Dave pulled into the first available parking spot he saw in the ramp and then went over to Erin's side, opening the door for her. She climbed out and took hold of his hand, threading her fingers with his. It was a gesture that surprised him, usually she was so hesitant to initiate physical contact outside of their bedrooms. "Helena is in the Peds ICU on the fifth floor."

He nodded and she took off at a fast clip. Getting caught off guard, he found himself stumbling a little before matching her pace, yet still letting her lead him ever onwards. The wait for the elevators seemed to take forever and Erin tapped her foot impatiently. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her close. She stiffened a little before relaxing against him, and he just tightened his arm, letting her know that he would not be letting her go.

The walk over to the hospital didn't take long and Dave let her lead him over to the elevator bank. There weren't many others on the elevator at that time of day, which allowed him to hold on to his lover. She must have started crying again, as he felt her turn her face into his chest to avoid the looks of the others.

They were the first ones off the elevator and he looked down the corridor, hoping that Harriet or her husband would make their appearance. He did not relish having to deal with Alan at a time like this, but knew that as a father, he wouldn't be far from his child. Harriet peeked her head around the corner and smiled at them in relief. Beckoning towards them, she motioned with her head as to where they should go.

"Harriet's waiting for us," Dave murmured in Erin's ear as he began to turn her in the right direction. This shorter distance seemed to take much longer for them to traverse and he just held her tightly as they got closer and closer.

"Mom! Thank God you're finally here. Dad hasn't made it yet, but at least I have you!" Dave watched the young woman collapse against her mother, sobs wracking her body. Erin gently led her into the room, their bodies becoming more entwined the closer they got to the incubator.

"Erin, what do you need me to do?" he murmured in her ear as he let his arm come to rest around both their waists.

"Just be here with us. Harriet, where's Greg? I would have thought that he would be here."

"He's out putting out a fire right now. The moment he can get free, his chief said that he'd send him right over. I'm so glad I have both of you here." Harriet pulled away a little to kiss Erin's cheek, and then she was reaching down into the bassinet and picking Helena up. The baby was so small, smaller than he remembered, and Dave found tears prickling his eyes as he reached out. Harriet motioned for him to come closer, and then she was carefully handing Helena over to him.

Breathing in deeply, Dave gently cradled the baby in his arms, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet as he made his way over to the window to look down into her face. There was something so familiar about her features, and he wondered if he was seeing Erin in her granddaughter. "She's so tiny, Harriet."

"I know. The doctor said that she's lost seven ounces already. I thought that being sleepy all the time was a thing with babies, you know? Like kittens. But then, I noticed her skin turning yellow and took her to her pediatrician. He diagnosed her with acute liver failure, and we tried to get her healthy once more. That was when you were in rehab, Mom. I couldn't tell you. And now, that's not working anymore. She needs a transplant, and we're stuck here until one is found."

"Oh, precious," Erin murmured as she wrapped her in a tight hug, kissing her head as she ran her hand through Harriet's hair. "I am so sorry that I wasn't able to help you with this. I promise, I won't leave your side, never again."

"All right," Harriet said thickly before starting to cry once more, burying her face in Erin's chest. The tender scene tugged at his heartstrings, and he began to croon softly to his almost granddaughter, hoping that he could get her to go back to sleep as she stretched a little in his arms.

"You need to grow strong and fight for your life, little Helena. Everyone here loves you so much," he said lowly as he sank down into the rocker that was in the corner of the room. Using his foot to push them back and forth, he looked at his lover and her daughter, wishing desperately that this could have been his life. And it could have been, too, had he been able to convince Erin to leave Alan after the first night they had spent together.

Erin must have felt his eyes on her, since she looked over at him, a sad smile on her lips, love shining from her eyes. "You make that look so natural, David. It's a shame you never had children, you would have been a perfect father."

"It's times like these that I miss James," he whispered and she nodded, tugging Harriet over to his side so that they could watch the baby sleep in his arms. "I wish there was something more that I could do for you, Harriet. I hate to feel so helpless."

The young woman took a deep breath as she looked between the two of them. "Well, there is a rather large favor that I have to ask of both of you. Even when Helena makes it on the UNOS list, it will still be a long wait for a viable donor. Everything must converge at the right time to see that she gets an organ. And, well, I don't know if you can or not, Mom, but I was thinking that it wouldn't hurt for either of you to get tested to be potential living donors."

Dave and Erin locked eyes, and he knew in a heartbeat what his answer would be. "There's no harm in getting tested and finding out, now is there? And if I can donate, I will. Isn't it really easy?"

Harriet nodded in relief as she sank to her knees, reaching out to run her hand over her baby's head, tears still tracking down her face. "Thanks, Dave. Mom?"

"I'm with David, honey. If I match, and if I can, I will donate. Like you said, though, I'm not certain what my problem has done to my liver." The sorrow in her voice overwhelmed Dave, and he let his eyes close as he felt her hand come to rest on his shoulder, squeezing tightly. It was nothing to cock his head to one side, to rest his cheek atop her hand, to commune with them in this moment. He only hoped that this trial that they were going through would have a happy ending.