Breaking Point

Chapter Two

Zebraboymom

Disclaimer: They do not belong to me. Grrrrrr!

Author Notes: The team searches frantically for Steve. Kono becomes increasingly despondent. Will they find him in time?

Kono's team took the back. They didn't have any trouble staying undetected as the back of the building was solid, no windows at all. When they reached the building on the other side, Kono spotted an open door. She waved two other officers in place and then whispered in her com to Chin and Danny.

"We've found an open back door and we're entering."

Kono didn't give either man the chance to stop her. She pushed the partially open door the rest of the way and even though she expected it, the sight of a battered Steve lying on a table, bloody and beaten, shocked her. Victor Hesse stood over him with a scalpel and he was just about to cut Steve again. Kono's instincts kicked in and she put one shot straight into his brain stem. He was killed instantly and he dropped to the floor. Kono rushed over to Steve as the other officers checked the room. By some miracle he was still conscious. Kono could feel hot tears welling up in her eyes and she looked down at his body. He had horrible bruises and cuts all over his chest. He looked like he had several broken fingers. His face was beaten and swollen until it was almost unrecognizable. He opened his one good eye and tried to smile. His voice was so rough and soft she could barely hear him.

"What took you so long?"

Kono tried to laugh through her tears, but she couldn't. Steve reached up with his one good hand and tried to brush the tears away from her cheek. She caught his hand and gently held it there in a hug to her cheek.

"Oh, God, Steve…I mean Boss. What did they do to you?"

Kono was on the radio immediately.

"Chin. Danny. I found him. We need emergency services, Now!"

She grabbed a towel and applied pressure to Steve's arm, which was bleeding badly. She was afraid Hesse nicked an artery, but then calmed herself as Steve would be dead already if that were true. Steve hissed.

"Damn, Kono, what are you trying to do, kill me?"

The look on her face told him he had just made a terrible error in word choice. Kono couldn't help herself. She stroked her fingers through his hair trying to sooth him and the tears kept pouring down her cheeks. His voice gentled.

"It's okay Kono. I'm going to be okay."

"Where's that medic? Get somebody in here now!"

Steve felt himself starting to pass out. He wanted to tell her how he felt so badly. What if he died? This was his only chance. His voice was a whisper now.

"Kono..."

She bent down with her ear next to his lips.

"Kono…I…lo…"

Steve passed out.

Kono could hear gunfire outside, but she trusted the SWAT guys with her to cover the doors. It wasn't long before there was silence outside and Danny and Chin said they were coming in. They came through the front to the back room and brought EMTs with them. They pushed Kono back and began to work on Steve. She didn't understand anything they were saying except his blood pressure, which was dangerously low. They called for the chopper to land and Kono looked to Danny and Chin for confirmation that she could go with Steve in it. Someone always rode with a downed officer, but it would normally be Danny in that role. Danny knew more was going on here and he knew for a fact that Steve would want her with him.

"Kono, you found him. You ride with him to the hospital."

Kono's eyes glistened with new tears. She hugged Danny before she followed the medical team out.

"Thanks Danny. Thank you so much!"

The two men watched as she jumped in the chopper with Steve. They saw her reach down and take his good hand in hers as it took off.

"She's got it bad, right?"

Chin nodded. "Yep."

"She doesn't know it yet because he's afraid to tell her, but he feels the same way. That's why he broke it off with Catherine."

Kono looked down at Steve. His face was so pale. He just had to be okay. What had he been trying to tell her? What did he mean? Was he going to say he loved someone? Catherine? She wished it was her, but that would be too good to be true. He treated her like he would any rookie. No, it had to be Catherine. Even though she didn't want to, she would call Catherine when they got to the hospital.

When the helicopter landed Kono stayed right with the gurney. Steve started to come to as he was being wheeled in. His eyes flitted around and he looked panicked until he saw Kono leaning over him as he was being wheeled down the hall. She kept gently stroking her hand through his hair. The staff watched him immediately calm down and relax, but he never took his eyes off the beautiful young woman with him. When they reached the ER, the doctor told Kono she could stay, but to stand at the head of the bed just to his left and stay out of the way. Kono was just glad she got to stay. Steve tried to pull her closer.

"Have to tell you…"

"What Steve? It's okay Steve, you can tell me later."

"Might not be a later…"

Steve started having trouble breathing and he couldn't talk anymore. One of the doctor's was listening to his chest.

"One of his broken ribs must have punctured a lung. We need to get a chest tube in and clear an airway."

"Let's sedate him and move him to surgery, we've got internal bleeding."

Steve's eyes searched for Kono. She could tell he wanted to tell her something so badly, but they put the tube down his throat and now she would have to wait for him to get better before he could tell her. His eyes were filled with emotion as he looked at her sadly. Kono couldn't help it. She bent down near his ear and whispered.

"I love you Steve. I'll be right here when you wake up."

He looked at her as his eyes started to slowly droop and she could see him smile slightly. She hoped that was a good thing, but maybe he thought she meant it in a big brother, partner kind of way. It didn't matter. At least she had said it. As Steve went under, they wheeled him to surgery. Kono walked along with them until they got to the OR.

"This is as far as you can go."

"Kono leaned down and kissed Steve on the cheek.

