Disclaimer: Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.

Authors Note: Enjoy!

Chapter 6

"Grace, may I?" The doctor's palms were facing upwards, arms extended, hovering over her wrists. Grace nodded, peeking up under half-closed lids. She couldn't care less about the stupid bruises that seemed so important to everyone else. Because she wouldn't change the way she'd reacted to the officer's attempt to keep her from her dad. If anything, her inability to help Danno did nothing but infuriate and frustrate her, stoke the flames of anger and desperation that had vanished upon the sight of her uncle.

"These hurt?"

Dr. Patel set one of Grace's hands back into her lap when the only answer she gave was the abrupt rise and fall of her shoulders.

Grace felt Uncle Steve's arms stiffen around her at the question, so she peeked up at him. What she saw, buried deep, but easily distinguishable to her, allowed her to relax back into his chest as the pediatrician continued her exam. She knew she and Uncle Steve would be discussing what had happened today, but when she was ready. He'd allow her that, the time she needed.

"Okay, Grace. Just a couple more checks and then you're free to go."

Temp, pulse, and an oxygen saturation check were all completed following the pediatrician's soothing explanations. Dr. Patel then slid her hand down Grace's as she indicated the lancing device she held in her other hand.

"This will be a quick poke to a finger of your choosing, hun. You have a preference for me?"

She quickly shook her head 'no' before her eyes closed while the physician squeezed the tip of her index finger.

"Okay, real quick."

Grace flinched at the sudden prick, she couldn't help it, but then strong arms tightened around her as another soft kiss was placed at the top of her head. She sank further into her Uncle's torso. He was so warm, she just wanted to burrow into him to keep away the numbing cold that was creeping upon her from every direction.

"All done. No more poking or prodding."

Dr. Patel patted her shoulder before settling her attention on Uncle Steve.

"I'd like you to make sure Grace gets some fluids and something to eat before she gets settled for the night, Commander. The traveling food carts come through the waiting areas until 11:30. Any nurse's station can summon them for you if you can't locate one." The pediatrician then pulled out a business card from her scrubs' breast pocket, handing it over to him.

Uncle Steve scowled upon reading the card, his eyebrows rising as he locked gazes with the physician.

"Only if her parents feel it's warranted. She'll still be a bit groggy from the sedation, but she's good to go, Commander. I'll have a copy of my report printed and delivered to you by tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Doc." Uncle Steve's hand jutted out for a quick shake before returning to enfold her further into his embrace.

"Take good care of her, Commander." The doc's demeanor softened. "If you or Grace's parents have any questions, just have the nurse's station page me or give me a call. Grace's discharge papers will have my contact information on them."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks."

Time stood still for a moment following the pediatrician's departure. She just wanted to stay here, away from the bustling chaos she could hear on the other side of the curtains.

"Hey." Uncle Steve tucked his chin so that his lips tickled the tips of her ear. "You ready?"

She could feel him pull back a bit to get a look at her face when she didn't respond. Still firmly tucked within the crook made by his neck and collarbone, she shut her eyes. She might have to hear the bustle outside their room, but she didn't have to look at it.

"I can still carry you if you want …"

Grace settled her arms back up around his neck and then shivered.

"You cold?"

She nodded. She was freezing and she was tired, too tired to move or talk … about anything.

"Okay, let's go find you a blanket and a place where we can wait. I've got you, Grace."

H50

Grace was floating, no, had been floating, but was still warm and secure, tucked against a solid chest. Still safe. She instinctually knew that, though she found it difficult to work through all the clues that would tell her with whom she was with or where.

"Dan … no?" "No, that wasn't right."

"It's Uncle Steve, Gracie."

"Yeah, okay, that made sense. Didn't it?"

And then the memories came back, zipping through her system as she came instantly awake.

"DANNO!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, easy, Grace. Your dad just got out of surgery. We're just waiting for him to get settled before they'll let us see him."

She twisted within her Uncle's grasp, her fingers latching onto his shirt.

"He's okay? Danno's okay?" The brief hesitation and note of uncertainty in his answer made her groan, tears instantly causing her vision to waver. She pushed away from his chest, locking her arms, but unable to release her death grip on his clothing.

"No, Gracie, come here. He'll be okay. Doc said that the surgery took a bit longer than they expected because of how dirty the wound was. And they're concerned about Danno's temp. He's got a slight fever that they want to keep an eye on. They're just bringing him out of recovery, so not too much longer before we get to see him."

He had pulled her back into his embrace, running a hand up and down her spine in what she knew was an attempt to soothe her.

"You alright?"

"I need to see him, Uncle Steve." And like the magical click of her heels, three times together, a nurse appeared within the door of the waiting room.

"Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams is settled and can have visitors now." The non-descript nurse smiled encouragingly.

Grace slid off her Uncle's lap after disentangling herself, grasping his hand and pulling with all her might. Her eyes pleaded for him to hurry.

"Okay, we're coming."

Had the situation not been so incredibly FUBAR, Grace might have caught the slight chuckle in her Uncle Steve's response to her insistence. She was being permitted to see her Danno, but she'd instantly been overcome by the fear that someone, anyone, would change their mind and tell her that she wasn't allowed.

Not willing to get left behind in the wake of the commander's long strides, Grace jogged to keep in front of him, her fingers still clenched within her uncle's. She almost slammed into the nurse's chest when the woman turned to face them after stopping to indicate her dad's room.

"Detective Williams will likely be asleep for a while. We'll be in and out all evening, monitoring his vitals and his fever, to make sure that the meds are doing the trick. His physician will check on him in the morning before shift change."

