BLUE BLOODS: RETURN TO DUTY
CHAPTER 10
ST. VICTOR'S HOSPITAL
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
FIFTH FLOOR
PRIVATE ROOM # 527
Monday, April 10, 2016: 12:47 p.m. EDT
Yesterday evening, the results from Danny's second set of EEG tests came back conclusive. The swelling in his brain had dramatically reduced.
As his lung, intestine, and shoulder were all healing according to plan, it was decided to remove Danny from the intensive care unit and to place him in a private room, however they would keep him in his medically induced coma for another 48-72 hours upon Linda's request because there was no way Danny would remain still once he regained consciousness, especially if he learned that Joe was alive. She needed to buy time for his siblings to close the book on the Sanfino family once and for all.
She sat holding his hand as Dr. Keller came in and picked up Danny's chart.
"Looks like he's doing very well." She smiled.
Linda looked at her colleague. "You knew all this time didn't you?" She asked, referring to Joe.
Keller nodded. "Yes, I did."
"All the pain we went through, especially Jamie who thought he had lost his best friend, but Danny as well who blamed himself for Joe's death, that he didn't teach him how to survive on the streets, and that because he failed to do that, it cost Joe his life."
"You don't know what Danny has put Jamie through to be sure that he didn't wind up attending his baby brother's funeral for the same reasons. You don't know the hell Danny has put himself through having to treat Jamie that way, and destroying the relationship between them" She concluded.
Dr. Keller sat down next to Linda.
"First of all, I think Danny more than taught Joe how to survive out there. It was Danny's training that made Joe suspicious and allowed him to prepare for what he believed would happen. If anything, Danny taught Joe so well that he was able to survive and fake his own death so that he could continue to do the job he had sworn to do."
"As for Jamie, sure, we have all seen him here more than his fair share, but most of his injuries are either self-inflicted from clumsiness, or what we see from beat officers, not detectives like Danny or Joe. All things considered, again, Danny did a remarkable job preparing Jamie for the risks he faces daily, and neither Joe or Jamie are as fragile as Danny would like to think they are. They're simply more shall we say, empathetic in their approach to people." She smiled.
"Well, nobody said Danny would get the NYPD award for being sweet." Linda laughed.
"That characteristic is not in his genetic profile, sorry. Your husband is a fantastic detective, a loving husband and father, a devoted son and grandson, and a big brother who is idolized by his sister and brothers. Accept him for who he is, and enjoy the time you have left with him Linda. Every family needs its Pit Bull to make sure everyone else toes the line and stays safe in today's world. That's Danny. If you wanted sweet, you should have married Jamie, if you wanted a renaissance man, you should have held out for Joe." Dr. Keller finished.
Linda laughed. "So I got the caveman."
"And a caveman will fight to the death to take care of and protect those he loves so yes, you got the man you wanted and who has proven himself every day" Keller confirmed.
At that moment, detectives from Frank's reserve detail arrived, a couple of whom Linda knew well.
"Sorry Ma'am but on orders from the Commissioner, we are placing a protective detail on Detective Reagan, you, and your sons." He stated.
"What's going on Tony?" Linda asked the lead detective.
"Erin, Joe, and Jamie are on their way here from Floyd Bennett field. They will explain everything to you when they arrive." He replied.
"Okay, what about our boys?" She asked.
"The Commissioner and his detail are picking them up from school as we speak."
"What about my niece, she's back at Columbia. They already tried to take her" Linda advised.
"Taken care of by the local precinct and Columbia's security force." He answered.
"And before you ask, former Commissioner Reagan has also been assigned protection." He concluded.
Dr. Keller stood up. "Linda, I have rounds to make. I'll come by later to check on both of you. If you need anything, maybe a slight sedative to calm you down?" She inquired.
"I'll be fine, thank you doctor." Linda replied.
256 MERRICK BLVD.
QUEENS, NEW YORK.
Monday, April 10, 2016: 1:45 p.m. EDT
"Quaint" Bianca Sanfino stated as she entered and looked around the lower floor of the two story bungalow.
"Belonged to Escalade Bobby's mom. She died last year and he never sold it." Noble replied.
"And now that he's rotting away in prison for the rest of his life with Uncle Phil, it doesn't look like he'll be returning." Bianca observed.
"Makes a great safe house as long as we keep up the taxes and utilities. House itself was paid for before we were born. It's in her maiden name so no way to track it back through Bobby." Noble advised.
