This story has been sitting on my hard drive through, I think, three computers. I stumbled across it and wondered why I hadn't posted it. So, I am. This is what I think happens just after the end of "Ki'ilua" - "Deceiver", which was in Season Two and it aired November 21, 2011.
(If I've gotten the episode wrong, I'm sure someone will tell me. :-)
Enjoy!
Pau…Paha
(The End, Maybe)
Chin slung the pack off his shoulder and started to dig through it, looking for what he would need to treat Steve. He put out a hand to steady himself as the truck rocked back and forth on what passed for roads in North Korea. It would be interesting, to put it mildly, to treat Steve with one hand and try to remain upright with his other hand holding on in order to keep from falling over.
Without a word said, he felt someone grab hold of his belt, holding him in place, he twisted his head around and saw one of the SeALS holding on to him. "So you can use both hands, lieutenant." The SeAL said.
Chin nodded, pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and made his first cursory glance at Steve, the darkness of the back of the truck making his job that much harder. Again without a sound, a flashlight was turned on, giving him more than enough light to see, another SeAL holding the flashlight as high as he could. Chin sighed after his first look, Steve's chest was a mass of bruises, contusions, mud, blood, muck and that was the part he COULD see. He reached into his pack for the pack of wet wipes he always carried.
The truck, right then, hit a huge crater in the road and he very nearly landed on the floor of the truck. "I got'cha, lieutenant." The SeAL holding onto him said. Chin nodded again and refocused on cleaning Steve up.
Steve, drifting in and out of consciousness by then, growled at Chin when he touched a particularly tender spot, the growl was followed by a snarl. A third SeAL seated himself at Steve's head and, as gently, as possible, held him still.
"What a mess you've made, brah." Chin said, talking to Steve. "Can't let you go anywhere by yourself, can we?"
Steve struggled, albeit weakly, against the SeAL holding him, a whimper coming out as Chin's hands moved over an electrical burn.
"Relax, man, you're safe. Just relax." Chin told him.
Steve's shirt was in taters, so it didn't take long for Chin to cut it away and continue the clean up job. Another thud, another jolt and a few choice words from Cmdr. Gutches as he struggled to steer the truck.
It was Steve's left shoulder that Chin felt something out of place but not quite. He waved at the SeAL holding the flashlight, having him come in closer. Under his fingers, it felt like the shoulder had been popped out of joint, then back into joint but not quite. Steve's head moved from side to side, mumbling something that no one could understand.
Another trip through his bag brought out the bandages needed to stabilize Steve's shoulder. Working as quickly as possible, Chin finished that part of the job in record time. His EMT course instructors would be quite pleased with him. The temperature outside combined with all the bodies inside made the interior of the truck almost a sauna on wheels, sweat dripped off Chin's forehead and into his eyes, making them sting. He blinked and brushed at the sweat with the back of his hand.
Left shoulder stabilized, Chin moved to Steve's right shoulder. Fortunately, there was nothing wrong there. He looked at the SeAL holding Steve in place. "I'm going to check for pupil reaction. He's not going to like it."
There was almost but not quite a smile on the other man's face. With Steve's left arm immobilized, only the right arm needed to be held down and, in short order, it was. As he thought, Steve did not like having a light shone in his eyes and he was as vocal as he could be about it.
"Good news. Pupil reaction is normal. I'll check again later." Chin told the man.
After cleaning Steve's chest and arms as best he could, Chin pulled a stethoscope out of the pack and, after warming the disc between his hands, listen to Steve breath. The bruises on his chest indicated that he had had several ribs cracked but it didn't sound as if any of them had punctured a lung, which was VERY good. Of all the things Chin did not want to do in the back of the truck, reinflating Steve's lung was up at the top.
More swaying, more rocking and more cursing from the front of the truck faded into the background as Chin focused on Steve's legs and feet. Steve had been able to walk when they had found him so, hopefully, nothing was broken.
"His pants will have to come off." He told the SeALS gathered near him.
In reply, one SeAL pulled out a particularly wicked looking knife and started to cut through the fabric of the pants. Shortly, Steve's pants were in a heap on the floor of the truck and Chin was examing his legs and feet, cleaning as he went. The SeAL that had cut off the pants held Steve's feet down, lest Chin get kicked.
On his left leg from mid thigh down through mid-calf, Chin found and cleaned what appeared to be more electrical burns. Steve tried to buck and yank his foot free but it was firmly held. The toes and ankles of both feet appeared to be free of injury, another small blessing. Finishing his exam, Chin found a line of red welts on Steve's right leg. He couldn't quite place what would have made that particular mark. They weren't electrical burns but that's all he could say.
