She was kind, funny, and genuinely seemed to care about Danny. As a patient he reminded himself. But she did say he was cute….

Danny rubbed his shoulder and thought that maybe he should go ahead and start wearing that sling.

XXXX

Sam was completely exhausted. So much had happened in the last two days. After the Dornvald shooting, Jack gave her and Danny a direct order to go home and at least try to get some rest. He said he would pick them up later in the afternoon so they could all go together to the hospital and check-up on Vivian and Martin.

So here they were, riding the elevator at St. Andrew's once again. Judging by the looks of Danny and Jack they got as much rest as she did: which would be none. Jack was leaning back against the elevator wall while Danny lounged in the corner with droopy eyes. To top it off, the Musak filtering into the elevator was playing a Barry Manilow song; the audio equivalent of a sleeping pill.

Not a moment too soon, the elevator dinged indicating they had arrived on their floor. They shuffled out to make the first of two patient visits this afternoon. First stop: Viv. They entered her room where they found her laying in her bed looking out the window. She turned to face them as Jack carried the vase of flowers to her nightstand.

"Hey, Viviana," Danny's voice was filled with forced cheer. While they had decided to not tell Viv what had happened for a few more days, he had really wanted to see her so since he had gone this long without wearing his sling what were a few hours more? He just took some pain meds and threw a smile on his face.

"Danny, it's good to see you," she said with a penetrating look at the group and they immediately knew that she had heard about the shooting.

Sam decided to just bite the bullet, "So, how'd you find out?"

"Reggie came by to visit last night. Marcus had gone out for a walk and since Reggie didn't know about the TV ban, he flipped it on looking for MTV. He was channel surfing when he recognized Jack's face on CNN. Needless to say, it got my attention."

"We just thought….." Jack began but Viv cut him off.

"It's okay. I know why you didn't want me to know." She shifted carefully in her bed and offered them a small smile, "Maybe we should just call it even for me keeping you guys out of my medical loop."

Jack happily responded, "You got it."

"Did you go by Martin's room yet?" Viv's question seemed to be directed to Sam.

"No. Why?" Sam didn't like the tone Viv was using. It reminded her of someone who had heard bad news but wasn't sure if the other person had been notified yet.

"Marcus wouldn't give me all the details about Martin's condition, since he was protecting me and all that. So when he went to the bathroom I called his room and his mom answered and updated me on his status." Viv's voice was low and despondent. "She came by here a couple of hours ago and told me that they were going to move Martin to Georgetown University Hospital. Apparently they have one of the top neurology centers in the country."

Sam felt like she had been sucker punched. "Did she say when?"

"As soon as possible, but she did say she wanted to wait for you." Viv's voice softened, "To give you a chance to say goodbye."