Fed up. That´s what Danny was. He was fed up. Not that he was able to say it, but obviously it was.

After three months in hell, deprived of all human care, surviving with just the essential he was sporadically provided, chained like a dog to a dirty old bed, his professional kidnappers had had a little slip and his team had finally been able to find and rescue him.

Now, lying on a hospital bed, Danny wasn´t aware of what was going on around him. On a feverish state, his body was fighting some infections. Doctors and nurses where almost constant at his side, touching him, poking and prodding him, whispering words he didn´t fully catch. His mind was done. He just wanted to be left alone.

His partner had been there also, all day. His brother had watched over him, unnecessary making sure he was treated with care. Trying to ease his misery.

Now it was dark, a quiet night broken only by some sobs. Sobs which Danny couldn´t stop. He wanted no more of it. Of anything. The last check of the nurse, who had unintentionally woken him, left him restlessly thrashing on the soft bed, looking blindly to the ceiling with lost and clouded eyes. His bandaged hands weakly trying to pull back the light covers.

Another presence was at his side. Lou was covering the night shift. Standing up from the chair, he soundlessly made his way to the bed. Sitting on it, he took the nervous moving hands and stopped them. Taking pity of the restless man, his paternal side took control of him, seeing his friend like this, looking like a lost child so needed of affection and security. Reaching forward, he strongly grabbed Danny by the biceps. Leaning back, he rested the shivering body on his chest, shushing him like he were a child. Sobs become open tears, tears of tiredness, tears of vulnerability, tears of helplessness. Tears that begged mercy. Eventually, gaining confidence on the embrace, the shivers stopped and the resistance left the battered body and Danny fell asleep.

An odor mixture of antiseptic, vomit and sweat reached Lou´s nose for the first time as he lowered his friend to the mattress. He would ask for a bath for Danny, to lessen at least a bit his distress. Making mentally note of that first request he would make to the nurse, carefully trying not to wake Danny he tucked him in.

Mission accomplished, Lou got to his feet and with gingerly legs walked to the window, to cry his own tears of helplessness.