Hey! I know that I haven't done anything with this story in months! Actually I haven't written a thing in months, life has been up, down and round the corners! However, someone added the story the other day, and I went back to it and this is the result. I don't know about it, I might have left it too long. However please read and review and I'll take it from there!
"Are you the team that's also with Detective Messer?'' A short nurse entered the room capturing Flack's attention, who had been staring into space along with the others. He could feel the pit of his stomach disappear; he knew that after what Stella had told them it didn't look good for Danny, and with Holly still unconscious he had no idea of knowing what was happening.
"Yes, is there any news?'' Mac asks for all of them, Flack could sense that they were all holding their breath, expecting the worst.
"Yes, the doctors wanted you to know, he's waking up.'' There was an exchange of looks around the room; the doctors had said earlier that Danny's chances had seriously dropped. Flack looked between Holly and Mac, torn between where to be, Danny was waking up, he needed to be there, but he needed to be here as well, right?
"Flack, go. We'll stay with Holly.'' Mac said, Flack let out a deep breath as he stood and ran from the room, dodging the others that remained seated. He knew the way to Danny's room, having been there too many times, taking the stairs two at a time he soon came level to the nurse's station on Danny's floor, not stopping to give his customary greetings.
I blink against the harsh light that's attacking by eyes. My head feels like its spinning, I try to rub my forehead with my hand but it's difficult to lift, feels like it's tied down. I give a massive tug and free it from the restraints, bringing it up to my face, its then that I notice that the tubes and monitors that are attached to it. I lay my head back against the pillows, as alarms start going off as I pull off the monitors, I need to get going.
"Hello there stranger.'' A red-headed nurse says as she enters the room. "Nice to see your pretty eyes.'' She continues as she presses some buttons around me. "You've just missed your parents, your mother said you'd do something like that.''
A strange noise comes out of my mouth, I know I tried to ask 'what?' but my throat feels so dry that I can't form the words. "You want a drink?'' She asks, filling a glass of water from the sink in the corner. "Gentle sips now.'' She pops a straw in and lets me take a couple of sips.
"Need to go.'' I say, trying to get out of bed.
"No you don't.'' She says in a firm tone, pushing me back into bed and pulling my covers over me. "You have to wait for the doctor, you've had a nasty accident, been out for a while.''
I lay back and wait for the doctor to come in and do an exam, several others coming in, prodding and poking me, asking me to do certain tasks. I can't tell if I'm passing these tests, but I think I'm doing everything as well as I could before. I just want out of here. There are too many thoughts swirling through my mind to concentrate on anything they're asking me.
It's then that I hear heavy footsteps approaching down the corridor, and Flack comes through my door, panting with the effort from running. Before I've fully registered that he's there, he's wrapped his arms around me, giving me one of the biggest hugs I can ever remember. "Good to see you too Flack.'' I say patting him on the back as he refuses to let go of me. "Flack, seriously.'' He continues with his bear like hug around me, I think the nurse is getting the wrong impression here by the look on her face.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again Messer you hear?'' His voice comes from over my shoulder, sounding slightly muffled. "We thought we'd lost you for a second there.'' He finally releases me, taking a seat on the side of my bed, he looks slightly terrible, his face looks pale and I swear his eyes look red, bit like he's been crying.
"Can't get rid of me that easily.'' I laugh; it feels so weird to have him sitting and talking to me face to face, no going through Holly for him to get my responses or having to write it down. I guess it's even weirder for him, whilst I've been seeing him since it happened, he's only ever seen me lying here, probably explaining the overreaction hug.
"That,'' he says punching me on the arm in usual Flack style as the nurse leaves the room, "is for scaring me. That'' another punch goes on my other arm, "is for scaring the others.''
"Flack!" Stella says as she enters the room, pushing him off the bed so that she too can hug me. "He's just woken up and you assault him.'' She ruffles my hair in her motherly way, inspecting my face. "We need to fatten you back up Messer, how you feeling?''
"Fine.'' I answer, it's not really how I feel, my world has just been turned upside down. "When can I get out?''
"Give them time Danny, you've haven't been awake for an hour and you want out.'' Stella laughs.
"Where're the others?''
"Our new CSI got into a bit of trouble on a scene, they're waiting with her.'' Stella says sincerely, gently rubbing Flack's arm in a comforting way, I guess that Holly still hasn't woken up.
"Where's Lindsay?'' I ask, slightly harsher than I wanted it to come out.
Stella is a bit taken back by my tone of voice, "I don't know Danny, I left a message for her, you want me to call her again?'' I nod, she gives a smile to Flack and leaves.
"So, come on.'' Flack asks, taking a seat in a chair next to me.
"Come on what?''
