Author note:
Hello, everyone. English is not my first language, so be easy on me. Please review if you have time, all feedback are appreciated.
Have a nice day.
"Can you feel me now, Danny?"
Danny looked at Joyce. She wasn't the same girl he saw years back anymore and she never would be again. Danny only could see a broken women, shattered really, her life robbed from her when her sister died and she depended on revenge to hold her soul together. The cracks in her mind were suddenly visible for Danny. He could imagine her uncontrollable emotions, how dark her life would have been for all these years.
With all the dark memories held within, Joyce was damaged, seemingly not repairable. At that moment, Danny knew there was nothing he could do to heal her, after all, he was cracked and damaged himself. So he decided to give what she wanted if that would put her at peace.
Inhaling deeply, he looked directly into her eyes. "You win, Joyce. If your pain is what you wanted me to feel, then I'm feeling it now. Just like you, broken, damaged and lost, so yes, Joyce, you win."
Saying those words, Danny walked out the room without a backward glance.
-H50-H50-H50-
The cousins stayed behind to continue their interrogation with Joyce after Danny walked out. Lou, however, choose to find his friend, after all, he promised to stay by his side. Lou walked back to the office to find Danny sitting with tired eyes, slumped over his couch.
Lou sat beside Danny and gently rubbed his back. Sitting on the couch of the left, with his shoulders sagged and his chin propped on his hands, Danny looked lost in time.
"I know it's a stupid question but I'm going to ask anyway, are you okay?"
Danny responded with a bitter chuckle. "No, Lou. I'm not okay but thanks for asking."
"Listen, if you want to talk about it…"
"Thanks for offering Lou, but no, I don't want to talk about anything today. I just want to be alone for a while, don't get me wrong."
"Hey, hey…" Lou quickly said. "I understand, you want some time with yourself. Take all the time you need and in case you want someone to talk to, I'm just one phone call away."
"Thanks, Lou." Danny smiled slightly. "Can you do me a favor?"
"You just have to name it."
"Can you drive me back to the hospital? I want to sit with Steve for a while."
-H50-H50-H50-
"You said you will give us what we want if we give what you want. We gave you some time with Danny so now, tell us what we want to know."
"Yeah, yeah." Joyce rolled her eyes. "What you guys want to know?"
"Why did you went to see Michelle Shioma?"
"She's a friend. I got to know her a few years back, so once I landed I went to see her. I needed some advice."
"Advice?" Kono raised her eyebrows.
"Yeah, heard that she had some experiences with you guys, so I thought she would be helpful and she was. I couldn't have done all these without her help. Some of her information was really useful."
"You said she's a friend and now you gave her up just like that?"
Joyce shrugged. "She doesn't mind, she's already in prison and besides she wants you guys to know that she was involved. She wants you guys to know that even from the prison, she will find a way to mess you guys, especially Steve since he stopped her from getting a deal. So, make sure he knows about this if he makes out alive."
Chin crossed his arms over his chest. He needed to keep himself calm.
"It was like killing two birds with one stone, you know? I wanted Danny and she wanted Steve, so my plan falls in tune with what we both wanted."
"How is that?" Kono asked.
"Danny has to live the rest of his life, knowing he shot his friend, and Steve, if he made it, he need to live knowing he was nearly killed by the man he trusted the most. I cracked open both with one plan."
-H50-H50-H50-
Danny was not a fan of hospitals. He always hated all the emergencies, the life threating situations. While he was stepping in through the automatic sliding glass door, an ambulance had just pulled up at the entrances. The back door burst opened, and the paramedics wheeled in the patient on a trolley. The patient was a child in a neck brace and he was screaming. His mother was trying to console him before the doctor came running and took him away from her. With one hand on the wall and another hand covering her mouth, she was crying silently. Danny walked pass her and mentally prayed for the boy's well-being.
Danny's heart began to pound harder as he was getting closer to Steve's room. Danny clenched his fists as he hesitantly took each step. His feet were trembling. Once in a while, his legs twitched, fighting the impulse to whirl around and sprint away from the hospital but then she will really win. Back at the Palace, he let she to win, but was he really going to allow her to win?
No. Danny said to himself. She will not break him.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking." Danny quickly apologized when he almost knocked a doctor on his way to Steve's room.
"It's okay, young man." The doctor looked at Danny. "Detective Williams?"
