CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Title: "Salvation: Forever and Always: Elusive Dreams"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult situations and language

Summary: Story #9 in the Salvation series. The bonds of family bring the Five-0 ohana even closer.

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!

Date Written: July 12, 2012

(An hour later, a nurse notifies the group in the waiting room that Grace has been moved into a private room on the pediatric floor and that her parents may see her. Rachel and Danny start for the elevator, but Caroline hangs back. Turning around, Danny looks questioningly at his wife but she just gives him an encouraging smile.)

"Aren't you coming?"

"The nurse said Grace's parents could see her, Danny; that's you and Rachel. I'll just wait here."

"You're also one of Grace's parents, Caroline."

"I'm her step-mother, Danny; it's not the same thing."

(But it is Rachel who walks back to Caroline and takes her hand; not Danny.)

"Please come with us, Caroline. I gave birth to Grace, but you have given her your love. She will be very upset if she wakes up and you aren't there to see her."

"Are you sure? I . . I don't want to intrude."

"Intrude? My daughter calls you 'Mom', too. She loves you, Caroline, and I know you love her, as well. Please?"

(And there really isn't anything Caroline can say or do except accompany Rachel and Danny as they go upstairs to sit with Grace with Lana showing them the way. The tension in the room eases considerably after the four people leave, and everyone else relaxes for just a moment. But it is a short moment as Steve goes into command mode and turns to Kono and Chin.)

"Kono, call H.P.D. and find out who's in charge of the investigation into the hit-and-run, and then get whoever it is on the phone; I want to talk to them. Chin, see what you can do about pulling security camera footage for the parking lot. I want to know who the Hell dared to hurt Gracie!"

(Both Kono and Chin are on their cellular phones in seconds to do Steve's bidding and he calls the Governor to bring her up to speed. Sam moves to sit down between her parents while Tony makes a coffee run for everyone. Both Libby and Mike are, naturally, upset about their granddaughter's injuries, but Mike has a strange look on his face and it worries both Libby and Sam.)

"Something is terribly wrong with Caroline."

"Well, of course, there is, Mike. She's upset about Grace."

"It's more than that, Libby. I've been watching her since we've been here. One minute she's the sweet, caring young woman we've known all her life and the next she seems to be a completely different person."

"Really, Mike, I don't think. . ."

"I watched it happen, Libby! I'm telling you; something is very wrong with our daughter!"

"Dad may be on to something, Mom. Steve and I were just talking about how her mood changes like someone flipping a light switch. Didn't you notice how she was looking at Rachel a little while ago?"

"Like she could have killed her without batting an eyelash."

"Exactly, Dad! I'm really worried about her!"

"Caroline's been upset about not being able to have a baby and now she's upset about Grace, and that's all there is to it!"

"There's more to it, Libby! I know you love her, I love her dearly, but there is something wrong!"

"Mom, please listen to Dad!"

(Steve, having completed his phone call and overhearing the most of the conversation between his wife and her parents, adds his two cents' worth.)

"Listen to them, Libby. Something's going on with Caroline and somebody needs to find out what before it's too late."

"Too late? Too late for what?"

"For Caroline, for all of us."

(Caroline, Rachel, and Danny quietly enter Grace's hospital room and move to the bed. The little girl they all dearly love is lying in the middle of the huge bed with an I.V. running into the back of one of her little hands and an oxygen cannula in her nose. For all intents and purposes, she looks like she is sleeping, but the three adults know better. Caroline and Rachel sit in the two chairs, one on each side of the bed, and Danny, too restless to sit, slowly paces around the room. The three people keep a silent vigil as they wait for either Grace to wake up or the doctor to bring them news. Every so often, Caroline and Rachel send encouraging smiles across the bed to one another and to Danny. . . .

Five minutes after Steve issued his instructions, Kono walks over to him and hands him her cellular phone. Taking it from her hand, Steve walks over to a corner of the room to speak with the officer in charge of the accident investigation. Tony returns with coffee and hands it out while Chin is still trying to track down the security footage. Lana returns to the waiting room and joins Sam, Libby, and Mike. Snapping his cellular phone closed with a bit more force than necessary, Steve rejoins the group with a dark frown on his handsome face.)

"They've already tracked down the SUV. It belongs to a sixteen year old who was out joy riding with some of her friends. H.P.D.'s on their way to her house now to arrest her."

"Thank goodness. At least that's something positive we can tell Danny."

"Yeah, Lana, it is. Anything new with Gracie?"

"No, but Dr. Moody should have the scan results soon."

"How bad is it, Lana?"

"I can't tell you any more than Dr. Moody already has, Libby."

"But it could be . . . Very bad, couldn't it?"

"It could, but we really shouldn't go there right now. Remember what Dr. Moody said, we need to stay positive."

"And pray."

"Yes, Libby, and pray."