A/N Thanks so much for continuing to read and review this story. A special thank you to fruitbat00 for helping me decide how "frantic" vs. strong to make Stella in the upcoming chapters. I really appreciate your help! You guys are all very kind! Here's more…………This one is kind of short!

Chapter 5 Waiting

Stella enters the waiting area to see Flack with Starbuck's coffee and Danny and Lindsay sitting down waiting. "Hey guys. He's awake!" she says with a tired smile. Flack hands her coffee. She winks at him and says, "Damn, you're a good man!"

Flack grins at her and puffs his chest out. "Hey! I know how to take care of a woman!" Danny snorts. Flack raises an eyebrow and hands Danny a coffee. "You wanna wear yours Messer?" Lindsay and Stella look at each other and laugh. Lindsay thanks Flack as he hands her coffee and look to Stella. "How is he, Stella? Really…………"

Stella slowly takes a sip of her coffee. "Stubborn as hell. He wants to go to work." She says with a grin as all 3 faces look at her with complete shock. Then she laughs. "I'm glad to see I am not the only one horrified by that! You guys know how independent and in control Mac always has to be. Being in a hospital is a bad thing for him, not to mention it surfacing a million memories about looking for Claire. Plus he's totally out of control and he doesn't like that. He's still a little confused. He had a hard time remembering what happened, but as soon as I said Ashley's name he wanted to know how she was."

Flack snorted, "With no hint of anger I'm sure." Stella nodded and smiled at them. "You know Mac…………"

Stella continued, "So when he kept trying to get out of the bed, the nurse gave him something more to calm him down. He went back to sleep. Hopefully by the next visiting time he will be more alert."

Danny looked off into the distance and tried to make a joke, "Gotta love that Ativan. Is he OK Stella? I mean his mind. I know head injuries……………" he let his voice trail off.

Stella sat down next to Danny. "I think so Danny. He seemed coherent all considering. Dr. Collins said this morning that the swelling in his brain had dropped by half and he was really pleased with that. I don't see any reason why he won't fully recover. Now how long the road may be, I'm not sure."

Lindsay says, "How can you be so strong Stella? You've got to be exhausted and you are so positive." Stella gives a half laugh, "No, Lindsay. I'm scared as hell. I just can't let myself think anything beyond him being OK. I can't handle any other alternative." Stella tries not to let them notice the knot tightening in her throat.

Flack watches Stella intently. "Stella, there's time before the next visiting hours. Why don't you go home and shower and take a nap. Hawkes said he would be back here within the hour. He was just going by the office to check in and get some stuff from Hammerback. I'll stay here until he gets back."

Stella doesn't want to leave, but knows she'll feel better if she showers. She sighs, "I guess I need to do that. Mac told me I looked like hell." She grinned at the memory. Danny jumps in and says, "Ah, Stel, you always look like a million bucks." Flack and Lindsay both roll their eyes at Danny. "You look fine Stella. Just exhausted, "Lindsay says.

Stella goes home to shower. Flack is on the phone checking in. Danny looks at Lindsay, "Wanna take a walk?" Lindsay jumps up quickly. "I thought you'd never ask! I hate hospitals too. I want to get outside for a while." They walk in silence trying to decide how much they need to say about last night.

"So, are we going to talk about last night?" Lindsay says quietly looking at Danny.

Danny shrugs, "Whaddya mean? We got through a tough time together. Is that bad?" Lindsay tries not to show the hurt. "Is that what it was? Just getting through a tough time?" she says. "Yeah, sure," Danny says.

Lindsay starts to walk away from him and tries not to cry. Danny finally realizes that he must be giving all the wrong answers and tries to catch up with her. "Montana, hold up. What is this all about?"

She whirls around on him. "Nothing, Danny. It's all good. I shouldn't be shocked. This is you. You're always so nonchalant about everything. Just so you know though…………..I don't let just anyone spend the night at my house and most certainly not in my bed."

Danny looks shocked. "Lindsay, I…………I'm not………….I know that!" He doesn't even know what to say. He feels like nothing is going to be the right answer and he has never been able to read a woman's mind. "I didn't try to………….there was no sexual advance remember?" he tries to joke.

Lindsay half laughs and rolls her eyes. "Danny, this has nothing to do with sex! I just wanted to think that maybe……………just maybe…………….last night was special to you."

"Lindsay, it WAS! I loved every minute of it. I don't think I could have made it through last night without you. What the hell do you want me to say?"

Lindsay starts to cry and even more than the tears is the frustration that she knows she is being such a drama queen. All the emotion of Mac falling and near death and realizing how much she cares about Danny has just made her emotions go into overdrive. She just can't seem to help herself. "Danny, when I was laying there last night in your arms, I kept thinking what if it had been you that fell and had your life hanging in the balance. I don't like the fear that made me feel. I don't like how much it upset me. I don't like how much that means that I have feelings for you. And more than anything, I don't like the fact that I have no idea if you feel the same way. You are more than a co-worker to me, Danny, and that makes me so angry!" she says in complete frustration.

Danny licks his lips and tries to hide his smile. He walks up to Lindsay and puts his arms around her and pulls her into a hug. He kisses her hair. "Just for the record, Montana, I realized last night how much I care about you too. I'm just not nearly as pissed off about it as you are." She pokes him in the stomach and slips a little giggle. He pulls her back, wipes a tear and looks at her.

"It felt good to lie next to you and hold you last night. It felt …………..right. I think I would be very disappointed if it never happened again. I don't know where this is headed, but I do care and last night was special to me too. I hope it was just the beginning …………" he says. Then he hesitates a minute, raises an eyebrow, gives her his dorky grin and says, "Is that better?"

She grins and cocks her head. "Much better………… I just wanted to know I wasn't having these feelings alone, ya know? We work together every day and I've had a hard time getting you off my mind today even as worried as I've been about Mac. I just needed to know it wasn't just me."

They turn to walk back to the hospital and he slips an arm around her. "It's not just you" They walk a little way in silence, then he sticks his tongue in his cheek and decides to push his luck, "Besides………………I still have a rain check to collect on a sexual advance!"

Lindsay laughs out and pulls away from him! She walks backwards and teasingly says, "You haven't even kissed me, Messer. How do you know I want to have sex with you?"

He grabs her and pulls her to him. He gets right up to her face so she can feel his breath on her face. He leans down and pulls her lips into his mouth. He parts her lips with his tongue and slowly slides it in her mouth. He explores her mouth and caresses her back at the same time. He feels her melt in his arms and feels the moan escape her mouth more than he hears it. He closes the kiss and pulls just far enough away to look at her. "You want me." He says with a grin and starts walking again.

Lindsay reaches up to touch her lips and follows him trying to clear her head. "Damn you, Danny." He laughs and takes her hand. They give each other a knowing smile and walk back inside to prepare to go see Mac.

I'm not sure I like this chapter! It seems a little boring to me. I just needed a filler in between some other stuff! Just bear with me and keep reading! Please keep reviewing and leaving feedback too! More to come!