Author's Notes: I promise this weekend I'm am going to work on getting an update up for both Gassed and Begin Anew. Both stories only have at most three chapters left; I shouldn't have neglected them so long. This one has just taken over everything. Although shame on me, while the kids were working on their own writing assignment today, I started yet another story that's been running through my mind. It's a Flack story. I had planned on having this chapter up last night but time caught up with me and put me to sleep. Shame on time. Hope you enjoy it.
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.
Attack
Chapter 10
"Either way, this is too sick for words. Who could hate either Danny or Lindsay enough to go to the trouble of dosing Danny with steroids and then hitting him with the Rage spray just to get him to attack Lindsay?" Adam looked a little green just thinking about it.
If Mac knew the answer to that, the case would be completely solved. "Don't get ahead of yourself just yet. Right now all we have is theory but no substantiated proof."
Adam nodded. "But still if we prove that the woman sprayed Danny with the PheromoRage then that clears him of the attack charges, right? I mean he wasn't capable of being in control of his actions at the time, so he can't be held accountable."
Mac's expression was grim. "Yeah, it would clear him of the attack but not of the steroid use. Currently there's nothing connecting this woman to the steroid use. Sinclair could still have Danny's badge for the drug use unless we can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he did not intentionally take those pills. You sure there was no clearer picture of the woman in the diner?"
"Looks like she must have known the cameras were there cause she averted or covered her face every time she was caught on camera. Sorry, Boss."
Waving off the apology, Mac was already thinking ahead. "Find the clearest picture of her that you can and print a still from it. Get it to Flack. He interviewed a woman at the pharmacy earlier; if there's any chance that they are one in the same I want him to bring her in for questioning."
"You got it, Boss. Anything else?" Adam used the computer to pull up the image Mac requested. He'd watched the video enough by now to know exactly where on the tape to find the kind of picture Mac wanted. He printed it out.
"Go to my apartment and check on Lindsay. I promised her I was going to check in with her during the day and so far I've only been able to spare Flack. Stella had court most of today and with us down two CSIs, Sheldon's been pulling double duty working the other cases that have come our way. I'm sure she's okay but Lindsay has a tendency of being a little stubborn; I want to make sure she's not trying to do too much."
Adam nodded although the idea of going to see Lindsay made him nervous. After watching the video, he wasn't sure what he should say to the young woman he considered a good friend. They were the newcomers to the lab and as a result, they had bonded over a shared misery that comes from being the newbie. "Yeah, I can do that. Although, the idea of you calling Lindsay stubborn is a little funny. I doubt you'd be following doctor's orders if your situations were reversed." Seeing the almost glare that Mac gave him despite the truth in his words, Adam gave a nervous laugh. "So, you just that worried about Lindsay or are you trying to get rid of me?"
Mac nodded. "Actually, I am. I've got to watch the whole video and I don't want to have to subject you to it again. I appreciate you trying to warn me off of it and I really wish I could heed that warning but I can't. If I'm going to prove that Danny was hit with that spray, I have to see his face. I'll need something to compare it to later."
Adam wanted to protest once again that there was nothing to be gained by watching it but he knew Mac had a point. Then curiosity got the better of him. "What are you going to compare it to? I mean, it's not like you are going to spray him again so you have another frame of reference, right?" Then his stomach turned as he realized that was exactly what Mac was planning to do. "No, seriously? Are you sure that's a good idea? I didn't think we'd actually use that sample when I got it, but even still my buddy gave his usual spiel about the possible side effects. One is that it can cause an unsafe rise in blood pressure. Didn't Hawkes tell me that was one of the concerns they had about Danny yesterday?"
Mac nodded. He'd contributed Danny's dangerously high blood pressure in the Emergency room to how upset he'd been about what had happened but now he wondered if it was a by product of the spray. "I appreciate your concern but I promise you, I'm going to get the answers we need as safely as possible. I don't plan on putting anyone, least of all Danny, in any further danger."
