AN: Here's another because I just love this show so much and wanted to see mooooore lol. Hope someone enjoys it lol.

Detective Dani Powell was not the emotional type. She had learned very early on in life to refrain from wearing those emotions on her sleeve because they could easily be perceived as a sign of weakness to her enemies. She also learned to give said enemies as little ammunition against her as possible, thus, she kept those emotions contained to the best of her ability until they could be properly – and privately – dealt with.

But, despite her greatest efforts, the past day or so had been extremely challenging overall, especially in terms of keeping her emotions at bay. Malcolm Bright had that effect on her. He got under her skin and at first it wasn't in a great way. But then, she had started to actually see him and not just for who his father was or the façade of oddities and dark humor that provided a sense of security for him. No, she started to see him for the deeply passionate and caring individual that he was. He wasn't just some reckless, pompous ass who couldn't stand being wrong like so many others in this line of work. He came off that way, sure, but in reality, he wore his father's crimes like a cross that was his duty to bear and he could not handle the idea of the bad guy going free or the loss of innocent lives. So he made it his mission to keep those things from happening as much as humanly possible, even if that meant he would take his last breath in doing so.

That is why this entire ordeal had been excruciatingly difficult. Everything told them that Bright wouldn't be found alive, especially as the time ticked by. But Malcolm Bright was known for surprising everyone regularly, and for that she was thankful.

She shifted uncomfortably against the hospital waiting room's wall. They had been there for almost three hours now; an odd mixture of Bright's NYPD "family" alongside the war-torn Whitly women, looking far less put together than usual, but no less resilient. Especially Ms. Whitly. She truly was a fierce woman, even now as she sat straight-backed in the hospital chair, dried blood still caked on various parts of her skin and clothing. She was unable to send for any changes of clothing from her home, which was still considered a crime scene, and seemed to refuse the concept of wearing hospital scrubs.

"Ainsley, I truly must insist that you return to your room and get some rest," the Whitly Matriarch pressed her daughter again. The younger woman, who had only been allowed in the waiting room if she promised to remain in the wheelchair, sighed as she shifted her bandaged head from one hand to the other.

"Mom, I have to know if he's okay," she replied resiliently. "If Malcolm can take down the Junkyard Killer after bleeding out in a hidden basement all day…"

"Ainsley, please," Mrs. Whitly sighed and held her hand up. Dani, too, looked down at her feet. She had seen the crime scene; the blood, the chains, the subdued John Watkins. At first she had been convinced that Arroyo had made it to the home and saved them all. But since then, she realized that Bright was not found in the basement where the majority of his blood was. She found out that the profiler had, instead, freed himself in a horrific way and managed to save the day on his own before Gil or any officers ever showed up. And then, only then, had his body given out.

"I'm sorry," Ainsley half whispered, her eyes laced with exhaustion and pain.

"Family of Malcolm Bright?"

Dani, who was closest to the doctor, perked up immediately and was quickly surrounded by JT, Arroyo and Bright's family.

"I am his mother," Mrs. Whitly stated quickly, almost as if someone was going to try to question that fact. "How is my son?"

The doctor nodded and looked at the group of people. "I am Dr. Stillman and I wanted to give you all a quick update."

Dani frowned as she noticed the doctor's tone was one of slight bewilderment. What did that mean?

"Ma'am, your son is… Well, I haven't quite seen anyone like him before," the doctor began, further causing confusion to spread through their little group. "He's stable currently. After stabilizing the stab wound, we focused on the injury to his hand in order to prevent permanent damage to it. With proper recovery procedures and physical therapy, he should see a full recovery with that hand."

"And the stab wound?" JT asked, but suddenly looked as though he had spoken out of place. Dani smiled to herself. She knew he played tough but at heart, he was a teddy bear and Bright had grown on him, too.

"Right, so the scans show that no major organs were hit by the blade. That's a good thing but given the manner in which he was stabbed, we will be exploring the abdomen thoroughly to make sure we get everything."

"What do you mean by the manner in which he was stabbed," Gil asked, voicing a question that Dani had herself.

Dr. Stillman took a breath, "Well, the injury appears to have been caused by a serrated blade and a twisting motion was used before extracting it. That tends to leave several small wounds that can be difficult to see but fairly easy to worsen if not corrected."

Dani felt nausea overtake her again and swallowed hard to keep it at bay. Suddenly, all she could see was Bright getting stabbed and left to bleed out in a pool of his own blood. But Dani had to remind herself that as accurate as that may be, he certainly didn't stay in that pool of blood. That's what mattered.

