A/N: Thank you very much for reading and reviewing!
Chapter 24: Precious visitors.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Lou let himself in Danny´s house with his copy of the key. During the lapse of their friend´s ordeal and rehabilitation, every member of the ohana helped in maintaining his house ventilated, clean and in optimal condition for his return. It also helped them feel helpful when there was nothing they could do; while they waited for his friend to be back again; to be finally well again; to be his old self everyone so much loved.
A lightning of blond hair passed at his side, making itself room and pushing him aside. Quickly running inside, Charlie jumped carelessly on the sofa and stilled after he found the remote and turned on the cartoon´s channel.
Grace, on the other hand, accompanied Lou directly to her father´s bedroom.
"I think he keeps his cotton pants over there". The young girl pointed wardrobe with a series of drawers while she eagerly opened the door of the closet and started rummaging in it, looking for some t-shirts.
Lou gave her the thumbs up and threw the handbag on the bed. Heading towards the designated wardrobe, he opened three drawers before finding what he was looking for. Choosing two sweatpants and some underwear and socks, he walked towards the bed and put them in the bag. Grace did the same with the t-shirts she chose; alongside with a soft jogging suit she thought was appropriate.
"Should we take him something else?"
"This is all he needs for now honey, but what else would you like to give him?"
"Don't know, some present, like… almond chocolate!"
"I think that´s a great idea Gracie! We all know chocolate is great and I´ll tell you more, we could get some for ourselves too, what you think?" Lou winked an eye and smiled happily at his friend´s daughter. The kid had been through a lot and, unlike her brother, she was old enough to be completely conscious of his father´s kidnapping and his physical and mental ordeal. The love she has for him is so great that it turned out to be a constant sharp knife nailed on her young heart.
"Yeah!" She smiled enthusiastically, and grabbing the handbag from the bed, she abandoned the room looking for her kid brother.
The day before has been a thought one for her. Of course that seeing her father again after a long period of time was an immense happiness, but at the same time all the memories and aches from the past months came to her all together and obliged her emotions to resurface. It has been impossible to take her home at night. She spent hours attached to Danny; first fiercely hugging him by his neck; then gripping his bicep and resting her head on his shoulder while he caressed her head and played with her hair; thirdly, she sat close to him on the bed and, facing her dad, she take in his appearance and smiled widely to him when their eyes met for a long steady moment. Big tears rolled down each of their cheeks, and they dried the others face with their hands. They talked for long hours, her and Charlie´s sleeping presence at his side giving Danny the energy and strength he needed to be strong and don´t fall apart in front of them. They were the reason he fought so hard; the reason for which he didn´t lose his mind; the reason he was determined to overcome his limitations and become his old self again.
Not even her grandparents could convince Grace to go with them at night. She has stayed in the hospital all day, also when Danny was wheeled out to be treated by his doctors. She had gone with his brother and Uncle Steve to have something to eat on the cafeteria and then returned to the ICU room to wait for her father while entertaining Charlie with games and toys the kid had brought. They both had refused to leave and waited for Danny to be brought back to the room, as the doctor had promised them after finding his patient´s children comfortably seated on the bed with their dad.
Danny was wheeled back in, but instead on a wheelchair as he has left, on a stretcher, and deeply asleep, appearing to be unconscious. Steve and the kids automatically got up from the bed where they had been sitting on while waiting and their three faces showed similar worried expressions.
The nurse hastened to explain to avoid unnecessary wrong assumptions. "Your dad´s just resting because he is very tired, he´s been working very hard so he just needs to nap for a little while. He should wake in a little while though." As he passed by, he playfully lightly squeezed Charlie´s nose, and the kid shyly smiled and hide behind Steve´s leg. Everyone smiled with tenderness for the boy and relief for Danny. The nurse exchanged a look with Steve, who immediately got the idea. He took the kids out while the caregiver transferred Danny from the stretcher to the bed.
"All set, you can go in now. In two hours we´ll bring him the supper. Meanwhile try to let him rest, ok?" Grace and Charlie nodded their understanding, and Steve guided them back inside the room. "Thanks man, that we´ll do". Waiting for his friend´s children to enter the room he partially closed the door to talk privately with the nurse.