Even still, Adam shifted nervously as if he wasn't sure he should leave or not. Mac sighed, knowing this case was hitting everyone hard. He wanted to push Adam to explain what else was bothering him but knew it would do no more good to do that than it would have been to push Lindsay the night before to tell more about the attack. No, he couldn't push but he could remind the younger man that he was there if he wanted to talk. "Adam? Something else bothering you?"
The lab tech shook his head and started toward the door. He paused in the entryway and looked back. "Need me to rewind the video for you?"
Mac shook his head. "I know I'm not in the lab as much as when I first started out in this job but I do still know my way about the equipment. In case I forgot to mention it earlier, good job on catching the woman spraying Danny. If this pans out and he escapes going to jail, it'll be because of you. I'm going to make sure he knows it, too."
Adam flushed slightly. "Thanks but it's not necessary. I don't deserve it."
With that Mac waved him back into the lab and motioned for him to sit. Adam almost looked miserable as he slumped into another chair. Mac fixed his gaze on the younger man. "Care to explain that? By your own admission that tape isn't going to win any Oscars for a good show but yet you kept on watching it over and over again until you were able to piece together the evidence we need to help Danny. Why wouldn't you deserve the praise?"
Instead of answering, Adam swiveled back and forth in the chair until Mac reached out and stopped the motion. Still, Adam wouldn't look at him. "Because I was ready to believe the worst about him. The first time I saw the video, I mean. I saw Danny lay into Lindsay like that and I saw my -" He paused.
Mac watched him carefully. He'd long suspected Adam's usual nervousness especially around those in authority stemmed from some deep seated issues from before he came to the lab but never felt it right to press the issue. "Saw your what?"
Adam shook his head. "Saw my worst nightmare of what humanity could be. Sorry, Boss, didn't mean to unload on you. I'll let you get back to work. I'll get that picture to Flack and then go check on Lindsay."
Mac nodded absently and waited until Adam was once more at the door before calling the young man by name. Adam turned to face him and Mac offered him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Don't blame yourself too severely for thinking the worst. As much as we all like and care about Danny; I think we've all thought the worst at least momentarily in the last twenty four hours. The important thing is even if you were ready to believe the worst, you still kept looking for something better to believe in."
Adam smiled wanly. "Thanks Boss."
"No problem. And Adam, when you go see Lindsay, don't tell her about the spray. She's one of the victims here even if she is a co-worker."
"So we're considering Danny a victim too?" There was almost a hopeful note in Adam's tone. Mac looked at the spray bottle sitting on the table.
"Thanks to you, yeah, I think we are."
- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -
Knock. Knock.
Lindsay looked up from the military magazine she'd been thumbing through. It wasn't exactly the reading material she would have preferred but it beat slowly going out of her mind with boredom. The painkillers still had her brain a little too fuzzy for her to feel up to following the intricate plot of one of the novels Mac had in the apartment. Mac didn't have cable - probably because he was never home long enough for it to be worth having it installed, and daytime programming on regular stations left little to be desired. So she was making due with the magazine and almost praying that someone from the lab would show up to check on her just to break up the monotony of the day. So far, she'd only had one brief visit from Flack but it appeared she was about to get her wish for a visitor.
"Who is it?" She called out, her left hand automatically bracing the pillow against her sore ribs.
"Adam."
"Come on in. The door's not locked." Lindsay offered.
The door opened and the lab tech stepped inside, trying not to be too obvious about the bag he was carrying. As he closed the door behind him, he looked from the door to the young woman stretched out on the couch. With an almost accusatory look, he made a point of locking the door. "Are you seriously joking me or something? I know you're like me and not a native New Yorker but you've been here long enough to know that it's not exactly the best idea to leave your apartment door unlocked. What were you thinking? I could have been anyone."
Had she been able to do so with any hint of finesse, she would have rolled her eyes at him. "What? I made you identify yourself before I told you it was unlocked. I doubt someone with bad intentions would have even bothered to knock. Besides, I promised Mac I wouldn't do anything strenuous and I'm pretty sure that getting up and down to answer the door would qualify. At least that's what my ribs have said every time I've had to get up for something this morning."
