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Pilar ran stright for her bedroom as soon as they got into the house. She had cried all the way home in Danny's arms. Michelle had watched her carefully since they had left the police station. Pilar seemed genuinely upset about the whole situtation but MIchelle felt such an uneasiness about the whole thing. She had alrady made up her mind to call Vanessa when she got back home and find out how to get in touch with Bill. Maybe he could help her figure out what had happened to Pilar.
Michelle knocked on Pilar's door to see if she wanted to talk and Pilar had told her to go away. Fine, Michelle thought. She headed back to the bedroom that she had shared with Danny the night before. She found Danny collapsed on the bed. Sweat was beaded on his forehead.
"Oh God, Danny" she cried and went to him. His face was white as a sheet and his eye was shut tightly.
"Danny, is it your hip?" she asked and he nodded his head slightly. She could see he was in the throes of an excruciating episode of pain.
"That's it. I'm calling an ambulance" she said and he weakly said "No"
"Danny, you have to have your hip looked at. It's causing you too much pain. You have to let your doctor look at it" she pleaded.
"Okay" he relented. "but you take me"
"Can you sit?" she asked and he nodded. "Hold on a sec, I'll tell Jimmy to get the car. Just stay still" she said and ran out of the room.
She came back a few minutes later and helped him sit up. He put his arm around her and allowed her to support some of his weight. She handed him his cane and helped him as he struggeld to stand erect. Michelle called for Sarah and together they had been able to get him into the car.
Michelle helped Danny into the backseat and then got in beside him. She helped him arrange his body so he could lay down. She placed his head on her lap. She stroked his hair and face all the while praying to God to help end this pain that he went through almost daily.
He had put too much strain on his hip last night and this morning and there was no telling if he had done any more permanent damage or not.
Danny calmed down considerably. She continued to caress him and whisper to him that they were almost there.
They arrived at the hospital and despite Danny's protests that he could walk on his own, ran in and got a nurse who brought a stretcher out to carry him inside.
Danny started becoming very uncooperative. He wouldnt let the nurse remove his pants once they got into their own examining area. He asked her to leave and said MIchelle could do it. The nurse just shook her head in amusement and left the room to allow Danny to get undressed. Slowly and carefully, Michelle helped Danny disrobe. She then helped him put on the paper gown that he had been given and she heard Danny use a most interesting word to describe what he thought of the gown.
Michelle tried to tell him he was going to have to take his boxers off and he had said like hell he would.
It wasn't long before the doctor entered. Michelle recognized him immediately. His name was Mark Turner and had been a good friend of her father.
"Now, let's see Danny. I told you you'd be back didn't I?" he said and his eyes fell on Michelle. Recognition immediatly showed on his face.
"Michelle?" he said. "Michelle Bauer?"
"Yes, Dr. Turner, it's me" she smiled.
"Well I'll be. Look at you. Youre all grown up. I hear you will be joining us here at Cedars soon. " he said and she nodded her head.
"What in the world are you doing here with this joker" he teased.
"Danny is my husband. I'm Michelle Santos now" she said proudly.
"Oh, " he said as realization hit him. "Then you are the Michelle he....." he didnt finish his sentence as he realized what he almost said.
"Yes, Dr. Turner, that's me, but I have just recently been made aware of Danny's injuries. It's a long story" she said.
"I"ll have to hear it sometime, but now I need to find out about Danny here" he said. "Its your hip again isn't it" he said not waiting for Danny to confirm what he already knew. "I told you it was only gonna get worse. Have you been in any pain?"
"Some" Danny admitted.
"Alot" Michelle corrected.
"Have you finally decided to get that operation yet?" he asked.
"No" Danny answered truthfully.
"Listen Danny, your hip is not going to get better. It will only get worse. We've been over this a thousand times. You are going to end up in a wheelchair of you dont have the surgery?
"Look Dr. Turner, Just give me the cortezone shot and I will think about it" he said not meaning a word he said.
