More Than Just a Broken Arm Chapter 33/?
Title: More Than Just a Broken Arm 33/?
Author: softballchic34
Characters: Steve McGarrett, Danny Williams
Spoilers: Season 1 episode 20
Rated PG-13 for language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters, nor do I make any profit from this.
Summary: A broken arm is the least of Steve's problems.
Chapter 33
Monday is the Fourth of July so Catherine and the Five-0 team have a three day weekend, providing Five-0 isn’t assigned a major case. It is early Monday afternoon and so far they haven’t been called in to work. Currently, the team, Catherine, Mary, and Grace are all in Steve’s backyard. The girls are building a sandcastle while the guys are up on the lanai grilling steaks and vegetables. Mary, Cath, and Kono, with the help of Grace, put together the salads, chopped the vegetables, and wrapped the potatoes for the grill so they put the guys in charge of cooking since they did all the prep work earlier that day while the guys sat on the lanai.
Bo is chained up lying in the grass chewing on a dog bone. Steve chained him up earlier because he was trying to “help” Grace build her sandcastle only his version of help was a little on the destructive side. After they eat Steve will unchain him and take him down to the water to play for a while.
Steve went to the hospital Friday and Saturday for physical therapy on his neck. Yesterday and today were off days because of the holiday but Stacy told him that he could start going for short periods during the day without the soft collar, although she told him no more than two hours without it at a time. So at the moment, Steve is collar free for awhile.
Steve is taking the steaks off the grill while Danny puts the vegetables in a bowl and Chin gets the condiments from the house.
Steve whistles and calls to the girls on the beach, “Lunch is ready!”
It only takes a minute or two for the four of them to run up to the house and get washed up before joining the men at the table on the lanai. Steve is seated between Cath and Grace. He helps Grace fill her plate and cuts a steak in half for her.
The meal is full of light hearted laughter, everyone is relaxed and happy. The last time they were all together like this was Memorial Day. After Memorial Day and Steve returned to work, the Five-0 caseload picked up and they were working case after case for the entire month of June with very little free time, and what free time they did have they usually spent sleeping. Steve was working pretty much normal hours so he wasn’t as run down as the rest of the team but if he would have had it his way he would have been with the team every step of the way. But Dr. Freeman and the governor made it clear that if he wanted to be back at work he can’t work more than eight hours a day until further notice.
Steve hates it. He feels that by ducking out at five o’clock every day he isn’t pulling his weight with the work and he’s letting the team down. Catherine has reassured him multiple times that he isn’t letting them down at all and the most important thing is that he continues to heal. Steve won’t admit it but at the end of the day he still gets headaches from looking at the computer screen for too long and at the end of the day, he’s exhausted. Exhausted from spending the day at his desk doing paperwork, it’s ridiculous to Steve that he gets so worn out from sitting at his desk all day.
After everyone has finished eating, they all pitch in and work together to clean up. When everything is put away, everyone but Steve and Danny heads out to the water to surf. Danny and Steve stay on the beach and play with Bo. Once Bo gets in the water, it is almost impossible to get him out. Steve and Danny throw his ball over and over again until Bo finally gets tired and flops down in the sand where the waves wash up against his side.
Steve and Danny follow in suit only they go for the lawn chairs on the beach rather than lying in the surf. Danny studies Steve for a few minutes; it’s good to see him without the neck brace although he imagines that Steve is ready to burn the foam collar it was replaced with. He had it off for a couple hours during lunch but Cath made him put it back on before she headed into the water when she caught him rubbing his neck. Danny thinks he looks pretty content with things right now but he can’t help but wonder about the strained look he gets whenever he is in the office. Given their business of the last few weeks, he hasn’t really had a chance to talk to Steve lately.
“How are you doing, Steve?”
“Fine.” Steve says glancing over at Danny with a quizzical look on his face.
Danny elaborates, “I don’t mean right now, I mean with everything. Being back at work, the epilepsy, everything.”
Steve is silent for so long that Danny thinks he’s maybe not going to answer until he finally speaks up, eyes still locked on Bo who is again playing in the surf. “I don’t know, Danny.” Steve lets out a sigh, “It’s nice to be back at work but I can’t stand being behind my desk all day. And having to leave at five every day, especially when we have a big case and you guys have to keep working, I feel like I’m not pulling my weight.”
“Steve, you aren’t letting us down by working normal hours. You aren’t fully recovered yet and we don’t want you to have a set back because you exhausted yourself. We need you to follow doctor’s orders until you are fully recovered. It’s only been 3 months since you were injured and you scrambled your brains pretty good. I can tell that you are still suffering the effects of it. You’ve made a lot of really good progress but it’s going to take a while before you are one hundred percent healed from the brain injury. Me, Chin, and Kono understand that. The most important thing is that you get better. If that means that sometimes we have to work as a team of three instead of four so you can heal then so be it. We’d rather have it that way than you not be able to return at all. We need our fearless leader, even if he is only in the office and not in the field. Don’t beat yourself up because you are human and you need time to get better.” Danny watches Steve carefully; he is still switching his attention from Bo to the rest of their ohana out surfing, Steve won’t even look at Danny.
“As for you being stuck behind a desk all day, I know you hate it and I know how much it sucks. But Steve, you have helped us so much on these last few cases. If it weren’t for you working behind the scenes it would have taken us a lot longer to take down the drug cartel and I don’t think we would have found Hannah Jefferson alive if it weren’t for you.” Danny tells Steve, speaking of the four year old girl that was kidnapped for ransom from her home two weeks ago.
That finally gets Steve attention. “It’s true.” Danny emphasizes, “Without you we wouldn’t have been able to save that little girl and if it weren’t for you there would still be a bunch of members of that drug cartel distributing drugs on our island. We need you Steve, even if you are just doing behind the scenes stuff. I know you hate it, but you are good at analyzing the data and figuring out leads just from that.”
Steve just looks at Danny and nods, he isn’t able to voice his thanks at the moment but Danny can see it on his face.
Bo comes running over to Steve, all wet and sandy, with his ball in his mouth. He drops it at Steve’s feet and gives Steve a look that says, ‘Throw it! Please! Please!’ Steve picks up the ball before scooting forward in his chair a bit so he can throw it in the water for Bo. Bo takes off after it, happily splashing through the water.
“Dr. Freeman switched my medications again last week. I’m now on three different medications for the seizures. I don’t think he’s going to find a drug concoction that works for me.”
“Steve-“
“Danny, I’ve tried I don’t even know how many medications and only one of them has done anything to reduce the frequency. None of the rest of them have done a thing for the seizures. I have a feeling one or two a week is as good as it is going to get. I mean, it is better than what I started with but still, it is going to take some miracle drug to stop the seizures.”