"What I want to discuss with you all is, well, it's definitely not how we normally do things but he has actually asked to not be sedated during the surgery. And given his clear tolerance to sedatives, I'm inclined to oblige," the doctor continued, looking more and more uneasy. "We will do the surgery under conditions similar to a cesarean section, however, should any complications arise, we will have no choice but to sedate him."

Dani frowned. It was pretty odd to imagine him awake back there and asking for something like this but, then again, she believed it. She knew his past with night terrors and it was certainly not the first time he displayed a tolerance to medical sedation.

"Another thing that I would normally never consider is allowing one person to be back there, but given the extremely rare circumstances, I am going to allow it. He has not asked to have anyone and actually said he didn't want to burden anyone with the gore but I told him it was the only way I would allow this. Besides, we will have the drape that will cover most of the surgical process."

Dani suddenly felt her stomach twist in painful knots at the idea of him being awake during a major surgery.

"He did mention someone named Dani," the doctor continued, looking around at all of them. "He said it may be the least difficult on her but he also wanted me to tell you guys that none of you have to come."

Dani immediately glanced at his mother and sister. Obviously, his sister couldn't go back there but she knew his mother may want – no, demand – to be there. Which would be totally fine with her.

"I… I don't mind," she said quickly, all eyes on her but she focused in on Ms. Whitly. "But if you want to be there. Or anyone else?"

Ms. Whitly shook her head and, for once, had a slight smile. "No, darling. My son knows what he's doing. It's been a long night and I have seen quite enough his blood outside of his body for a lifetime. Just make sure he is aware that he will not, under any circumstances, pass over into the great beyond."

Dani nodded but then looked at Gil and JT, both gave understanding nods of encouragement.

"Are you okay doing this?" Gil asked quietly. "It could go south in there."

Dani took a deep breath and nodded quickly. Truthfully, she was not at all prepared for this and she had no clue why he mentioned her specifically. She was terrified and it would have been hard enough to see him in normal hospital condition, but during actual surgery? His insides literally exposed?

But she had to. She had to be there for him because she wasn't before. In fact, she helped lead them away from where he was being held. The least she could do was help him avoid full sedation and be there for him during yet another traumatic experience in the life of Malcolm Bright.

"I can do it," she replied and turned to Dr. Stillman. "I can do it."

The doctor nodded, "If complications arise, you will be escorted out but for now, let's get you suited up."

"Hey," Ainsley Whitly said just as Dani was getting ready to follow the doctor out. "Tell him… tell him to please be okay."

Dani didn't have to have Bright's profiling skills to see the sadness and guilt plastered all over her face. She gave the ambitious reporter what she hoped was a reassuring nod and replied, "I'll tell him."

Ainsley smiled sadly and Dani turned to leave. She followed the doctor through the hallways until they came to a nurse. Just behind he nurse, Dani could see the surgical room and Bright's exposed torso under harsh, bright lighting. Medical staff were bustling around him, checking machines and equipment.

"If you will be please get her ready for the surgery," Dr. Stillman instructed the nurse. "Is the patient prepped and ready?"

The nurse nodded, "Yes sir. Actually, he even said he's ready to get started."

Dr. Stillman chuckled and shook his head. "This will be a first."

Dani was led into a small, closet like room where she was given the full ensemble: scrub coverings for her pants and shirt, a mask, gloves and a cover for her hair and both shoes. A part of her felt ridiculous but at the same time, it made her feel protected or, more importantly, she knew it protected Bright from her germs.

"I'm going to place you at the head of the bed," the nurse, now also fully donning a similar outfit, explained carefully. "You'll have to stay close to him and watch out for the wires and tubes, okay? We aren't used to having someone in there during this but the doctor felt it wise to have someone he knows and trusts. And I agree."

Dani nodded to acknowledge. "I'll stay out of the way."

The nurse's eye turned up in a kind smile. "You'll be fine. But if you start to feel woozy or sick, please tell me right away. Okay, let's go."

Entering the surgical room immediately felt different. It was extremely cold and had a harsh, sterile smell. The lighting was so bright and made her feel like she was on spotlight, when in actuality it was Bright's especially pale skin that was illuminated. She couldn't see his face yet but they were in the processing of placing the drape between the head of the bed and where the gory work would be taking place. Before it was in place, however, she could see the angry red torn skin and all the deep, colorful bruising covering his chest. He had been beaten pretty severely on top of everything else, Dani realized.

