TRIXIE

Don met a little friend while recuperating in a hospital. And the little friend turned out to be a player in the FBI current case. Intrigue and danger follows them.

Trixie

Chapter 1

"Hi'

Don didn't pay attention; he didn't know that the voice was directed at him.

His face was facing he skywards, with his head against the back of the stone bench.

"Hi." Came the soft voice again.

This time Don sat up a bit and opened his eyes, looking for the owner of the voice.

Don was unable to see from where he was sitting, a stone bench just outside the ward's corridor, situated in such a way, that the sun shone on him and in front of him was a little patch of green with pots and pots of plants.

He looked around and saw the owner of the soft voice, just by the big pot.
He got startled; it was a little girl about 5 or 6 and was sitting on another stone bench with her legs dangling. Her body was hidden by the big pots of plant. She had leaned forward to say 'hi' to Don.

Don replied.
"Hi."

Don was not in the mood to make conversations no matter how cute the girl looked.
His arm was hurting him and he was rubbing it up and down. The bullet was removed from his shoulder and it's been 4 days and yet he was not allowed to be discharged because the bullet wound became infected and once again he was in surgery to have the stitches removed and the wound open to be drained.

For that he was doped up to his gills with antibiotics for the infection, medication for pain and fever and for a while he had the IV for dehydration it made him sleepy and lethargic.
For an active person like him, lying in bed all the time made him grouchy, grumpy and easily irritated so much so that his father backed off after the third day of sitting with him.

He didn't blame his dad for shying away. Hell, he would shy away from himself. He can't do anything, he felt so lethargic lying on the bed all the time.

He came back to the present when he heard the girl talking again.

"You broke your arm?" the little girl asked putting her head out to see Don.

"No."

"Somebody broke your arm?"

"No."

"Then how did you break your arm?" the little girl insisted on knowing.

'My goodness what a little busybody' Don thought to himself and not wanting to be rude, he said,
"Miss, I would appreciate a little peace and quiet if you don't mind, my head's spinning and no, my arm is not broken."

"Then if your arm is not broken, why are you wearing a sling, just like mine?"
She asked again and this time she put her body out to show Don her little sling. She got down slowly and sure enough she was sporting a small blue sling with little blue teddy bears on it

He felt like jerk and his heart soften when he looked again, she was standing near those big pots like a little tiny person in blue PJs with tiny yellow bears and one arm in a hospital blue arm sling just like his but hers was cuter with teddy bears. She was wearing hospital issued flip flops with little hearts on it.

Don made up his mind and said, "Why don't you come here and tell me how you broke your arm?"

"Okay." she said cheerfully and came near Don, the bench proved to be a bit high for her to climb up; Don motioned her to come nearer and used his good hand to help her up.

Don had to smile when he looked at the little girl and she reminded him of Charlie when he was 5 years old, all the questions and the curiosity.

She was cute with curly hair black hair, cute dimples on her cheeks but on her face and chin he saw some healing scratches, so were pretty deep ones too.

"What are doing out here? Where are you parents ?" Don was all concerned and curious as to why she was sitting out here along.

"Nana was with me in my room there." she stopped and pointed to a window just very near to where she was sitting, "she fell asleep and I have no one to talk to so I went to the nursey station and talked for a bit with Jenny and then they were suddenly running away, so I came here."

Don thought the nurses must have some sort of emergency else they wouldn't leave this little girl.

"Come on then, I'll walk you back." Don stood up and held his hand to her.

"No." she refused to go.

"Why not? Your nana will be worried sick if she wakes up and see an empty bed." Don explained.

"No, the bed is not empty." She said.

"Huh?

"Goofy is there."

"Goofy the dog?" Don asked.

"No, no, Goofy is my bear and he's sleeping in my bed now. Goofy has this smile" she looked up at Don and made a funny smile lighting up her face with her cute little dimples, "So I named him Goofy."

Don smiled at the explanation, "So what's your name? Minnie?" Don asked.

"NO! "She laughed a musical soft laughter which was very pleasant to hear.
"What's yours, first?" she asked.

"Mine's Don and you're?"

"Trixie, you're scruffy but handsome, definitely." Trixie said.

Don was embarrassed but he managed to put on a straight face and said,
"Umm… thank you and I think you're a very pretty lady."

"Thank you Don and now can you tell me what happened to your hand?"

Don stopped, how you tell a child that you've been shot while trying to apprehend a child kidnapper and molester.

His mind wandered and he remembered this morning….
He got a 'talk to' by his father before he left. Today was his fourth day when he was getting almighty sick of lying in bed all the time. No doubt he was sick but lying in bed, unable to do anything…..

"Donnie, what do you want, you're injured and you want to get better? Well sorry to say in order to do that you just have to stay in bed and let the injuries heal. No, not injuries, sorry wrong word, Bullet wound."
Alan paused for a while and looked at his son, he knew he was miserable and getting shot was no joke and he praised the above that Donnie was not seriously injured.

He got a call from Megan and he nearly dropped the phone when he heard shot, hospital. Even when Megan confirmed that it was serious but not life threatening it still didn't make it any lighter.

"You need the hospital right now and at home, we can't give you the kind of help that the hospital can. So can you just stay here for another day or two until the doctor discharges you?"

Don kept quiet during this 'tirade', well alright not tirade but a 'talk to', he felt bad that he was behaving like an idiot.
He turned to his dad and said, 'Sorry dad, I will stay until the doctor say otherwise. You don't need to stay here. I'll be alright."

"No, Donnie, I feel better if one of us stay with you, at least for a few hours. I need to go home now and will come back in the evening with your food. I take it you don't want the hospital food anymore?" Alan smiled at his son.

"No, anything else is better than hospital food. Thanks dad."

