Act Of Remembrance

Chapter 17

The next time Steve woke the doctor was standing beside his bed and he came to much quicker and while his head felt a bit muzzy he definitely felt more rested. This time it only took mere seconds to remember where he was and why and instantly realized that he was no longer in an ER cubicle but in a hospital room. As he allowed Steve to fully get his bearings the doctor spoke first.

"Well good morning! The sedative certainly seemed to do the trick. The nurse tells me you slept peacefully all night and your vitals are quite strong this morning. How are you feeling?"

" I feel ok. Just my side is very sore. That's all."

"Well it will be for a while yet. The bullet did some tissue damage which has to heal and the stitches will be tender for a few days too until they start to knit together. When you start moving around, walking and bending try to hold your injured side and it will stop the stitches from pulling and make life easier. I'm just waiting on your blood results. They should be back any minute so if they're ok I'll arrange for you to go home around twelve HOWEVER I need you to try to eat some breakfast first! Your blood pressure is still a little on the low side and I don't want you keeling over on me at this service later. So I need you to eat something then we'll see how you are walking around a bit before I sign your papers. Ok? Do you think you could manage to eat something?"

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks Doc."

"Don't thank me yet! Let's take a look at that wound."

The next few minutes went by as the doctor checked Steve's wound. Steve flinched slightly as the doctor probed the tender skin and bit back a groan as he prodded at the stitches. Then satisfied that it was clean and holding together nicely the doctor left to check for his blood results leaving the nurse to redress the wound. Then after deciding that he would try some porridge and juice for breakfast he asked if he could make two phone calls and was helped to sit up and given the phone. Glancing at the clock on the wall it was just coming up to ten o'clock.

First he rang his neighbour Anderson and asked if he would be able to bring him some clean clothes from his apartment and pick him up from the hospital around noon if he was given the all clear and bring him home. Andy was horrified to hear that Steve had been injured and Steve had to convince the young man that it was only a flesh wound! Steve had often given the young man a lift in the past and thankfully he was more than willing to help. Thanking him he then hung up and considered his next phone call carefully.

He knew Mike wouldn't agree with him leaving the hospital so soon and figured that he would insist on picking him up as he always did but attending Evelyn's memorial service was something he felt he had to do alone so steeling himself for a difficult conversation he carefully dialled Mike's home number and waited for a few seconds while it rang. After a good few rings a sleepy voice answered the phone.

"Hi Mike. It's Steve. No I'm fine. Everything's ok. I'm sorry for waking you but I just wanted to let you know that they're talking about letting me home around noon today."

Steve had to hold the receiver away from his ear for a few seconds as Mike boomed his disapproval down the line! After a minute rant about the dangers of letting someone out of hospital too soon Steve got back on the line and tried to appease the older man.

"Mike, will you calm down? I'M OK! No, you don't need to pick me up. Andy's gonna bring me in some clean clothes and give me a ride home. Well, I know you were going into the office today to clean up that desk of yours and Andy's free this morning so it makes more sense. Listen there's something I have to do this afternoon remember but I'll probably still call by later to your place like I said I would, ok? I don't know if I'll be much help gardening at the minute but I'll call by later anyway. Mike! I promise I'll take it easy. Yes! Stop worrying will you? Ok. I'll see you later. Bye."

Steve hung up and lay back against the pillows. He hated keeping stuff from Mike but he HAD to do this himself. That was how he always dealt with things and this time would be no different.

The nurse returned and replaced the phone on the bedside locker and over the next hour and a half Steve managed to eat most of his breakfast, get the all clear on his bloods, walk up and down the corridor outside his room four times slowly and carefully to satisfy the doctor as to his fitness and then as Andy arrived he had gotten dressed and sat talking to Andy as he waited for his release papers to be signed. As the two men chatted and passed the time of day a young hispanic girl came to the door of his room and stood hesitantly staring in at them.

"Can I help you?" Steve asked.

"Are you Steve Keller?"

"Yes. Come in" Steve replied quite sure that he had never seen the young lady before."I'm sorry. Have we met? "

The young lady nervously smiled.

"No, not exactly. I am Maria Sanchez. My grandmother was the lady who was with you in our building yesterday evening. When I got there you were already unconscious." the young woman explained.

"Oh, ok. Is your grandmother ok? I was afraid I had hurt her getting her out of the way of that bullet."

"Yes, she is fine. My grandmother is a strong woman. She said it would take more than that to finish her off. She was worried about you though. She asked me to come here and give you this gift for saving her life."

"Oh, no! I can't take a gift. Really. I'm the reason she was in danger in the first place." Steve flustered.

"Please you must take it. It is just something small. She wants you to have it. It would mean a lot to her if you accept it."

Steve took the small box from the young lady's hands, carefully untied the ribbon and opened it up. Inside the box was a small metal charm of a man's head. Steve picked up the small charm and looked at it closely while the young lady explained its significance.

"It is a Milagros. Where we come from in Mexico it is considered a good luck charm. You carry it with you at all times to ward off evil and for protection and good luck. The head represents the mind and spirit. My grandmother says it will help you to become strong again and to recover from your injury."

Steve looked closely at the small charm in his hands and was very touched by the lady's thoughtful gift.

"Please thank your grandmother for me and tell her I will keep it with me always. It was very thoughtful of her. In my line of work I need all the good luck and protection I can get. Thank you."

