Visitor

Who: Danny and Elle
When: Morning
Where: The hospital

The first thing Elle had done that morning was brew up a cup of the herbs from the tea shop. She raised the cup in a private toast to herself and all the possibilities that it contained. The light, pleasant scent of the concoction was reflected in its taste and cemented the idea that yes, it was going to be a very good thing to try. She had told herself to be sensible and not to place all her eggs in one basket but it was so easy to get taken away by the promises of a new day and of better things to come.

She wasn't needed at the theatre and so the day was her own. The bag of honeysuckle flowers gave her pause for thought. Her apartment was severely lacking in greenery. The lone pot of winter pansies seemed insufficient. They could do with some other bright and charming companions. Heather, hyacinths, daffodils. They should be in bloom. Bulbs could be potted to flower later. That way there would always be something flowering. Searching for the right plants and pretty pots to accompany them would be a lovely way to spend the day.

The city didn't seem to agree with her good cheer. She frowned at the dreariness of the day as if it was a personal affront and looked at the sky to will it to change. The clouds stayed put, prompting her to shake her head at their stubbornness. She continued down the street, mind filled with azaleas and anemones.

As she came to the newspaper vendor, she gave him a smile. He held out a paper towards her without asking if she actually wanted to buy one. She had made a point of getting the paper when the news about Bedlam broke and from the first time money had changed hands, the man assumed that she would be a regular customer. Elle didn't want to say no to him, and she still hadn't given up on her meticulous scouring for any further information about the asylum. That and there were interesting things to read. Things that weren't entirely negative and disheartening.

Today wasn't one of those days. The headlined blazed across the front page was all about a raid on the docks. She scanned through the details until two names leaped out at her - Sam and Danny. Stood there in the street, she read the article more thoroughly. From what she could gather, Sam was alright. That was some good news. The part about Danny being involved made her head reel just a little. Firstly, there was the fact that he might have been hurt. The article talked about injuries and deaths. That was concerning enough. Then there was the surprise of finding out he was a police officer. It sparked something in the back of her mind but she couldn't quite think what.

Shoving the newspaper in her bag, she decided to make the hospital her next port of call. If something had happened to him, that was probably where he'd be. There was one stop to make on her way - Nighthawk's. Flowers weren't exactly a masculine get well gift but he might appreciate a slice of pie.

Boxed up pie in hand, she entered the hospital. Nurses scurried through the halls going about their duty. It was almost nostalgic. She managed to flag one down, a middle aged woman with a friendly sort of face, and made her inquiries. The nurse gently told her that yes, he was here and directed her to the right room. Not sure what sort of state he'd be in, Elle knocked on the door then cautiously peeked round.

Danny was sitting up this time. After some rest he was feeling a little better, his arm still bandaged up good, but it wasn't hurting as much. Or he was hopped up on so much morphine it didn't feel like it hurt as much. He was bored out of his mind, forced to stay here through the day. He'd finally managed to convince Janey to go home, get cleaned up and eat something, but now that she was gone he wished she was still here.

When he heard the knock, he actually thought it was Janey back too soon, but he wouldn't really complain. Looking up he was surprised to see that shock of blonde hair. In a moment he thought it was the young girl, only to realize it was actually Elle. He flashed her a questioning look, looking slightly stranger than usual with the smattering of scratches on his face from the explosion. "Elle?"

He didn't look... so bad. He could have looked a lot worse. Even as she told herself that, she winced internally. She tried not to let it show on her face and put on a bright smile for her own benefit as well as his. She gave him a quick wave as a hello then held up one finger to say 'hold on'. After depositing the box on a chair, she dug out the newspaper from her bag and held the front page out to him. A sort of explanation for her presence.

The smile had faded to give way to concern coupled with curiosity. For now, she left the notebook in the bag. She wanted to see what he might, or might not, say before she started asking questions.

