Bye Bye Baby
Chapter 18
A strange rumbling sound filtered through Mike's sleep followed by intermittent loud bangs and raised voices. An even louder metallic clang woke him then with a start as he raised his head from his pillow and rubbed at his sleep laden eyes and tried to wake up enough to make out what the racket outside was. Another bang and Mike recognized the garbage truck sound before discounting it as impossible seeing as the garbage truck always came around eleven am and he couldn't possibly have slept that long despite how tired he had been and how it had been the early hours before he had finally drifted off. Sitting up further, he rubbed more purposefully at his eyes and then glanced at his bedside clock to see the two hands alerting him to the fact that he had indeed grossly overslept and it was indeed ten past eleven in the morning.
Grumbling under his breath, Mike jumped out of bed and stubbed his toe against the end of the bed in his drowsy hurry to head for the shower. He hadn't meant to sleep that long and he must have slept right through the alarm he had set. He knew the three previous days had been tough and that he had slept very little while on his Hospital Vigil at Steve's bedside but he hadn't expected his body to claw back the sleep it craved in so selfish a fashion. The shower finally woke him up better and feeling more refreshed he hastily shaved and dressed and grabbed some black coffee to help get the sluggishness he was still feeling to finally lift ... He picked up the phone to ring San Francisco General and check on his young partner and scowled as the nurse informed him that Steve had NOT had a good night. It had been plagued with nightmares and also the young man had been in a lot of pain with his leg. Disgruntled and not feeling the best, the young man was proving to be very uncooperative, to say the least, for the medical staff and Mike knew he needed to get down there fast and cursed his impromptu lie-in all the more. Steve had needed him again and once more he had let him down.
By the time he got out of the house and ran a couple of errands, it was almost twelve thirty and the drive through lunchtime traffic proved even more aggravating. Hurrying into the Hospital and down the corridor towards Steve's room he was at least three room lengths away when he heard his partner's raised voice and an equally disgruntled female one giving as good as she got. He hastened his step and flung open the door to Steve's room to see to his horror, Steve now teetering haphazardly on the edge of the bed in a skimpy Hospital gown barely down to the middle of his thighs, while an elderly nurse argued with him and pulled at his arm. The conversation that reached his ears as he entered worried him all the more.
"Get your hands OFF me and will you PLEASE just get me my clothes? You have NO RIGHT to keep me here if I choose NOT to stay"
"MR. KELLER. You are in NO fit state to be going anywhere yet. Now GET back into that bed this instant!"
"What in GOD'S name is going on in HERE? I could hear you both yelling half way up the corridor!" Mike announced as he entered the melee.
As Mike had appeared through the door, his presence caused two completely different reactions from the two people now staring at him. Steve visibly rolled his eyes and reddened considerably in the face as he then dropped his head onto his chest and knew his escape plan had less chance of working now with Mike on the scene. The nurse on the other hand looked relieved and spoke in a grating and authoritative voice.
"Well thank Goodness! Maybe YOU can talk some SENSE into this young man."
Her condescending tone only irritated the already fed up young man and he barked in response.
"I don't NEED anyone to talk sense into me thank you very much. Right now all I NEED is for YOU to LEAVE me ALONE!" Steve emphasized purposefully, almost spitting out the words.
The nurse snorted her obvious displeasure at Steve's statement and was about to respond fiercely when Mike intervened, seeing the situation about to escalate for the worst.
"OK, ok now ... Let's just be civilized about this. Now what exactly is going on?"
Steve spoke in a sulky tone which Mike could see caused the nurse to seethe even more.
"SHE won't get me my clothes Mike ..."
"And who exactly is SHE young man?" the nurse spat back highly insulted. " I'll have you know my name is Nurse Carter and the reason I haven't gotten your clothes is because you are in NO fit state to wear them or to GO ANYWHERE in them."
"That's NOT your call ... LADY" Steve roared back, knowing his purposeful lack of using her real name would only incite her even more and more than make up for the endless night of torture she had put him through last night.
