Disclaimer: As much as I love Without A Trace, I do not own any part of it or the characters so please don't sue me.
Chapter 2
Danny wasn't aware of it, but as he dried his tears, there was a concerned and silent observer who had been watching him closely in the shadows since he had arrived in the office that day.
Martin had all too clearly seen the tears that Danny had been trying to hide but he didn't say anything to Danny. Instead, he went over to Danny and gently squeezed his shoulder as if to give him some comfort.
"How's it going, brother? How does it feel to be back on the job?" Martin asked smiling and didn't let on that he'd seen Danny's hidden tears.
"It feels great to great to be back, even though I prefer to be out in the field. But you know jack. He said that if he sees me looking even a little sick, he's gonna have another agent escort me home and make sure that I stay there. Can you believe that? How can he doubt little old me?" Danny said with a devious smile and a twinkle in his eyes, causing Martin to laugh amused.
"That's because he knows that you're a sneaky devil. Jack already told me what happened after the ambush. You told him that you were okay but that you collapsed at the hospital after Dornvald took that doctor hostage and got away." Martin said gently but then noticed how Danny suddenly became quiet and stopped smiling. "Danny, are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked caringly but concerned, causing Danny to clear his throat and shake his head.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, Martin. Why?" Danny asked with a false smile on his face as he shrugged.
Martin wasn't sure what to answer, so for several seconds, there was and awkward silence between them. Thankfully, Danny's phone rang and he answered it.
"Excuse Me." He said to Martin a bit relieved. "This is Taylor." Danny said into the phone.
Martin wasn't sure who had called Danny, but the fact was that Danny became nervous as he shook a little and ran a hand down his now pale face. Martin gave Danny some privacy and he saw how Danny began arguing as he whispered into the phone.
Danny got so angry by the call that he shut his cell phone and angrily threw it on the desk. The entire situation caused Danny to have a violent coughing fit.
"Danny, Danny, are you all right? Here drink this water. What the hell happened to you? Take it easy, brother, just breathe." Martin said slightly fearful as he patted Danny's back gently and he finally stopped coughing but remained wheezing and a little shaken.
Finally, after a minute, Danny was finally able to recover as he drank more water with his shaky hands.
"Danny, what the hell happened to you? You were doing fine. Who the hell called you?" Martin said still slightly panicked as he took a hold of Danny's shoulder, causing Danny to immediately close up and break away from Martin.
"Nothing happened, Martin, I'm fine. The call was just a wrong number." Danny said seriously but obviously shaken because he was sweating and his face remained very pale.
"That's a sorry ass excuse if I ever heard one, Danny. We both know damn well that that wasn't a wrong number. Whoever called you, pissed you off enough to cause this." Martin whispered sternly out of concern.
Martin's words caused Danny to immediately become defensive as he stood up in front of Martin's face and glared at him.
"I told you that it was damn wrong number and I'm fine. So, back the hell off and leave it alone." Danny warned angrily and defensively but calmly and through gritted teeth as he glared viciously at his partner, but Martin stood his ground and stayed right where he was as he got closer to Danny.
"Unless you want me to go into Jack's office and have him drag your ass back home for being sick, I suggest that you back off of my face right now and cool your ass off. Do you understand me, Danny?" Martin whispered sternly out of concern and he glared at Danny, causing Danny to huff furiously but back away from Martin.
"Stay out of it, Martin. It's not your business. It's nobody's damn business." Danny whispered seething and then turned and left the office angrily after he grabbed his coat and cell phone.
The confrontation left Martin feeling as if he had been punched in the stomach by an invisible force and all the wind had been sucked out of him. He tried to compose himself but couldn't as he walked quickly toward the restroom holding his stomach and mouth. Martin made it to the bathroom without a second to spare as he violently lost the contents of his stomach in the toilet.
Martin was still a bit weak after being shot and his stomach wasn't prepared to handle a tense situation like this with his partner and best friend. He knew that Danny was hiding something dark and he was going to figure out what it was before it ate Danny away completely.
Martin was so winded from vomiting that he hadn't even realized that someone had followed him inside to the restroom. He didn't realize that anyone was in there with him, until someone cleared their throat, causing Martin to look behind him and flinch we he saw his boss and friend Jack Malone staring back at him.
