Sheen's wife in hospital

Charlie Sheen's wife was in a hospital intensive care unit today with a high fever and an infection following mouth surgery.

Brooke Sheen's lawyer said the new development might again delay a court hearing in the domestic violence case involving her actor husband, the star of CBS TV comedy 'Two And A Half Men'.

Yale Galanter said Mrs Sheen was running a fever of 105 degrees when she was taken to Sherman Oaks Hospital in Los Angeles, California, yesterday and placed in the intensive care unit.

"She has an infection as the result of oral surgery earlier in the week," said Mr Galanter. "They're concerned and trying to get it under control."

Mrs Sheen was at her home in Los Angeles when she developed a dental problem that required surgery.

Mr Galanter said she had received heavy doses of antibiotics to control the infection, which was improving, but had developed pneumonia and remained in intensive care.

Meanwhile, Mr Galanter said the prosecutor's office in Aspen, Colorado, had agreed to Charlie Sheen's request to visit his wife in hospital.

The Sheens are under a court order to stay away from each other and have no communication.

A judge yesterday granted 44-year-old Sheen's request to modify the protection order so he could visit his wife in the hospital, but that change only applies while she is in hospital for medical treatment. A no-harassment clause remains in effect and if Mrs Sheen asks her husband to leave, he must.

That order was to be the subject of a hearing tomorrow, but it was uncertain if it would go forward. Mr Galanter said Mrs Sheen would probably not be recovered sufficiently to travel to Aspen. She had already obtained a postponement of the hearing because she was to undergo the surgery.

Mr Galanter said he had asked that the hearing be postponed again.

A message left with Charlie Sheen's spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, was not immediately returned.

The Sheens had been expected to attend the hearing in Aspen, where police were called to their home on Christmas Day.

They were expected to ask Pitkin County District Court Judge James Boyd to throw out or revise a protection order that prevents the couple from contacting each other. Such protection orders are standard in cases of alleged domestic violence.

Prosecutors oppose the request.

A police officer's arrest affidavit quoted Mrs Sheen as saying the actor pinned her on a bed while holding a knife to her throat and told her that she "better be in fear".

The officer said she reported that her husband also told her that he could hire ex-police "who know how to get the job done and they won't leave any trace".

Sheen, who denies threatening his wife, will appear in court on February 8 charged with felony menacing, second-degree assault and criminal mischief.

The Sheens, who have twin baby sons, have said they want to reconcile.