In The Wrong Place
A/N : As my story is entering it's final few chapters I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all those who followed and favorited my story. To all those who read and reviewed it so far,a sincere thanks for your support and kind words..I hope you have all enjoyed my interpretation of this alternate ending...I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this story and am almost sad that it is nearing an end...To my loyal reviewer Smithy I wish a very Happy Birthday today! I know you requested as a birthday gift to you that I finish this story on your birthday. I can not guarantee that I'm afraid but rest assured we are reaching closure very soon...To all those who were so intrigued as to what was going on with poor Steve I am pleased to say that it is revealed in this chapter! Your long wait is finally over but the drama is not...Now for the next installment...
Chapter 19
When Mike heard who was on the phone, he got a very uneasy feeling and taking the receiver off Haseejian, Mike sat down at his desk and spoke into it..
Hello, Doc? This is Mike Stone..You were looking for me?"
"Yes Mike, I'm glad I got you. Is Steve still there with you?"
"No..He's back at my house with my daughter Jeannie...What's going on? Is there a problem?"
"Well Mike...We took bloods off Steve before we discharged him this morning. It's pretty routine stuff but I've just got the results back now and I'm not too happy with them.. Also I just noticed on his chart that the night-nurse recorded that Steve had a red rash on his left arm where the transfusion was given early this morning..Unfortunately nobody informed me of that and combined with the blood results I just got back I think that Steve appears to be having an allergic reaction to the blood transfusion we gave him Mike..Is he displaying any other symptoms...for example, dizziness, fainting, nausea, fatigue, itching? Are his wounds oozing blood?...Mike? Are you still there?"
Mike sat holding the receiver and as the doctor spoke Mike recalled all the incidents that had occurred with Steve since they had left the hospital earlier. He knew that Steve hadn't been well but just assumed that it was a normal part of his recovery...Looking back now he felt he should have realized sooner that things were more serious than that and cursed his negligence as guilt tore at his heart...Coming out of his thoughts Mike heard the doctor's voice and quickly pulled himself together enough to answer...
"Yes...Sorry Doc, I'm still here and yes, he's had all those symptoms...I just thought it was because he left the hospital so quickly...But I still don't understand..Was he given the wrong blood type? How could he get a reaction? Is that common? My God, is it serious?" Mike felt his anxiety levels rise...
"Calm down Mike...No, he was given the right blood type and yes it is quite common. Sometimes, there are elements in the donor's blood that the recipient takes aversion to...I think that's what's happened in Steve's case...As to how serious it is ...has Steve's breathing been affected at all?"
Mike thought back to the hours that passed trying to remember if Steve had any trouble breathing ...
"No...his breathing has been ok Doc.."
"Then it's not very serious...Has he had a fever or chills Mike?"
"Not up to the point where I left him at home with Jeannie..."
"Ok Mike, well I don't see any immediate cause for alarm...From what you've told me it sounds like a mild reaction but he'll be feeling pretty bad with it so I need you to bring him back to the hospital for me, just for a couple of hours...I'll run a saline IV through him to flush out any toxins and I'll give him some steroids and antihistamines to sort out that rash...After that he should be able to go home again only this time he should feel a whole lot better..."
Mike sighed with relief...
"Ok Doc...I'm on my way home now. I'll get Steve and bring him back to the hospital..We should be there within the hour...And thanks for being so vigilant..You know I knew something wasn't right with Steve..I'm just relieved that it's nothing too serious...Thanks Doc.."
"No problem Mike...I'm just sorry we didn't detect it before we discharged him...If I'd have known about the rash I would have waited to see his blood results before I discharged him..My nurses are overworked , understaffed and underpaid..I'm really sorry Mike. We could have saved him a lot of unpleasantness. Bring him in to Emergency and ask for me. I'll be waiting for him and I'll have a cubicle ready. Ok Mike?"
"Sure Doc...We'll see you soon and thanks again for your call."
As Mike hung up the phone he leaned back in his chair and sighed again...