"We have a blanket?" Chin asked. Another SeAL handed him one and he spread it out over Steve, tucking it loosely in around him.
"Now, the thing to do is keep him from going into shock any more than he already has." Chin told the men that had helped. He pulled off the rubber gloves and tossed them back into his pack, rubbing his sweaty hands on his pants leg.
"Almost there." Joe White said, turning in his seat and looking into the back of the truck. "We're approaching the DMZ."
Chin nodded, zipped the pack closed and lowered himself to the floor, looking at the men who had helped. He would've been able to examine Steve regardless but it had taken a lot less time and effort with the help. "Thanks."
There were smiles in return.
There was one final bone rattling shake and then the truck was on paved road again, slowing down as it approached the check point. It seemed like an eternity but it was probably five minutes, at the most, before the gate was lifted and they were back in South Korea and on their way to the Air Force base and a trip home.
Chin looked up at Steve, still moving restlessly. "Hang in there, brah, we're almost home."
It was the low hum that woke him. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew he was flying but it was the quiet, no, muffled hum of the engines that poked at him until he opened his eyes. Staring at the ceiling of the plane brought a frown to his face.
That doesn't look right. Turning his his head as far as he could, he discovered there were no windows either.
He coughed suddenly, the pain from his cracked ribs making him gasp, which only provoked further coughing, more pain and then, he couldn't catch his breath. When he tried, it was agony. Gentle hands slipped an oxygen mask onto his face and a female voice told him to focus on each breath and to relax.
Finally, his breathing evened out and he could breathe without wanting to cry from the pain. A woman, skin the color of coffee, wearing an Air Force uniform, stood next to the stretcher he was lying on. Her name tag read "Dunn". He couldn't see her rank.
"Hello, Commander." She said. "What a way to wake up, coughing and gasping for air. Just focus on one breath at a time and you'll be fine. Your group is asleep. We left Guam a couple of hours ago but we've got plenty of ocean to cover."
Sleep...what a great idea. He closed his eyes and drifted back to blessed nothingness.
"Airman Dunn?" Kono asked, standing near Steve's stretcher.
The airman looked up from the book she was reading. "Officer Kalakaua, sleep well?"
Kono nodded, adding "As well as you can on a cargo plane."
Dunn nodded knowingly. "Checking on your boss?"
"Yeah. How's he doing?"
Dunn looked over at Steve for a moment. "Fast asleep, which is the best thing for him. He woke up for a couple of minutes about an hour ago but went right back to sleep. How are you doing?"
"Nothing that a hot shower and sleeping in an actual bed won't fix. How far out are we from Hawaii?"
Dunn checked the GPS on her phone. "About two and a half, maybe three hours? If we get a tailwind, a little less. Does Cmdr. McGarrett have a doctor of record?"
"He does. James Takahashi at..." Kono paused, thinking for a moment. "He's stationed at the base hospital at Pearl Harbor."
"Excellent. I was wondering." Dunn reached into a bag on the floor and pulled out a sheaf of papers. She jotted Dr. Takahashi's name down, then put the papers back in the bag. "Paperwork, it never ends."
"Don't I know it." Kono agreed
"Jim!"
Dr. Takahashi spun around at the sound of his name. He answered to a lot of different names in the course of a day. Usually "Doctor", occasionally "Captain", sometimes "Takahashi" or "Tak". Only those who knew him well called him by his given name and usually not at work.
"Got one of yours coming in." Dr. Lionel Brown came up to him, handing him a sheet of paper.
Dr. Tak looked down at the name on the paper and sighed. "I swear the man thinks we have a frequent visitor program." He looked up at Dr. Brown. "ETA?"
"Half an hour, maybe. They're on approach. A 'bus is going to meet them at the airfield."
"The 'bus still here?"
"I think so."
Dr. Tak took off his lab coat and handed it to Dr. Brown. "Try and get them to wait a couple of minutes. I'm on the way."
After sprinting down the hall and through the ER, Dr. Tak caught the 'bus just in time. After some hurried introductions, he climbed inside for the ride to the airfield. Such events as these was certainly not what he had had in mind when he had signed up, letting the Navy pay for medical school but it had been a load off his parents and, unlike some of his friends in private practice, he didn't have a mountain of student loan debt. If he was totally honest with himself, he really hadn't known what to expect. His career, so far, certainly hadn't been boring.
The 'bus came to a halt and Dr. Tak let himself out of the back. Together with the medics, he watched the C - 17 Globemaster III cargo plane taxi to a stop in the twilight. He headed for the plane while the medics went to get the gurney. As he waited for the cargo bay door to open, he ran a dozen different scenarios through his mind, wondering what McGarrett had done to himself this time.