He was surprised to see her, but when she held up the newspaper, that helped make sense. Wincing he reached out for it taking it and looking it over. Of course the article was pretty accurate and there was his name, right there with Tyler's. Well a few paragraphs down from hers, but there nonetheless. "You came because you read about it in the paper?" His surprise hadn't faded, in fact he looked more surprised than he'd been before. He hadn't even told her her he was a cop. If they hadn't been at the Round he might have told her, given her his number in case she needed something, but after his previous run in with Dutch it wasn't something he would bring up again.

As she nodded, she went for the notebook. I thought you might like the company, she told him. Though for all she knew, he had plenty of people that could pass the time with him. Still, one more person couldn't hurt. Hospitals aren't very fun places to be. That was something she could sympathize with. She'd spent enough time trying to entertain herself while stuck in one. Staring at the same walls, thumbing through magazines, reading. It all got old very quickly.

She looked at his cuts and scrapes more closely to try and ascertain if they looked worse than they were. He seemed lucid enough, so that was good. How are you feeling? she asked.

That was...well that was really nice of her. To just show up, just in case to make sure he was alright, to keep her company. Danny wasn't sure what to make of it, what she thought of him, but the medicine was making those sort of thoughts a little fuzzy. Still he smiled, even if it didn't look right on his face. "I'm hanging in there. Still alive?" he offered.

She smiled back. Still alive was good enough for her. It was better than the alternative, at least. From the sound of the article, he had been reasonably lucky. Is Sam okay too? Just because there hadn't been any information to the contrary, it didn't mean that she was. And even if she was physically fine, that still didn't mean she was. Things were different for a woman. She expanded by penning, I met her once. She was incredibly nice. Very generous.

Danny nodded. "She's good. Or she was when I saw her last." He paused thinking that over. "She wasn't shot when I saw her last?" Like he was, shot. He got shot taking care of Sam, too worried about if she'd made it to the other side and under cover and not paying attention to what was going on around him.

That's good. A small, relieved smile crossed her face. Then, worried about how that looked, she let the smile drift away to adopt a more suitably grave expression. I'm sorry you got hurt. It's a very brave thing you do, protecting the city. The sentiment was entirely sincere. She was sure that the people - the good people - of the city were grateful to have people like Danny and Sam.

The grin returned as she remembered that she'd brought something with her and she quickly added something to the notebook. And you get a present too so your situation does have an unexpected benefit. She tucked the notebook under her arm and picked up the box, lifting the lid to show him the Nighthawk's finest inside.

"It's okay," he told her. "You aren't the one who shot me." That little somber look on her face didn't fit, not like the pretty smile did. Danny was actually relieved when she smiled again. "You brought pie. That, that is a surefire way to my heart." Oh God, he really did just say that. She was going to think he was a complete creep.

And you'll be fine soon. The way she nodded suggested that the statement was intended to be more of a fact than reassurance. Perhaps Lian's tea shop had something that could help with that, too. A general sort of tonic to promote well being and healing, something like that. She'd have to find out.

Luckily for Danny, she didn't think he was a creep at all. She simply thought he was being nice, and was glad that the pie appeared to go down well. It will help you get better. It has fruit in it. Fruit has lots of vitamins. Though baked in pastry was hardly the most healthy way of getting a portion of fruit. Which she knew, but tried to keep a serious look on her face anyway, implying that it had been a perfectly serious comment. It didn't take long for her to fail miserably and break into the grin once more.

Danny laughed at her grin, but that hurt and he wound up wincing from his shoulder. "Here, sit," Danny offered, motioning to the general area next to him, an area that both encompassed the chair or the edge of the bed. Danny wasn't sure which he expected her to pick, but he figure it was best to leave it up to her in general.

Looking apologetic as she saw him flinch, she sat down on the chair and rested the notebook on her knees. If you need anything else, I don't mind bringing things, she offered, turning the book and holding it up to make sure he could see it without having to strain or shift too much. She thought that it might be a good idea to say that, just in case he did need someone to ferry him whatever he might need.

