Author's Note: I will be posting the rest of this story pretty quickly. I've been working on the next story and want to get the first chapter up, but I should have this one completed first. Thank you to katbybee for beta reading!

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August 30, 2021

Time went quickly. Danny, who had stopped taking the pain meds, woke up before Steve. He was eager to get to Alani's house and spend some time with her and Makai. Hopefully she didn't have to work today. He would have to walk it because he wasn't supposed to drive yet. Thankfully, she only lived a few blocks from Steve.

The ship docked at six in the morning. Patients would disembark at seven. Danny shook Steve's left shoulder. "Hey, Steve. Time to wake up."

Steve blinked open his eyes. "Five more minutes," he moaned.

Danny shrugged. Steve could be ready in time. "OK," he said. "Five more minutes." He had to clean up at the sink as he wasn't allowed in the shower yet. He wanted to get a waterproof cover to go over his dressings so he could shower. Even so, he managed to wash his hair. He combed it neatly, then got dressed. Then he went back to Steve. "Hey, you really need to get up now. We're home. Tani and Junior will bring Sammy to the dock."

Steve sat up. "Yeah," he said. "I'm just really tired."

"Push through it, Steve."

Steve looked nervous. Danny put a hand on his shoulder. "You don't want to be outside, do you?"

Steve shook his head. "Everyone will want to talk out there and it makes me anxious."

"I get it," Danny said. "I'll get them to go inside. There's a building right by the dock. Admiral McKeon works there. He'll want to see you."

That made Steve look even more nervous. "I don't know."

"Steve," Danny said, "he's the one who let us take a helicopter to go searching for you. He respects you, and nothing that happened to you is going to change that."

Steve sucked in a deep breath. "OK. I'll talk with him."

Danny put a hand on his arm. "I won't let anything bad happen to you out there."

Steve nodded. "I trust you, Danny."

"So, are you going to walk off with your crutch, or do you want to be in the wheelchair?"

Steve thought for a moment. He liked walking with the crutch, but if a panic attack set in, he would rather be seated. "The wheelchair."

Danny grabbed his prosthetic hand and packed it in his bag. Dr. Hastings had said the fit wasn't good anymore. He needed to get a new socket that fit better. He would visit the prosthetist sometime this week.

When they had everything ready to go, Ensign Clark helped Steve into his wheelchair. "There you go, Commander."

"Thanks." Steve was pale, which made him look skinnier than he was.

Danny put his hand on Steve's shoulder. "You can do this."

Steve nodded, but didn't say anything. Halfway to the deck where they would exit, he said, "I want Joe."

"Yeah, I know." Danny kept his hand on Steve's shoulder. He hoped the contact would help keep the panic at bay.

As soon as they stepped outside, Steve closed his eyes and lowered his head. He reached for Danny's hand and clung to it. Danny wished he knew what to do. He looked down at the dock and saw Lou, Adam, Quinn, and Siobhan standing with Ralph, Tani, and Junior. Junior was holding Sammy. Dr. Anderson was with them. Danny let out a sigh of relief. Anderson would know how to help Steve.

When they got down to the bottom of the ramp, Anderson took control of Steve's chair. "Let's go inside," he said to everyone. "We can talk there. The ambulance will be here soon to take the Commander to Tripler."

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As soon as they were inside, Steve opened his eyes. He looked up and saw Dr. Anderson. "Why are you here?" he asked.

Anderson didn't miss a beat, and if he took offense he didn't show it. "I heard you might need someone to talk with about what you're going through."

Steve held up his left arm. "Can I hold Sammy please?"

Junior handed him the baby. Steve held him close and kissed the top of his head. "You've grown, buddy. Daddy loves you so much." Sammy laughed and patted Steve's bearded face. Steve hoped to shave off that beard and get a haircut soon. He wasn't sure he could manage the trimmer on his own, so he might have to trust Junior to do it.

"Can't I just go home?" Steve said. "I don't want to go to Tripler."

Ralph put a hand on his shoulder. "You need to go to Tripler so that your doctors can check you over, Son. They want to see you for themselves. I'm sure they'll send you home tomorrow or the next day."