The first person he saw after the cargo bay door opened was Det. Williams, McGarrett's second in command. The look on the other man's face would've been comical if the situation hadn't been so serious. "No, detective, I don't have ESP." Dr. Tak clapped Det. Williams on the arm when he walked up to him. "I was told and caught a ride with the medics. So, what happened this time?"
By the time Dr. Tak reached McGarrett's side, Det. Williams had given him as full a picture as he could, passing him off to Lt. Kelly and Airman 1st Class Dunn.
"No, he didn't sense a disturbance in the Force." Det. Williams told Lt. Kelly and Officer Kalakaua. "It's just really good timing."
Dr. Tak's lips twitched in response to Det. Williams Star Wars crack but said nothing, focusing on his patient instead. McGarrett, for the moment, was asleep or, at least, appeared to be, an oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose, a motley collection of bruises scattered across his face. Tak pulled back the blanket covering McGarrett, making mental notes of the bruises, electrical burns and, possible, broken bones. McGarrett's left shoulder was stabilized but his right wasn't. Tak ran a gentle hand over the shoulder, feeling the possible dislocation under his fingers.
Moving from the shoulder to the chest, it was just one giant contusion, pointing out probable broken ribs. Tak winced in sympathy. Flying with broken ribs, McGarrett had to have been in agony, if he had been conscious, which he probably hadn't. Continuing his exam, he checked McGarrett's legs and feet as well as his arms and hands. Whoever had treated him first had cleaned and dressed all the wounds and made McGarrett as comfortable as possible for the long trip back. No easy feat if Det. Williams was telling the whole story.
"Who was the primary?" Dr. Tak asked, covering McGarrett with the blanket and looking at Airman Dunn.
"I was." Lt. Kelly said.
Dr. Tak's eyebrows went up in surprise. "You did an excellent job. You come with me in the 'bus." He looked at Airman Dunn. "Any problems?"
"No, sir. No problems. He woke up for a few minutes just after leaving Guam but he's been out ever since." She handed him the paperwork.
Dr. Tak sorted through the papers, nodded and said "Thank you."
"You're welcome, sir."
"Steve decided it would be a good idea for one us to have EMT training. It wound up being me." Lt. Kelly explained while McGarrett was carried to the waiting 'bus.
Dr. Tak nodded. It made sense. "I'll be honest with you, Lt. Kelly. When I saw McGarrett's name, I sighed."
Lt. Kelly grinned. "We do a lot of that, especially Danny."
"I bet."
Lt. Kelly stopped to tell Det. Williams what was going to happen, then followed Dr. Tak to the 'bus. He arrived in time to hear Dr. Tak talking to McGarrett. Somewhere between the cargo plane and the 'bus, he had come 'round.
"That's right, Commander, you're in Hawaii." Dr. Tak said. He looked up as Lt. Kelly climbed in. "I've got one of your people here." He motioned to Lt. Kelly as the medic shut the doors, then thumped on the divider. It was a tight squeeze with three plus the gurney but it was a short trip. Thankfully, no siren was needed.
"Hey brah, you're awake." Lt. Kelly said. McGarrett's eyes focused on the familiar face, just as Dr. Tak had hoped he would; a familiar face would get McGarrett to relax. That was one of two reasons Dr. Tak had Lt. Kelly ride with him. The other was to have Kelly fill in the blanks as he talked to McGarrett.
"Jenna..." McGarrett said to Lt. Kelly.
Lt. Kelly did not answer immediately. He looked at Dr. Tak instead.
"Chin...Jenna?" McGarrett asked a second time. He tried shifting on the gurney so as to look at Chin but failed.
"Lieutenant?" Dr. Tak asked.
Lt. Kelly looked at Dr. Tak, pursed his lips and said "Whatever I tell you, you can't unhear."
Dr. Tak nodded. "It's a short trip to the ER."
In as few words as possible, Lt. Kelly laid out the entire story of Jenna Kay and how McGarrett had been pulled in. When he finished, Dr. Tak was quiet for a long moment. He nodded finally and said "And she is?"
"Not coming back..." Lt. Kelly said. He looked at McGarrett for a moment. "Alive, anyway."
"Do you think Cmdr. McGarrett saw what happened to her?" Dr. Tak asked.
"I don't know."
"Then don't tell him."
McGarrett struggled weakly against the straps holding him down, obviously not happy with Lt. Kelly's silence. "Chin..."