He felt so relieved that the Doc knew what was wrong with Steve and it sure felt good to know that after just a few more hours treatment Steve would be feeling better...He'd had a hell of a day and had looked truly miserable..It would be good to see him on the mend and back to his old smiley self again..With this thought Mike leaned forward and picked up the receiver again and dialled home to tell Jeannie and Steve what was going on...
Meanwhile...
In a house across town Joe Landers was still drinking heavily...He had heard over his police scanner that the suspect Frank Graves had been apprehended. He knew now that it was only a matter of time before the truth was out and the two detectives that were parked across the street would come knocking...They didn't understand..NOBODY DID!...It was an accident...Why couldn't they see that?..Mel was his best friend...his partner...his buddy...Downing the last few mouthfuls of his whiskey he threw the empty bottle across the room and it smashed against the wall...
"WHY?"...he yelled..."Why did it have to happen?"
Picking up a picture of himself and Mel he dropped to his knees and started to cry...
"I'm sorry... Mel...You know I didn't mean it...Don't you?..You understood...You always understood..But THEM! They're gonna try to crucify me Mel."
After a few minutes he stood up...
"IT'S ALL HIS FAULT !...He's turned the whole department against me ...Even Corky!... Well I'm not going to wait here for them to come...I'm going to make him PAY! "
Staggering into his bedroom he reached into his sock drawer and produced a small handgun and a box of bullets and returning to the living room he picked up the phone and rang the records department in the precinct...
"Hi Brenda...It's Joe...Yeah...thanks...I know ...it was awful what happened..Listen the Captain asked me to drop some important statements over to Lieutenant Stone's house...He gave me the address but I've misplaced it...You know what he's like about things like that...You think you could help me out...? I'd really appreciate it...Off the record of course." Grabbing a pen Joe wrote something down on a notebook..."You're a star Brenda! Thanks...I owe you one...Bye"
Glancing out the window he saw the two detectives still in their car but he'd never make it to his car without being seen...Deciding he'd have to make it without the car he tore the page off the notebook and put it in his pocket along with the gun and eight bullets and went out the back door and down the side alleyway...As he came out in the next street over he hailed a passing taxicab...Then he thought to himself ...YOU'LL BE SORRY STONE!...You'll be sorry!...
Meanwhile...
Back at De Haro Street...Jeannie had cleaned the wound on Steve's back and despite Jeannie's protests Steve had insisted on cleaning the wound at the front himself...Then bandaging them back up...Jeannie had gone to get him a clean top...Seeing that Mike hadn't packed him any sweatshirts and seeing as Steve was still shivering Jeannie remembered that Mike had some old sweatshirts upstairs and retrieving one she helped him into it...With the difference in their sizes the sweatshirt was a little big and baggy on Steve's slender frame but he seemed to be glad of the warmth that it provided and never complained..The painkillers seemed to have kicked in and although he still looked miserable at least he was now clean and in less pain...Next Jeannie got an icepack and placed it on the angry rash...
"Didn't you get the cream for this earlier Steve?"
"No..I don't think so...When I had that dizzy spell earlier in Mike's office...Healy picked up my prescription...I never got to tell him about the cream..."
Steve shivered violently again and Jeannie thought her heart would break seeing the hell that Steve was going through...Jeannie again placed her hand gently on his forehead...
"Steve...We'd better call the hospital now...Your fever seems to be getting worse..."
"Ok Jeannie..." Steve said, but before they could do anything else the phone rang..."It might be Mike, Jeannie..."
Jeannie got up from beside Steve and raced to the phone...
"Hello?"
"Jeannie..."
"Oh Mike...Mike...thank God you called...Steve isn't well at all...He's got a high fever...His wounds are still bleeding...He hasn't slept very much...Mike I'm worried ..."
"Jeannie...sweetheart...Calm down and listen to me..I know what's wrong with Steve. Everything's going to be fine..Can you put Steve on the phone beside you honey?"
"Sure Mike... Steve! Mike wants to talk to you too..."
Then seeing Steve getting up very slowly, Jeannie spoke once more to Mike...
"I'll just get him Mike...hold on..."
