He had spent a good hour with Penelope, ironing out what was going to happen after he had the surgery. It was a little overwhelming to have all that information just thrust at him, but he knew that the woman would be able to help him parse it out once he had had a little time to read through the information that she had printed off for him. She had even gone so far as to place everything in a binder and have everything divided into different parts, so that he could familiarize himself with the procedure in a step by step manner.

After that, it was difficult to concentrate on anything other than that, and he pushed aside the reports he was supposed to be working on and laid out the binder, starting to carefully read through the information Penelope had collated. There was so much in just the first section alone, and he found himself looking up things on his computer as he struggled to comprehend everything that would be done to him and Helena.

Finally, though, he knew he had to get out of the office, and he pushed away from his desk and stuffed the binder beneath his arm as he made his way out of the bullpen. "I'm heading out for the day, Aaron. Call me if you need anything," he said as they met each other in the hall.

"Will do. Tell Erin that I said hello, okay?"

Nodding, Dave stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor before stepping to the back of the car and pulling out his phone to see if Erin had texted him at all. Roxanna hadn't called him, and while that concerned him, he also knew that Erin wouldn't just forgive him in a heartbeat, that he had to make amends for the way he treated her, and that would begin with having the transplant. His stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast, and the first thing he did was find a relatively empty restaurant, knowing that it was likely to get him in and out quickly.

While he ate, he sent off a quick text to Penelope, asking her to find him more details about a few of the questions that had arisen while he was looking over the information she had found. Once that was done, he finished up his meal before leaving, making certain to leave a good tip, as the waitress had hurried the food along when he had asked her to. Giving her a small wave, he went back to the car and finished the drive to the hospital. After parking, he sat behind the wheel and tried to gather his nerves to go in. He didn't know if Erin's, if his, children would be there at this time of day, but he still tried to steel his nerves for that possibility. Finally, he felt ready to head in, and he pocketed his phone as he climbed out of the car.

The ride up on the elevator was very quiet, though he knew that one of the young women recognized him, judging by the small grin that slipped across her face. Though she didn't approach him, she still gave him a tiny wave, which he reciprocated before getting off the elevator on the correct floor. That small interaction was enough to buoy his mood a little, and it felt easier to smile as he made his way down to the family room, hoping that Erin would be there.

As he approached the room, he could hear her voice, and then another familiar voice replied to whatever she had said. It took him a moment to realise that it was Blake who was answering her, and he frowned a little as he tried to parse the extreme swing that had happened in Blake, seemingly overnight. Knowing that he couldn't avoid the inevitable any longer, he took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door to the family room before entering. "Hey, I thought that I should make an appearance here today. I figured that the doctor overseeing the transplant would need to see me and we could get everything rolling."

Dave knew that he was rambling by that point, and from the look Blake gave him, she knew it as well. "We were just discussing what will happen with that as well. I'm glad that you came." Erin's words were flat, and she didn't look at him, which was a slight blow to him, but he tried to keep in mind the fact that she was hurting, and trying to keep herself together. "If you'll excuse me, Lexie, I need to get something to drink. Would you like anything?"

"Coffee, if they have a decent brew. You remember what I like?"

"Strong and black, yes. I'll be back shortly." Erin brushed past him, though she did let her fingers ghost over his upper arm as she went, as if she wanted to remind herself that he had really come. He turned, wanting to go after her, but from her posture, he somehow knew that Erin wouldn't appreciate that. Letting out a deep sigh, he stepped into the room and went over to Alex's side, taking a seat in the chair there instead of occupying Erin's spot.

"She's upset with me still."

"That would be the understatement of the century, Dave. She is hurting something fierce, and seeing you here today might help a little in the long run, right now, it hurts more."

He nodded as he folded his hands over his stomach, focusing in on her gaze, wanting to show that he wasn't going to shy away from anything she might say. "I fucked up, and there will be no easy way to make up for my actions. But you're awfully chummy with her in a very short matter of time."

Alex gave him a tight smile as she nodded. "She doesn't hold a grudge, and when I told her that I was ready to accept that olive branch, she accepted right away. I think a part of that was because you had reacted poorly to her news, that when she had someone trying to come back into her life, she jumped at it. If you want to take some advice from someone who did hold on to a grudge for far too long, don't let this current anger come between you. The longer that you don talk to each other, the easier it is to not talk to each other. Until one day, you look up and you see that all this anger and bitterness and resentment that you've held onto for so long have dug a raw hole into your heart that you can never close properly again. I feel like my heart was bleeding all over her this afternoon, and she just accepted it and welcomed me back into her life."

To his shock, he saw tears begin to sparkle in her eyes, and Dave fumbled with his pockets, pulling out a fresh handkerchief and handing it over quickly. "I don't know what this stumbling block is, honestly. I missed her last night, and as the anger began to burn away, I was just left feeling hollow. I should be rejoicing over the fact that I have three children, a son in law, a granddaughter. But I just can't fathom it all."

"It probably would have been better if it came out a different way, yes, but still, you shouldn't have hurt her so. And I don't know why I feel this way, but I have the feeling that I might not react well, if you hurt her further. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. She needs people in her corner, and hopefully, soon, we can come together once more, and I can be a strong rock for her as we go through this health battle with Helena." Alex nodded, and he let out a long breath as he tried to keep his own tears from falling, knowing that this moment was not about him, or Erin, but about Helena and getting her healthy once more.