'Firsts' written by EmptySky, betaed by whotellsyourstory and Celeste6 (thank you both).
If you want, check out 'part 1' to this chapter, posted yesterday. It's not necessary to understand this chapter, but focuses on how Danny was injured and the time leading up to this visit.
Chapter 07: First time Grace visits Danny in hospital
Danny 30 years old
Grace 5 years old
"Danny, sweetheart, wake up… Come on, sleepyhead, do not keep us waiting."
Danny wakes up to a light pressure on his arm and his name being called repetitively. He blinks his eyes open sleepily and wipes them with his hand to clear his vision. His gaze then falls upon Rachel standing by his bedside.
"Hey," he says, yawning and sheepishly smooths his disheveled hair back. "I nodded off waiting for you, huh?"
"Yes, you did. Again, if I may add." She smiles, seemingly very pleased. "Are you ready for a visitor?"
Danny's eyes widen as he remembers the special occasion and he nods, lowering his gaze to Rachel's hip height. Next to her, holding onto Rachel's leg tightly, is the person whose visit he has longed for the past days, the one person that is always able to cheer him up. Grace is wearing a colorful dress, her hair is done up in two pigtails, and she looks adorable as she smiles at him shyly.
"Hi, Daddy."
"Hey, Gracie!" Danny beams at his daughter and grins even wider when she waves at him and stands on her toes to peek over the bedrails obstructing her view of him. "Wait, let me sit up so we can see each other a little better."
Danny firmly places his hands on either side on his hips, takes a deep breath, and carefully scoots up a little higher on the bed. He grunts from the effort this change of position demands. He's glad when Rachel steps forward and supports him with one hand while her other hand shifts the pillows aside. They are fairly versed in doing this, having already gone through their routine during previous visits, and they work together well. Danny bites his lip to keep himself from letting out pained noises while his daughter is present. He leans on his side and holds onto the bedrails to keep himself there, while Rachel wedges the pillows behind his back, partially tucked underneath the left hip and shoulder.
"How is this for you, Danny?"
Danny releases his tight grip and leans back, satisfied when the pillows support him and he's able to see his daughter better, while at the same time relieving some pressure off his backside.
"It's perfect; thanks, honey." He tilts his head towards her for a quick kiss before turning his attention back to his daughter.
Grace is still standing in her place at his side, her eyes wide as she takes in the sight of her father in the hospital bed. Judging from the level of intimidation she's displaying, Rachel and Danny have made the right decision, not letting her visit before today.
Danny was moved out of the ICU and into a step-down unit with less monitoring three days ago, as he is no longer critical and no longer expected to deteriorate. He has made such progress that he was moved into a regular room earlier this morning, on the fifteenth day of his hospital stay.
He does not need as much care as he did before, for which everyone is thankful. He no longer requires additional oxygen to support his breathing, or the feeding tube, as he's able to eat soft foods, albeit in small portions. He's still thin, but on his way to regain the weight he lost. Danny got rid of the heart monitor that morning and finally gets to wear a gown - the nurses no longer needing quick access to his chest and wound, as he is stable. If it was up to Danny, he'd already be wearing shorts and a shirt, so he'll probably ask a nurse about it later.
Danny is a lot more mobile and has gone from barely being able to lift a hand to leaving the bed with assistance for short periods of time. He still has trouble moving on his own, since using the muscles in his abdomen is too painful. Unfortunately, the irritating catheter in his bladder is yet to be removed; a fact he's trying hard to ignore. Then there is also the IV in the back of his hand, and he wears a support binder around his abdomen. Considering the state he was in when he was admitted after being injured, things are looking up. Especially with his daughter visiting for the first time. Danny is glad he insisted on being shaved and showered by an orderly instead of receiving the usual sponge bath in bed. He looks a lot less sick than he did in the ICU.
Rachel pulls up a chair from the far wall and sits down close to the headrest. She pulls Grace on her lap and rests her chin on top of Grace's head.
"Milady..." Danny smiles and stretches his hand out towards her.
Grace eyes the IV attentively, but reaches out and grasps his fingers. She giggles when Danny places a chaste kiss on her hand.
"I missed that laugh so much. I'm happy you stopped by, Monkey. Thank you. It's so boring without you here."
"When are you coming home, Daddy?"