"AND ... he wouldn't even eat his OATMEAL!" Nurse Carter boomed in a tell tale fashion towards Mike who knew he had to separate these two post haste and try to rectify the escalating situation.
"LADY ... You can take your disgusting oatmeal and you can shove ..."
"STEVE!" Mike scolded loudly, effectively silencing Steve and stopping him from finishing the sentence much to Mike's relief.
Then turning and shooting the highly irate nurse, a disarming Stone smile he spoke pleasantly and appeasingly.
"Ma'am, perhaps it would be best if I could just speak to Steve here alone for just a few minutes, if you wouldn't mind too much?"
Mike's disarming tone seemed to work and the nurse seemed to calm instantly as she shot another look full of annoyance at her patient before smiling back at Mike and answering almost between gritted teeth.
"Certainly Sir. Believe me you are MORE than welcome. I wish you LUCK! You're going to need it with this ONE ..." she added, sneering back at Steve who looked in that moment like he would gladly pick up the congealing bowl of oatmeal from the over the bed tray and with great pleasure chuck it after her retreating form.
As the Nurse headed past him for the door, Mike dropped the bag he was carrying on the floor and raced forwards and grabbed Steve by both shoulders just in case the thought had indeed crossed his mind. As soon as the door clicked shut after her, Mike felt Steve relax a little in his grip, so he spoke firmly.
"Ok, out with it! What was THAT all about and why are you trying to get out of bed and get your clothes?"
"That nurse is a walking NIGHTMARE Mike. I CAN'T stay here any longer. I want to go home. You've got to help me get out of here Mike. Please get my clothes in that closet over there, will ya?"
The tone Steve used held a certain amount of pleading and desperation that chilled Mike to the bone. Although it was very in character for Steve to want to leave the Hospital before he was officially released, it was so UNLIKE Steve to be so rude to a woman and he wondered what she had done to his partner to cause him to react like that. He also knew that before he could get the truth out of him, he was going to have to try and calm him down sufficiently first.
"Ok, ok calm down will you? Let's just talk about it for a minute, ok Buddy Boy? Steve , I know you want to leave. Believe me, I KNOW. I don't like staying in these places anymore than you do but the fact is Steve, that she's right. You really aren't ready to leave yet."
Mike knew that he had said the wrong thing as soon as the words left his mouth. Seeing Steve's facial expression change from one of pleading to one of upset and betrayal, he pushed Mike aside and without warning attempted to stand himself on his own two feet.
"Then I'll get them MYSELF" he managed to roar, just before his damaged leg protested the weight he had just put on it and buckled from under him as a searing pain shot through his leg and caused white spots to appear in front of his eyes.
Luckily Mike was still close and grabbed Steve against his chest to prevent him falling onto the floor. He managed to ease Steve backwards until he was once more sitting on the edge of the bed but he could both feel and hear Steve's labored breathing as he righted him and stood back to study the young man closely. Steve's eyes were shut tight, but there were clear tears fighting to escape from the corners as Steve struggled with the after burn of pain, standing on his injured leg had caused. Losing his patience slightly in the face of Steve's annoying stubbornness, Mike spoke louder than he intended to.
"STEVE! What kind of foolish stunt was THAT? You could have damaged that leg more than it already IS ... What on EARTH has gotten into you?"
Steve's resolve faltered as he heard Mike's scolding tone and he visibly slumped back onto the bed further as he brought a shaky hand up to run through his hair, his eyes still closed and his breathing still highly irregular. Mike watched with further dismay as the unbearable pain he was in seemed to take the fight out of his young partner and he watched the young man struggle to maintain his composure as a solitary tear escaped from his left eye and trailed down his cheek as the same shaky hand came to rest across his eyes. A pained apology broke from Steve's lips which made Mike's heart break on hearing the distressing tone in his partner's voice.
"I'm ... sorry Mike ... I just want to go home ... I don't want to stay here ... I'm ... I'm sorry."
Feeling bad for the young man who seemed as low and miserable as Mike had ever seen him, he reached out and grabbed the back of Steve's neck and gently pulled Steve's head forward to rest against his shoulder as he spoke sincerely.