"Everything good?"
"Yes everything went fine. The inguinal catheter was successfully removed, so be attentive for any request from his part about the need to urinate. Call us or if it´s an urgency there´s a urinal in the bathroom." Steve nodded, the nurse continued. "The NG tube was also removed and his wounds cleaned and finally left uncovered, except for the ankle which still needs time to mend. Then he had a series of exercises with the PT therapist, so now he´s wiped out. After the meal Dr. Kalama will come ant give you an accurate report, but everything´s ok".
"Thank you" Steve shook the nurse´s hand and followed Grace and Charlie to Danny´s room. He approached Grace, who was sitting on a chair beside her sleeping father. Steve placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. She looked up and smiled. Her smile was a mixture of emotions; she was happy but sad at the same time. They both looked back to Danny´s sleeping face. Steve noticed the red and irritated spot of skin on Danny´s right nostril where the tube had been attached to. But he didn´t have it anymore, for the first time Danny was free from tubing and also the IV ports have been removed. He really looked spent, with a deep even breathing and gummy closed eyes.
"Let´s not wake him, ok?" Steve took pity on his friend´s effort to become well again. Both children nodded their heads again, and Steve walked towards Charlie and sat with him on the other bed, quietly picking up one of little book the boy has brought with him and flipping through it looking kind of curious, appearing to be interested but in reality his mind was already thinking how to make Danny eat between needing to be assisted and his desire to look strong on his kids presence. Pushing the thought aside for later, he leaned back and enjoyed the company of his niece and nephew, as always reflecting on what great kids they are and totally getting how Danny´s world was made and build up around them.
Danny´s smile when waking up and finding his daughter with the tray food on her hands will be forever recorded on their minds and hearts. The moment Steve dreaded passed smoothly and without inconveniencies because the orderly who brought the food, conveniently, asked for everyone to leave the room, so she helped Danny eat while Steve and the kids went to the cafeteria to grab something to eat for themselves.
When going back to the room, they found Danny´s parents and Grover already with him. His mom was combing his wet hair backwards and smiled widely at her grandkids when entering.
"Hey partner" Steve greeted a perfumed, recently bathed and shaved Danny.
"Hey. Where did you guys go?" He tried to rise himself more, so Lou grabbed the remote and lifted up the head of the bed.
"We ate sandwiches and nachos downstairs!" Charlie enthusiastically replied.
"Really? Very healthy" Danny smiled and Steve rolled his eyes. Everyone laughed and then shared precious moments together. Danny´s and everyone´s souls filled up and somehow found, for the first time in a long time, the peace they were so much desiring. With the correct amount of time and care, Danny will be ok. Each of them felt on their hearts that they will have their son, their dad, and their friend back.
Danny´s eyes were starting to fall, so much like Charlie´s, who was almost asleep on his grandpa´s arms. Clara chose that moment to get up and, kissing his son´s forehead and smoothing his hair with a tenderness mothers are only capable of, tucked him better and said her goodbyes. As expected, when asked by her grandfather, who was carrying his now a sleeping Charlie to come alone, she refused and asked to be allowed to stay with her father. Steve and Lou both exchanged a knowing look. Night almost always brought Danny some unpleasant nightmares which had him woke up upset and perturbed, so the request was an absolutely no. Lou intervened intelligently.
"Hey Grace, that's nice but I have another great idea. How about we go to my home, eat a wonderful meal Renee prepares, watch some movie, eat ice cream, hang out with Samantha and Will, and in the morning we´ll go to your dad´s home to pick up the clothes we have been talking about that he needs. What do you think?"
"Sounds fun to me" Steve couldn´t hold himself from intervening.
"You´re coming too Uncle Steve?" Grace asked.
"No kiddo, I´d like to but I´ll stay with your dad here".
"So I assume that´s a yes?"
"Ok…" Grace´s will was flaking.
"What made you change your mind, the ice cream or the mention of Will?"
"Dad!" She blushed but couldn´t hide her beautiful smile.
"Go have fun monkey, I´ll be fine" Getting serious, Danny reached with his hand and pulled her close, they exchanged some private words before Grace followed the rest outside.