Justice by InSilva

Disclaimer: none of them are mine. Just taking them out of the toybox.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Patient

Rusty accepted the cup of hot chocolate Saul pressed into his hand.

"It's the closest thing there was to something sweet," Saul explained. He seemed to hesitate for a moment and then yet again, he said, "He'll be OK" and yet again Rusty nodded. Saying it didn't mean it would happen but the alternative was not to be thought let alone voiced.

They'd looked like they weren't going to let him in the back of the ambulance but Bobby had said something low and compelling to whoever was in charge and they'd let him climb in alongside, his fingers still clutching Danny's, his eyes fixed on Danny's face, obscured by the oxygen mask.

"Blood type?" he'd heard one of them mutter at Danny.

"O," Rusty had said and Danny's eyes had flickered thankful acknowledgement.

"You sure about that?"

"Yes." It was the only ordinary thing about him.

As they'd arrived at the hospital, Danny had disappeared into unconsciousness again and they'd rushed him into emergency treatment. It was definitely among the top five worst moments of the day for Rusty and if it had been a less formal environment, they wouldn't have been able to keep him away.

A man with a clipboard had approached.

"You know the patient?"

"Yes." And he'd given all the details necessary: Danny's name, address, marital status…everything but his shoe size and he had that waiting just in case.

The man had looked at him curiously.

"What are you to him? Relationship-wise, I mean? Brother? Other?" The last word was offhand but Rusty could read the meaning behind it.

"I'm…" Rusty paused. He could lie and say they were related. That would allow him freedom to see Danny but that could get blown out of the water if they wanted to see ID. As for the second option…well, yes. But not in the way they meant it. And he'd already told them Danny was married. It wouldn't be fair to head down that route.

"I'm a friend," he said eventually and the word seemed pale and meaningless.

"OK…well, you can wait here." And the man had directed him to a seating area.

Saul and Turk had arrived as he was pacing.

"You want to sit down?" Saul had asked hopefully and he'd stopped and then slumped into a chair, hearing words and seeing looks but not hearing, not seeing.

He was still in this limbo state. After the rawness of the conversation with Vincente, he'd been cut free, falling into nothingness but Saul had brought him back and he'd pushed all emotion to one side, forced himself not to feel as he'd focused on the purpose of locating Danny. He'd not given in to the pain of the anger he'd felt at Danny and the sequestration. He'd made sure he didn't choke on the paralysis of imagining what Vincente was doing to Danny. He wouldn't allow himself to contemplate not discovering Danny. Instead, he'd concentrated on action. Time enough for emotion later.

Then had come the joyful horror of finding Danny; the desperate urgency to revive him as his mind replayed the past; the briefest of moments when his belief had wavered and then the sensation of being completely doused in relief as Danny had come back to him.

Right now, his feelings seemed to be making up for lost time. He realised that Saul was looking at him expectantly.

"Sorry, Saul. What?"

With a look of regret, Saul repeated himself.

"She has to know."

Right.

"Yeah."

"I can do it," Saul offered but Rusty was already shaking his head.

"I'm on it." He pulled his phone out then looked round and frowned. "Where's Turk?"

"I sent him to get you a change of clothes."

Uncomprehending, Rusty stared at Saul.

"You're covered in blood, Rusty," Saul said quietly. "And you might want to visit the bathroom for a little freshen up before you go visiting."

Rusty looked down at himself. Saul was right. There was dried blood down his shirt and suit. His hands were red with it. And that made his mouth twist into a tight little line. He gazed at the phone in his hand blankly for a moment and then walked a way away to make the call.

"Hi, Tess," he said and closed his eyes. Nearly the worst call he would ever have to make.

Danny came to in a private room and was pleased to be able to open both eyes. The first thing he saw was Rusty.

"Hey." His voice sounded croaky to his ears.

"Hey. How you feeling?"

"Little high."

"That'll be the pain-killers. Think they're shipping in new supplies just for you. Other than that?"

"Hurts when I breathe."

"Huh. Well, I recommend you continue."

