Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews. You guys are AWESOME! I'm a little behind in replying because I've been busy writing extra pages to make up for the longer chapters but I'll get to it I promise. Thanks for coming along on this journey in The Real World with Mari, ilna and me. We really appreciate it.
Obsession
Five-O Headquarters
Sunday 12:00 P.M.
It had been a little over twenty-four hours since Catherine's abduction and approximately twenty hours since Abbey Barnes killed herself in front of Steve and Danny, taking any information about Catherine's current location with her. Both men were distraught in the aftermath of her suicide, blaming themselves for not stopping her, fearing she was their only chance to find Catherine before it was too late.
Her phone was blown apart by the gun blast. Whatever small pieces survived were covered in blood and brain matter making recovery of any data nearly impossible. The GPS antenna in the stolen Cruze had been manually disconnected from the OnStar box, rendering the GPS useless in terms of finding out where Abbey and Catherine had been in the hours between the theft of the car from Waipaeia Plaza and the confrontation at the house. The lab techs were trying everything they could possibly think of to recover any piece of available information but like too many things with this case it was going to take time.
The one thing they didn't have.
Officer Jackson was clinging to life in the Queens hospital ICU, unable to communicate at all let alone provide information on anything he might know about Abbey's whereabouts over the last several weeks. Her personal car wasn't equipped with a GPS unit but Duke had officers combing records from all the traffic cameras on the island in an effort to track her movements as closely as possible.
Every available law enforcement officer was working around the clock looking for any evidence of where Abbey might have taken Catherine. They were also continuing the search for Jack Fitzsimmons, hoping he could shed some light on what Abbey had been up to. Steve wasn't sure what the connection between Jack and Abbey was, but he wanted a chance to question Fitzsimmons himself and find out.
Lou Grover was driving his team relentlessly. Any time HPD or Five-O uncovered even the smallest potential clue Lou and his team deployed. They'd been beating the bushes, talking to sources, performing door-to-door searches. They were leaving no stone unturned in their quest to find Catherine and bring her home safely.
Samantha Grover texted her father hourly, hoping to hear that Catherine had been found alive and safe, and each time he had to respond and tell her it hadn't happened yet it broke his heart just a little knowing how badly she wanted to hear good news.
To make matters worse, the rain that had been falling for a week continued to pound down and the island was on the verge of going to a state of emergency due to flooding. Some city offices were running on a reduced staff which made obtaining information in a timely manner nearly impossible.
Steve and Danny had split up for the most part in the hours after Abbey's death, reasoning that they could cover more ground apart than together. Danny made arrangements for Grace to stay with Rachel until the whole situation was resolved and Catherine was returned home safe and sound.
He did believe they'd get Catherine home safe.
They had to.
Nothing in their final conversation with Abbey indicated to him that Catherine was dead and Danny was going on the assumption she was very much alive.
They just needed to find her.
The Five-O team was working like a well-oiled machine.
Kono had returned home with Adam late Saturday night and come straight to the office from the airport. She got to work immediately, talking to every contact she had on the island, pushing them to go out and dig for information and get back to her. She had been relentlessly pursuing every rumor that came her way, trying to sort out those that seemed at all legitimate. If she thought a lead had any credibility she passed it on to Steve or Danny, whoever was available, and they followed it up. To this point everything had been a dead end.
Chin, in addition to pushing his own sources for information, was working with the tracking station at Pearl, trying to reconstruct data from the previous day that might give them any hint of where the red Cruze had gone when it left the parking lot at Waipaeia Plaza.
They were using satellite images to identify cars that were in the vicinity at the time the Cruze was stolen and then contacting each of the owners personally and interviewing them. They explained the situation and then asked if the drivers had seen the Cruze and possibly might have noticed what direction it was headed or any turns it might have taken.
The work was tedious but they had actually managed to talk to a few drivers who remembered seeing the stolen car. They kept pushing, hoping that they'd find that one person who could give them the piece of information that would crack the case.
