Note: thanks for all the reviews. Glad you liked the team all helping Danny.
Chapter Five
Kono was the first to return to the hospital the next day. She had found it hard to sleep, going over what had happened. After leaving the hospital the evening before she and Chin had returned to the cove to retrieve the surfboards. The waves were pounding the shore, and Kono had to mentally shake herself to stop seeing Danny being pushed under by them, the water red around him.
She had finally given up on sleep around 5 am and decided she needed to purge the demons, so had gone for a surf herself, but at a much quieter spot. Once she had finished she returned home to shower and change, then headed to the hospital, knowing she was before visiting hours, but hoping they might let her sneak in any way.
She went straight to Danny's floor and looked around for a nurse.
"Excuse me," she asked a red headed, petite nurse. "I know I'm early, but I was wondering if I could visit Detective Williams, I was with him yesterday and couldn't sleep. I just need to see him."
The nurse smiled sweetly. "Of course you can see him. I think he is sleeping at the moment, though. He didn't have the best of nights himself. He's feeling pretty rough from the infection, and his temperature is up."
Kono thanked the nurse then slipped into Danny's room. He lay on his side with his back to the door, so she moved around to the other side and sat in the chair. Even though he was asleep she could see he wasn't well. He had a cloth over his forehead, and a bowl of iced water sat on the table beside him. He looked extremely pale, except for fever flushed cheeks. He was still wearing the scrub top, but she could see the sweat patches staining it. She quickly grabbed her phone and text Steve, and Chin, to let them know Danny's condition. Then, desperate to help Danny, she gently removed the cloth, re-wetting it and placing it back on his head. The cool water dripped off the cloth and ran down Danny's nose as two eyes, sleepily opened.
"Hey," she whispered, "sorry I didn't mean to wake you, I was just trying to help."
"Hey." Danny replied. "Its fine, I was only dozing. Trying not to lose the breakfast they made me eat."
"You're feeling sick?" Kono asked looking around for an emesis bowl. Danny nodded and closed his eyes again, trying to take nice steady breaths. She quickly nipped out of the room and returned with some bowls. "The nurse is getting something for the sickness." She reassured him.
The nurse quickly arrived with the anti emetics, and injected them into the IV. Kono looked up and asked, "When will Dr. Pearce be into see him?"
"She doesn't start her shift 'til lunch, but I'm sure Danny will be the first she looks in on. I know you're feeling pretty rubbish at the moment Danny, but these should help, and I'm going to increase your fluids to help with the fever." She explained as she changed the nearly empty bag of saline for a fresh one and re-programmed the pump. "Once the antibiotics kick in you should feel better."
Danny just gave a gentle head nod then winced as it pulled the stitches in his back. Kono grabbed the cloth and re-wet it, running it around his neck, before placing it back on his forehead. Danny gave her a small smile as thanks.
5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0
Steve and Chin arrived 30 minutes later, also well before visiting hours, and walked straight into Danny's room to find Kono holding a vomit bowl, while Danny retched over it. Her other hand held a cloth, and she was wiping around Danny's neck then up to his brow, before re-wetting the cloth and repeating the process.
Danny's nurse came into the room, ignoring the newcomers, went straight to Danny's IV and emptied a syringe into it. Then pulled out another, and proceeded to empty that in too. "Hopefully this one will work better, Danny." She spoke to her patient. "And I gave you some morphine too, as I know all this vomiting is pulling your back."
"Thanks." Danny sighed as he lay back on the pillows completely spent of energy. The nurse took the bowl from Kono and left the room.
"Hey, buddy. Feeling a bit rough, huh?" Steve said noticing his friends grey completion.
"No, Steven. I feel on top of the world, all this is just to get sympathy." Danny replied sarcastically, his eyes closed. Hearing Steve sigh he opened one eye to look at his friend, and said, "Sorry." before closing his eye again.
"It's fine. Probably wasn't the best thing to say. I'm just worried about you, Danno." Steve said pulling a chair closer to the bed and sitting down. "I knew I should have stayed last night. Why didn't you get them to call me?" When he got no reply Steve said, "Danno? Danno, you with us?"
Still he received no reply and started to get concerned, until Kono, who was the closest to Danny and had heard his breathing change, said, "I think the morphine's kicked in Steve, he's sleeping." She rung out the cloth and placed it on Danny's forehead, leaving him to rest. "Dr. Pearce will see him this afternoon. The nurse seems happy that it's just part of the infection, and we just need to wait for the antibiotics to clear it up."
"Coral cuts can be nasty, Steve. I've known guys get sick from the tiniest cut." Chin said.
"I'll be happier once the doc has checked him out." Steve said sinking back in his chair, he had a feeling it was going to be a long day.
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Danny only stirred enough to refuse his lunch tray when they brought it in. He even slept through the repeated vital checks the nurses preformed, and didn't even flinch when they brought in a fan to try and cool him down.
Dr. Pearce finally arrived around 1pm and greeted the team. "Hey guys, I hear he's feeling pretty rough."
"He's been out of it all morning." Steve said concerned.