“Hey, I know you are upset and frustrated with everything but Steve, Dr. Freeman said it would probably take awhile to find the right drugs that work for you. Just please don’t give up before Dr. Freeman tells you that you’re out of options.” While Danny is talking, Bo returns to Steve with his ball. Steve takes it from him and throws it again after petting his head.
Steve is about to argue but Danny cuts him off before he even starts, “Besides, you are a SEAL, whatever happened to ‘The only easy day was yesterday’? You aren’t one to give up, Steve. And if you do, well I guess I gave you more credit than you deserve.”
Steve glares at Danny but then realizes that Danny just gave him the swift kick in the ass that he needed. He smiles a bit, “Thanks, Danno.”
Danny gives him a wide smile, “You’re welcome, Babe.”
Bo comes running back and stops about three feet away from the men. They are both showered in water and sand as Bo shakes off.
“Bo!” Steve says in an annoyed tone but he can’t help but laugh, especially when he sees the look on Danny’s face. If he had to put a name to it, Steve would call it ‘Sour Lemon Face’.
“You’re dog is a menace, Steven. Just like you.” Danny says, but he is smiling.
“You’re a good boy, aren’t you Bo?” Steve says as he scratches Bo behind the ears, which today are in what Steve has deemed as the Bat-dog position, sticking out to the sides. Bo twists his head and leans into Steve’s hand.
“I’m glad you decided to keep him.” Danny runs his hand down Bo’s back. “He’s a good dog, even when he chews up my spare shoes in my office.”
Steve laughs, “Your fault for leaving them out, especially after you spilled soup on them. You’d think that a man who grew up having dogs would learn to keep things out of reach of a puppy.”
“And how many pairs of shoes have you lost to the little beast?” Danny counters.
“One slippah, a combat boot, and Mary’s purse. I try to redirect him to a toy but sometimes he sneaks away and finds something else to chew on when we aren’t looking.”
“Must have learned that from you.” Danny teases. He grabs two more beers from the cooler next to him and relaxes into the chair. Bo is sleeping by Steve’s feet and Steve is looking relaxed and content with one arm hanging over the arm rest petting Bo still.
-H50-
They all watch the fireworks together on the beach after the sun goes down before everyone heads home for the night. Steve and Catherine are watching TV together in the living room while Mary is upstairs in the shower. Bo is conked out on the floor of the living room by Steve’s feet. Playing in the water today really wore him out; he’s been asleep for the last two hours.
Mary comes down the stairs, dressed in her pajama shorts and tank top and sits down in the recliner. “What are you watching?”
“Burn Notice marathon.” Steve replies.
“Steve likes it because there are a lot of explosions.” Cath jokes.
“Hey! That’s not the only reason.”
“Maybe not but it’s a big part of it.” Cath says smiling up at him.
“So I’ve been thinking,” Mary says out of the blue. “I think I’m gonna start looking for a job and an apartment to rent. You’re doing a lot better than you were when I first came back and since Cath is here now, I’m sure you don’t want your little sister living with you, cramping your style.”
“Mary, this is your house too. You don’t have to leave because Cath is here now.” Steve says.
Catherine nods in agreement with Steve, “I don’t want you to feel like you have to move because of me.”
Mary smiles, “I know, but I’ll be going back to school in September and I was thinking of getting a place closer to the UH campus. That way I’d be close to school and I would have my own space to study and stuff. Besides, this is your house now Steve. I haven’t felt at home here since we were kids. There are too many ghosts.”
Steve nods; he knows what his sister is saying about the ghosts. He’d felt the same way when he first came back to the island. After a few weeks of getting settled and making small changes around the house he started to feel more at home. Then when he was forced to do a little remodeling after the fiasco with Nick Taylor and General Pak he’d made more changes to make the house more suitable for his needs. He’d replaced the curtains and gotten new furniture in the living room. But aside from that, the house is pretty much the same as it was when he was sixteen.
“If you’re sure about this, Mare. But just remember that you are always welcome here anytime. And you can stay for as long as you need to in order to get a decent apartment. Don’t move into some crappy apartment just because it has the soonest availability.”
“I won’t. Thanks, Bro.” Mary smiles at him. She is glad that she came back to the island and has rekindled her relationship with her brother. She hates that it had to be under these circumstances but she’s glad she’s back in Hawaii none the less. Mary loves this house but the bad memories from her childhood in this house are more prominent than the good so she just feels haunted by all the bad things from her childhood. Mary gives Steve a quick hug before retreating upstairs to her room for the night.
“Mary seems like she is really trying hard to get her life together.” Catherine says as she cuddles closer to Steve.
“Yeah, she’s really gotten her act together. I can’t believe the girl who has been taking care of me the last couple months is the same girl who I had to bail out of jail and sign into a rehab center eight years ago. That was why she wanted to return to Hawaii, she figured out that it was easier to stay clean if she cut her ties to her old friends in LA and being 2500 miles away from her old life makes it easier to start a new one for her.”
“I’m glad you two have reconnected. You two need each other.”
“I had reservations about her returning to the island but I’m glad she’s back. It’s been nice having her around again.”
“I’ve enjoyed spending time with her. Did I ever tell you about the first time I met Mary a few months ago?”
Steve shakes his head, “I don’t think so.”
Cath goes on to tell the story of how she ran into Mary coming out of the bathroom several months ago after she and Steve had spent most of the night having some Barry White time.
Steve has to laugh at hearing Cath’s story. He is a little embarrassed that that was how his little sister met his girlfriend but he didn’t have to deal with the awkward situation so he can laugh about it. “I’m glad you two seem to get along now.”
Cath smiles but a yawn stops her from replying.
“You don’t have to stay up with me.” Steve says, “You can go to bed if you want, I just would rather stay awake to take my next dose of meds instead of waking up to do it in a couple hours.” It’s eight thirty now, still a little early for bed but they were up early today and spent the entire day outside with Cath spending most of the time in the water. Steve is tired too but he would rather stay awake to take his last dose of medications for the day than wake up in two and a half hours to take them, it is easier this way.
Cath shakes her head, “If I go to sleep now, I’ll be wide awake at three.” Cath generally can’t sleep more than eight or nine hours at a time so if she goes to bed now she will either be awake for the day at three or will wake up at various times throughout the night thinking that it’s time to get up.
They snuggle together on the couch for another episode of Burn Notice. A few minutes later they are interrupted by Bo who is now awake and lets out a bark. His bark has transformed from the high pitch puppy bark to a deeper and more intimidating bark over the last few weeks.
“You need to go out, Buddy?” Steve says to the puppy as he stands. Steve heads for the back door with Bo on his heels. He flips on the switch for the outside light and opens the door for Bo to go out. Bo just sits next to Steve and stares at him.