Sightings were coming in to the HPD Hotline by the hundreds. Especially after fact that Abbey was dead and Catherine was still missing hit the news. Some of the calls were easily identified as fake, some well-meaning and some called in by pranksters who always seemed to turn up in situations like this. But that still left dozens, if not hundreds, of leads that needed followed up on in person. Danny and Steve kept in constant phone contact with each other and with Chin and Kono as they ran down lead after lead.
After working through the night chasing false leads and dead ends, Danny could feel the desperation starting to creep into his best friend's voice over the phone. He was feeling a bit at loose ends himself so he suggested they meet back headquarters and regroup.
Once they had arrived, he saw exactly what he was afraid he'd see. Steve looked haggard and on the verge of collapse. Danny knew better than to try to get him to take a break so he began subtly Mother Henning his partner. He convinced Steve to sit in his office and make calls for a few minutes at a time. He ordered food and insisted Steve take at least a few bites. He passed off leads to Grover and HPD so they could do the leg work. He knew that if any of the leads looked promising Grover or Duke would call and he and Steve could be there right away.
Steve needed to be at the top of his game both mentally and physically if they were going to find Catherine and bring her home and Danny was going to do whatever was necessary to make that happen.
Rodgers Cabin
Sunday 10:00 P.M.
Catherine opened her eyes and squinted against the darkness, trying to convince herself she was actually seeing what she thought she was seeing. "Steve," she said with relief as she saw him cross the basement to her side. She knew he'd find her. He must have captured Abbey when she went back to the house and forced her to reveal the location of the cabin
"Hey," he smiled brightly at her, wearing a brown t-shirt and cammo pants. "There you are. I've been looking for you."
"You found me," she said. "And just in time. I'm freezing and these chains are cutting off my circulation."
"Abbey told me where you were," he replied matter-of-factly. "She really came through on this one. She deserves more than she's getting at HPD. I'm thinking of making her part of the team."
Catherine couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Steve, she killed Jack Fitzsimmons. She brought me here and left me," Catherine struggled against the restraints, "like this."
"What are you talking about?" Steve looked confused. "Abbey's a hero. She helped us find you."
"No, she didn't … she killed … " Catherine looked to her right and saw that the body of Jack Fitzsimmons was no longer there. Both it and the tarp that had been covering it had vanished.
"Steve, you can't trust her." Catherine's pleas appeared to be falling on deaf ears.
"What are you talking about? I told you, I'm hiring her to work at Five-O."
"No, no, no, no," Catherine begged. "Please listen to me."
"Come on, take off those chains, let's get out of here." Steve knelt beside her but made no move to help.
"I can't get them off, Steve. You have to help me."
As Catherine raised her bound hands and reached out to touch him the pain in her leg intensified and she jolted awake.
She blinked.
She looked around.
No one was there.
She'd been dreaming.
She was still alone in the cold, wet basement except for the body of Jack Fitzsimmons whose dead eyes stared at her from three feet away.
She had no idea how long she'd been asleep. The pain in her hands and feet was approaching unbearable. The chain around her neck felt as though it weighed fifty pounds and would choke her if she moved at all.
She took a moment to assess the situation and realized that she was now lying in at least six inches of water as the rain continued to beat down outside. Her fever was getting worse and her body trembled from the chills she couldn't get under control.
She twisted her wrist in an effort to get a look at the fluorescent dial on her watch. She frowned when she saw a large crack down the center, damage that had obviously occurred at some point during her struggle with Abbey. The crack had allowed water to seep in and the watch was no longer working.
Catherine had no way of knowing how long Abbey had been gone and when or if she was ever coming back. She struggled against the restraints but she knew it was no use. She'd been unable to make any headway in the initial hours after Abbey had restrained her, when she still had most of her strength, in her current weakened condition she knew there was absolutely no chance she could get herself free.
All she could do was try her best to stay alive and hope someone found her in time.
She laid her head back against the cold cement wall and started to pray.
Five-O Headquarters
Monday 3:00 P.M.
"I might have something," Danny said hopefully as he pored over the latest batch of case files that had been sent over from HPD. They had access to all the files on the computer but Danny had requested the paper copies, hoping that something in the written case notes might help.
Duke had assigned two officers the task of pulling the files out of the archives and getting them over to Five-O headquarters where Danny and Steve were going through them. Danny was sitting on the couch in Steve's office while Steve sat at his desk. It wasn't as good as catching a few hours sleep but at least he had finally gotten Steve to sit down before he fell down.
