A/N: First of all, I wanted to thank you again for your patience. Your reward is an extra long chapter. I hope you don't mind, LOL. My plan is to try to update on Tuesdays and Saturdays, if not earlier. It's a hectic time in the junior high teaching world right now, with the end of one quarter and the start of the next, and me currently residing in grading hell.
I wanted to congratulate LisaG16 for being the 100th reviewer of this story. Her prize was to get to suggest something for me to include in an upcoming chapter - it didn't fit into this one, but it will happen in Chapter 13.
I know I'm like a broken record, but I'm so grateful to everyone who takes the time to let me know what they thought.
As usual, no infringement is intended, and I own nothing related to Hawaii Five-0 or CBS.
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With Danny and Steve finally fed, they had both settled into a light doze. Neither wanted to completely zone out, for fear that Grace would wake up and need something. Nalani had come in, and reassured them that most likely, Grace was out for the night. Between the pain medication and the Valium, she was pretty relaxed, and if all went well, would sleep through the night.
Dr. Mitchell had come in and introduced herself; letting both men know that Grace was doing as well as could be expected. Adding the electrolytes to her IV had balanced out her bloodwork, and now the next step would be eventually removing her IV and getting her to consume enough by mouth to maintain her healing.
Once that happened, Dr. Mitchell felt pretty strongly that she could move out onto the regular pediatrics floor, and then possibly within the next 48 hours or so, be released from the hospital once and for all.
Her temperature was staying down, although it was still slightly elevated. Medically, she was on track to fully recover from the devastating incident. Emotionally, however, she still had a long way to go – they all did. Had things gone even slightly differently in trying to track, locate, and find her; there most likely would have been a drastically different outcome for the entire Williams family.
Chin and Kono had stopped back by, bringing one bag for both Danny and Grace, as well as another one for Steve. Danny was grateful for the thought that went into choosing items that Grace might appreciate, once she was feeling better. Chin had loaded a tablet with movies and games, as well as a few books that Kono thought Grace would like; and Kono had added some puzzle books and stuffed animals.
The two just sat, allowing Steve and Danny to draw comfort from their stability. It was the only thing that they could think of to do at that moment. Kono looked between her boss and her teammate and honestly couldn't decide who looked worse. Steve had circles under his eyes, and she could see the rigidity in his muscles – it was as if he was in the middle of a SEAL op, and was having a hard time standing down. She knew that finding Grace had to have been rough – she wasn't sure of all of the details, but could only imagine the horrors that Steve had experienced.
Danny just looked ragged – she could tell that he was still dealing with some pain issues, and probably wasn't resting comfortably where he was, but based on the soft smile that had not left his face from the moment they had walked in, there was not one person in the room that would dare take that away from him.
Chin caught her eye, and she nodded. "Okay, guys. We're going to get out of your hair. Let us know if you need anything at all – we can be down here in no time." After she unfolded herself from the plastic chair, Kono carefully tucked a new stuffed dolphin in between Grace and Danny, leaving her teammate to give her an only mildly disgusted look. Danny didn't despise dolphins per say – but it was just one more reminder of this pineapple-infested-hellhole that his daughter absolutely loved, and that he was grudgingly starting to think of as home.
Chin turned to Steve. "I'll text you first if we get any more information on Murdock. You can call me back when you're free. Hopefully the Newark PD has made some headway in finding him. There is no way he's going to get away with this. I hope you both know that."
Steve nodded tiredly, as Danny halfway hugged Kono. He was ready for this whole nightmare to be over with, so that they could all move on.
Once the cousins were out of the room, Danny carefully shifted before letting his head fall back against the pillow. "Damn it."
Steve sat up quickly, his voice a whisper. "What's wrong, Danny?"
Danny chuckled ruefully. "I feel like a turtle, stuck here. I need to get up – my shoulder is getting pretty stiff and sore. But Grace is on my good arm, and I can't move."
