AN: Many thanks goes to honu59 for beta reading this and for preparing and providing the screen cap image for me to use. I hope my fellow readers and writers all had a wonderfully fun and blessed Easter with their families :-)

Tanith

"If you expect my sympathy, Steve, you can think again!"

The harshness that laced through his words gnawed away at Bergman's conscience as he sat at his desk staring idly at his cup of coffee. Never in all the years he'd been in the medical profession did he ever meet someone as bull-headed and insufferable as Steve McGarrett.

Bergman drew out a plastic bottle from his pocket, popped the lid and shook a couple of pills out onto his hand. With a light snap, he closed the lid with his thumb then set the cylindrical container down on the desk. Picking up his Styrofoam cup of coffee, he washed down the pain killers in one guzzle. His brows knitted together in a tightly formed frown as the bitter and barely warm beverage settled in his belly.

With a sigh, the physician sat back in his chair and thought about his most recent patient. He stole a brief glance at the clock on the wall and let out a dry chuckle. It won't be long now. He wondered if he could perhaps hide in the janitor's office for just a couple more hours. No, I have a responsibility to all my patients. After all, a doctor can't pick and choose who he saves. Still, the mere thought of escaping McGarrett's tirade was tempting, to say the least, and Bergman was not immune to such a temptation. However, his ethics did pull him back from the brink.

A knock on the door broke Doc out of his musings. A young nurse entered at his invitation. She walked over to his desk and held a clipboard out to him. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Doctor, but…"

"Let me guess. Danny Williams?" Doc queried.

After a moment's hesitation while the nurse tried to discern what Bergman meant, she replied, "No, Kono Kalakaua and Chin Ho Kelly were just admitted."

Doc raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I see. Well, at least Mr. Williams has learned to keep his nose out of trouble for once.

The nurse smiled and failed to contain a blush from coloring her cheeks.

Comprehension slowly dawned on the crusty physician and he rolled his eyes up to the heavens. Typical. I shouldn't be surprised after Williams' last visit to Queen's. "Thank you, Miss Hemingway. I'll attend to them shortly."

Bergman waited until a slightly flustered Miss Hemingway left the office then scanned through the pages held together by the clipboard. Gun-shot wound to right thigh. Concussion and suspected fracture to collar bone…

Setting the clipboard down, Doc pulled open the top drawer of his desk. He drew out the document he sought and studied the dates and signature at the bottom of the page. Maybe it's not time yet. He tore the page in half and dropped the pieces into the waste paper basket then stood up and walked out from behind his desk. Retrieving the clipboard, Bergman left the confines of his private office, closing the door behind him.

PAU