"What?" Steve's bleary eyes were suddenly more focused.
"About three weeks ago Abbey spent several days doing checks on the cabins at Waipula Pass. HPD had gotten some suspicious activity reports from people who live in the area. They were worried there might be squatters in some of the unoccupied cabins. HPD sent Abbey and her partner up to do a cabin by cabin check.
"Did they find anything?"
"No, they reported nothing looked out of place and the cabins were all locked up tight … but … one of the homeowners, a guy named John Rodgers, claimed he never got his keys back. And … wait … where's the evidence bag with the keys they found on Abbey's body?" Danny asked.
Steve picked up the bag and tossed it to Danny. The lab had taken pictures of the keys and distributed them all over the island hoping someone might recognize them and know what they unlocked. Steve had asked for copies of all the keys to be made and distributed to every search team leader so there would be no delay in getting to Catherine if they found her.
"These keys are all for padlocks, not door locks. That's the kind of thing you might use to secure a cabin." Danny was getting more hopeful with each passing minute.
Steve sat up straighter, instantly alert. "Do we have an address?"
"We do," Danny pulled out the report that had been filed about the missing keys.
"Has anybody been up there to check since Catherine went missing?"
"I'll find out." Danny pulled out his phone to call Duke as Steve exited the office and approached Kono who was working at the smart table.
"Can you pull up property records and incident reports for the Waipula Pass area? I'm looking for anything unusual there in the last week."
"You got it, Boss," Kono said as she began to type.
Danny finished his call just as Chin entered the bullpen.
"The ranger's station says it's practically impassable already up there with all the rain so they haven't got anyone up there to check yet."
"Where are you talking about?" Chin asked.
"Waipula Pass. Abbey did some work up there and we think she may have lifted a set of keys."
"You may be on to something," Chin said excitedly as he moved next to Kono and swiped a file up to the overhead screens. "The lab managed to recover small parts of the GPS from Abbey's phone. Nothing specific but she was definitely pinging towers in the Waipula Pass area within the last week. That fits with reports from some of the motorists who remember seeing the red Cruze headed in that direction."
"The cabin check was over by then. Do we know any other reason she would have been in the area?"
"There's nothing in the files," Danny said confidently. "If she was there it wasn't on HPD business."
"We have to get up there right away," Steve said, excited about a potential lead for the first time in hours. He had a good feeling that this might be the one to actually lead them to Catherine. "Find me a way in."
"The roads and bridges are flooding out by the minute," Danny said, repeating what he'd been told by the rangers. "Even if you start up there now there's no guarantee the road will still be passable by the time you get there to get in. Or get out."
"Just get me in," Steve said, his tone making it clear he was going with their help or without it. "I'll worry about getting out after I find Catherine."
"Any chance we can get a chopper in the air," Danny asked.
"Not in this weather," Chin shook his head.
"I'll drive as far as I can and go in the rest of the way on foot." Steve said adamantly. "I have all the equipment I need in the truck. I'm gonna head in that direction. Text me the GPS coordinates."
"Steve, are you sure?" Kono asked.
"I'm positive. You heard what Danny said. Those cabins are flooding out. If Catherine is trapped there she doesn't have time to wait for the rain to end. She needs help."
"I'm going with you," Danny said.
Steve looked his partner in the eye. He knew Danny cared about Catherine, and would do anything to help bring her home, but he had no idea what he was going to find on the flooded mountain and he couldn't ask Danny to take the chance. Not when he had Gracie to consider.
"I appreciate it, Danny, but you don't have to do that. I have no idea what I'm gonna have to deal with when I get there. This could be dangerous."
"I know," Danny nodded. "I'm going anyway."
"Danny what about Grace … she needs you."
Danny leveled a look at his partner that said this wasn't open for debate. "Well I guess you're just gonna have to make sure the operation goes off with a hitch Super SEAL."
There was no way Danny was gonna allow Steve to head out alone. And no way he was not going to pursue any lead, no matter the risk involved, that might lead to Catherine's safe return.
