"McGarrett." Steve stated as he put the phone to his ear. "Okay, thank you, Sergeant." His call only lasted a few seconds, but it was almost the best few seconds of the day thus far, aside from knowing Grace was doing alright. "Bomb squad says the hospital is clear. There's no trace of any explosive device being here."
"Oh, thank God." Danny's eyes flitted towards the ceiling for a second. "It sounds like we beat this guy to it, then. Score one for us."
"Yeah." Steve agreed hesitantly. "For now."
As they peered into the door to Grace's room, a silent conversation took place between the partners. Steve knew how hard it was on Danny to see Grace like this. They didn't need to use words for Steve's support to be clear to his best friend.
"Daddy," Grace's voice was weak and barely audible as she spotted the men near the door.
"Hey Monkey," he approached her bedside, trying his absolute best not to let her see his pain. "How are you feeling babe? You alright?"
"Okay I guess. My head hurts." She reached up with a slightly bandaged hand to rub the side of her head. Danny's mind flashed back to what the doctors had told him about potential internal injuries and brain swelling.
"Like when Danno tells one of his bad jokes, right Gracie?" Steve winked and gave her little toe a gentle wiggle under her blankets.
She let out a tiny giggle.
"Hey, hey that's not true, Monkey. You love my jokes," Danny spoke up. Hearing his daughter laugh made him feel like his lungs were full of fresh, clean air for the first time since getting that fateful call. He looked at his smiling partner. "If you don't like them, that's a reflection of your intelligence, my friend. Not my jokes."
"What are you trying to say Danny?" Stevee asked, sending a wily grin to Grace as he finished. "That I'm not very intelligent? Because I believe I beat you at chess a few weeks ago, didn't I?" he looked at Grace for confirmation.
She nodded with a grin from ear to ear. She was more than happy to team up with the man she'd come to love as an uncle over the last five years.
"Yeah, everybody gets lucky now and again, I guess." Danny smirked as his daughter's doctor made his presence known in the doorway.
"Hi Grace, Detective Williams." He shook hands with the two men as he approached the bed. "Commander McGarrett, it's nice to see you here as a visitor, for once."
Danny couldn't help but let out a little giggle at his friend's expense. "So, how's my girl doing doc?" he turned his attention to his daughter who was still beaming.
Just as the doctor began speaking, Steve felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He excused himself from the room and answered it as he got to the hall. "Hey, Cath. You and Kono have anything from the rest of the parents?"
"No," she hesitated. "But Kono's still got a couple people to talk to. She's going to call you if she gets anything from the remaining parents."
After a few confused seconds the reality of why she was calling hit Steve like a mean wave on the Banzai Pipeline. "Catherine.." His voice waivered, unable to accept what he knew this call was going to be. This was going to be their goodbye.
"How's Grace?" She asked with a varied tone of her own. It was clear neither of them wanted to have this conversation over the phone, but there wasn't any other option at that point.
"Uh, the doctor's in with her and Danny now." He explained. "She's awake and talking. She seems to be doing alright, but she's not out of the woods yet."
"Good," She breathed a sigh of relief. "I couldn't think about the idea of something happening to her while I was gone." Catherine heaved a heavy sigh.
"Yeah." Steve agreed, echoing her tone. A short silence crept up between them; neither of them wanting to actually face the hard facts. "So…"
"Hey," She interrupted immediately. "I can't see you, but I know that look on your face, the one of disappointment because my leave didn't go completely according to plan?"
Steve showed a quick grin as the events of that weekend flashed before his eyes. From the wedding, to the brunch, to the argument with his mother, to this. "Call me as soon as you're stationed, okay?" He asked, a small tremble in his voice.
"I will, Steve." They stayed on the line in silence together, both recognizing something in each other that had only been present in one of these moments before. "Be careful okay, I want you in one piece when I come back, Commander."
"So long as you come back, Lieutenant, I'll do my best." He smiled as he spoke.
"That's more like it." She replied, hearing the smile in his voice. "Awe, I can't believe after the weekend we had that we're doing this right now."
"I know." Steve agreed. "We'll just have to make up for it in a couple months when you're back, okay?"
"Yeah, when I'm home for what? Stacey's baby shower and a family reunion at your house?" She laughed, then stopped abruptly.
