Chapter 48- Drew Bursts

Uncle Lucas was being absolutely ridiculous, at least according to Danny. Once Danny was out of his wet clothes, he had to wear a hospital gown and Lucas hooked him up to an IV and a breathing tube. He wasn't allowed to leave his hospital bed and was covered in heated blankets.

When Lucas finally left to go check on Scout, he made to climb out of bed, but Willow walked in.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

Danny sighed. "Forget about me. I want to check on Scout! Have you heard anything? Have you seen her?"

She shook her head and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Danny's heart sank. "She isn't… is she?"

"I don't know! They won't let me in. It doesn't sound good though. Sam and Drew just got here… Lucas is talking to them."

Danny placed a hand on his forehead. "I should have been more careful about sneaking out."

"Danny…" she furrowed her eyebrows. "You shouldn't have been sneaking out at all."

He swallowed hard and the door swung open. Drew walked in, still wearing pajamas under his coat and out of breath. "Danny…" He hurried over to him and wrapped his arms around him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" Danny said. "Is Scout?"

Drew kissed the top of Danny's head firmly. "We don't know. I need to get back there. But I wanted to check on you." He turned to Willow. "Would you mind staying with him?"

She nodded. "Of course. I'll do anything you need me to do…"

Danny grunted. "I don't need a sitter…"

"Danny, this is not the time to argue," Drew said. "I love you. One of us will check on you soon."

He stroked Danny's hair, then turned and squeezed Willow's hand before going out to the hallway. Danny peeked through the open door at Sam staring through a window down the hall crying, still in her nightgown and winter coat. Drew walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

Willow sat on the chair next to Danny's bed. "Do you need anything?"

Danny shook his head. "Look at Mom…"

Willow frowned. "I know…"

Moments later, Patrick, Lucas, and Epiphany stepped out, all with tears in their eyes.

Patrick shook his head. "I-I'm sorry, Sam, Drew…"

"What are you saying?" Drew asked through gritted teeth.

"She can't…" Lucas placed a hand over his mouth. "She can't breathe on her own without a machine… We can't get a heartbeat… there's no pulse."

Danny's eyes grew wide and his breathing sped up. He looked at Willow whose face paled.

"THEN YOU HAVE TO KEEP TRYING!" Sam yelled.

Lucas lowered his gaze, tears falling down his cheeks. Then he placed his hands on Sam's upper arms, squeezing them. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't you say that! DON'T YOU SAY THAT!" Sam smacked Lucas several times in the chest. "SHE'S NOT DEAD! NOW MOVE! I NEED TO SEE MY BABY!"

Lucas stepped aside and Sam stormed into the room.

Danny turned to Willow, whose eyes were closed, head lowered, and she was mouthing something.

Next thing they knew, Drew darted into Danny's room, nostrils flared, and eyes wet with tears. "What were you doing at the lake?"

Danny's eyes stung with tears as he looked up at his father.

"I SAID, WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT THE LAKE? In the middle of the night, WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT THE LAKE?"

"We were…" Danny started crying. "I was…"

"She was seven years old! SEVEN YEARS OLD! You are her older brother and sister. You're supposed to look out for her!"

"We tried to get her out on time…" Willow cried.

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

"Don't be mad at Willow…" Danny placed a hand over his face. "It was me… it's my fault. I was sneaking out and Scout followed me… and Willow followed Scout to make sure she was okay…"

Drew inhaled sharply through his nose, his teeth seething. "Why were you sneaking out?"

"I was… I was meeting someone."

"Who?"

Danny looked away to avoid eye contact.

"WHO DANNY? WHO WERE YOU MEETING?

"An… Angelica… my girlfriend."

Drew clenched his jaw. "You're saying that Scout is gone because you were sneaking out to meet a girl? And a Marchesi? What have you been going to Kailano Island or V-Town every night?"

"No… we were meeting halfway on a rock. Then she started coming here on her kayak."

He laughed a little and shook his head. "And how do you know she wasn't being followed?"

"I… I trust her," Danny said.

"Danny, you were putting yourself and all of us in danger… and now Scout is paying for it! How could you be so selfish?"

Willow buried her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry…" Danny cried.

"It's just like your mother's relationship with Jason… no one else and nothing else matters as long you get to be with her!"

A wrinkled hand touched Drew's shoulder. He burst into tears when Monica wrapped his arms around him.

"Drew… don't say anything else that you'll regret later," Monica said softly.

Danny placed his hands over his ears and rocked back and forth crying.

"But… Scout…" Drew cried.

"Scout's going to be okay," Monica said.

"What?" Drew said.

Danny stopped rocking and looked over at Willow, who also looked up.

"It's a miracle." Monica smiled through her tears. "She's not awake yet, but she has a pulse. Her heart started beating when Sam went in with her."

"Really?" Drew pushed his tears away with the back of his hand.

"Yes. Go to her." Monica patted his back. "I'll stay with Danny and Willow."

Drew turned back to Danny and Willow and looked at them for a few seconds, then hurried out of the room.

Monica walked over to Danny's bedside and squeezed his hand. "Don't either of you take that to heart. He was just angry and upset and took it out on you."

"Well… I deserved it," Danny said. "Willow didn't."

"Scout's really going to be okay?" Willow asked.

"I believe she will be." Monica smiled. "Her heart is beating, so that's a good sign. A mother's love is strong. Stronger than medicine and machines."

Danny stared at his lap. "I hope so…"

"And how are you feeling, Danny?" Monica asked.

"Fine… just worried about Scout."

"Just focus on building your own strength, then you should be able to go see Scout," Monica said.