Holding onto Grace

Chapter 1:-

Its fifteen minutes to eight on Friday morning. The last day of the working week had arrived and the streets of Honolulu are busy with people trying to get to work and parents trying to get their children trying to school on time.

Rachel had just stopped at a red traffic light, right around the corner from Grace's school. Rachel had been battling the traffic this morning to get Grace to school on time. Knowing that school was about to start, Rachel's impatience levels were rising and began tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, hoping the lights would turn green any second now. While she was waiting, she took a glance over her shoulder to see Grace playing with her baby brother, Charles; this brought a smile to her face. She only had to wait a few more seconds before her hopes were answered when the lights went green. Rachel then felt a feeling of relief; Grace was going to get to school on time.

It only took Rachel two more minutes to get Grace to school. She pulled into the school's car park, just outside the building. Grace kissed her little brother on the forehead before climbing out of the car to say goodbye to her mother.

"Bye Charles" said Grace as climbed out of the car and closed the door.

"Now, have you got everything Grace?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, I've got everything" Grace replied. "I made sure before we left"

"Okay" said Rachel. "Don't forget father's picking you up"

"I won't" Grace replied.

Rachel then knelt down and gave her daughter a hug and a kiss.

"I love you" said Rachel. "Bye sweetheart" she said as Grace walked towards the school building.

"Bye Mom" Grace replied while giving Rachel a wave.

Rachel stood by the car and watched her daughter walk towards the school building. She was then interrupted by Charles' crying for his mother. Without waiting she opened the back door and climbed in to attend to her son. While she was undoing the straps to Charles' baby seat, she heard the sound of screeching tyres. Unable to see where I was coming from, she pulled her son out of the car and placed his head on her right shoulder and whispered to Charles to calm him down. Rachel then heard the screeching tyres again and they were definitely coming from her left hand side. She looked over to see a car coming around the corner, where she was just minutes ago. The car seemed to be speeding and all over the road; totally out of control. Still trying to calm Charles down, Rachel watched the car intently to see where it was going. Suddenly, the car took a sharp turn and headed towards the school car park. Rachel was silently praying that the car would take another sharp turn, but in the opposite direction, away from the school. To Rachel's horror, it didn't. The car seemed to be gaining speed as it approached the school car park. Rachel looked away from the car momentarily to see where her daughter was. Grace was talking with three of her friends, a couple meters from the school steps. Rachel looked back over to see where the car was. Right as she turned her head to look at the car, it mounted the curb and narrowly missed the cars parked there. This car didn't look like it was going to stop until it hit something. Still showing no signs of slowing down or changing direction the car hurtled towards the school building; right where Grace, her friends and other children were standing.

"Grace!" Rachel yelled to get her daughters attention.

Grace showed no signs that she heard her mother yelling.

"Grace!" Rachel yelled again. "Look out!" she yelled as she pointed towards the car.

Grace then looked over to her mother trying desperately to get her attention. She could see her mother pointing at something. Other parents were now only starting to pick up on what was going on. But by the time they had warned their children of the impending danger, it was too late for them to get out of the way of the out of control car.

Then Rachel had watch in complete and utter horror as her daughter and other young children were collected by the out of control car.

"Grace!" Rachel yelled.

Rachel's whole world went into slow motion as she watched this horrible event unfold. Once the car had collided with the children, it came to an abrupt stop as it slammed into the brick wall of the school building. Parents began to run over to their injured children. Rachel then quickly placed her son Charles into his car seat and strapped him in. Once she was sure he would be safe, she closed the door and ran over to the horrifying scene.

"Grace!" Rachel yelled as she ran. "Grace!"

As she was running, not stopping until she reached Grace, she saw some of the other children who had been hit, lying on the ground.

When Rachel finally reached Grace, she dropped down to the ground beside her unconscious daughter. She immediately placed her fingers on her daughter's neck to find a pulse. An overwhelming feeling of relief flowed through her body when she felt a pulse. Though this was a good sign, Grace was still unconscious and bleeding.

