Frank cringed as he looked down at the bloody drag marks at the bottom of the stairs. He quickly stepped around them and walked down the hall, his eyes darting to each and every blood drop and smear. He stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall and turned around to look at the hallway covered in his son's blood, as son was in the hospital and had yet to wake up, several hours after he had gotten out of surgery.

Frank couldn't stand the waiting and had to get out, and he soon found himself nodding to the officers watching the scene. Frank shook his head, bringing himself back to the present and turned, placing his hand on the door knob but he couldn't bring himself to open the door, to see the place his youngest had suffered so greatly, where Frank had been unable to protect him.

Frank wasn't sure how long he had stood there when he heard a noise behind him. He turned and saw Danny, "How did you know I was here?"

Danny smiled sadly, "Officer Carlson helped on a raid a few weeks ago, he called me when you showed up. So are you going to stand there or go in?"

Frank sighed, "I need to go in there, but I don't know if I can."

Danny shook his head, "You don't need to see that trust me. I wish to God that I hadn't."

Frank looked at his son, "I do Danny. I couldn't stop Jamie from suffering; the least I can do is see where it all happened. I'm his father for gods sakes, what good am I if I couldn't do a thing to help him"

Danny sighed, taking a step forward, "All that will accomplish is making you suffer along with him. This isn't your fault Dad, it isn't mine, or Jamie's, or anyone's except that sick bastards. And you can help him, by staying by him through this and not leaving him alone in the dark, he needs you to be his father with him, not in a horrifying room his mind can't escape."

Frank looked down, unsure what to say to his son's wise words and wondering when Danny had gotten so smart. Danny placed a hand on his father's shoulder, gently moving him towards the door out, "Come on, we need to get back to the hospital in case Jamie wakes up." Frank nodded, silently following Danny to the car.

x.X. BB .X.x

Erin sighed as she watched her daughter dash into the bathroom, tears streaming down her face. For a moment she debated following Nikki but decided they could both use a moment to gather their thoughts. Erin turned back into the hospital room where Henry was watching over a sleeping Jamie, "Grandpa, did I do the right thing telling her what happened to Jamie?"

Henry looked at his granddaughter a moment, "I think it was better than keeping it from her, she would have found out eventually. She needed to hear it from either you or him; it wouldn't have ended well otherwise. I wouldn't say you did the right thing, nothing about this situation is right, but you did the best thing."

Erin smiled weakly, "Thanks, I needed to hear that."

Henry grunted, "What you need to do is get my great-granddaughter back in here so I can give her a hug and she can see her uncle is alright and stop crying her eyes out."

Erin nodded silently and left the room, leaving Henry with Jamie. The older man leaned over his grandsons form, "Come on Jamie, wake up and show us you're alright." Henry sighed as Jamie stayed silent and unmoving.

Henry blinked back a tear as he thought about the horrors his youngest grandson had gone through and for the first time, the older man wondered if Jamie really would be alright when he woke up.

The entrance of Frank and Danny broke Henry from his thoughts as he turned to face his son and grandson. Henry smiled and addressed his oldest grandchild, "Glad to see you got him back here."

Danny returned the smile, "Well he was a bit stubborn but I got him here in the end."

Henry chuckled, "A bit? Francis makes a mule look downright amiable."

Frank mock scowled in response before taking an open seat near Jamie's bed only to be on his feet moments later as Jamie's eyes flickered open and shut.

Danny had noticed as well and moved to the foot of the bed, "Is he waking up?" Before Frank could answer, Jamie's eyes slowly opened. Frank felt thankful tears welling up in his eyes as he quietly asked for his father to get a nurse. Henry nodded and silently slipped out.

Jamie's eyes scanned the room quickly, coming to a stop on Danny's face. Jamie could remember Denny's voice when he had been in the room, Danny had saved him. Danny seemed to know what Jamie was thinking about and mouthed a silent 'you're welcome' before Jamie's eyes found his fathers. Jamie froze when he saw the tears in the man's eyes and new instantly that his father knew what happened to him, everything that happened to him, everything he hated himself for allowing to happen.

Frank saw the fear and self-loathing the moment it entered his youngest child's eyes. The older man placed a large warm hand over Jamie's smaller one, "It's alright Jamie, we're here for you." Frank smiled as Jamie's eyes cleared and looked somewhat happy.

Frank heard Henry return with a nurse and watched as the fear came back to Jamie's eyes and the younger man tensed. Frank and Danny both turned to see the large male nurse as the machine's beeped faster, broadcasting Jamie's anxiety. The nurse looked at the monitor and immediately tried to clear the Reagans from the room. Danny growled as the man grabbed his arm and insisted that he needed to leave.

Danny couldn't hold back any longer and barked at the man, "He was fine until you walked in. After what my brother went through did you think it would end well sending an unknown man into this room? I think you are the one that need to leave and next time, send a damned female nurse!" The nurse paled as he realized his mistake and rushed from the room and went in search of a female nurse. Jamie's heart rate immediately returned to normal and the three Reagan men sighed in relief.

Henry broke the tense silence, "When I spoke to the young woman at the desk, I assumed she was the one following me, I should have checked. I'm sorry Jamie."

Jamie smiled weakly, "It's alright Grandpa, not your fault." Frank and Danny cringed at the rough sound of Jamie's voice, their eyes going to the hand shaped bruises dominating his throat.

Henry smiled as the door opened; admitting a small, unassuming female nurse, with Erin and Nikki on her tail, both of whom were overjoyed to see Jamie was awake. The woman smiled kindly as she went about her work, shyly asking Jamie questions about how he was feeling. Danny bit back a teasing remark as Jamie smiled at the young woman before she left, he would tease the younger man about that after he was out of the hospital, but for now he was happy to see the genuine smile on his brother's face.

x.X. BB .X.x

A/N- Sorry it took so long and the chapter is kind of short but I've been dealing with mid-terms. Hope you like the story so far, I should be wrapping it up pretty soon only a chapter or two more. Up next, the boys get to see their Uncle Jamie and Renzulli stops by to check on his partner. I might even work Jackie in somehow, I miss her on the show.