"Hey, hey now ... I know. I know Buddy boy. We'll talk about it, ok? I promise you ... but right now you need to get back into that bed." Still maintaining a comforting grip on Steve's neck he eased him back a little to get an anxious look at his face as he asked again softly " What do you say, huh?"
Steve was still breathing in pained and irregular heaves as his response came out almost in a whisper that Mike had to strain to hear.
"I ... can't."
"Steve, look, I know you've been through hell these last few days and I know you're tired and in pain and fed up. And I know you don't like that nurse but you'll be more comfortable back in bed while we talk about it, ok?"
Steve lifted his head and stared at Mike sheepishly, misery etched on every facial feature as he cleared his throat and shook his head slowly.
"No ... You don't understand ... I ... CAN'T get back in bed. I can't ah ... lift my sore leg back up ..."
Mike smiled warmly and shook Steve's neck as he chided softly.
"Well how did you get out of there in the first place then?"
The first mere trace of a smile crossed Steve's face as he spoke more clearly.
"Very carefully ... and with GREAT difficulty."
A faint chuckle erupted from Mike as he shook his head and gave one final comforting squeeze to Steve's neck before releasing him and moving towards the end of the bed.
"Ok, don't worry. Let me just get around behind you and I'll get you back up that way, alright?"
He continued around the bed but saw Steve stiffen and panic a little.
"WAIT ... But Mike you can't touch my sides ..."
Mike, now positioned behind the young man, placed a reassuring hand on his partner's shoulder.
"Relax Steve ... I know that. I won't hurt you I promise ... I'll grab you under the arms and slide you back up. When you're back on the bed I'm going to need you to support yourself on your elbows while I get your legs up. Do you think you can manage that?"
Steve nodded but Mike could tell he wasn't quite sure. Mike avoided the tubing in Steve's left arm and suddenly realized gratefully that he at least hadn't pulled that out in his earlier haste to try and leave. Wasting no more time, Mike reached forward carefully and felt Steve tense up as he pulled Steve up in one swift movement and made sure he was ok up on his elbows before racing around and very gently lifting Steve's legs back up onto the bed. Despite being as gentle as he could be, Steve still emitted a hiss of pain as his leg was moved and Mike raced back around to fix the pillows behind him and to fix him back against them. The tubing had gotten snagged in the movement backwards so Mike reached around to free it but Steve pulled his arm away protectively.
"AH MIKE! Don't touch that ..."
Alarmed by Steve's unusual reaction, Mike ignored his pleas and grabbing his elbow he turned Steve's arm around to reveal an enormous, nasty looking bruise spreading across the crease of his elbow.
"DEAR GOD! What happened to THAT? That wasn't there last night ..."
Steve pulled his arm back away and unsnagged the tubing that led into a much newer looking cannula further down his arm before speaking in a frustrated tone.
"SHE happened to it ... "
Mike looked incredulously at the young man in the bed.
"Who? That nurse?"
Steve nodded.
"She said she had to take bloods for something or other. Then she started moving it and saying something about the vein collapsing ... Then she poked and prodded and couldn't find a new one ..."
Mike scowled at the sight of it. As if the young man hadn't suffered enough already at the hands of Damacov and his cronies.
"Is that one of the reasons why you wanted to leave Buddy boy?"
"No, not JUST that ... She's rough and she has COLD hands. And her wound cleaning skills aren't much better than her blood taking ones. She cleaned my leg and ah ... " Steve shuddered without finishing the sentence but his reaction told Mike without words how bad it had been. " And on top of all that, I didn't ah ... sleep too well last night and this damn Hospital gown is driving me crazy. It's scratchy and uncomfortable and she tried to make me eat THAT excuse for a breakfast and ... and then as if all that wasn't torture enough I ... I had Lenny here at nine this morning expecting me to talk about what happened and ... and I guess I just had had enough ..."
