Author's Notes: Not all of your questions will be answered here but perhaps some of them will be. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the prologue - Csifan326, canucklehead, webdlfan, RandomTVfan30, LoveIsInTheAir4DL, Daisy1966, and Afrozenheart412. Language in this chapter is a little rough which is why I gave it the M rating. I hope you enjoy. Feedback is always appreciated.
Disclaimer: CBS, Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, and Ann Donahue own all rights to the characters and premise of the show. I am making no money off this story and it is for entertainment purposes only. However, this particular story is my creation and should not be used without my express written permission.
Attacked
Chapter 1
"Mac, everyone said the same thing. Danny attacked Lindsay."
For several moments, Mac just stared at Flack unable to believe that Don could even begin to accuse his friend of such a heinous act. Then he shook his head. "No. It's not possible. I saw Lindsay before she was taken away. Danny is not capable of such violence against anyone, least of all Lindsay."
Mac wasn't as oblivious to what went on under his nose as people liked to believe. He'd noticed the almost instant attraction between Danny and Lindsay probably before they had even noticed it themselves. He hadn't said anything, trusting the two to keep things professional at work. They hadn't disappointed him; in fact he wasn't entirely sure how far they had taken the relationship beyond a great working camaraderie and playful banter that made watching them work together entertaining.
Flack looked equally frustrated. "I wouldn't have thought so either. I still remember how crazy he was just a few weeks ago when Monroe did that undercover stint with the diamonds that got a little hairy. Despite that fact that everyone in that diner confirmed that it was Danny who attacked her, I still wouldn't have believed it if the uni's hadn't corroborated the story. Mac, it gets worse. Everyone I talked to said that it wasn't just an assault but that Danny was like a man possessed; completely out of control and beastlike."
"There's got to be a reasonable explanation. I'm going to get Hawkes down here. I want everything they ate today bagged and tagged. Eddie has cameras inside. I want the tape pulled and taken to the lab. I'll get Stella to meet us at the hospital to process both Lindsay and Danny. I want their statements as soon as they are able to give them."
Flack nodded. "You know IAB is going to be all over this."
Mac frowned. "That's why we've got to figure this out as quickly as we can. Can you take care of things here and direct Hawkes when he arrives? I want to make sure the ER doctor gets a blood sample from Danny as quickly as possible. If he was drugged, I want to know with what."
Flack promised and then also assured Mac that he would get to the hospital as soon as he could. As Mac made his way back to the Avalanche, he pulled out his cell phone and called Stella first. Knowing that Stella would be upset to learn what was going on with their friends, he decided to hold off telling her the full story. He simply told her they had victims that needed processing at Trinity and for her to meet him there with the kit. Once he knew she was enroute, he called Sheldon. He filled the former ME in on the whole situation as he knew it. Hawkes expressed his concern about Lindsay and stated his absolute belief in Danny before promising to get to the diner as quickly as possible. He also assured Mac he would process the scene with a fine tooth comb; if there was anything there that would prove Danny's innocence, he would find it.
The final call Mac had to make was the one he dreaded the most but was the one he had no choice but to make. As succinctly as possible, he explained to Sinclair what had happened. As he figured, the Chief of Detectives wasn't happy and immediately called for Danny's badge. Mac urged him to hold off on any action until the team had a chance to investigate but promised that if they found anything to indicate that Danny had acted of his own volition, losing his badge would be the least of his worries. Neither man doubted the veracity of his statement.
By the time he finished his calls, he had arrived at Trinity. After parking in the garage, he made his way to the emergency entrance and inquired about both Lindsay and Danny. The duty nurse had just given him the number of Lindsay's cubicle when he heard Stella calling his name. He turned to her grimly, seeing her approach with her kit in hand.
"Mac, what do we have?"
Knowing an explosion was imminent but wanting to delay it as long as possible, Mac hedged his answer. "Assault at Eduardo's diner."
Stella nodded. "I think I heard Lindsay and Danny making plans to have lunch there. Did they call it in? Is that why it wasn't paged out the usual way?"
Mac sighed knowing he could put it off no longer. He led her down the hallway and paused outside the cubicle. "Lindsay was the victim."