"No, you don't need to do that. I think they're gonna let me go home tomorrow," Danny told her, but he smiled again to show he appreciated the offer. Plus if Janey came across Elle, that might not end ideally. Either she'd be more than curious where he met the young girl or she'd see what he saw when he first saw her, and the last thing he wanted was her thinking more about that small girl that she'd kidnapped.

That's good! She was a little surprised by that, pleasantly so. It was a relief to know that they thought he was fit enough to leave. Though she supposed he might not be returning to work. Hopefully he wasn't one of those men who regarded recuperating as akin to weakness and tried to push himself too much. At least you'll get some time off from the job to relax. A roundabout way of finding out if he was that type of man.

"Yes, it's a relief. I'm not a fan of this place." Sitting with Janey the other night he got here had reminded him of the nights they'd spent here before, after the miscarriages. Spending long nights like that at eighteen wasn't a way to grow fond of a place. "Probably some time off, but hopefully not long. They'll put me on desk duty until I'm back to full speed." Danny didn't want the time off, he wanted to start the next moves that would follow after the warehouse raid, but he knew that wasn't really an option.

I'm sure desk duty is interesting in its own way. The comment wasn't only intended to make him feel better. Even just writing reports about events like the raid at the docks, tangling with mob families and apprehending lowlifes sounded a lot more exciting than most jobs. Though Elle thought most things sounded far more interesting than they probably were. Have you been on the force long? She tried to picture him as a police officer. It didn't quite sit right with her, for some inexplicable reason.

"It has its moments," Danny lied. He hated being on desk duty. He'd rather walk the streets or just drive around in his cruiser than actually sit a desk all day. He'd wind up filling out all the paperwork for the raid, and anything else that happened in the next few weeks. Just the thought made him miserable, but he kept that behind his cop face. "I went right into the academy after high school, so over ten years now."

Is it what you always wanted to do? Her smile had a slightly embarrassed quality to it as she thought she might have been asking too many questions. Her curiosity ran away with her more often than not. To err on the side of politeness she added, I don't mean to seem nosy and sorry if I do.

Danny gave a half shrug, only able to move one arm. "I guess? I never really thought about it. My dad was a cop." He smiled at her other comment, shaking his head against it. "You're not being nosy. I'm probably giving lousy answers but I don't mind."

Ah, it was a family business. That made sense. Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head. They're not lousy answers. Every response revealed a little bit more about a person, so most answers were good in Elle's book. I've never given that much thought to what I want to be, either. But at least you picked a good career. It was as much her own introspection as it was directed at Danny. She had always assumed there would be plenty of time to decide what she wanted to do. That the world would hold a wealth of possibilities. Or that she end up following her father's advice to marry well and be set for life. It's funny really. It's hard to make decisions about where you want to go in life when you're young but that's the time when you need to make them. Said as though she was already past it.

"Well I don't think I made the wrong choice," Danny told her. "But you've still got plenty of time to decide." He gave her a puzzled look. The girl was what? Twenty on a good day? Hell, Danny was willing to believe she was probably much younger than that. "What makes you think you don't have a chance to do whatever you want?" Danny wondered if she was like he was when he was her age. He got married just out of high school, and was supposed to be a father not long after that.

Elle dropped her gaze with a shrug. I've never really done much of anything. That's not exactly the same as not having the chance to but it can make chances a little intimidating. The words didn't fully express what she wanted them to. Hopefully they were sufficient enough for him to get an idea of what she meant. All it boiled down to was that she was used to decisions largely being made for her, to seeking approval and permission. She purposely failed to mention what she regarded to be the biggest hurdle in achieving any goals she had - not talking. It might have been self-imposed but she couldn't deny its limitations. It didn't help that Elle's dreams and ideas were often fantastical, and not speaking definitely hampered most of the fantastical careers she'd once considered.

You're right, of course, she continued with a smile. About there being plenty of time. That notion was a better one to dwell on.