"Okay, I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." He chuckled a little as he spoke, lightening the mood.
"Yeah, me too actually." She laughed before another silence fell upon them. "I, I have to go, Steve."
"Okay." He replied quietly. "'Til next time, I guess."
"Just a couple months." She assured, unsure which one of them she was trying to make feel better. Doing her best to hold back the tears, Catherine took in one deep breath. "Steve?"
"I'm here." It was all he could manage to vocalize without his emotions taking over too.
Drawing all the strength she could, Catherine was finally able to say the words she'd wanted to since the evening before. "I love you too."
"I know." He leaned against the wall of the hallway feeling the pain in his chest swell. "Stay safe, Cath."
"You too," She replied before they finally, reluctantly hung up.
"Steve," Danny called his name taking him out of his emotions with a snap. "Chin just called, they've got something."
He collected himself and quickly walked past the exiting doctor and into the room once again. "Okay, what did the doctor say?" he asked, being clear that Grace's condition was his first priority.
"He said the most beautiful words I think I've ever heard, actually." Danny answered while practically rocking in place. "He said by all appearances, she is on the path to recovery."
"Alright!" Steve's stance relaxed as he processed the good news.
Danny was almost giddy as he continued. "Then he said a bunch of medical mumbo jumbo, something about certain levels being high, other levels being low." He shook his head and laughed. "I have no idea what it meant, but he assured me it all meant she was doing even better than expected."
"Of course she is." Steve stood with his arms crossed comfortably. "I taught her everything she knows, right Gracie?" he leaned forward with a wink and a fist bump.
"Okay, okay. Don't get too excited, buddy." Danny rolled his eyes and began speaking with his hands.
Steve grinned, highly amused by his friend's animated personality. He motioned for them to step away from the bed. "You said Chin has something?"
"A name, yeah. Among other things." Danny nodded, although he couldn't take his eyes off his child in the bed on the other side of the room. "The driver's name is Joel Brown. He's 32 years old and has enough possession charges to last a lifetime."
"Any connection to the kids, or the school?" Steve asked.
"None yet." Danny shook his head, although his attention still had not left his daughter's bed.
"Okay, we need to head back to HQ and get to work getting everything we can on this guy."
Danny's attention still hadn't swayed.
Noticing that, Steve's focus also became fixed that way. "Hey," he gave his partner a light jab. "She's not going anywhere, right? She's going to be out of here in no time and she'll be stronger and better than ever."
"Yeah she will." Danny stated confidently, turning fully to Steve. "C'mere buddy." He laughed as they hugged and patted each other's backs in a manly embrace. He quickly made his way back to the bed to kiss his daughter one more time. "Have I told you how much I love you Monkey?" He asked, sitting beside her.
"About a hundred times, since this morning." She replied with a light sense of annoyance in her voice. "Do you have to go now?" She asked, sullenly.
"Not if you don't want me to, sweetheart." He quickly responded, placing a protective hand on her leg.
"I want you to catch the bad guys, Danno." Grace's face was way more serious than an eleven year old's should ever have to be.
"You know I will." He nodded, giving her leg a squeeze. I'll come back and check on you tonight, 'kay?"
Grace nodded and the men took turns hugging her before saying their goodbyes and walking back through the hospital.
As they walked around the ICU entrance, Danny caught sight of Dr. Reynolds up ahead.
"Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams." she smiled as they approached her.
"Oh, any friend of Catherine's is a friend of mine. Call me Danny, please." He reciprocated the gesture.
She chuckled, slightly embarrassed. "I'm glad to hear your daughter is doing well."
"Thank you, very much." His face lit up at the reminder that she was pulling through. "She's amazing, completely blows my mind at every opportunity."
"Well, it's like I said." Steve smirked beside him. "I've taught her well."
"No, no no." Danny laughed sarcastically. "You must've misheard me, buddy. You being out of your mind and getting us almost blown up on multiple occasions is something different altogether."
"Good one, Danny." Steve rolled his eyes with a salacious grin.
"Oh," Dr. Reynolds spoke after laughing. She felt her pocket to realize her phone was vibrating. "Excuse me guys,"
"Actually, we have to go anyway." Danny explained. "But thanks again for your help doc. And I'm also sorry, once again for my, uh, unnecessary behaviour earlier."
"Don't' mention it," She smiled as they waved and began walking away.