"Stay with me Grace" said Rachel as tears began to form in her eyes. "Please, stay with me"

Meanwhile, Steve was having his morning jog along the water's edge on the beach. Half way through his jog he saw someone familiar practicing yoga. As he approached this person, he slowed down to see if he could surprise them. He reaches out to tap them on their left shoulder, but he is stopped in his tracks.

"Touch me and I will hurt you" said April.

"Well, it was worth a shot" said Steve. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Good" April replied. "Based on the fact I started back at work yesterday, you?" she asked.

"I'm jogging, so…" Steve replied.

"That's not what I meant Steve" said April, smiling at him. "How's Catherine?" she asked.

"Ah, she's doing okay" Steve replied. "She's coming back to visit in a couple months time, for the ultrasound"

"How does it feel, knowing you're going to be a dad?" April asked.

"Exciting and terrifying at the same time" Steve replied.

"That's exactly how I felt when I found out I was pregnant" said April. "It's a shame it didn't "work out""

Steve and April fall silent for a few seconds as April takes a drink of water from her drink bottle.

"Have you seen your brother this morning?" Steve asked.

"No" April replied as she placed her drink bottle back on the ground. "But I know exactly where is though"

"Yeah?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, he and Gabby went out last night and well…" April replied.

"What?" Steve asked.

"Let's just say he didn't exactly make it home"

"Well, that would explain why he hasn't been answering his phone this morning" said Steve.

Steve and April both laughed.

"But seriously, I'm really happy to see him happy again" April stated.

"Yeah" said Steve.

They were then interrupted by April's phone ringing.

"I'm sorry, do you mind? I should answer that" said April apologetically.

"No, go ahead" Steve replied. "Do you mind if I have some of your water?" he asked.

"Yeah, go for it" April replied.

April then answered her phone.

"This is April" said April as she answered her phone.

"Hi April, it's Michelle" Michelle replied.

"Hi Michelle, what's up?" April asked.

"We need you to come into work early" said Michelle. "Do you mind?" she asked.

"No, not at all" April replied. "What's going on?" she asked.

"There's been an accident involving a car and some school children" Michelle replied.

"Okay" said April. "Where do you need me?" she asked.

"We need you to go to the school and help out the paramedics" Michelle replied.

"Do you have your florescent vest?" she asked.

"Ah, yeah it's in my car" April replied.

"Good, you won't need your scrubs, just make sure you have your vest and your ID" said Michelle.

"Okay" April replied. "Um, which school am I going to Michelle?" April asked.

"Ah, Academy of the Sacred Hearts" Michelle replied.

"Oh my god" said April in a quiet voice.

"Are you alright April?" Michelle asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine" April replied. "Look, I'll be at the school in about ten minutes"

"Okay April, I'll see you back at the hospital" said Michelle before she and April disconnected the call.

"Everything alright?" Steve asked.

"Ah, not exactly" April replied as packed up her stuff. "There's been an accident at Grace's school"

"What happened?" Steve asked with concern.

"A car collided with a group of children" April replied.

"So far they don't know how badly the kids are hurt or which kids are hurt. All I know is they need extra sets of hands"

As April and Steve start to make their way over to the car park, Steve's phone rings. He looks down to see who's calling him; it was the governor.

"McGarrett" Steve answered.

"McGarrett, I need you and your team to head to the Academy of Sacred Hearts" said Governor Dennings.

"A car has hit and injured ten school children; I want you and your team to find out how this happened and by "want" I mean "need" McGarrett"

"We're on it" Steve replied before disconnecting the call.

"The governor?" April asked.

"Yeah, looks like we're going to be seeing a lot of each other today April" Steve replied.

"How are you going to tell Danny what's happening without freaking him out?" April asked. "Especially since we don't which kids have been hurt?"

"I don't know" Steve replied. "But either way he's still going to freak out"

Before Steve could dial Danny's number, he gets an incoming call. Danny's name flashes up on the screen.

"It's Danny" Steve replied.

"Do you think already knows?" April asked.

"There's only one way to find out" Steve replied. "Danny"