In late evening once everyone had a hearty supper, save for Steve whose diet consisted of a bowl of chicken broth and some ginger tea, Danny called Rachel in Hawaii using the telephone in Steve's room so that he could thank Grace for the beautiful uplifting pictures that she had drawn him. Clara sat by them while Eddie was back home to fetch some items for the night.

"Hey, Rach! How was your doctor's appointment?"

"I'm doing fine and so is the baby."

"Has he or she kicked yet?"

"No and I'm not encouraging it either. I remember how it felt when I was carrying Grace."

"And you loved it," Danny teased.

"I did but it hurt nevertheless. How is Steve?"

Danny glanced at his partner he could see struggling to keep awake. "He's good. He wants to talk to Gracie. Is she around?"

"Yes she's in her room. Hold on."

Barely a minute later the sweet, innocent voice came on the speaker. "Danno?"

"Hey, Monkey! How are you, munchkin?"

"I'm fine, Danno. I got an A on a Math test today."

"Hey, that's wonderful! I knew you could do it," Danny cheered while watching Steve wriggling to get on his right side. Clara was quick on her feet to assist Steve into a comfortable position.

"How's Uncle Steve?"

"He's been asking to talk to you. I'll put him on." Danny wiped the phone clean with an antiseptic cloth and held it to Steve's ear and mouth.

"Gracie?" Steve spoke tiredly.

"Uncle Steve!" she enthused. "Danno says you're feeling better?"

"A little bit. I wanted to thank you for the beautiful pictures you drew for me. Danno printed them for me and they are hanging on the walls of my room. They make me smile whenever I look at them."

The little girl blushed with pride. "I'm happy you like them, Uncle Steve. I'm drawing some with seals and ships in them."

"Oh, that I want to see." Steve said through a yawn he vainly tried to stifle. "You send them to Danno and he'll bring them to me."

"Okay. I miss you, Uncle Steve."

"I miss you too, sweetheart," he said with a quavering voice and a tear in his eye. "We'll see each other soon."

"You promise?"

Steve pursed his lips and closed his eyes to suppress the tears as Grace's appeal shot right through his heart. "I promise, Gracie. Danno, grandma and grandpa are helping me get better. I hope to see you very soon." He shook his head, beckoning Danny to take the phone away as he gagged and turned a shade of green. Clara quickly grabbed the emesis basin and held it under Steve's chin just as he vomited.

Danny stepped back to allow his mom space to work at wiping Steve's mouth clean of speckles of vomit. "Gracie, baby, Uncle Steve has to rest now. You'll talk to him tomorrow okay?"

"Okay. Danno, I love you. You kiss grandma and grandpa for me okay?"

"Hold on a second." Danny brought the phone to his mother's ear while she held a glass of water to Steve's lips to help him drink. "Hi Gracie! Grandma gives you a big kiss. You be a good girl now."

"I will. You give a great, big kiss to Uncle Steve. He needs it to get better."

"I surely will, sweetheart." She nodded to Danny that she was done.

"You give the phone back to mommy." Danny asked and waited for Rachel's voice while watching his mother coddle his partner.

"Daniel? Do you know when you'll be back?"

"It won't be for quite some time, Rach. Hopefully at the start of summer?"

"If not then we will travel to Jersey to be with you. The baby is due sometime in August. I don't want you to miss the birth."

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Daniel. Really I do. I was a fool to let you go the first time."

"The important is that we're back together. One big happy family." The comment was as much directed at Steve as it was at Rachel, which brought a smile to the sleepy patient's face. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye" He put the phone back in the cradle and glanced up at the heart monitor before stepping up to the bed. "Steve, you okay? Want me to get the doctor?"

"No. I'm good. Just a bit tired."

"All right. You rest now. Mom and me will be right here if you need anything."

Steve gave a weak nod and mumbled a 'thanks' before drifting off.

Danny pulled his mom aside. "I don't like his blood pressure reading. It's too low. I'll go talk to Doctor Granger, see if we ought to be concerned."

"Okay. I'll stay here with him."

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50

For the next few days, Steve spent much of his days nodding on and off. Doctor Granger and his colleague Doctor Mateo consulted on their patient's current setback. Albeit not alarming, the steady low pressure was a reason for concern. The latest results hadn't yield any signs that the transplanted stem cells had indeed engrafted, but it was still too early to tell.

Since Steve couldn't hold anything down, Doctor Granger ordered that he'd be hooked back on an electrolyte solution to keep his level of hydration to a satisfactory level. It was touch and go for a while and given that the risk of contracting infections remained, the washing of hands and the wearing of masks were still mandatory.

H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50H50

Ten, then fifteen days passed with Steve's blood count numbers remaining fairly the same. Danny was at his wits' end. He dreaded Steve having to undergo a second stem cells infusion, even though his vital signs were significantly stronger. The SEAL was permitted to take short trips down the hall with Danny at his side for physical support and to sit in the family room. The electrolyte IV solution was gradually replaced by a liquid diet with which Steve gained some weight; his hair started to grow back; his facial features were brighter; his eyes more sparkling and full of life; his cheekbone less emaciated. Overall he was slowly returning to a picture of health.

