A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you like, I would appreciate it
Chapter 3: I am ok now.
Danny woke up with the first light of the new day that filtered through the blinds of his bedroom´s windows. Frowning, he took a moment to understand why he felt this awful and his throat so raw. He quickly remembered the vomiting he had to endure last night and the pain that had caused it, which now remained only as a dull ache on his neck and shoulders. Rubbing his eyes with one hand and his neck with the other, he turned sideways and faced towards the window, shielding his eyes with his left forearm to linger a little bit more in the comfortable bed. The house was quiet, so he assumed that everybody must be still sleeping. He was positive that at least Lou has stayed the night, because among some fogyish memories he recalled him stepping into his room at night and checking in on him several times, and him, immersed on a not very comfortable sleep, has woken up at the sound the massive man did just by trying to walk soundlessly.
The change of position proved to be great, and Danny buried contently his face on the soft material of the pillow, inhaling deeply. He just intended to stay there lazily only a few more minutes enjoying the comfort of his position, but obviously he had fallen asleep again because when he opened his eyes again the light was much brighter and the blinds had trouble trying to keep it out. Hearing noise of movement around the house, he pushed himself to leave the confines of the too cozy bed and, stretching carefully his muscles, he stepped into the bathroom.
The first thing he realized was that someone had taken the job to clean up the mess that he had left the night before when he had taken the shower and then has not had the strength or willpower to rearrange the bathroom. He had gone straight to bed, actually he had been just content with reaching it before the pain grew much bigger, so the last thing on his mind had been tiding up the mess of water, towels and discarded bandages. Putting a new pad on the wounds of the back of his shoulder and his chest had been the only effort he has chosen to face at the moment. Everything else has not been a valid option for him. His mind has been so done that he forgot something very important such as taking his meds, a crucial step in the right path of his recovery.
Now, watching himself in the mirror, he realized the work he has done with the gauze and tape was not good at all. He sported a lopsided smile while removing the poor attempt of bandages he had managed to apply on his tired and painful state last night and grimaced at the tape pulling at his chest-hair. Steve has been in charge of applying them the first days, and then Lou. Last night has been the first time he had done it on his own and it resulted, evidently, disastrous. He cut himself some slack because he was in pain and he worked with only one hand. Looking at the healing hole on his shoulder, Danny imagined the inside of his flesh and the trajectory that the bullet had made until it exited in the back. He winced as the mere thought of it remained him of the still ripped flesh, muscles and tissues inside him, which still pulled painfully as they were trying to get attached together as they should always have been. But Danny was conscious that they will never be the same, that there will always be a discomfort or an unexpected pull and ache that will keep reminding him of his ordeal, just as he already had one just like it from his other healed bullet wound on his right side of his chest. Abandoning his reflection in the mirror and throwing away the discarded bandages in the can, Danny stripped completely and opened the faucet of the shower, stepping in and sighing loudly as the warm water started to massage his sore and stiff shoulders and to wash away the dried sweat that last night´s incident has brought with it. It was the reason he decided to take a shower again, to eliminate every possible vestiges of the ache and discomfort and start a new day fresh. Bowing his head, he let the steamy water hit his neck and slide down, wincing when it ran above both still healing wounds. He also needed a break, but he could not go away indefinitely like Steve, he had to work, for his kids. Not that he would do that, because he wasn´t built like that, but maybe just take a vacation when he was healed and before going back to work. Maybe he could go to Jersey, visit his family, and ask Charlie if he wanted to go along. He missed his parents and siblings. He hadn´t tell them much about the incident, only that he had been shot on duty and had to undergo surgery, but that he was ok. He had colored it nicely to avoid any kind of worry and omitted everything regarding the kidnapping and the circumstances of his ordeal, along with the beating and his bruised ribs, split open lips and black eye. Yes, by the time he finished applying the bandages, not without difficulty but more neatly than the night before, he had made up his mind and a visit home was something to look after and certainty it brightened up his mood despite the discomfort of the remaining dull pain on his torso and ribs, that still managed to piss him off.
He was sitting on his bed dressing at his own slow pace when Lou appeared at the door.
"Hi. Everything ok?"
"Yeah yeah". Danny was struggling to put on his socks, breathing kind of sharply as he was partially bending down and partially lifting his leg to achieve putting the garment on his foot.
"Do you need a hand?"
"No, I´m good, thanks"
"Ok" Lou didn´t sound very convinced, but chose to stay back. "Did you put the bandages on?"
"Yeah" After achieving putting on the sock Danny straightened up, but kept sitting on the bed, steading himself with one hand and subconsciously touching the place of the bandages with the other to ease some discomfort that his actions were causing.
"Don't forget to take your meds" Lou cringed at the possibility of Danny losing his temper at his mother hen intrusions or starting to rant, but he didn't. Instead, he reached the bottle of pills from the nightstand and, after fighting a bit with the lid, swallowed one dryly, implicitly complying with the request.
"Al right. Breakfast´s ready when you want it"
"Ok. I´ll be there in a minute"
After receiving the answer, Lou turned and walked away, giving Danny some space to manage on his own to put the slippers on from his sitting position. He succeeded not without trouble with the slippery footwear plus him not even trying to bend down again. Sighing after the effort put during all the process of getting dressed, the detective gingerly got up and picked up his cellphone from the nightstand.