"Yes?" Danny answered uncertainly.
"I'm Dr. Lenski, Steve's doctor." The doctor introduced himself as he extended his hand.
"Oh." Danny shook his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't know and you can call me Danny."
"No worries, Danny. We didn't properly meet before."
"Is everything alright?" Danny asked, as he looked past Dr. Lenski and saw a nurse was hovering over Steve.
"He woke up."
"He woke up?" Danny asked, his eyes lit up. He was about to walk past Dr. Lenski to Steve when Dr. Lenski got his arm.
"He's asleep."
"Is he okay?"
"Yes, he wasn't coherent at all when he woke up the first time, at least this time his pupil reached to the light shone but then since his body still very weak, he's asleep again before we can conduct any test but I would say it's a good improvement compared to the first time."
"What is his real condition, Doc?"
"You hold Commander's medical power of attorney, right?"
Danny simply nodded.
"Come on, let's talk in my room."
Danny followed Dr. Lenski, thinking about how ironic the situation was. Steve trusted him to make his health care decision but then he turned to be the reason for Steve to be in hospital first of all.
"Have a seat."
Dr. Lenski's word snapped Danny out his thought. He didn't even know when did they reach to his room. Danny sat and waited.
"I know you weren't there when I explained about Commander's condition to Kono. How much do you know about his condition?"
Danny cleared his throat. "Actually, I don't know much. I..I," Danny struggled, he was wondering how to tell Dr. Lenski. I was the one who shot him. It wasn't easy to say out loud.
But thankfully Dr. Lenski understood, after all, he was closely following the development of the case and he choose to ease Danny's discomfort because he knew what he was about to tell will be more disturbing.
"It's okay, Danny." He forced a smile. "Commander's condition has improved a little but his body is still weak and it will take time to recover from the blood loss and impact to the heart and lung made by the bullet. He's able to regulate breathing on his own but due to reduced capability of his lungs, he's having difficulties to get enough oxygen. We have started oxygen therapy to help him."
"Oxygen therapy?"
"Yes. Oxygen therapy uses compressed oxygen. This type comes as gas in a tank for storage. A meter helps watch the amount of oxygen he will breathe in. The oxygen moves through a tube from the device then it enters his body through a face mask for now and once he is conscious we will change it to a nasal cannula."
"How long will he needing this?"
"Until his lungs back to normal, able to take in the oxygen it needs by its own. I'm more concerned about the effects on his brain when the oxygen supply was slightly interrupted."
Danny swallowed the lump in his throat. "What kind of effects?"
"Danny, I think you do know that the brain needs a constant supply of oxygen to survive and function. Any interruption in this supply leads to a condition called hypoxia, which can cause brain injury but then his body responded to hypoxia by increasing blood flow to the brain in an attempt to restore an adequate supply of oxygen. However, it is only possible to increase brain blood flow to about twice the normal level. So, if it was not enough to compensate for the hypoxia, brain function will be disturbed and symptoms will become apparent. Right now, I cannot say any about the brain injury since he was not conscious enough to show any symptoms."
"What…" Danny cleared his throat again. "What kind of brain injury is possible in his situation?"
"Usually, the longer a person is unconscious, the higher the risk for death or brain death, and the lower the chances of recovery. In Commander's case, he was only briefly unconscious. So, I can confidently tell you that he will recover many functions, but he will have abnormal movements, like weakness in arms and legs, and lack of coordination. Movement disorders are quite common and physical therapy will help. I'm more concerned about possibilities of memories difficulties and seizures which may sometimes occur, and may be continuous."
"What kinds of memories difficulties are we looking at?"
"It could range from inability to recall facts, names of objects or people, recognize faces, learn new information, or recall autobiographical facts."
"So you're saying there is a possibility for him not to remember what happened?"
Dr. Lenski nodded. "There is also a possibility where he might not remember you, or even himself."
-H50-H50-H50-
After a disturbing conversation with Dr. Lenski, Danny was back to Steve's room, sitting beside his bed, holding his hand.
Danny sighed out loudly before he let out a bitter laugh. "When did thing become so awkward between us, Steve?"
"I'm not sure what would hurt me more, Steve…" Danny wiped the tear that he couldn't control. "You waking up not remembering me at all, or you waking remembering that I'm the one who shot you."
Sincere apologies for the mistakes if there are any. Thank you for your continuous support.