“Really? You can go outside on your own Bo. You do it all the time.” Steve thinks the way he’s talking to his dog is a little ridiculous but he can’t seem to help himself. “Fine, I’ll come out with you.” Steve steps out on the lanai. Bo follows but he once again just sits down in front of Steve and barks again.
When it appears that Steve isn’t going to move, Bo walks back to the door and whines, waiting to be let inside. He sits down in front of the door, and looks back at Steve as he lets out a whine.
“What’s wrong Bo? I don’t know what you want.” Steve says, opening the door to let Bo back inside. He follows Bo inside and heads to the kitchen for a glass of water. Bo follows him to the kitchen, Steve tries giving Bo a chew stick but Bo has absolutely no interest in it, which is odd because Bo loves chewing on the flavored sticks. He then follows Steve back to the living room and just sits and stares at him.
“What’s up with Bo?” Cath asks.
“I have no idea. He’s acting weird though. He didn’t want to go outside and he had no interest in a chew stick. I don’t know what he wants.”
“That’s odd. Maybe he just wants some attention.” Cath leans forward to pet the Bo. Bo just wags his tale once and lets out a sad sounding whine.
About five minutes later Bo stands up all of a sudden and starts barking at Steve. Steve is at a loss for what Bo is trying to tell him. Steve again tries to get Bo to go outside but Bo stubbornly refuses.
Steve is trying to get Bo to stop barking but Bo is having none of it. If anything it just increases. Mary comes down the stairs, “What the hell is going on?”
Steve just shrugs helplessly, “I don’t know what’s wrong. Bo just started acting weird all of a sudden and he won’t stop barking.”
Bo nudges Steve’s leg and lets out a distressed whine. Not even a minute later Steve feels an aura coming on. “I gotta go lie down.”
Steve quickly makes his way to the stairs with Bo, Catherine, and Mary hot on his heels. Bo has stopped barking but still lets out a whine every now and then.
“Are you sure you can make it up the stairs, Steve? Maybe you should just go to the guest room.” Cath says voice full of concern.
“I’ll be fine. I still have a few minutes.” Steve says as he grips the hand railing a little tighter. He can usually tell how long he has between the start of the aura and the start of the seizure so he knows that he has enough time to make it to his bed before his limbs start to feel numb and tingly and he can’t do more than breathe through the panic. His fingers are already starting to tingle but he’s at the top of the stairs and only has another ten feet or so to his bed. Steve makes it to his bed and collapses down on top of the covers. He can tell he still has another minute or two before the seizure starts but his legs are tingling now and he’s feeling shaky. He can’t help the panicked feeling he has right now. His breathing is quick and irregular so he tries to slow it down but he can’t quite manage.
Cath is sitting next to him on the bed speaking soothingly, “You’re ok, Steve. Mary and I are right here and we’ll be with you the whole time. Just relax and breathe deep. You’re doing great, Babe.” Cath continues to murmur reassuring words.
Bo jumps onto the bed and sits down by Steve’s head. He licks Steve’s face a few times and lays his head down on Steve’s shoulder in comfort. Steve doesn’t normally allow Bo on the bed or other furniture but he finds comfort in the puppy’s presence at the moment. Just feeling Bo next to him does an amazing job of calming him down a bit.
About a minute later Steve’s muscles go completely rigid and his eyes roll back as the seizure starts to run its course. Cath pulls Bo away when Steve stiffens.”Come here, Buddy. Steve’s going to be fine." She doesn’t want the puppy to get hurt by the jerky uncontrolled movements.
“Do you think this is why Bo was acting all weird and wouldn’t stop barking?” Mary says as she sits on the edge of the bed next to Cath and reaches over to pet Bo but doesn’t take her eyes off of her seizing brother.
Realization dawns on Cath that Bo probably did sense Steve’s seizure coming. “I’ve heard of dogs being able to sense this stuff but it never occurred to me that Bo could pick up on it, especially since he’s so young.” Cath looks down at Bo who is still staring at Steve with a worried look on his face. It’s been over a minute and Steve is still seizing. “You knew this was coming, didn’t you Buddy.” Cath rubs his head, wishing there were some treats nearby for the little dog.
Steve finally stops seizing, nearly three minutes after the seizure started. It is definitely the longest seizure he’s had since he left the hospital. Almost all of his seizures since have lasted less than two minutes.
Bo whines and squirms until he is out of Catherine’s arms and lying curled up next to Steve chest. He licks Steve’s face a few times and nudges him with his nose a couple times before settling in against his chest.
Mary wipes the saliva from Steve’s chin with a tissue. “You know if Bo can sense when this is going to happen, that could be huge for Steve.”
Catherine nods, “He could maybe train Bo to be a service dog. It would give Steve more confidence when he’s away from the house and let him know soon enough that he has time to get somewhere safe.”
“He hates having to leave the house. He’s terrified of having a seizure in public. I wish there was something we can do for him, but I don’t think it’s going to get better until they find the right medications to stop the seizures. I hate seeing him like this. I’ve never seen Steve like this before, he’s lost his confidence and he’s a lot quieter than he used to be. ”
“I know Mary. Steve isn’t the same. I hope Dr. Freeman gets his medications figured out soon. This epilepsy is killing Steve. Tomorrow I’ll do some research about seizure dogs and talk to Steve about it. I think having Bo as a service dog would really benefit him.”
About twenty minutes later Steve finally starts to come around. Bo is up next to him licking and nudging at him to try to help him wake up. Steve’s eyes flutter around the room and flicker closed a few times, he rolls over so he is lying completely on his back. His gaze finally settles on Bo as he tries to get through the confusion and disorientation he always feels after a seizure.
“Steve, can you hear me?” Mary says, taking his hand.
“You’re doing great, Steve. Mary and I are right here with you. Can you squeeze Mary’s hand?” Cath combs her fingers through his hair. Steve completely ignores her words. His attention is still focused on Bo; he clumsily reaches up with his free hand and rests his hand on Bo’s back. Bo licks his face a few more times.
“Steve, can you hear me? I need to know you are awake.” Mary prods.
A few minutes later, Steve finally squeezes Mary’s hand. He tries to talk but all he can manage is a few groans and jumbled sounds.
“You’re ok, Steve. Just relax. You had a seizure but you are doing great. Mary and I are right here and we aren’t going anywhere.” Cath continues to run her fingers through his hair and give him a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“You doing ok Bro?”
“Hmm. Water?” Steve finally manages to ask.
Mary hops off the bed, “I’ll be right back with a glass.”
“How do you feel?”
“Have a headache. Feel hot.” Steve says, his speech is slow but he’s speaking clearly.
“It’s normal to have a fever for a few hours after a seizure. Let me help you sit up so you can drink some water when Mary gets back.”
