Title: Sacrifice
Summary: The consequences of lying to the FBI.
Disclaimer: Hawaii Five-0 is not mine. I'm just borrowing the concepts and characters for a little while.
Spoilers: Episode 1.18, Loa Aloha
A/N: Just wanted to say thanks to those who left reviews but I couldn't reply… Thanks! =]
I've made some changes to this since GibbsRules read it, so all remaining mistakes are my fault.
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Chapter Two: Sacrifice
It's after 9:30 at night 13 days after McGarrett's been recalled to duty when I get a text from a blocked number. It contains four words and a number:
QUEEN'S MEDICAL CENTER. ROOM 323.
My stomach lurches. There's no doubt in my mind that the text is referring to my reckless idiot of a partner. I hastily get my shoes on, grab my stuff, and head to the hospital. While driving there I find myself dreading seeing a critically injured Steve.
Because it's after visiting hours, I have to flash my badge to get access to Steve's floor. When I show my ID to the first nurse to question my presence, she says, "We've been expecting you, Detective. We just got Commander McGarrett settled in about an hour ago."
"Settled in? You mean he was in another part of the hospital before now?"
"No, he was transferred from the mainland and arrived here just over two hours ago."
"Do you know from where?"
"No, sorry."
"Can I see him?"
"He was heavily sedated for the trip and won't be waking until morning. It's likely he'll never know you were there."
I'll know, I think to myself when she pauses and looks as though she's carefully considering her next words. Smiling slightly, she continues, "But, I know cops look after their own so I guess it's no use asking you to come back once visiting hours start."
"That'd be a good guess. I promise to stay out of the way," I declare lifting my hands in pleading gesture.
Pointing down the hall, she reveals, "Last room on the left."
I smile and point in the direction she'd just indicated, "Thanks."
When I reach his room, I hesitate at the door. I'm still royally pissed that he felt that he had to save me from the consequences of my actions, from the punishment I deserve for letting my brother go.
But, upon stepping into the dimly lit room, my anger fades away and concern returns full force. The light above his bed illuminates his face just enough for me to see lots of shallow cuts all over his face and neck. The only other obvious injury I can see in the semi-dark is that his right thigh, elevated by a couple of pillows, is wrapped with thick bandages.
What the hell has happened to you, my friend? I think before grabbing one of the two chairs in the room and bringing it over to Steve's bedside. I sit on the torture device hospitals like to call a chair and try to settle in for the night. But, before I get too 'comfortable,' I send a text to Chin and Kono about Steve's location, telling them to wait until visiting hours to come – preferably with coffee, lots of coffee.
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I must have finally fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I know, the room is becoming brighter due to the natural light coming in from the window. I get up and try to stretch the kinks out of my back, which I naturally blame Steve for. Walking toward the window, I continue to move my limbs hoping they'll wake up and start obeying me better. I'm enjoying the view outside, when I hear the sheets rustle and a small groan coming from the bed.
I rush over to see Steve blinking, obviously trying to focus his vision. After a few moments, his eyes then start to scan the room. When he sees me, he looks a little surprised, but manages a slight smile before rasping out a quiet, "Danny?" He tries shifting in bed, but quickly realizes it's a bad idea. He clears his throat and asks, "Where am I?"
"Hospital," I reply, gesturing towards the machinery Steve's hooked up to, and enjoying the tiny bit of mostly harmless revenge I'm getting for my partner's actions by not fully answering his question.
He frowns and tries glaring at me, before reiterating his question. "No. Which hospital?"
"Queen's."
Steve's heart rate picks up a bit. "How did—? When—?" He pauses and I can see him force himself to calm down a bit. He clears his throat and asks, "How long have I been here?"
From the expression on his face, I can tell he doesn't know how he got here from wherever he was, and that not knowing what's happened to him is really unnerving him. I decide to give him a break for the moment.
"I got a text that you were here around 9:30 last night. A nurse I ran into said you had arrived sometime around two hours before I got here. What's the last thing you remember?"
His brow furrows and he gets a faraway look to his eyes. "Fighting to stay conscious in an ambulance. How long have I been gone?"
"Today would've been two weeks."
Aneurysm Face makes a brief appearance before he schools his features and calmly announces, "Then I've lost just over two days."
"Two days?" I say a little too loudly for the time of morning as I throw my arms up in the air. "How badly were you hurt?" I say with a tone that hopefully said to not even bother trying to lie to me.
"There was an explosion…. Don't ask. It's classified. The piece of shrapnel that ended up in my leg…there was a lot of blood. It must have nicked my femoral artery."
I run both my hands through my hair then grasp the bed's rail hard enough to hear the plastic creak, "You almost bled out?"
"Don't know," he mumbles blinking his eyes tiredly. "Maybe. Ask the doc when he comes by."
"I hate you," I exclaim without any real heat.
"No you don't." he smugly replies from sleep-heavy eyes.
I smack the foot of his uninjured leg. "Yes, I really do. You had no right—!"
"I did. I have every right," Steve interrupts, glaring at me. "You're my partner, my friend, and my ohana. I would do anything to protect you, Chin, Kono, and especially Grace. I had to do this. I wanted to—"
I hold my hands up in a gesture of surrender. He'd had me at 'Grace'. Anyone who would care enough to go so far to protect me and my daughter deserved to be let completely off the hook.
"OK. OK. I get it…." I say then force myself to look Steve directly in his eyes. "I'm really sorry my actions put you in that situation. That they got you hurt."
Shrugging like it's no big deal, Steve asks, "Did you get the message I left?"
I nod an affirmative and he continues, "I meant it then, and I mean it now. It's… not… your… fault." He lifts a hand and points at his chest, "And, it was my choice." Yawning and closing his eyes before forcing them open, he concludes, "You got it?"
I gently lay a hand on the lower half of his injured leg, "Get some rest. We can talk again later. Chin and Kono should be here," I check the clock on the wall, "in about an hour."
Steve's fighting the rest he needs, but he manages to mumble as sleep takes over, "Sorry… Your brother… Haven't been there for…"
Freaking moron! The idiot keeps me from getting charged with obstruction, gets hurt, probably almost dies, and yet he still feels guilty for not being here for me!
I throw my hands up in the air in supplication for patience and understanding.
I run my hand over my face and rub my eyes. Even though my partner wasn't physically by my side for the emotional fallout my brother's crimes and flight caused, it was his sacrifice that made it possible for me to be there for Grace and my family these past two weeks.
I'll never forget that.
As I sit back down on the instrument of torture, I quietly say, "You're my ohana too. Thank you, brother."
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Friends are relatives you make for yourself. – Eustache Deschamps.
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The End.
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A/N: I know the conclusion probably disappointed some of you, but I was more interested in exploring Steve and Danny's friendship rather than those two weeks Steve was gone. I'm also still getting the hang of these characters, so I hope you enjoyed this anyway…
Thanks for reading!