"Sleep is probably the best thing for him right now." She reassured them. "I've seen his bloods from today and his infection markers are all up, but all his other blood work looks good. I'd like to examine all the wounds though." She moved over to the bed and placed her hand on Danny's shoulder, giving it a gentle shake and calling his name, she managed to rouse him.
"Hey, doc," Danny said with a croaky voice.
"Hey, Danny, I'd like to examine you if that's ok, check each of the wounds."
"Sure." Danny said attempting to sit up more.
"Can the team stay or would you like them to leave?" Dr. Pearce checked.
"They can stay. Sorry guys must have been a boring morning for you."
"Its fine Danny, we wanted to be here for you." Kono said.
Dr. Pearce pulled out her stethoscope and listened to Danny's chest. Satisfied she pulled up the scrub top to examine the many scrapes on Danny's chest. "They look ok, a little red, but none are concerning me." She explained. "Steve can you help me sit him forward?" She asked and Steve immediately sprang into action, helping leaver Danny up and supporting his friend.
"You ok, Danny?" Steve asked seeing Danny had his eyes closed again.
"Yeah, just a little dizzy." He replied.
"I'll be quick." Dr. Pearce replied. "How about we get this top off, and a fresh one on?" She said easing the top up and over Danny's head. Danny attempted to help remove his arms, but cried out in pain as it pulled the stitches in his back.
"I got it Danny, its ok." Dr. Pearce said easing his arms out and feeding the IV fluids through the arm.
"Easy, Danno," Steve said as Danny let his head rest against Steve's shoulder. Dr. Pearce then removed the dressing revealing a neat row of stitches across the width of Danny's back. Steve was relieved to see how well they had managed to close the gruesome wound.
"They look good, Danny. No sign of infection there." Dr. Pearce said as she probed the skin around the wound. She quickly re-dressed it, and then gave Steve a nod to allow him to lower Danny back down. Danny lay for a few seconds with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths, then slowly opening them and nodding he was ok.
"That just leaves your heal." Dr. Pearce said moving down the bed and pulling back the covers. "We already know this is infected, so we'll see how it's doing."
Danny just nodded and lay there exhausted, how could just sitting up leave him so tired. Dr. Pearce removed the bandage, and immediately looked unhappy. Danny's ankle and foot were swollen, and his whole heel was red. There was clearly a pussy discharge oozing from the wound."
"Well that explains why you feel so ill." She stated.
"That's really infected isn't it?" Steve said, clearly horrified at the state of his best friends foot.
"It is. Danny." She called trying to gain his attention as his eyes had slipped closed again.
"Yeah," He replied lifting his head and opening his eyes.
"Danny, this needs looking at again, I'm worried we missed a piece of coral."
"More surgery," Danny grimaced. He hadn't enjoyed waking from the anaesthetic at all. Memories long since buried of the incident where his best friend had drowned had been dragged up, and Danny did not want to re-live them again.
"Not necessarily. I could do it here under local anaesthetic. It won't numb it all though, so I could give you more morphine, and I could get some gas and air to help you through it. I'd need to remove the stitches and flush the wound. I'll leave it open then, so the infection can drain, we can close it again in a few days, once things improve."
"Ok." Danny nodded. "Think you could throw some more anti sickness meds in there too?"
"Sure can." Dr. Pearce smiled. "I'll go get setup. Guys, only one of you can stay during the procedure. I want to limit the infection risk as much as possible. Danny's body's having to fight enough, at the moment." The team nodded, no discussion needed about who would be the one to stay. That was obviously Steve's role.
Chin and Kono left for the canteen. The nurse entered with a bowl of cool water and clean scrub top, and helped Danny freshen up. Steve smiled to himself as he heard Danny sigh with pleasure as the cool cloth hit his hot skin.
The nurse then left and retuned with a gas cylinder. She set about explaining to Danny how it worked. Dr. Pearce came in and administered more morphine, which instantly made Danny even sleepier than he was. With some luck, he would sleep through it all, Steve thought.
Once Dr. Pearce had set up her makeshift sterile field, she started to remove the stitches. Steve's hopes were short lived, as Danny's eyes shot open as soon as the doctor started to flush the wound.
"Easy, Danny," Steve said taking his hand.
Dr. Pearce gently probed the wound, causing Danny to yelp out in pain. "Use the gas Danny." She instructed.
Steve helped guide the mouth piece to Danny's mouth, and Danny eagerly sucked down the gas. After a few breaths his body relaxed, and the doctor was able the resume her inspection. "Gotcha!" She exclaimed, and held up a tiny splinter of coral.
"There you go buddy. Doc got the culprit." Steve comforted.
"Culprit?" Danny said his eyes glassy from the gas. "Can you book 'em this time babe?" He said as his eyes slipped shut.
Both Steve, and Dr. Pearce, did their best to hold back a laugh. "Ok, I think he's done with the gas." Dr. Pearce said as Steve nodded in agreement and removed the mouth piece from Danny's hand.
Dr. Pearce quickly flushed the wound once more, then dressed it. "Hopefully, now that's removed, we should be able to get on top of the infection. He should be feeling better soon."
Steve let out a sigh of relief as he watched his partner once again sleep.
TBC