"All right...get me in trouble with the doctor why don't you?" Lt. Kelly gently scolded McGarrett. "I don't know about Jenna, we didn't see her, we were focused on finding you."
When they arrived at the ER, Dr. Tak sent Lt. Kelly to the waiting room with his thanks. "I'll be out as soon as possible with an update." He added, following McGarrett's gurney through the swinging doors.
Forty-five minutes later, Dr. Tak came back through the swinging doors and headed for McGarrett's team seated off to one side of the waiting room. "If you could all follow me, I have a place where we can talk privately." He lead them over to a small room, just off the waiting room, shutting the door behind him as they all sat down.
"Should we call his sister? She's off island." Det. Williams asked, before Dr. Tak could say anything.
Dr. Tak smiled and said "You can if you want but he's not quite that bad off. He's real close but..." He look at the group assembled before him, saw the worry plainly reflected on each face and got straight to the point. "I'm going to keep the Commander in the hospital as long as I can. He took quite a beating. Besides the busted ribs, they were nearly shattered, he's got bruising to the lungs and heart, spleen and kidneys. In fact, his urine sample was more blood than urine when we pulled it. There's also a psychological factor to think about . . . a man like McGarrett is used to being top dog, and he was just beaten to a severe degree and lost someone who - as you know - he would've sworn to protect. I'm going to have a psychologist speak with him while he's in the hospital."
Silence followed Dr. Tak's statement. Each member of the team processing the news in a different way. He perched on the edge of the table and waited for the questions.
"If we buy a GPS tracker, can you put it in him?" Det. Williams asked, appearing to be totally serious.
Dr. Tak snorted. "I would if I could but I would like to stay on the right side of the law, not to mention the Navy."
"How long is 'as long as possible'?" asked an older man standing to Det. Williams left.
Dr. Tak looked at him for a long moment. "I don't think I've met you. How do you know Cmdr. McGarrett?"
"I've known him since he was a child, been his mentor almost as long; I also trained him." The man replied, holding out his hand. "Cmdr. Joe White." They shook hands.
"Ah...well, considering how well you know him..." Dr. Tak stopped for a moment. "I'm hoping for ten days but I'll be happy if I can keep him here for six, maybe seven days." He fished a business card out of his scrubs pants pocket and handed it to Cmdr. White.
"If you think it will help, I can bring my daughter over every day." Det. Williams said.
"That would be Grace, correct?" Dr. Tak asked.
Det. Williams nodded.
"She's how old?"
"Twelve, going on thirty-five."
Dr. Tak grinned. "Emotional blackmail always works, for a time anyway. Yes, having Grace here to remind Cmdr. McGarrett of the need to 'behave' would be appreciated. But he's going to be kind of out of it for the first couple of days."
"That's okay. I'll tell her that."
"Any other questions?" Dr. Tak asked. Hearing none, he said "I would suggest that all of you go home, attempt to get your body clocks back on Hawaiian time, eat, shower, sleep. I will call Det. Williams when I have an update on Cmdr. McGarrett's condition."
The next morning, Danny had the very unpleasant task of informing Governor Denning as to what had happened to Steve. He was shown in immediately, never a good sign.
"What?" Governor Denning glared at Danny, who remained standing.
"Steve, Commander McGarrett was invited to Okinawa to be a Supernumerary at their latest Fleet Exercises. Since we had a lull in activity here, he went. Unfortunately, he was involved in a car accident on the island. It was ugly." Danny finished, folding his hand behind his back. This was one of the parts of his job he truly hated. It wasn't the lying that bothered him so much but the blowback which he got to deal with.
Gov. Denning sighed and leaned back, the leather chair creaking as he did. "I should have just walked out the door the moment Pat got herself thrown in jail." He said, more to himself than Danny. "But I couldn't do that, could I?" He looked up at Danny. "Where is Commander McGarrett now? Still on Okinawa?"
"No, sir. Since he was out there because of the Navy, they flew him back. He's at the hospital at Pearl Harbor."
"For how long?"
"His doctor wants to keep him there for a week, maybe more."
"His doctor is amazingly optimistic. Who is he?"
Danny handed the governor a business card. "Dr. James Takahashi. All of his information is on the card. After Commander McGarrett is released, it'll probably be a while more before he'll be able to handle a full day."
Another sigh from Governor Denning.
"If I may say so, we can handle what's going on right now as well as whatever might come up. If he's desk bound for a while, that's okay."
"You'll excuse me if I don't share your optimism." Governor Denning shook his head. "Thank you for letting me know, Detective. Keep me updated. Send my regards to Commander McGarrett.
"Of course."
Danny left with his head still intact and was grateful.
