Sorry, this has been a long time in coming, life has been getting in the way! Thanks for everyone who's been reviewing! I've finally decided how Danny got into this mess, and what the connection is between him and Holly...so next chapter should be up soon!
After being officially in my new job for two weeks, I'm guessing I deserve a treat on my day off. Not like I've only had to adjust to moving back to New York, and then settle into a new job. No. I've also had to deal with my lovely 'ghost/spirit' Danny, I mean had he been 'alive' as in had a body that everyone else could see, we would probably get on really well. But when you're trying to process a crime scene and he's talking constantly, pointing out the obvious, you tend to get a bit annoyed, which no-one else can understand since they can't see or hear him. And then, to find out that the guy you like is gay, which I have nothing against but I'm disappointed in myself for not seeing it, Flack seemed like a genuine guy who was interested in me. Not many would consider this a treat of the week, but it feels like I've barely stopped since I started here, I've pulled so many shifts and now so much overtime, and then I've been trying to help said Danny figure out how to get back into his body. I knock on the door hard; I can hear the music beating gently away from it, opening it to reveal a man wearing a tight white tee-shirt.
"Baby sister!'' My brother Deacon shouts, hugging me as a couple of kids scream in delight and race over to me hugging my legs, shouts of "auntie Holly'' filling the air.
"Yeah, yeah get off me brats or else I'm gonna get you with my dead body hands.'' I laugh as the kids scream at the threat and take off running across to the garden.
"Holly, such a charmer, is it any wonder they love you?'' Deacon smiles, arm draped over my shoulder as we wonder through to the garden on the other side of the room.
"They see me a couple of times a year, it'll soon wear off when I'm here all the time.'' I mutter, placing a six-pack on the table, ruffling my nephew Jack's hair as he runs past. "Where's your Dad kiddo?'' I ask.
"Dunno,'' he says, disappearing round to kids play area.
"So how you been baby sister?'' Deacon asks, taking the cap of a beer and handing it over to me.
"You don't wanna know Deac,'' I answer letting the beer slip down my throat.
"You look tried.'' He says studying my face, I hate it when he does that, he can read me like a book. "Come on Holly, something's up.''
"How's training going?'' I ask, changing the subject not meeting his eyes, instead surveying the skyline across the city from the garden.
"Fine, practising some new moves. Spill Holly, and don't give me any crap bout it being shift work.'' He carries on, this is where I begin to hate him, and we both know that he'll push me till I break.
"You believe in heaven right?'' I ask, watching as his face changes to a look of confusion.
"You're not going on a religion trip now are you?'' He smiles, drinking deeply from a soda can.
"No, it's just…I dunno…like ghosts and stuff?'' I ask, taking another sip of beer trying to make it look casual.
"You finally make an appearance,'' Jack's dad James answers wrapping his arms around me, "only took you two weeks.'' He presses a kiss into my curly hair, "you've not got a ghost now have you?'' He asks, taking a beer from Deacon.
"I think so…'' I answer quietly, scuffing my trainers against the flooring, watching as they fall about laughing.
"You think you have a ghost?'' James manages to get out between bouts of laughter, I shrug my shoulders. Technically Danny isn't a ghost, because he isn't dead, but he certainly isn't alive in a certain sense. I'm glad he's not here today, I don't need him hanging trying to get me to explain my family whilst I'm trying to talk to them. So instead he's hanging round the hospital, trying to see if he can read an update on his status, and see if there's anything we can use in his medical files.
"Not a ghost, but like a spirit…'' I tail off again as they both collapse again with laughter. "I'm not talking to you when you're like this.'' I say sternly, as they both compose themselves.
"Holly, this is you. Deacon nods in agreement as James carries on. "Then you start on about having a spirit, you can't expect us to take this seriously?'' His attention is distracted as a child screams from the children's play area, "I'll be right back.'' He says, placing his beer on the table and heading straight round there.