Danny's mouth crooked into a smile. He looked over at Rusty and frowned.

"You're wearing…"

"Outfit got a little messed up. Turk brought me something to wear."

That explained it. It still didn't make the shirt easier to deal with. Danny frowned again.

"Don't think I've ever seen you in checks."

A smile flashed on to Rusty's face and off again. "I'm thinking of taking up lumberjacking. Actually," he added, "I'm just grateful he got the right size in the jeans."

"You haven't worn jeans since forever."

"Grew out of it."

There was a silence for a moment and then Danny said quietly, "Never figured you for Ed Harris."

"More Mary-Elizabeth, right?"

"You're prettier."

He saw the laughter reach Rusty's mouth only. Rusty was trying hard but his eyes said he was in hell.

"It's not your fault," Danny said and when Rusty dropped his gaze, he said insistently, "Look at me!"

Reluctantly, Rusty raised his eyes.

"I shouldn't have come to the courthouse. I should have stayed away. If I'd done that, if I'd done as you asked, everything would have gone as planned. It's my own fault for trying to be clever."

"You honestly think that, don't you?" Rusty's tone was vacant.

Danny sighed. "Of course, I do. Damn it, Rusty, don't you dare blame yourself. I'm here because of you."

Immediately, Rusty nodded in agreement and Danny gave a quick grimace.

"You know how I meant it. Don't make me get out of this bed and punch sense into you."

"Wish you would. Wish you had done."

"Rus…" Danny said with exasperation.

There was a silence for a moment.

"So. What do you reckon the food's like in here?"

"You don't get to change the subject."

"You know me, food's always close to my heart."

"Rusty…" Danny dropped back on the pillow. He just wasn't up to it. He felt himself slipping away into drugged sleep. He forced his eyelids open.

Stay with me.

Always.

And he reached across and took Danny's hand again.

When he was sure Danny was away, Rusty closed his eyes and started talking.

"I was so mad at you, you know. That stunt with Bobby. You standing there in court grinning your head off. Wearing those stupid shades. Locking me off in safety and leaving Vincente and you on the same side of the door."

He smiled.

"You should have seen me in that jury room. Henry Fonda had nothing on me. We turned out a verdict in record time. And then I phoned you to tell you what a complete bastard you were and…"

His face creased.

"He had you…" he whispered. "He had you and he knew…I felt like…it felt like…" the worst…the absolute, absolute worst…

He broke off and shook his head.

"There was nothing I could say. Nothing. I've never felt so…"

His face screwed up at the memory.

"And we looked for you and each wrong door we opened meant delay and delay meant longer for you on your own with Vincente…"

He swallowed hard.

"Then we found you and I don't know if I've ever been more scared…"

The last word tailed off into nothingness. He opened his eyes. Danny was still sleeping. His fingers were still wrapped in Rusty's.

Saul stuck his head round the door to ask if he wanted any food but Rusty waved him away absently.

"I've sent Turk off to a hotel," Saul said and Rusty nodded.

"You should go too," he suggested, his eyes never leaving Danny's face.

"You could do with some proper rest," Saul said and Rusty's mouth twitched into a smile and back again.

"I'm fine, Saul."

Then Saul asked the question. "What time's she getting here?"

Rusty shrugged. "Probably got another few hours yet."

He looked round at Saul. "I'm staying here."

It was later when the door opened again and Tess was ushered into the room by a doctor. Rusty turned and saw her hands rush up and cover her mouth. Gently, reluctantly, he let Danny's hand rest on top of the bed covers and stood up, stretching muscles he hadn't moved in a while. He motioned to the doctor to leave them to it.

"He's asleep, Tess," he said unnecessarily and made himself stop from flinching as he saw her eyes fixed on Danny, the shock obvious.

She hadn't ever seen him this bad, he reminded himself. She didn't have a clue about that basement in New York or that time in Europe or the Barrowby brothers in Fort Worth. Mind you, this might just eclipse all those.

He watched Tess staring down at Danny and he started to put out a hand towards her and then pulled it back again. Her pain was as open as he'd imagined and he wanted nothing more than to run and hide from it. He made himself stand there and take it. He deserved it. This and so much more.