Racing over to him she put his left arm around her shoulders and helped him over to where the phone was...Being so close to him, Jeannie could feel him shaking and felt the heat coming off him too...She looked up at him and saw thin beads of sweat running down the side of his face...When they made it to the phone...Jeannie made sure Steve was steady and then grabbing a chair she lowered him carefully into it then holding the phone receiver between them she spoke again...
"Ok Mike...we're both here now..."
"Steve?...How you holding up buddy boy?"
"Not real good Mike. What's going on?"
"Listen Steve, Dr. Armstrong called me here at the office , less than ten minutes ago...Apparently they took bloods from you before you left the hospital this morning and he's not too happy with the results...He thinks you're having some sort of allergic reaction to the blood transfusion you had..."
Jeannie looked at Steve...and Steve answered...
"A reaction? Is he sure? What caused that? Is it serious?"
"Now, now buddy boy...Take it easy !...Apparently it's common enough ...He thinks there was something in the donor's blood that caused it...Jeannie says you have a fever...What about chills Steve? And has your breathing been affected?"
"Yeah...I've got the chills but my breathing is ok..."
"That's good buddy boy...The Doc said that once your breathing is ok there's no need to panic ...Ok?...He wants you back down to the hospital just for two or three hours to run a saline IV through to flush out any toxins and he wants to put you on an antihistamine and some steroids to sort out the rest of it...He said you'll feel a whole lot better after that "
"Well...that doesn't sound too bad...I was getting worried Mike...I didn't know what was going on..."Steve said as another bout of shivering took hold...
Jeannie took the opportunity to join the conversation...
"Mike...Do you need me to get him to the hospital?"
"No,sweetheart...You two sit tight and take it easy...Keep Steve as comfortable as you can. I'm on my way home. As soon as I get there we'll take him down there together ...Ok?"
"Ok Mike...But hurry home won't you?"
Suddenly remembering something important Steve spoke to Mike again...
"Mike? What happened with Graves?"
"He confirmed what we suspected buddy boy...He never had control of the gun...Lockner and Harris are on their way to bring Joe in...Now, you just rest until I get there...Ok?
"Ok...Thanks Mike..."
They said their goodbyes and Jeannie hung up the phone...Getting up from his chair, Steve stumbled over to the front window and looked up and down the street...Then reaching in to his hold all bag he rummaged for something..
"Steve? What's the matter ? What are you looking for?" Jeannie asked getting concerned...
"My gun...Jeannie did Mike take my gun out of my bag?"
"Your gun?...No...I haven't seen it at all...But why do you need your gun? And what were you looking for out the window? Steve?"
"I just have a bad feeling that's all...You know I think you should maybe wait down the block for Mike Jeannie..." Then remembering something he brushed a hand through his hair..."Oh no!...I left it in Mike's car after the Graves arrest. It was on the passenger seat..."
"Steve?...You're scaring me...I think it's your fever Steve...We need to cool you down...I'm going to get you a cold compress..."
Leaving Steve looking up and down the street at the window, Jeannie raced into the kitchen and fetched a cloth and ran it under the cold tap...Just then without warning the glass smashed in the back door behind her and a hand holding a gun came through and fiddled with the bolt on the door...Screaming, Jeannie ran into the living room and met Steve half way across the floor...He was hurrying to the kitchen when he heard the sound of breaking glass and Jeannie screaming...As she reached him Joe Landers appeared in the kitchen doorway behind them pointing a gun in their direction very shakily... Quick as a flash Steve grabbed Jeannie and swung her behind him...
"WHERE'S STONE?"
Keeping Jeannie safely behind him Steve pointed at Joe and spoke as calmly as his shaking body would allow him too...
"Joe!...You take it easy now! Mike's not here Joe...He's at the office...We're not expecting him anytime soon...Joe ,listen to me now .You don't want to do this...This is crazy Joe...Why don't you give me the gun, Huh?"
"STAY BACK STEVE !...I don't want to shoot you again but I will if you get in my way...Now we wait for Mike!...STAND OVER THERE WHERE I CAN WATCH YOU BOTH !"...