The morning sun peeked over the hill of Punch Bowl cemetery that was in view from Carly's room at Queen's Hospital. She had been moved from intensive care four days after the attack to a regular room on the fifth floor.

Steve leaned against the window frame watching the sky turn from a frosty pink to light purple right before his eyes. He held his phone up to the view and took a picture, wanting to save this memory incase this was the day she woke up. He had done it every morning for the past eighteen of the twenty days she'd been re-cooperating, or as Dr. Caldwell put it, 'mentally on vacation.'

He'd taken eighteen photos and deleted seventeen, hoping each day he wouldn't have to be standing there at the window, waiting for the next sunrise.

They stayed at the hospital in shifts so someone was with her all the time. Her parents came in the morning and then Jules and Craig in the early evening and he was supposed to come at night, but he was usually there with Jules and Craig the whole time, not able to stay away. When her parents would come in the morning it was always hard for him to leave her, but he felt like he was intruding on their time with her. He wouldn't stay long after they arrived. Only enough time to fill them in on any activity from the previous night, which wasn't much. The routine was beginning to wear on him, on all of them.

He looked at the picture he'd just taken and walked over to Carly, still admiring the colors. He sat down, resting his forearm on the metal railing, holding the phone up above her face. "Look at this one. It's almost as pretty as you."

Of course there was no response, except for the machines that hummed. He let his arm fall on the mattress as if he were discouraged. "Wake up Carly. I want to keep this picture." He tilted his head so his cheek was now resting on his arm as he looked at her. "Please wake up baby," he sighed. "I miss you so much." His hand moved up her arm and then down again. "You know how impatient I am. Don't make me wait anymore."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the phone shut off and the pretty picture disappear. He stood up and began his usual routine before her parents would arrive in the next hour or so. He switched the TV on to the morning local news and moved the blanket from her right leg. He started at her feet and massaged her toes, listening to the latest headlines as he made his way up to her ankle, then calf, then knee and then her thigh. He would then lift her entire leg and bend it at the knee slowly, trying to keep the circulation moving.

He looked up as the nurse came in, right on schedule.

"Good morning, Steve."

"Good morning, Kelly."

She went right into her job of checking Carly's vitals and wounds. "I heard we're supposed to get a thunder-storm this afternoon, a pretty big one."

He bent Carly's leg at the knee, holding it up with one hand and reached for his phone with the other, getting the picture. He held it up for her, "Calm before the storm," he smiled, showing her.

She leaned over from the other side, looking at it. "Oh my gosh, that's beautiful," she smiled. "That's a keeper."

He looked at it again, "Let's hope so." He set it back down on the bed and continued on with lifting her leg and bending it at the knee over and over as if she were riding a bike. "She's starting to lose her tan. That should piss her off enough to wake up."

Kelly laughed, "Did you hear that Carly. The sun is calling you. Time to wake up and go play." She opened the smock that tied in the front, exposing her wounds. Time was healing them but the scars would remain for a lifetime.

Steve set her leg down and helped her change the bandages. She handed him the tape and he tore off several strips equal in length and stuck them on the metal railing for her to use for the fresh gauze. He watched her squeeze the antibiotic ointment into her hand and then carefully apply it to each wound over the staples.

"Dr. Caldwell's going to take these out today," she said.

Steve nodded, hearing that from Jules the day before. He stared at her body, not seeing the wounds but seeing her. She was loosing weight and her ribs were more apparent than usual. "She's getting so thin," he sighed. "I'm not sure that feeding tube is working." He glanced up at Carly's face and the tube that entered her left nostril.

"It is," she reassured him. "She's getting the nutrients but it's not fattening. She's going to lose weight regardless."

"Maybe I should blend up some Loco Moco and give that to her," he smiled. "That's her favorite breakfast." He rubbed his hand over her hair, recalling taking her to a place up on the north shore for her first taste of it. They had hiked down toward Ka'ena point that day, stopping at Hidden beach where they ended up staying the rest of the day, skinny dipping in the water and making love behind the rocks on the beach. It was a perfect day.