Steve was, indeed, kinda out of it for the first two days after returning to Hawaii. Medicated to the gills to control the pain, he was blissfully unaware of where he was or how he had gotten there. He knew he was somewhere different than he had been but that was all. He was somewhat aware of where he was by the afternoon of the second day and didn't like being there at all. However, his one attempt to leave AMA ended in a spectacular failure with him almost face first on the floor; the drugs being a bit more potent than he realized. The only reason he didn't land on the floor was the arrival of Dr. Dwight Howard, the psychiatrist sent by Dr. Takahashi.
He was already too far from the bed when his knees started to buckle. Strong arms from behind kept him on his feet long enough to deposit him in the visitor's chair. He blinked and stared at the stranger, now retrieving his cover and briefcase from the floor. The man was dressed in the khaki uniform, affectionately known as "peanut butters" of a Naval officer. After putting the cover and bag on the rolling table, the man came and sat on the bed next to Steve.
He had dark hair, shot through with gray; dark eyes that reflected both compassion and concern looked back at Steve. Older than him by more than a few years, he caught sight of the man's rank and name badge, Admiral Howard. Steve could feel a scowl coming on.
What now?
"Good afternoon, Commander McGarrett." The man said. "I'm Dr. Howard. Dr. Takahashi asked me to come see you."
"Good afternoon. What can I do for you?" Steve replied, attempting to save what little dignity he had left.
"Talk to me."
"About what?" Warning bells were going off in Steve's head, even drugged as he was.
"Whatever you want to talk about."
"What? That doesn't make any sense."
Dr. Howard smiled and Steve knew he was up to no good.
"I'm a psychiatrist, Commander. Dr. Takahashi was concerned about you mentally as well as physically, especially considering what you've just been through."
Great, a shrink.
"Dr. Takahashi speaks rather highly of you."
"Yeah? You know him?" Steve eyed Dr. Howard with a look that crossed anger with irritation.
"We've served together, back before I was an admiral and he was a captain. He also tells me that you're a good man, very good at what you do, even if you do have a tendency
to toss self-preservation in the trashcan."
Steve grunted.
"But considering what you've done, what you've been trained to do, that's not surprising."
Just what I need, someone to go poking through my mind.
"Commander, you should know, I've got enough clearance to listen to the Commander in Chief rant and rave, I've worked with more SeALs than you have and I don't have any pressing appointments for the next week or so." Dr. Howard's rather soft, but distinctly Texan, accent grew more and more pronounced as he talked. He smiled as he pulled a large legal pad out out of his briefcase and clicked the black ballpoint pen from his shirt pocket into the ready position. "The sooner we start, the sooner we end."
By the third day of his hospital stay, Steve was able to have a conversation for longer than a few sentences and that made Grace very, very happy. She all but demanded her father's car keys to go see Uncle Steve, even if it required her to miss school to do so.
"If I didn't drive her, she'd get there on her own, probably taking the bus." Danny said to Chin that morning.
"That's not exactly a bad thing." Chin told him.
"I know, I know. I should be happy she's not trying to hot wire my car." Danny replied.
"It's a lot harder to hot wire cars today than it was when I was a kid." Kono said, joining the conversation. "Today, the starter and the engine are too connected to the car's computer. Takes too long."
Both Chin and Danny looked at Kono.
"What? Don't look so shocked. Like both of you haven't. I know, for a fact, that you" Kono pointed at Chin, "have, more than a couple of times I might add."
Chin reddened. "That is not the point."
"It's a good skill to have." Kono said. "Even today."
"If Grace gets busted for hot wiring, you're paying the bail." Danny told her.
Kono laughed. "Her feet have to be able to touch the pedals first."
Danny told Steve of the conversation that afternoon when he went to visit him.
Steve, still a few steps behind the world, thought it was funny but it took him a while to get there. "Where's Grace?"
"She's still at school. Some kind of after school thing, gymnastics or dance or something like that. When I leave here, I'm headed straight there to get her and bring her back."
Steve smiled and shifted in the visitor's chair.
"And before you ask, I've already been to see Gov. Denning." Danny sighed. "He's wondering why he didn't just quit when Gov. Jamison wound up in prison."
"That's not news." Steve said, slowly.
"Yeah, I know. Another news flash? He wasn't happy, at all but he bought the story. Or if he didn't, he's not saying anything. He wishes you a speedy recovery and would like you to go, at least, a year without ending up in a hospital."
Steve blinked. "I'm not happy either."
"Really? What a surprise. I'll tell ya, I've now seen more of the world because of you, then I ever did with the Army."
Steve attempted to use one of his special glares on Danny but because of the drugs he wasn't successful.
