A/N: I got some reviews stating they want fluff and some others wondering where the heck I'm going with all this. Everything will be explained as thoroughly as I can but indirectly. That means I'll explain through the story with examples, events, and scenes. I hope that works to extend the plot. I'm so sorry about the seriousness now. I'm gonna try to make-up for the loss of fluff, so don't worry!

Chapter Thirteen

Just Glad You're Okay

Sam looked at Danny, suddenly not knowing what to do. "I'll call the doctor," she said quickly then, more to herself than Danny. He responded anyway. He grabbed on to her hand.

"Sam...no." He made it a command. A statement. Sam felt more tears well in her eyes. She was caught between doing what was best for Danny and doing what he told her to. She dropped her to knees, weeping helplessly, almost silently, as tears poured down her cheeks. One hand grabbed his, her not wanting to let go.

Danny heard her sobs over the strange inner roars ringing in his head. He dared not make a single squeak, only tightened his grip on Sam's hand. He didn't want to hear her cry. He didn't want to make her worry. He didn't want this. Any of this. His inner prayer sent his nerve-endings on fire. The pain began to spread, but he dared not let it. Over his dead body was he going to let it spread. Let it cause Sam more worry. More grief. No.

"No," he forced out his throat. The word was almost silent, Sam didn't even hear it. Danny shut his eyes, concentrating at a subconscious level to try and stop this. Sam stopped crying as she felt Danny's grip tighten only slightly. She felt a sudden heat come from his body. A sudden energy flow. She looked up, looked at him. She blinked, wiping away her tears with her other hand, the one not being held.

Danny focused all his energy, using his ghost powers as a sort of block against whatever was causing this. He knew this was not normal. He knew this 'pain' was everything but normal. He didn't know how, didn't care how, but he suddenly knew what it was. Why it was there. How it got there. Danny felt the pain recede, it living his system alone for now. But he also knew this was the least of his worries.

But for now, he didn't care. He opened his eyes slowly, weakly. Sam looked at him, afraid, happy, confused. She felt a strange mixture of emotions, but the most powerful was the feeling of relief. She wrapped her arms around Danny, knowing from the look in his eyes and the looseness of his grip on her hand, that the pain was gone.

Danny only settled into her hug. She had only seen in his eyes what he'd wanted her to see. Relief. But he'd hidden from her his true feelings. Fear. Sadness. Knowing. He closed his eyes again, whispering in her ear, "I'm tired."

Sam let go, sniffling slightly. "Don't worry," she said. "I promise I'll take care of you. I'll tell the others you woke up and fell back to sleep. Just rest. And, Danny?"

Danny had settled back down, listening to Sam's words, but still not opening his eyes. He turned to her slightly at the sound of his name and half-opened his eyes. Sam hesitated, but found this the perfect moment. She leaned forward quickly, placing a quick kiss on Danny's forehead. She moved away quickly.

Danny looked at her. Surprised. Shocked. Bewildered. "I'll be back later," Sam said quickly, and stood, walking out the room, wiping her tears completely. She left the room and closed the door behind her quietly.

Danny lay there, silent, weak, and not in the mood for anything. He had just closed his eyes to get some sleep, when the room suddenly went dead cold. So cold he could see his own breath, but when he looked at the thermometer at the far left of the room, he saw that the temperature of the room had not been affected. "Ghost sense." The words escaped his lips automatically as he turned back to look at the ceiling. What a bad time for there to be a ghost.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the smoke that usually followed a very arrogant Vlad Plasmius. "I'd of thought you'd get here...sooner," Danny mumbled, turning his head slightly.

"Oh, Daniel, you are in no condition to speak," Vlad said. Danny just noticed, looking at him intently, that Vlad had on the clothes of a doctor. He blinked slowly, looking at what Vlad was holding. A clip-board. Vlad clocked his tongue a few times, shaking his head. "This simply will not do," he said, lifting a few of the pages on the clip-board. "They simply cannot find out."

Danny didn't know what he was talking about, but he was going to find out. He, slowly, propped himself up on his elbows, wincing at the stiffness of his muscles. "What...did you do to me?" he asked, choking on the words as he was still very weak.

Vlad looked at him. "Now, now, Daniel, you're much too weak," he sneered. He was obviously enjoying Danny's vulnerability. He pushed Danny down, Danny wincing at the force. Vlad smirked. "Do not fret, Daniel, you'll be out of here soon," he said, pulling a page out of the clip-board's grip and balling it up. Danny watched as the flimsy paper was incinerated in Vlad's hand. "Now rest, and continue on with your life. It will not change too much."