Kelly looked up at him as he stared at Carly's face. In the beginning all the nurses had ogled over him, commenting on his looks and his body. He was the best looking thing that had come through in a long time. But as time went on, they didn't comment so much anymore on his looks as they did his loyalty and genuine love for Carly. It was touching and heartbreaking to watch at the same time. A couple of them, including herself, who had got to know him, were becoming concerned for him as well. He was losing weight at almost the same pace as she was. They had become so concerned in fact that they felt it necessary to convey their worries to the family, although Jules and Mary had already picked up on it as well.

The door opened and Mary came in first, going straight to Carly's side. "Good morning honey." She kissed her daughter's forehead. She then looked up at Steve who gathered his phone and put his IPad back in the case. "How was your night?" she asked.

"Long, quiet."

"Hmm." She looked at his face and could still see the handsome young man but the life in his eyes had turned sullen and now with the cheeks that looked sunken he was becoming a ghostly figure as well. "Steve?" she said, pulling Carly's covers down, knowing they would come in that day and change her gown.

"Yes," he replied, walking over to give Carly a kiss goodbye.

"When you get home, before you go to bed, I want you to eat the breakfast that Jules made."

He leaned over Carly, kissing her cheek, "I love you sweetie. I'll see you in a while."

"Steve," she said again.

"Ok," he halfheartedly agreed.

"I mean it. I'm going to ask Jules if you ate and I better get a, 'yes, he ate a lot,' not just a few bites."

He looked at her oddly, "What?"

"You haven't been eating properly. I want you to start taking better care of yourself."

"I'm ok," he defended, "I eat here sometimes and…"

"Steven!" she interrupted him with a sharp tone and short temper. "I have one sick child on my hands, I don't need another one to worry about. Carly's I can't do anything about, but yours I can!" She took the brush and began to comb Carly's hair. "I hope I don't have to argue with you over something so ridiculous as you eating." She looked up at him, "Do I?"

He stared at her, caught completely off guard. "No ma'am," he said respectfully. "I'll work on it." He'd never heard a harsh word come out of her mouth, or even heard her raise her voice. This concern caught his attention.

"Ok then, thank you."

He watched her hold a long strand of Carly's hair and comb the ends out until they were smooth. She never glanced back up at him or said goodbye. She spoke her peace and expected her request to be followed. He left the room a little irked, but then at the same time it was nice to know that she cared about him. He ran into Jason in the hall.

"Any changes?"

"Just your wife's. I think she just scolded me." He still looked a little bewildered.

"About what?"

"Food, and my lack of it lately. I think."

"She's worried about you. She mentioned it last night."

"She is?"

"She thinks you need to eat more and you're not taking care of yourself." He walked past him, patting him on the back, "A piece of advice from a man that's been married to her for almost forty years. Just do what she asks and we'll all be happier."

Steve smiled, "Ok." He figured she did have enough to worry about, but most of all he felt privileged that she was willing to included him in her realm of people to look after, therefore, he refused to give her any grief. He knew she was right anyway. He hadn't slept a full night since it had happened. He hadn't eaten a full plate of food, nor had he worked out once, which consisted of a swim out in front of his house. He almost did once, but at the last-minute he became too preoccupied with thoughts of Carly and the depression slid in, which he noticed could quickly consume any energy he had to spare from this ordeal.

It had to end soon. The emotional strain was pounding him down like a hammer to a nail. He was beginning to feel hopeless that she was going to become one of those 5% that never woke up, even though the CAT scan from earlier in the week showed no sign of bleeding that they could see, but Dr. Caldwell quickly pointed out that that didn't mean she was free and clear, it only meant that she hadn't suffered any permanent damage from the blood and oxygen loss in most of her neurological areas. What they couldn't see is the concern they were left with. And no one would know the outcome of that until she awoke.