"What was it?'' he asks slightly excited, "the whole connection thing? Come on, we've mean looking for this for ages, what was it?''
"I…it's…'' the words stick in my throat, I don't even want to admit it. I don't my world to crash down around me, my mother doesn't even know, and who says that she was right? The thought of my father doing that, it sickens me. As much as I trust Flack, I can't even process what this could do to my world, I can't tell him.
My head hurts, really hurts, and my whole body aches. I can hear voices talking over me, arguing over something.
"What do you mean? Why wasn't there backup?'' That sounds so like James.
"We had back-up, there were just more in the gang than we had suspected.'' That's Mac.
"But she was the only one hurt right?'' Deacon. Oh god that means that both James and Deacon are here, and arguing with my boss, nice one boys.
"Unfortunately. It was no-one's fault I can assure you, when she tackled him they fell onto the ice.''
"But he pushed her through?'' James asks again, sounding angrier by the second, I think he's pacing. "It's his fault, he punched her too right? He gave her the black eye?''
"Yes, but…'' Mac confirms.
"How much? I want a minute alone with him, I don't care about the costs.'' James cuts him off.
"Detective Flack already made sure he got something back.'' Hawkes chimes in.
"Not quite the same…'' James starts again.
"Will you guys give it a rest?'' I ask groggily. Opening my eyes to the scene unfolding in front of me. Deacon and James are on my left with Mac and Hawkes remaining on my right. "Did we get him?'' I ask the detectives to my left.
"Spoken like a true cop.'' Hawkes smiles as he nods to my question.
"James, will you quit pacing?'' I ask later, the doctors have been in to give me a once over, and Mac and Hawkes have excused themselves to go and see Danny since I now have family round me.
"Holly, you shit scared us.'' He replies taking a seat in an unoccupied chair. "Once again you end up in hospital after attempting to do your job.''
"Attempting? Attempting?'' I spluttered. "I wasn't attempting anything, I was doing my job.''
"Yeah Holly, a job.'' He answers, "A job that you don't need, damn it why can't you just do something with less of a risk factor.''
"This is who I am.'' I shout back, "I am a cop, I love what I do. And you're not going to change my mind because every so often something happens and I have to go to hospital, it's life James, people get hurt.''
"This is just some stupid twisted coping mechanism,'' he comes back at me, "you can never get justice for them and you know it.''
"Don't bring them into it.''
"I think,'' Deacon says, calmer than James and I could ever be in this situation. "What James means is, that for the third time this year alone, we've had a call from the hospital to say you've been hurt.'' I open my mouth to argue, "Admittedly, this is the only time it's been this serious, this year, but we flew up when you got shot last year and that Holly was the worst feeling, you thought we'd lost you. We just wonder, if this is what you really want, or if you think you have to do this, because you really don't.'' He finishes. I know that they worry about me, but this is my choice, my life, my decisions, what happened today could have happened to anyone.
"I know that you worry,'' I start, taking a deep breath. "It's not my fault that this job comes with a safety risk, but I'm not going to give it up so you guys feel better. I want to do this.''
"So when will you give it up?'' James asks, "When your dead? Because that's the way its heading.''
"I'm not going to die…''
"Does everyone have to steal my limelight?'' Charlie asks, top of his voice as he swings the door open, so that he has all of the attention in the room. "I fly back, after 3 months away, and what do I get? Some driver telling me that she's in the hospital again, no-one came to the airport.'' He says, trying to look hurt. "Then when I arrive, you'd think someone would notice me, but no, everyone is shouting at each other.'' Everyone in the room is still gaping at his sudden arrival. "Can someone please say 'hi Charlie', I'm starting to feel unloved.''
There's a round of hugs and greetings to Charlie, as James and I continue to glare at each other from across the room. "So,'' Charlie says brightly, one hand adjusting his bleached spikes back into place where Deacon has ruffled his hair as he takes a seat on the end of my bed, "we're discussing Holly's imminent death.''
"I'm not going to die.'' I repeat.
"I've always wanted to go ice swimming, it looks like it's a blast.'' Charlie muses from the end of the bed, receiving a swift whack round the head from James.
"She almost died.'' He mutters, as Charlie begins to rub the spot where he was hit. "So quit with the wise cracks Charlie, we're being serious.''
"I didn't almost die, I was no where near being dead.''
"Holly, you gotta stop playing hero and face the facts. You did come pretty close to dying today, you owe your life to the fact that other people where there to drag you out of the water and save your ass.'' James starts again the same tone as before. "We're worried that one day, we're gonna get that call.'' They all nod in agreement, even Charlie, the god damn hypocrite. "It's like Charlie and his stupid bungee jumping from a helicopter trick.'' Charlie gives a wounded look to James. "Admit it Charlie, it was stupid.''