"Thanks," Steve nodded. "I just want to say … "
"Save it for later," Danny smirked. "Let's go get Catherine."
Steve nodded "Let's do this."
"Stay in contact," Chin said as Steve and Danny turned and headed for the door. "And be careful."
"I'm counting on seeing all three of you back here in a matter of hours," Kono shouted after them as they cleared the doors and headed for Steve's truck.
Waipula Pass
Monday 3:50 P.M.
After a couple of close calls with nearly washed out bridges Steve and Danny made it onto the mountain itself. The rain was pounding down, restricting visibility and making every mile treacherous. More than once the truck slid towards an embankment at the edge of the road only to have Steve manage to steer it to safety at the last minute.
Danny was using the GPS on his phone to direct them while Steve concentrated 100% of his energy on navigating the dangerous conditions.
"The access road should be 100 yards ahead on the right," Danny said.
As the truck moved forward both men looked out the window desperately hoping to see gravel.
"Should be," Steve said. He saw an opening in the trees and assumed the road they were looking for was located somewhere under all the water. He made the turn and waited till he felt the truck gain some traction before pressing the gas harder.
Their biggest problem now was mud. Several times the truck bogged down. Each time Steve managed to get it going again. But the closer they got to the cabin the deeper the mud got. They continued on for another five miles before a clearing came into sight.
"The cabin is up ahead," Danny said as he looked at his phone.
As soon as the words were out of his mouth the truck stopped. Steve tried repeatedly but couldn't get it going. He pressed the gas but nothing happened. He could hear the engine straining but the truck didn't move at all. He opened the door and looked first at the front wheels, then the back.
"We're buried up to the axles in mud. We're gonna have to make a run for it."
"Okay," Danny agreed. He wasn't eager to get out of the truck in these conditions but they were too close to let anything stop them now.
"Where exactly is the cabin," Steve asked, straining to see through the driving rain.
"I00 yards straight ahead," Danny answered.
"OK let's go. Ready?" Steve opened the door of the truck, grabbed the First Aid kit and both his and Catherine's go bag, and stepped out into the driving rain and ankle deep mud.
"As I'll ever be," Danny said. As soon as his feet hit the ground he had to grab the door of the truck to avoid falling in the slippery mud. He took a minute to get his footing then headed off after Steve in the direction of the cabin.
It took nearly 10 minutes to make the 100 yard trip.
They finally reached the porch of the cabin they were looking for and saw that it was secured with a padlock. Danny pulled out the keys that had been found on Abbey's body and began trying them in the lock.
The second one worked.
They removed the lock and barged into the cabin.
Rodgers Cabin
Monday 4:00 P.M.
"Catherine! Catherine!" Steve yelled as they entered the cabin. He moved through the small living room, eyes scanning every surface, and into the kitchen.
His heart rate jumped when he saw Catherine's car keys lying on the cluttered kitchen counter. He'd know her distinctive Navy key ring anywhere.
"We're in the right place," he said excitedly picking up the keys and showing Danny.
"Catherine!" Danny called with a renewed urgency as he pushed open the door to the small bedroom.
"Steve," a weak voice called from the basement. "Steve!"
Steve and Danny looked at each other and bolted for the basement door. They made their way down the narrow staircase in almost complete darkness. Danny flipped the light switch to no avail. Either the light was burned out or it had been disabled.
Both men pulled out their phones and activated the flashlight app, giving them just enough light to see Catherine lying on the floor in the corner of the room, bound and shivering, in about 18 inches of water. She was shackled at the wrists and ankles and there was a thick chain wrapped around her neck. Three feet to her left was the bloated dead body of a man Steve and Danny assumed was Jack Fitzsimmons.
Steve stepped off the bottom step into the water and splashed his way his way quickly towards Catherine with Danny right behind him.
They sidestepped the dead body.
They could deal with that later.
Right now their only concern was Catherine.
"Cath? Cath? Are you ok?" Steve knelt next to her head and did his best in the limited light available to check her over for injuries. Danny leaned over his partner's back and added his light but it still wasn't enough. Between the darkness and the water it was nearly impossible to make any kind of assessment. Steve placed his hand on the side of her face and immediately felt that she was burning up with fever.