"You are welcome! Oh, I almost forgot. My grandmother asked if you would give this gift to your partner too. It is a rosary ring. She said that she sensed that your partner was a man of God and that he would appreciate it."

Taking the second box, again he thanked the young lady and having said their goodbyes she left. The doctor returned just before twelve with Steve's discharge papers but insisted on checking him over one last time before he let him leave. After issuing Steve with a ream of instructions about taking it easy and not overdoing things, how to take care of his wound and giving him a prescription for strong painkillers, Andy was allowed to take him home but as per hospital protocol and much to Steve's dismay he had to travel to the front door in a wheelchair.

Before they left the hospital Steve called in on Mrs Peterson to see how she was getting on. She was in good spirits and feeling much better and was delighted to inform Steve that she was being allowed home the next day. She was very concerned to see that he had been injured and it took a lot of convincing to assure her that he was ok. She told him that she and her granddaughter had settled their differences and then Andy filled her in as to how Teddy was doing. As Andy and Mrs Peterson discussed her cat Steve squirmed a little in the wheelchair as his side started to hurt. Sensing Steve's discomfort Andy suggested that they had better go and saying their goodbyes to Mrs Peterson, Andy wheeled Steve to the main doors and then walked him slowly to his car for the journey home.

On the way home, Andy helped Steve pick up his prescription, a few groceries and much to Andy's confusion Steve stopped at the florist and picked up a dozen yellow roses. Then they headed for Union Street. By the time they made it up to Steve's apartment Steve's side was hurting like hell and he could no longer hide the fact from his neighbour. Andy made him lie down on the couch and fetched him a glass of water with which to take his painkillers. With his pills taken Steve had no choice but to lie there and wait for the meds to kick in and take the edge off the agonizing pain that was throbbing mercilessly through his side. Andy insisted on putting away the few groceries for Steve and put the roses in some water. When Andy returned from the kitchen he saw that Steve had fallen asleep. The strong pain meds and the stress and the strains of the last few days had taken their toll on the young detective. Fetching a blanket from the bedroom Andy covered Steve and having made sure that Steve was comfortable he wrote him a note telling him that he just had to call him if he needed anything else. Then closing the front door gently so as not to disturb his sleeping friend he headed back up to his own apartment.

Meanwhile at De Haro street:

Mike had been in a deep sleep since he had practically fallen into his bed at three thirty am. It had been one hell of a day and Mike had to admit that he was feeling the worst for wear. He slept like a log until his phone started ringing just around ten am. Answering with his normal "Stone!" Mike was initially alarmed to hear Steve's voice. Steve had been quick to assure him that he was fine but when he heard that they were releasing him so soon he had lost his cool and unintentionally lectured Steve on the dangers of leaving hospital before he was ready. When Steve had told him to calm down he had realized that he probably wasn't the best person to lecture Steve on leaving hospital too soon as he had been guilty in the past of discharging himself on more than one occasion against doctor's orders. However it still worried him. He didn't think that it would have been the doctor's idea to discharge him so soon, so he concluded that Steve had requested an early release to facilitate whatever his plans had been for this afternoon. Mike had given up on trying to convince him to stay in the hospital so instead he had offered to pick him up thus being able to keep a close eye on him. But Steve had other arrangements already in place. By the time their conversation was over and Steve had hung up, Mike had a very uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. What in God's name were his mystery plans? And why all the mystery? And why was he intent on making sure that Mike was not involved ? He reckoned it was probably the detective in him but the more that Steve distanced himself from him the more he wanted to find out why. But going against his gut instinct he decided that if Steve wanted him to carry on as normal and leave him alone then that is what he would do. Perhaps if he respected Steve's wishes then Steve would open up to him later at his house. At least that is what he was hoping.

Mike got up at around eleven, showered, shaved and dressed and after a quick breakfast headed down to Bryant Street for around twelve. The office was quiet enough for a Saturday morning and pouring himself a cup of coffee he headed into his office to begin the arduous task of clearing his mountain of paperwork. He hadn't even stopped in the bullpen to pass the time of day with Lee and Bill which was very unusual for the older detective and both men exchanged a worried glance at the downhearted demeanour of their boss and colleague as he had merely greeted them glumly and headed for the coffee machine and then into his office closing the door behind him.

Lee decided to investigate further despite Bill's protests and knocking quietly on Mike's door and hearing a very deflated "Come in!" Lee entered the office and headed over to Mike's desk.

"Is everything ok Mike? You seem a little off form. I mean Steve is ok isn't he?"

"I wish I knew Lee ... I really do!" was Mike's strange reply.

Seeing Lee's puzzled and now very concerned face Mike quickly elaborated.

"Yes, physically he'll be ok. Just a flesh wound. He'll be sore for a while and he needs time to rest and heal but that's not what I'm worried about Lee."

"He's still acting strange huh? Have you asked him what's going on?"

"No ...Not particularly. I asked him what was bothering him but he brushed it off as tiredness. I was hoping that he would talk to me himself about it. You know. Voluntarily. He's got these mystery plans for this afternoon. He said it wasn't a date and that it wouldn't take long and for some strange reason he doesn't want me to know about it. But it's directly connected with whatever's going on with him."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just know. Call it intuition. Call it gut instinct. But I'm sure of it Lee. If I knew where he was going this afternoon, I'd know what was bugging him! But how in God's name am I going to find out that. Huh?"

Little did Mike know that the answer lay right at his feet!