Adam shook his head. "Mac said Flack was by earlier. Did you have the door unlocked then? I somehow don't see him liking it any more than I did. And I'm pretty sure he'd give you more of a hard time about it."
She shook her head. "I waited until after he left to decide it was a good plan. Come on in and sit down. Fill me in on what I've been missing."
Adam sat down in the arm chair next to the couch. He'd seen the attack on the video several time before he'd finally covered the screen but even that hadn't prepared him for the bruises that stood out so starkly on Lindsay's otherwise pale face. He couldn't help but reminded of the number of times he'd come home from school to find similar bruises marring his mother's own features. The comparison cut him straight to the quick. "I..I… can't give you any information about what we've discovered about your case. Mac was pretty insistent."
He looked so apologetic that Lindsay felt bad for him. "It's okay, Adam. I understand. I'm just going a little stir crazy being trapped here with pretty much noting to do. I'm so bored that I wouldn't complain about the most tedious evidence to have to analyze."
With a sympathetic smile, Adam handed over the bag he'd been carrying when he entered. "Lucky for you then that I didn't come empty handed. I had a feeling that Mac's apartment might be a little lacking in the entertainment department so I picked up a couple of items that I thought might help."
Lindsay opened the bag, her expression like a kid at Christmas. First she pulled out a couple of movie magazines, ones that she'd once confessed to Adam were a guilty pleasure. She was amazed and touched that he'd remembered. The other item in the bag was a small handheld electronic game of Yatzee.
"I remembered you once saying you used to play all the time with your brothers. I know with a hand in a brace, especially your dominant hand, it can be hard to do practically anything but I saw that and thought you should be able to handle it one handed."
A stray tear of gratitude slipped down her cheek and she crooked her finger at him to get him to lean closer. She kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Adam. This means a lot to me."
Adam cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the affectionate enthusiasm. "Yeah, well, I know what it's like to be temporarily sidelined. Do you need anything else while I'm here? Have you had lunch? How are you feeling?"
"Flack brought me a sandwich from the corner deli when he came by. It was way too early for lunch then but it was something he knew would keep until I was ready to eat. As for how I'm feeling, like an eighteen wheeler ran over me and then backed up to do it again a few more times. Which I guess is an improvement to yesterday when it hurt too much to even make a comparison."
She was trying to make light of the situation but Adam could see the pain still in her eyes. It was a pain Adam knew all to well and he wished there was some way he could take it from her. He was sure the knowledge that Danny probably hadn't been responsible for his actions would help but he'd given his word to Mac that he wouldn't say anything. Still, he had to offer something besides inexpensive tokens of entertainment. "You know we're all here for you, right?"
It was a simple but heartfelt question and it almost reduced her to a complete mess of tears. She did know they were there for her. The part of her that had been embarrassed by what she felt was a weakness on her part had expressed a little bit of annoyance at some of the concern she'd seen the day before but at the same time it was the affirmation she needed to know that the move to New York had been the right one. Outside of Micah, that kind of love and concern from her colleagues had been lacking in Bozeman. Although she couldn't deny that coming to New York had been a great career move, she'd also been seeking more than just a change of scenery. Without realizing it, she'd also been looking for a job that felt more like a family than just work. She'd found that here in spades. Unable to speak past the lump that had formed in her throat, Lindsay could only nod in affirmation to his question.
- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -
"Thanks Dr. Peterson, I'll be there by seven.." Mac hung up the phone just as Stella came in. It was the first he'd seen her today as she'd been in court but she looked far from happy.
"Mac, you aren't going to believe what the DA just told me."
Mac shook his head, indicating he had no idea. Stella practically threw herself onto the couch in frustration. "He said his office has already gotten five requests for appeals based on the charge that evidence could have been mishandled due to a lab employee testing positive for drug use. How did that information get out?"
Mac didn't like the information any more than Stella did but he really wasn't surprised. "Probably the same way Sinclair found out." He explained about someone using Lindsay's cell phone to put in an anonymous call the night before. "Someone's going to a lot of trouble to make trouble. But in their exuberance, they will make a mistake and we will catch them."