Steve came in his house and set his stuff on the table by the door. Jules set a plate on the table for him after being informed from Mary that he was on his way home.

"Hi," she said, trying to be upbeat like she had been everyday that he came home in the morning. She had been a lifesaver for all of them, Mary might have been the matriarch of the group, but Jules was by far the one that stepped up and took care of everyone as if they were all her kids. He'd never seen her around her own boys but knew she must have been an incredible mother.

"Hi." He went right to the table and sat down. "Thanks Jules." The plate was stacked with three pancakes, bacon and sausage. He felt a hand on his shoulder as she set a glass of milk down next to his plate.

He reached out and grabbed her serving hand with both of his and gently kissed the back of it, looking back over his shoulder at her. "Thank you."

She knew he wasn't thanking her for the food, but for her time she had put in. She didn't need his gratitude, but accepted it by leaning over and wrapping her arms around his neck from the back. She and Craig had watched him everyday become more and more withdrawn and depressed; it showed both physically and emotionally. She squeezed him, setting her chin on his shoulder. "She's going to wake up soon, you know that right?"

He didn't answer but just nodded, not feeling it really at all. The hunger pains in his stomach were once again replaced with worry and stress. He missed her so much and there was nowhere to get away from it. He thought about her every second of the day and when he slept he dreamt about her. It was a constant turmoil of emotions that he just couldn't escape from. When he was with her the silence was brutal, but at least he could touch her. When he was away from her he was surrounded by memories of places they'd been as he drove to and from the hospital everyday, but when he was home, it was even worse. She was everywhere. He couldn't even go in their room anymore. Just seeing the bed reminded him of that sexual bond they had, that closeness that he would just ache for. And if it wasn't that then it was the memory of her lying on the other side of it covered in blood. He couldn't decipher which one hurt the worst, but that room by far held the cruelest memories of all of them, so he decided to just stay out of there.

Jules released him with a quick kiss on the cheek as Craig came down the stairs after using the bathroom. He came over every morning for breakfast and brought groceries or whatever it was that Jules needed for the day.

"Hey, Steve." He took the seat across from him. "I have to fly home tomorrow for a couple of days. Jules is going to go with me and then we'll be back on the weekend."

He had the fork in his hand but had yet to take a bite. "Ok." He looked over at her as she took the seat at the head of the table. "I know how much you must miss Jack and your boys," he looked at Craig, "and Marisa. Please don't feel like you have to rush back here. I appreciate everything you guys have done, but you should spend some time with your family. I feel bad that you are so far away from them. I know how that feels."

"Jack understands," Jules said and then smiled over at Craig, "and from what I've been told, Marisa is a hit with the boys." They were all surprised when she volunteered to help out while Jack was at work. She picked the boys up from school everyday, fed them, did the laundry and basically took Jules spot while she was away. When jack would get home, she went home too and then returned the next afternoon.

"Of course they do," Craig chuckled, "she's twenty-five and beautiful. She told me in the beginning they were all quiet around her, but they all seem to get along great now." He looked over at Steve, "And as far as the family part goes," he motioned to the two of them, "I'm an only child. You and Jack are my brothers and Jules and Carly are the only sisters I'll ever know. So, I want to be here."

"Me too," Jules nodded. She reached across the table and pushed the plate closer to him. "Eat! I'm tired of cooking and you playing with it more than consuming it."

Steve grinned at her, "I take it you and Mary talked," he said, cutting into the pile of pancakes with his fork.

"Yes, and I know she is kind and sweet like Carly, but you know me Steve," she gave him a threatening look, "I'm not so sweet and gentle. I'm making three dinners with three equal portions and putting them in the fridge before I leave tomorrow," she pointed a finger at him, "and I want your portions eaten when I get back, understood?"