The nurse's initial commentary had been directed at Uncle Steve, a bunch of medical lingo explaining what to expect with regards to the patient within the next couple of hours. Her dad was in a high dependency ward due to vessel, muscle, ligament, and tissue damage. His dressings needed tending, and he was wearing a long leg richards splint to stabilize and prevent movement. Enox … something, something, injections to prevent deep vein thrombosis …

"Whatever the heck that is …"

… And 10 days no bending, 4-weeks in the full splint, and physiotherapy starting at the ankle before weight bearing …

Grace had bristled at the impersonal innuendo towards her dad and then ignored most of the remainder of the conversation, after she got lost in the meaning of the words, her gaze latching onto the unnaturally still form just within the doorway. That was, until the nurse's voice had softened, the woman finally directing her attention back towards Grace.

"Talk to him, sweetheart. And it's okay to hold his hand, let him know that you're sitting with him. I'll bet he's thinking about you as much as you are him." A delicate, knowing smile graced the woman's features.

"Could you let my team know where we are when they get here?"

Grace lost track of the conversation again, refocusing on her father. Any movement, even just a twitch, something to tell her that he was going to come back to her … soon. She jumped in surprise when a light squeeze to her shoulder and a pat preceded the nurse's departure. And then, with a conspiratorial wink, the woman was gone.

Grace didn't hesitate, the nurse's exit had given her all the permission she needed to sidle her way past her uncle to Danno's side. Careful to avoid monitors and lines, she slipped a hand underneath her dad's, placing the other atop his, her thumb tracing patterns across his knuckles.

"He's really warm." She'd briefly placed her fingers along his forearm before returning to trace the boney ridges along his hand.

"Yeah, that's his body fighting off the infection." Uncle Steve had moved up behind her, his tall frame leaning over her shoulder to smooth back strands of wet hair from Danno's forehead.

"You think he can hear me?" Grace studied her father's sallow complexion, a frown deepening the lines of worry across her brow.

"Yeah, Gracie. I think he knows you're here."

"Will he remember what I say?"

"I don't know, hun. But you're dad's a good detective, which makes him one of the best listener's I know."

Uncle Steve's fingers were tracing light patterns across her dad's forehead. He leaned forward, whispering into Danno's ear before he pulled back to glance at her. A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You okay? We might be waiting for Danno to wake up for a while."

"Yeah, I'm good. I don't want to leave, Uncle Steve. I need to be here."

He nodded, reaching behind him to pull up a single chair without losing contact with her dad.

"Willing to share?"

Grace smiled, the first in a while, before settling back onto her uncle's lap, still close enough to maintain contact with her sleeping Danno. She placed her forearms on the edge of the bed, resting her head in the crook of an elbow, both hands still clasped within her father's.

There was silence for a time, not uncomfortable, each loved one lost in their own thoughts as they waited. Until the dam that had been holding back the wall of her guilt, burst without warning.

"I moved," she said, the tone of her voice distant as her head continued to rest quietly within her arms, fingers lightly dancing across the still hand within her own.

"I moved, Danno, and I'm sorry. I am. You told me not to get too close. But I wanted to see what you were doing, I wanted to learn, so I moved to get a better look. I didn't mean to distract you."

She felt the return of Uncle Steve's hand along her spine, his other hand reassuringly placed atop her thigh. He squeezed gently when a noise from the hospital corridor made her flinch. He said nothing though, returning one hand to her father's bicep while allowing her the perception of a private conversation with just her dad.

Her tears resurfaced, falling across the bridge of her nose, down her cheek, but still she continued. Unloaded all of her fears and her doubts within the safety of her silent audience.

She was so engrossed in her confession, she missed the subtle stirrings and tilt of her father's head towards her voice. Missed the slits of brilliant cobalt peeking from behind heavy lids and the slip of a lone tear that accompanied her own...

H50

Goosebumps had run up and down Steve's arms while Grace had unloaded the guilt still lurking within. It was easy to forget sometimes that his niece was only twelve. That what she'd achieved, had faced alone, with only her injured father to rely on, was unimaginable in the eyes of most. Thus he had listened, recognizing her need while keeping his eyes on his partner.

He was rewarded for his vigilance when he caught the slight change in his brother's breathing and the convulsive swallowing. Danny was being lulled to consciousness by the inflection and intensity of his daughter's heartache. Hers was a pull a father could never ignore. The Commander knew that. And he allowed it, if only because his friend's awakening was still a gentle one, as if his body intrinsically knew his daughter's needs though he couldn't yet respond to her call for his comfort.

His partner's watery gaze briefly shifted, latching onto his like a lifeline.

Steve's mouthed, "She's okay", released a further flood, Danny's unease evident within the depths of his eyes. So he gave his partner more silent assurances, "She's okay, really", followed by a slight squeeze to the man's arm when Danny's eyebrows lifted slightly in what seemed to be uncertainty.

"Come on, Danno, none of this is your or Grace's fault."

Danny's eyes tracked sluggishly back to his daughter. He seemed to be waiting. Maybe waiting for that moment that would indicate his daughter's purge was over. The time when she would allow him to comfort her without stuffing her feelings back down under the worry of his own wellbeing.

Another quiet eventually fell over them. Grace had fallen silent, run out of words and apologies. Steve hoped the blatant fear of their ordeal now lacked the power it had held over her for what probably felt like an eternity.

He leant forward a bit, tickling Grace's ear with his breath. He'd received the visual cue he needed from his partner. Just the flick of Danny's gaze and Steve knew it was time.

"Grace, look."

The fine tissues around her eyes had become swollen, her overflow of tears causing her nose to run and her face to become all blotchy.

Steve knew Danny wouldn't care in the least. Because when her eyes fell upon her father, it was as if the radiant splendor of a newborn star shown upon them.

~to be continued~