"Do you want a drink?" he said eventually and she looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.

"Yes…yes, please." Tess seemed to gather herself together. She looked at him again and there was more colour on her cheeks and her eyes had more focus. "Please show me where to get a coffee."

They stepped outside the room and Rusty shook his head to see Saul perched uncomfortably across three chairs, dozing restlessly.

"This way," he indicated and led Tess round the corner.

As they walked, he felt the oppression of the silence and opened and closed his mouth a couple of times because try as he might and try as he wanted to, there was nothing he could say. This was her husband. Her husband. Her husband for the second time. They'd sworn to be together in sickness and in health, till death did them part. None of the wedding vows said anything about allowing your man to be abducted and tortured. Nothing about your man's best friend being the reason behind it.

Tess bought herself a coffee and stood and drank it silently, eyes trained on the vending machine. Rusty felt the awkwardness growing and he longed to do something about it, to scratch it like the itch it was but he couldn't; the ball was firmly in Tess's court.

Eventually, she finished her drink and crumpled the cup, dropping it in to the waste bin. She turned away from the drinks machine and stared at Rusty.

"Danny stayed here because of you," she said, her brown eyes unblinking.

"Yes." Rusty felt the weight of the stare and the weight of the accusation and even more the weight of the guilt.

"Danny's here because of you." Tess said evenly.

"Yes," he repeated hollowly. She meant it exactly as he had earlier.

She nodded, considering, then drew back her fist and punched him on the mouth. He recoiled with the blow but still stood there waiting. She punched him again and this time, Rusty felt the trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.

"God, I wish I could hit like a man!" she spat. "I'd lay you out cold on this floor!"

He said nothing and this seemed to infuriate her like nothing else.

"I always knew Danny would do anything for you. Hell, he even ending up doing time, didn't he? Four years just because you couldn't cope without him around. Just had to talk him back in."

It wasn't true but it could have been. Rusty said nothing.

"And this time. Danny's lying in there this much away from death." She held up a finger and thumb indicating the slightest of measures. "And look at you. Not a mark on you. You always come up smelling of roses."

Her face twisted into a darker shade of ugly.

"You look me in the eye and tell me you didn't think this would happen. You tell me that you didn't fear this!"

He couldn't say a thing. She could read the truth in his eyes.

"You are a selfish excuse for a friend," she said coldly and the words bit deep into him.

Tess turned on her heel and walked briskly back towards Danny's room.

"Tess!"

Oh, he had to try something, anything. Every word she'd thrown at him had stung but he needed to keep the channel of communication open if things were ever going to work. After Vegas, while they were waiting for Danny, they'd talked and they'd reached a level of understanding they'd never had before and things had been easier between them, he had to try and use that before she…

He went after her and caught up with her outside the door.

"Tess…please…" It was raw and heartfelt.

"I trusted you, Rusty. I trusted you to keep him safe. I trusted you to look after him." She looked him dead in the eyes. "You blew it."

Tess's hand was on the handle of the door and he looked to follow her into the room to continue the conversation.

"Sorry, Rusty. I think we should keep the visitors down to next of kin, don't you?"

And she went in and closed the door behind her leaving Rusty shut out and alone.

It was morning. This time, Danny opened his eyes to see the other person he loved most in this world at his side.

"Tess…" he smiled and she smiled back down at him, taking his hand in hers.

"Danny…" And the love was rich in her voice. "Looks like I can't let you out of my sight for a moment."

He grinned and did his best to ignore the ache in his ribs.

"Looks worse than it is," he lied easily and saw her gaze travel over the bandages and the drips and back to his face, ready to accept the lie.

"Doctor says you're probably going to be laid up for a bit."

He continued smiling at the understatement. "Yeah, I guess so."

She looked down at their hands entwined and then swallowed hard and Danny's heart went out to her. She didn't know how to deal with this. She hadn't a clue. And this was not what she'd signed up for. This wasn't even close. Tess's idea of marriage was a life together built around home and stability and it was her misfortune to fall in love with a man whose idea of settling down was not even on the horizon. It was his reciprocal misfortune, of course. And they still loved each other enough to try and make it work.

