The darkness swirled around him, but it was gradually giving way to gray. Pain should have been the first thing to break through, followed by light and then awareness. That's how it had always happened in the past. Pain, and then light, and then Eames. But that's not how it happened this time. This time, a small voice preceded the pain-a small voice that pleaded "Come on, Daddy! Please wake up."

The darkness was still thick, but he felt her little hand pressing into his, and he willed his body to respond and allow him to hold her hand. She must be so frightened, and that troubled him. But she was here, with him, apparently well, and that relieved him. He wondered where her mother was, resolving himself to the fact that he would see her soon enough. And he fought his way through the darkness toward the pain, toward his little girl.

He groaned softly and moved in the bed, trying to find a position that would ease the burning pain throughout his chest. Something moved against his side, and he brought his hand over to rest on a soft head of curly hair. His eyelids fluttered and he forced them open, squinting against the light. Another soft groan escaped his lips.

"Daddy?"

He forced his eyes to focus. "Hey, mouse," he whispered hoarsely.

Forgetting about his injuries, and her fears, and the memories of Wallace, Maggie leapt up onto him and threw her unrestrained arm around his neck. She started crying, burying her face in his chest. He groaned again as pain flared through his chest. But he wrapped his arm around her, stroking her head and soothing her. "Shhhh, baby."

Logan entered his field of vision. "Mike..."

"Welcome back, Bobby."

"Eames?"

"Still in the hospital but due to be released any day. Tommy's been with Barek in Pittsfield, waiting for Alex to be released. He's doing great, being his happy little self. Maggie and I have been here forever watching you sleep and I've only been getting about seven-and-a-half of my required forty winks every night."

"W-what went down?"

"We can talk about that later, okay? The doctor wants to check you over."

He went to the door and called to Stephanie, who hurried off to find Harper. By the time Logan got back to the bed, Stephanie and Harper were back. "Well, Bobby," Harper began. "It's nice to see your eyes. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," he answered.

"We can give you something for the pain. How is your breathing?"

"Painful."

Harper's eyes shifted to Maggie. "This is some little girl you have here."

His mouth formed a weak smile. He tightened his arm around her. "I know."

Maggie lifted her head to look at him. Suddenly remembering about the injuries on his chest, she slid to his side and looked at the bandages, worried. "Did I hurt you, Daddy?"

He shook his head. "Never," he whispered.

She tilted her head and looked at him, reaching out to touch his cheek. "I missed you, Daddy," she said quietly.

His fingers lightly touched the fading bruises on her face, then he wiped away her tears. "I missed you, too, mouse."

Logan gently laid a hand on the back of her head. "Daddy doesn't feel good right now, Maggie. He still needs some sleep."

She frowned. "Is his brain going back to sleep?"

Harper laughed and looked at Logan. "Nice explanation, Mike." He smiled kindly at Maggie. "No, Maggie, your daddy's brain is awake now. It's just his body that needs to sleep."

She looked back at her father and he smiled at her again, but his eyes were already mostly closed. Harper pulled out his stethoscope and he listened, nodded in satisfaction. "So far, so good. I've ordered medicine for pain that is not likely to interfere with your breathing, but you'll sleep."

He nodded weakly. Maggie watch the nurse prepare the IV line and inject the medicine. "Will that help Daddy, Nurse Steph'nie?"

"Yes, Maggie. Just like your medicine helped your shoulder."

Goren frowned. "Shoulder?"

Logan squeezed his friend's forearm. "Later, man. Have a good nap."

Goren couldn't fight it and his eyes closed the rest of the way. Maggie continued to watch her father's sleeping face. Harper reached across the bed and touched her chin. "It seems that you were the best medicine for your daddy."

"I'm medicine?"

He laughed. "In a way, honey. It helped your daddy a lot to have you sit with him and talk to him while he got stronger."

"Daddy helps me when I'm sick."

"And now you helped him."

Logan leaned over to her. "How about we go outside and tell Mommy that Daddy held your hand?"

"Ok! I'll be right back, Daddy. I gotta tell Mommy you waked up!"

She let Logan lift her from the bed. "Will you watch Daddy till I get back, Nurse Steph'nie?"

"Of course I will, Maggie."

She held Logan's hand as they followed Harper from the room. "Nurse Kelly, we gotta tell Mommy that Daddy waked up!"

Kelly smiled. "Mommy will be happy to hear that, Maggie."

She watched the little girl leave with Logan, pleased to see the joy on her little face. The best thing her daddy could have done was to wake up.

Logan sat on what he was beginning to think of as 'their' bench and dialed the hospital, asking for Eames' room. Hello?

"How are you feeling, Alex?"

Better. How's Bobby?

"Hold on a sec."

He handed Maggie the phone. "Mommy! Daddy waked up! He holded my hand and they taked the straw outta his mouth and he waked up!"

Did he talk to you?

"He said he missed me! And Dr. George said I was Daddy's medicine."

Eames laughed. He sounds like a smart doctor.

"He's nice. I gotta go back to Daddy now."

Let me talk to Uncle Mike for a minute first, honey.

"Ok, Mommy. When are you comin', so I can tell Daddy?"

Probably tomorrow.

"Are you bringin' my baby? I miss him."

Yes, we'll bring your baby. He misses you, too. He keeps looking for you.