Steve maneuvered himself out of the sleep chair and over to Grace's side. With a skill that Danny didn't even know Steve possessed, he gently shifted Grace so that she was off of Danny's arm, ever mindful of the assorted tubes that were tethering her to various pieces of equipment.
Once Danny was able to pull his arm away, Steve tucked Grace against the pillow and covered her with the sheet. Pleased that she seemed somewhat comfortable, Steve moved around the bed to where Danny was still trying to figure out how to pull himself up with one arm.
"Just a second, Danny. Let me move the pillows out of the way." Steve unpacked the pillows that Nalani had put behind him and tossed them to the foot of the bed. Once he was free, Steve helped Danny sit up and turn so that he was able to get out of bed.
"Thanks, man. That was about to get awkward." Danny slowly stood and stretched, mindful of the sling and his stitches. Taking stock, he realized that he felt absolutely gross, and would probably feel more human if he could get cleaned up a little bit.
He looked around the room, somewhat confused. He was so tired, he could barely remember the past hour.
Steve could see that he was flagging, so he stepped closer. "What do you need, D?"
Danny shook his head to clear it, and took a deep breath. "I'm okay. Just tired. I thought I'd see about getting cleaned up a little bit, if you don't mind staying with Grace? Oh, and before I forget, I have to meet with the PT in her office tomorrow morning – would you mind hanging out with her then, too?"
Steve nodded. "Of course I'll stay with her. You have my word – I will keep her safe. I have a feeling someone will be staying with her for a long time – and not all for her benefit, either."
Danny blew out a breath. "Listen, Steve. I know I talk a lot. You've been on the receiving end of more than one rant. But, every time I've tried to figure out how to say what I want right now, I just can't make it sound right. So I'm just going to come out and say it. You were there for Grace when I couldn't be, and I can never repay you for that. One day soon, I want to know what happened to her, but not right now. It might be torturing myself, but I can't not know, you know? But for right now, I just need to enjoy the fact that my daughter is alive and is safe – and it's because of you. When push comes to shove, all I can get to make sense is thank you. Thank you for giving me my daughter back." By the end of his speech, Danny had tears in his eyes, as did Steve.
He knew that no words were necessary, and he really didn't know how to respond anyway, so he simply caught Danny in a gentle hug. As he held his best friend, Steve could feel the weight of everything that he had been through start to crash down on Danny. He just held on tighter, knowing that Danny needed this.
Unsure as to whether Danny was even listening, he softly told him, "There are no thanks necessary, Danny. You are my best friend. Grace is your daughter. You both are my ohana, always."
Danny just nodded against Steve's shoulder, before stepping back and wiping at his eyes. "I'm sorry, Steve. I didn't mean –"
Steve shot a glare at his partner. "I swear, Danny. If you finish that sentence, I'm going to bust your other shoulder. There is nothing to apologize for. This whole situation is completely…" He dropped his voice to a whisper, not wanting to take a chance on having to add to Grace's swear jar. "…fucked up. I know they mentioned Grace possibly talking to someone about what she went through. I'm thinking it might be a good idea for all of us, you know? I'm not a fan of shrinks, but I don't think either one of us have a compartment big enough to contain the fallout from this."
Danny took a good look at his friend. It hit him just how much Steve had suffered as well. His own imagination was supplying the mental images of just what could have happened to his daughter out there, but Steve was the one to really go through it all. "Damn it, Steve. Here I am falling apart all over you, and you've been through just as much hell as I have, if not more."
Steve just held up his hand. "Danny, don't. It's not a contest. I get what you're saying, and I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine, okay?"
Danny stared him down, knowing that now was not the time to call 'bullshit'. "Yeah, okay. Now are you sure you're okay for a few minutes? I'm not going to worry about a shower – maybe I'll try that after PT tomorrow. But I just need to scrape a few layers of fuzz off."
Steve shook his head. "Go ahead. Grace and I will be just fine. Just be careful, okay? I'm not hauling your ass out of there if you fall in, got it?"
Danny just flipped him off as he headed into the bathroom, leaving Steve chuckling behind him.
