Disclaimer: CSI:NY and related characters belong to CBS and other lucky people.

--

The door opened slowly, and Hawkes looked up to see Stella poke her head in. With his free hand, he waved. She entered the room, carefully navigating her way through the dark room.

"How's he doing?" she asked quietly, sitting in the free chair on the other side of Adam's bed.

Hawkes only shook his head sadly. Then he told her about what had happened.

"I just wish I knew what happened," he finished, exhaling as he leaned back in the chair.

"I do too," Stella agreed. "Danny's in no condition to tell us anything."

"And from what I've gotten from the doctors here, and seen for myself, Adam's too traumatized."

Stella whispered, "I would be too."

Hawkes only nodded. "How about the officers?"

"Flack might know, but he hasn't gotten down here yet. I plan on asking when I see him."

"Seeing that guy with Adam's ID around his neck…Adam's blood on it…" Hawkes trailed off, not needing to finish the thought. Stella already knew.

"Go home," Stella gently ordered. "I'm not going anywhere."

Being alone with Adam wasn't a new experience. However, being alone with a quiet, beaten Adam was. Stella gently brushed Adam's cheek with the back of her fingers, one hand on Adam's wrist since his hand was bandaged.

Stella had gotten the list of Adam's injuries from Hawkes, who'd talked to the doctor. As Hawkes told her about the burns, Stella's throat constricted and a tear fell. She didn't want to imagine what Adam had gone through, and she vowed to help him get through. Danny had Lindsay, and Adam would have her.

Hours passed before Adam woke again, this time due to the workings of a nurse. Stella was in the room as well, calming him when the nurse startled him awake. Breakfast was a quiet affair since Adam was quiet and Stella was taking her cues from him. It wasn't until they were alone that Adam dared say anything.

"Stella?" he said, his voice still a little hoarse.

"Yeah?"

"How much trouble am I in?"

"Trouble?" she repeated, looking at him curiously. "None that I know of, why?"

"I gave up my ID and the codes…"

"Adam, you didn't exactly to it freely. No one can blame you."

"I really am sorry," Adam said sadly.

"I know," Stella replied, rubbing his arm soothingly. "But you don't have to be."

"How's Danny doing?"

"He's going to be okay," Stella answered, choosing her words carefully. "He'll have to have surgery on his hand, but other than that- it's just gonna take some time."

Adam nodded slowly, the headache a constant reminder of the concussion he had. "I should've done more…"

"Adam," Stella gently warned. "Don't. Don't do this to yourself."

"He did everything…"

Stella sighed, she didn't want to argue with him, but she wasn't going to let him beat himself up either.

"You did good," she stated.

Adam looked over at his disbelievingly, and Stella only looked back, her expression serious.

"Look," she sighed, "I may not know exactly what happened, but I know you well enough to know that you did good."

He was tired, but could still read Stella's expression. He knew she didn't blame him for what happened, no matter how much be blamed himself.

"Stell?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Adam. Go to sleep, I'll be here when you wake up."

He smiled a bit at those words, then whispered, "Thank you…for everything. For being here."

And he fell asleep, her gentle hand on his arm, serving as his constant reminder that he was now safe and cared for.

--

Watching Adam sleep sapped the rest of Stella's energy, and her heavy eyelids closed. A hand on her shoulder shook her from sleep, and she blearily looked up to see the familiar blue eyes of Detective Don Flack.

"Flack?" she half-asked, half-groaned.

"Figure you'd want to know ASAP that I'm here. How's the kid?" he asked, nicking his head toward a still-sleeping Adam.

Stella only shook her head in response. "I take it you've seen Danny."

"I went by, but he's getting his hand fixed now."

"Good," she sighed. "Adam won't talk about it, about what happened. I was hoping you could fill me in."

"I just know what my guys said. Mostly, they said your boy there went through Hell, and still had the balls to keep them from getting shot."

"All he'll say is that he thinks he's in trouble for handing over the codes and his badge…"

"After those bastards took a lit cigarette to the palm of his hand…multiple times. Stel, he's got two guys who'll watch his back anytime, no matter what. He's definitely a tough little lab rat."

Stella nodded slightly, smiling a bit. "You mind telling him that when he's awake. The last part, I mean."

Flack shrugged, "Sure. Why?"

"He's really beating himself up over what happened, especially to Danny. I think it'd mean a lot coming from you."

"From what I heard, I don't see what he's got to beat himself up over."

"I think he feels he didn't do enough to help Danny."

"He did, Stel. He did. He went and got some chemical from his kit while Danny distracted the kidnappers…he did the best he could in that situation unless you train your lab rats for that kind of stuff.

"Definitely not," Stella replied. "I just wonder if we'll get Adam back out in the field after this."

"He'll be back out there," Flack stated. "It'll just take some time."

--

Stella was Adam's constant, and when she wasn't there, one of the officers was. But the lab was eventually repaired, and everyone had to return to work. But there were phones, so Stella was still his constant. And on the day of his release, there she was there, and not alone.

Adam was sitting on his bed with his legs crossed in front of him and a magazine in his lap. He'd long since gotten used to the various hospital noises, so when someone knocked on his door, he only looked up.

A laugh escaped his lips. In his doorway was a large teddy bear being held up by six helium balloons and a pair of arms clad in brick red. Underneath the bear were a pair of human legs in form-fitting blue jeans and black heels.

"Come on in, Stel," Adam said, Stella having given him permission to use the shortened form of her name. Seeing her standing in his doorway with such a massive bear made Adam smile like he'd never smiled before.

"I can barely see where I'm going," Stella mumbled as she cautiously entered the room. She set the bear down in a nearby chair, and Adam smiled again, this time at her unintentional pun.

"Ready to get out of here?" she asked, sitting on the foot of his bed.

"As I'll ever be," he answered. "The doc's just getting the forms ready. Thanks…you know…for the ride home, and everything."

Stella couldn't help but smile fondly as she reached out to muss Adam's hair. With his good hand, he immediately smoothed it back down, though it didn't really help. But Stella wasn't going to mention that. He was soon signed out and on his way home with Stella behind the wheel.

"You sure you don't want me to stay?" Stella asked again at the door to his apartment, heading back to the lab after she'd seen that Adam was settled at home.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said quickly.

She spent enough nights by his bedside to know all about the nightmares that plagued him, and so she didn't quite believe him. But to save his pride…for now, she merely nodded.

"You know what to do if you need me…if you need anything."

Adam nodded this time, then said, "Call you."

"Knew you were smart," she smiled, tapping his nose with her finger. "I'll call you later."

And with that, Adam was home alone. With the door shut and bolted behind Stella, he listened as she walked to the elevator. Then he sprawled out on the couch and turned the TV on.

"Let the healing begin," he muttered to himself before allowing his attention to be diverted by a science program.

FIN