Note: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry I had to put our boy through a bit more torture, but it was never going to be an easy recovery.
Looks like I need to start planning a sequel. (whom I kidding. Already brainstormed just need to decide how to whump our poor boy and what injuries to give him.)
Chapter Twelve
Grace was relieved to be allowed to return to her father's room and see him sleeping. This time he seemed to be the most comfortable she had seen him.
"He's doing much better now, Gracie." Steve reassured her. "They changed the type of painkiller your dad is on, and now his chest is numb, so he can breathe much easier."
"That's good, he looks peaceful now." Grace said her voice low so she didn't wake her dad.
"He does." Kono agreed. "So I think that's my cue to head home for a bit. Get a bit more sleep. I can do the night shift again."
"That sounds like a good idea." Chin said pulling his cousin in for a hug. "Leilani and I will drive you home, and then go on a food run, but I'll take the night shift tonight."
"Thanks guys." Steve said pulling Grace over so she was sat right beside him.
"Grace needs you with her at the moment. But we all know, once Rachel gets here, you'll be taking over all the night shifts, so it's the least we can do." Chin said, showing how well he knew Steve.
The three adults left, leaving Steve and Grace alone with a slumbering Danny. An hour later Dawn swept into the room with a coffee for Steve and a strawberry milkshake for Grace, "I brought you both back a treat from the canteen while I had my lunch." She explained giving Grace a wink. She then drew off another blood sample from the arterial line to check that Danny's blood gasses were stable. "If he wakes, and feels up to attempting to eat anything, I can get him some soup." She explained.
Steve thanked her and sipped his coffee, grateful for the nicer cup from the canteen, as opposed to the horrible stuff the machine in the waiting room dispensed. Grace eagerly drank her milkshake, and as she reached the bottom, she slurped through the straw causing it to gurgle, and the noise to rouse Danny.
Danny blinked his eyes open then turned his head searching out the source of the strange noise.
"Sorry, daddy, I didn't mean to wake you." Grace apologised.
Danny smiled relieved to find he was still mainly pain free, "its ok monkey. Looks like you enjoyed it."
"Yep," Grace smiled. "Dawn got it for me. How are you feeling now, daddy?"
Danny considered his answer for a second, "much better now. I can breathe better. I still feel so tired though."
"I think that's pretty normal, considering what you've been through. Your body just needs some time to recover." Steve said.
Danny nodded and then started to fidget a little. "Hey, what's wrong? What do you need?" Steve asked concerned.
"I just...I need to sit up a bit."
"Ok, that's easy to fix. Hang tight a sec." Steve said grabbing the bed control and slowly raising Danny's head. "Better?"
"Yeah thanks." Danny said taking a look around his room, carefully observing the machinery he was attached to. Pumps whirring as they delivered drugs into his system, and a soft beep of the heart monitor. "Everyone else take off?"
"Yeah Kono went home to sleep, seeing as she spent the night here, and Chin and Leilani have gone on a food run."
"Kono stayed." Danny smiled.
"Yeah, so I could take care of munch kin here." Steve explained ruffling Grace's hair and causing her to frown.
"Thank you, for taking care of Grace, for everything." Danny said trying not to tear up.
"I'm glad I could." Steve replied placing his right hand on Danny's shoulder, revealing his splinted fingers.
"I guess I should thank you for that too." Danny smiled and indicated the bruised hand.
"Now that was all my pleasure." Steve replied then placed both hands over Grace's ears. "And so was the dislocated shoulder." He smirked.
"You know she can still hear you?" Danny said attempting to lick his lips.
"Here," Steve said offering Danny a drink and helping to steady his shaking hand. "Dawn brought you a jug of fresh water in, and said you could have some soup if you fancied trying something to eat."
"Soup doesn't sound too bad." Danny replied realising he was actually hungry.
"Hey Gracie, why don't you go try and find Dawn, and let her know Danno's hungry." Steve suggested, and Grace quickly jumped off her chair and went to locate the nurse.
Steve took the opportunity, while they were alone, to place his hand on Danny's arm and say, "don't ever scare me like that again, Danno. When I found you, like that..." Steve swallowed hard, forcing back the lump that was forming in his throat. "I thought we'd lost you. I can't lose another best friend, another brother, Danny. I only survived losing Freddie, because I met you."
Danny saw the raw emotion on his best friend's face. He carefully moved his right hand and placed it over Steve's that still held his left forearm. "I'm sorry Steve. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I didn't see the attack coming. I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologies. Just keep getting better." Steve smiled as Grace returned and interrupted them.
"Dawn is getting you some chicken soup, Danno." She announced then looked weary as she saw both men's faces. "Is everything ok?"
"Everything's great, baby, and chicken soup sounds good. Thank you." Danny replied removing his hand from Steve's, but Steve kept his hand on Danny's arm, almost as if he was reassuring himself that Danny was still there.
5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0
Danny managed about half of his soup and was soon back asleep again. Dr. Pearce had returned to review Danny and announced that he was doing well, and would review him again the next morning, where hopefully the oxygen mask could be changed for a nasal cannula, and they would start to mobilise him. All being well, the next day, Danny should be well enough to be moved out of the ICU, and the chest drain removed a day or so after that.
Everyone felt relieved that Danny was on the mend, and with Danny asleep once again they decided to head home to get some rest themselves. All except Chin who was staying the night.
Chin was sat in the chair at the side of Danny's bed when the night nurse came in to check Danny's vitals and epidural. Noting down the figures from the monitors she then roused Danny and proceeded to check the level of cover the epidural was providing, and then checked the site to make sure it hadn't migrated. Once done she bid Danny good night and dimmed the lights. Danny sighed and looked around the room, spotting Chin sat in the chair he smiled, "hey, you get the night shift?"
"Sure did brah. You comfortable there, do you need anything?"
"I'm good. Thanks for staying, you don't have to though, you know that right?"
"I want to Danny. We're Ohana. Enough said." Chin replied and Danny smiled and closed his eyes again.
5-0-5-0-5-0-5-0
Steve and Grace returned to the hospital early the next morning, after both having a good nights sleep. Grace had felt much better after seeing her father awake and more comfortable, and even managing to eat something. Then she had managed to speak with her mother, who had reassured her she would be at the hospital the following morning. Exiting the lift and entering the ICU Steve saw Chin waiting outside Danny's room.
"Morning," Chin said looking up and seeing the approaching pair.
"Everything ok?" Steve asked concerned.
"Yeah, the nurses are just freshening him up." Chin answered with a yawn.
"You have a good night?" Steve asked seeing that Chin looked tired.
"Not too bad. The nurses were in and out a lot, but we had an early morning. Danny spiked a temp. He has a low grade fever, the nurses don't seem too concerned, but I'm worried he is brewing an infection."
"Damn. Listen why don't you head home now, I promise I'll message you once he has been reviewed by Dr. Pearce. Grace and I will keep him company." Steve suggested.
"Thanks. I think I will." Chin said patting his boss on the back.
"Here, Uncle Chin." Grace said holding out one of two paper bags she held. "Breakfast."
Chin beamed as the smell from the bag hit his nose. "Argh, these smell good. Thank you Keiki."
"Your welcome, we got Danno some too." She smiled then joined Steve to wait for the nurses to exit the room. Steve's posture grew tense as a new worry of infection ate away at him.
TBC