24

That afternoon, since the Kauai house had been taped off as a crime scene, Steve and Sarah flew back to Oahu with Danny. Now that Chrissy was gone, Steve knew he was responsible for Sarah. The thoughts of what the little girl must be feeling cluttered his mind on the flight back. Sarah didn't talk much. Instead, she clutched Thumper to her chest and kept her eyes downcast. It broke his heart.

Once they landed in Honolulu, Steve, Sarah, and Danny hopped into the Camaro and sped to the hospital where Catherine resided. Steve's mind was in overdrive the whole ride. So much had happened in such a short period that he still wasn't sure he'd comprehended all of it. Chrissy had been kidnapped. Catherine had a head injury of unknown severity. Sarah had witnessed God knows how much and wasn't talking. His life was a wreck, and he hoped he could salvage something out of it.

After arriving at the hospital, Steve pulled Sarah out of the backseat of the car and into his arms. Walking into the hospital, Steve and Danny went directly to admitting, flashed their badges, and got Catherine's room number. Within a couple of minutes, they were speaking with her doctor.

Steve asked, "So, how is she?"

The doctor readjusted his glasses, "Ms. Rollins suffered serious trauma to her head. However, we will not know the complete severity of her injuries until she wakes up."

Steve inquired, "She's still unconscious?"

The doctor replied, "Yes, she is."

Steve and Danny sat with Catherine for a little while, all the while Sarah was curled up on Steve's lap, her nose pressed into his collarbone. The visit was almost awkward, as Catherine simply laid there, a bandage wrapped about her head and an expressionless look gracing her face. An IV attached to the vein in her arm dripped frequently, and her heart monitor beeped steadily. Steve's stomach stirred with sickness. He felt surrounded by fear. Never before had he felt fear to this extent.

About half an hour later, Steve pressed a kiss to Catherine's forehead and he, Danny, and Sarah left the hospital. Both he and Danny decided it was pointless to stay at the hospital because of the stability of her condition and the fact that Kono and Chin were also checking in on her. So, Danny dropped Steve and Sarah off at Steve's house, much to Danny's dismay. Danny felt it was unsafe for them to stay at Steve's, but he knew it was useless to argue with Steve.

Walking into the house he hadn't lived in for nearly two weeks, Steve set Sarah down. She simply stood there for a second, baffled by her surroundings. Steve knelt down beside her and tipped Sarah's chin up so he could see her face.

Steve asked, "Sarah, honey, what's wrong? You've been quiet all day."

Sarah's bottom lip quivered, "I miss my mommy, Steve. I want to see Mommy. Where is she? Did the bad men take her?"

Steve swallowed hard, "What bad men, Sarah?"

Sarah replied, "The bad men who hurt Mommy when I was in the closet."

"Yes, I think that's where she is."

"I'm scared. Will Mommy be okay?"

"Listen to me, Sarah. You'll see your mommy soon, and she'll be fine. I know you're worried about her. So am I."

"You'll save her, right, Steve?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Mommy says you always save people, like the princes in princess movies. That means you'll save Mommy."

Steve's heart tugged. Sarah thought he was a fairy tale hero. Ha-ha. Not only that, but she was positive he would save her mother. As if he didn't feel enough pressure before, it just kept building. He couldn't fail, and he certainly couldn't let Sarah down.

Steve nodded, "I'll save her, Sarah. Don't worry."

As Steve gave Sarah her medicine, bathed her, put her in one of his old T-shirts, and tucked her into bed, he wondered how he was going to save Chrissy and the consequences if he didn't.

Two hours after he'd tucked Sarah into his bed, Steve sat on the living room couch, a pen in his hand and a piece of paper on a clipboard in his lap. He'd been thinking about what would happen the following night at the warehouse. A fear inside him gave him the vibe that someone would lose their life there, and he wanted to be prepared.

Chrissy and Sarah had no idea what they meant to Steve, and he knew that if he didn't make it out of the warehouse, they would never know how he felt about them. So, in case something happened, he decided to write a letter that would explain everything to them. A few times, he'd crumpled the letter and started again. The fifth time was the charm. Just as he'd signed it, he heard a pair of feet padding down the stairs.

Glancing back, Steve saw Sarah standing at the bottom of the staircase. He got off the couch as soon as he noticed the tears streaming down her face.

Steve knelt down in front of Sarah and cupped her face. He whispered, "Honey, what's wrong?"

Sarah choked out, "I had a bad dream."

Steve pulled Sarah into his arms and carried her over to the couch. He patted her on the back, "It's okay, honey. What was the bad dream about?"

Sarah cried harder, "The bad men were hurting Mommy again, and you couldn't get there. I was so scared. It was so scary."

Steve sat down and positioned her on his lap. She pressed her head against his chest, his T-shirt absorbing the moisture from her tears. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.

Steve whispered, "It's just a dream, Sarah. I promise you that nothing will happen to you again. It's okay."

Sarah sniffled, "Okay. Will you tell me a story to make me feel better, Steve?"

Steve chuckled and proceeded to tell Sarah a story about a tough, scarred prince who rescues a beautiful but emotionally distressed princess from her evil brother. Just before Steve told Sarah how they had lived happily ever after, however, he noticed that she had fallen asleep. He smiled, and decided not to move so he wouldn't disturb her. As he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, he decided he could get used to this.