Stella paled as she stepped into the cubicle. She dropped her kit at the door and immediately went to the younger woman's bedside. Lindsay was still unconscious and, if anything, the cut and bruises on her face looked worse than what Mac remembered. She'd been changed out of her clothes and into a hospital gown. There was a red mark in the unmistakable outline of a boot print on her lower right arm that would quickly changed to an ugly bruise. Wires ran from under the gown to a heart monitor next to the bed. The squiggly lines were fast and erratic and Mac wasn't sure if it was from the taser blast or if even unconscious she was still upset from the attack.
"My God, Mac. Look at her. The bastard stepped on her arm and used her face as a punching bag. What happened? Did they walk in on something? Where's Danny? Did he get the person responsible?"
Mac reached over and gave Lindsay's uninjured hand a reassuring squeeze, hoping in some way to convey to the unconscious woman that she was safe. How the hell had Danny done this? Even if there was a rationale explanation, how did they recover from the aftermath?
"We don't know all the details- the why or the how, but we do know the who. Stella, it was Danny."
She shook her head. "What was Danny? I'm surprised he let her out of his sight. Is he okay? Was he hurt as well? You said victims on the phone."
"Detectives, the nurses told me you were here." A deep male voice stopped Mac from having to admit the truth to Stella. A middle-aged doctor wearing a white coat stepped into the cubicle looking over a chart in his hands. He shook hands with both Mac and Stella before introducing himself. "Dr. Terry. I'm the ER attending today. I'm glad you are here. I knew you'd want to get pictures before we treated her injuries. As soon as your done, I've ordered a full CT scan; it's the best way we have to check for both broken bones and internal bleeding."
Mac nodded, his expression grim. "What do you suspect?"
"I'm worried about her arm obviously and her ribs but I also suspect she might have a fractured cheekbone. Her heart rate is a little erratic and that has me concerned. A taser right to the heart isn't what they had in mind when they designed that nifty little device."
Stella turned toward Mac. "She was tazed as well? Damnit, Mac, who did this? Please tell me someone tazed his ass as well."
The doctor nodded. "I'd say he got hit about four different times. He's still unconscious but I expect he'll be waking up pretty soon. I also figured you'd want pictures of his hands before we cleaned him up."
Mac could almost see the steam coming out of Stella's ears. "He's here as well? Let me have a few minutes alone with him."
"Stella…" Mac began, needing to make Stella understand that it was Danny who was responsible for the attack but the doctor continued.
"I don't understand, Detectives. The officer who rode in with the suspect said these two work together. Not exactly the behavior I'd expect from partners. Any idea what made him snap like that?"
Stella shook her head. "Partners?" Then she paled. "Mac, you aren't seriously telling me that Danny…"
Before she could finish her question, Danny's agitated voice pierced the quiet. "Damnit, what the fuck? Untie me now you stupid prick."
Stella turned on her heel ready to go confront her friend but Mac took her by the arm. "Stay with Lindsay. Bag her clothes and take the pictures so the doctor can do his job. We don't know why Danny attacked her but we both know it's not something he would typically do. Don't make assumptions. I'll go talk with him."
"Mac," Stella almost growled but Mac shook his head.
"Stella, if you can't be professional and do your job let me know and I'll get someone else down here. Both Lindsay and Danny are our friends and they deserve our very best to help them through this. Can you do that?"
They stared at each other for a moment and Mac could almost see Stella reigning in her emotions before she nodded. With just a hint of a grim smile, Mac released her and followed the doctor down the hall to where Danny had been taken. The young detective was struggling against the restraints they had put on him upon his arrival at the emergency room. He was bucking on the stretcher wildly trying to loosen the straps that held him captive. His glasses were sitting askew on his face having been dislodged from their normal position as he struggled. The veins in his neck were distended and his face was red. He was still screaming at the officer who had been stationed in the cubicle with him. Flack had said that the witness accounts described Danny as almost beastlike and it didn't look like the taser blasts had changed that.
As soon as Mac entered the room, Danny started to calm down but he still pulled at the straps that held him in place. "Mac, thank God. What's going on here? Why do they have me tied to this bed? What happened? Unstrap these damn things."
Mac reached out and put a calming hand on Danny's shoulder. Now he could see the bruised and bloody mess his knuckles were in and it made the older man almost physically sick to know that those injuries had happened at the expense of Lindsay's face and body. He said a silent prayer that Danny would be able to satisfactorily explain what had taken place in the diner.
