"What the hell happened, Benjie?" Tom Roberts demanded, glaring at his detective before glancing over the younger man's shoulder as the elevator doors open and Steve McGarrett step out. The lead Five-O detective quickly looked around before he turned and hurried towards them.
"I told you Tom, it had to be a set-up." Benjie answered defensively, running a hand down his face, leaving it resting on his chin, as he looked down the corridor towards the closed operating room doors. Looking back at his boss, he shrugged, "They had to know that we were coming because Danny was hit as soon as we went through the door." He paused and stared at Steve as Steve hurried across to join them.
"Any word yet on, Danny?" Steve asked anxiously.
"Took a round to the stomach, Steve, he lost a lot of blood. It didn't look good when they took him into surgery, he was losing blood as fast as they were pumping it into him." The HPD Captain told Steve before he looked at the upset man standing beside him and began to hastily make the introductions, "Steve, this is Detective Benjie Melendez, Williams's partner. Benjie, this is Mister McGarrett, Five-O."
"I know who he is." Benjie interrupted his boss, his obvious disdain towards the Hawaii's top cop evident in his voice, as he looked the Five-O leader up and down, "What's he doing here?"
"Williams was McGarrett's partner in Five-O," Tom frowned, unhappy with the younger man's rude tone. "I knew he would want to be informed that Danny has been wounded."
"Why would he?" Benjie snarled as he turned back to his captain.
"I might not be Danny's partner at the moment, son, but I am still his friend." Steve answered, casting a quick glance at Roberts before returning his attention back to the young insolent Narcotics detective standing in front of him, as he tried to keep his temper at the young man's rudeness under control.
"That's not the way Williams tells it." Melendez retorted as he turned back to glare at Steve, "So why don't we just cut out the crap, Sir, we both know you're the reason why the kid transferred across from the cushy job of Five-O's Second-In-Command to us. And from little bits and pieces I have managed to wrangle out of Danny about why he left Five-O, I also know there is no friendship left between the two of you. So why don't you tell me again, Sir, just what the Hell are you doing here now?"
"Melendez that's enough!" Roberts warned his upset office as he grabbed the younger man's arm and turned him forcibly towards the chairs lined against the wall as he ordered sternly, "You have the choice of sitting down over there and cooling off while we wait for word on Williams's condition or you can get back to the station and write out a full report of what happened today. Your choice, hot-shot!"
Shrugging loose of his captain's tight hold, Benjie lifted his hands in a silent show of surrender before he turned and stalked away.
"So, what happened, Tom?" Steve asked quietly, pushing the guilt of what had happened between him and Danny away as he glanced at Benjie, who had walked across to the closed operating room doors to stare through the doors' windows, before he looked back at the Narcotics captain. "Duke said Danny was shot during a raid on a warehouse down on the docks."
"I haven't got the full details of what happened yet, Steve, but from the little I do know, Melendez and Williams received a tip about a suspect they've been chasing for the last three weeks was involved in a big buy that was about to go down on the docks. The tip must have been some sort of a set-up because when they moved in to make the arrest the suspects were waiting for them. Williams was hit before they even got through the door. He was bleeding bad, if Melendez hadn't decided not to wait for an ambulance and got him to the hospital himself, I have no doubts that Williams would have died too." Tom rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor as he quietly confessed, "Williams is my third officer to be taken down in similar types of raids in the last six months."
"Third?" Steve frowned before he remembered the two Narcotics officers who had been lost in the line of duty during the past year. Narcotics was a dangerous job and he had been horrified when he had heard that Danny had transferred into Narcotics in his rush to get away from Five-O and him.
Roberts nodded, "But he was lucky, he made it to the hospital, my two other guys, Adam Rodriguez and Brian Stanton weren't so lucky, they both died at the scene during two other raids. First Rodriguez, then Stanton and now Williams, all taken out in raids after getting tips of buys involving their suspects were going down. Someone's setting up my guys and taking them out one by one, Steve, and I don't have a clue who it is or even why." Tom sighed as the doors to the operating room opened and the surgeon stepped out.
Hurrying across with Tom to where the surgeon stood talking to Melendez, Steve asked anxiously, "How is he, Doc?"