Danny watched, horrified. What's up with all the riddles? What was Vlad trying to imply? What is he talking about? What's he planning? He saw Vlad disappear and the door open. The real doctor came in. He flashed Danny a seemingly warm smile. Danny only looked at him. Then he saw it. The doctor's eyes flashed red for a split-second. Vlad had over-shadowed him. "Ah, so you're awake," the doctor said.

Behind him were his parents, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker. He glanced back at the doctor, unmoving.

Jazz walked up to him, sitting at the edge of his bed. Maddie came over and hugged him. Danny still didn't move, only looked at Vlad. He was planning on letting him go? What kind of plan was that? But then, if this was still only part of the plan, then what was his full plan?

"Danny, I'm so happy you're okay," Maddie said, letting go of him. Danny nodded feebly. He looked at Sam, hoping she would catch his message. Sam looked at him, smiling fondly. She didn't understand. Danny looked at Tucker, but he was also not getting the message. His last resort would be to speak, but he couldn't do that, not without alerting his parents. He bit his lip, thinking as he looked at Vlad examining the papers on the clip-board as if they were new to him.

"Well, looks like Mr. Daniel Fenton over here is good to go," the doctor said.

"He is? But I thought you guys were going to keep him under surveillance for a day or two," Jazz said.

"No," the doctor said, shaking his head. "You're a lucky man, Daniel, it seems there was no damage except for a few wounds here and there. They should heal with no problem."

"That's great!" Jack bellowed. Danny winced at the loud booming voice of his father. "You can come home, son!"

This was all happening too fast. His suspicions of Vlad grew with each passing minute. This was far too much detail for Vlad to just want to make a small visit.

"Yes, you may go whenever you wish, Daniel," the doctor said, putting away the clip-board. "I'll leave you all to speak amongst yourselves." As Vlad neared the door, Danny following his every movement, he slyly put a finger to his lips and exited the room.

Danny took note of this. It was him. The liquid he injected him with must have been what cause the wounds to burn. But how? Danny's hand subconsciously touched the area of the wounds.

"Would you like to come home now, Danny?" Maddie asked softly.

Danny looked at her, teeth clenched against what he wanted to say. He nodded feebly. Maddie nodded. "We'll be outside," she said and they left the room. Danny sighed. Vlad was up to something, and he was going to find out what.

Twenty minutes later, Danny stood in the room he'd been in, looking around, taking in every detail. The gauze around the wounds on his arms were clearly visible. His hand rested on top of the gauze. He was dressed in his regular clothes. He'd been doing some thinking and he decided that as long as Vlad was in Amity Park, he would do his best to keep away from Sam and Tucker and his family as possible. He wouldn't let them get hurt. Not now. Not ever.

He heard the door open and Sam step in. "Just came to check in," Sam said, walking over to him. "I talked to your parents and they agreed to letting me stay at your place. Also, they agreed to dropping Tucker you and me at the Nasty Burger to get something to eat."

Danny looked at her. "Sam, I can't go," he said. Sam took a few steps towards him.

"Why not?" she asked, walking up to him until she was only a few inches away from him.

"I can't..." Danny started, but his hand tightened around his wounds to stop himself from speaking. He looked at Sam, scanning over her features. He didn't want to risk them getting hurt. He wasn't going to. "I just can't."

Sam smiled softly. "If you think it's because you want to protect us, then Danny, you are really that clueless," she said. Danny smiled. Clueless. He sighed. "Come on, Danny, we can cut the stay shorter than usual if you want," Sam said then. "I just want to spend some time with you after all this."

"And Tucker," Danny added.

"Right, Tucker'll be there too," Sam said. "How can I forget Tucker." Danny laughed.

"How can you," he said. Sam nudged him gently.

"I'm just glad you're okay," she said, hugging him tightly. "I don't know what'd I do without you." Danny allowed her to continue to embrace him, glad to be so close to her. Glad she was happy again.

Once Sam came into the realization of what she was doing, she let go. "Come on," she repeated and grabbed his hand. Okay, holding his hand is way worst than hugging him, she thought. Oh well.

She pulled him out of the room before he could say anything.

E/N: I tried adding fluff, but not much awkwardness was present. Next chapter will take place in the Nasty Burger. Lots of fluff will happen then, trust me!

--Airamé Phantom