She was shivering uncontrollably and barely seemed to notice him at first. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she said through chattering teeth, "You look so real this time. You even feel real this time."
"What do you mean?" Steve asked as Danny went to work trying to figure out which key opened the padlocks so they could get Catherine free.
Tears began to roll down her cheeks towards her lips which were just short of blue. "You're not really here. I'm dreaming again."
"I'm here, Catherine. I'm really here." Steve squeezed her shoulder and stroked her cheek to try to reassure her.
Catherine continued to cry softly as Danny tried each of the keys off the ring in turn and finally managed to unlock the chain around her neck, followed by the one on her hands and the one on her ankles. As he unlocked the locks he could see, even in the dim light, her extremities were turning blue.
"We gotta get her out of this water," Danny said as he tossed the chains aside.
Steve handed his phone to Danny, then slid his arms under Catherine and picked her up, moving quickly back up the narrow stairs as Danny lit the way with the phone lights.
Once Steve and Catherine were safely at the top Danny ascended the steps himself.
He knew they had to find a way to warm Catherine up and was grateful to see this cabin, like many in the area, had a fireplace to ward off the occasional chill during the rainy season. "This fireplace looks like it works," he said. "I saw some wood on the porch. I'll get a fire started. We need to warm her up."
"Thanks," Steve said, focused solely on Catherine. He sat her gently on the couch in the center of the room.
"No problem." Danny crossed the cabin and headed outside to the small covered porch. He returned a minute later with the driest wood he could find and began looking for some kind of paper to use as a starter. He finally settled on a couple of old magazines on the coffee table and set about getting the fire started.
Steve murmured softly and soothingly to Catherine as he began to remove her soaking wet clothes and replace them with dry things from her go bag.
"Ok here we go," he said as he eased her shaking arms out of the sleeves of her shirt. "You're gonna feel much better when we get you out of these wet clothes."
He quickly removed her wet bra as well. He pulled a towel from her go bag and gently rubbed her skin dry. As he worked he assessed her physical condition. She had multiple bruises and scrapes, in addition to a split lip and a small cut on her forehead, none of which looked too serious or like a cause for great concern. He pulled an antiseptic swap from the first aid kit and wiped down the scrapes before grabbing a t-shirt and pulling it gently over her head, working her arms smoothly into the sleeves.
"Can you lift your hips so we can get these pants off?" he asked softly as he heard the fire come to life behind him. When he got no response he unbuttoned and unzipped her pants then lifted her gently and pulled both her pants and underwear off. He once again dried her skin as gently as possible then slipped a pair of sweat pants from her bag over her ankles.
He stopped to examine the wound on her leg. The cut itself was relatively small, no more than three inches long running up the inside of her left calf. The problem was that it was badly infected, probably due to the murky water she had been laying in for close to two days. He was sure the infection in that cut was what was causing her elevated fever and chills. As soon as he touched the area around the cut with an antiseptic wipe Catherine hissed in pain.
He would deal with the cut later. Right now getting her warm was the most important thing. Her limbs were practically blue from a mixture of cold water and reduced circulation due to the restraints. Steve gently rubbed her hands and feet, one after the other, in an attempt to get the blood flowing again. He once again lifted her gently and pulled the sweat pants into place. He then added thick wool socks that were a must for every go bag. He then kissed her on the cheek and gave her a second layer of clothes using the things from his go bag. By the time he was finished the fire was blazing away.
"Can you…" Steve said to Danny as he indicated the recliner in the center of the room.
"Absolutely." Danny slid the chair over close to the fire then went to the bedroom to look for blankets.
Steve lifted Catherine and gently placed her in the chair as Danny came back with a large tan fleece blanket. Steve spread the blanket over Catherine, tucking it in tightly.
"How's she doing?" Danny asked, his voice laced with concern.
"She was freezing from being in that water," Steve said as he re-tucked the blanket one more time. "I think she's hallucinating. Or she was before. Because she kept saying that I seem real but I seemed real last time and she knows I'm not really here."
Worry creased Steve's brow. He crossed the room and retrieved the first aid kit then came back and checked Catherine's temperature, pulse and heart rate.