"Detective Williams's condition is critical but stable, we will be transferring him to the ICU shortly. The bullet tore through his spleen causing massive hemorrhaging before lodging in his stomach. We were forced to remove his spleen to control the bleeding and have repaired the tear in his stomach. We will be observing him closely for the next forty-eight hours in the ICU for any complications caused by the massive blood loss or signs of any infection, such as peritonitis, caused by the stomach wound. We have commenced him on antibiotics and are replacing the blood he has lost. But he's young and strong, he has a good chance of a full recovery."
"What about losing his spleen, Doc? I mean…"
"What sort of affects will it have on his life and his career as a cop?" the doctor finished Benjie's question.
The Narcotics officer nodded.
"If there is one organ that if you need to have removed, the spleen is the best one for it to be. It's the one organ that you can live without and the one organ you can lose, and it won't affect your ability to be a cop or live a normal, active live. But that's not saying that Detective Williams is not going to have to be mindful that he no longer has it, without his spleen, he will be more prone to infections and catching any colds or illnesses going around."
"When can we see him?" Steve asked anxiously.
"Not until tomorrow, he needs to rest. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other patients to see."
Watching the doctor walk away, Melendez angrily spun around and stepped in front of Steve. "I told you before, McGarrett, Danny doesn't want anything to do with you! So why don't you run back to Five-O where you belong, keep your nose out of our business and leave him alone."
"And I told you, Melendez, enough! I will talk to you later about your attitude, if you are lucky enough and Mister McGarrett does not bring you up on charges before I get back to the station, because if I was him, I would!" Roberts growled as he stepped in between the two men, physically pushing Melendez away as he glared at his detective, "Now get back to the station and get your report about what happened today written. I want it signed and on my desk by the time I get back from talking with the Chief. Get going!"
Shaking his head as Melendez spun on his heel and stormed away, Tom looked at Steve apologetically and said, "Sorry about that Steve, he's normally a good cop, but he's become a bit protective of Williams. You know how partners can be."
"Yeah." Steve sighed, aware of just how protective he was of Danny, himself. In the two years, he had known Danno, Danno had become much more than subordinate and his Second-In-Command, Danny had become his closet friend, despite the tension between them at the moment. He was just grateful that he still had the chance to make things right between them again. He knew he owed Danno an apology for what had happened between them, and all he could hope was Danno would listen long enough to him to hear it.
"Seeing Williams get shot right in front of him today has really rattled him, I'm afraid. I know they haven't been partners long but they have become quite good friends." Steve blinked as he realized the HPD captain was still talking to him, and he nodded as Tom promised, "I promise I will have a few stern words with him when I get back to the station, but I would really appreciate it if you decide not to bring him up on charges."
Slapping the other man on the shoulder, Steve forced a small smile, "Don't be too hard on him, Tom, he's just upset over what happened to Danno today. We've both been there ourselves."
"Thanks Steve," Tom nodded, allowing a breath of relief to escaped as they walked towards the elevator.
"Tom, I was wondering, who were the uniformed officers involved in today's raid?"
The Narcotics captain frowned as he hit the button for the elevator before he glanced at Steve, "Ratherson and Martins, why?"
Steve shrugged as the elevator doors slid open and they stepped inside. "I just wanted to thank them for helping Melendez save Danno's life. It means a lot to me."
"What happened between you and Williams anyway, Steve? I know that he was your Second-In-Command, but I also know that you were close friends. Now Williams changes the subject every time your name is mentioned. I asked him, but he refused to talk about it, just said he wanted out of Five-O." Tom frowned as he hit the button to take them down to the lobby.
Steve looked down as a ripple of guilt stabbed through his soul as he remembered the last angry words he had spoken to Danny in his office that night. "It was just a stupid misunderstanding, one that should never have happened." he sighed as the elevator door slid open and he stepped outside.
OoOoOoO
Walking into HPD, Steve spotted the two officers he wanted to talk to and he hurried to catch up with them as they headed towards the squad room and probably roll call. "Officer Ratherson, Officer Martins, can I speak with you for a moment?" he asked as he reached the two men.
"Something wrong, Sir?" Chris Martins asked nervously, recognizing the Five-O lead detective instantly.
"No." Steve quickly reassured the two officers as he placed his hands on their backs and gently steered them away from the squad room door and to an area where they could speak more privately. "I just wanted to thank the two of you for helping Detective Melendez save Detective Williams's life today. If it wasn't for your quick actions in getting Danny to the hospital…" Steve paused, unable to vocalize what had been his worst fears after he had found out Danno had been shot.