Steve sighed. "OK."

The doors opened and Admiral McKeon walked in. "Commander McGarrett!" he said, and a smile stretched across his face. "I'm glad to see you."

Steve looked up at the Admiral. "Hello, Admiral McKeon. I'm sorry I can't shake your hand. And I'm sorry I'm such a mess at the moment. I haven't had the chance for a haircut or shave yet."

The Admiral was making funny faces at Sammy and getting him to laugh. "Don't worry about it. That's a handsome little fellow you've got there."

Steve smiled. "Thanks, Admiral. I think he's pretty special."

McKeon's hand came down on Steve's shoulder. "I'm sorry about everything that happened to you. Commander Jacks filled me in."

Steve looked down at Sammy. Was there anyone on this rock who didn't know what happened to him? He mustered a polite response. "Thank you, Admiral. I appreciate that."

Admiral McKeon went on to his office. Steve watched out the window until the ambulance arrived. He held Sammy tight and closed his eyes. Once he would have been mortified for anyone to know he feared something. Now he didn't care. He wasn't sure who pushed his chair, but he felt Danny's hand on his shoulder the whole time they were outside.

He was struggling to breathe. The ambulance doors opened. Someone took Sammy away from him. The paramedics helped him into the vehicle. He stopped panicking as soon as there were walls and a roof around him.

Ralph climbed into the ambulance to sit with him. So did Dr. Anderson. Ralph started massaging his right hand. Danny looked in and said, "I'll come to Tripler later. I need to take care of some things first."

"I've seen injuries like this before," Ralph said. "In Somalia, I was assigned to work with a medical crew. Massage always helped. Feels good, doesn't it?" He continued massaging Steve's hand for most of the drive. Steve relaxed.

When he was done, Ralph put the sling back on Steve's arm. "Thanks. That was good," Steve said.

Dr. Anderson didn't say anything on the entire trip. Steve got the idea that Anderson wanted him at Tripler instead of home. They'd probably stick him in the psychiatric ward. He just wanted to be at home.

At the hospital, he was met by Dr. Abrams and Dr. Kowalski. Ralph held his hand when he was pulled out of the ambulance until he was inside. Ralph seemed to have an innate understanding of what he needed.

When they were inside, Ralph bent down. "Things will get better. You will heal." Steve wanted to believe him, but it was hard.

The rest of the day was a flurry of tests. There were x-rays and CT scans and penlights shining in his eyes. Ralph stayed with him as much as the doctors allowed. Steve was grateful for his steady, kind presence.

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Danny gave Junior the keys to his car and asked for a ride to Alani's house. He was still sore and didn't feel up to walking. It seemed like a long time since he'd parked his car in the lot here. It was July then. Now it was almost September. At least Steve was finally home.

Danny climbed into the passenger seat while Junior took the wheel. Sammy's car seat had been moved from Tani's car to Danny's. The baby was happy. He was making cooing noises.

Junior dropped Danny off at Alani's house. "Let me know when you want me to pick you up," he said. Then he drove home.

Danny went up the porch steps and knocked on the door. Alani was an early riser, so he wouldn't be bothering her. She threw open the door and he pulled her into an embrace. He heard Makai bouncing around in the house, but his only interest at the moment was in greeting Alani. "I've missed you."

"I missed you, too. Did you tell Steve?"

Danny sighed. He wasn't sure how to tell Steve that he was engaged. "No. When I told him about Adam and Quinn, I could see the sorrow in his eyes. I don't know how to tell him."

Alani rubbed her hand along his cheek. "You have to tell him. It's not right to keep it from him."

Danny sighed. "Yeah, I know. Are you working today?"

She smiled. "No. I knew you were coming in today and I took the day off. Your mother is dropping Charlie off at ten and we can do something fun together."

"I'd like that. I will have to go to Tripler this afternoon and spend time with Steve, but for now, I'm all yours." He pulled her down on the sofa next to him and kissed her. "Alani, you're beautiful and kind and sweet and the most wonderful woman I've ever known."

She put a finger to his mouth and giggled. "I bet you say that to all the girls."