Danny's phone beeped then. He dug it out of his pocket, glanced at it and stood up. "Grace's school thing is over and I am on the way to pick her up. Try to behave in the half-hour I'm gone, okay?"
"Maybe."
Danny shook his head. Out in the hallway, he met a man about to walk into Steve's room. Older and taller than him, with dark hair and eyes, he was dressed in a khaki uniform; he carried a soft sided briefcase in one hand, his cover in the other.
"Detective Williams?" The man asked, setting down the briefcase and holding out his hand.
"Yes. You are?"
"Dr. Howard. I'm the psychiatrist Dr. Takahashi asked to speak with Commander McGarrett."
They shook hands before Danny cast a look back at the room. He looked back at Dr. Howard and said "Good luck."
Dr. Howard smiled,"You should know, Det. Williams, that I've been doing this for a very long time and Cmdr. McGarrett is not my first Special Forces patient."
Danny nodded. "Good. How long do you think you'll be? I'm on my way to pick up my daughter and then come back here with her. If I need to take more time coming back, I can."
"Thank you for letting me know but I'm not entirely sure. Forty-five minutes?"
"Got it. It was a pleasure to meet you. I'm certain we'll be seeing each other again." Danny said and went down the hall.
When Steve saw that his next visitor was Dr. Howard, he scowled. Dr. Howard stifled a smile and put his cover and briefcase on the rolling table.
"Good afternoon, Commander or maybe not, judging from your expression."
"Good afternoon, sir."
"Have you ever heard of the phrase 'Pavlovian response'?" Dr. Howard asked, sitting down on the bed.
"I might have."
"A Pavlovian response is when a person sees something and they have an instant response. You see me and you scowl. Pavlovian response."
"Great, learn something new every day." Steve said.
"That's the spirit." Dr. Howard unzipped his briefcase and pulled out a notepad and pen. "Now, you know what happens next. So, where we left off yesterday?"
Steve sighed and shifted again in the visitor's chair in an attempt to get comfortable. "Fine. My relationship with my mother is...strange."
From the moment Grace got in the car, Danny knew she was bursting with something to ask him. It didn't appear to be something good, judging from the look on her face.
She didn't wait long. He hadn't even cleared the parking lot of the school before she asked.
"Danno?"
"Yes, Grace."
"When is Uncle Steve coming home?"
Danny wanted to sigh but he didn't. He brought the car to a stop at a red light and looked at his daughter. She was deeply worried and that bothered him. It bothered him more that there wasn't anything he could do about it. He fantasied, briefly, about beating on Steve for all the grief he was causing but that would be counterproductive and even in his weakened state, Steve could still mop the floor with him.
The light turned green and Danny stepped on the gas. "Honey, Dr. Tak wants Uncle Steve to stay in the hospital a couple more days. He wants to make sure Uncle Steve is healing properly. You trust Dr. Tak?"
Grace nodded. "Does Uncle Steve trust Dr. Tak?"
Danny didn't reply immediately. At the next red light, he said "If he didn't, I think he would have let us know, don't you?"
"Yeah. I'm just worried about Uncle Steve."
Danny nodded. "We all are. I tell you what, Uncle Steve really looks forward to your visits."
Grace brightened.
"It's like I'm just your driver. He's not too concerned about me, he just wants to see you."
"He does not, Danno!"
"He does too! Today, he was all 'Where's Grace?' He was mighty put out that you hadn't come with me."
Grace giggled and that made Danny smile. "He's going to be even more annoyed when we leave at the same time today, like yesterday. School waits for no one."
Grace heaved a heavy sigh. "That's so true."
Directly after school the next day, Danny brought Grace to see Steve, then promptly disappeared. After discussing school and her current assignments, Grace got down to business. "Uncle Steve? I know Danno lied about how you got hurt, but I don't know why he would lie. Can you tell me?"
"Kaleki…" Steve said, using his pet name for her. "sometimes, sometimes you don't know what really happened and you just guess." He said, not entirely sure about where this conversation was going. The drugs weren't as potent as they had been but he still felt a few paces behind.
"But there were no vehicle accidents reported on Okinawa the two weeks you were gone that even came close to what Danno said happened." She aimed a particular glare his way and Steve felt the first tremors of trepidation. In a few years, that look was going to be lethal. "What happened, Uncle Steve? What REALLY happened?"
Damn it, where' s Danny when I need him? Oh, that's right, off talking to a nurse or hunting up some decent coffee. "Kaleki ... can I wait 'til Danno gets back before I answer that question?"
"Will you be honest with me?"
"Yes."