"That's OK, that what parents are here for, look after their young ones when they are not capable of looking after themselves, no matter how old they are."
"Hey, I resent that! I can look after myself! Maybe Charlie."

"Hey, who's calling my name in vain? Hey bro, feeling better? I can see you're better now that you can argue with Papa Bear."

"Not argue, Charl, just stating a fact."

Alan looked at both his sons, he never felt so blessed to have these two. He raised his eyebrow at Don and dare him to continue.

"OK. Dad, no more such talk. I 'm much better but still I want to be out of here." Don sneaked a peek at his dad.

Charlie looked at Don, he was still very pale, and the 2 bouts of surgery had taken much toil. He knew he's still weak but Don wouldn't admit it.
He went up to him and gave a round the shoulder hug, the good shoulder.

When he lifted up his head, Don pat him on his back to acknowledge the hug.

Alan look at Don and they made eye contact, Alan made a move and bend down hug his son and after planting a pressed kiss on forehead which he noted was still a bit too warm and making a mental note to tell the nurses at the station, he said,
"OK Charlie's here and he can stay until he needs to go, alright with you?"

"Yes, dad. Err.. you're bringing me rib eye with the potatoes?" Don's eyes crinkled at the sides.

"Well, son, I'm not sure, if they are in disguise as chicken pieces and broth, then its rib eye and potatoes for you." Alan raised his eyebrows and turned to Charlie, "Be good to your sick brother and no arguments, it might tire him out."

"Be gone, Papa bear, we'll have a fine time here."

"Cute! I'll be gone you!" Alan looked one more time at Don who at this time had his eyes closed and he made a sign to Charlie and Charlie walked with him to the door.

"Anything that I should know about?" Charlie asked.

"No, he was just himself, grouchy, grumpy and easily irritated at little things and he's still too warm, I'm going to get the nurse to monitor him when I go out. Just keep an eye on him, try not to argue with him.
If you need to go, just go I'll be back in the evenings. See you then." Alan gave his son a hug and went out.

Charlie looked at Don and said, "Dad's left."

"Yea, thanks Charlie, you really need not stay, and I'll just go to sleep."

"No problem, no classes till evening, I'll stay here and do my work."

"OK, thanks."

Charlie was soon busy tapping into his laptop, Don slept for an hour or so but the tapping sound woke him up and it got him irritated that he wanted to get out of the room.
He told Charlie that he wanted to get out and take a walk in the garden.

Charlie volunteered to go with him but Don politely turned him down and told him that he can go home, for he will be walking down to the gardens to soak up the sun.

Charlie then told Don that he won't be able to come tomorrow for he was going to attend the special Math Conference in another University with Amita.

Don told him to go, he will be Okay and dad will be coming in the evening.

He suddenly felt a pull at his hospital scrubs and he looked down and saw Trixie looking at him,
"You were wandering off, anything wrong?"

'woh… is she five years old or twenty five years old?'

"Am I? Was just thinking about my dad and my brother." Don replied hoping to steer her off.

"They're here?"

"No, they went off; my dad's coming back in the evening with some food for me."

"Oh, that's good, my dad's with my mommy now. They won't let me see her, said she's cri.." she stopped not wanting to go on or did not know the word.

"She's critical? What happened?" Don bends down a bit but then straightened for his shoulder was paining him again. Time for the meds, Clara will be looking for him soon.

"My mom's car was hit by a very fast car and my mom's car hit a pole and I was screaming and screaming. Daddy said she hit her head and I got a broken arm." She started sobbing and Don held her near to him to comfort her and she put her good hand round him.

"I heard them talking when daddy was in my room, they said she had 50/50 percent chance of making it through."

Don was curious and he asked her, "How old are you Trixie?"

"I'm eight years old."

Don got a shock and looked at her, not believing it.

"I know, I know, I'm small for my age. I take after my nana. I'm a…."

"There you are, you naughty imp, Nana's been searching for you high and low, well mostly low since I can't see high."

Trixie giggled and clambered down, "Don this is my Nana. Nana, this very handsome fella with the same coloured sling as mine is Don."

Don stood up, then and bend down and shook Nana's hand.
Yep, Trixie definitely take after her; she's small and has headful of white hair. She's old but surprisingly her face is smooth and her eyes were twinkling as she looked up to him.

"Nice to meet you Don, I see that our Trixie the Imp has been bugging you. Time to be off Trix my pumpkin, I have good news, your mommy's awake and is asking for you. Daddy came to tell me, lucky he didn't notice Goofy in your place. He said he will come back when you're awake."

"Oh that's good news, I thought Trixie said she was critical?" Don didn't mean to be a busybody but words just got out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry……"

"That's alright young man, my daughter in law and Trixie were hit by a very fast car, my son told me that the car was stolen and being chased by the police. I do not know what happened, it hit them and both ended up in hospital. Trixie had some bruising and a broken arm. My daughter in law suffered trauma to the head and some broken ribs and at one time it was touch and go. Praise the high above, she just came to and the doctor said she will make complete recovery in due time ." Nana said.

"Eh.. This accident happened?"

"Four days ago." Nana said then she looked down and Trixie was tugging her hand.

"OK, OK, little missy is impatient, you take care young man." Nana said.

"Don, I'll talk to you later, OK? Let's go Nana, I want to see mommy." Trixie said and caught hold of her Nana's hand and went off.

Don sat down and thought coincidence? He remembered at the road block before the showdown, David said while talking to the police on the radio band that the kidnapper in his speeding car had hit two vehicles along the way.

"Nah.. can't be." Don thought to himself and leaned back and tilted his head to the sun, as he was doing before being interrupted by Trixie.

"Excuse me, Agent Eppes?" a hand was shaking his shoulders.

' Now what?' he opened his eyes and saw Clara.

'Let's get you back, time for your medication.'

Tbc…