A Bullet for Danny: You Can't Keep a Good Messer Down part 1
A thick fog of tension fell over the lab as Mac entered through the glass doors. "We have a problem. Danny left the hospital" he said flatly gauging the response of all of his teams members.
Lindsay swallowed hard pushing back a lump in her throat, while Sheldon stood attentive allowing Stella to be the first one to verbally react.
"What?"
"What happened to Detective Angell?" Hawkes asked earning a discerning look from Stella.
"Do you really have to ask?"
Danny, the notable doctor silently knowing Danny Messer could charm the socks right off a cow and get it to play dead if he so desired. The man just an irresistible charm when it came to the ladies.
"The hospital administrator I spoke with on the phone believes that she left with Danny" Mac confirmed.
"But why would Danny want to leave the hospital?" Stella questioned shooting a glare at Mac as she placed the intestinal remains she was holding back into a peatry dish.
Mac lifted his hand to his chin, rubbing it. "We believe he went to see-"
"Louie," Lindsay finished earning Mac's nod of approval.
"I've already got a call into Flack, he's going to meet us at Central Lock-up" Mac added". Stella you're coming with me. Hawkes I want you to go back to Danny's place and wait there in case he decides to double back"
"Wait, Mac what about me?" Lindsay's brow furrowed as she watched her colleagues begin to file out of the lab.
"Go home as of right now your shift is over" Mac said over his shoulder.
"But I don't want to go home," Lindsay snarled, casting her dark dagger like gaze upon Hawkes as she sloughed off her white lab coat. . "Why am I always the one to be sent home?"
Hawkes chewed on his lower lip for a moment debating the words that were on the top of his tongue. "Because you're Danny's Montana" he said finally.
"Danny's Montana?" Lindsay repeated, her voice at a whisper. Did everyone know how she felt about Danny? Suddenly a feeling of dread swept over her, making her knees wobble.
The idea of Danny leaving the hospital was hitting her hard. Mac knew she reasoned. Mac knew and he was sending her home for fear that she couldn't remain objective in the search. Stupid, she berated herself, you practically told Mac yourself when you went to the hospital this afternoon. Damn.
Another thought occurred to her. "Hey, Hawkes, wait just a second".
"Yeah," Hawkes stopped abruptly and looked over his shoulder as Lindsay trotted up to his side. Her brown eyes were beading intently back and forth.
"I need to know about Danny" she breathed, "leaving the hospital in his condition that can't be good right?"
Hawkes made a sour face, "It's not good at all"
"Give me worse case scenario" Lindsay looked at him pleading, "Please, I need to know"
"Okay" Hawkes dipped his head for a moment and wet his lips. "Danny has what they call a bleeder in his neck. It was caused by the aneurysm he suffered earlier" he stated pausing to see if Lindsay was following him. "If the bleeder should happen to break loose. He could die within a matter seconds"
Die? Lindsay felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach.
Danny moaned softly as Angell helped him into her beige Toyota SUV. She couldn't help but notice that his skin was noticeably paler now that they were in the evening light. He shifted uncomfortably as she pulled the shoulder belt over his chest. "Is this the best you could do?" he asked referring to the pale blue colored scrubs and brown leather jacket he was wearing.
"Eh, I'm could lose my badge for this Messer" Angell whirled pointing a finger of authority. "You should be thankful that I found you clothes to wear at all and didn't haul your ass out here wearing that little checkered gown. It was either the scrubs of the clothes they pulled off of some dead guy."
Dead guy? Danny instantly threw his hands in a defensive plea, "I am thankful, very thankful, I just never thought I'd walk out of the hospital looking like George Clooney from E.R." he grinned trying to clear his throat of it's crackle sounding rasp.
"It's a far cry from Clooney Messer" Angell quipped closing the passenger side door so that she didn't have to listen to his retort as she made her way around to the passenger side of the vehicle. After securing her own lap and shoulder belt the rookie detective stuck the key into the ignition and turned over engine.