Steve finished his rant and quietened disturbingly, his other hand resting protectively over the arm that was now a raging purple colour, his head turned away from Mike to lay against the pillow as his breathing slowly began to settle. Mike felt annoyed at Lenny for trying to counsel Steve so soon but knew deep down that the psychiatrist had meant well and wouldn't have done so to be troublesome even if his timing had stunk to high heaven. Knowing Steve needed a little TLC to make up for his traumatic night and morning, Mike made his way back around the bed again and picked up the bag he had discarded earlier by the door. He half expected Steve to turn away again as he came around to the side he was facing but noticed from the corner of his eye that instead Steve was watching him with intense curiosity.
"Boy you sure have had a doozy of a morning so far, huh Buddy Boy? I guess I can't really blame you for wanting to go home HOWEVER ... I can't solve ALL your problems but maybe I can solve a couple for you. How about that?"
Again Steve's brow knitted together in confusion as he studied Mike holding the bag.
"Oh yeah? ... How are you going to do that?"
Mike was thrilled he had asked the question and beaming from ear to ear, he reached into the bag and pulled out some familiar looking clothes. It was a T-shirt and loose pajama bottoms. Steve's jaw dropped open as much as his swollen, sore lip would allow and he sat up a little more as Mike spoke.
"These might make you feel more comfortable, don't you think? That way we can get you out of that scratchy gown."
"Are they from my apartment?"
Mike nodded.
"Yes, I picked them up this morning and secondly this might cheer you up too."
Reaching into the bag a second time he produced a small brown paper bag with the name "Wongs" emblazoned across it and took from it a medium sized polystyrene cup. Mike heartened as he saw Steve's eyes light up as he saw it and he stammered incredulously.
"Is that ... what I think it is ...?"
Mike laughed.
"Well, I don't know Buddy boy. What do you think it is?"
"Wong's ... chicken soup?"
Mike nodded and smiled again wider.
"Right first time Buddy boy. I think it might go down better than the cement in that bowl over there ... " he added playfully and Steve finally allowed himself a smile.
"Thanks Mike ..."
"Now, what do you say, we get you into these more comfortable clothes and we get some of this soup into you while it's still hot, ok?"
"Yeah ... yeah, ok" Steve added with the first degree of enthusiasm he had managed since Mike's arrival and it warmed Mike's heart to hear it.
The task of changing Steve into more comfortable clothes didn't prove as easy as they had hoped. The bottoms slid on easily enough under the gown and over the sore leg and were loose enough not to encroach too much on the padded bandage but the T-shirt had been another matter altogether. Mike had wanted to get the nurse in to disconnect him while they changed him but Steve had balked at the very idea of it. So Mike had to take the bottle of IV fluid down and thread it through the sleeve of the T-shirt before getting the T-shirt then over Steve's head and finally hanging the IV bottle back up before pulling the fabric down over Steve's bruised and heavily strapped ribs. By the time they had him changed, Steve was worn out from the exertion and Mike was perspiring a little himself. After allowing themselves a few minutes respite, Mike then removed the lid from the soup and handed it to Steve be who seemed to relish every drop of soup that passed his lips.
"That taste good?" Mike asked smiling.
"Oh yeah ..." Steve muttered appreciatively.
Just as the soup was almost gone and Steve was enjoying the last few mouthfuls, the door opened and Nurse Carter reappeared much to Steve's dismay.
"Oh well ... I must say I am glad to see that you talked some sense into the young man Mr. Stone ... Mind you ... he SHOULD be consuming the food that was brought for him rather than food you bring in Mr. Stone."
Mike could see Steve's temper starting to fray again at her condescending tone and watched as Steve was about to say something in verbal retaliation so he quickly placed a gentle hand on his partner's shoulder and shot him a look that wordlessly conveyed the message to him to calm down and leave the situation to him. Steve sighed and closed his mouth again as Mike spoke instead in response.
"Well maybe he would if it were EDIBLE Nurse Carter. As far as I can see it would be easier to build with that oatmeal than eat it! And at least he's EATING the food I brought him."
The nurse shot an exasperated look at both Mike and her patient before hurrying over towards the bed choosing to ignore for now, Mike's insult against the Hospital food. Steve had held back an admiring chuckle at Mike's comeback and was still smiling as Nurse Carter came around and reached for his sore arm. Steve's smile quickly faded as he saw her reach for it and he pulled it away quickly.