Danny laughed and pressed his lips to hers. "Only to you," he said softly. He'd never said it to Rachel. He'd said he loved her, but maybe he'd realized even before it fell apart that their marriage wouldn't last.

When Charlie got there, they decided to go to the zoo. Charlie and Makai were thick as thieves. They already considered each other brothers. Danny already thought of Makai as his son. As soon as he and Alani were married, they would make it official with adoption papers.

They spent several wonderful hours together. Danny was sore and Alani insisted on renting him a wheelchair. He appreciated the way she took care of him. He only hoped he would take good care of her too. Halfway through the day, she bent over him and kissed his forehead. "You're running a fever."

He did have chills going up and down his spine. He knew he should get to Tripler right away, but he didn't want this time to end. He needed to be with Alani and the boys. "I'll get checked out when we're done. I'm going to Tripler to see Steve, anyway."

When they got back to Alani's, Danny called Junior to pick him up and take him to Tripler. While waiting, he pulled Alani into his lap and kissed her deeply. He didn't pull away until he heard Junior at the door. "I love you."

He kissed her again, then got up and walked to the door. "Come on, Charlie. Time to go! I'm going to take you back to your Grandma." Rachel was out of town with her new boyfriend, so Charlie was staying with his grandparents.

After they left Charlie with his grandparents, Junior drove Danny to Kamekona's. Danny got Sammy out of his car seat and went down to the food truck. He intended to take Steve some garlic shrimp for lunch.

"Who's the keiki?" Kamekona said.

Danny grinned. "This little man is Sammy McGarrett, Steve's son. Couldn't you tell by looking at him?"

Kamekona's eyes widened. "Steve has a keiki?"

Danny nodded. "He does. He's at Tripler right now. I'd like an order of garlic shrimp for him."

Kamekona prepared the order and handed it to Danny. "It's on the house, brother. You tell McGarrett to get better fast. Now, what about something for you?"

"Unfortunately, I can't," Danny said. "I just had surgery and I'm on a restricted diet. But as soon as the doctors say I can eat normally, you know I'll be here. I'll give Steve your message." Danny sighed. "He lost a leg and Catherine was killed. He's really struggling."

Kamekona shook his head. "You tell Steve, I'll come visit him, either at Tripler or at his house when he's discharged. Steve is ohana."

"Thanks, Kamekona." Danny carried the baby and the bag of shrimp back to the car. "OK, let's go," he said to Junior.

At last, they arrived at Tripler. Danny left Sammy with Junior. He went inside and asked at the desk for Steve's room. As usual, he was in the neurology ward. Danny stood in the doorway. Dr. Kowalski was examining Steve's arm. Ralph was sitting nearby, his very presence filling the room with a sense of calm.

"Doc," Steve said, "I just want to go home. Do I have to stay here?"

"One night," Kowalksi said. "You've just had two surgeries. I want to be able to keep an eye on you. Tomorrow we'll send you home to recover."

Steve closed his eyes and sniffed the air. "Kamekona's garlic shrimp. I'd know that smell anywhere."

Danny stepped into the room and held up the bag. "I thought you might like this for a late lunch, since I know your opinion of hospital food. Kamekona says get better fast." He handed Steve the bag.

"You oughta be in the hospital too," Steve said.

Dr. Kowalski looked interested. "Why's that?" he said.

"Danny got shot rescuing me. He had surgery to repair his kidney aboard the Mercy. He's got a broken rib, too."

Dr. Kowalski nodded. "Detective Williams, I'm going to have our nephrologist take a look at you and decide whether to admit you."

Danny groaned. He glared at Steve. "I'm fine, Doc. I just took my son to the zoo." He felt disloyal, not mentioning Makai.

"I'm just watching out for my brother," Steve said. "Feels to me like you're running a fever."

Danny swallowed the response he wanted to make. It wouldn't help, given Steve's current struggles.

The nephrologist examined Danny and decided he should be admitted at least overnight, possibly for a couple of nights. He was running a fever, and he was in pain. He was allowed to stay in Steve's room. Dr. Kowalski seemed to think Steve needed him there.