Catherine helps Steve slide up a little and lean against the headboard. His movements are clumsy and uncoordinated but together they manage to get him in a seated position. Bo crawls up and lies across Steve lap. Steve hasn’t stopped petting him since he woke up. Having contact with Bo seems to calm him down and helps him get through the confusion he feels right after waking up.
Mary is back a few seconds later, she has a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol. Steve smiles in thanks and takes the glass with a shaky hand. Steve swallows the Tylenol and his next dose of medications. Mary and Catherine help him get stripped down to his boxers and settled in on the bed. Steve is asleep within a minute of lying down.
-H50-
The next morning Steve wakes up with a terrible headache and still feeling exhausted. Cath convinces him to go back to sleep for a few hours and go to work after his appointments for physical therapy and with Dr. Tyson. Steve concedes with very little arguing.
By the time Steve is done with both his appointments he is feeling a little better. His headache is down to a dull throb that he can pretty much ignore and he isn’t as tired as he was when he woke up the first time that morning. Stacy decided that he no longer needs to wear the soft collar so he is thrilled about that. For the first time in over three months he is finally free of casts and braces.
The few hours he spends at the office are quiet and he doesn’t have much to do so he researches epilepsy service dogs. Mary filled him in on what happened during his seizure and the conclusion she and Catherine came to about Bo’s weird behavior the night before.
When Steve think back on it, Bo has always behaved a little weird before he has a seizure but he never put two and two together. Bo would get a little whiney each time right before a seizure but at the time he just figured Bo wanted more attention or another chew stick. It never occurred to him that Bo may be sensing the impending seizure.
Steve leans back in his desk chair and looks down at the puppy who is chewing on a rubber tire toy under his desk. Bo has taken to lying under the desk at Steve’s feet during the day when Steve is working. Steve likes having Bo at work with him because Bo provides a distraction from the monotonous paper work and provides company for him when the rest of the team is out of the office.
Currently, the rest of the team is out investigating the murder of a high profile lawyer and with no information Steve can’t do anything to help at the moment. So instead of sitting at his desk bored he decides to take Bo for a walk. Steve grabs the leash from his desk drawer. “Come on Bo, let’s go for a walk.”
Bo happily drops his toy and scrambles to his feet, tail wagging excitedly. Steve hooks the leash to his collar and they head outside for a walk. Bo is better about walking on the leash now but Steve still has to work with him on pulling. He at least no long walks right under Steve’s feet or wraps the leash around Steve’s legs. Now he just pulls. They walk down the street and around the block before heading back inside. Steve gets Bo some fresh water and then pours a cup of coffee for himself before retreating back to his office.
Steve opens his laptop again and does a little more research on seizure dogs. He can see Cath and Mary’s point about having Bo trained as a service dog. He would feel a lot more comfortable going out if he knew in advance if he was going to have a seizure. He is pretty sure that last night Bo started whining and acting strange about half an hour before the aura started. Thirty minutes isn’t a lot of time but it would be enough for him to get somewhere safe and out of the public eye.
It’s four thirty when Steve looks at the time again. His team still isn’t back yet so he sends a text to Danny asking for an update. A few minutes later Danny responds, ‘Heading in now. Caught the guy and he confessed before we even cuffed him.’
Steve texts back, ‘Good work. See you in a few min.’
Not even ten minutes later Danny enters Steve’s office.
Steve greets him, “Hey, where are Chin and Kono?”
“They took the guy to HPD to book him and get everything in order.” Danny explains as he sits down on Steve’s couch. Bo comes over to greet him so he bends down to pet the dog. “Hey Bo, you keeping Steve out of trouble today?”
“Haha.” Steve says with a smile, “So what happened?”
“Well when we got the scene of the murder we found some bloody foot prints leading away from the crime scene. We followed them until they ran dry but we still hadn’t found the guy. After canvassing the area we found a nineteen year old kid hiding in a dumpster. Not the brightest criminal ever. Anyway, he ran and Kono took him down with a tackle that would have made you proud.”
“And he just confessed like that?”
“Yeah, he started talking before Kono even got the cuffs out. The kid said he didn’t mean to kill J. Arthur Mills, just mug him and get his cash and watch but Mills started fighting back and in the struggle Mills fell on the knife. He was a dumb, scared kid who just ruined the rest of his life.”
Steve shakes his head, he can’t believe how dumb some people are and how easily they throw away their lives just to get some cash.
“So what have you been up to today?” Danny asks as he plays tug with Bo.
“Not a lot, did some restocking and ordered some supplies, took Bo for a walk. Cath and Mary think Bo can sense when I’m going to have a seizure. He was acting really weird last night for like half an hour before it happened. He wouldn’t stop barking or whining, I tried letting him out and he had no interest in a chew stick or in any of his toys. He wouldn’t let me out of his sight either.”
“I’ve heard of dogs being able to sense seizures and cancers and things like that. It’s possible he knew it was coming.”
“He’s gotten whiney right before I’ve had a seizure a few times now but not like last night. When it happened in the past I just thought he wanted more attention. And one night a few weeks ago, I seized in my sleep and he started barking and woke Cath up right after it started. Mary and Cath think I should train him to be a service dog, so I was looking up information on that all afternoon.”
“That’s a really good idea, Steve. Bo could give you some of your freedom back if he can predict when you are going to have a seizure before you know you are.”
“Yeah, I’ll probably have to have someone else train him or work with him. There is a lot that goes into training a service dog.”
“I think it would be worth the time and effort. Steve, I’ve seen how much this epilepsy is affecting you and how reluctant you are to go out in public. Having a service dog would give you back your freedom and independence. He can give you a more normal life.”
Steve nods but doesn’t say anything. He’s watching Bo try to catch his tail. He wonders if Bo realizes that his tail is attached to the rest of his body. He always finds it amusing the way Bo will chase and growl at his tail.
After a couple minutes he finally speaks up, “You wanna pick up a pizza and head to my place? Cath has a drill on base tonight so she won’t be home until eight or nine and Mary is going out with friends for supper.”
“Sounds good, Ailani’s? And no pineapple on the pizza!”
“Have you ever tried pineapple on pizza, Danno?”
“No! And I’m not about to either; fruit on pizza is an abomination.”
“You do realize that the tomatoes in the sauce are a fruit.”
Danny sputters and glares at Steve. Steve just smirks, its fun to get Danny all riled up about ham and pineapple pizza.
“You know what, Steven? Just shut up. I was going to pay but just for that, you are buying.”
Steve gives Danny a mock salute and calls Bo over so he can attach the leash. They leave the office listening to Danny rant about pineapple pizza and the awesomeness of pizza in New Jersey.
Steve has to smile; it has been a while since he heard Danny rant like this. It makes everything feel normal again.