"I don't know for sure, sorry. It'll be another while, I'm afraid. Oh no, don't look so sad. I know your mom explained to you I've been injured. I just need to heal a bit more first, okay? I'm doing better, but I need to get a lot stronger before they let me out of here."
Grace frowns, then looks up and down his body, as if she could see the bandage through his gown if she tried hard enough.
"Does it hurt?"
Danny has a brief and nonverbal conversation with Rachel as they look at each other. So far, they've always been honest to their daughter. Santa, the tooth fairy, and all their friends excluded. However, some facts are not suited for a five-year-old, the current predicament with Danny's injury standing out as an example.
"Sometimes it does," he admits, sticking to the truth but omitting just how painful it is. "Mainly if I move. It's gotten a lot better, though."
"Mommy said there is a little hole in your belly. Does that mean that if you drink water, it will run straight back out?" Grace is wide-eyed and curious.
Danny snorts and grins at Rachel, though his smile diminishes when he realizes that Rachel doesn't find their little girl wondering about such things all that amusing.
"Well… I was leaky for a bit, I was told… But nah, they fixed me all up."
"Can I see?"
"No!" Rachel answers decidedly and sends a warning glance towards Danny, stroking Grace's hair softly. If she is trying to calm down Grace or herself, Danny is not quite sure.
"Sorry, Gracie. I've got some bandages covering the wound until it's completely healed. And it's not that exciting to look at. I've seen it, and to be honest, it looks really gross." Danny wrinkles his nose in emphasis. Also, though he's not as strict as Rachel is on the topic, he does not want his daughter to see the extent of his injury. It's bad enough Rachel's frail sense of security has been shaken again. Grace cannot know just how close he came to dying.
"But can I look at it when it's healed?"
"We'll see about that."
"Daddy, will you have a scar like I have on my knee?"
"Probably, yeah." Danny nods and unconsciously puts his hand over the area where the knife entered his abdomen and wreaked havoc. The surgeons did their best to fix the damage, which included several torn muscles and blood vessels, as well as a tear in his stomach. The result is a long incision right above his navel, going almost entirely across his abdomen. It will scar, definitely. Danny hopes that maybe it won't be as prominent over time, his distinct body hair possibly working in his favor.
Rachel looks troubled as she kisses Grace's cheek.
"Do you remember what we talked about at home, Grace? Daddy's going to be fine, just the way he was before."
Grace nods seriously. "Danno, Grandpa said you need to take it slow for a bit. And that I have to be careful. But I'm always careful! And we can't play until you're better."
"I know you are. Don't worry, we'll make up for all the lost playtime. I'll think of something nice when I'm out of here."
"Are you tired, Danno? Mommy said you'll be tired and maybe a bit grumpy for a while."
Rachel blushes when Danny raises an eyebrow at her.
"What are you talking about? Me? Grumpy? I'm never grumpy," Danny exclaims in mock consternation.
Grace giggles and leans closer to the bed, as if to tell him a secret.
"You sometimes are. When you wake up early and don't have to work till late. And when someone drives stupid. And that time I accidentally kicked your privates when I slept in your bed."
"I remember that time," Danny grumbles. "Got a point there… I'll try not to be grumpy. If I am, you'll just have to cheer me up. Look at you now, doing a fantastic job. I feel so much better already."
Grace looks up at Rachel and the two share a smile.
"I'm so glad to hear that." Rachel nods and hugs their daughter a little closer.
Danny holds his incision gently as he shifts in bed, a small flicker of discomfort ghosting over his face before disappearing and the smile is back on.
"How are you doing, Gracie?"
"I'm good, thank you."
"I heard that you got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa a whole lot. Did you behave for them?"
Grace nods and her eyes brighten. "We had lots of fun. Grandpa and I had tea parties and he played pony for me. He also gave me candy before dinner, but we cannot tell Grandma that, okay?"
"I won't tell a soul. It sounds awesome."
"It was! Grandma has been reading me stories every day. And I got to have a sleepover in Aunt Bridget's room. And guess what, she got me new crayons and a coloring book. I can bring it here for you if you get bored without me or Mommy here."
Danny chuckles. "No, Monkey, she got those for you. You keep them. I'm just glad you had fun. I know it hasn't been easy with me in here."