Danny lay down in bed and turned away from Steve. He was angry. He wanted to have dinner at Alani's tonight. Now he couldn't even call her because Steve would ask questions.

He pulled out his phone and wrote her a text. Sorry I won't be able to make dinner. Steve insisted that I get checked out at Tripler and they're admitting me.

She wrote back a few minutes later. I'm sorry too. I thought you felt warm.

I love you, Danny wrote. Seconds later, he got a text back from her that said the same thing, but she included several hearts in her message.

"Are you angry?" Steve asked in a small voice.

Danny groaned. He needed to answer carefully. "I know you were just looking out for me. I'm not angry at you. I just don't want to be here."

"When you gave me the food, your hand brushed mine. It felt really hot."

Danny sighed. His anger slipped away. "Thanks for looking out for me, Steve."

"It's what family does."

"Yeah, that's true." How was he going to tell Steve that his family was expanding? He didn't want to add to the sorrow in his eyes.

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August 31, 2021

Dr. Anderson came to see Steve first thing in the morning. "Hi, Steve. How are you feeling?"

Steve shrugged. He was too grouchy to be polite. "What do you think? I'm sure you know the whole story just like everyone else on the island seems to."

"I know some of it. I know what Dr. Hastings told me and what Lou Grover told me."

"Then you know I got my wife killed." Steve's words came out in a growl. "He was about to hang me. I was going to see her again." He sighed. "Instead, I woke up in the hospital."

"Was that a disappointment?"

Steve shrugged again. "I'm glad I didn't die. I want to be here for Sammy. But I feel guilty."

"Why do you feel guilty, Steve?"

"Sullivan killed Catherine because I killed his brother."

"Why did you kill his brother, Commander?"

Steve was quiet for a moment before saying, "He was going to kill Danny. I needed to save Danny."

"Could you have saved Danny without killing him?" Dr. Anderson put his hand over Steve's.

Steve was trembling. He didn't like talking about this. He changed the subject. "I want to go home."

"That's not an answer, Commander. Could you have saved Danny without killing Robert Sullivan?"

Steve sighed. "No. He tried to kill me, too. I did the only thing I could."

"All right, then. Who was responsible for Catherine's death?"

Steve hesitated. He had blamed himself for so long. He had accepted Sullivan's condemnation of himself as truth. He got Joe killed because of his blind spot for Greer. Then he got Catherine killed. He knew the answer Anderson wanted. Maybe if he said it, they would send him home. "Thomas Sullivan." He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided meeting Anderson's gaze.

"Steve, I can tell you don't believe that." Anderson sighed. "Let's talk about something else for a bit. Tell me about Sammy."

Steve managed a slight smile. "Everyone says he looks like me, but when I look at him, I see his mother. He has her eyes."

"Commander, I have an assignment for you. You'll be discharged later today. When you get home, I want you to go out on your lanai while Sammy is napping. Just spend five minutes sitting out there. Take someone you trust with you."

Steve stiffened. But then he nodded. "I'll try, Doc."

"Good. I'll come by your house tomorrow afternoon and we can talk some more." Dr. Anderson got up and went to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Commander."

Steve waved. He didn't feel like talking anymore.

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Someone knocked at the door shortly after Anderson left. "Come in," Steve said.

Junior entered the room. He was carrying Sammy. "Hey, Boss." He handed the baby to Steve.

"I'm not your boss anymore, Junior," Steve said. "Even if I could come back to 5-0, I wouldn't."

Junior grinned. "You'll always be the boss. Tani and I told you that when you were blind, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." Steve wasn't sure what to do with the respect Junior always offered him. He didn't think he deserved it. "Thanks, Joons. How's it going?

"Pretty good," Junior said. "Did Danny tell you we're expecting a baby? Tani's six months along."

Steve brightened at that news. "Congratulations!"

"To tell you the truth," Junior said, "I'm terrified. Excited, but terrified."

Steve waved his hand through the air. "You'll be a great dad. You and Tani took good care of Sammy. I'm grateful."

"Thanks, Steve. It means a lot to me that you think so."