TBC
Author: softballchic34
Characters: Steve McGarrett, Danny Williams
Spoilers: Season 1 episode 20
Rated PG-13 for language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters, nor do I make any profit from this.
Summary: A broken arm is the least of Steve's problems.
Chapter 33
Monday is the Fourth of July so Catherine and the Five-0 team have a three day weekend, providing Five-0 isn’t assigned a major case. It is early Monday afternoon and so far they haven’t been called in to work. Currently, the team, Catherine, Mary, and Grace are all in Steve’s backyard. The girls are building a sandcastle while the guys are up on the lanai grilling steaks and vegetables. Mary, Cath, and Kono, with the help of Grace, put together the salads, chopped the vegetables, and wrapped the potatoes for the grill so they put the guys in charge of cooking since they did all the prep work earlier that day while the guys sat on the lanai.
Bo is chained up lying in the grass chewing on a dog bone. Steve chained him up earlier because he was trying to “help” Grace build her sandcastle only his version of help was a little on the destructive side. After they eat Steve will unchain him and take him down to the water to play for a while.
Steve went to the hospital Friday and Saturday for physical therapy on his neck. Yesterday and today were off days because of the holiday but Stacy told him that he could start going for short periods during the day without the soft collar, although she told him no more than two hours without it at a time. So at the moment, Steve is collar free for awhile.
Steve is taking the steaks off the grill while Danny puts the vegetables in a bowl and Chin gets the condiments from the house.
Steve whistles and calls to the girls on the beach, “Lunch is ready!”
It only takes a minute or two for the four of them to run up to the house and get washed up before joining the men at the table on the lanai. Steve is seated between Cath and Grace. He helps Grace fill her plate and cuts a steak in half for her.
The meal is full of light hearted laughter, everyone is relaxed and happy. The last time they were all together like this was Memorial Day. After Memorial Day and Steve returned to work, the Five-0 caseload picked up and they were working case after case for the entire month of June with very little free time, and what free time they did have they usually spent sleeping. Steve was working pretty much normal hours so he wasn’t as run down as the rest of the team but if he would have had it his way he would have been with the team every step of the way. But Dr. Freeman and the governor made it clear that if he wanted to be back at work he can’t work more than eight hours a day until further notice.
Steve hates it. He feels that by ducking out at five o’clock every day he isn’t pulling his weight with the work and he’s letting the team down. Catherine has reassured him multiple times that he isn’t letting them down at all and the most important thing is that he continues to heal. Steve won’t admit it but at the end of the day he still gets headaches from looking at the computer screen for too long and at the end of the day, he’s exhausted. Exhausted from spending the day at his desk doing paperwork, it’s ridiculous to Steve that he gets so worn out from sitting at his desk all day.
After everyone has finished eating, they all pitch in and work together to clean up. When everything is put away, everyone but Steve and Danny heads out to the water to surf. Danny and Steve stay on the beach and play with Bo. Once Bo gets in the water, it is almost impossible to get him out. Steve and Danny throw his ball over and over again until Bo finally gets tired and flops down in the sand where the waves wash up against his side.
Steve and Danny follow in suit only they go for the lawn chairs on the beach rather than lying in the surf. Danny studies Steve for a few minutes; it’s good to see him without the neck brace although he imagines that Steve is ready to burn the foam collar it was replaced with. He had it off for a couple hours during lunch but Cath made him put it back on before she headed into the water when she caught him rubbing his neck. Danny thinks he looks pretty content with things right now but he can’t help but wonder about the strained look he gets whenever he is in the office. Given their business of the last few weeks, he hasn’t really had a chance to talk to Steve lately.
“How are you doing, Steve?”
“Fine.” Steve says glancing over at Danny with a quizzical look on his face.
Danny elaborates, “I don’t mean right now, I mean with everything. Being back at work, the epilepsy, everything.”
Steve is silent for so long that Danny thinks he’s maybe not going to answer until he finally speaks up, eyes still locked on Bo who is again playing in the surf. “I don’t know, Danny.” Steve lets out a sigh, “It’s nice to be back at work but I can’t stand being behind my desk all day. And having to leave at five every day, especially when we have a big case and you guys have to keep working, I feel like I’m not pulling my weight.”
“Steve, you aren’t letting us down by working normal hours. You aren’t fully recovered yet and we don’t want you to have a set back because you exhausted yourself. We need you to follow doctor’s orders until you are fully recovered. It’s only been 3 months since you were injured and you scrambled your brains pretty good. I can tell that you are still suffering the effects of it. You’ve made a lot of really good progress but it’s going to take a while before you are one hundred percent healed from the brain injury. Me, Chin, and Kono understand that. The most important thing is that you get better. If that means that sometimes we have to work as a team of three instead of four so you can heal then so be it. We’d rather have it that way than you not be able to return at all. We need our fearless leader, even if he is only in the office and not in the field. Don’t beat yourself up because you are human and you need time to get better.” Danny watches Steve carefully; he is still switching his attention from Bo to the rest of their ohana out surfing, Steve won’t even look at Danny.
“As for you being stuck behind a desk all day, I know you hate it and I know how much it sucks. But Steve, you have helped us so much on these last few cases. If it weren’t for you working behind the scenes it would have taken us a lot longer to take down the drug cartel and I don’t think we would have found Hannah Jefferson alive if it weren’t for you.” Danny tells Steve, speaking of the four year old girl that was kidnapped for ransom from her home two weeks ago.
That finally gets Steve attention. “It’s true.” Danny emphasizes, “Without you we wouldn’t have been able to save that little girl and if it weren’t for you there would still be a bunch of members of that drug cartel distributing drugs on our island. We need you Steve, even if you are just doing behind the scenes stuff. I know you hate it, but you are good at analyzing the data and figuring out leads just from that.”
Steve just looks at Danny and nods, he isn’t able to voice his thanks at the moment but Danny can see it on his face.
Bo comes running over to Steve, all wet and sandy, with his ball in his mouth. He drops it at Steve’s feet and gives Steve a look that says, ‘Throw it! Please! Please!’ Steve picks up the ball before scooting forward in his chair a bit so he can throw it in the water for Bo. Bo takes off after it, happily splashing through the water.
“Dr. Freeman switched my medications again last week. I’m now on three different medications for the seizures. I don’t think he’s going to find a drug concoction that works for me.”
“Steve-“
“Danny, I’ve tried I don’t even know how many medications and only one of them has done anything to reduce the frequency. None of the rest of them have done a thing for the seizures. I have a feeling one or two a week is as good as it is going to get. I mean, it is better than what I started with but still, it is going to take some miracle drug to stop the seizures.”