"I'm sorry," he said, knowing it wasn't enough but hoping it was anyway.

"I know," she said and the helpless tone in her voice nearly killed him.

He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them again.

"Where's Rusty?" he asked. "I mean I get that he's giving us a moment but…"

Her eyes were a second late meeting his. "He's outside."

Danny blinked at her. "Can you call him in for a minute?"

"We don't need Rusty," she said lightly.

"Call him in, Tess." And his tone was firmer.

"We don't need Rusty." She was insistent.

"Now, Tess." He gave her a look that brooked no argument and she sighed and got to her feet and disappeared.

Danny lay back on the pillow and muttered to himself about the female of the species.

"Hello, Danny." It was Saul coming into the room ahead of Tess. "You feeling better?"

"Better than I was," he said because it was expected and he saw Saul acknowledge the lie and tolerate it anyway.

"Where's Rusty?" he asked, not worried yet, not concerned yet because this was all still explicable.

Saul's expression wavered. "He's around."

Danny closed his eyes.

Saul tried a quick recovery. "He's probably gone to change. You should have seen him hide his reaction when Turk turned up with those clothes."

Danny opened his eyes and looked straight at Tess. "Tell me," he said gently.

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me, Tess," he said again, as gently as he can.

"I don't know what you think-"

To hell with gentleness. "Rusty wouldn't just leave. I asked him explicitly to stay with me. What did you say?"

She flinched at his tone, urgent and demanding.

"I resent that," she said hotly. "I get a call telling me my husband is lying in a hospital bed and I drop everything to fly here to your side. And all you can do is accuse me of-"

"Tell me!" he snapped, ignoring the message from his body that his energy levels were not up to this.

"Alright. If you really want to know." She drew herself upright. "I told him that it was his fault you were lying here. That because of him, you were nearly…and that he was standing there, unhurt, uninjured, looking as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth-"

"Tess-"

"No, Saul! I don't care! Danny's the one hurting here. Danny's the one in the hospital bed. Danny's the one who nearly died. It's always Danny who takes the fall! Rusty slides out of this like he slides out of everything!"

Danny didn't want to yell at her not least because he didn't think he physically could. Instead, he started talking quietly.

"I'd known Rusty less than two months when he pulled my ass out of the fire for the first time." He saw Tess flinch at the vulgarity and didn't care. "He's carried on doing that ever since. He did it again today, Tess. He brought me back. He gave me mouth to mouth-" he ignored the snort, "and he brought me back."

"Back to him," she said angrily.

"And back to you," he underlined. "And despite what you may think, he tried to send me back to you more than once."

"You didn't come…" There was a raw edge in her voice that he ignored.

"No. Because even though Rusty didn't want me here, he needed me here. Needed me, Tess."

She was silent.

"And he would never tell you but this hasn't been an easy ride for him either. Friday night, he couldn't stand upright. Friday night, he couldn't lift pain-killers up to his mouth. He was in unbelievable pain."

Tess blinked a little.

"Now, I know how Rusty's mind works," Danny went on calmly and clearly and he hoped to God without displaying blame. "And his first thought is going to be me. And while I can keep him here, with me, he won't go to his second thought. So, I will ask you once more, Tess, what you said to him."

She pulled a face and Danny knew he was about to get the truth, however unpalatable that might be.

"I told him he was selfish," she said in a small voice and Danny set his teeth at that but he knew that wasn't the end of it.

"And?"

She hesitated and he knew her next words had been designed to hurt Rusty as only she would know how. Able to hurt because she knew the truth.

"And?" he repeated.

She stuck her chin out defiantly. "And that only next of kin should be with you."

Danny groaned and closed his eyes and Tess and Saul moved forward anxiously. He opened his eyes and fixed them on Saul.

"You know what he's doing."

White-faced, Saul nodded. "I'll call Bobby."

"Bobby and everyone," Danny emphasised. "We need to find him fast."