"Sis, you being straight?'' Deacon asks, I can hear the seriousness in his voice.
"I dunno Deac, I wanna say no. I wanna say it's a pathetic joke, that I'm making it up, but I'm not.'' I answer, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "You think I'm crazy?''
"I think you're you.'' He says quietly, "I think that you'll find some way to explain it, or you'll find the answer you're looking for. Holly, I know that you felt a bit lost with everything that's been happening recently, but honestly you know we're always here, no matter what.'' He wraps his arms around me. "You know James hates stuff like this, now Charlie,'' he laughs, "Charlie would be straight round there, Ouija board and everything.''
"Pity he's somewhere, doing something.'' I say rolling my eyes, Charlie, another brother, adrenaline junkie of the highest degree, thinks throwing himself off a mountain or walking over scorpions is a 'thrill', then writes about gets paid by some extreme sport magazine, which just pushes him even further.
"Last time I heard, he was trying to do snake charming in India.'' Deacon laughed, typical Charlie, not happy unless he was doing something dangerous. "Let's just see how you're spirit goes, why don't you move in with me for a bit huh? You might just need some sleep, take a break from dead bodies.''
"Thanks Deac, but I think that ignoring it just going to make it worse, I've only been at my new job for two weeks I doubt if they're gonna be happy if I start taking time out.'' I'm interrupted by kids running past me, I swear there's only three of them but when they move at pace it's like there's twenty of them.
"Well at least let me take you to dinner next week?'' He asks puppy dog eyes and pouting lips that I can never say no too, I nod in agreement as James returns having solved the problem with the kids, we leave the topic of ghosts, instead catching up on each others lives.
"I'm bored,'' I say playing with the focus on the side on one of the many microscopes in the lab. Holly as been on shift for hours, and as much as I love being here when I'm working, but when no-one can see you and there's nothing much you can do without people being freaked out by moving objects, it's a boring and frustrating place.
"Will you shut up?'' Holly hisses at me, Adam and Stella are on the other side of the lab so she can't talk to me, another reason why I'm so bored. She's still writing some report for Mac, and apparently I have to entertain myself now and for the rest of the evening. It's so not fair, I mean I know she's meant to have a life, but she's also meant to be helping me, and so far we've gotten nowhere. I just don't know what else we could try, and I know Holly feels the same, but at least she's still acknowledged by the world.
"So what you doing tonight?'' I ask her, she rolls her eyes and continues to write. "Why can't you stay in?'' She checks her watch as she continues to ignore me, then starts to write even more quickly. "What I'm I meant to do?'' I watch as she signs off the form and collects her stuff up. "Fine, I'll just stay here.'' I say huffily, folding my arms leaning against the table.
"Hey, Matthews'' I hear Flack call as he enters the lab, giving an acknowledging wave to Adam and Stella but making his way over to Holly. "Rumour has it, it's your night off.''
"Rumours are true.'' She smiles, slipping some pages into a folder.
"I was wondering if maybe you were free for dinner?'' He asks, yeah well she's blown me off so you're definitely not getting anything
She gives him an odd look, I know what's running through her mind, it sounds like he's asking for a date, which I think he is. "I've got plans.'' She answers, looking up at the corridor. "Sorry Flack, I've got to go.'' She practically races out to the corridor throwing her arms around a tall black guy.
"Flack what's up?'' Stella asks, she's by his side as he surveys the scene.
"Do you know who that is?'' He asks, sounding slightly distance.
"That's Holly, our new girl,'' Stella replies somewhat sarcastically. "The guy I've no idea.'' She adds sincerely.
"That's Deacon Matthews, plays for the Rangers.'' Flack looks like he's going from a state of awe to that of confusion. I turn and look more closely at the guy, oh my god it is! How had I not noticed that? That's Deacon Matthews! Flack practically worships the guy.
"Right…and?'' Stella is watching Deacon Matthews slips his arm around Holly's shoulders and they make their way down the locker room.