He took a second bite of his breakfast, chuckling at her stern words, "Ok, ok!" He looked over at Craig, talking with his mouth full. "She reminds me of this drill sergeant I used to have. He scared the hell out of me."

"That's right Seal boy," Jules said, "I live in a house full of men. I have a strong kick and I'm not afraid to use it on your backside if I have too." She smiled as she got up from the table.

He and Craig gave each other a nervous look.

"Eat," Craig said, "I don't want to see that."

Steve popped one of the sausages in his mouth. "Me either."

Carly heard a muffled sound as if it were coming from another room through the walls. She felt weak, so weak in fact that just straining to hear what was being said was exhausting. She tried to open her eyes but even that simple move proved to be a challenge. She heard her Mother's voice as if a door had opened and she had come inside the room.

'Mom,' she said, but couldn't find her voice. She heard her Father speak and used what energy she had to open her eyes.

Jason sat next to her bed watching a baseball game, while Mary read a book.

He clapped his hands and cheered a little too loud as one of his favorite players got a hit. "That 'a boy!"

"Jason!" Mary said startled, "You scared me to death."

"Sorry honey," he pointed at the TV, "did you see that hit from Ichiro?"

"No, I'm reading."

"It was nice one, brought in two runs."

"Good for him," she said, focusing back on her book.

Carly opened her eyes and blinked several times from the bright glare. She could feel a gentle breeze in her lungs as she inhaled. It felt effortless to breathe. She had no idea where she was but knew her parents were there so she wasn't frightened. She was just so tired. Her eyes moved to the side and she saw her Father. He was sitting next to her in a chair, looking forward. She followed his line of sight and saw the TV on the wall. She looked back down at him when she heard her Mother's voice again.

"Jason!"

Carly followed the voice and saw her Mother leaning over smiling at her with tears in her eyes.

"Carly? Honey can you hear me?" she said.

"Hi sweetheart!" her Father said, leaning over on the opposite side.

Her eyes darted back and forth between them, feeling sleepy already.

Jason ran to the door and yelled down to one of the nurses that she was awake.

"Carly honey," her Mother begged, "please don't go back to sleep! Steve wants to see you so badly. Please honey!"

"Steve," Carly said to herself, and then as quickly as she awoke she drifted back to sleep.

Jules yelled for him at the same time he flung the spare bedroom door open. He came flying down the steps in a pair of navy blue sweats and no shirt. "Jules!"

"I know! I know!"

They both held their phones up showing the text from one of the nurses at the hospital. The text was precise and to the point. "She woke up." Not seconds later Steve's phone rang; the call was coming from Mary. Jules phone rang almost simultaneously from Craig, who had got the same text message.

They met up with Craig in the parking lot of the hospital. Steve could barely contain himself on the way there, finally using the sirens in his truck to by-pass the heavy traffic. It was illegal as hell but he didn't care. He called Danny first thing who let the others know.

They came out of the elevator and walked toward Carly's room. Steve pulled ahead of them as he went into a jog down the long corridor, not able to wait. Jules and Craig held back, letting him go in alone. He saw Jason and Mary on the other side of the nurse's station speaking with Dr. Caldwell before he went in.

He was surprised that they had already removed her breathing and feeding tube. This meant that she truly was awake. He walked slowly over to the bed, unable to wipe the grin off his face that spread from ear to ear. He couldn't wait to hear her voice that he had dreamt of so many times, or listened to on his cell phone from messages she had left that he never erased, but played back over and over during times when he was at his lowest.

He stood next to her bed and reached his hand out, slipping it under hers and gently squeezing it. "Carly?" he said, staring at her face that resembled an angel's. "Carly?" His hand brushed her hair back as she woke up, hoping he wouldn't see any kind of change, but only his sweet Carly.

She heard her name and slowly opened her eyes, looking at him as he smiled down at her. The first thing she saw was his eyes, they were blue and filled with tears as they stood there looking at each other. He smiled at her, yet the tears were real, which confused her. She didn't understand why he'd be crying. Had she done something to upset him? She didn't understand.

