Vivian and Jack knelt down beside Danny. For a moment Viv thought he had passed out but he was conscious and sitting upright, propped up against the wall, his head leaning back. Maybe he had just needed to sit. The day must have taken a toll on him. And he had said something about a struggle he had had with Donald earlier. Maybe he had got hurt in that.

"Better?" Vivian asked after a while when she saw some colour return to his face.

Danny just nodded and moved a hand to the back of head. When he pulled it back there was something sticking to it, something dark red, that reminded Vivian of… blood.

It was blood, although it had pretty much dried by now.

"I bumped my head on the radiator", Danny finally said, staring at his hand. "I just didn't notice I hit it so hard."

Vivian smiled. "I would have seen that you were hurt if you weren't so damn tall", she said.

Danny smiled back but after a moment he turned his head. As soon as he wasn't looking anymore Vivian's smile disappeared. She felt guilty for not noticing anything – and from the look on Jack's face she could see that he was, too.

"What's she doing here?"

Danny's question had interrupted her thoughts, and Vivian watched a frown spreading over his face. She sighed and turned to look at whatever had caught Danny's attention…

… just at the right moment to see Samantha Spade entering the house through the front door. She quickly looked around until her eyes rested on Danny. Only seconds later she was kneeling down next to Vivian.

"Oh God – Danny are you okay?" she asked, a worried expression on her face. When she noticed Jack on Danny's other side she shot him a glance – and a smile. "Thank you for calling me, Sir." Then she turned her attention to Danny again, reaching out to run her hand over his cheek, gently.

But Danny pushed her arm away. "Not now, Sam." Carefully, he rose from his seated position and soon he was standing, still holding on to the wall for support. Vivian noticed he was still swaying slightly and she touched his arm to get his attention.

"C'mon, let's go", she said. "We need to get you to the hospital so you can get checked out."

She could see that he was about to protest but Spade was quicker: "She's right Danny. You're really not looking well." It was only then she noticed the blood on his fingers and her expression after that very made it very clear that she was not up for an argument.

Still Danny tried once more: "But…"

"Don't even try. You will go to the hospital and I'll go with you."

"I'll take you two there", Vivian offered. "Unless…" she looked at Spade, "you got a car."

Spade shook her head. "No, I came with Detective O'Reilly. That reminds me… he said he wanted to speak to you." The last sentence had been directed at Jack, who nodded.

"Yeah, okay. Where can I find him?"

"He's outside talking to another police officer."

With a questioning look at Vivian – can I leave it all to you? – Jack got up.

Motioning for him to go Vivian said: "You go ahead and we'll go to the hospital. I'll drive you two home afterwards." She didn't know why but for some reason she was happy to have an excuse to accompany Danny to the hospital although Spade didn't look too happy about it.

……………

It was long after midnight when Vivian found herself sat on an uncomfortable chair in the hospital corridor opposite the room in which Danny was being treated by a tired but still pretty looking, female doctor. Next to Viv sat Samantha Spade, fidgeting uneasily in her seat as they waited for Danny to come out.

"It's taking quite a long time, isn't it?" Spade finally complained. "What's she doing with him?"

"He's hurt. She has to examine him."

Spade snorted loudly. "Yeah – I bet she has to."

"Oh c'mon you're not jealous, are you?" Thinking about the previous day and the way Spade had almost flirted with Jack – she had no right to be jealous now, in Vivian's opinion.

Instead of answering Spade just glared at her.

There was a moment of silence until Vivian finally dared to say what she had been thinking ever since they had driven to the hospital. "I don't think you're fair to him."

"What?"

"Danny. I don't think you love him. You should break it off."

Spade was speechless for a moment but then she replied angrily: "I don't think that's any of your business."

Vivian shrugged. "I'm just giving you my opinion."

"I didn't ask for it."

"I know."

Another moment of silence.

Finally Spade sighed and mumbled: "I care for him. I really do."

"I don't doubt that. But you care for him just as a friend, right?"

The look on the other woman's face told Vivian everything she needed to know.

"If you care for him, break it off. The longer you wait the more hurtful it'll get."

Quietly, Spade nodded, just as the door opened and Danny came back out. He gave the two women a smile and turned to the doctor once more to thank her. He was still a bit pale and looked tired, but other than that he seemed okay now.

Looking forward to crawling into bed, Vivian drove the two of them home and then headed back to her own place to get some well deserved sleep.