Junior was guilty of hero worship. Steve was fully aware of this. He didn't like being on a pedestal. "I'm scared about being a dad too," he said. "Maybe we can figure it out together."

"I like the sound of that," Junior said. He picked up Sammy. "I have to get home. We'll see you later today."

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Kamekona poked his head in the door around lunch time. Steve waved him in. "Hi."

"Hi, Steve." Kamekona approached the bed. "I met your keiki yesterday. I'm real sorry you're laid up. I brought you some coconut shrimp today. I know you like that too."

"Thanks, Kamekona."

"You keep getting better. Sammy needs his papa."

"I'm trying."

Kamekona got solemn. "Danny told me about Catherine and about your leg. I'm real sorry." He put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "You know I'm here for you, brother. Anything you need."

"Thanks, Kamekona."

"I got to get back to work. I hope I'll see you soon. Bye, Steve." Kamekona turned to leave the room.

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Steve was discharged around two in the afternoon. Danny was going home too. His fever had dissipated last night. They'd prescribed him a new pain medication that seemed to be working. His CT scan showed that his kidney looked good.

Junior came to pick them up. He didn't bring Sammy because his car was a little small for four adults.

Ralph kept his hand on Steve's back when they were outside. Steve grabbed Danny's hand and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't stop shaking.

Once Steve was in the car, the nurse took the hospital wheelchair back inside. The VA had provided Steve with an electric wheelchair. It was already at the house. Steve was going to try walking inside with his crutch, though.

He hated all the things he had to remember about his condition. The wooden amputee board that supported his leg so it didn't dangle was uncomfortable. He would have to find a padded one. His glasses kept sliding down his nose and he had to push them back up. That was annoying.

He was excited to hold Sammy and to pet Eddie. Danny had sent him lots of pictures of his dog while he was away. They made Steve miss Eddie more.

At last, Junior pulled into the driveway. He parked right in front of the house. It would be a short walk inside. Steve hadn't tried the stairs with the crutch yet, but he was pretty sure he could manage them. He would be holding on to Danny or Ralph anyway. He strapped on the crutch and Danny helped him out of the car. Steve clutched his arm. Danny wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. Even so, he was panicking. Danny took him up the stairs and into the house quickly. It was a relief to be home.

Eddie came running to him. He sniffed at Steve's stump and then sat in front of him. He seemed to understand that he needed to be gentle and not jump on Steve. Steve walked over to the sofa and sat down, then patted on the seat next to him. Eddie jumped up and kissed him in the face. "Hey, Eddie, I missed you buddy. I love you."

Tani came in and hugged Steve. "Sammy is napping. He's a wonderful little guy." She sat down on the other side of Eddie. Junior took a seat too.

"Steve," Junior said, "Tani and I wanted to ask you something." He reached for Tani's hand.

Tani reached across Eddie and put a hand on Steve's arm. "We're having a girl. We've been talking about what to name her. We want to give her a Hawaiian name. We were hoping we could name her Katalina, in honor of Catherine."

Steve's eyes teared up. He reached over Eddie and pulled Tani into a hug. Then he walked over to Junior and hugged him. "Mahalo," he said. "That would be wonderful. I can't wait to be her Uncle Steve."

Tani yawned. "I'm going up to get a nap. Junior, isn't Cole expecting you at the Palace?"

Junior nodded. "Yeah, I told him I would come in after the boss was home." He got to his feet. "Cole said to tell you he's glad you're home and he'll visit when he can."

Steve nodded. "Tell him I look forward to seeing him."

"Will do, Boss."

That word. It felt a little like a punch in the gut. Steve couldn't do the job he used to do. He couldn't be Junior's or Tani's boss again. He felt useless. He waved goodbye to Junior. Tani went upstairs.

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Steve walked into the nursery to look in on Sammy. Someone had set up a bed for him on the opposite wall from the crib. Danny followed him. "What if Sammy needs me in the night? I can't reach him from my bed."

Danny picked up a device on a bookshelf. "There's a baby monitor. I'll hear him cry and come down. I'll help you with him."

