Thank you all so much for your reviews and for sticking to my story. I know, the last chapter was quite dark and the situation for Steve sounds hopeless. But you already had a glimpse of his brighter future in the first chapter and this one here is getting in the right direction. There is a light at the horizon…

Chapter 9

Day 47

TAMC, ICU

It had been a little more than two weeks since Steve's outburst and his decision not to see any visitors anymore. He had gone through daily sessions with Dr Cunningham to overcome his depression but still refused to see anyone or to talk about anything else than the weather. Even the psychiatrist didn't get through to him. Steve had built up his walls higher than ever before.

He lay in his bed, rigidly upright and stared at the wall in front of him. As he so far remained unable to move his upper body and head he had no other choice than to stare straight ahead at the flat screen which was mounted on said wall. Somebody had switched it on a couple of hours ago but Steve didn't notice the displayed programme. In about 30 minutes the breathing therapist would be with him to work on more new techniques to lessen his need of supplementary oxygen. That was a problem still to be solved before he could leave the ICU. The plan was for him to be moved to a regular room within the next two to three days and – if everything went according to plan – to be transferred to the rehabilitation facility by the end of the next week. In the last 14 days he had made an enormous progress. He could sit up – not by himself but assisted – for close to an hour now without getting too dizzy. His doctors called it a huge success, he called it pathetic. He was unable to see anything positive in getting propped up by two nurses, always close to fall to the side if unassisted and contrapted in that ridiculously huge brace. The first time he had seen himself in a mirror he had been shocked. The hollow eyes that had looked at him from the mirror had been scared and sad. And this was how he felt. This was all he could concentrate on.

Steve heard someone enter the cubicle but as he couldn't turn his head in the direction of the entry, he had to wait for the visitor to stand directly in front of him to see who it was. The young woman that appeared in front of him was the last person he expected to see.

"Grace!" Steve was surprised and shocked to see his adopted niece standing in front of him, looking angrily at him.

"Uncle Steve. I would ask you how you're doing but Danno told me you refuse to talk and refuse to see anyone. That's why I'm here to talk some sense into you. I know, your life is probably at its lowest point ever and I would lie if I said I do understand how desperate you may feel. But honestly, it's time to move on! You've been here for six weeks now. Look at you. You look pathetic and not because you are severely injured and in more orthopaedic contraptions than I could ever imagine but because you obviously have decided to feel sorry for yourself. What is this pitty party here? Do you really think you are the only one grieving and hardly being able to deal with this disaster? Danno is a mess! He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep, he's hardly talking and that's all your fault! Yes, you are the physically injured one, I know, but you are not the only one suffering. You are not the only one who lost his former life! Do you even care about what you do to your friends by refusing to let them visit you?" Grace madly spit the words at her uncle and as she stopped talking, Steve just stared at her with an open mouth, unable to say something.

"I know, this is probably the worst thing ever to happen to someone but Steve, you are alive! Your body is beyond broken, yes. You will be dependent on whatever kind of care and assistance for the foreseeable future, yes. But your brain is not broken! You are not brain damaged so start to think! And better start now! Do you really want to destroy what's left of your precious life? You are so close to lose your best friend, your brother! Do something!"

Grace was so incredibly mad at Steve, the angry words kept just falling out of her mouth. She didn't even think about what she was nearly yelling at the very injured man in front of her. Somehow he had to understand what was happening with his ohana and if he refused to listen to anyone of them then it was for her to knock some sense into him. She didn't care if she hurt him with her words. For now, she only knew that her father was only a shadow of the man he used to be and if there was anything she could do to make his life better again she would do it.

"You really are your father's daughter, aren't you?" Steve looked at the wild looking girl in front of him and was amused for the first time since he had woken up six weeks ago. He adored that mini version of his best friend and just as if someone had flipped a switch he started to laugh. The laughter quickly turned into a coughing fit caused by the lack of oxygen but he felt as if somebody had lifted the world's weight off his shoulders.

Dr Mason and two nursed rushed into Steve's cubicle as a couple of alarms started to shrill and Steve continued to cough. The doctor pressed an oxygen mask instead of the cannula on Steve's face and softly told him to breathe deeply. Grace looked shocked at her uncle and felt somehow miserable as she had been the one pushing him to this reaction.

As Steve regained some breath and Dr Mason lifted the mask again, his eyes searched for Grace. If he had been able to he would have lifted his hand to take hers but for now, there was only a slight twitch in his forearm and his elbow started to bend awkwardly. Grace immediately realized what Steve wanted and took his splinted fingers in hers. She looked deeply at Steve and saw the love and even a little hope in her uncle's hazel eyes. She knew, this was a breakthrough. She had succeeded to get his walls down. Now, the task was to make sure that these walls stayed down.

Mason watched the interaction between the young woman and his patient and silently left the cubicle with the nurses. He would stay close, but for now he was sure that Steve McGarrett was in good hands. Whoever this young lady was, she had cracked the stubborn man to open up.

McGarrett Residence, three hours later

Danny and the rest of the team were sitting at Steve's beach, pretending their leader would be around any time soon. Within the last two weeks, the McGarrett residence had become some kind of happy place for the ohana where they spend most of their time off. They had had several group sessions with Dr Cunningham but they all had silently decided that being at Steve's place was the best therapy. Danny just opened another longboard when his mobile rang. "I hope we don't have a case" he growled while picking up without looking at the caller's ID.

"This is detective Williams" Danny answered briskly.

"Danno"

"Hey monkey, good to hear you. You calling to tell me you missed your plane and let your Danno wait another day until I can hold you in my arms?"

"No, the opposite. I already arrived this morning but I had somewhere to be so I didn't tell you. Where are you now? Are you still at HQ?"

Danny was surprised to hear that his daughter had already arrived from college today but didn't ask why she hadn't involved him in her plans. He was just happy to see her again after three months. He had missed her so much, especially since the explosion.

"No monkey, we are all at Steve's. Shall I come and get you from wherever you are?"

"No, thanks. You know, I'm a big girl now. I have rental car, I will be with you all in about 45 minutes. Please tell the others not to leave, I have good news."

Grace ended the call and smiled happily. She would give her father and his friends the best news they had in the last weeks…