"So. Hot for doctor, huh?" Steve teased as they walked towards the hospital's exit.
"Button it," Danny replied as a warning with a waving finger.
"Dr. Faith Reynolds," the doctor answered her phone with a light chuckle as she watched the two men get further away.
"Hey," Catherine greeted her friend.
"Oh, how funny. I was just talking to Danny and your boyfriend." Faith teased.
"Ooohkay," Catherine chuckled. "I'm going to let that one slide, 'cause I gotta keep my good will for another favour."
"Should I be keeping track of these, or..?" her friend teased some more.
"Probably, yeah." Catherine agreed, recognizing her friend's joke. "Listen, Faith. I know this is totally against protocol, but is there any way you can give me an update on Grace's condition? I mean, I know I'm not family. But I didn't get to say goodbye before coming back to base, and I just want to make sure she's okay."
"Sure, sure." Her friend agreed as she began walking and scanning the hall around her to make sure she was alone. "I think I can do you one better though. She's awake and talking, do you want to ask her yourself?"
"Yes!" Catherine replied enthusiastically. "Are you sure it's okay?"
Dr. Reynolds smiled as she arrived at Grace's door. "Are you kidding? You think I've forgotten about the favour I still owe you from Istanbul?" She paused, poking her head in the door. "Hang on, Cath."
"Grace?" Faith asked quietly. Greeted by her beautiful smile, she took it as a cue to enter the room. "I have someone who'd like to speak to you." She handed over the phone and stepped back. "I'll be outside when you're done, just call me." She smiled and left as quietly as she'd entered.
"Hello?" Grace greeted curiously. "Who is this?"
"Hi, Grace. It's Catherine. I was at the hospital this morning, but I had to come back to work before you woke up. How are you feeling?" she asked genuinely worried.
"I'm better now." She replied. "Danno and Uncle Steve just came to visit me."
Catherine smiled involuntarily at the thought. "That's great. I'm sure your dad was really happy to see you." She felt better already, imagining how happy it must've made Danny to see her awake and responsive, and how much seeing the two men would help Grace too.
"Are you going to come visit too?" the young girl asked innocently.
Just those few words changed Catherine's feelings like night and day. "No, sweetie. I'm leaving in a couple hours for my next post." Hearing herself say the words out loud made Catherine realize even more just how much her heart was hurting knowing what she was leaving back home. "I'm sorry, Grace."
"Oh. It's okay." The disappointment was evident in the girl's voice.
So unsure of what to say, Catherine let a silence fill the space for a few seconds before relaying the only thing she could think of. "Take care of Uncle Steve for me while I'm away, okay? And Danno too. Make sure they play nicely, alright?"
"I will." Grace giggled as she spotted Dr. Reynolds poke her head back into the room. "I think I have to go now."
"Okay. Get better, Gracie. When I see you in a couple months, you'll be all healed, right? How's about we plan some laser tag or something?"
"Yeah," She agreed with excitement in her voice. "Bye." She hung up and passed the phone back to the doctor. "I'm feeling a little sleepy," She snuggled herself down into the bed as Dr. Reynolds arranged her pillows for her.
"Grace, you can call me if you need anything, okay?" She wasn't sure why, but Faith Reynolds felt a strong responsibility to this patient. Grace nodded her understanding and was asleep before the doctor had even pocketed her phone. She watched the young girl sleep peacefully for a second before returning to her desk.
Meanwhile, the scene outside was anything but peaceful.
"What? What is that about?" Danny asked with mock hurt in his voice as they drove back to HQ. "Why would you say that? Melissa is great, okay? We're doing just fine. I would be crazy to entertain even the thought of anyone else."
"Okay, relax." Steve put his hands up in surrender. "It was fairly obvious Dr. Reynolds was into you, that's all."
"Boy," Danny shook his head as they pulled into the spot. "For a guy who can't handle his own feelings when it comes to women, you sure like to make assumptions about others."
"Woah there, pal." Steve began. "Catherine and I, we're…"
"You're what? Both a little thick headed and hard wired to find danger? Yeah, I mean that's the attraction, right?"
"Are you done?" Steve asked as he pulled the keys out of the ignition. "Cause if you can get off your little soap box for long enough, I'd like to get back to this case."
With little more than a huff, they exited the car and headed into their offices.