The next day had brought more clarity- and with it, a degree of urgency.
Steve could feel the questions brewing in his busy mind as he set out to rehash the events of the attack once more, seeing if there was something he had missed, some pivotal detail that could steer their investigation into a better direction.
They were troublesome thoughts to begin with, each memory mixed with the horrific sounds of wood and pipes crashing down on his partner's body, aiming to cause lethal damage. His conscience, in the middle of it all, was torn on whether he should feel guilty about getting off easy compared to Mike, or at least find solace in the fact that he'd managed to attract patrols throughout it all.
Dewitt had been by earlier, reminding him that under no circumstances was he to pick up any work on the ongoing investigation; that Healey and Hassejian were taking over until the latest crises was back under control.
Unlike the lieutenant, Steve didn't share the capacity to blend out these terrifying images for the sake of keeping a clear head. If anything, they followed him wherever he went, then sought him out in his dreams as soon as he let his guard down. Mike and Roy might have been partners first, but the seasoned lieutenant was his partner and mentor now, and Steve wasn't going to have a concussion and bad knee stop him from helping out whichever way he saw fit.
His first act of defiance had been to mosey down the hall with his crutches and make a phone call to Jeannie, checking in on Mike's daughter who understandably so, was very distraught about the politically correct spiel she'd received from Roy earlier- at least that's what Norm had told him the last time they talked.
"Yeah, they ehm…they downgraded his condition from critical to serious. Which is good. He is talking and he can…you know…move his limbs. They're just keeping a very close eye on him to make sure there's no additional bleeding."
Even though the corridor near the nurses' station was relatively barren early that afternoon, Steve kept his voice low, hoping to stay out of sight of any witnesses who could tell on him leaving his room unsupervised.
Dewitt had been vigilant about leaving two guards up at each room, and stationing two more unis down below in case there was an attempt to retaliate the deaths of four of the gang members. Thankfully, an old gambling debt and an excessive amount of sweet talking had been enough to get Steve through the protective perimeter and out into the open for a precious few minutes.
"Is he…is he going to be ok? Did Roy tell him I want to come up and see him?"
"He did…yes. And I told him the same thing. But Roy is right. It's best for you to stay where you are. We're under tight security here and until we find out more about these guys, it could just…you know…put you in unnecessary danger."
"Unnecessary danger? These…these kids are in danger of getting beaten up by me! Who do they think they are attacking my father and you?"
"Easy now, easy Jeannie…", Steve said with a faint smile and leaned heavier against the cool tile wall, "We're just…everyone's just being extra cautious, that's all. If you promise to be good and…and Mike promises to be good, I will see if I can get him near a phone tonight and…"
"Didn't I tell you to stay put?", came Devitt's stern voice from behind that nearly made him drop the receiver.
Feeling a strong hand on his upper arm, Steve glanced over sheepishly, then shrugged.
"Anyway, if you could feed my goldfish tonight, I'd really appreciate it…", he continued, trying to keep his expression unreadable.
"Roy is there, isn't he?", Jeannie asked from the other end of the line, a hint of glee in her voice.
"Yes. Yeah, it's the…the red box right by the kitchen counter. Thank you so much."
"You too, Steve. I would appreciate it if you could let me talk to Mike tonight, I really would. Please keep a close eye on him for me."
"You bet."
The grasp around his upper arm tightened significantly as he hung up the phone, then looked over to meet the less than amused stare of his superior.
"Goldfish? You couldn't come up with something better than that? How about insubordination? I swear between Mike and you, it's enough to keep this whole hospital busy. Never mind us trying to solve a murder case there. You do know there's probably a bunch of bloodthirsty lunatics just waiting outside this building to finish what they started."
There was deep concern mixed into the scolding tone and Steve nodded obediently, never arguing when Roy helped him position his crutches to return to his room, the lieutenant muttering a few more choice words under his breath as they made their way down the long corridor.
By the time they reached his room and two patrolmen who had already met Dewitt's chagrin, the lieutenant cleared his throat once again as he slowed down.
"And two more things before you come up with any other…bright ideas; we gotta discuss you getting discharged, and I have the ID on our other three victims."