Stella couldn't believe Mac was so calm about it. "But Mac, criminals can go free…"
"It won't happen. Let them request appeals, doesn't mean it's going to happen. Especially once we prove that Danny was innocent."
Stella frowned. "You sound a lot more confident about that than you did last night after talking to Danny. What's changed?"
He explained to her about Adam's find on the video and the spray he'd picked up. "Right now there's no proof that the spray and the steroids are linked but the more I think about the more convinced I am. The woman in the restuarnt took Lindsay's phone. The same phone that was used last night to place an anonymous call to Sinclair telling him that Danny had been taking steroids. How would she know that unless the two were connected?"
Stella considered this and nodded. "Does sound plausible. But how are you going to prove any of this? You are the one who always says we can't just go with our gut, we have to go with the evidence."
"I don't know yet about the steroids. Maybe once we find the woman responsible for spraying Danny, we can get answers to that as well. As far as proving the spray is what altered Danny's personality, I have a plan. I've talked to Dr. Peterson and he's agreed to help me with an experiment tonight. We'll expose Danny to a smaller concentration of the PheromoRage and see if his reactions matches what happened in the diner yesterday. If it does, it'll be the proof we need that he wasn't responsible for his actions when he hurt Lindsay."
"I'm not that happy with Danny right now but is this safe? I don't want him hurt especially if he wasn't responsible."
"That's where Dr. Peterson comes in. He's read studies of this spray and he believes that if he administers a strong sedative as soon as we get the information we need, it'll counter the effects of the spray. Danny won't hurt anyone and it'll prevent his blood pressure from getting too high."
Stella nodded. She wasn't crazy about the idea but trusted Mac's judgment. "Sounds like your evening is going to be pretty busy. Want me to keep Lindsay company tonight?"
"No need." Mac assured her and then braced for the next explosion. "I'm leaving here in a few minutes to head home. I'm taking Lindsay with me to the hospital. She's the one who's going to tell us if Danny's reaction is the same tonight as it was yesterday."
"Mac, you can't do that!" She didn't disappoint him with her reaction. "Lindsay's been through hell. The last thing she needs is to be subjected to a beastlike Danny so soon after yesterday's attack. Yeah, she's tough but that's asking too much of anyone. She's only going to be hurt all over again."
"I'd never let that happen." Mac argued. "Lindsay will be safe. Dr. Peterson and I will be right there and even if something goes wrong before the sedative takes effect, we won't allow Danny to hurt her again."
"Maybe not physically." Stella argued back, hoping to get Mac to change his mind. "But what about mentally? She cares about Danny; hell, I think she could even love him given half a chance. I know what it's like to have someone you thought you trusted and love turn into a monster right before your very eyes. You can't imagine what it does to you; how it shatters your trust in not only that person but in yourself as well. It's the worst kind of hell imaginable. But now you are going to ask her to put herself in the same situation barely twenty four hours later? That's cruel and inhumane. And don't bother to feed me some crap about Lindsay being able to say no if she doesn't think she can handle it. We both know she'd never admit it to us or herself. Not if she thinks it'll help Danny. God, Mac."
Rising from his chair, Mac turn to look out the window at the skyline that usually brought him comfort. Today, there was none to be found. He didn't need Stella to tell him why it was a bad idea; he'd thought of all the same reasons himself. But even knowing it was a bad idea; it was still the only option he had. "I watched the video this afternoon. Watched it from every angle possible trying to see Danny's face at the moment he came into contact with the spray. It's just not there. Lindsay is the only one who say him at the moment his personality changed. I don't want to put her through this any more than you want me to. What choice do I have?"
He didn't add that he couldn't risk telling Lindsay beforehand what he was planning to do. Couldn't risk tainting her reaction with a forewarning. He knew he was literally throwing her to the wolves and he hated himself for it. He knew given the choice Lindsay would agree to help but it didn't make him feel any better.