"That's silly. I'm here."

She laughed again. Let me talk to Uncle Mike so you can go back to Daddy.

"Ok, Mommy. I love you."

She kissed the phone and handed it to Logan. "Alex?"

How is he, Mike?

"Good. They took him off the respirator and he's breathing well. He's still weak and in a lot of pain, especially when Maggie pounced herself in the middle of his chest, but he's doing good. The doctor went as far as telling Maggie he's going to be all right. He and Maggie are buddies. He wouldn't tell her that if he didn't believe it."

Thank God. They're telling me I can get out of here tomorrow, so we'll be there as soon as we can.

"Good. I miss you guys, and so does Maggie."

We miss you, too. Thank you for calling.

"You're the only family I've got. I have to take care of you. Later, sweetheart."

Bye, Mike.

He closed the phone and Maggie grabbed his hand and dragged him back toward the building. "Come on, Uncle Mike."

He laughed. "Ok, bunny, I'm coming."

He groaned softly and forced himself to wake up. The pain was still there, but it wasn't so bad...until he moved. That drew another groan, which he tried to suppress but couldn't.

"Bobby?" He heard Logan's whisper. "You awake, man?"

He forced his eyes open and swallowed. The first thing he realized was that Maggie was sleeping with her head on his shoulder. Her hand, as always, was nestled into his hair. He looked at her, frowning when he saw the immobilizer on her right arm. He reached over and touched the fabric of the sling. "Mike...?"

"Right here," he said, coming into his field of vision.

"What did she do to my girl?"

"Only if you promise not to wig out on me. Promise?" Goren nodded. "She has a dislocated shoulder, but no permanent damage. You already saw the bruises."

"Wh-what else did she do?"

Logan sighed. "Bobby..."

"Tell me."

"I don't know. She won't tell anyone. She just wants to talk to you. The only thing she did tell me was that Wallace told her if she got out of the car in the barn, she would kill you. So the poor baby was thinking you were dead and it was all her fault. That's why I brought her here to be with you."

Goren closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths and focusing on the pain. Logan saw the tear that slid from one eye and he clenched his jaw. "I am so sorry, man."

Goren opened his eyes again. "Why? Is Alex...?"

"No, don't panic. Alex is fine. She'll be here tomorrow. You saved her life, Bobby."

"I...I did?"

"Yeah. You were draped over her body, and your weight put enough pressure on her gunshot wound that she didn't bleed out."

He vaguely remembered dragging himself to her, but not much else. He nodded. "I...uh, I need to see her."

"Tomorrow."

"So why are you...apologizing?"

"I didn't kill Wallace. I had a chance and I blew it."

Goren's heart rate began to climb and so did his breathing. "She-she got away?"

Logan didn't need to be a doctor to know that was not a good reaction. "No, no...shit, calm down, man! She didn't get away."

He relaxed as Goren calmed himself down and pulled Maggie closer to him, protectively. "What...happened?"

"I came up behind her in the barn and gave her a chance to give herself in. She shot me in the chest. I got off a couple of shots and took her down, but she lived. I let you down, and I'm sorry."

Goren reached a hand toward him and rested it against his chest, balling it into a fist against Logan's shirt. "Don't. Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I had my vest on...and that' s another thing. Deakins nearly blew a gasket because you two weren't vested."

Goren managed a shrug. "Listen to me. You did fine, Mike. You-you saved my kids. I...I don't give a shit about Wallace...as long as she's...in custody. I owe you...a lot."

"Forget it. You paid me back by not dying. I don't even want to think about the mess I'd have to clean up if you died."

He released Logan's shirt and curled his arm back around Maggie. Shifting his position in the bed, he groaned when the pain in his chest flared again. "I'll get your nurse," Logan said, moving to step away from the bed.

Goren grabbed his wrist. "Wait...you know Maggie. H-how bad did Wallace mess with her?"

Logan hesitated. "I really don't know. Once I got her here she was better, and I've tried to talk to her, but she won't say anything. It took me two days to get her to tell me she thought you were dead and it was her fault. But let me tell you this, Bobby. She took care of her baby. There wasn't so much as a scratch on Tommy and he's still his happy, laughing self. She got him out of that car and they were hiding in an old stall when Carolyn and I found them. She got out of the car to hide her baby. We all told Maggie you'd be very proud of her. We are."

He tipped his head to look at the sleeping child snuggled close to his body, gently kissing the top of her head. Logan rested his hand on her arm. "We have a room at a motel a few blocks from here. It took me forever to convince her to leave you at night. But there was no taking her away from you tonight. That chair is damned uncomfortable, I'll have you know."

Goren smiled. "Thank you, Mike."

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one wrapped around her little finger. Let me get your nurse."

Goren looked down at his sleeping daughter, who sighed softly and shifted closer to him. He gently stroked her hair and whispered, "Daddy's not going anywhere, mouse."

Logan returned with the night nurse, whose name was Susan. "How are you feeling tonight?"

"Tired."

"Any pain?"

"A lot of pain."

She gave him a soft smile. "You have a sweet little girl there."

He smiled back at her. "Thanks."

She gave him his medicine, lightly touched Maggie's cheek and said, "Just call if you need anything." She looked at Logan. "Either of you."

"Thanks," Logan answered. Goren had already drifted off back to sleep.