“Hey, I know you are upset and frustrated with everything but Steve, Dr. Freeman said it would probably take awhile to find the right drugs that work for you. Just please don’t give up before Dr. Freeman tells you that you’re out of options.” While Danny is talking, Bo returns to Steve with his ball. Steve takes it from him and throws it again after petting his head.
Steve is about to argue but Danny cuts him off before he even starts, “Besides, you are a SEAL, whatever happened to ‘The only easy day was yesterday’? You aren’t one to give up, Steve. And if you do, well I guess I gave you more credit than you deserve.”
Steve glares at Danny but then realizes that Danny just gave him the swift kick in the ass that he needed. He smiles a bit, “Thanks, Danno.”
Danny gives him a wide smile, “You’re welcome, Babe.”
Bo comes running back and stops about three feet away from the men. They are both showered in water and sand as Bo shakes off.
“Bo!” Steve says in an annoyed tone but he can’t help but laugh, especially when he sees the look on Danny’s face. If he had to put a name to it, Steve would call it ‘Sour Lemon Face’.
“You’re dog is a menace, Steven. Just like you.” Danny says, but he is smiling.
“You’re a good boy, aren’t you Bo?” Steve says as he scratches Bo behind the ears, which today are in what Steve has deemed as the Bat-dog position, sticking out to the sides. Bo twists his head and leans into Steve’s hand.
“I’m glad you decided to keep him.” Danny runs his hand down Bo’s back. “He’s a good dog, even when he chews up my spare shoes in my office.”
Steve laughs, “Your fault for leaving them out, especially after you spilled soup on them. You’d think that a man who grew up having dogs would learn to keep things out of reach of a puppy.”
“And how many pairs of shoes have you lost to the little beast?” Danny counters.
“One slippah, a combat boot, and Mary’s purse. I try to redirect him to a toy but sometimes he sneaks away and finds something else to chew on when we aren’t looking.”
“Must have learned that from you.” Danny teases. He grabs two more beers from the cooler next to him and relaxes into the chair. Bo is sleeping by Steve’s feet and Steve is looking relaxed and content with one arm hanging over the arm rest petting Bo still.
-H50-
They all watch the fireworks together on the beach after the sun goes down before everyone heads home for the night. Steve and Catherine are watching TV together in the living room while Mary is upstairs in the shower. Bo is conked out on the floor of the living room by Steve’s feet. Playing in the water today really wore him out; he’s been asleep for the last two hours.
Mary comes down the stairs, dressed in her pajama shorts and tank top and sits down in the recliner. “What are you watching?”
“Burn Notice marathon.” Steve replies.
“Steve likes it because there are a lot of explosions.” Cath jokes.
“Hey! That’s not the only reason.”
“Maybe not but it’s a big part of it.” Cath says smiling up at him.
“So I’ve been thinking,” Mary says out of the blue. “I think I’m gonna start looking for a job and an apartment to rent. You’re doing a lot better than you were when I first came back and since Cath is here now, I’m sure you don’t want your little sister living with you, cramping your style.”
“Mary, this is your house too. You don’t have to leave because Cath is here now.” Steve says.
Catherine nods in agreement with Steve, “I don’t want you to feel like you have to move because of me.”
Mary smiles, “I know, but I’ll be going back to school in September and I was thinking of getting a place closer to the UH campus. That way I’d be close to school and I would have my own space to study and stuff. Besides, this is your house now Steve. I haven’t felt at home here since we were kids. There are too many ghosts.”
Steve nods; he knows what his sister is saying about the ghosts. He’d felt the same way when he first came back to the island. After a few weeks of getting settled and making small changes around the house he started to feel more at home. Then when he was forced to do a little remodeling after the fiasco with Nick Taylor and General Pak he’d made more changes to make the house more suitable for his needs. He’d replaced the curtains and gotten new furniture in the living room. But aside from that, the house is pretty much the same as it was when he was sixteen.
“If you’re sure about this, Mare. But just remember that you are always welcome here anytime. And you can stay for as long as you need to in order to get a decent apartment. Don’t move into some crappy apartment just because it has the soonest availability.”
“I won’t. Thanks, Bro.” Mary smiles at him. She is glad that she came back to the island and has rekindled her relationship with her brother. She hates that it had to be under these circumstances but she’s glad she’s back in Hawaii none the less. Mary loves this house but the bad memories from her childhood in this house are more prominent than the good so she just feels haunted by all the bad things from her childhood. Mary gives Steve a quick hug before retreating upstairs to her room for the night.
“Mary seems like she is really trying hard to get her life together.” Catherine says as she cuddles closer to Steve.
“Yeah, she’s really gotten her act together. I can’t believe the girl who has been taking care of me the last couple months is the same girl who I had to bail out of jail and sign into a rehab center eight years ago. That was why she wanted to return to Hawaii, she figured out that it was easier to stay clean if she cut her ties to her old friends in LA and being 2500 miles away from her old life makes it easier to start a new one for her.”
“I’m glad you two have reconnected. You two need each other.”
“I had reservations about her returning to the island but I’m glad she’s back. It’s been nice having her around again.”
“I’ve enjoyed spending time with her. Did I ever tell you about the first time I met Mary a few months ago?”
Steve shakes his head, “I don’t think so.”
Cath goes on to tell the story of how she ran into Mary coming out of the bathroom several months ago after she and Steve had spent most of the night having some Barry White time.
Steve has to laugh at hearing Cath’s story. He is a little embarrassed that that was how his little sister met his girlfriend but he didn’t have to deal with the awkward situation so he can laugh about it. “I’m glad you two seem to get along now.”
Cath smiles but a yawn stops her from replying.
“You don’t have to stay up with me.” Steve says, “You can go to bed if you want, I just would rather stay awake to take my next dose of meds instead of waking up to do it in a couple hours.” It’s eight thirty now, still a little early for bed but they were up early today and spent the entire day outside with Cath spending most of the time in the water. Steve is tired too but he would rather stay awake to take his last dose of medications for the day than wake up in two and a half hours to take them, it is easier this way.
Cath shakes her head, “If I go to sleep now, I’ll be wide awake at three.” Cath generally can’t sleep more than eight or nine hours at a time so if she goes to bed now she will either be awake for the day at three or will wake up at various times throughout the night thinking that it’s time to get up.
They snuggle together on the couch for another episode of Burn Notice. A few minutes later they are interrupted by Bo who is now awake and lets out a bark. His bark has transformed from the high pitch puppy bark to a deeper and more intimidating bark over the last few weeks.
“You need to go out, Buddy?” Steve says to the puppy as he stands. Steve heads for the back door with Bo on his heels. He flips on the switch for the outside light and opens the door for Bo to go out. Bo just sits next to Steve and stares at him.