"Well," Danny said shifting and flinching due to the pain in his shoulder. "What do you want to do?" There were things the whole not talking thing could keep her from doing, but Danny was sure there were some things that she could probably manage. What really interested Danny though, was why he was so invested in this. Why he cared so much that she found something that made her happy.

She gave the question a moment of careful consideration. I'm working at the theatre, and I enjoy that, so I think I would like to pursue something in that. I like things that are beautiful so maybe something to do with costumes. Then I could dress people up to be beautiful. As the thought about it, it sounded like a great idea. Putting a finger in the notebook to keep her place, she closed it to show him the front cover. It was covered in pictures carefully cut out from magazines, illustrations of waifs in the latest fashions. She grinned at Danny, nodding enthusiastically while waiting to hear his opinion on the matter.

Danny studied the notebook cover, seeing what she meant. "That seems like it would work. You should ask Cheyenne about that, dressing people. She's a photographer." Of course Elle probably knew that, since they were friends. Which made Danny feel pretty lousy for claiming to be Cheyenne's friend as well, when he knew full well that she couldn't stand him right now?

There was a lot more nodding from Elle. And she modeled, too. She might know some people that could give me a few pointers. Not that there weren't people at the theatre who could give her some advice. She would ask them about it, certainly, but she imagined that any connection of Cheyenne's might be a tad more glamorous. While the theatre was grand in its own way, it wasn't a patch on models and pin-ups. Thank you for the suggestion.

"I would ask her," Danny said nodding. "She'd probably enjoy talking about it. She's rather proud of her work." After pausing he realized how that sounded. "I meant behind the camera." His small smile faded, thinking about Cheyenne, how scared she'd seemed the last time he saw her. "I think I asked already, but I'm gonna say I forgot. Did you say you've seen her recently? She seemed a little shaken up the last time I ran into her." Of course he hadn't helped that situation any himself.

I'm sure she's got plenty of reason to be proud. She's very talented. Or rather, Elle couldn't imagine her not being talented. Asking her a few questions might also serve to take Cheyenne's mind off of other things. Frowning slightly, she nodded. I think she has a few things going on. She was wary of saying too much, not wanting to betray Cheyenne's confidence. It wasn't her place to discuss why she'd been on edge, even if Danny was a friend of hers. I think she needs to know she's got friends around her, people who care.

Danny frowned. That meant things weren't any better, which just fueled the concerns he already had for her. "I think you're right," he told Elle. Danny wanted to tell Elle that if she saw the other girl that she should send his good wishes, but he wasn't sure how that would go over. "I imagine you do a good job with that though?" He meant the comment; Elle had brought him pie, after only reading that he might be in the hospital.

A pang of guilt gnawed at her. If she was doing a good job, she would have at least had someone call Cheyenne on her behalf to check in with her. She would have to rectify the situation as soon as possible. She smiled meekly at Danny and gave a little shrug. I like to try and cheer people up. She may have been partially successful on that front, and it was about the best she could do. Given what was troubling Cheyenne someone like Danny would be far more useful. After all, he was a cop...

And it was right about then that the penny dropped. Cheyenne had mentioned a cop following her. Danny's queries about her despite sounding like he hadn't seen or heard from her much. It was a connection she didn't want to make. Not considering he'd been described as 'fucking creepy'. Because he wasn't. So maybe there wasn't anything there at all. He could genuinely be a concerned friend who happened to be a cop. Maybe you could catch up with her while you're recovering? she suggested, watching his reaction carefully.

"You do a good job," he told her in response to the cheering up comment. He did his best to smile, which again settled a little off in his expression. When she mentioned he should see Cheyenne though, the smile drifted to a different look. The standard cop face. "Maybe. Probably not. I messed up last time I talked to her. Upset her pretty bad, even though I didn't mean to. Pretty sure she'd rather jump off a cliff than see me again." Danny rubbed his cheek a little scratching at the stubble starting to grow there.