Steve frowned. "I don't like that. Can't you put the crib where I can reach it? And you have to show me how to lower the side. The one he used in Kansas had a hinge and I could fold it down pretty easily so I could get him out."

"What if he needs to be changed, or he's hungry?" Danny asked.

"Fine." Steve couldn't change the baby alone, not without two working arms. He couldn't hold the baby and mix formula. He went back to the living room and stood by the window. He was frustrated. He wanted to take care of Sammy himself. He felt a migraine coming on.

Ralph came over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Steve, it's OK to need help."

Steve sighed. "I know. It was just easier in the bunkhouse. Small room. I could reach everything from my bed."

"Tell me more," Ralph said. "What else happened there?"

Steve closed his eyes. "We started out in a cage in the barn. We tried to escape. Sullivan took Sammy and then he killed Catherine. After I killed Sullivan, Siobhan brought Sammy back to me and convinced her father to move me to the bunkhouse. I was always on a chain. There was an iron ring on the wall of the bunkhouse. It was secured to that." Steve's eyes were tearing up. "I'm a mess, Ralph. All these feelings. I used to be able to control them, keep them hidden. Now I'm like a leaky faucet. Tell Danny I said you can read my journal. I wrote everything down."

Ralph massaged his back. "I've read it. Son, PTSD hits hard. I could see it in your eyes when you moved into the apartment. Haunted. Shadowed. And now you've been through a horrific ordeal. It's no wonder you're struggling to control your feelings the way you used to."

Steve put his hand on the back door. Anderson's challenge was ringing in his ears. Go out on your lanai. "I keep dreaming about Sullivan executing Catherine. Every time I go to sleep. I wake up thinking I'm still on the chain. When I look at my wrist, I still see the shackle. I have panic attacks when I go outside because at the ranch, bad things always happened outside. That's where they beat me; that's where I was branded; that's where I got shot."

"I understand, Steve."

Steve scowled. "How could you?"

Ralph didn't answer. He just turned around and pulled up his shirt so Steve could see his back. It was covered with thin scar lines. After a moment, he spoke. "I was captured by a drug lord in South America. Can't tell you which op. Held for four months. They staked me to a pole in the hot sun. They lashed me daily. I thought I would die there, but I was rescued."

He turned around and looked Steve in the eyes. "I survived. I got home. I had to learn to be free again. You'll do the same. Remember the forty percent rule. When your mind tells you you're done, you're only forty percent done. You've still got sixty percent left. You have to choose to push through the pain and the struggle and find new ways to thrive."

Steve could see that sharing his story had taken a lot out of Ralph. He looked through the window at the ocean and wondered if he would ever be able to go for his morning swim again. He used to love being outside. Hiking, surfing, swimming, camping. Pushing through the pain was part of being a SEAL. He couldn't serve anymore, but he was alive. He couldn't let Sullivan win. His training would help him get through this.

Sammy was still napping. Steve walked to the back door. Ralph followed him. "Will you take me outside? Dr. Anderson wants me to sit on the lanai." Ralph and Danny wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. He had to learn to be free again.

Ralph opened the door and Steve walked through it. He started trembling. His heart pounded. Then Ralph's hand came down on his shoulder. Steve did some box breathing. The breeze blew across the lanai. It felt good. He could hear the surf coming in. His heart rate slowed. He stopped trembling. He was home. He was safe.

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Danny stepped out of the nursery and went into the kitchen. He had overheard all of Steve's conversation with Ralph. No wonder Steve was afraid to be outside. The old Steve never seemed to fear anything. It was hard getting used to the new Steve. Danny wanted the old Steve back.

Then he heard the door to the lanai open. He stepped out of the kitchen and saw Steve and Ralph sitting outside. Danny smiled. Maybe he would get the old Steve back after all. Steve stared out at the ocean. In the past, that was where he went when he was stressed out. Swimming helped him deal with things. It would be harder for him now.

Danny cleaned the last few dishes in the sink, grabbed the baby monitor, and then went out to sit on the lanai with Steve and Ralph. He put his hand on Steve's back. "You're going to beat this. One of these days, I'm going to see you out there in that water, enjoying a good swim."

Ralph nodded.