“Really? You can go outside on your own Bo. You do it all the time.” Steve thinks the way he’s talking to his dog is a little ridiculous but he can’t seem to help himself. “Fine, I’ll come out with you.” Steve steps out on the lanai. Bo follows but he once again just sits down in front of Steve and barks again.
When it appears that Steve isn’t going to move, Bo walks back to the door and whines, waiting to be let inside. He sits down in front of the door, and looks back at Steve as he lets out a whine.
“What’s wrong Bo? I don’t know what you want.” Steve says, opening the door to let Bo back inside. He follows Bo inside and heads to the kitchen for a glass of water. Bo follows him to the kitchen, Steve tries giving Bo a chew stick but Bo has absolutely no interest in it, which is odd because Bo loves chewing on the flavored sticks. He then follows Steve back to the living room and just sits and stares at him.
“What’s up with Bo?” Cath asks.
“I have no idea. He’s acting weird though. He didn’t want to go outside and he had no interest in a chew stick. I don’t know what he wants.”
“That’s odd. Maybe he just wants some attention.” Cath leans forward to pet the Bo. Bo just wags his tale once and lets out a sad sounding whine.
About five minutes later Bo stands up all of a sudden and starts barking at Steve. Steve is at a loss for what Bo is trying to tell him. Steve again tries to get Bo to go outside but Bo stubbornly refuses.
Steve is trying to get Bo to stop barking but Bo is having none of it. If anything it just increases. Mary comes down the stairs, “What the hell is going on?”
Steve just shrugs helplessly, “I don’t know what’s wrong. Bo just started acting weird all of a sudden and he won’t stop barking.”
Bo nudges Steve’s leg and lets out a distressed whine. Not even a minute later Steve feels an aura coming on. “I gotta go lie down.”
Steve quickly makes his way to the stairs with Bo, Catherine, and Mary hot on his heels. Bo has stopped barking but still lets out a whine every now and then.
“Are you sure you can make it up the stairs, Steve? Maybe you should just go to the guest room.” Cath says voice full of concern.
“I’ll be fine. I still have a few minutes.” Steve says as he grips the hand railing a little tighter. He can usually tell how long he has between the start of the aura and the start of the seizure so he knows that he has enough time to make it to his bed before his limbs start to feel numb and tingly and he can’t do more than breathe through the panic. His fingers are already starting to tingle but he’s at the top of the stairs and only has another ten feet or so to his bed. Steve makes it to his bed and collapses down on top of the covers. He can tell he still has another minute or two before the seizure starts but his legs are tingling now and he’s feeling shaky. He can’t help the panicked feeling he has right now. His breathing is quick and irregular so he tries to slow it down but he can’t quite manage.
Cath is sitting next to him on the bed speaking soothingly, “You’re ok, Steve. Mary and I are right here and we’ll be with you the whole time. Just relax and breathe deep. You’re doing great, Babe.” Cath continues to murmur reassuring words.
Bo jumps onto the bed and sits down by Steve’s head. He licks Steve’s face a few times and lays his head down on Steve’s shoulder in comfort. Steve doesn’t normally allow Bo on the bed or other furniture but he finds comfort in the puppy’s presence at the moment. Just feeling Bo next to him does an amazing job of calming him down a bit.
About a minute later Steve’s muscles go completely rigid and his eyes roll back as the seizure starts to run its course. Cath pulls Bo away when Steve stiffens.”Come here, Buddy. Steve’s going to be fine." She doesn’t want the puppy to get hurt by the jerky uncontrolled movements.
“Do you think this is why Bo was acting all weird and wouldn’t stop barking?” Mary says as she sits on the edge of the bed next to Cath and reaches over to pet Bo but doesn’t take her eyes off of her seizing brother.
Realization dawns on Cath that Bo probably did sense Steve’s seizure coming. “I’ve heard of dogs being able to sense this stuff but it never occurred to me that Bo could pick up on it, especially since he’s so young.” Cath looks down at Bo who is still staring at Steve with a worried look on his face. It’s been over a minute and Steve is still seizing. “You knew this was coming, didn’t you Buddy.” Cath rubs his head, wishing there were some treats nearby for the little dog.
Steve finally stops seizing, nearly three minutes after the seizure started. It is definitely the longest seizure he’s had since he left the hospital. Almost all of his seizures since have lasted less than two minutes.
Bo whines and squirms until he is out of Catherine’s arms and lying curled up next to Steve chest. He licks Steve’s face a few times and nudges him with his nose a couple times before settling in against his chest.
Mary wipes the saliva from Steve’s chin with a tissue. “You know if Bo can sense when this is going to happen, that could be huge for Steve.”
Catherine nods, “He could maybe train Bo to be a service dog. It would give Steve more confidence when he’s away from the house and let him know soon enough that he has time to get somewhere safe.”
“He hates having to leave the house. He’s terrified of having a seizure in public. I wish there was something we can do for him, but I don’t think it’s going to get better until they find the right medications to stop the seizures. I hate seeing him like this. I’ve never seen Steve like this before, he’s lost his confidence and he’s a lot quieter than he used to be. ”
“I know Mary. Steve isn’t the same. I hope Dr. Freeman gets his medications figured out soon. This epilepsy is killing Steve. Tomorrow I’ll do some research about seizure dogs and talk to Steve about it. I think having Bo as a service dog would really benefit him.”
About twenty minutes later Steve finally starts to come around. Bo is up next to him licking and nudging at him to try to help him wake up. Steve’s eyes flutter around the room and flicker closed a few times, he rolls over so he is lying completely on his back. His gaze finally settles on Bo as he tries to get through the confusion and disorientation he always feels after a seizure.
“Steve, can you hear me?” Mary says, taking his hand.
“You’re doing great, Steve. Mary and I are right here with you. Can you squeeze Mary’s hand?” Cath combs her fingers through his hair. Steve completely ignores her words. His attention is still focused on Bo; he clumsily reaches up with his free hand and rests his hand on Bo’s back. Bo licks his face a few more times.
“Steve, can you hear me? I need to know you are awake.” Mary prods.
A few minutes later, Steve finally squeezes Mary’s hand. He tries to talk but all he can manage is a few groans and jumbled sounds.
“You’re ok, Steve. Just relax. You had a seizure but you are doing great. Mary and I are right here and we aren’t going anywhere.” Cath continues to run her fingers through his hair and give him a gentle kiss on the forehead.
“You doing ok Bro?”
“Hmm. Water?” Steve finally manages to ask.
Mary hops off the bed, “I’ll be right back with a glass.”
“How do you feel?”
“Have a headache. Feel hot.” Steve says, his speech is slow but he’s speaking clearly.
“It’s normal to have a fever for a few hours after a seizure. Let me help you sit up so you can drink some water when Mary gets back.”