"Are you gonna tell me what the hell's going on with you and Danny or are you gonna pretend that that altercation didn't happen?" Jack said calmly but gruffly, causing him to abruptly cut Martin off when he tried to deny it. "Don't even try to lie to my face, Martin. I saw everything because I've been keeping a close eye on you two. Now, are you gonna tell me what's going or am I gonna have to get it out of Danny?" he said gruffly, causing Martin to sigh heavily as he washed his hands and face.
"There's nothing going on, Jack. Everything is fine." Martin said quietly as he sighed heavily but couldn't look at Jack in the face.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you. Do you see the word STUPID written all over my bald head? No, so go with that horse manure to whoever will believe you and whoever doesn't know you and Danny. I've known both of you for more than five years, so cut the bullshit. What the hell is going on with you two? And more importantly what's going on with Danny?" Jack said gruffly but caringly, causing Martin to sigh heavily and shake his head as he briefly closed his eyes.
"There's nothing on with me, Jack, but there is with Danny and I don't know what." Martin said defeated.
"Does it have anything to do with the call that he got?" Jack asked seriously, causing Martin to look at him shocked. "It's my job to know what goes on with my agents. Now, tell me about the call." He said seriously but with compassionate undertones.
Martin sighed heavily and tried to leave but Jack grabbed his arm and carefully spun him around.
"You can tell me in the office or you and Danny can both go home on continued sick leave until further notice. It's your choice, so make the right one. You've got fifteen minutes to make your choice because I'm not gonna put you out in the field so you can jeopardize the lives of your fellow agents or any missing person because you have your head on Danny. Are we clear? You know where to find me." Jack warned sternly and then left the restroom irately.
Martin shook a little at Jack's harsh words as he too left the restroom. He was on his way back to his desk when he saw a pale Danny coming out of the elevator a bit shaken.
Danny came out of the elevator and saw the worried look on his partner's face. Martin was only trying to help me and I treat him like shit. He doesn't know that I was only trying to protect him. But how the hell can I talk to him now? Danny thought to himself silently as he sat at his desk.
Martin saw the look of worry and guilt on Danny's face and immediately, the fear and concern that he felt for his friend, intensified. He decided to make peace with Danny and stood before him holding his hand open.
Danny sighed heavily and immediately gripped Martin's hand extremely tight in a brotherhood grip as his hand shook a little.
"Martin…I…" Danny said softly but couldn't continue when Martin shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, Danny. It's over and done with, all right?" Martin said as he gripped Danny's hand tighter and then something caught his eyes that caused him to nearly double over. "Oh, my God. Danny, what happened to you? Danny, you're bleeding. You've got blood on your neck and throat." Martin whispered very quietly and fearfully concerned, causing Danny to begin shaking slightly and try to get away again.
"Calm down. I'm not gonna say anything, Danny. Just get up slowly and head to the restroom. I'm gonna go get some bandages and alcohol wipes. Nobody can see that you're bleeding so just relax and act normal. Do you understand me?" Martin whispered kindly but very concerned and fearful, causing Danny to nod nervously as he shook slightly. "Just go in there. I'll be right there. Go on." He whispered concerned and then they both parted ways.
Jack could tell that there was something wrong with his agents but he pretended not to see Martin as he looked through the first aid kit in the lounge and put some things in his pocket. He waited until Martin went into the restroom and then followed behind.
"Danny, look at me man. Just relax, you're gonna be okay." Martin said sternly to a shaken Danny. "Now, do you wanna tell me what's going on or are you gonna keep lying to me?" Martin said a little sternly but concerned as he wiped the blood off of Danny's neck as it continued gushing a bit.
"Martin, please, just…just stay out of it." Danny said a bit slurred, causing Martin to realize that Danny was about to vomit on him and pass out.
"Whoa, Danny, Danny, I've got you. Just breathe, all right, man?" Martin said fearfully as he got Danny to the stall and Danny began vomiting violently as Martin continued applying pressure to his neck.
Jack had heard enough eavesdropping at the door, to know that something was horribly wrong with his young agents. He went into the restroom and his eyes bugged out as he gasped horrified when he saw Danny vomiting and Martin's hands covered in his blood.
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Author's Note: Let me know if you want me to continue this story. I appreciate any feedback (R and R).