"I have no intention of living in a safe house. I want to complete our mission of getting rid of the Reagans so the remaining families will quash the contract on our heads, and we'll be free to run the Sanfino crew as we see fit." She replied.
"I'm working on that." Noble replied.
"Yeah, you did such a great job that you missed that bitch prosecutor and nailed her big brother. Now the brother we thought was dead for the last seven years is back with a real hard on to catch whoever did this."
"Yeah, well don't forget your precious Jimmy Riordan, or should I say, Jamie Reagan who you had in your hotel room and could have killed." Noble shot back.
"And how many times did you have him alone where you could have killed him, but you were always too stoned?" She shot back.
"This isn't getting us any closer to what we need to get done, so what do you think we should do?" He asked.
"Pick the low hanging fruit and hurt them while we can. The brother you shot is still in a coma. We finish him off and when they get together for his funeral we unleash the entire crew on them." She replied.
"Fine, so how do we take out a guy in a hospital bed who by now must have some type of police protection?" Noble asked.
"Leave that to me. In the meantime, I have something else for you to do." She replied.
ST. VICTOR'S HOSPITAL
NEW YORK CITY, NY
Tuesday, 7:45 a.m. EDT
Jamie Reagan folded his arms and looked at his partner.
"Come on Eddie, let me at least take one picture." He pleaded.
"Reagan, if you go anywhere near a camera while I am wearing this outfit, I will bitch slap you into the Bronx." She firmly stated, leaving no doubt she would do exactly that.
"But you are so adorable dressed up, I mean, if this were Halloween that could be your costume." He laughed.
Eddie had volunteered to go undercover as a "Candy Striper". Her youthful appearance, tiny stature, and long blonde hair gave her the necessary look to pull it off. The only difference between her and the real volunteers running around the hospital emptying bed pans and refilling water glasses for patients, was that the other women didn't have a badge and a Glock 19 strapped to the inside of their thigh above the hemline, or a communication device in their left ear.
Erin walked in having overheard the comments and shook her head. "Jamie, stop it. Eddie is being kind enough to help us out here, she doesn't need you harassing her like you're some school boy with a crush on her."
That immediately earned her dirty look from her baby brother, something not lost on Eddie.
"It's okay Erin, I'm used to it." She replied.
"Personal experience has taught me that the back side of a wooden hairbrush applied to his bare butt usually straightens him out pretty quickly." Erin informed Eddie.
"Yeah? I'll remember that." Eddie smiled at the idea.
Jamie gave both women an evil look and left the room to go visit his brother.
"Thanks Erin." Eddie remarked.
"You do know that he likes you." She stated.
"Yeah, and I like him too but we're partners and I think we're both afraid that if we give that up to see what else there is between us and it doesn't work out, we'll lose what we have." Eddie replied.
"You won't know if you don't try Eddie. Remember, you have to make yourself vulnerable in order to fall in love." She advised the younger woman.
Joe entered the room looking for Erin and noticed Eddie.
"Wow". He said.
"Smooth move bro." Erin laughed.
"Edit Janko, please meet the infamous Detective Joseph Conor Reagan." Erin introduced the two.
"Detective, I'm honored." Eddie replied. "Jamie has told me so much about you."
"In private, you can call me Joe, the pleasure is mine, and I have stories of my own to tell you about Jamie. I just popped in to meet you and thank you for always having my baby brother's back out there. You're a great partner to him." Joe stated.
"Thank you Joe. He's a great partner and a great T.O. and I want to hear those stories" Eddie replied.
"When this is all over you two should sit down and figure things out, because I know my little brother and he is mad about you." Joe informed her.
"Erin was just telling me the same thing. Is this a Reagan family full court press?" She asked.
"No, we have to wait until Danny wakes up for that to happen." Joe grinned before heading out of the room.
Eddie turned to Erin. "He looks so much like Jamie." She observed.
"Growing up, they looked like twins. They both look like our mother, but Jamie has her height and build where Joe got our Dad's." Erin replied.
"I wouldn't want to piss him off. He looks like he could be scarier than Danny." Eddie stated.
"Trust me, Joe, Jamie and Danny are all puppies. I'm the one you have to worry about." She semi-teased before heading out of the room herself.
"No shit." Eddie whispered as Erin left the room.
-30-