"Danny, I need you to calm down. You've got to tell me what happened and you can't do that if you are screaming like this."
The younger man continued to writhe on the stretcher and Mac was pretty sure it was no longer in it's original position despite the brakes being on the bed. The heart monitor Danny had been connected to was even more erratic than Lindsay's had been but Mac was sure that had more to do with Danny's emotional state than the taser blasts.
"What the hell are you talking about? Am I in a hospital? What the hell happened?"
It was almost easy to see how Danny in his current emotional state could be responsible for the savage beating but Mac still couldn't understand what had precipitated it. He needed to project a clear sense of calm that would hopefully calm Danny down enough that they could get some answers.
"Danny, what do you remember? Start at the beginning of your day and leave nothing out. Can you do that for me?"
If anything Mac's calm demeanor only further upset Danny who felt like he wasn't getting the answers he needed fast enough. His attempts to break through the straps increased and if his legs hadn't also been fastened to the bed he might have actually upended the stretcher. The ER doctor pulled Mac back toward the doorway. "I'm going to have to medicate him if he can't calm down. Not only am I worried about him hurting himself trying to pull free of those straps, his blood pressure is getting dangerously high and I'm worried about him stroking out. Not to mention, I can't let him continue to disrupt the ER like this; I have other patients to think about."
Mac had to acknowledge the wisdom in what the doctor was saying. It didn't appear he was going to get much out of Danny until then anyway. "Can you take a blood sample first? And is there anyway you can give him something that will calm him down without sedating him? I really need answers to what happened and I can't get them if he's unconscious."
The doctor nodded. "Already took the blood sample; took one from Detective Monroe as well. SOP on assault cases like this. We'll run a full tox screen. Results should be back in about an hour. Anything I give him could cause drowsiness but I think you should be able to get information from him before it happens."
A nurse appeared at the cubicle with a syringe; apparently the doctor had ordered it before pulling Mac aside. He approached Danny's stretcher. "Detective Messer, I'm going to give you something to calm you down. You'll feel a little sting."
"Fuck you. You want me to calm down, unfasten these straps and tell me what the hell is going on. Mac, quit ignoring me over there. Tell me what's going on. Where's Montana? She'll tell me what's happening. MONTANA?"
The doctor ignored Danny's outburst and quickly injected the contents into Danny's arm. In just a couple of minutes the effects were obvious. His attempts to bust out of the straps lessened and he just lay there breathing hard, his jaws clenched and the veins on his neck still distended. Satisfied, the doctor nodded to Mac that it was okay to continue. Quietly, the doctor slipped out of the cubicle, leaving his patient alone with Mac and the uniformed officer.
Mac pulled a chair closer so that he could be more at eye level with the distraught detective. It hadn't escaped his notice that Danny had called for Lindsay and hoped that was a good sign that Danny hadn't been in control of his actions at the diner. "Danny, I know you are upset but we are trying to help you. We have to leave the straps on for now but that can change if you help us out here. Something happened and we need your help figuring it out. Do you think you can do that?"
It took a moment or two for the words to register in Danny's head enough for him to nod. Mac smiled reassuringly. As much as he wanted to know what happened at the diner, he felt it best to start earlier in the day with things he knew as well. "You came to work this morning and you and Lindsay were processing the evidence from the Stevens murder last night. Do you remember that?"
Again Danny nodded. "Yeah, we worked on it all morning. I thought I was going to grow cross-eyed looking in the microscope. Montana was processing the clothes."
Danny allowed himself to get lost for a moment in the memory and as he did, his whole demeanor changed. His body lost some of its tenseness and his breathing slowed slightly. The morning hadn't been that different from any of the other mornings they had worked together.
He hadn't said anything but he'd been concerned about Lindsay lately. She hadn't been herself ever since the night she'd stood him up for what should have been their first date. He hadn't pressed her for details other than hearing that she was dealing with things that made dating him impossible. He'd promised to be her friend and even though he'd been hurt by her rejection, he'd meant it. But even though they continued to work well together, she just hadn't been her usual self. He could see pain he couldn't identify in her eyes and it concerned him more than her not showing up for the date had ever hurt him.
