Chapter Text
Dan Stark sat at his desk, looking to where Ruiz was speaking on the phone before looking across at Jack doing paperwork. He leaned back in his chair, thinking about getting another donut but there was no more guacamole left for him to dip it in. He sighed as he opened a case file on their desk, looking it over along with the different pictures that were there of the crime scene. Since the first two detectives that got the case were pulled into something “more important” than going after the bad guy, it was up to him and Jack. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the thought flickered that it might be a simple case. He knew better. Dan Stark always knew better. Even when he was talking about himself in the third person in his mind. “Jack,” he said.
“No,” Jack replied as he didn’t even look up from his paperwork.
“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask,” Dan pointed out.
“You’re going to ask if we can go back over everything in that file,” Jack said. “It was just a smash and grab. Nothing more. No mob connections, no secret organizations, and no great plot to destroy everything. So, could you please just do the paperwork on that one file and close it so the victims are able to file the insurance?”
“I think you’re wrong,” Dan said to Jack’s little outburst.
“I’m not,” Jack said as he looked up at Dan. “It’s what we’ve been asked to do, Dan. It won’t kill us to follow the rules this one time instead of doing it your way. Why can’t – why can’t you just do what we’re supposed to do? Just once?’
“Alright,” Dan said as he flipped back to the beginning of the file and slowly brought up the program he needed. He started to type slowly, hitting one key at a time with his two index fingers. As he flipped a page, he felt something coming back up the windpipe. Since he didn’t throw up, he settled back into his chair and looked over at Jack. He could have sworn there was only one of them the last time he looked. He moved his chair back and got to his feet. He saw the world go black before landing hard on his back.
“Dan?” Jack asked as he looked up from what he was doing. “Dan?!” He said as he moved over and felt for a pulse. He did one pound to Dan’s chest before moving to start CPR. He moved back as he saw Dan’s eyes open. “What – what happened?”
“Nothing,” Dan said as he looked up at Jack and then the other detectives around. “Jack, why am I on the ground?”
“You fell,” Jack said. “You got up from your desk and fell backwards.”
“Because there were two of you,” Dan said as he sat up and the other detectives went back to their desks.
“Stark!” Both Dan and Jack heard Ruiz yell from her office.
Dan let Jack get up first before he got up himself and made his way into Ruiz’s office. “Yes?” He asked as he looked at his boss. It was hard for him not to give her the once over. He would have if his back wasn’t already hurting from the fall that Jack said he took.
“Come in and close the door,” Ruiz ordered as she waited for Dan to do so. She hid her surprise as Dan did something she actually wanted him to do – closed the door and sat down in the chair opposite of her without much protest. “You seem to be having health problems again.”
“They’ll go away like they did the last time,” Dan said with a shrug. “I really don’t see any problem. You need me out there busting the punks who break the laws of our good city.”
“In order to do that, you need to be healthy,” Ruiz pointed out to him. “Full physical before you even think about going back out on the streets. Or you can spend the rest of the time until you retire at your desk.”
“You can’t do this to me!” Dan said as he stood up.
“Yes, I can, as your boss,” Ruiz said in a very calm voice as she looked up at him. “You can leave early to go to a doctor’s appointment. But until I have a doctor’s clearance for you to be on the job, you will not be allowed to leave that desk. I do know that Jack will back me up on this.” She stopped. “It pains for me to say this, yet again, but you are one of the good cops I have left in the department. I would like you to have a clear bill of health when you go and do your job.”
“Fine,” Dan said as he left Ruiz’s office, going back to his desk.
Jack looked up at Dan grabbing his jacket. “What happened?”
“Need to go see a doctor before she lets me off desk duty,” Dan said. “So I’m going to go to a clinic I know.”
“You know she’s not going to let you just back in if you go see someone you know,” Jack said. “She’ll think you’re lying.”
“I know, but it’s the only fast way that I can get back to doing my job,” Dan said as he turned to leave. At the same time, his cell phone rang. “Stark,” he said, his grumpy mood showing through as he took the phone call.
“Now, Detective Stark, is that any way to talk to a friend?” The voice on the other end of the line said.
“Roland, my friend!” Dan said happily. “Where are you?”
“Back in Dallas, so I thought I would give you a call,” Roland said. “I’m checking out a place called Twisted Root Burger and thought of you.”
“Heh. You know, if you want a good burger, you need to go more off the map,” Dan said. “Why don’t you meet me at Jakes? Good burger and they know me there.”
“You are not going to a burger place,” Jack said as he looked up at Dan.