"I hope so," Steve said.

"Have you ever heard of the Warrior Games, Steve?" Ralph asked. "I'll bet you could compete."

Danny nodded. "Invictus Games, too. I've seen you swim, Steve. I bet you'd win gold."

Steve sighed. "Maybe. Let's take things slowly."

"Slowly works," Ralph said. "As long as you keep moving forward."

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When Steve was ready to go inside, they moved to the living room. Ralph said, "Let me show you what I brought with me." He got his carry-on suitcase. "I moved everything else into storage. We can go back anytime you want to go through it." He opened the suitcase and pulled out a stack of bubble-wrapped photographs. He removed the bubble wrap and handed them to Steve one by one. "Your wedding photo." Steve was in his dress uniform and Catherine was wearing an antique white brocade dress. Steve ran his finger across the image of her, wishing he could hold her close again. They hadn't even made it to their one-year anniversary.

Danny's phone rang. He stepped outside to take the call.

Steve kept looking through the photos. Most were of him and Catherine. In one, Steve was wearing a tux and Catherine was in a dressy gown. That was from a friend's wedding. Steve sighed heavily as he looked through the pictures. How many people still needed to learn about what had happened to Catherine? She had so many friends, more than he had. He needed to find her address book. There was a framed ultrasound photo of Sammy. He was no bigger than a peanut. Catherine had cherished that photo, and Steve had it framed for her as a Christmas gift. Wrapped around the last photo was a beautiful scarf Steve had bought for Catherine. He held the scarf to his nose and breathed in. It still smelled of her perfume. The photo was a professional one of Catherine. It was one of Steve's favorites.

Ralph had also brought a fireproof box in which Steve kept important documents. He reached for Ralph and squeezed his arm. "Thank you."

Danny came back in. He looked through the photos Ralph had brought. "Wow, these are great. We should hang these up."

"Yeah," Steve said. "I'd like that. Sammy needs to know what his mom looked like."

Sammy cried. Steve strapped on his crutch and walked to the nursery. Danny lifted Sammy out of the crib and gave him to Steve. There was a changing table near the crib. Steve laid Sammy on it and unsnapped his pajamas. He removed the baby's diaper and grabbed another one from the stack at the end of the changing table. Danny held the squirmy baby in place while Steve cleaned him and put the new diaper on. He threw the wet diaper away.

"If you want to hold him, I'll go make his bottle," Danny said. "It's about that time."

"Sure." Steve nodded. Danny gave him the baby.

"Why don't we go sit on the sofa," Ralph suggested.

"Sounds good." They moved to the sofa. Steve laid the baby next to him, then removed his crutch. Ralph slid the amputee board under his right leg, then Steve pulled the baby onto his lap. He stroked Sammy's dark hair. Danny brought the bottle in, and Steve fed Sammy his lunch. Ralph sat and watched them together. Danny went upstairs.

"You're a lot like my son Jack," Ralph said after a long moment of silence. "He was really good with my grandson. Jack was abducted by the Taliban and died in 2011."

Steve looked up. This was something he hadn't heard before. He set down Sammy's empty bottle and reached for Ralph's hand. "I'm sorry." He rolled Sammy over on his knee and patted his back to burp him.

Sammy soon fell back to sleep. "I'll take him to his crib if you like," Ralph said. Steve nodded. Ralph picked up the baby and carried him into the nursery. When he came back, he removed Steve's sling. Then he took hold of Steve's hand and started massaging it.

"Steve, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to stick around for a while," Ralph said. He laid his hand over Steve's good hand. "To be honest, I've thought of you as a son since shortly after I met you. I think Jack would have been a lot like you if he had lived. I'm all alone in New Jersey. My wife passed on years ago, my kids and grandkids all moved away and don't visit me anymore. It would be a great favor to me if I could settle here and watch you recover and be a grandfather to young Sammy."

Steve felt a deep sense of gratitude to Ralph. He had the calming influence Steve needed. "I'd like that."

Ralph smiled. "I'm grateful, Son." He sounded just like Joe White when he said that. Steve felt a sense of deep longing. He wanted Joe back.