A low growling sound interrupted the quiet of the lab. Danny looked up, a playful smirk on his face that grew as he recognized the flush of a blush crept into her cheeks. "Hungry?"
"Shut up. I missed breakfast this morning cause I got called in to work the crime scene." Her stomach growled once more and this time Danny laughed out loud.
"I gotta tell ya, Montana, I can't be expected to work under these conditions."
He was about to return to the microscope when something soft hit him in the side of the face. He looked down to see a wadded up latex glove sitting on the table where it had landed after been chucked at him. He picked it up between two fingers and looked at Lindsay who was trying hard not to laugh while looking completely innocent. For just a moment it was like nothing had changed between them and Danny didn't want the moment to end. "Resorting to violence, Montana? Here I was about to volunteer to buy you lunch since you missed breakfast and what thanks do I get? You start throwing prophylactics at me. Just for that, I should make you buy lunch instead."
Lindsay rolled her eyes, looking more at ease than he'd seen her look in a couple of weeks. Danny was glad to see it, hoping that maybe whatever demons had been chasing her had disappeared. "Fine, if I'm buying, then I get to choose the place. We're going to Eduardo's."
Danny feigned confusion. "But it's not Thursday."
He loved winding her up, had since the day he met her. It was so easy to do and he never knew what to expect as a reaction. She could, no question about it, give as good if not better than she took. The second latex glove that she tossed at him hit him square on the nose.
Mac nodded. This was a good clear memory and Danny sounded more like himself. "So you went to lunch? Anything unusual about it?"
Danny shook his head and it was clear the drug was working in his system. His eyes were almost glassy and a glance at the monitor showed his blood pressure was still high but not quite as dangerously so. "We were joking about something; I don't remember what. Then we…" He paused, closing his eyes trying to remember but it was clear that it was all a blank. "Then we… dammit, Mac; why can't I remember what happened at lunch? Did something happen? Where's Montana? Why isn't she here?"
Mac had interviewed many suspects and witnesses in his years as an officer. He could tell when someone was lying to him or faking amnesia but he was certain Danny was telling the truth. Whatever happened must have happened after they left the lab and it had apparently caused Danny not only to snap but to lose any memory of the event itself. Mac took a deep breath knowing he'd have to fill in at least some of the holes in the hope that it would trigger some sort of memory.
"Danny, Lindsay was attacked at the diner - "
Danny tried to rise off the bed but the straps holding him down limited his movements. "What? What happened? Why don't I remember it? Is she okay? Where is she? Mac, you gotta let me loose so I can check on her. Why am I tied down like this? What's going on? Tell me I took the bastard out that hurt her."
"You didn't but I just might, you asshole." Stella Bonosera strode into the cubicle, her eyes almost flashing fire. Before Mac could stop her, she was right in Danny's face and it was clear the woman was even more upset than she'd been when he'd left her with Lindsay. Had something more happened? "I warned you, Danny, when you first started dancing around that attraction you had for her that Lindsay wasn't just some random fling and that you'd better not hurt her. You promised me it wouldn't be like that and I believed you. I thought if anything it was her heart that might be in danger from you; I never would have believed you would hurt her physically."
"Stella." Mac began quietly. He'd warned her that she had to keep her professionalism but the Greek woman's temper had obviously gotten the better of her. He just wished he knew exactly what had set her off.
Danny pulled against the straps once more, his face contorted in confusion at her words. "What the hell are you talking about, Stella? What have you been smoking? I would never hurt Montana. It would never happen. Tell her Mac. You know I wouldn't. It's not possible."
"Not possible? No I didn't think it was possible either until I saw the proof staring at me in vivid color. How long has it been going on? How many times have you hurt her?"
"Stella." This time Mac's tone was sharper and it got her attention. She whirled to face him.
"You think he must have been under the influence of something but this isn't the first time he's hurt her." Without giving Mac time to respond, she retrieved the camera and pulled up images. "Look what he did to her, Mac."
Mac didn't want to see the pictures. He'd seen Lindsay's face firsthand and it made him sick to think the young woman had been hurt so brutally. "I've seen it, Stella and it pisses me off as much as it does you but taking it out on Danny before we have all the answers won't help. He doesn't remember what happened at the diner."
