Chapter 6

Steve was not only happy about becoming a consultant for the LAPD but grateful as well because it gave his life a new meaning. Being in a wheelchair had left him feeling less than useful but now as he and Mark pored over the cold case files Tanis had brought to the beach house, he was feeling pretty good about the way things were now going.

"I remember this case," Mark said looking up over the rim of his glasses. "It was about that prostitute that disappeared during that sting operation."

"I remember looking for her for hours after, and we never got any leads on her whatsoever," Steve said shaking his head.

"Sad," Mark said putting the file down before moving on to the next one.

"It really makes you think," Steve said thoughtfully. "How does someone just disappear."

"Well," Mark said reading through another file. "She can't stay gone forever, everything dark comes to light eventually."

"I wish that were true," Steve said with a heavy sigh. "But if being a police detective has taught me anything, it's that nothing is ever the way it seems or plays out the way you'd expect it to."

"Don't we know," Mark said with a slight grin as Jesse walked in.

"I got barbecue," he said holding up two bags. "Who's hungry?"

"Starving," Mark said looking at Steve. "How about we take a break and have some lunch, son?"

"Yeah," Steve said absently as he looked over another file. "I'll be there in a minute."

Mark smiled. "Don't get to absorbed," he said patting Steve's shoulder.

"I won't," Steve said with a grin as Mark and Jesse took the food into the dining room.

Putting the file on the table, Steve steered his wheelchair toward the dining room and pushed forward on the wheel's. Passing the awards and Purple Heart the police station had awarded him in the hallway, he stopped to run a finger over the frame.

Chuckling at the picture of all of them standing with the mayor after the ceremony which had been all about pomp and circumstance, the mayor had given a long drawn out boring speech before awarding him the honor key to the city.

Shaking his head at the thought, he pushed the wheelchair forward but suddenly froze when his left leg started to burn like it were on fire. "Dad!" Steve gasped as he grabbed his leg.

"Steve!" Mark said getting to his feet and going toward the pain filled sound from his son.

Jesse followed, a look of concern on his face when they found Steve hunched over in the wheelchair.

Dad," Steve said with a gasp. "Awwww god, make it stop!"

"What is it son?" Mark asked putting his hand on Steve's back as he leaned forward clutching his leg.

"My leg," Steve said painfully. "It hurts, bad!"

"Steve," Jesse said crouching down to feel Steve's leg. "Can you describe the pain?"

"Like a burning pain," Steve said with a groan.

"Jesse, do you have your bag?" Mark asked as Jesse got to his feet.

"Yeah, Its in the car," he said looking down at Steve who's face was contorted by pain. "I'll go get it," he said with a nod at Mark.

"I'll put in a call in to Richard," Mark said squeezing Steve's shoulder. "In the meantime, let's get you more comfortable," he said moving Steve into his room.

By the time Jesse got back with his medical bag, Mark had put Steve in his bed. "Give him fifty cc's of demerol, Jess," Mark said stepping out of Steve's room to get the phone.

Jesse nodded as he reached into his bag for the vial and a syringe. "Hang in there, buddy," Jesse said preparing the shot as Steve writhed in pain. "This is definitely going to make it better," he said going for the muscle of Steve's hip to administer the shot.

When Mark returned, Jesse met him at the door. "He's asleep," Jesse whispered with a nod toward the bed. "What did Doctor Hamilton say?"

"He wants to see Steve tomorrow, he thinks it might be the nerves trying to regenerate themselves," Mark said softly.

"That's good though, right?" Jesse asked with a hopeful smile.

"Hard to say," Mark said quietly walking away from the room. "If his spinal cord is damaged Jess there's no help for that and Steve could be left living with this nerve pain for the rest of his life."

"Oh man," Jesse said shacking his head. "That would really affect his quality of life."

"I know," Mark said worriedly. "That's not something I want to entertain right now."

Jesse nodded as he and Mark returned to the dining room to finish lunch while Steve rested.

Mark slowly paced the inside of Hamilton's office the next morning as the neurosurgeon examined Steve in the exam room next to it. "Okay," Hamilton said as he left the exam room alone. "Sit down Mark," he said with a wave of his hand at the chair in front of his desk. "I know you're worried but you need to focus on Steve now."

Mark slowly eased himself into the chair and sighed. "So, what did you find out, Richard?" he asked eagerly.

Hamilton steepled his fingers together and looked Mark straight in the eyes. "The pain is definitely coming from the nerves," he said grimly. "I know Steve was hoping it was an indication that the feeling was coming back to them but unfortunately that's not the case," Hamilton said with a sigh. "I'm sorry Mark but there's been no change in the damage to the spinal cord."

"Will there ever be?" Mark asked hopefully.

Hamilton sighed. "I'd really love to give you both hope," he said softly letting the rest remain silent. "I did encouraged him to get some physical therapy," he said giving Mark the paperwork. "I think that would help with the pain and keep him from getting muscular atrophy."

"I agree," Mark said looking over the orders. If anything else the pt would just strengthen that much more the muscles Steve already had.

"And these," Hamilton said giving Mark a bottle of non descriptive white pills. "Low dose morphine," he said. "To help with the pain."

"Steve would rather be shot than to take a bunch of pills," Mark said looking at the bottle.

"That why I gave them to you," Hamilton said with a grim look. "If the pain gets to be too much it's at least an option."

"Thank you, Richard," Mark said putting the bottle of pills in the pocket of his coat.

Both Doctors got to their feet when Steve rolled out of the exam room. "Ready, son?"

"Yeah, dad," Steve said rolling his chair to the door. "Let's go, there's nothing for me here."