He stopped where he stood as he saw the amount of missed calls he got from his best friend. They were all from last night, while the last thing his condition allowed him to do was pay attention to his phone. Taking three or four steps towards the windows and without thinking twice he called him back.
It was still dark, but Steve was not asleep. Actually, he had barely fallen asleep for just a few periods of fifteen minutes max, but the fact that the phone could ring at any moment, because it would, kept nagging at him every time his eyelids heavily closed themselves, and subconsciously he kept waking up. So when his cell´s ringtone finally went alive, he was awake and able to answer it just before the second tone had a chance to sound and just before the person who called had a chance to prepare for his too fast answer.
"Danny!" Steve cursed himself. He sounded desperate. He had applied no filter to his worry and thoughts. It was obvious that he was waiting expectantly for this call. He had sat quickly upright and now, with eyes tightly closed, waited and hoped that the voice of his friend would actually soothe his troubled mind and jumpy heart. Thankfully, it did.
"Hey. Let me guess… you were waiting for me to call you!" Danny´s funny voice and mischief forced Steve´s lips to curve up on an impossible to restrain smile.
"No I was not! You… stop!" The smile turned into laughter while Danny continued a monologue on the other side of the line. He sounded ok, he seemed happy and relaxed. Steve hoped it wasn´t just an act he put up for him. He tried to abandon this thought though and chose to focus entirely on his friend. When Danny stopped talking, he didn´t waste any time to not lose the opportunity to say something.
"Hey, are you ok? What happened last night?" There, he could not wait any longer. Danny seemed fine now, but Steve knew he has had a hard night.
A little pause and Steve could feel with regret how the light moment of laughter was washed away by his bad-timed question. He cringed, but after the pause, besides a low sigh, Danny´s voice kept light and untroubled.
"Yesterday was great man, the whole day with Grace and Charlie… can´t say I didn´t overdid it, because I did." Steve could sense and feel the proud smile of his best friend as he talked about his kid´s related day. "I was so into it and then so tired than I just forgot to take the meds when I went to sleep. I woke up feeling like crap in the middle of the night."
Danny stopped his speech, but there was silence in the other side, so he continued. He knew Steve would want a complete report.
"I had a killing headache which made me throw up and feel weak and kind of dizzy. But I´m ok now. I just took the morning meds was about to go have breakfast. "
"Ok…" Danny really sounded fine, relaxed and, best of all, talkative.
"Hey! I am fine. You don´t have to worry about me. I´m having fun, my kids are here, everything is great. I can´t take two steps without someone supervising me, which I´m not sure if it´s so great for me but I manage to elude them most of the times".
"I bet you do buddy"
"So your personal monitoring is functioning great, you don´t have to worry about that"
Steve let out a spontaneous laugh. "Busted"
After that, he felt silent again. But it was a fidgeting silence, so Danny waited while perching his easily tiring body in the cabinet under the windows.
"I miss you buddy…" Oh, how he longed for his best friend´s company. It pulled him back more than the islands and its memories pushed him away. It was starting to sink to him the sensation and feeling that the most important thing was the people that still was part of his life, the ones that had always care, not the ones that were now gone, forever in his heart but not present anymore, nor the bad things that had happened with them and their tragic deaths. Maybe he needed a little more mind-soothing travel, but he was absolutely sure that he couldn´t live without his ohana, and specially, not without his best friend, not without Danny. He missed Grace and Charlie tons too, and the backyard of his house full of friends having a good time. He smiled, because he was certain that he wanted that for his future. The longing he was feeling made him sure of that. The love and friendship will remain stronger than any other feeling and it will deliver him back. He should cling to that and be at ease that his goodbye had not been forever. It was true that for long months he have been feeling lost and that his troubled heart was agitated and not a hundred percent sure of what he wanted for his future. But now he knew. He was certain that he would go back to Hawaii. His smile grew wider as he listened to his best friend responding at his admission.
"I miss you too, but you said this wasn´t permanent, so I know I´ll see you back here anytime. So I will enjoy this while I can". Danny´s good mood lightened the conversation again, but his tone was fond and friendly. He continued. "Hey, I was thinking, when I´m able to travel and before going back to work, I will maybe take Charlie with me to Jersey, to visit my family and stuff, change a little my air too to start fresh then, you know."
"Yeah, you do that, I think it´s great pal"
"I know it is, I´m not asking your permission though. Listen, If you´re near there, you could stop by…"
"To Jersey?". Steve teased, and smiled as he imagined Danny´s reaction face, but then after a few seconds he added. "Who knows, maybe I will see you there buddy".
"Ok then." Danny didn´t inquired much more on the matter, settling with that response that so far was the best one his friend had ever given to something Jersey-related. "And you, are you ok?"
"Yes, I am now. I was worried about you last night, but it´s ok now that I know you´re fine. It´s nice speaking with you, buddy." Steve spoke truthfully, he was better knowing his ailing friend was in good spirits. It lifted his spirit too, and allowed him to wander around with a calmer conscience. He was ok now. "Ok you better go eat your breakfast. Eat all of it. Talk with you later".
"Ok, I will. Later" Danny hung up and stretched his sore body. Walking kind of stiffly, he made his way to the dinning-room and sat in front of a huge glass of juice. Almost immediately, a full plate was placed in front of him followed by a pat on his shoulder. Before he could dig into it, his children entered and he took the time to return Charlie´s hug and Grace´s kiss.
THE END