Chapter 6

When Danny was gone, Steve got bored.
'It's been almost 24 hours since the last try,' he thought and switched the TV on – just to have the same result as the day before.
An hour later he tried again with reading but it wasn't better either.

After resting his eyes for half an hour, he went outside and sat down in one of the Adirondack chairs enjoying the fresh air the view and the waves for about an hour.
Although the chairs were in the shade it was getting too hot. He felt the familiar pressure in his head return which was usually the harbinger of a stabbing headache.
He went back inside swallowed a painkiller and lay down on the couch, trying to relax to avoid another period of and hour-long fight of controlling the pain.
Ten minutes later he was fast asleep.

That was how Danny found him two hours later.
At first, he had thought that his worst fear after Steve hadn't picked up his one had come true – Steve had hurt himself again and was lying somewhere helpless and slowly dying through a brain bleed.
After a closer look though, Danny could see that Steve was totally relaxed was breathing deeply and evenly and was just resting like he was supposed to do.

'Thank God! Everything is fine…except no blanket again.'

Danny walked over to the recliner took the blanket spread it over his friend and was about to fasten it around him when Steve came to.
Danny let go of the blanket immediately and stepped back. He didn't want to be seen as a threat.
"Hey buddy," he said in a soft voice. "Looks like you slept well."
Steve blinked his eyes a few times before sitting up. After a quick look at his watch, he looked wearily at Danny.
"What are you doing here? No cases? Paperwork done?"
"Nice to see you too. But actually, no. I've called you several times and you didn't pick up.
Guess what?"
"You were worried. Must have been in a very deep sleep. Sorry."
He stood up and patted his pants – no phone. He wanted to have a look at the couch, thinking that it fell out of his pocket when he shivered.
"Damn. It's cold here," he said.
"No, it is not," Danny answered. "It is just because you didn't use a blanket for your nap again. What did I tell you about that, huh? Exactly this," he pointed at a still shivering Steve.
"Didn't want to sleep. Just resting a bit. The stifling air gave me a headache."
"You were in the sun?" Danny asked upset.
"No! I made sure to stay in the shades but even there it became too hot for me. I went back inside took my meds and just wanted to wait until they take effect. That was it," he explained in a calm voice.
He bent down grabbed the blanket wrapped it tightly around himself and sat down.
"Did you try the landline?" Steve asked.
"What?" Danny was confused having lost the plot still thinking about Steve's actions.
"You said I didn't pick up my phone. Did you try the landline?"
"No," Danny answered a little embarrassed. "I was too troubled to think about that."
"Hmm," Steve commented nodding.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Danny asked.
Steve sighed. He thought for a moment needed to choose his words carefully. He decided to start with "I love you."
"I love you too."
"I totally understand that you were worried after the fight…and yes, when you've seen me here on the couch a few days back.
But you've said it yourself, it was an accident. I am extra careful ever since.
You…you don't have to call me to make sure I am okay."
"I didn't." Danny stated.
Now it was Steve's time to look confused.
"You just told me you've called me and I didn't pick up."
"That is true. But it wasn't to check up on you. It was because the team wanted to know if you were ready for a little BBQ.
I've told them that you would like the meat for sure but that all the chattering would still be too much for you since it is still hard for you to follow a longer conversation.
I wanted you to decide for yourself though."
"That was a great idea.
You were right though.
What now?"
"What now? They are waiting for my call," Danny said simultaneously pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Best wishes from everyone," Danny said after he had ended the call. "They all agreed on doing it when you are up to it because they all know it wouldn't stop ate BBQ. They would just stay to chat drink and unwind," he summarized the call.
"That's a good thing," Steve answered. "And they should do that." He added thoughtfully.
"Don't think about it twice. They are going to the "Rumfire" now. It's no problem."
'What about you?' shortly came to Steve's mind but he needed to end what he just had started. 'He can always go there later.'
"I wasn't about to change my mind, because you were right," he said instead. "I am not up for this et. And if you noticed I am trying to look after myself some more."
"Like doing a tandem jump with an international criminal without a chute?" couldn't resist to tease his friend a bit.
"No, like doing what the doctor ordered," Steve answered ignoring Danny's try.
"So, you are getting wiser now?" Danny asked.
"Maybe. Maybe just older.
I've already felt this a year or so back.
My body needs more time to heal, is more susceptible to injuries.
You know after the transplant I needed to show myself that I am still capable of things that I am still the same guy."
"You are." Danny interjected.
"No, I am not.
I can live a normal life, yes, but I am a transplant recipient now.
I got lucky that you matched and decided to let people cut one of your vital organs in half…"
"Wow," Danny scrunched his face in disgust and held his hands up. "They still were doctors not just people but if they had explained to me like that, I surely wouldn't have done it.
Besides, you would have done the same for me."
"Yes, I would have. But it is still a major step to do. And it was a lot of luck to find a donor that fast.
I am sure I won't have that kind of luck again. Especially if you consider that on this one day I used up the luck that others don't even have in a lifetime."
He paused a moment before continuing.

"So, better late than never Thank you Danny. For all of it."
"I think you got older and wiser.
Maybe it is just the part of my liver that gave you that kind of wisdom," Danny smiled at his friend to overplay his awkwardness.
"No definitely not." Steve stated. "But you definitely have a share in this."
"How's so?"
"The day you've told me how scared you were about what the radiation poisoning might mean for me, I don't know, it was like you opened my eyes because I could suddenly see how I would feel – how scared I would be – if things were reversed.
I mean, I have to do what I have to do. It's part of the job. I don't need to tell you that…
It was that day that opened my eyes what I had done to you - to your soul – when I chased the parkour guy, popped the stitches and still continued working after getting only makeshift patched up.
And it was also that day I had decided to pay more attention to the aftercare.
And I promise you here and now I will do that.
I have also read a saying a few months back which said "It takes us many years to understand how precious moments can be."
That day in the plane. It could have been our last moment. I am glad it wasn't and I hope to collect many great moments more with you. So, I'll give my best to reach that goal."

Danny needed some time to comprehend what had just happened.
Not only that Steve had shared his feeling like that but also what it really meant.
When he finally realized the outcome of that promise, he burst out "that calls for a bee…" Reminding himself that Steve wasn't allowed to drink alcohol at the moment he changed his last word into "Ginger Ale".

The end.

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