"Then, yes, we can wait on Danno."
"Wait on me for what?" Danny walked into Steve's room at exactly the right time, cup of coffee in hand.
"Danny, Grace is asking, no...she's demanding the truth."
Danny looked startled. "The truth? About what?"
"What happened to Uncle Steve."
Danny set down the coffee cup, folded his arms and looked down at his daughter. "You want the truth?"
"Please? I know it wasn't an accident." She pointed at a few of Steve's injuries. "Those look too . . . deliberate to be accidental."
Danny's eyebrows went up. "Monkey, what do you know about deliberate injuries?"
"Dannooooo, I have been in a few ... scuffles at school."
Steve started to laugh and then moaned in pain.
"You want to tell her what you can recall, Steve?"
"I was telling her it's mostly a blur."
"I can accept that, Uncle Steve. But what happened before? What were you doing other than not having an accident in Okinawa?"
Danny was both impressed and totally appalled at Grace's behavior. On one hand, she was being more than a little disrespectful to her elders; on the other, she was totally showing off her investigative skills.
"Grace, things are not always what they look like and you know that, right?" Danny said.
Grace nodded, "Yes, I know the difference between appearances, perceptions and white lies versus outright lies."
"Good. A lot of what you see on Uncle Steve happened as he was being pried out of the car. The reason you didn't find anything about the wreck on the Internet is because they specifically kept quiet about it."
"Why?"
"Think about it...your Uncle Steve is kinda of a big deal here in Hawaii. How would it look if he goes over to Okinawa for some event and nearly gets killed?"
"So the police and government in Okinawa agreed to keep things on the down low so Uncle Steve and - by extension - Hawaii wouldn't be embarrassed?"
"Not to mention the Navy but yes, that's exactly it." Danny said.
Grace nodded, got an extremely thoughtful look on her face; Steve could almost see the wheels and gears in her head spinning, then she aimed a hard look at him. "Uncle Steve...was alcohol involved?"
"No! Gads, what ARE you teaching your child, Williams!?" Steve looked both shocked and annoyed.
"It's not me!"
Grace giggled and shook her head. "I hang around too many cops, Uncle Steve. You pick up a few things doing that."
"I guess!" Steve motioned her over to his side and took her hand. "So, you happy with the explanation, Kaleki?"
"I suppose so." She leaned over and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. "But can you stop getting hurt so bad you end up in the hospital?"
Steve smiled, for behind her, Danny was nodding in agreement. "I can try, Kaleki, but I can't make any promises."
"Good afternoon, Detective."
Danny looked at the doorway and saw Dr. Howard.
"Afternoon, Doc. How are you?"
"Fine, fine, little windy outside. Yourself?"
"Not bad. Keeping up with this one," Danny pointed at Grace, "keeps me young."
Dr. Howard walked into the room and smiled. "Her name is Grace, right?"
Danny nodded.
"She's how old?"
"Twelve."
"Going on 30." Steve put in.
Grace took in Dr. Howard, looking at him carefully, as if she was committing him to memory. "How is Uncle Steve doing? When can he come home?"
Dr. Howard smiled at her. "I'm not that kind of doctor."
"What kind of doctor are you?"
Dr. Howard looked at Grace for a moment, then at Danny. "Not to be too forward, Detective but have you had Grace tested for high IQ?"
"No, should I?"
"Probably. She comes across as a child with a high IQ and equally high EQ."
"EQ?"
"Emotional Quotient. How she handles her emotions and those of people around her." He looked at Grace. "I'm a psychiatrist, Grace. I'm here because Dr. Tak wanted me to see how your Uncle Steve was doing up here." He tapped the side of his head.
"A shrink." Grace said. "You're here to plunder through Uncle Steve's noggin."
Dr. Howard swallowed a laugh. "You could definitely say that."
Danny's eyes rolled heavenward.
"You must be good at your job then, Dr. Tak wouldn't send just anybody. Maybe you'll help him remember what actually happened." She leaned over and gave Steve a gentle hug, then went her father and grabbed his hand. "They need some alone time, Danno. We can come back later."
Danny allowed himself to be towed from the room. "Yes, ma'am." He threw a look over his shoulder. "Where did I loose control?"
"I suspect when she was born." Dr. Howard said.
"You would be right." Steve replied.
The text was short and to the point. "Jim, it's been ages. I'm buying, 5:30, Officer's Mess"
"Buying what?" Dr. Takahashi texted back.
"Funny!"
At 5:30 on the dot, Dr. Takahashi was waiting in front of the Officer's Mess Hall when he spotted Adm. Howard. "Dwight!" He called out.
