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Word of the day: Sabbatical - a sabbatical year; leave; a break or change from a normal routine (as of employment)
"A what?" Steve asked. He was dumbfounded as Danny simply stood in front of him on crutches, a knapsack thrown over one shoulder, his car keys jangling happily from the one finger he had free.
"You're thinking of doing ... what?"
"No, Steve. Not thinking of doing anything... taking," Danny corrected him. "I'm taking a sabbatical."
"A... sabbatical?" Steve shook his head. He glanced down at the soft-cast covering Danny's lower leg, the raw scrape on his chin, and then frowned at the lightweight knapsack. There were so many questions rattling around inside his head, that he didn't know which one to pick from first, so he wound up picking the safest one.
"Why? You're cleared for desk duty ... I need you here. I need ..."
"No, no you don't," Danny interrupted, nearly upsetting his unstable stance by trying to gesture with one crutch at the same time. "You have plenty of hands on deck. So, I'm taking this nice break - a sabbatical. A nice, long holiday away ... something like a retreat. Far, far away."
"Away from what?" Steve asked in frustration. "And now wait a damn minute! How far?"
"And now you see, therein lies the kicker," Danny smirked. "Not from what ... but from whom. Namely ... you. And as far as where ... I haven't quite settled on that yet; wherever the wind takes me, maybe."
"The what? The ... wind? Are you being entirely serious right now?" Steve said, incredulous. He stopped then, his mouth working soundlessly as something finally settled more firmly inside his brain. "You're taking a sabbatical ... from me? You can't do that."
"No?" Danny argued lightly as the smirk grew across his face. "And why not ... exactly?"
"Because!"
"Because why, Steven? Come on ... I need a good reason because getting shot at every other week has gotten old ... and after what happened yesterday ..."
"You do not get shot at every other week, Danny!" Steve gestured towards the crutches and light weight cast on Danny's foot. His shrug clearly indicated that he thought his partner was being overly dramatic despite some pretty substantial evidence to the contrary.
"You're completely over-reacting about what happened. That's not even from a bullet wound!"
"Close enough!" Danny retorted loudly. Clearly astounded that he even might be blamed for over-reacting. "It's from running away from bullets! Therefore it counts!"
"Oh my God," Steve said in disbelief. He rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, arms flung out wide. "Really? Really, Danny? Because you are a cop you know and cops do get shot at ... that's part of the job!"
"You're going to tell me ... a trained, experienced law enforcement officer ... that I should expect to get shot at, Steven? And maybe even like it?" Danny's mouth gaped wide, his tone dripping nothing but sarcasm. "Are you trying to school me buddy, because it sure as hell isn't going to work! I full well know the hazards of my chosen profession! What I object to is my partner's gung-ho methods which leave the two of us wide open for being shot at in the first place! That ... and damned near almost drowning as if things weren't exciting enough!"
Hands now on his hips, Steve made a face, annoyed and even on the verge of angry. He tried to stare his partner down, but Danny was unflinching and far from being even remotely penitent.
"You broke cover," Danny replied evenly. "Broke cover ... never looked back ... just kept right on going without backup. What the hell were you thinking?!"
"He was getting away, Danno! Keep up next time," Steve ground out, that thin line now crossed. "You are my backup. At least you're supposed to be."
"Keep up? Did you really just say that?" Danny purred nastily. "How the hell am I supposed to do anything when you just take off so damned irresponsibly?"
"Are you saying it's all my fault?" Steve asked. "So, yesterday was my fault? My fault you got tackled off the docks? The boo boo on your damned foot ... is all my fault?" He was angry as Danny simply stood there, aloof and unshakeable as their mutual tones changed and the argument escalated.
"Could be," Danny snarked back, his face reddening in anger. "Nearly drowning is hardly an over-reaction. Being forced to stay overnight in the hospital is hardly over-reacting, Steven. Needing crutches for the next six weeks is hardly blowing things out of proportion! And by the way, it's a hairline fracture ... a bit more serious than what you'd like it to be."