"MR. KELLER! We HAVE to check your vital signs after the blatant disregard for your own health earlier. Now come along and let's NOT be difficult!" she fumed as she grabbed his sore arm to place the blood pressure cuff on it quite roughly. Steve emitted a low groan of pain as the bruising hurt and Mike stood up outraged, pushing his chair back noisily as he did and as he spoke in an irritated manner, the Stone glare remained fixed on his face.
"Will you please get your hands OFF him ..."
Steve watched in stunned silence as the older man's words sunk in. He looked sheepishly up at the nurse to check her reaction and was not surprised to see the nurse looking very disgruntled.
"I ... BEG your pardon?" she fumed incredulously.
Steve looked back towards Mike nervously as he waited for his response and didn't have to wait long.
"YOU heard me! I said step away from him and get your hands OFF him. NOW ... "
"MR. STONE! You may be a big shot Lieutenant in your place of work but you have NO authority here in this Hospital or over ME for that matter. "
"My authority is not the issue here Nurse Carter. The issue here is that you are TOO rough with your patients, in particular my partner here and the fact that you seem to be in dire need of a refresher course in bedside manners and compassion. This young man was abducted and tortured four days ago and still managed to save the life of a young baby only two months old and so I don't think he needs to suffer any further at YOUR hands."
Steve's jaw dropped as he heard the unexpected tirade from Mike on his behalf and once again looked back to see what the Nurse's reaction would be. She released Steve's arm and this time gently placed it down on the bed, her stare never leaving Mike's face and from Steve's vantage point slightly below the two of them he could see a red flush enter Nurse Carter's cheeks.
"WELL ... " she flustered. "I can honestly say that I have NEVER been so insulted in all my life!"
"Well seeing how you treat your patients I personally find that very hard to believe!" Mike countered, his glare fixed and unyielding.
Steve bit back a chuckle at Mike's clever rhetoric, not wanting to heighten the tension in the room any more than it already was. Then he continued to watch as Nurse Carter finally succumbed, as most people did, to the rigid Stone Glare and she spoke one more time before heading for the door.
"Well ... If that's how you want it, I shall fetch Dr. Morrow. We'll soon see what he has to say about all this."
"Please do. I'd very much like to discuss alternative arrangements for Steve's care with him, more to the point, one's that don't involve YOU!" he responded as Nurse Carter muttered something unheard under her breath as the door then closed abruptly after her quick exit.
Steve continued to stare at Mike incredulously with a neutral expression on his face and Mike couldn't quite read from it how the young man had taken his interference. Blushing slightly, he flustered accordingly.
"I ah ... I'm sorry about that Buddy boy. I ah ... I just couldn't stand by while she was ... well ... hurting you and ..."
Steve reached out and touched Mike's arm.
"Hey, don't you dare apologize ... That was BRILLIANT."
A wide smile of appreciation and gratitude suddenly lit up Steve's face and it did Mike's heart good to see it. Reaching out he ruffled Steve's hair, grinning broadly himself.
"Oh you liked that ... did you?"
Steve nodded and chuckled.
"Oh yeah ... I LOVED IT. Seeing the look on her face as you told her off was almost worth staying around for ..."
"Well ... Maybe I was a little bit harsh with her ..."
"No, no you weren't Mike. You didn't say anything that wasn't true and she had it coming ... trust me on that one ... What do you think her problem is anyway?"
Mike smiled and studied Steve for a moment.
"Oh, I don't know ... Although maybe we've managed to finally find one member of the opposite sex who is completely immune to your charms, Buddy boy" Mike added playfully.
"Ha, ha, ha ... Very funny."
Mike laughed and then shook his head.
"No, but seriously ... maybe she's just having a bad day or maybe she's nearing retirement and has had enough of the whole thing. Who knows?"
Steve straightened up a little and his smile faded.
"Hey ... I don't like the way you said that. I hope you never reach that stage where you'd consider retirement."