"Well he isn't her brother is he?'' Flack says quite angrily, "I mean he's…''
"Black, you can say the words you know Flack.'' Stella says, "what does it matter to you anyway?'' She asks hands on hips.
"It doesn't,'' He spits glancing at Stella and storming out of the lab, "I'm going to see Danny.'' He shouts back over his shoulder. I look back at a confused Adam and Stella, who are still staring at a disappearing Flack, and I take off after him, he obviously has something to tell me.
"Hey Danny,'' Flack says to my body, it's kinda weird to see my body just lying there as I stand by the side of the bed. Flack throws himself into a chair on the other side, running a hand over the side of his face. "You know how I told you bout the new girl Holly?'' He asks, my body lies still, I don't know what he's expecting. "Damn it Danny, you'd be so disappointed in me…'' he takes a deep breath. "Deacon Matthews, I actually saw Deacon Matthews in the lab today you know, and he's with the new girl… my new girl.'' He adds in a bitter after thought. "Danny I think I like this girl, and she's obviously with Deacon Matthews, they must be married or something because trust me they look nothing alike.'' I begin to feel a bit sick, Flack really likes this girl I can see the hurt on his face. I know Holly isn't married, unless there's a major factor in her life I've missed which I doubt. "What do I do Danno?'' He asks so sincerely. "I know something hasn't been right for a week or so, she seemed to…I dunno, we were meant to go for coffee but…'' He shifts position in the chair resting his head back against it so he's staring at the ceiling. "You should have seen the look on her face when I asked her to dinner tonight, it's like it was the last thing she expected…I'm I that ugly?''
"Yes.'' I smile, I feel even worse now, the poor guy looks terrible.
Flack laughs to himself, "Don't answer that…but it's not like she said anything, I'm pretty sure that she doesn't wear a ring…'' He closes his eyes, breathing deeply. "She's real pretty Dan, got the sweetest smile, and the biggest blues I've ever seen, blonde hair, not like dumbo blonde hair either, bit like yours with the different shades and curls…I'm actually glad you're with Lindsay otherwise I'd think we'd be in competition mate…'' I smile at him, I know that Holly is pretty, but I got my Lindsay, my Montana, I miss her so much it actually hurts. "This is so screwed up Danny…I just want to let you know again that I'm sorry…it should have been me, I shouldn't have let you go first…''
"No Flack, stop…'' I beg, I can see he's getting himself more upset. "I know Flack, I know…''
"When I saw the car hit you, it was like the world stopped, like everything went into slow motion…I heard the crack as you hit your head against the concrete…I'll never get that sound out of my head… I knew it wasn't good…you shouldn't have chased him Dan…should have just left him to me.''
"Flack stop it.'' I can feel a lump in my throat rising. Either way one of us would have been hit. We were going to bring in a suspect; he leapt out of a window and I followed down the fire escape, Flack went back down the stairs. He ran down an alley and I heard a car revving up behind me, and then next thing I know I was standing over my lifeless body, Flack crouched beside me screaming at me to wake up.
"You gotta wake up Danny…this is killing Lindsay, its killing everyone…please Danny, I'm begging you, just give me something yeah?'' He picks up my hand in his. "Just squeeze it back Dan, come on I did it for Mac yeah? So you can for me?'' All I want in the world is to squeeze it, I try to put my hand inside my actual hand and squeezing Flack's, but he doesn't respond to anything. "Lazy sod.'' He smiles, placing my hand back.
"I'm sorry Detective, but visiting hours are over.'' A short nurse tells Flack from the doorway.
Flack nods in response as he stands up. "I gotta go Danny, don't go flirting with the nurses yeah? I'll look in on Lindsay for you, make sure she's right for when you decide to get your self out of this, stay outta trouble mate.'' He gives my body a sad smile and leaves me and body to the sounds of the whirling machines that are keeping me alive.