“I do like Jakes. Sure, I’ll meet you there – Uptown, right? I think that’s closest to you. Bring Jack along – it’s been a while since I’ve seen the both of you.”
“I’ll tell him,” Dan said as he motioned for Jack to get up. “See you soon,” he added and flipped his phone close. “Come on, we’re going to go eat.”
“To Jakes? When you’ve probably had a small heart attack and just willing to harden your arteries more? Why not,” Jack said as he got up and grabbed his coat as well. He made sure they had a radio as they went out to meet the man known as the Food Blogger Thief.
*~*~*~*
“Roland!” Dan said as he saw the thief that oddly had become his friend. He didn’t question when that happened, he just went along with it. “How are you? It’s been too long.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Roland said with a grin as he got up and got a hug from Dan. “Good to see you as well, Jack.”
“Yeah – Roland, we’re going to have to put you under arrest,” Jack said.
“Why? He hasn’t done anything,” Dan said, raising an eyebrow at Jack. “Now sit down and have a burger with us,” he added as he sat down at the table.
Roland sat down as well. “That’s true – I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t plan on doing anything wrong. So, sit and join us for a meal.”
“That sounds great,” Jack said as he sat down. “But Dan can’t eat anything here. We think he had a heart attack but he won’t get checked out.”
“It was not a heart attack,” Dan countered. “And I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” Jack said. “Will you please stop saying that?”
“Because I feel fine,” Dan said with a sigh as he opened his menu.
Roland looked at the both of them before he said anything. “Dan, we can reschedule for dinner. If you had a heart attack, you should get it checked out. You could be hurt and not even know it. So, for my sake, will you go and do so? I’ll meet you for dinner at Kalachandijs. I owe them a review and they owe me dinner. So it’ll be my treat.”
Dan thought about that. “Where is it? I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s on Gurley Avenue,” Roland said and explained how to get to the restaurant. “See you there around six?”
“Sounds good,” Dan said as he got up and walked with Jack out of Jakes.
Roland smiled and waited until both of the detectives left before he got out his phone. He quickly dialed a number and chuckled. “We’re in. It didn’t take much. Yeah – he fell for the Kalachandijs line. Just make sure that your end of the plan stands up.” He clicked off his phone and settled in for a good lunch. He couldn’t wait to see Dan Stark that evening for one last meal.
*~*~*~*
Dan sighed as he sat down at the rabbit food place that was calling itself a restaurant. He looked over the menu and raised an eyebrow as the waiter came over. “Is it possible to get a beer?”
“No, sir, but we have a good wine list,” the waiter says. “Would you like a red or a white?”
“Never mind,” Dan said. “Thanks though,” he said as the waiter went away. He muttered to himself about rabbit food a second time as Roland came up. “Hey Roland,” he said.
“Dan,” Roland said as he sat down opposite of Stark. He smiled at the waiter who came over and he ordered his usual vodka martini. "You don't want anything?"
"There's no beer here," Dan said and shrugged. "Or anything that really seems like food."
"There are good things on the menu. Try the portabella burger. I swear that you'll like it," Roland says. "Tastes just like a regular burger."
"Alright," Dan said and ordered when the waiter came back, as did Roland. He leaned back in the seat and then waited for the waiter to go away. "So, there are some things that you did."
"That I maybe did," Roland said. "I don't think that you really want to arrest me just yet."
"Good point," Dan said with a sigh. "You seem up to something. My gut is giving me that sinking feeling that I get when I sit by a criminal up to something."
"I am up to getting a good meal and talking with someone who is a friend," Roland said with a smile.
"Right," Dan said and nodded a yes. "My gut is never wrong though."
"I swear it is this time though," Roland said. "I hope that you put aside your gut and just have a good meal with me. There's nothing wrong with enjoying a meal. And we'll go to another subject. Do you follow football?"
"There hasn't been a good Cowboys team since the 90s," Dan replied. "So, we can talk football, but it's a bit of a sore spot."
"Of course," Roland said with a chuckle as they continued to talk about different subjects until the food came. He started to cut up his salad as he watched Dan get his burger together. He watched Dan put ketchup and mustard on the burger before finally taking a bite. The two ate in silence until Dan started to cough. "Are you alright?" He asked.
"Yeah," Dan said as he took a deep breath, which just made him start to cough again. He put down the burger and his eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He clutched his hand to his chest, continuing to cough as he fell from the chair and it all went black.
