Note: Time for the team to get some answers.
Chapter Five
Chin and Kono had finally been allowed to join Steve in Danny's ICU room, and now all three sat and watched as their friend slept, his breathing still extremely laboured. His chest fighting to rise and draw in air through the soup in his lungs, helped only by the opposing mask clamped to his face.
As soon as Danny had arrived in the ICU, the experienced staff had descended on him to connect him to monitors. After the vitamin k had been started to reverse Danny's extremely high INR, they made the decision to place an arterial line into Danny's left wrist so they could monitor his blood pressure that way, as his left bicep was already looking extremely bruised from earlier readings. The arterial line also allowed them to closely monitor Danny's oxygenation, something that would need to be closely monitored as Danny's battered lungs fought to recover from the sudden bleeding. The doctors had already explained to Steve that Danny would need to be weaned off the CPAP, and then would require high flow oxygen.
The decision to place the arterial line hadn't been taken lightly, given Danny's bleeding issues, and now both his arms lay on absorbent pads as the site from the arterial line and cannula continued to ooze blood.
The oxygen tubing had already been replaced once as it filled up with frothy bright red blood that Danny expectorated with every exhale. The nursing staff frequently removed the mask to clean Danny's face and mouth, and each time Steve became concerned as Danny barely roused through out the process. The medical staff had done their best to reassure Steve that Danny was just exhausted from the blood loss, and as the transfusions continued things would begin to improve.
He team were relieved that the medical team were confident they could manage the bleeding and reverse Danny's clotting, but each member were acutely aware that the cause of this sudden bleeding was still unknown.
Dawn, a nurse who was practically extended Ohana to the team had been brought in to care for Danny, much to the teams relief. She retuned to the room and carefully, without waking Danny, changed the absorbent pads under his arms for clean ones.
"How's he doing, Dawn?" Steve asked from his seat at the side of Danny's bed.
"He's doing better, Steve. His last gasses had improved, and the amount of hematurea is decreasing, it definitely looks lighter now." She said indicating the catheter bag hanging below the bed that now contained a rose stained liquid. "The drugs and blood products are doing their job."
"That's good." Chin half smiled. Each of them finding it hard to accept any positive changes in Danny's condition, when he looked so ill.
"I just wish we knew what caused this." Kono sighed from her seat by the window. "His clotting is being corrected now but will it stay that way? What if this happens again?"
"I'm sure once he is stabilised Dr. Pearce will want to run additional tests to find out the cause of all this." Dawn tried to reassure.
"There will be no need." Dr Pearce said arriving at Danny's door and entering. "I just got the results of Danny's tox screen back. Guys, has Danny been prescribed any medication recently that I don't know about, by his regular doctor perhaps?"
"No." Steve said shaking his head. "No he was healthy until this afternoon, even his bum knee has been pretty good lately."
"Then I think Danny has been poisoned, whether accidentally or on purpose will be for you to investigate." She explained.
"Poisoned?" All three team members asked.
"Yes." Dr. Pearce confirmed. "Danny's blood showed a drug called Warfarin, it's a blood thinner, and judging by the level of Danny's INR he must have ingested a large dose."
"How could he have ingested that accidentally?" Chin asked.
"Well it is the main ingredient in rat poison, would he have any of that at home or come in contact with it today. It would have to have been sometime this afternoon to have the effects it did."
"I don't see how he could have come in contact with it." Kono said, "We've been working a case all afternoon."
"Oh god!" Steve suddenly exclaimed. "Doc, Warfarin, it's used for people with heart conditions, right?"
"Yes, some heart conditions require Warfarin to prevent clots developing." Dr. Pearce confirmed.
"The bitch tried to kill him. She came across a frail old woman but she tried to kill him to save herself and her granddaughters' asses." Steve said angrily.
"What? Mrs. Lomax?" Chin asked catching on to Steve's train of thought.
"Yeah, she has a heart condition. Danny was fine until he came back from arresting her."
"But how would she have poisoned Danny?" Kono asked still trying to absorb it all.
"Warfarin is tasteless. It could have easily been added to food or drink." Dr. Pearce explained.
Steve ran a hand over his face then stood and carefully placed his hand on Danny's shoulder, and gently shook it. "Danny, Danno, I need you to wake up for a bit. I know you're tired but I need to ask you something."
Danny slowly opened his eyes and focused on his partner then looked around the room, seeing his teammates he raised a hand in a little wave.
"Hey brah," Kono smiled moving closer to the bed.
"Dawn, can you remove the mask for a few moments, maybe give Danny a quick drink before Steve asks his questions." Dr. Pearce requested.
Dawn immediately complied and released the strapping on the mask. She helped Danny to swill the blood from his mouth then take a sip of water to sooth his throat. She held the mask in the vicinity of Danny's face so he was still receiving some oxygen.
"Danny, when you were at Mrs. Lomax's did you eat or drink anything?" Steve asked.
"Yeah," Danny replied in a breathless gasp. "I had...a...coffee, like you said."
"Shit!" Steve exclaimed.
"Why?" Danny asked confused, all the people in the room were now looking very angry.
"It looks like she poisoned you. Doc found Warfarin in your blood which caused all the bleeding. It's used in heart patients." Steve explained.
Danny let his head sink back into the pillow. He didn't even have the energy, or words, to comment.
"Thanks Dawn." Dr. Pearce smiled, "Danny we need to put the mask back on now."
"No wait." Danny said raising his right hand and weakly pushing the mask away. "My nose hurts." He explained pinching the bridge of his nose where an indent had formed from the pressure of the mask.
"I can help with that." Dawn smiled then turned to Steve, "grab this for me would you, just hold it in place so he gets the oxygen."
Steve took hold of the mask and Danny gave him a weary smile, "don't worry. I'll make sure she is charged for this. She is gonna die in prison. She will never see freedom again."
Dawn returned with a dressing in hand and cut a strip off it then placed it over the bridge of Danny's nose where the mask sat. "This is Duoderm, it should pad your nose and take some of the pressure off it." She explained then secured the mask back in place. "Better?" She asked and Danny gave her the thumbs up.
"Danny," Dr. Pearce called, "all the treatment we are already giving you will correct the poisoning, its just going to take a little longer for your levels to return to normal. Once they do the bleeding will stop, but your body is going to need some time to recover from the damage done to it. Especially your lungs but you will make a full recovery. Your body needs rest now so go back to sleep and don't worry, we have this under control."
Danny gave her another thumbs up, and the team smiled. They were used to Danny talking with his hands it was just usually accompanied but a verbal rant.
Steve remained by Danny's side until he was sure his friend was back asleep then he signalled for Chin and Kono to join him just outside the room.
"Chin head over to Mrs. Lomax's and update CSU, I want evidence that she poisoned Danny. Kono, can you stay here with Danny? I don't want him left alone. Once he feels better he is not gonna like that mask, and I want someone I trust to keep him calm."
"Sure boss." Kono replied, "But wouldn't you be better at that? Where are you going?"
"I'm going to speak with Mrs. Lomax." Steve stated then stalked down the hallway.
TBC