On this dreaded day Danny and his parents were all in attendance in Steve's room as they waited for Doctor Granger to return with the latest results of the blood work. The mandatory mask rule had been lifted temporarily but they still held their distance whenever they spoke with Steve.

Whereas Eddie was in the sitting in the family room reading a newspaper and Clara was at Steve's bedside, both debating over which wall Gracie's latest drawings should hang, an anxious Danny was carving a hole in the tile floor with his constant pacing.

"Danny, would you stop that pacing you are making me nauseous! For once my stomach's not queasy so please, stop," Steve griped.

"I don't understand you! Aren't you the least bit anxious about the results?"

"Of course I am but worrying about it isn't going to change the outcome."

"Daniel, come and see the beautiful drawings your daughter made for Steven," Clara asked, patting the side of the bed next to her.

"I've seen them," Danny replied curtly as his attention was focused on the door for any sign of Doctor Granger.

"Danny, come. You'll help me decide which ones will go on the wall over there," Steve motioned to the wall across from his bed.

With a heavy sigh, Danny complied. No sooner had he sat on the edge of the bed that Doctor Granger entered the room with the patient's chart.

Danny hopped down the bed and stood frozen to the spot for the dreaded prognostic. "Doctor Granger," he gulped in a breath before his next question. "So?"

The broad smile was self-explanatory. "The engraftment is a success!" A collective sigh of relief filled the room. "The donor's stem cells found their way to your bone marrow and have begun producing healthy blood cells. The white and red cell counts are gradually returning to normal."

Danny bent down, hands on knees and exhaled the longest, thickest shuddering breath before squatting down on the floor with his emotions spilling all over. His father walked up to him and squatted down to his level to wrap an arm around his shoulders.

"Oh Steven!" Clara exulted, leaning forward to kiss his forehead.

"We'd like to keep you here for the next forty-eight hours to do a battery of tests. If all results are satisfactory, then you'll be able to go home."

Steve sank his head deeper into his pillow and squished his eyes shut. His chest felt heavy and tight and his throat constricted with the emotional lump building.

Then he felt strong arms wrapped around him. He didn't have to open his eyes to know they were Danny's. "You did it, Steve! You did it!" When Danny released the hug, dewy eyes locked on to each other. No word needed be spoken.

"No, we did it! All of us, together. You and your family helped me beat this. This is our victory, not just mine. Truth is I don't know if I could have made it without all of you pushing me on and being there for me."

"And we would do it again in a heartbeat, sweetheart," Clara said while brushing her hand against Steve's cheek. "But I believe that once is enough. Now we will concentrate on getting you back on your feet."

"When will that be doctor?" Danny asked as he dried his tears with his fingers.

"The next forty-eight hours will tell. When he does go home there will be a strict routine to follow. We will instruct you on the patient's proper homecare and naturally there will be a series of regular checkups."

"Sure. Anything."

"Well, I'll leave you all to celebrate now. Try not to tire the patient though. He has to take it easy. He may have won a huge battle but he needs to be fully rested when he does go home. Wear masks only if you feel you're coming down with a cold or have a sore throat. Don't cough or sneeze in the room."

"Sure doctor. And THANK YOU for all you did." Danny was beyond grateful.

"As Commander McGarrett said, you are all responsible for this triumph. Keep that familial spirit alive, people. It's a powerful tool against any disease known to men. In some cases it doesn't always conquer the enemy, but it does give it a run for its money."

"We will."

Barely had the doctor left the room that both Danny and Clara smothered Steve with hugs and kisses. Eddie remained in the background enjoying the effusion of laughter and tears of joy.

Danny and Steve held on to each other for the longest time, prompting Clara to hint her husband out of the room to leave the two friends alone.

With a motherly hand on her son's shoulder, she said softly, "Daniel, Steven, Eddie and I will step out for a few minutes to get something to drink. We'll be back in a few."

"All right, mom," Danny hiccupped from the tears. Then he turned to Steve with a broad smile. "You've come a long way, babe."

Tears began brimming over in Steve's eyes. "Danny, God I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there for me," he sobbed, unable to hold back the tears. "I might have just given up seeing how my life had been one tragedy and heartache after the other. You and your family have been my pillar of strength throughout this ordeal. You helped me fight by pushing me on." He paused to sniff back the tears and sucked in a deep breath while Danny squeezed his hand.

"That night when I was so sick – man I was ready to throw in the towel. I swear I would have had you not been there. You kept me grounded. For the first time since my dad died I felt like I belonged," he continued to sob. "I'm sorry for being so emotional. Must be the meds."

"I say it's a double victory: Not only did you give this disease the boot, you finally got it through your head that you ARE family. Don't you EVER doubt that again, even when I rave and rant and yell at you. I love you, you crazy badass SuperSEAL."

"I love you too, you raving lunatic."

And they hugged once more.