She mustered the deepest breath she could manage as she was guided around the bed and finally came to rest on a small, rolling stool placed right up against the head of the bed that housed her partner and, more importantly, her friend. She couldn't look at his face right away, and instead looked down at his arm that was stretched out, almost at a 90 degree angle with numerous wires and tubes protruding from it. She suddenly felt terrified that one improper movement on her part would dislodge something important and make things even worse for him.

"'M so sorry," a breathy, strained voice pulled her from her thoughts. Her eyes darted to meet his, the blue piercing through her attempt to maintain complete composure. She was thankful that all he could see were her eyes, although that's usually all he needed to read her.

But why in the hell would he be sorry. She was vaguely aware of the doctor informing his team that they were making the first incision. She felt her heart racing then and suddenly everything felt too heavy.

"You okay?"

Dani felt like crying. She was failing him. There was no other reason to explain why he would be asking her if she was okay.

"What?" she said, too much exasperation in her voice. "No, no. Bright don't be sorry. Please. I'm good. I'm fine."

She took another breath, which helped to steady her mind. And that finally allowed her to really observe the man lying in front of her. He had a nasal cannula running over his ears and blowing oxygen into his nose. She felt happy in that moment that he didn't have full intubation, although maybe this would be easier if he couldn't actually speak. Other than that, she could tell they had him on some pretty heavy painkillers as the normal energy and sharpness was not quite there. Yet, it was still very much Malcolm Bright and there was no question in her mind that he was concerned over her.

"I shouldn't've asked you to do this," he stated slowly as though he was trying to focus on continuing to breathe.

"Malcolm," she stated again, still trying to ignore the comments being thrown around such as we need more suction and he really did a number in here. "I'm fine. I want to be here. I mean… I don't want to be but, you know."

He smiled slightly at that. "Thank you. It's… it's nice to see you. I didn't… you know, I was starting to think that I wouldn't see any of you again."

Dani bit her lip and fought the burning sensation at the back of her throat. She didn't want him to see her come anywhere close to crying. She cleared her throat and decided to try for a shot of normalcy.

"Yeah, well I guess no one told Watkins that you never stay put when told to."

It seemed to take a moment for him to fully grasp what she said, but the moment he did, he chuckled. Dani's head snapped up, knowing that would have moved his stomach at least a little and instantly felt horrible.

"Let's try not to laugh too much," the nurse who had helped get her dressed chided, though she didn't seem too upset about it.

"Sorry," Dani said quickly, looking at her feet. Of course, with how closely she was pushed up against the bed, she could still see his eyes and they were staring right at her.

He made an attempt at a small shrug. "I appreciated the joke."

Dani grinned and relished how, for the briefest moment, things kind of felt normal. But they weren't. He had been kidnapped, tortured, stabbed and threatened with his family being slaughtered. Which led to him shattering his own hand to get out. None of that was normal and no one, not even the eccentric Malcolm Bright, could leave an experience like this the same person that he was before.

"Seriously, though," she began sadly, "I was scared, Bright. We all were. Arroyo even went to see your dad."

She instantly chastised herself. Why would she bring that up now, of all times? Sure enough, his foggy mind had picked up on her statement easily. "Really?" he asked, his eyes as wide as the drugs would allow.

Dani nodded. "We just wanted to find you. That's how he knew to send half the NYPD and FBI to your mom's house to get you guys out. Of course, you ended up saving the day yourself. I just wish someone had gotten there before you got the urge to bludgeon your own hand."

His shrugged again. "Couldn't let him kill them. Was the only way," he responded simply, then added with a chuckle, "at least seemed that way but I also had a lot of blood loss at the point."

Dani looked towards the medical team and noticed they had grown mostly silent, no doubt listening to the interesting tale of how their patient took down the Junkyard Killer.

"Well, it worked," Dani responded. Growing more and more comfortable being in there with him as it became clear that it was just Bright. "Your mom, your sister… you. You're all alive. Even Watkins. You did all of that on your own, Bright."

He nodded slightly and let his eyes close for a moment. Dani shifted uncomfortably as his closed eyes made him appear dead. She flashed to him looking very similar to this but on a slab in Edrisa's morgue.

"Oh no," Dani voiced, mostly to herself but Bright heard it.

"What's wrong?"

"Edrisa," Dani breathed in a deep sigh. "Hopefully someone called her. She has been absolutely beside herself while you were… gone."

He smiled as his eyes fluttered slightly. "Edrisa is great. So odd… so her."

Dani laughed to herself and wished Edrisa could have been here to listen to those words. She would just have to remember to tell the resident medical examiner. Edrisa made no attempts to hide her complete infatuation with Malcolm Bright but she, like the rest of them, had also grown to genuinely care for the man.