She looked back at him, but not with the same excitement he had been anticipating. Maybe he was expecting too much right away. This was a lot for her to deal with.

"I missed you." He bent down to kiss her and she surprisingly moved her head back away from him. He quickly relinquished the idea and stood back up. He noticed then too that she hadn't really taken his hand. Hers just lied still in his.

"Are you in any pain?" he asked her, wondering if she had been given something that was making her act this way.

"No," she replied softly. "Is my Mom and Dad here?" she asked, looking beyond him to the door.

"Yes. They're out in the hall." He didn't understand why she wasn't happy to see him. "Carly, what's wrong?" He thought that was a silly question after asking it, considering she just woke up from a coma. "I mean, I'm so happy to see you awake." He shook his head, bewildered, "Aren't you happy to see me?"

She looked beyond him again to the door, "Please go get my Dad." She pulled her hand away at the same time.

"Do you know where you are?" he asked, wondering if maybe she did have some kind of neurological damage that was affecting her.

She looked at him queerly, "I'm in the hospital. Is that why you're here?"

He put his hands on the metal bars of the bed; his expression mirrored the confusion that was circling his head. "Of course. I'm here because you are. I've been here everyday waiting for you to wake up."

Her expression suddenly calmed and she realized what it was about. He wasn't dressed like the other doctor, she thought, but maybe he was one. "Oh, do you work here?"

If she would have reached out and slapped him hard across the face, he would have been less shocked. He felt his heart drop to his stomach. The question was so sincere that he knew he couldn't deny what was happening. His mouth was so dry as he tried to speak he could feel it all the way down his throat, "Carly," his voice raspy, trying to swallow, "do you know who I am?" He held his breath.

His demeanor changed in an instant. He looked stunned. The blue eyes stared at her as if she should know that question. She looked beyond him again becoming frightened. "Please go get my Dad," she said, barely above a whisper.

"Carly," he gripped the metal bars for support, "just say my name!" He watched the panic in her eyes as she scanned his chest as if it should be there, like the nurses wore. He shook his head, "I don't work here."

"What do you want?" she whimpered as tears began to fill her eyes and she started to cry. Was he the one that did this to her?

His knees slightly buckled. He couldn't breathe. He'd never passed out once in his life, but as he stood there staring at her, he felt like a white sheet had been thrown over his head. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion. He stepped back, knowing he was frightening her. "It's ok," he held his hands up and stumbled as he ran into the chair. "Don't be scared." He felt sick. "I'll go."

He turned around reaching for the door, fumbling with the handle, not able to get it open fast enough. He felt like he was suffocating. He had to get out there.

Mary looked across the way and saw Craig and Jules standing outside Carly's room, but not Steve. "Oh Jason," she gripped his arm, "Where's Steven?" She walked quickly towards the room, leaving the two of them behind, praying he hadn't gone inside yet.

"Jules," she said breathless, "where's Steve?"

She smiled, "He went in to see Carly of course. He's so excited to see her we thought he should go alone."

"Oh no," she cried.

The door opened just then and he came out. She knew by the look on his face what had happened.

He ran into Craig, bumping shoulders with him but didn't stop as if he never felt it.

Craig heard him mumble something as he walked down the hall about five steps and then leaned back against the wall, bending over, bracing his hands on his knees as if he were trying to catch his breath.

"Steve," Mary caught up with him, "we didn't know you were here yet. We wanted to tell you before you went in." She put a hand on his back, trying to soothe him, "I'm so sorry honey."

He stood up, leaning his head back against the wall with his hands cupping his mouth. "She doesn't know who I am." He felt dizzy all over again and the nausea returned as well. "I have to get out of here." He pushed off the wall and then used it as a brace as he walked quickly down the hall. He saw the exit sign knowing it was the stairs. He didn't hear the others calling him from behind, telling him to wait. He needed fresh air. This was crazy, of all the things he had worried about; this one had never crossed his mind. He wasn't in the least bit prepared for her to look at him as if he were a complete stranger and worse yet the frightening way she looked at him.

