In The Wrong Place
Chapter 17
Steve could hear Jeannie speaking to him and heard the panic in her voice...He desperately wanted to answer her and reassure her that he was ok but he just couldn't get his mouth to form the words he needed...He reached out and grabbed her hand to reassure her instead but not understanding what he was trying to do just panicked her even more...She didn't know what to do...Deciding that on this occasion ,asking for help was the right thing to do, Jeannie ran to the phone and quickly dialled Mike's number hoping that he had got back to the office and wasn't interviewing his suspect yet... Jeannie breathed a sigh of relief when Mike answered...
"Stone, homicide..."
"Mike!...Mike it's Steve!...I got him inside and onto the couch but he doesn't look well...He's dizzy and he's not answering me Mike...I'm scared...What shouId I do?"
"Alright sweetheart... Calm down...It's alright...He had a dizzy spell earlier in the office...It's probably just another one after climbing all those steps...You need to get him lying down Jeannie...Raise his legs up on a cushion and get him to breathe nice and slowly sweetheart...Then just reassure him honey..It's a scary thing to go through . When he recovers a little bit you need to get him to drink a little water...I'll stay on the line...Go and take care of him Jeannie and then come back to me...Ok?"
"Alright Mike..."
Jeannie put down the receiver on the table and raced back to Steve...Grabbing his shoulders gently Jeannie put Steve lying down. She then picked up his legs and swung them carefully so as not to jolt his injured side up on the couch and placed a large cushion under his feet...His eyes were shut tight and his breathing was laboured...She then knelt beside the couch and took his hand in hers. Holding Steve's hand, she could feel him shaking and so like Mike had said she spoke soothingly to him...
"Steve...It's alright...You'll feel better in a minute...Just breathe nice and easy...I'm right here...Take it easy Steve..."
After a few moments with his feet raised, Steve felt the blackness start to retreat and he began to calm down...He heard Jeannie's soothing voice and felt her warm fingers entwined around his hand and he felt more at ease...It also felt good to be lying down again...God he was so tired that he could barely think straight ! He opened his eyes and looked to his left where Jeannie was kneeling beside him...He forced a smile and squeezed her hand.
"Are you ok Steve? Do you feel better?..." Jeannie asked studying his reaction closely...
"Yeah...I'm okay..." Steve replied still more shakily than he would have liked..
"I'm just going to get you a drink of water...Ok? Lie still now and don't move a muscle until I get back..." Jeannie instructed and letting go of Steve's hand she got up and raced back to the telephone...
Mike had waited patiently on the other end of the line...When he heard Jeannie's panicked voice it had given him quite a start ...He suddenly felt guilty leaving Jeannie to take care of Steve by herself especially in the weakened state that he was in...While waiting for Jeannie to come back on the line Mike prayed that he was right and that it was just another dizzy spell. If it wasn't ,Mike vowed to head straight home and leave the interview to someone else...It was times like this when family had to come first!...As he was waiting, Norm Haseejian knocked on his office door and entered...
"Mike...The captain just rang and said he wants to sit in on your interview with Graves...He's on his way down..."
"Ok Norm ...Thanks...I just have to take this call first...Stall him will you?"
"Sure..." and with that Norm headed back outside...
As Mike watched him leave, Jeannie's voice came back on the phone...Thankfully she seemed calmer this time...
"Mike...he's come around...I think he's ok. I'm just going to get him that drink of water now...Sorry for panicking Mike...We'll be ok now...Thanks for the help."
"Alright sweetheart...You did good honey... Listen, the last time he took a funny turn like that the wound on his back was bleeding again..Maybe you better check it...If it is, you need to get the first aid box from the bathroom and clean the wound and redress it...Do you think you can do that? "
"Yeah, Mike...I can do that...Don't worry...I'll handle it..."
"Ok, sweetheart...If you can't or if anything else happens just call me ?" Looking out of his office he saw Rudy Olsen arrive into the bullpen and continued..."Jeannie, I have to go now but I'll be home as quick as I can...I promise...You sure you two will be ok until I get there?"
"Yes...We'll be fine...See you later..Bye!"
Mike hung up the phone feeling torn between his duty and the two people he cared about most in the world but finally feeling confident that Jeannie would manage he headed out to Rudy. Passing Haseejian Mike spoke to the seated detective...
"Keep your ear open for my phone ringing...If it's Jeannie get me ? Don't worry about interrupting the interview Got it?.."
"Sure Mike...You expecting a call?"
"I hope not..."Mike said noting Norm's confused expression and then speaking with Rudy for a few moments they entered the interrogation room to question Frank Graves...
Meanwhile back at De Haro Street, Jeannie had hung up the phone and had gotten Steve a glass of water..As she returned to him she noted that he looked a bit better but still seemed to be in some discomfort...
"Here, take a few sips of this for me..." she instructed and kneeling down and lifting his head slightly she held the glass to his lips while he took a few mouthfuls.
"Thanks...Sorry for worrying you..." Steve said looking embarrassed again...
"It's alright...Just don't make a habit of it ! Ok?"