Charlie muttered something under his breath about it seeming like a good idea at the time. "You went ballistic with him; I've never seen you so angry in all my life. You even had the director of the shoot cowering in a corner.'' James continues, "and you don't understand how we feel, knowing that you put yourself in the same position everyday.''
I take another deep breath, I know where they are coming from, I totally understand it, they just don't understand where I'm coming from. "You know that I love you guys more than anything right?'' I can see mouths opening to tell me not to use that against them. "But,'' I continue before they can get a word in, "I love this job. Sometimes it sickens me to the depths of the soul, and I can't stand the world we live in, but I get to make a difference. I can take criminals and the psychos off the street and attempt to make the city safer, and I can't explain how it feels to know that this is what I need to do. My first case, was finding an abducted child.'' I meet James's eyes, knowing how much he loves his kids. "And I will never forget the gratitude that mother had for me when we returned her, and that's what makes it worthwhile, and I think of that every time I want to quit.''
"So you want to quit?''
"James please don't twist this, seriously. You can accept this or not, but either way I'm going to do it.'' I end. There is a serious silence in the room, which I take as we don't accept it but we'll let the topic go.
"Anyone want to see holiday snaps?''
"Hey there,'' Flack said as he entered, the doctor had just finished doing an exam making sure that I was ok to go home. The others had left to grab something to eat, since Charlie hadn't eaten on the plane and was complaining that he could feel his ribs through his shirt. "I saw these and thought of you.'' He added, placing a bouquet of sunflowers on the side table, leaning over a kissing me deeply.
"What was that for?'' I asked with a smile, as he took a seat on my bed, that kiss had just lifted hairs on the back of my neck. "Anyone would think that I almost died or something.'' A hurt look spread across his face. "hey,'' I reached out and cupped the side of his face. "I'm not going anywhere, okay, slip of the tongue.'' I smiled again, damn that kiss was good. "How's Danny?''
"He's awake.''' Flack smiled, the first genuine smile I've seen him with for a while. "They think he's going to be okay, I mean it's Danny if he was ever normal I'd worry.'' He flustered, usually I love it when he flusters himself, it's very cute compared to his sarcastic or serious side, but this isn't his usual flustered tone.
"Is everything alright?'' I ask, throwing my makeup bag back into my bag. Stella is officially a god send, she thinks of everything, none the guys had any sense to bring me anything to get changed into. Note to self though, how does Stella know the combination to my lock? Flack nods, although it doesn't look very convincing. "Flack?''
"It's just, I dunno it's been a long day.'' He explains, he looks extremely tried; his eyes look red and drained.
"You're a crappy lair you know that?'' I take a seat next to him, letting my fingers run lazily through his hair, dropping it to the back of his neck. "Tell me.'' Flack didn't respond, instead letting his head drop forward so his forehead rested against mine, closing his eyes in the process. We stay like this for a couple of minutes, feeling the warmth from his breathe on my face. "It's going to be okay you know?'' Once again his lips were on mine, hungry and pressing into me.
"Holly, you gotta something your face.'' Deacon's voice ripped any thoughts I was having from my mind. Quickly Flack and I pulled back, seeing that my three brothers were stood in the doorway. "Check it out, it's a guy.''
"Guys, this is Don Flack, Flack this is Charlie, James and Deacon.'' I introduce them, Flack looking nervously between them, probably not how he imagined meeting his hero, and my brothers.
"So you're Flack.'' Charlie smiles, that cheeky smile which you know is just going to lead to trouble, as Flack shakes his hand. "I keep imagining you in bondage.'' There was a round of very confused looks from everyone. "That sounded better in my head.'' He said brightly, the guy never gets embarrassed, it's slightly amazing.
There was an awkward silence as no-one said anything. "So, we're gonna get going.'' I said, gabbing my bag off the bed and standing up.
"So you're the famous Flack,'' James starts, pushing me back so that I end up sitting on the bed again.
"He's not famous.''
"Well he is in our family.'' Charlie smiled, bemused look on his face. "Like I say bondage.''
"Will you shut up about that, he is not into bondage.''
"Let the man speak for himself.'' Deacon laughed; oh Flack is just going to have a coronary.
"No, you guys will lay off.'' I said standing back up. "It's been a long day, and you are not starting on him about some stupid comment I made to shut him up.'' Pointing at a grinning Charlie.
"Holly I can speak you know.'' Flack starts giving me a look that its okay and he can handle it, shrugging I sit back down, its his funeral. "What do you want to know?''
So what do we think? Good? Bad? God damn ugly? Suggestions welcome as always! x