*~*~*~*
"What do you mean that he had a heart attack? He went to a vegetarian restaurant. How could he have a heart attack there?" Jack asked of the doctor, looking very confused. He had gotten the message that Dan had been taken to the emergency room due to a heart attack from Roland. It caused him to get up in the middle of his date with Liz, explaining what was happening, and bring her with him to the hospital. He didn't know where Liz was at the moment, but he wished that she was there so he didn't blow his top at the doctor.
"Jack," Ruiz said as she came up to the doctor and the detective. "Doctor, what happened?"
"His heart just gave out in a way that is normal for a person to have a heart attack," the doctor explained. "We were able to get him stable. He's might need bypass if something happens during the night. Otherwise, he'll come out alright, but he might need to retire."
“Alright – thank you doctor,” Ruiz said as she thought about that and turned to Jack. “You said he was having a healthy dinner? Dan Stark?”
“Yeah – he went with an old friend to Kalachandijs,” Jack explained and thought about it.
“What?” Ruiz asked, looking a bit impatient.
“The old friend is the food blogger thief,” Jack replied quietly.
“Find him and question him about what happened,” Ruiz said as soon as she heard that. “Go to the restaurant as well. Figure out what happened.”
“It’s just normal body reaction to what Dan has put his body through,” Jack said. “I doubt there is anything else going on here. And why am I telling you this instead of the other way around?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Ruiz said. “Go and find out – I’m going to stay here with Dan.”
“Alright,” Jack said quietly. “He’ll be okay.”
“He better be,” Ruiz said. “Or I’m going to kill him.”
Jack smiled a bit at that as he headed out. “Yes, ma’am”
Ruiz sighed as she turned around as she heard her name called. She went over and followed the nurse back to the bed where Dan was unconscious. “Are you moving him to a room?”
“Yes,” the nurse said as she put Dan’s belongings on the bed. “You can walk with me.”
“Thank you,” Ruiz said quietly as she did so. She hanged back as the nurse hooked Dan up to the various machines that were needed to keep an eye on him. She didn’t want to admit that she was scared, but she was. There was a chill that went down her spine due to just seeing the great cop that she knew just be reduced to lying in a bed. She moved over after the nurse was done, sitting down and taking his hand.
“You could try and talk to him,” the nurse said quietly. “It might help.”
“Thank you,” Ruiz said quietly with a nod to the nurse and waited for the nurse to leave the room. “Dan,” she said quietly as she kept his hand. “You’re not supposed to go now,” she said quietly. “I don’t know what I am going to do without you. I know I ride you a lot about what you do, but you’re not the easiest person to work with, Dan. We’ve had a lot of good times, including when we were partners and we did – well, we did what was against protocol. But I loved those times, Dan. You need to come back.”
“I never left darling,” Dan said in his low Southern drawl.
“You’re awake,” Ruiz said with a smile.
“I’ve been awake since the emergency room,” Dan said. “I just didn’t feel like opening my eyes and announcing it to the world. I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”
“You had a serious heart attack,” Ruiz said quietly.
“Ana, that was no heart attack. That was a truck,” Dan said. “A truck that Roland was driving with taking me to that idiotic place that didn’t serve meat.”
“Well, it is better if you don’t eat meat,” Ruiz said as she continued to hold onto Dan’s hand. “So you’re saying that Roland had something to do with it?”
“Maybe,” Dan said. “You’re still holding my hand.”
“I am,” Ruiz said with a soft smile before kissing it. “Behave and I might kiss you again, Dan Stark.”
“I’m always behaving,” Dan replied as a nurse and a doctor came into the room. They were explaining something to him, but his mind and eyes were on Ana. He didn’t mind that she answered for him either and waited for the nurse and the doctor to be wrong. “So, what are you making me into?”
Ruiz looked amused at that. “I am making sure that you are going to be healthy and back behind that desk.”
“You know I don’t want to be behind a desk,” Dan pointed out.
“Well, it might be the only way that you can help us bust bad guys, as you put it,” Ruiz said with a smile and kissed Dan’s cheek. “I’m going to go check in on Jack. You rest.”
Dan moved his head and softly kissed Ana’s lips. He was fully ready to either be slapped or for her to stop the kiss. He was surprised when she kissed him back and held the kiss. He looked at her as they gently broke the kiss. “Ana – “
“Don’t say anything to break the moment,” she said quietly as she left the room to check in on where Jack was. She wasn’t mad that Jack couldn’t find Roland as he had already left with some pricey piece from a museum. She just told Jack to do the paperwork and then get back to Liz when he could. She went back in to sit by Dan, holding his hand and just being quiet with him. She knew that they would have to figure out where to go next, but for now, the both of them were just happy with the rekindling of their relationship.