Stella shot the restrained man a death glare. "What about a couple of weeks ago? Do you remember that, Danny? What, were you so pissed off at her for not showing up for your date that you wanted to get even with her? Was that the first time you hurt her or were there other times as well?"
The stretcher lurched about two feet to the right as Danny threw himself to the side trying to use brute force to free himself. His face was once more red and the distended veins in his neck were pulsating in fury. The machine monitoring his vitals began to alarm as once more his blood pressure raised dangerously high. "Fuck it, Stella. I ain't ever laid a hand on Montana. Damn it. I wouldn't and even if I did lose my mind and want to she'd probably lay me flat before I got a chance. Has someone hurt her? I want to see her? I gotta see her for myself. Unstrap these fucking straps before I fucking break something in the attempt."
Stella was just as loud as she retaliated. "Your hands tell a different story, Danny. Look at them. They are all busted up from the beating you gave her. You didn't just lay your hand on her but you stepped on her arm and left your damn boot print on her arm. You kicked her in the ribs. What else have you done to her?"
"Fuck you, Stella. You've lost your fucking mind."
Mac winced at the language coming out of Danny's mouth. He'd heard the younger man swear before but never quite like this. Not even after his brother had been beaten into a coma had Danny spewed out such language as if he were ordering a pizza.
The ER doctor stepped back into the cubicle, his expression harsh. "That's enough. He might be the principal suspect in your investigation and I get that you might not be very happy with him. However, in this room he's my patient and his welfare comes before any of your righteous indignation. If an officer has to stay in the room, that's fine but everyone else please go to the waiting room. I'll let you know when you can come back in."
Despite Danny's loud protests that they couldn't leave without telling him what was going on, Mac gently gripped Stella's arm and led her out into the hallway. His expression was grim. "What was that in there, Stella? I count on you to be professional and objective on every case. I know Lindsay is your friend but so is Danny. You went in there prepared to be his judge, jury, and executioner. Why?"
The woman was practically shaking with anger and a lone fat tear slipped down her cheek. "He hurt her, Mac. Her body has the bruises to prove it. And he's laying there denying it."
Mac ran his hand over his face; he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so tired so early in the day. "What were you talking about in there about today not being the first time?"
Again she handed him the camera and this time he took it and looked at the picture she wanted him to see. It was of Lindsay's upper left arm and shoulder. A ringed bruise circled her upper arm and it was obvious someone had roughly grabbed her there hard enough to leave the imprint of a hand mark on her arm. The same shoulder had a vicious bruise as if it had slammed into something hard and unforgiving. He frowned. These weren't bruises from today; they were much older. "These look to be about two or three weeks old. Any chance it happened during the Holly case while she was undercover?"
Stella shook her head, visibly calming down. "Aside from ringing ears from the flash bomb, she wasn't hurt. Mac, I photographed every bruise on her body but I didn't find any defensive wounds. She didn't fight him, apparently not today or when she got those other bruises."
The lack of defensive wounds concerned Mac just as much as the actual bruises did. Lindsay was more than capable of taking care of herself. Even if Danny was drugged when he attacked her or if he caught her by surprise, she should have been defend herself before she'd been hurt so severely. The fact that it appeared that she hadn't even tried worried him. "I have no choice but to believe the witness statements that he carried out today's attack. Still, we don't know that Danny was responsible for those older bruises. Won't know anything until Lindsay regains consciousness and can tell us. Take their clothes and the pictures back to the lab and process everything. Then you can help Hawkes with the evidence from the diner. I'll photograph Danny's hands with my cell and send you those photos later."
"Mac -" Stella's voice was hard and it was clear that she didn't like what he wanted her to do but Mac refused to budge.
"Stella, this is a sensitive case. Sinclair is already gunning for Danny's head on a platter which you appear only too happy to give him. You know as well as I do that we can't get ahead of the evidence on this. Too much is at stake for both Danny and Lindsay. Trust me; if we don't uncover a satisfactory reason behind all this Danny is going to be in more trouble than even he can handle. I just don't want him to have to cross that bridge until we're sure it's necessary."
"I love Danny. Mac, you know I do but you saw Lindsay's face-"
"If you can't be objective for Danny's sake, then do it for Lindsay's. This has a potential of blowing up on her as well. Run this by the book so it doesn't come back to bite either one of them. Can you do that?"