"Ok..." Steve said smiling but his smile didn't last long as he had a really annoying pain in his back ...
Noticing Steve's discomfort, Jeannie remembered what Mike said...
"Steve...Mike said that when you had a dizzy spell earlier, the wound in your back was bleeding...I think we had better check it now just in case...Is your back sore?"
"Yeah...it's sore..." Steve admitted and the fact that he admitted it worried Jeannie even more...
Luckily, when Jeannie had put Steve lying down , his left side was now closest to her so it would be easy to check without disturbing him too much...
"Steve, can you roll over for me so I can check your back please?"
Steve dutifully rolled over slightly until he was now facing the back of the couch..With almost trembling hands Jeannie pulled up Steve's jacket and gasped when she saw that there was a circle of blood on the back of his shirt that had obviously soaked through from the dressing underneath... Jeannie would never consider herself squeamish but minor first aid and cuts and scratches were all she ever had to deal with in the past...Despite the fact that her father was a police officer and he had taken a bullet a couple of times...Jeannie had never had to dress them or indeed look at them before. Never having seen the damage a bullet could do up close, she was anxious about what it would look like...
Hearing her gasp, Steve realized that his back was indeed bleeding and feeling her hesitation, Steve glanced over his shoulder at Jeannie...
"It's ok Jeannie, you don't have to clean it...Just put a new dressing over it until Mike gets home...It will be fine..."
Determined to be brave for Steve, and annoyed with herself for being so squeamish, Jeannie took a deep breath and placing her hand gently on Steve's shoulder she said with renewed courage...
"No, Steve...This needs attention right away and it's nothing I can't handle. I'm just going to get the first aid box from the bathroom...I'll be right back..."
Hurrying off to the bathroom and retrieving the first aid box , Jeannie glanced briefly in the mirror..."Pull yourself together Jeannie Stone...Steve needs you!...You can do this and you will!" And with that she hurried back to Steve...
Opening the first aid box and taking out all the things she would need, Jeannie knelt down and taking a deep breath, Jeannie pulled up Steve's bloodstained shirt. Very carefully,she undid the bandage that held his dressing in place and with trembling hands she removed the blood soaked dressing...The wound was small and was stitched up but fresh blood was oozing from it...Jeannie could feel tears forming in her eyes and blinked them away determined to be strong...She knew the antiseptic was going to sting so placing a gentle hand on Steve's back, she warned him...
"Steve...I have to clean it...It's probably going to sting...I'll try to clean it quickly...Ok?"
Steve could hear the upset in Jeannie's voice and felt bad that she had to deal with this...Only for the fact that it was on his back so he couldn't see it clearly he would have cleaned it himself and saved her the trouble... Hearing the waver in her voice, Steve felt himself getting upset too...He felt exhausted and sore and now this!...Turning slightly he glanced at Jeannie and grabbing her hand with his he spoke shakily...
"I'm sorry you have to do this Jeannie...I know it's not very pleasant..."
Hearing Steve apologizing , Jeannie could swear she saw moisture in his eyes...He had been through so much and here she was making him feel bad...
Annoyed with herself and determined to make it right Jeannie found renewed courage and squeezing his hand she smiled at Steve...
"Now you listen to me Steven Keller...You have nothing to be sorry for...You hear me? None of this is your fault...Now we're going to clean this up and get you sorted and then you're going to get some well-earned rest... Ok babe?"
Hearing her call him babe and hearing the new-found strength in her voice gave Steve the courage he needed and smiling back at Jeannie he said...
"Ok babe..."
With that Steve let go of her hand and turned back facing the back of the couch as Jeannie carefully cleaned the wound and redressed it and bandaged it...It hadn't hurt too bad and Steve marvelled at Jeannie's feather-like touch...When it was finished she gently rolled him back towards her and smiled her widest smile at him...
"You ok?...Did it hurt bad?"
"No...it hardly hurt at all...Thanks.."
"Do you think you can sit up for a few minutes while we change that bloodied shirt?"
Steve nodded as carefully and slowly Jeannie helped him sit up and getting a clean shirt from his bag, she helped him into the fresh one...Then lying him down again,she fetched a pillow and blanket and placing the pillow under his head she tucked the blanket around him...The two friends hadn't said anything to each other for a while but Steve had smiled at Jeannie all the while she had helped him...At first Jeannie had merely smiled back but now she was looking at him amused...
"What?...What are you smiling at?" she asked eventually when she had Steve settled and comfortable..."Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to stare Steven Keller?" she teased...
Looking suitably embarrassed ,Steve stopped staring and answered her...
"I was just thinking how lucky some guy is going to be someday to call you his girlfriend..." Steve said blushing slightly and not catching her eye...
Flattered, Jeannie cleaned up the first aid stuff and the bloodied shirt and before turning to go into the kitchen she smiled at Steve mischievously and said...
"Don't you think you could ever be that lucky Steve?...then chuckling she added..."Now try to get some sleep while I finish making dinner."
Steve grinned at the young woman's statement and then settling into the soft pillow closed his eyes and called out as she left the room still chuckling...
"YES MA'AM !"