"I was sometimes sad, too. I missed Mommy when she had to go and I always missed you a whole lot. I was so excited when Mommy said I'd see you after school."
Danny doesn't get to reply, as the words fade away when he shifts his weight just the slightest bit. He grunts at the pain in his stomach flaring up and holds his breath for a few seconds, breathing out slowly. He is grateful that Rachel lowers the headrest and he lets her readjust the pillows. He ends up on his back, glad to be lying in a relaxed position. He shares another kiss with Rachel and sighs when she brushes her fingers through his hair, the tension leaving his body momentarily. She remains standing at his side and keeps up her ministration. Danny turns his head to focus back on Grace.
"Guess what, Daddy!"
"Tell me."
"I got to ride to school with Uncle Dave in his cruiser a few times. 'Cause, you know, Mommy stayed with you a couple of times and sometimes couldn't make it home in time for school. He turned the siren on for me once and everyone in my class was so jealous."
Danny grins and reaches over the bedrail to bump his finger against her nose, smiling wider when Grace beams up at him once more.
"Daddy's job is not so bad, is it? I get to turn on the siren almost every day. Cool huh? When I'm released it won't be long before I can go back to work. Probably on desk duty until I'm cleared, but after that, I can show up at your school. If anyone's giving you a hard time they won't afterwards."
Grace nods so enthusiastically her pigtails bounce, and the joy and excitement shows on her face clearly. Rachel however, does just the opposite. Her hand stops mid-stroke through his hair and drops down at her side altogether. Her face hardens, her eyes contain fury and her mouth is pinched in a thin line. She looks at her husband with disdain and disbelief, then shakes her head in disappointment. Danny frowns. Sure, maybe the first comment about his job was probably not such a smart idea, especially in light of his current situation. But Rachel's reaction couldn't have been just because of that. Danny realizes that maybe she had hoped he'd resign, look for another, safer job. There was never any doubt for him that he'd go back to work. Anything else is not an option. He wants to ask a question, but Rachel's glance silences him before he can even formulate any words. She shakes her head again. Well, they'll have that conversation another day. Danny feels tired, anyway.
Grace has not noticed the tension and speaks up once more.
"The other people at your work are all so nice, Daddy. Uncle Dave even took me to the zoo!"
"He did?"
"Yes and his grandchildren came with us, too. We ate pizza and looked at all the animals."
Danny is relieved to hear that not only did his family take care of Grace when he wasn't able to, but that his police family stepped up and put in a lot of effort as well. They're a close group and look out for each other, something very important to Danny. He left patrol behind him over two years ago and still, his former partner had helped Rachel when she needed the support. That and the countless visits of colleagues - who somehow managed to bribe the hospital staff and slip past the strict visiting hours to see him in the step-down unit - was more than he could have imagined happening and he felt grateful. Even the Chief had taken time out of his busy schedule and stopped by.
"...and there were polar bears, and frogs, and monkeys, and…"
Listening to his daughter spouting off all the different animals she saw is oddly comforting. So comforting, in fact, that he feels himself dozing off. As happy as he is to have Grace with him, her visit has worn him out. And after Rachel's visit earlier in the morning, his move to his new room, physical therapy and his shower, he had been exhausted to begin with. He fights sleep for a while, but eventually, his eyes are too heavy to remain open anymore. His breathing becomes deeper and his muscles relax further. The ever-present pain is at the back of his mind and he feels sleep pulling at him.
"Mommy?"
"It's fine," he hears Rachel whisper in the distance. "He fell asleep on me earlier, too. Recovering makes him really tired, so his body needs the sleep."
"Do you think he liked me coming over?" Grace also whispers.
"You made him very happy. He missed you very much and he has been looking forward to your visit for a long time. We should leave now, let him get some rest... What's wrong, Sweetheart?"
"I'm sad he's not coming with us."
"I'm sad about that, too. But we'll visit him every day until he is released. And until he's well enough to get along on his own again, the two of us can take care of him. Will you help me with that?"
There's a soft thud as Grace gets to her feet and soon after, Danny feels her hand brush over his cheek and hair softly. The corners of his mouth quirk up to the faintest of smiles. The last thing he registers before he falls asleep is a tender kiss on his temple.
"Sleep, Danno. I'll take care of you."