Adm. Howard made a bee line for Dr. Takahashi, shaking hands with him the moment he was close enough. "Jim. Long time…"
"Same to you." Dr. Takahashi said. "So, buying what?"
"Somewhere that sells a good, stiff drink." Adm. Howard said. "I know just the place."
Kemah's had been in existence since the 1950's and served both military and non-military alike. Any given day there would be a mix of uniforms and plain clothes and the occasional tourist mixed in. For the very few who had been coming to Kemah's since it opened, or close to it, there were reserved booths in the back of the place for them. Legend had it, someone had to die before a booth could be 'reserved', the waiting list was 13 years long. Adm. Howard was on it.
That day, Adm. Howard and Dr. Takahashi settled onto bar stools at the bar and placed their orders. Small talk about friends and family and worked drifted to other things until Adm. Howard brought the conversation back to work, sort of.
"Got a patient of yours. That's what made me think to text you."
"Really? Which one?"
"McGarrett."
"Ah, that's right, the psych eval." Dr. Takahashi smiled. "Commander McGarrett…defies simple definitions, doesn't he?"
Adm. Howard nodded. "He's certainly different."
"That's an understatement. You finish the initial eval?"
Adm. Howard nodded. "Should be doing the release eval shortly."
Their drinks were served along with a couple of bowls of 'munchies'.
"Good. I hope so. He's a good man."
"He is. How did you get him as a patient?"
Dr. Takahashi grinned. "That is a story in and of its self and would require more than a drink."
Adm. Howard snorted. "Whatever. I met part of his team when I was there. Det. Williams and his daughter."
Dr. Takahashi smiled. "Her name is Grace. She's…" He thought for a moment. "12 or 13. And sharp as a tack. She'll be keeping Dad on his toes for years to come."
"No arguments there. She wanted to know how McGarrett was doing. When I told her I was a psychiatrist, she said 'A shrink?'."
"That would be her." Dr. Takahashi said, trying not to choke on his drink.
"Det. Williams rolled his eyes. But I told her she was correct and that I was there because you recommended me." Adm. Howard said, grinning.
"And?" Dr. Takahashi said, snagging a handful of peanuts from the bowl in front of him.
Adm. Howard waited for him to swallow before saying "Apparently I know what I'm doing, because Dr. Takahashi wouldn't recommend someone who didn't."
"See? I've got influence, it's just with the younger set. McGarrett's reaction to all of this?"
"Amused, from what I could see."
Dr. Takahashi nodded. "He would do just about anything for her, I think, which is good. She doesn't allow him to withdraw. He can't."
Adm. Howard nodded, taking a sip from his drink.
"The few times I've had to prescribe something for McGarrett to take, I've given a copy to Grace." Dr. Takahashi grinned. "She's my secret weapon."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"So, thoughts on McGarrett, at least the ones you can share?"
"So far, he seems to have an odd but successful support network, his ohana if you will. He keeps that, then…"
Dr. Takahashi nodded and sipped his drink. "Of all the patients I've had, McGarrett stands out because he keeps trying. I've had some, no, I've had a lot who just lose that will to live, they just don't care anymore. Not McGarrett. Not yet anyway."
Adm. Howard nodded, munching on a handful of Goldfish crackers. "Be nice if more of our guys had what he does…I might be able to retire."
"You'd get bored, quickly, Dwight and then you'd start getting under Julie's feet." Dr. Takahashi said, mentioning Adm. Howard'd wife. "And then there'd be real Hell to pay."
"Maybe."
"Rest of the team?"
"There are two other people on his team. One is Lt. Chin Ho Kelly, HPD, and his cousin, Officer Kakalaua, also HPD. Lt. Kelly is the real deal, came up through the ranks, McGarrett's dad was his training officer. Det. Williams doesn't let McGarrett get away with anything." Dr. Takahashi's lips twitched in a smile. "You'd think they were married, the way they bicker."
Adm. Howard nodded, finished his drink and fished his wallet out of his pants pocket. "Speaking of Julie, I'm due home in under an hour. I told her where I'd be but still. You need to come by sometime. If you can keep Cmdr. McGarrett out of the hospital."
Dr. Takahashi grinned. "As you can probably understand, McGarrett keeps everyone on their toes." He finished his drink.
"I bet he does." Adm. Howard dropped a couple of bills on the bar, waved at the bartender and eased off the stool, followed by Dr. Takahashi.
The ride back to the hospital so Dr. Takahashi could retrieve his car was done in silence but it was the silence of old friends who had no need to talk to fill the empty air. They parted ways at Dr. Takahashi's car with a promise to see each other again soon.