For the last eighteen days he couldn't get close enough to her, and now all he wanted was to get as far away from this place as he could.

Danny looked back down at his phone, knowing he was getting close. He was tracking Steve's cell phone after showing up at the hospital and getting the grim news of Carly's condition and the even worse news of Steve's. No one had seen or heard from him since he had left the hospital and it had been a couple of hours. His truck was still in the parking lot but he was nowhere around.

He drove down Kalanianaole road towards Steve's house, following the blinking blue light that was Steve's cell phone. He glanced over at the person sitting on the curb as he drove by with the heavy traffic. "What the hell!" he yelled, recognizing his partner. He made a U-turn at the next light and went back around, making another one to get back on the same street and then turned his police lights on, stopping the Camaro just in front of him to block the traffic.

He looked out his side mirror waiting for the right moment and then quickly got out in between a break in the cars. He came up to him as he sat on the curb, staring at the ground. His face and T-shirt were soaked in sweat. It was at least eight miles from the hospital and Danny presumed he had run from there.

He took a seat next to him, "Are you lost?" he asked him, grinning at the display.

Steve looked over at him, his expression grim "Yes."

Danny's smiled faded, knowing what he meant by that. "I'm sorry."

"What did we do," he said to Danny, "you know? What did Carly and I do that was so bad that it's put us in this position?" He laughed, because he knew if he didn't he'd probably cry and he'd had enough of that.

Danny didn't know what to say. "It's not just you. She doesn't recognize Jules and Craig either."

It was as if he didn't hear him. "It's funny isn't it? I mean, when you think about it. It's comical the way shit just keeps stacking up against us."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is!" he said angrily. "And the biggest joke of all is that she has no fucking clue who I am!" He pushed off the ground and started walking down the street.

Danny caught up with him, reaching out and grabbing him by the elbow. "Where are you going?"

Steve pulled his arm away, "I don't know!" He stopped and looked in the opposite direction, speaking more passively, "I don't know." He really did feel lost. "I don't want to go home." He looked at Danny sadly, "And I can't go back to the hospital. So where do I go?" He felt that panic begin to overcome him that he'd thought he beat out of him from the run. "What am I going to do Danny? What am I going to do without Carly?"

He felt for him. The way he described it as being comical almost was, morbidly comical. It wasn't like it was a hopeless cause either so he tried to instill that in him instead. "The morning after the attack I asked if you were ok, and you said to me, 'she's alive, I don't know the extent of her injuries but she's alive, so yes I'm ok'. Well, she's still alive so you've got two ways to look at this. One, it's not permanent and she'll come out of it and you two will be back to all that kittens and rainbows crap. Two, if it is permanent…" he shrugged, "you got her to fall in love with you once, do it again."

Steve stared at him, he opened his mouth to argue the point but then stopped, he was right. She was still alive and deep down inside her was that bond, that connection they had. It had been too strong to just disappear. He already knew what she liked, what she didn't like. He'd have to just start from the beginning, as if he were seeing her for the first time too. They had been too much in love for her to not feel something. All he needed was an ember and he'd get the fire going. "I think I can do that."

"Sure you can," Danny agreed.

Steve smiled, seeing a hint of hope in this gigantic mess. He looked at him peculiarly though, "Kittens and rainbows? What the hell does that even mean?"

Danny shrugged walking back to the car as he followed him, "I have no idea. Gracie said it once about this couple and it stuck with me."

Steve was about to get in the car when he froze, looking across at him, "What if she's really different now, and I can't pull it off?"

Danny sighed, "Well, then you're fucked, so you better make it happen."

"Kittens and rainbows," Steve groaned. "My goal is kittens and rainbows."