"Well?"
"Her temperature is up. So is her heart rate. She has a cut on her leg that's infected. I'm gonna start her on some IV antibiotics. Hopefully those will do the trick till we can get out of here."
"What can I do?" Danny asked.
"Pray these antibiotics work," Steve said as he prepared the IV.
Rodgers Cabin
Monday 10:00 P.M.
Danny found a few provisions in the cupboards and managed to throw together an edible pasta dinner. It was nothing special but it was nutrition. He managed, with near constant nagging, to get Steve to eat a few bites as he sat next to the recliner keeping a close eye on Catherine's condition.
Cell service in the area was spotty due to the weather but Danny had managed to talk to Chin for long enough to fill him in on the fact that they'd found Catherine, that Steve's truck was bogged down, and that they needed to get off the mountain as soon as possible and get Catherine to a hospital.
Chin promised to work on things from his end and let Danny know as soon as they came up with a solution. He said to give Catherine a hug from both he and Kono and to tell Steve to hang in there. He would find a way to get them safely off that mountain if it was the last thing he did.
Steve checked Catherine's temperature and saw that it had risen another half a degree in the last hour.
"These antibiotics aren't working," he said, concern creasing his features.
He pushed back the fleece blanket and began to push up Catherine's left pant leg to examine the infected cut.
As soon as he touched her ankle she let out a howl of pain.
Danny looked unsure of what to do.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Steve said as soothingly as he could. "I just have to get a better look at this cut."
Catherine settled back into an uneasy semi-conscious sleep as Steve gently rolled up the leg on both her sweat pants and his that she was wearing as a second layer. He saw that not only was the wound itself red and angry looking but the surrounding area was now red, swollen and very warm to the touch. In addition, there was a large amount of pus under the scab that had formed. He checked the area very carefully for any signs of a red streak that would indicate blood poisoning and was happy that at least on that front they seemed to be safe for now.
"What do we do?" Danny asked, clearly concerned.
"We need to clean out this wound and try to release some of the infection."
"How do we do that?"
Steve took a deep breath and looked at Catherine's face. "Very carefully. Could you see if there are any clean towels in the bathroom?"
Danny turned and headed back the hall, returning a few seconds later with an armload of clean white towels. "I'm gonna get some more wood before you start … make sure the fire doesn't go out," he said as he headed towards the porch.
As Steve lifted Catherine's leg to put a towel underneath she cried out in pain. "I'm sorry, Cath," he said as he re-settled her leg in place. "I'm so sorry. But this has to be done."
Catherine's eyes fluttered open and she looked at him as though she was seeing him for the first time. "Steve?!" Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears.
"Hey," he said softly as he moved to kneel beside her, their noses were practically touching. "Hi."
"You're really here?" She reached out her hand and touched his cheek. Her tears began to fall in earnest when he didn't disappear and in fact felt warm and alive under her fingertips.
"We're really here," he assured her, placing his hand on the side of her face and kissing her cheek.
"I thought you were here before but I was just dreaming, or hallucinating," Catherine said, reaching for his hand and squeezing, just to make sure.
"Your leg is infected, Catherine. You've got a fever. That's probably what caused it."
"It hurts," she said, pain in her voice.
"I bet it does."
Catherine smiled softly at him. "You found me."
He leaned in and placed his lips close to her ear. "Always."
"Abbey?" Catherine asked suddenly fearful.
"She's gone, Catherine. You don't have to worry about her."
"She killed Jack Fitzsimmons."
"I figured."
"His body is in the basement. He was innocent, Steve. He didn't do anything. It was all her. She set him up."
"OK," he said as he smoothed back her hair. "Just lay back and relax. We can worry about that later. Right now let's just concentrate on getting out of here and getting you to a hospital."
Danny returned from the porch with the driest wood he could find and his heart leapt when he saw Steve and Catherine having an actual conversation. If she was regaining consciousness, and not hallucinating any longer, he thought that had to be a good sign.
"Is Sleeping Beauty really awake this time?" he teased as he moved to Catherine's side. He could see her eyes were feverish but more focused and alert than at any time since they'd arrived. He knew she was still fighting a serious infection but getting warmed up, and getting some antibiotics, had done wonders to improve her condition. "How are you feeling, Hon?"