Dani wasn't sure how much time passed with occasional attempts at small talk but she could tell he was either growing wearier or perhaps trying to hide the intrusion of pain. Either way, he wasn't quite as loquacious as before and Dani found herself silently praying that the procedure would end soon.

"S'strange," he half-whispered after several moments of silence outside of the murmurings of medical jargon. "I can feel them. Cutting… feels like a zipper but… doesn't hurt. Like… pressure."

Dani frowned and felt her heart rate increase. Something didn't feel right. He seemed more drained, less lucid. She noticed a monitor with once steady beeping that seemed like it was becoming more rapid.

"Yeah," Dani said, trying to steady her voice. "Well maybe it won't be much longer and you can get to your room. Do you like jell-o? I'm sure they have plenty here."

He didn't say anything right away and kept his eyes closed. She noticed his chest movements with each breath had become more drastic.

"S'mthin doesn't… doesn't feel right," he stated, his eyes now open but he suddenly couldn't seem to focus. She could tell he was trying to concentrate on maintaining consciousness but seemed to be losing the battle. Dani's eyes darted towards the nurse who was now hovering over his head and taking in the information on the machines.

"He's hypotensive," she reported to the doctor. "Pulse ox is falling."

"Okay, guys," Dr. Stillman called, urgency in his voice. "Get the oxygen mask and prepare to intubate. We must have shifted something open. I need more section and hang another unit."

Dani, now on the brink of a full blown panic, looked back down at Bright. He was staring at her, slightly more focused with the introduction of additional oxygen. He looked concerned, but she didn't know if it was for her or for himself.

"Bright. Malcolm, listen to me," Dani said quickly, her hand carefully making its way through the labyrinth of tubing to his blood-caked hair. She knew she was going to be kicked out any minute now so she had to tell him this. "Your mom, your sister… they said you're not allowed to die, okay? Okay? Me too. All of us. You made it this far so stay with us. Please."

She watched as his eyes began to roll again but she saw an unmistakable nod. Dani watched as at least one monitor now began to wail, alerting them to the very real fact that complications had officially happened. Someone was now removing his oxygen mask and someone else was moving in with a new tube that was about to go down his throat.

"Okay, miss," the nurse said, "I'll walk you out. Stay close to me."

Dani nodded but was having a hard time taking her eyes off Bright. His eyes were now closed and Dani knew they wouldn't be reopening anytime soon due to blood loss or sedatives or maybe both. The drape blocking his abdomen was being removed and allowed Dani a glimpse of what looked like way too much blood covering his broken body.

"Just follow this hallway to the end and then turn right," the nurse said swiftly once they cleared the doors. Dani's heart was racing and her eyes kept looking between the nurse and the commotion going on in the room. "Don't worry, ma'am. It's not quite as bad as it sounds currently, but we need to be able to get in there and work."

Dani nodded quickly. She felt her heartrate still going strong.

"Can I… can I just have a quick moment before I go out there with his family?"

The nurse nodded, kindness in her eyes. "Of course."

Once the nurse returned to the room, Dani found herself alone in the hallway. She tried to steady her breathing and hold back the emotions like she had taught herself to do but the floodgates were opening. It was all so much. Too much. And that may have been the last conversation she would ever have with Bright.

She backed away from the door until the opposite wall pushed back. She slid down the wall, tears now falling freely as the exhaustion and emotion overwhelmed her. She tore the mask away from her face and let her head rest on her knees while hugging her legs tightly with both arms.

Pull it together, Dani, she told herself. Malcolm trusted her to be able to handle everything that happened and she wouldn't want to disappoint him. With one more deep, steadying breath, she remembered who she was and regained that mental strength. She pulled herself up and looking through the window one more time. She wasn't sure, but it seemed like things had calmed down some. Either way, the hope of avoiding full-blown sedation was now out the window, but they would handle that part when the time came. Just before she turned away, however, the nurse who had been assisting her gave a thumps up, signifying that Bright must have been stabilized again.

Relief filled her veins like warmth on a frigid day. She wouldn't be fully convinced until he was out of that room and officially on the mend but at least she would be able to return with at least some good news.

Sometimes you just had to focus on the small victories and today, they had a multitude of things to be thankful for. With one last deep breath and a strategic wipe of any makeup under her eyes, Dani stepped into the waiting room once again.

EN: So I work in a prison... not a hospital. I tried to do some basic medical research but honestly, I modeled it mostly after my own c-section and how it felt for me so there's a least some validity to it, although I don't know how common it would be to use that method during a surgery like this. Either way, seemed possible and fun for a story so I went for it. Thanks for ready!