"Fine," Steve snarled. He waved one hand dismissively towards the door. "Go ... wherever the hell it is you think you're going to take this little ... sabbatical."
Steve stared at Danny waiting but it was all for nothing. His partner wasn't going to give and he was going to be forced to ask. Unable to avoid asking, Steve scowled.
"Where are you going?" He finally asked. But, with a rude waggle of his fingers, his car keys jangling loudly, Danny turned and thumped away on his crutches. It was almost as if he'd been waiting for Steve to ask that very question and he felt his ire rise again.
"God dam-nit, Danny! Where the hell are you going?"
"Bye, bye, Steven!" Danny called out over his shoulder, the soft shuffle-thump of his off-balance walk fading down the hallway.
"Danny! Are you kidding me right now?" Steve shouted after his disappearing partner. "Hey! Get back here!"
But Danny was already gone and out of ear-shot.
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"He's what?" Chin asked in total confusion. "Why?"
"We're taking a break from each other." Steve blinked as soon as the words left his mouth, too late to realize what they sounded like. Kono chuckled out right as his cheeks reddened.
"That's okay, Boss. We get it," Kono said.
"There's nothing to get," Steve stated adamantly. "Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Danny just needs some ... space."
"Space?" Chin asked. "Where did he go?" His mouth twitched while Kono only giggled more loudly, and Steve glared at both cousins in silent reprimand.
A moment later it was Kono who gasped first in understanding. "You don't know do you?"
"He said it was a sabbatical," Steve practically growled out. "And no ... I've no idea where he's gone off to. He didn't say."
"A sabbatical? Isn't that kind of ... extreme?" Chin questioned. "I mean, yeah, yesterday was dicey. That guy was out of control on PCP and Danny ... to be honest, Steve, I thought he'd drowned. And even his ankle ... he's a bit messed up after what happened down at the docks... he took quite a fall; we all had a bad scare. I'm not sure he's up to being alone."
"I know that," Steve griped defensively. "I'm the one who fished him out of the water and ... and, dammit! So, I know all of that, Chin!"
"When he got rammed off the dock by our perp," Kono saw fit to remind him, feigning obliviousness to the stern set of Steve's jaw. "That perp got him good ... I mean, we thought you had him in custody and then ... then he was just tackling Danny as if he was nothing!"
"I did have him!" Steve said. "I had him and then he got a little bit squirrely and ..."
"And then he pulled a gun on you and you lost him. It happens," Chin recounted all too calmly, merely accepting the event's unfortunate fall-out. "He sort of just slipped out of your fingers ... and .. uh ..."
"Barreled smack dab into Danny," Kono said as she slapped the palms of her hands together for emphasis. "Broadsided him like he was nothing ... sacked him like ..."
"All right!" Steve almost shouted. "I get it! I screwed up ... but hey! Danny's fine ... it's not bad ... he's even cleared to work! I know it's just desk duty, but come on! Everyone is completely over-reacting!"
"You gave him mouth to mouth, Boss," Kono said. She winced, her face coloring before she shrugged helplessly. "That's hardly screwing up. No, way. I don't think you screwed up at all ... not once. We thought you got hit. Then the perp and Danny both nearly drowned; but you know how Danny gets."
"No, you didn't screw up at all," Chin readily agreed. "And Danny's just ... upset. He's hung up on things and what could have happened. Letting him take some time off is a good idea. In fact, I don't remember the last time he took some time to himself, so let him this one and let it all go ... you got to let it go."
"Yeah," Steve said as he ran his fingers through his hair, feeling as if he still might self-combust by the stress of the last 24 hours. He'd been up the entire night dwelling on what it had felt like having to pull his partner out of the harbor. At first, Danny hadn't been breathing and Steve had launched into his medical training without thinking.
They'd scared the crap out of each other and Chin was right, Danny was being Danny and his partner needed to get away. Really, after what had nearly happened, who could blame him?
"Yeah, you're right. He just needs a break." Steve said the words but he had a plan hatching. Danny could run .. but he couldn't hide. With a pleased chuffed sound, Steve began to smile.
~ to be continued ~