A.N. – Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended.

This story, in its original form, was my very first attempt at writing fan fiction. I've polished it up a bit for posting. Thanks to "Tanith2011" for beta reading this.

Entering Limbo

Bergman gazed down at the still figure on the exam table and sighed. Danny had not regained consciousness since he had been found dumped along with a load of sand at a construction site off of Kalaniana'ole highway. It had been a long time, and the doctor was worried. It was anyone's guess as to just when he had received the blow to the head. Pupil reactions and x-rays indicated a brain concussion; fortunately no skull fracture. The young detective had arrived by ambulance in a torn shirt, blood on his pants and sand in his hair and on his exposed skin. His body was drenched in sweat as if he had been on the run and his normally smooth, boyish face was scraped and bleeding.

As the Five-O physician rechecked his patient's vitals, he could well imagine what was happening on the other side of the closed door. Steve was out there, barely keeping a lid on his anxiety, his pacing wearing a trench in the hallway floor. Doc would have to update the man on Williams' condition soon and he wasn't looking forward to it. The longer the young officer was out, the more dire the prognosis.

Come on, Danny, wake up!

Bergman took another look at the series of films mounted on the wall, studying the details of Danny's injured skull. After a while, he heard movement accompanied by a quiet moan. His patient shifted slightly as he began to stir. Relieved, Doc moved to the head of the exam table, gently shook Danny's shoulder and spoke in a calm and steady tone. "Danny, it's Dr. Bergman. You're at Queen's. Come on now, open your eyes."

Finally Danny woke, his blue eyes registering confusion. He attempted to sit up, which proved to be a big mistake. "Doc, what's going on? How'd I get here? W-what happened? I can't remember…" Danny's hand instinctively reached for the angry knot on the back of his head then he gasped in pain and tilted to one side from the dizziness.

Not at all surprised by his patient's bold move, Bergman caught him and eased him back down onto the exam table, grumbling something under his breath about Five-O detectives. He was also concerned about Danny's missing memory, but after a serious head trauma it was not an uncommon occurrence. "Just relax, Dan. You're going to have a hell of a headache for a while. What's the last thing you remember?"

Danny squeezed his eyes closed and thought for a few minutes, quickly becoming alarmed at how little he could remember. "I remember getting up this morning," Danny stated tentatively. There was a long pause while he struggled to dredge up something, anything! An audible sigh signaled his defeat. "That's it, Doc. Next thing I know, I'm here. What's wrong with me? What happened?"

Bergman shoved his hands in the pockets of his lab coat while regarding the expression of fear growing in Dan's eyes. While he would rarely admit it, the old coroner had a soft spot for this particular patient. "Danny, you have a significant head injury; I'm not surprised that it's affected your memory. I was told that you were found dumped at a construction site with a load of sand. That's all I know." Bergman smiled and placed a reassuring hand on Danny's shoulder. "But I know some pretty good detectives who will help you figure it out. Right now, we're going to get you settled in a room. You're going to be my guest overnight." Danny wasn't in any shape to argue. He closed his eyes and relaxed, trying to keep his head as still as possible while he was prepped for transport. Bergman's smile turned into an irritated frown. He had done all that he could for Dan medically; now it was time to face the live volcano. He had to update Steve on his protégé's condition!

After what seemed like an eternity to McGarrett, the door marked "Emergency Examination" opened to admit two orderlies who then carefully wheeled the patient into the hallway. The senior detective stopped in his tracks, turned and reached the gurney in two strides, only to feel Bergman's strong grip on his arm, pulling him aside, allowing the orderlies to pass. Steve's eyes bore into the coroner with all the fire of an enraged bull but Doc firmly guided him into the now empty examination room. "Come on, Steve, let's talk."

Pau