Unfortunately, Elle didn't have much of a poker face; dismay was written all over it. She breathed out a tiny sigh and looked down at the notebook. What happened? she asked. She wasn't sure if she was looking to confirm what she thought she knew or if she was waiting for an answer that would exonerate him. I'm sure you could say you were sorry and make it up to her. If only life were that easy.

With Elle being such an easy read it wasn't hard for Danny to guess what she was thinking. "I'm gonna say she already told you what I did. And that she's upset with me." Danny sighed, looking away from Elle. "I didn't mean to. It's just..." He didn't want to tell Elle, but really telling the girl who couldn't talk? It almost made sense. "Her mother, she asked me to keep an eye on her, but without telling her. Mrs. Walker was worried someone was after her, and Cheyenne had already come to me about the same thing. I just did a lousy job of being there without telling her the truth." Looking back at Elle he read what she'd written again. "And I doubt I can apologize enough to make up for it, even though I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare her. I'm just...worried about her."

Reaching over, she patted his good arm in an 'it's alright' way. He wasn't a creepy nutcase or anything. That was good to know. Mostly to try and make him feel better she told him, That's sort of what I said to Cheyenne. Except that I thought that maybe you'd been given it as a case or something like that. One of those hush-hush kinds. Clearly the majority of Elle's knowledge of detective work had been gathered from the movies. She pressed her lips together, brow furrowed. I understand that you couldn't really tell her what you were doing. Her mother keeping it secret from Cheyenne was the part that surprised her. Especially since she'd said she felt like no one was taking it seriously.

Gradually her expression softened. It seemed his heart was in the right place. I'll try and look out for her. Even if she was hardly a fitting substitute. Plus if her family approached you, that suggests they want to do something about it. Someone will be taking care of her, and you did your best to.

Whatever Danny had done it wasn't good enough. He didn't know who was after Cheyenne, and that was unsettling. "I hope someone is looking after her," he said. "I still worry." He still wanted to save her. "Do you think, and you don't have to, but if you talk to her? Could you tell her I wasn't trying to scare her?"

It was a few moments before Elle nodded. While she had no qualms about helping Danny get back into Cheyenne's good graces, what she didn't want to do was lie to the woman. About why she knew he hadn't wanted to scare her. About Mrs. Walker sending Danny to spy on her. About anything. Just the thought made her uneasy. I'll do what I can, she wrote and made sure to top the words off with a small smile.

Danny didn't really expect her to do too much, but he appreciated it. Just because things had gone badly didn't mean he was going to give up. Cheyenne needed protection and if he could be there, he'd be there. All she got from him was a small nod and a glance back down at his hands.

Maybe you could tell her what you told me? she ventured. Though she wasn't sure if that would help the situation or make it worse. At least it would paint Danny in a different light. One that didn't make him look like a creep. And I will say that you're a good guy with good intentions. The words 'will' and 'good guy' were underlined. Putting emphasis on the fact that she would do something and how she thought he was a pretty decent person. Things will be okay.

No matter how much the idea of him being a failure was running through his mind it was hard to not smile at Elle's comment. "I know they'll be alright. And I if get the chance I'll try talking to her." The problem would just be getting a chance. Still, if Elle thought the truth would help, maybe it would be worth a shot.

Now that was something she might be able to help with. If I meet up with her sometime I could let you know, she suggested. Then could just happen to be there and say what you need to say. If you don't get the opportunity yourself, that is. It wasn't exactly deceiving Cheyenne. It was creating a moment to make things right. That was how she chose to view it, anyway.

Danny considered that for a moment, wondering just how it would go over, but there were too man plausible outcomes. "I'm not sure. It might just wind up upsetting her more than before. And I don't want her to angry at you as well."

She nodded, not particularly wanting Cheyenne to be angry with her either. That's okay. You're probably right. I suppose you'll just have to try to be pleasant and charming. A little smile crossed her face, meaning the last part as a bit of a joke to lighten the topic. Flowers work well too. A more serious recommendation than the previous one.