"Excuse me" Michelle said. "Dr. Turner, why did you just fix it when he was in the hospital before? I saw the damage and it should have been fixed then."
"We did the best we could Mrs. Dantos. I dont know how much you know about his injuries but when he was brought in we were more concerned about keeping him alive. We rebuilt the hip the best we could with the understanding that when he got stronger, we would do the second operation" he explained.
"Couldn't it have been done before you released him" Michelle said.
"He was too weak. He really shouldnt have been released when he was but he kept insisting that he could recover better if he went home, so I let him with the agreement that he come in regularly, which I am sad to report he has not done" Dr. Turner said and shot a look at Danny.
Danny shot one right back and Dr. Turner laughed. "Seriously though, his heart had stopped so many times and Danny just didn't seem to have the will to live. The only reason he didnt die was because we simply wouldnt let him." he explained.
That news hit Michelle like a ton of bricks. Danny had wanted to die. Her strong, brave Danny had not wanted to live.
And she knew why. SHe looked at him and saw the truth in his eyes. She had to close her eyes to held back the tears that trheatened to come. "Please give us some time alone to discuss this Dr. Turner" MIchelle said.
"Of course" Dr. Turner said. "I'll get that shot but Danny you know its just going to be like putting a band aid on a gunshot wound. I'll send Andrea back in. Dont get dressed until after she had given you the shot" he said.
"Where's Susan" Danny asked.
"Susan's off today, so do as your told" he said and left the room.
MIchelle helped Danny lay back down. She could tell the pain in his hip had not lessened any. He closed his eye and began to breathe at a more normal pace.
MIchelle's mind kept going back to a few minutes ago when Danny had asked for someone named Susan. Who was Susan? She had to be someone who worked here at Cedars.She would be sure to look her up next week when she came to work and thank her personally for helping Danny.
Andrea came back in a few minutes later with the shot. She looked clearly amused at the look on Danny's face. She then ordered him to drop his shorts which brought another glare from Danny. She laughed and said either he could do it our she could. He replied by telling her that his wife was a doctor and she and she only would be administering the shot. Andrea said that was fine but she was required to be in the room. She watched as MIchelle got ready for the injection. Just as she was about to lower his shorts, Danny looked at Andrea with a Do you mind, look.
Andrea laughed again and turned around so he could have his privacy. Danny asked her what the hell she thought was so funny and she replied the way he was acting about all of this. She then muttered "You seen one, you've seen em all" which brought a giggle from Michelle and another glare from Danny.
Soon the shot had been given and Andrea went to get Dr. Turner. Dr. Turner returned and asked if they had discused the operation. "We need to discuss it at home" Michelle said "I promise to get with you when we make a decision"
"Fair enough" he said. "Just dont take too long."
"We wont" she promised and helped Danny off of the table. Dr. Turner handed him a pair of crutches and Danny gave him a dirty look.
"Use them" he ordered. " I told you it was only a matter of time. Next stop is a wheelchair. I mean it Danny. Dont put this off too much longer or you wont be playing baseball and stuff with your kids"
Danny nodded his head in defeat. Dr. Turner's message had gotten through to him.
"We'll call you later with our decision" and he and MIchelle left for home.
* * * * * * * * * *
Where were they?? Pilar had searched her room from top to bottom. She was sure she had had some stashed in the hole she had cut in her mattress. They werent there. Had she already used them up? She didnt remember taking them but she couldnt be sure.
Damn, and her supplier had heard she had gotten arrested and wouldnt come near her now. She wouldnt have had to try to buy them off the street if he had answered his damn page to begin with.
What was she going to do? She couldnt go much longer if she didnt get a fix soon.
Danny's medicines , she thought. He had a regular pharmacy in his cabinet. She could just see what he had in there. Perfect.
She went into Danny and Michelles bedroom. She had to make sure Sarah wasnt nosing around somewhere.
She checked outside the room and heard the vacuum running downstairs. Good.
She stopped at Michelles nightstand and noticed the most beautiful sterling silver hairbrush she had ever seen. It had to be real and it had to be very expensive. She pushed back the thought of taking it. She would wait and if she found herself desperate for funds, she may rething her position.
