Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've got several ideas for more chapters, but school and work keep me busy. Hopefuly with school over in a couple of weeks I will update more often. I used the random word generator for this one and the word was breathe.

Chapter 8: Breathe

Kono sits at Danny's bedside simply watching him breathe. Even though the sunlight shining through the window is a testament to the long hours she's been there, she can't leave, not yet. Steve and Chin had gone to breakfast, but she had refused to leave.

Last night Chin had called with the news they had all been hoping and praying for, that Danny was awake. Kono rushed to the hospital, disappointed and worried to find Danny asleep when she got there. Despite the doctor's assurances that he was doing well and the fact that Steve and Chin had talked to him briefly she knew that she wouldn't be able to relax until she saw for herself that Danny was going to be okay. They had started out as teammates, but over the months he had become a mentor and brother. It still scares her to realize how close they'd come to losing him.

The thought makes her chest tighten with anxiety and she takes a deep breath as she fights back the tears threatening to fall. Closing her eyes, Kono reaches out and places her hand on Danny's chest, needing the contact.

In and out, each breath is a reminder that Danny is still alive. Up and down, the steady rhythm comforts her like nothing else has for the past week. She stays there, just reveling in the feeling until a slight tug on her wrist catches her attention.

"You okay?"

Jumping slightly in surprise, Kono opens her eyes and finds Danny staring back at her with a look of concern. His voice is hoarse, barely above a whisper, but it's still the most beautiful sound Kono thinks she's ever heard. She grasps his hand and takes a deep breath as the weight of the last seven days vanishes instantly. "Yeah, Danny, I'm fine now."