Stella swore softly and Mac silently echoed the sentiment. "This really sucks."
"I can't argue with you on that one."
- CSI: NY - CSI: NY - CSI: NY -
Less than thirty minutes later, Mac let himself into his apartment. He was surprised by the pleasing aromas coming from inside and to see the table was set with a feast fit for a king. Lindsay was at the fridge filling two glasses with soda. She looked back at him. "I called the lab to see when you would be coming home and Stella told me you'd already left so I figured it was safe to put things on the table."
Mac frowned. "What happened to doing nothing more strenuous than pushing buttons on the remote?"
"Relax, I didn't cook all this. Your neighbor from down the hall, a really sweet elderly woman brought all of this down. She said she saw you carrying me in yesterday and wanted to do something to help. So she made us dinner. I'm glad she did; I wanted to have something special ready for you when you got home as a thank you for letting me stay here but my idea would have been to call your favorite Chinese take out place and have something delivered. Good meal with no more effort than pushing a few buttons on the phone."
Happier about her explanation, Mac joined her at the table. He had to admit that Mrs. Johnson was a fantastic cook. He shouldn't have been surprised that the elderly woman had insisted on doing something to help. After fixing his plate full of pot roast with potatoes and carrots, he looked at Lindsay. "How would you know which Chinese restaurant to call?"
"I'm not a detective for nothing," Lindsay argued. "You have a well-worn take out menu for Kao Pang Wong on your refrigerator. It's not the closest place to your apartment so it must be there for a reason."
Mac had to admit he was impressed. Peyton had been in his apartment many more times than Lindsay had but she still insisted on calling the place down the street whenever she ordered Chinese for them. Of course there was a difference between a medical examiner and a police detective.
"Mac," Lindsay interjected, her eyes not meeting his. "I really do appreciate you letting me stay here but maybe it would be better if I went back to my apartment after supper. I don't think the painkillers are going to zonk me that much that it wouldn't be safe."
Mac placed his fork beside his plate. "Is there a reason you suddenly don't want to stay here?"
"I don't want to inconvenience you." Before Mac could protest, she continued. "Mrs. Johnson mentioned you had a girlfriend when she dropped off the phone. She went on and on about how happy she was that you were finally dating again and that you seemed pretty happy with her." Lindsay hadn't been sure if Mrs. Johnson had been fishing for information or just subtly warning Lindsay that Mac was taken. Either way, it made her feel bad that she was forcing her boss to put his personal life on hold just because of her. "I won't say anything at work; I figure you don't want it public knowledge or we'd all already know about her"Mac reached over and gave Lindsay's uninjured hand a light squeeze. "Lindsay, you aren't inconveniencing me. My girlfriend," the word rolled almost awkwardly off his tongue feeling strange and awkward. "is out of town for several days. You staying here a couple more days won't be a problem. I promise you. I do appreciate you not saying anything. It's not that I'm keeping her a secret, it's just.." Mac paused, unsure how to explain.
"You don't have to explain Mac. I think I'm the one who said yesterday that what I do on my personal time was none of your business. The same is true for you. For the record though, I am happy for you. Stella and Danny have both told me several times how hard it was for you to lose Claire. While I know nobody can take her place, I'm glad you've found someone who can make you happy. You deserve to be happy."
Would she still feel that way after his own little reconstruction at the hospital? He really wished there was some other way around this. He took a deep breath and plunged into it. "I talked to Dr. Peterson earlier. He's approved a short visit if you feel up to making a quick trip to the hospital. If not, we can put it off til tomorrow."
Lindsay shook her head. "No, that would be great. How is Danny doing?"
"Dr. Peterson said it was a quiet day. Danny won't talk to him about anything that happened but I'm sure that doesn't surprise you any more than it did me. I should warn you; given what happened yesterday, there is no way either Dr. Peterson or I am comfortable leaving you alone with Danny. You don't have to like it but it is a stipulation for getting to see him."