She walked into their bedroom, checking to make sure the vacuum was still going. She opeend the cabinet and began to look.
Lotions for his gross burns, ointment for his mangled eye and pain medicine for his crippled hip. All he needed was a hump and he could be a perfect stand in for Quasemodo. She laughed at her analogy and resumed her search.
Shaving cream, eye drops, dental floss and hello.......what have we here??? Birth control pills. My, my. Why would sweet little , I would have come if only you had told me, Michelle need birth control pills? About half of the packet had been taken.
She had only been in town three days and even then she didnt know she would be moving back in with Danny.
No, Michelle had been taking birth control pills before she came back to Springfield. And why would anyone be taking birth control pills?? To prevent pregnancy of course.
Michelle had been sexually active while she had been away in Oregon unlike Danny would she knew for sure had been as celibate as cousin Ray.
Not that he hadnt had his chances though. Some chick named Karen who was another realtor, had developed a thing for Danny about six months ago but Danny hadnt taken it seriously. He still loved his precious Michelle.
She hadnt agreed with much that Carmen had said when she was alive, but she had been right about one thing, Michelle Bauer was trouble with a capital T.
She wondered what Danny would think of the birth control pills in his little wife's possession? She knew a way to make sure he found about them too. She smiled to herself as she imagined his shattered expression. This was too good although it wasnt much fun messing with Danny anymore, lately he just made it too easy.
Just the look on Danny;'s face tonight when he found out about the pills was enough to give her a high no pills could give.
* * * * * * * * * *
Michelle helped Danny out of the car and into the house. She handed him the crutches and he didnt refuse them.
They were met in the living room by a suspiciously cheery Pilar. She came over to Danny and hugged him and told him how worried shed been when Sarah had told her he had been taken to the hospital. She insisted on making them both some tea and went in to start the water boiling.
Michelle asked Danny if he wanted to go upstairs and lie down but he said he wanted to sit in the living room a while. MIchelle said she had to make a few calls and asked if he would be alright and he shook his head yes.
She past Pilar who was coming out of the kitchen with the tea. Pilar went to serve some to Danny and "accidentally" poured the hot water on her hand.
Damn, that had hurt more than she expected and the tears that fell form her eyes were real. An angry red splotch was already forming on the back of her hand.
"Ow, ow :" Pilar cried. Danny got up as quick as his injured hip would allow and grabbed her hand to investigate the burn. She had burned it but it would be okay. Pilar was kicking up a fuss though and Danny tried to calm her.
"Sit down peanut" he said "i have some burn ointment that I can put on that. Hold on, I'll be right back" he said and hobbled off on his crutches.
Pilar had to keep in the urge to laugh. He had bought it, hook, line and sinker. He could barely walk and he was going to get her some medicine for her minor burn. What a sap. He was going to get quite a surprise when he opened his cabinet.
She saw him getting on the elevator Carmen had installed to allow the servants to move around the house without being seen by guests.
Damn, she was hoping to see him try to climb the stairs.
Michelle came back in a few minutes later and Pilar told her what had happened. MIchelle was going upstairs to help him when she saw him come off the elevator. HIs face was masked with rage. What had Pilar said to him to make him so mad?
She walked up to him to help him, when he pushed her away. She looked up at him in shock.
"Danny?"she asked but he walked right past her and went to give something to Pilar.
"Here peanut, rub this on the burn, it will help some" he said totally ignoring Michelle.
"Danny what's wrong?" she cried.
"Something I found" he said.
"Okay, something you found. What did you find that would put you in such a foul mood?" she asked.
"These" he said and thrust his hand out to show her what it had held. "How in the hell do you explain these?"
Michelle was speechless. She caught a glimpse of Pilar's amused face and put 2 and 2 together. So, this was the way it was going to be, Michelle thought. Okay, if Pilar wanted to play dirty, then so be it. All sense of loyalty for being Danny's sister went out the window. This was war.
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