"Oh don't worry ... I was just speaking hypothetically. Besides ... someone has to stick around to keep you out of TROUBLE."
Steve's smile returned and he chuckled again in relief.
"Too right ... God knows I manage to get into enough of it ... Do you think she'll really call Dr. Morrow down?"
"Yes, probably. But don't worry. I'll talk to him and see what we can work out, ok?"
"Ok ... Thanks ..."
As Steve's words left his lips, they were followed by a huge yawn that Steve quickly covered with his hand.
"Uh oh ... Someone's getting tired. You really mustn't have gotten much sleep last night, huh?"
"No ... Not much ..."
"How come?" Mike asked purposefully studying Steve closely.
He watched Steve squirm slightly where he lay and then noticed that his partner seemed to be choosing his words more carefully than before.
"Ah ...well you know how it is in Hospital Mike. It's noisy and there's always trolleys rattling up the corridors and ... alarms going off and that kind of thing. Then they wake you at cock crow with something masquerading as oatmeal ..." he added to lighten the building tension.
"Oh yes ... I know how it is. So it ah ... had nothing to do with the nightmares you were having, huh?"
Steve's face fell and he flustered.
"What? ..."
Mike shook his finger at Steve in a scolding manner.
"Ah ah ... Now don't you play the " what" game with me. Your not so friendly nurse told me all about your nightmares last night so there's no point in denying them, ok?"
Steve looked away disgruntled and muttered under his breath.
"Yeah ... I'll bet she did ... They were just bad dreams that's all, Mike. Nothing I can't handle ..."
"I see. Well that's good to hear. So you won't mind telling me what they were about then?"
Steve scowled in Mike's direction.
"I don't remember ..."
Mike sat back in his chair but his gaze never left Steve's face.
"You don't huh? Steve look ... you know you're going to have to talk about them sooner or later. Otherwise they're not going to stop. Were they about the warehouse?"
Steve frowned and then turned his head away from Mike to face the opposite direction as his voice drifted back over his shoulder.
"Mike, I really feel very tired now. Can we talk about this later please?"
Knowing he was not getting very far and also knowing that pushing him to talk wasn't the answer, Mike threw his hands up in mock surrender.
"Ok, ok. Have it your way. Keep it bottled up, but it won't help you, you know? But alright, rest now if that's what you want and we'll talk about it later on. "
He watched as Steve stayed with the back of his head towards him, the crisp white bandage behind his ear a shocking reminder of what the young man had endured and he sighed heavily. Reaching out he placed a gentle hand on Steve's shoulder and spoke softly.
"Look Steve ... I'm sorry for bringing it up. I just want to help you that's all. Say ... when Dr. Morrow gets here maybe I can convince him to discharge you into my care, huh? What do you say? You can come sleep in my spare room while you're recovering."
Steve's head shot around unexpectedly as a loud answer boomed from his lips.
"NO! ..."
Steve looked panicked and Mike almost jumped back from the severity of the reply. He watched Steve trying to regroup his emotions and looked confused as Steve continued his response in a shaky voice.
"I mean ... It's very good of you and all Mike and I ah ... appreciate the offer but ... I ah ... I'd rather go back to my own apartment this time if ... if you don't mind?"
Mike continued to study Steve unnervingly which only caused a thin sheen of perspiration to break out clearly on the young man's brow.
"Well why not? You often come back and stay with me when you get injured. It hasn't bothered you before. Why now?"
"Um ... Well for one thing, there are more steps up to your place and then the stairs. My place hasn't as many steps up to it and then the apartment is all on the level. It would be ah ... easier to get around with the leg you know?"
Mike's face suddenly lit up as the last piece of the puzzle finally clicked into place in his head and Steve's unusual outburst finally started to make sense. He tightened his supporting grip on Steve's shoulder as he leaned closer and spoke firmly.
"No ... No that's not the reason. Is it Buddy boy? The reason you don't want to come and stay at my place is because those nightmares of yours aren't about what happened at the warehouse, are they? They're about something that happened at my house. I'm right ... aren't I Steve? "