Reluctantly Stella nodded. Without another word she gathered up the evidence and her kit and stormed out of the emergency department. She bumped past Flack on the way but didn't even acknowledge his presence. Flack watched her go and then joined Mac in the hallway. "She didn't look happy."
Mac shook his head. "I guess I can't really blame her. You saw Lindsay's face; that kind of violence brings out the worst in all of us. Not knowing exactly what happened just makes it worse. I don't suppose you watched the video from Eduardo's did you?"
Flack shook his head. "I know I probably should have but I couldn't. Danny's my friend and I just couldn't watch that video knowing it might change the way I see him. Have you been able to get any information out of either of them?"
Mac also answered in the negative. "Lindsay's still unconscious and Danny doesn't remember anything that happened."
Flack shifted uncomfortably. "Mac, I got a call from Sinclair on the ride over. As soon as Danny is released from the hospital, I'm to arrest him and take him down to booking."
Mac swore quietly. He wasn't completely surprised but he'd hoped that he'd convinced Sinclair to give him time to investigate. He wasn't sure if he was more bothered by the fact that Sinclair was pressing for Danny's arrest or the fact that he'd charged Danny's best friend with the task of carrying out the arrest. "I'm sorry, Flack. I'll try to figure out something that will keep you from having to do that without either of you getting in trouble for it."
The doctor stepped out of the cubicle. Mac turned to face him. "How is he?"
"I had no choice but to fill him in on what happened to his partner. I'd hope it would help settle him down but it just upset him in a different way. I had to give him another sedative but I'm still worried about his blood pressure. You can go back in if you promise not to get him riled up again."
Mac promised. Then the doctor continued. "I got a page that Detective Monroe's CT scans are back. I'm going to go take a look at them to see what treatment she needs. The nurses will know how to find me if you need me."
Before he could leave, Mac stopped him. "Thank you, Dr. Terry. Not just for taking care of my people but for caring about them as well."
The doctor smiled. "Taking care of patients is easier if you care about them first. I'll let you know when Detective Monroe wakes up."
As the doctor made his way down the corridor, Flack and Mac stepped back into the cubicle. Danny was no longer fighting the restraints but it was obvious he was still upset. As he noticed the two men come in, he turned toward them, his eyes red from unshed tears. "Mac, Stella said I…then that doc agreed with her. But I couldn't. I wouldn't. Tell me I didn't."
Danny was too upset to even get all of the words out but Mac knew what he was trying to say. The older man said a silent prayer that there really would be a good reason for what happened because he wasn't sure Danny was going to be able to forgive himself even if there was. Mac once again pulled the chair close to the stretcher that had been adjusted back to it's normal position. "Danny, Lindsay was attacked and yes all the witness accounts say that you were the one who hurt her. We don't know all the facts yet but I promise you I'm going to get to the bottom of it. I'm willing to trust there's a good explanation but you've got to trust that I'm going find it. Okay?"
Reluctantly Danny nodded. It almost scared Flack to see how deeply affected his friend was. He wasn't sure he'd seen him this upset after his brother had been beaten. He wished he could offer some sort of reassurance but everything he thought of seemed like empty platitudes. Mac continued.
"Danny, Stella found evidence of older bruises on Lindsay indicative of past abuse. Do you know anything about it?"
Danny shook his head, his eyes heavy from the combination of sedatives he'd been given. "I promise you, Mac; I never laid a hand on her. You gotta believe me."
Mac gave the younger man's arm a reassuring pat. "We'll talk about it later. Get some rest while you can. That doctor of yours isn't going to be happy with either of us if your blood pressure doesn't come down considerably."
"Gotta talk to Montana." Danny muttered drowsily. He was already half asleep. "She must hate me. Hate myself."
Then the restrained man was asleep. Flack frowned. "He's in rough shape isn't he?"
Mac nodded. "I'm not sure who's in worse shape; Danny or Lindsay. I've got to figure out a way to keep him from being arrested. If that happens, he'll probably lose his job."
Flack nodded. "If Lindsay holds what happened against him, I don't think he'll care about the job."
They sat there quietly after that, nothing more needing to be said. Mac wasn't sure how much time passed before a nurse stepped inside. "Detective Taylor, Dr. Terry sent me to get you. Detective Monroe is waking up."