Disclaimer: Running out of ways to say not mine.
Back by popular demand! (Except that I'm running out of titles, uh-oh!!)
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The phone rang and Danny quickly grabbed it. "Yeah?" He asked quietly. He glanced at CJ as he spoke. The phone had disturbed her and she was slowly waking up. She smiled when she saw him still sitting at her feet, but quickly looked away.
Glancing around, she attempted to find a clock she could read without her glasses on. She grabbed Danny's arm to squint at his watch, but couldn't see that either. She finally gave up and began to fidget as she waited for him to get off the phone.
"Yeah, okay." Danny hung up. "Toby said he'd be a bit later than he told you. Sam's insisting on coming and he's got a meeting."
"What time is it?" CJ rasped.
Danny pointed to the water he had placed on the table behind her. "Drink something. It's a little after one."
"Lunchtime?"
"Chicken soup?"
"That sounds good."
"Okay." Danny stood. "Do you have any?"
"What if I said no?"
"Then I'd have to go buy some."
CJ smiled shyly. "In the pantry, bottom shelf."
Danny grabbed her empty glass to fill while he was in the kitchen. "Be right back."
She waited, raising the volume on the show he had muted when the phone rang. She watched for a few seconds, then rolled her eyes and muted it again.
After putting the soup on, he came back into the living room and handed her the water. She fiddled with the glass, looking down.
"What's wrong?"
She glanced up. "I just..." she looked back down. "Thanks."
"CJ?" Danny took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him.
She took a deep breath. "For being here. Thank you. I could manage myself. It's just..." she took a sip of water as an excuse for him to stop touching her. "It's nicer to have someone here taking care of me."
"Someone?"
"You," she blurted out, then looked him straight in the eye. "It's nice having you here."
"CJ." Danny began, overwhelmed.
She held up a hand. "Remember, I'm on drugs. You have no excuse for anything you say."
Danny chuckled. "True, true. Drink your water, I'll go get more tissues. You seem to have used all those up." He gestured at the pile of tissues in the garbage can next to the sofa.
She smiled at him and obeyed, slowly drinking the water. He headed to her bedroom, knowing there was a box there. He took a few deep breaths and told himself to watch what he said. He was making progress, he knew, and didn't want to scare her off by going too fast. He headed back out to her with a smile.
"After lunch, want to wash your hair?"
"I would love to. But as you so nicely pointed out, I can't stand."
"Since you turned down my gracious offer of a shower for two, I have a new plan."
She smiled. "Really? Do tell."
"It's just for your hair though. We can drag a chair into the bathroom and you sit while I wash your hair."
She stared at him for a moment, then softly asked, "You'll wash my hair for me?"
He nodded.
"Thank you. You're so good to me."
"I'm not doing this just out of the goodness of my heart." He warned her. "I have an interest in you getting well."
"Oh?"
"Have you seen the new Julia Roberts movie?"
She laughed, then began to cough. Finally she caught her breath. "I should have seen that coming."
Danny grinned at her. "Had to try."
The kitchen timer rung and Danny handed her the box of tissues before heading to the kitchen to dish out their lunch.
"Soup's on." He called as he came back into the room carrying a tray.
"On what?"
"I'm not sure, I've just always wanted to say that." Danny considered. "On the tray, maybe?"
"That'll work." CJ sat up straighter to take a bowl. "Looks good."
"Smells good, too." He told her.
"I'll take your word for it." She assured him and he grinned.
They ate in silence quickly, both eager to be finished with CJ's hair before her boys got there.
Danny took their bowls to the kitchen and left them to be done later. "What chair should I use?"
"Kitchen, I care least about those getting wet."
Danny carried the chair in and positioned it next to the shower, then came back for her. He noticed she didn't lean on him quite as much as before. He felt relief, but was also a bit saddened. He settled her in the chair and draped a towel around her neck, gently pulling her hair tie out.
"Which shampoo?" He glanced at the bottles around the shower.
She laughed. "You pick, I can't smell it anyway."
He decided on the second one he smelled and put it on the floor next to her, along with the conditioner. He pulled the shower head from the wall. "Thank goodness you have a removable showerhead, or we'd be doing this in the sink."
She smiled her agreement as he turned on the water and had her test it. When it was the right temperature, he tilted her head back. He held the spray over her head to wet her hair, then dropped the showerhead into the tub and picked up the shampoo.
CJ closed her eyes as he massaged the shampoo into her hair. She lied and told herself it was because she didn't want any in her eyes. She absolutely would not admit it was because she was afraid to meet his eyes while his hands were so intimately on her.
He finished with the shampoo and rinsed her hair. When he began the conditioner, CJ desperately wished she wasn't sick so she could truly enjoy this. Then she quickly stopped that train of thought.
"I bet I know what you're thinking." Danny teased her.
She swallowed and kept her voice carefully neutral as she asked, "What?"
"You're wondering what Toby and Sam would say if they walked in now."
CJ smiled faintly. "Wouldn't that be interesting?" She forced the thoughts of Danny and a shower out of her mind, knowing they'd be back on some cold night to haunt her.
Danny turned off the water and began to comb her hair, tilting her head back up to it's normal position. "I know it's not that best job, but I guess it's passable."
She smiled at him. "It's great. I guess I can blow dry it sitting down."
Danny nodded and finished combing the knots out. He plugged in her hair dryer and handed it to her. "Call me if you need anything."
She nodded and he left to wash their dishes and wait.
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