"How is Danny…I mean Detective Williams?"
"Critical, but the doctors are hopeful that he should make a full recovery." Steve smiled, the relief he felt was written clearly on his face.
"Thank God!" Sam murmured, as he looked at his partner and admitted softly, "I really thought we had lost him in the car."
"I was wondering, just what happened at the warehouse today?" Steve frowned, noticing the two officers glance nervously at each other as both hesitated before answering.
"I'm not sure just if we can tell you much more than what is in our reports and what Detective Melendez and Detective Williams can tell you." Sam shrugged, "But we were ordered to watch the warehouse until Detectives Melendez and Williams got there and then to join them when they moved in. We saw the suspect and two other men arrive and enter the warehouse just before Melendez and Williams arrived."
"Benjie had us cover the back while he and Danny took the front but when we tried to go in the back door was locked and we couldn't gain access." Chris chimed in before rushing on, "As soon as we heard the shots we raced around to the front but by the time we got there it was all over, Danny was on the ground outside and Benjie was leaning over him, trying to stop the bleeding."
"What about the three suspects?" Steve asked, again noticing the furtive glances the two partners traded with each other before Chris reluctantly answered.
"They were gone."
"Gone? How?"
"Not sure, sir." Sam shrugged, "I… I guess they must have escaped out the back while after we headed around the front of the building and while Benjie was trying to get Danny to safety. All I can tell you is by the time we made it around the front, the only ones there were Danny and Benjie and when we searched the warehouse, it was empty."
"What happened then?" Steve frowned.
"Well, Danny, I mean Detective Williams was bleeding heavily and Benjie was worried he would bleed out before an ambulance could get there, so Benjie got us to put Danny into the back of their car. I guess after what happened to Brian Stanton, Benjie wasn't going to take another chance of losing a partner again. So, Benjie got in the back with Danny to keep the pressure on the wound while I drove his car. We managed to get Danny to the hospital in under five minutes."
"Melendez has lost another partner?" Steve's frown deepened as a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
"Yeah, Brian Stanton." Chris answered quietly, uncertain of what the Mister was fishing for, "Benjie and Brian were partners until Brian was killed during a raid the two of them carried out on the docks about five months ago. Brian was hit as they entered the building. He died in Benjie's arms before the ambulance arrived."
"You were there?"
"We were both there." Chris nodded, tilting his head towards his partner as he answered, "We're usually the backup team for the Narcotics officers when they go out on raids."
"Benjie took it hard, real hard, especially after the same thing happened to Adam less than a month before." Sam told Steve softly.
"Melendez was friends with Rodriquez?" The sick feeling in the pit of Steve's stomach increased.
"Yeah, Benjie, Brian and Adam often worked cases together." Chris explained.
"Benjie took it hard when Adam was killed during a big raid with the rest of the Narcotics team earlier this year. Adam was the first guy to enter the house and was killed going in. Then a month later, he lost Brian in the same way, and now Danny…" Sam shrugged as Chris nudged him and nodded towards the squad room before he rushed on, "Sorry Sir, but it's roll call, we're both doing a double shift and we really have to get in there. Sarge is already annoyed with us for letting the suspects escape earlier today, he will have us walking our patrol tonight if we're late for roll call."
"When you see Danny next, please can you tell him to hurry up and get well from us and we both come and see him when he is well enough for visitors." Chris asked, glancing worriedly over his shoulder at the squad room as he heard Sarge call his name.
Steve nodded distractedly as the two officers turned and hurried into the squad room, as Roberts' and the two young officers' words were replayed over and over in his mind,'You see Steve, Williams is my third officer to be taken down in similar types of raids. But he was lucky, he made it to the hospital. My other two guys, Adam Rodriguez and Brian Stanton weren't so lucky, they both died at the scene during two other raids. Someone's setting up my guys and taking them out one by one, Steve, and I don't have a clue who it is or even why.'
'Benjie took it hard when Adam was killed during a big raid with the rest of the narcotics team earlier this year. Then, a month later, he lost Brian in the same way, and now Danny…'
Steve turned and slowly walked towards the door, two cops killed and Danno injured, all taken down during drug raids and all in the company of one officer, Danno's new partner- Melendez.