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The rest of the night was relatively uneventful, as Grace did sleep the rest of the way through. She stirred a few times, but calmed at the sound of Danny's voice. Danny managed to sleep some as well, although he kept one ear completely tuned into his daughter – much like when she was first born. He was very concerned at how out of it Grace still was, but Nalani stepped in to assure him.
"Danny, I promise, she's doing really well, given everything she's been through. But to be honest? Her body is pretty wiped out. It's been just over twelve hours since she was brought in. Triple that time frame, and you're still on the outside of normal limits for her to fully wake up. So I'm not going to tell you to not worry – she's your daughter. Of course you're going to worry. But there is no need to go into panic mode right now, okay? She just needs to rest and her body will let us know when it's ready to get going again."
Nalani was very pleased that they didn't need to give her any more pain or anxiety medication. The IV electrolytes had seemed to do the trick, and eased the muscle cramps. She was also happy to see that Grace's kidney function was much more positive, although they still weren't completely happy with her output.
Danny had started to fret, but Nalani reassured him. "I've seen this before, Danny. I would be willing to bet that another 6-12 hours of IV fluids will do the trick. Now once she's more awake, we're going to really have to encourage her to at least drink fairly frequently. We want to get that catheter out of her too, but we really can't until she's drinking more. I'm not as worried right now if she doesn't eat a whole lot, but fluids are going to be key for her. She's not on any restricted diet, so far, so whatever she thinks sounds good will work."
Danny nodded. "What about a shave ice? We have a friend who runs a stand – Grace has always been his taste tester. I know that he would make her any flavor she wanted."
Nalani agreed. "That's a great idea, actually. Maybe if he went light on the syrup, and she didn't plow through the entire thing, at least for the first attempt. But if she has a flavor she wants, go ahead and have your friend bring it for her. We can order her smoothies and things here, too. I'm getting ready to go off shift, but Ami is going to be her nurse today. If Grace is still here tonight, I will request her again…I know they were thinking about moving her to the floor, but it all depends on how she does today. Don't get me wrong – a tiny part of me hopes she's still here tonight because she's been such a great patient to take care of. She's stable, and you guys have all been so helpful and supportive – I don't always get to see that." With a smile, and a wave to Danny and Grace; she left to go give her report to Ami.
Before Nalani had come in, Steve decided that he would run down to the cafeteria and grab some coffee and whatever breakfast looked palatable for Danny and him. Knowing that Steve would be back soon, Danny decided to explain to Grace what was going to happen, even if she wasn't awake to hear it.
"Hey, Monkey. I have to go see somebody about my shoulder, but I don't want you to worry, okay? Uncle Steve is going to be right here with you. You're still in the hospital, and you're safe now, all right? So don't worry – if you want to wake up, that would be great. Maybe you could teach Uncle Steve about Spongebob? I don't think he gets out very much."
"Hey!" Steve heard that last part as he walked into the room, and tried to sound offended, but he wasn't fooling anyone.
Danny just grinned, as he accepted the offered coffee and bagel. Downing the breakfast quickly, he knew that he had to hurry to make it to his appointment. Danny blew out an annoyed breath. He really didn't want to have to leave to go and see the physical therapist, but Dr. Maclean had made it a condition of his release. He wasn't cleared to start any activity yet, but Dr. Maclean had told him that in order to be discharged, he would have to make and keep this appointment.
Steve rested a hand on Danny's shoulder. "I know you don't want to go, Danny. But you need to find out what you need to do to take care of you. I need my partner back at full strength, okay?"
Danny nodded. He knew Steve was right. But it didn't change the fact that Danny was not ready to completely leave Grace, even for an hour. He trusted Steve – but he couldn't help feeling on edge as he headed down the hall towards the elevators.
While Danny was gone, Steve pulled one of the chairs up next to Grace's bed. He pulled out the tablet that Chin had left, and found one of the downloaded books. He hoped that the sound of his voice would help Grace feel less alone. He had been injured and unconscious before, and knew how terrifying it was to feel like you were in a void.