Lindsay didn't protest even though Mac was right, she didn't like it. She felt transported back to her teenage days when her father had insisted on one of her brothers going with her on dates to chaperone. Still, she was worried enough about her friend that she would grudgingly accept whatever stipulations Mac wanted to put on her.
After they finished eating, Mac put away the leftovers, glad to see there was enough to give Lindsay something to eat the next day. Then they left the apartment together to head to the hospital. The ride was silent as each seemed lost in their own thoughts. At the hospital, Mac led the way to Danny's room. A Ziploc baggie that held a pheromone soaked gauze pad was sitting protectively in his suit pocket.
Dr. Peterson met them at the nurse's station. He greeted them warmly and opened the door to Danny's room. The young man looked up almost in surprise as they entered. He studied Lindsay carefully as she came into the room. Even though her bruises looked just as bad if not worse than the day before, she didn't seem as injured and that made him feel only marginally better.
"How are you feeling there, Montana?"
She smiled at him wanly. She didn't want to lie to him but didn't want to make him feel bad either. "Better than yesterday. How about you?"
"Better than yesterday." He parroted. Then he looked at Mac. "Tell me you have good news for me."
"Maybe." Mac answered cryptically. There was no need to put this off; it wasn't going to get any easier no matter how long he waited. "I need you to do something." He led Lindsay to the other side of the room, well out of reach of Danny. She gave him a funny look but didn't protest. The look he gave her offered no room for argument. "Stay put and whatever happens, you are not to step any closer. Do you understand me?"
Lindsay nodded. Mac turned his back to her and reached into his pocket for the baggie. Dr. Peterson was standing close, but not too close to Danny. Mac knew that he had a syringe full of a powerful sedative at the ready in his lab pocket. Mac passed the baggie to Danny. "Open that and take a quick whiff."
Danny did as he was instructed. The effect was almost immediate. Lindsay drew in a sharp breath as once again, he didn't resemble the man she'd grown to care about deeply. Instead, he was once more the stranger responsible for causing her so much pain just the day before. Danny lunged toward her and Mac, a murderous intent in his eye.
"Bitch. You can't get enough of it can you?"
Mac couldn't help but wonder why Danny had immediately fixated his rage on Lindsay when there were two other people in the room. He wondered if it had something to do with the way the pheromones interacted with the brain. As Danny lunged toward Lindsay though, Mac stepped between them, catching the younger man firmly by the arms. There was no way in hell that he was going to let Danny harm Lindsay again. Mac was surprised by the strength Danny seemed to possess and wondered how much of it was due to the steroids and how much was because of the pheromone spray. Regardless, Danny was steadily pushing Mac backward getting closer and closer to where Lindsay was standing. Dr. Peterson surged forward and quickly injected the contents of the syringe into Danny's neck. It took a few minutes before Danny's movements slowed and he slumped into Mac's arms. The two men returned Danny to his bed and then Mac turned to check on Lindsay.
The young woman had backed against the wall before slumping down to the ground. Her knees were drawn up close to her chest in what had to be a painful position and her head was buried against her legs, blocking her view. She was visibly shaking as she rocked back and forth from her place on the floor. Mac knelt beside her and quietly cupped her shoulder. "Lindsay? Sweetheart?"
She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. The only color left in her face was from the bruises. He felt bad about what he had been forced to do to her even if there had been no other choice. "What did you do to him? What was in that bag? It was just like yesterday. Once second he's Danny and the next some sort of monster. You did that to him. Why?"
Mac hugged her gently to him but she remained rigid in his arms. "I'm sorry, Lindsay. I had to know if it was the same. I couldn't warn you beforehand. It's okay; you're safe."
Suddenly she shoved him away, surprisingly strong given her injuries. "Damn you, Mac. Warn me beforehand? What about warning him? He trusted you. He took that bag and followed your orders because he trusted you. And for what? So you could turn him into an unrecognizable monster? How could you? Damn you to hell and back, Mac."
From his position on the floor where he'd landed when she pushed him, Mac could only watch as Lindsay struggled painfully to her feet and ran from the room. He lowered his head in defeat. He'd proved the cause of Danny's attack but at what cost?