"You sure you don't want to run back inside and get that bag they had going into your arm?" she said noting that Danny was starting sweat. "No offense but you really look like you need it"
Danny pressed his wrist to his brow, wiping at the perspiration, "I'm fine, just drive"
"Okay" Jennifer frowned throwing her car into drive "Central Lock up is about a forty minute ride from here, why don't you just lie back and try to take it easy".
"Easy for you to say," Danny mumbled crossing his arms over his chest. Titling his head back, Danny closed his eyes relaxing against the back of the headrest. He knew he wouldn't sleep but closing his eyes helped him to focus on something other than the radiating pain that kept creeping up into his chest.
"Hey, Jen you ever plan of having a family and kids" he asked trying not to howl out from the bumps in the road.
Jennifer glanced at him sideways keeping her eyes on the road, "if the right guy comes along. How about you?"
"I don't know, " Danny, answered sluggishly. "It's just something I've been thinking a lot about lately"
"Yeah, I know what you mean" Jennifer smiled slowly pressing her right foot down on the break.
"Why are we stopping?" Danny shifted again this timing opening his eyes.
"Red-" Light was what Angell had meant to say when the sound of screeching tires came out of nowhere.
"Jen!" Danny shouted at the feel of metal slamming into Angell's side of the car.
Tires screeched and glass shattered as metal met metal crumpling both vehicles like aluminum cans. Without airbag protection, Detective Angell's head smashed into the steering wheel, snapping the seat belt while the front portion of the other car came forward. Blood trickled from her nose and forehead as the impact sent her into a state of unconsciousness.
Danny yelped as his head slammed against the passenger side door, dazing the CSI.. A shooting pain, radiated through his arms and back as his tender body was jarred from the collision.
"Jen" he mumbled softly squinting his eyes against the bright lights of the second car. The sound of approaching footsteps brought him momentary comfort as someone started to approach the car, but as they got closer Danny could make out a familiar shape in the person's hand.
A gun.
"Holy-" The rest of his sentence was cut off by gunfire pinging through what was left of the windshield.
Frantic Danny's fingers fumbled with the release to the seatbelt until finally he found freedom. Spotting Angell's service revolver at her waist, Danny grabbed it and rapidly returned fired as another set of bullets came flying at him through the glass.
"Radio…Radio…Where's your damn Police Scanner!?" Panic started to arise as the sound of another set of footsteps joined the first. From the looks of things, Danny couldn't tell if they were friend or foe.
"I gotta get out of here," Danny swore bailing out of the passenger side door. In his condition he knew he wouldn't get far, but he had to try. Luckily for him the midnight streets of New York were dark but still full of traffic, which allowed him to dart away from his unknown assailants with ease.
Lindsay paced the floor of her living room holding her cell phone to her ear. "What do mean Det. Angell was in an accident? Flack, where's Danny?" a pause erupted through the line. "Okay just please call me back as soon as you hear anything"
Lindsay tossed her cell phone onto the couch and ran a hand through her soft locks. Making her way to the large bay window that overlooked the New York skyline, Lindsay crossed her arms over her chest, whispering to herself, "Danny where are you?"
Her answer came in the form of a rough knock on her door. Lindsay glanced at the clock. It was nearly two a.m. Moving cautiously she picked up her service revolver and drew it ready. "Who is it?" she asked keeping her guard up.
"New York Cab Company" An Irish voice called back, "I think I've got something that belongs to you"
"New York Cab Company?" Lindsay returned, "I didn't call for a cab!"
"Open the door, Miss, I've got someone here looking for Montana"
Danny? Abandoning all reason, Lindsay lowered her weapon quickly reserving the locks. On the other side of the door stood an middle aged cabbie.
"Does this belong to you?" the man asked in a thick Irish brogue before stepping aside to give Lindsay a clear view of the person standing next to him. Danny was slumped up against the wall, his fingers pressed tight to the plaster. Sweat was pouring down his forehead like an open spigot.
"Danny, my God how did you get here? " Lindsay stepped out into the hallway wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Thank you" Lindsay told the cabbie as the man helped her ease Danny inside.
"Just pay the man, Montana" Danny replied lowly barely able to form the words, "And make sure you give him a good tip"