"Well then I'm completely out of luck. Pleasant and charming are far from anything I'm remotely close to capable of," Danny said with a grunt. Flowers though, that was a more feasible option. He could manage flowers.

That earned a look from Elle. She raised a hand and turned her head away to tell him that she wasn't going to listen to any remarks of self deprecation. She cast him a sideways glance then turned back to look at him. Yellow roses represent friendship. Hyacinth means you're sorry. But only the purple ones, she continued.

Danny got what might be considered sheepish, ducking his eyes from hers as well. He didn't think he was either of those things, but she apparently didn't want to hear it. "Hyacinth hmm? How do you know so much about flowers?" That was certainly something he knew nothing about, or at least what the different flowers meant. Most of the time he either just asked someone to pick something out or he just got roses for Janey. But he also hadn't bought her flowers since the last miscarriage.

I like them. I like anything like that. You know, nature and the natural world, she answered. I read about them a lot when I was younger and I suppose the information stuck. Flowers used to be a very important way of communicating. Feeling ever so slightly embarrassed about starting to ramble on, Elle curbed it there. Plants and flowers were much more of a womanly pastime. Despite that, she couldn't resist adding, And daffodils mean chivalry, if you want to be chivalrous.

Danny didn't ask, but he couldn't help but wonder if she was interested in other forms of communication due to not being able to talk. "Do you think chivalrous would work for me?" He gave her a small smirk.

Resting her chin on her hand, she looked at him through narrowed eyes, playfully scrutinizing. Eventually she smiled brightly and nodded. I think it would work very well. Plus getting her something with a meaning would show that you're sincere and not only getting her flowers for the sake of apologising. That was a pointless exercise, and a waste of good flowers.

Grinning, Danny reached out and put a friendly hand on her head. "I appreciate it. I'll try and give it my best shot." And he would, hopefully it wouldn't make things worse. "I'm glad you came by Elle." It was an odd for him to be that kind of guy, the one who says those sort of things. It was probably the painkillers.

You'll be fine, she reassured him with a smile. She tore a square out of one of the notebook's pages and wrote down the name and address of a florist she favoured. Underneath she put an instruction of, Try and get a real plant in a pot rather than a bouquet. It was more for her own benefit, something growing sat better with her than cut flowers, than for any difference it made to the gift. Though a plant that would grow and bloom instead of wilting in a few days was quite a nice gesture, too.

Putting her bag on her shoulder, she got to her feet, smiling warmly at his comment. It was my pleasure. You're better to talk to than you seem to think. He had probably been all talked out by her. Make sure you take care of yourself.

Danny took the note from her, nodding appreciatively. "I'll do my best. I promise not to get shot again anytime soon." Once was more than enough. "If you need anything, come by the station. If I'm not there they'll know where to find me." This city was far from a safe place for anyone, let alone someone like Elle. Even if it wasn't his place he'd do what he could to protect her, just like the others. Thinking about that though, reminded him of Ki, the girl from the Kitten Club. He'd been too distracted lately to think about her, dealing with Janey bringing home that girl and then the raids. Hadn't there been something in the news about a young Chinese girl being found dead? He'd have to check the reports once he got back to the station.

If you need anything, come by the theatre, she wrote back, mimicking his comment with a smile. She would have given him the telephone number for the DeWinter household so any messages could be passed along to her but a man calling would have prompted more questions than she wanted to answer. If you see Sam, could you tell her I said hello? When you're not ever so busy, that is.

"I will, I'm sure she'll be by soon enough to yell at me for getting hurt," Danny said with another smile. It was a little odd that he hadn't seen Sam yet, but then again the blow back from the warehouse raid probably had her plenty busy enough. "Stay safe Elle."

Maybe she'll go easy on you. The notebook went back into her bag and she gave him a nod coupled with pertinent look that said he should do likewise. He was far more likely to run into trouble than she was. She waved goodbye to him as she headed out the door.