"I've been better," she said honestly.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
Steve moved back down to the foot of the chair. "We're gonna have to open this cut up, Catherine. Let some of the infection out. The antibiotics aren't doing it on their own."
"Are you sure?"
"Your temperature has been going up about half a degree an hour. It's at 103 now. There's no way we can get out of here before morning. We have to do something to try to slow down the infection."
"Ok then. " She looked at Steve with complete trust. If he said this was the only way then it was the only way. She could take whatever pain it caused.
"This is gonna hurt," he told her honestly.
"I'm ready." She managed a small smile but it didn't reach her eyes.
"What can I do?" Danny asked.
"Well," Steve said "you can hold Catherine's shoulders down and let her squeeze your forearms. I can't give her anything for the pain so this is gonna be rough."
"Do you have any splints in there in case she breaks my arm?"
Catherine smiled a weak smile which Danny returned.
He sat down on the arm of the recliner, placed his hands on Catherine's shoulders and winked at her. "Don't hurt me."
She grinned. "I'll try not to."
"Ready?" Steve asked.
"Ready," Catherine and Danny said in unison.
Steve used the knife from the first aid kit to peel off the scabby part of the wound. As soon as the knife made contact Catherine screamed and tried to sit up. It took all Danny's effort to keep her down.
Steve worked as quickly as he could, removing the more solid scabby material on the top of the cut and allowing some of the infection to drain out. Within seconds Catherine relaxed and Danny was able to ease his grip slightly.
"You ok?" he asked her softly.
"Yeah. It actually feels a little better."
"That's good."
"Ok this is gonna sting," Steve said as he prepared to use the only antiseptic he had available.
Danny repositioned his hands and Catherine hissed as the liquid made contact with the wound. "You good?"
"Yeah," she winced.
Steve quickly dressed the wound to allow it to continue to drain. Once Danny saw he was finished he stood up to allow Steve to take the seat closest to Catherine.
"I'm gonna step outside and see if I can get Chin. Maybe he has some new info." He moved towards the door, determined to give Steve and Catherine a few minutes of privacy.
"You ok?" Steve asked, voiced laced with concern, as he sat down on the arm of the recliner.
"Almost," Catherine answered softly.
"What do you need?" He was determined to make it happen, whatever it was.
Catherine opened her arms and held them up weakly.
Steve smiled and leaned in to give her a hug.
"Hi," she whispered in his ear.
"Hi," he whispered back.
"You're really here."
"Yes, I am."
"I'm really glad."
"Me too."
Steve held her close, careful not to squeeze her too tight in her weakened condition but wanting to offer her all the strength and comfort he could.
"Is the rain gonna let up soon?" she asked.
'Not soon enough,' Steve thought to himself but said, "I hope so."
Catherine shifted slightly to ease the pain in her leg.
"It's gonna be ok, Cath. We're gonna get out of here."
"I know," she smiled sleepily.
"Why don't you try to rest?" He kissed her softly.
"OK just for a few minutes," she said as her eyes slipped closed.
Steve was still sitting beside her sifting his hands through her hair, watching her sleep, when Danny re-entered the cabin.
"Anything new?"
"Maybe."
"What?" Steve asked hopefully, voice lowered in an attempt not to wake Catherine.
"Chin said that it doesn't look like there's gonna be a break in the weather for at least another 24 hours."
"I don't know if Catherine can wait 24 hours."
"I know. But while I was outside talking to Chin I noticed there's an ATV in the carport."
"Does it run?"
"Yes. I found the keys on a hook. It's built as a two seater but we can make it work. Chin said if we can get down the mountain he can get some sort of emergency transport to the spot on the highway below the bridge."
Steve glanced back at Catherine sleeping restlessly. "I think it's worth a try. I'm not sure those antibiotics can keep her infection at bay for another 24 hours."
"Let's wait till the sun comes up and see where we stand," Danny said. "We can't take off in the middle of the night anyway and Catherine needs time to rest and let her wound drain."
"Sounds good. Let's wait till morning and see where we stand."
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