After about fifteen minutes of reading, Steve noticed that Grace was starting to toss her head and grimace. He quickly set the tablet aside, and perched on the edge of her bed. Her face was pale; her forehead damp. "Gracie, it's okay. You're okay, sweetheart."
Her hands were plucking weakly at the sheet, and her feet were sliding up and down, as if she was trying to outrun her nightmare. Before he could even try to calm her, she released a pained, "Nooooooo!", deep from the bottom of her heart.
"Grace, can you wake up for me? It's Uncle Steve. You're safe, but I need you to wake up now." Along with his gentle words, he reached out and lightly stroked her hair.
"Come on, Gracie. Can you open your eyes?" He was afraid that she would pull one of her lines if she kept thrashing, so he decided to try something.
Toeing off his shoes, he turned himself so that his back was towards her pillow. He carefully scooped her up, sheet and all. Using the controls, he raised the head of the bed so that he could lean back more comfortably against the pillows, with Grace's head tucked up underneath his chin.
All the while, he kept up his soothing murmuring, having no idea whether anything was even reaching her wherever she was at that moment. Ami had noticed the elevated heart rate alarm, and came in to check. As soon as she saw Grace, she quickly figured out that it was a nightmare.
She briefly thought about medication, but noticed that Grace was slowly calming down, thanks to Steve's presence. He hadn't even flinched – he just coached Grace through the terror until she slowly started to emerge on the other side.
Ami motioned to Steve that she would be out at the charting station, and quietly left the room.
After what felt like an eternity, Steve noticed that Grace had stilled, and was quietly sniffling against his chest. He looked down, and was happy to see her brown eyes locked onto his.
"Hey, Gracie. You're in the hospital, and you're safe." He knew that the constant reminders were repetitive, but there was no way to know just how much Grace had heard over the past twelve hours.
He just kept lightly rubbing her back, noticing how tightly she had gripped his shirt. He knew that she was probably still somewhere in between awake and asleep, so he continued to talk softly, until she was more cognizant of her surroundings.
Finally, he felt her let go of his shirt to wipe at her face, but as soon as she was finished, had grabbed the soft cloth again. "Where's Danno?" Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough for Steve.
"He had to go see a lady and find out when he can start exercises for his shoulder."
Grace was quiet for a few minutes. "He hurt it, right? I think he did, but I don't remember."
Steve nodded, tucking the sheet more firmly around her in response to her shiver. "Yeah, Gracie. He did. He was chasing after a bad guy and tackled him like a football player. He just landed wrong and hurt his shoulder. He had surgery, and they fixed it up for him, and he's going to be just fine."
Grace's breath hitched against his chest, and it just about broke his heart. He gently tipped her chin up and met her eyes. "Can you tell me what's wrong, sweetheart?"
Grace's chin quivered and her tears spilled over her lashes. "I'm scared. I only remember a little bit, but it's all mixed up. The last thing I remember before it all got dark was that nobody came. How come nobody came, Uncle Steve?"
Steve looked stricken. 'Was that what she thought? Was that her last memory?' He kissed her on the forehead and wrapped his arms around her. "Aww, Gracie, no. I promise, none of us stopped looking for you, from the minute we found out you were gone. It took us a little while to reach you, but we never quit. I'm so sorry that you thought you were alone, but Grace, we love you. We will never leave you. I promise you that."
She was crying softly now, so Steve just settled her more firmly against his torso, knowing that her emotions were only the beginning of the healing to come. But it was a necessary step in the recovery process – he knew that first hand.
He kept up the comforting whispering, as she eventually drifted back to sleep. He was unwilling to move her just yet, so he quietly reclined the head of the bed a little bit and made sure she was comfortable. Only when he was satisfied that she was all right, did he let his own tears roll down his cheeks. He was almost physically sick at the thought of Grace being aware enough of her surroundings to realize that she was alone – and right then, he vowed once again that Randall Murdock would pay for what he had done.
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