Catherine helps Steve slide up a little and lean against the headboard. His movements are clumsy and uncoordinated but together they manage to get him in a seated position. Bo crawls up and lies across Steve lap. Steve hasn’t stopped petting him since he woke up. Having contact with Bo seems to calm him down and helps him get through the confusion he feels right after waking up.
Mary is back a few seconds later, she has a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol. Steve smiles in thanks and takes the glass with a shaky hand. Steve swallows the Tylenol and his next dose of medications. Mary and Catherine help him get stripped down to his boxers and settled in on the bed. Steve is asleep within a minute of lying down.
-H50-
The next morning Steve wakes up with a terrible headache and still feeling exhausted. Cath convinces him to go back to sleep for a few hours and go to work after his appointments for physical therapy and with Dr. Tyson. Steve concedes with very little arguing.
By the time Steve is done with both his appointments he is feeling a little better. His headache is down to a dull throb that he can pretty much ignore and he isn’t as tired as he was when he woke up the first time that morning. Stacy decided that he no longer needs to wear the soft collar so he is thrilled about that. For the first time in over three months he is finally free of casts and braces.
The few hours he spends at the office are quiet and he doesn’t have much to do so he researches epilepsy service dogs. Mary filled him in on what happened during his seizure and the conclusion she and Catherine came to about Bo’s weird behavior the night before.
When Steve think back on it, Bo has always behaved a little weird before he has a seizure but he never put two and two together. Bo would get a little whiney each time right before a seizure but at the time he just figured Bo wanted more attention or another chew stick. It never occurred to him that Bo may be sensing the impending seizure.
Steve leans back in his desk chair and looks down at the puppy who is chewing on a rubber tire toy under his desk. Bo has taken to lying under the desk at Steve’s feet during the day when Steve is working. Steve likes having Bo at work with him because Bo provides a distraction from the monotonous paper work and provides company for him when the rest of the team is out of the office.
Currently, the rest of the team is out investigating the murder of a high profile lawyer and with no information Steve can’t do anything to help at the moment. So instead of sitting at his desk bored he decides to take Bo for a walk. Steve grabs the leash from his desk drawer. “Come on Bo, let’s go for a walk.”
Bo happily drops his toy and scrambles to his feet, tail wagging excitedly. Steve hooks the leash to his collar and they head outside for a walk. Bo is better about walking on the leash now but Steve still has to work with him on pulling. He at least no long walks right under Steve’s feet or wraps the leash around Steve’s legs. Now he just pulls. They walk down the street and around the block before heading back inside. Steve gets Bo some fresh water and then pours a cup of coffee for himself before retreating back to his office.
Steve opens his laptop again and does a little more research on seizure dogs. He can see Cath and Mary’s point about having Bo trained as a service dog. He would feel a lot more comfortable going out if he knew in advance if he was going to have a seizure. He is pretty sure that last night Bo started whining and acting strange about half an hour before the aura started. Thirty minutes isn’t a lot of time but it would be enough for him to get somewhere safe and out of the public eye.
It’s four thirty when Steve looks at the time again. His team still isn’t back yet so he sends a text to Danny asking for an update. A few minutes later Danny responds, ‘Heading in now. Caught the guy and he confessed before we even cuffed him.’
Steve texts back, ‘Good work. See you in a few min.’
Not even ten minutes later Danny enters Steve’s office.
Steve greets him, “Hey, where are Chin and Kono?”
“They took the guy to HPD to book him and get everything in order.” Danny explains as he sits down on Steve’s couch. Bo comes over to greet him so he bends down to pet the dog. “Hey Bo, you keeping Steve out of trouble today?”
“Haha.” Steve says with a smile, “So what happened?”
“Well when we got the scene of the murder we found some bloody foot prints leading away from the crime scene. We followed them until they ran dry but we still hadn’t found the guy. After canvassing the area we found a nineteen year old kid hiding in a dumpster. Not the brightest criminal ever. Anyway, he ran and Kono took him down with a tackle that would have made you proud.”
“And he just confessed like that?”
“Yeah, he started talking before Kono even got the cuffs out. The kid said he didn’t mean to kill J. Arthur Mills, just mug him and get his cash and watch but Mills started fighting back and in the struggle Mills fell on the knife. He was a dumb, scared kid who just ruined the rest of his life.”
Steve shakes his head, he can’t believe how dumb some people are and how easily they throw away their lives just to get some cash.
“So what have you been up to today?” Danny asks as he plays tug with Bo.
“Not a lot, did some restocking and ordered some supplies, took Bo for a walk. Cath and Mary think Bo can sense when I’m going to have a seizure. He was acting really weird last night for like half an hour before it happened. He wouldn’t stop barking or whining, I tried letting him out and he had no interest in a chew stick or in any of his toys. He wouldn’t let me out of his sight either.”
“I’ve heard of dogs being able to sense seizures and cancers and things like that. It’s possible he knew it was coming.”
“He’s gotten whiney right before I’ve had a seizure a few times now but not like last night. When it happened in the past I just thought he wanted more attention. And one night a few weeks ago, I seized in my sleep and he started barking and woke Cath up right after it started. Mary and Cath think I should train him to be a service dog, so I was looking up information on that all afternoon.”
“That’s a really good idea, Steve. Bo could give you some of your freedom back if he can predict when you are going to have a seizure before you know you are.”
“Yeah, I’ll probably have to have someone else train him or work with him. There is a lot that goes into training a service dog.”
“I think it would be worth the time and effort. Steve, I’ve seen how much this epilepsy is affecting you and how reluctant you are to go out in public. Having a service dog would give you back your freedom and independence. He can give you a more normal life.”
Steve nods but doesn’t say anything. He’s watching Bo try to catch his tail. He wonders if Bo realizes that his tail is attached to the rest of his body. He always finds it amusing the way Bo will chase and growl at his tail.
After a couple minutes he finally speaks up, “You wanna pick up a pizza and head to my place? Cath has a drill on base tonight so she won’t be home until eight or nine and Mary is going out with friends for supper.”
“Sounds good, Ailani’s? And no pineapple on the pizza!”
“Have you ever tried pineapple on pizza, Danno?”
“No! And I’m not about to either; fruit on pizza is an abomination.”
“You do realize that the tomatoes in the sauce are a fruit.”
Danny sputters and glares at Steve. Steve just smirks, its fun to get Danny all riled up about ham and pineapple pizza.
“You know what, Steven? Just shut up. I was going to pay but just for that, you are buying.”
Steve gives Danny a mock salute and calls Bo over so he can attach the leash. They leave the office listening to Danny rant about pineapple pizza and the awesomeness of pizza in New Jersey.
Steve has to smile; it has been a while since he heard Danny rant like this. It makes everything feel normal again.
TBC