"You have to get better Steve, You have to fight for me, okay?"

And then he was gone. A nurse showed Kono where the surgical waiting area was and gave her a hug.

"He's a fighter. I haven't seen anyone as badly beaten as him in a long time, but he's hanging in there. Besides, he has someone waiting for him."

Kono smiled shyly.

"Yeah. Yeah he does."

She found a fairly decent chair to sit in and pulled her legs up into the chair to lean her head on her knees. She didn't realize how exhausted she was. She tried to stay awake, but after two hours with no word, she slipped into a light sleep. It wasn't long after that when Danny and Chin arrived. Chin called her name as they rounded the corner to the waiting room. Kono looked up at the two of them and ran into their arms. The three of them stood there hugging for a long time. Finally Danny pulled back.

"What are they saying?"

"Nothing. I haven't heard a word in over two hours. The nurses said he was a fighter. I need to make a call. Come and get me if the doctor comes out."

Kono went out into the stairwell and called naval services. She requested an emergency call to shipboard. After several minutes Catherine answered.

"Um, yeah, hey, this is Kono Kalakaua. I work with Steve McGarrett."

"Yeah, he talked about you. A lot actually. They said this was an emergency. Did something happen to Steve?"

"He was gravely wounded by the man who killed his father."

"Oh, Steve told me he was in prison. He got out? Is Steve going to be okay?"

"We don't know yet. He's still in surgery."

"Okay, well, could you let me know how he is when the surgery is over? Thanks for calling me Kono, but did you know we broke up? It was mutual. I didn't want a long-term relationship and I was also dating someone on my ship. Steve was looking for more. He said he had fallen for someone else. I'd really like to know if he comes out of this okay, but I don't plan to come there. Thanks again for calling. Tell him I'm sorry he was hurt and I'll be thinking about him. I would like to know if he's okay, if you don't mind. Good-bye."

Kono stared at the phone as she hung up. Her mind was racing. Steve fell for someone else? Steve talked about her to Catherine? Please let it be me he was talking about. If he's found someone else, I don't know what I'll do.

Kono went back in to the waiting room and sat between Danny and Chin. They all held hands and Danny said a short prayer. It was then that the surgeon came out.

"Family of Steve McGarrett?

The three of them all jumped up at once.

"Yes?"

"He's out of surgery and in the recovery room. When he's awake we will put him in ICU and move him to a room tomorrow, if he makes it through the night. It's very touch-and- go at this point. He arrested twice during the surgery, but he's a strong man. We had to removed his spleen and repair his intestines. None of his burns and cuts were severe except for the one on his arm. It required stitches. One shoulder was dislocated and he had two broken fingers. In addition, there were multiple abrasions and deep tissue bruises from being kicked and punched. They basically beat the hell out of him. The recovery process is going to take weeks, not days and helping him manage the pain will be a challenge. He'lll need someone with him twenty-four hours a day. He'll need help eating and getting dress and bathing. You name it."

"That won't be a problem. I told him I wasn't leaving his side. Danny, I'm taking a leave of absence."

"We'll talk about that later. Right now let's just get through the night."

"Normally we only let one person in at a time for a few minutes, but he governor called and said the three of you are to have unlimited access. I'm okay with that as long as he rests. Got it?"

"Whatever you say. Can we see him now?"

"Let me check with the nurse, but I think he's probably been moved by now."

Kono watched the doctor leave and then turned back to the guys. Her smile was soft and her eyes were filled with tears. They all hugged each other and a few minutes later they were led down to Steve's area in the ICU. Kono almost gasped when she saw him. Steve was attached to so many machines it made her swallow hard. Thankfully his breathing tube had been removed and he was breathing on his own. He did have small oxygen tubes in his nose. A chest tube hung out from a large bandage on his right side and was draining into a container on a cart. His heart monitor beat regularly reassuring her he was alive. His bruises were brighter than they had been before and one eye was swollen shut completely. He had bandages everywhere on his body. His right hand with the broken fingers was in a cast. That shoulder had been the one dislocated and he was in a sling as well to hold his arm up in place while he healed. His left arm had a bandage covering the severe cut Hesse had made there. It would definitely leave a scar. He had bandages on his chest, which was uncovered and a sheet was draped over him from the stomach down. The burns he had received were red and ugly. That must be why they didn't have the sheet pulled up. Those alone made Kono wince. There wasn't an inch on his upper body that wasn't cut, burned or bruised. It made Kono angry all over again. She was glad Hesse was dead. The man had not only hurt Steve emotionally by killing his father, but he had hurt Steve physically. She was glad she killed him. She had never made the taking of a human life lightly, but damn him. She was glad it was her that shot him.

Danny and Chin were feeling some of what Kono felt. This was their friend and he had just been laid to waste. They were jealous of Kono. She got to take down the scum that did this to him. Danny spoke first.

"We are not going to stop until we get Wo Fat. I know he helped Hesse and he has to pay."

"We will Danny. I'm with you. We start looking into the properties and dealings of one Wo Fat. There has to be something there we can get him on."

Chin ran his hand through his hair and stared at Steve's broken body.

Kono moved quietly to Steve's side. She pulled the hard plastic chair they had set there and took his uninjured hand in hers.

"Why don't you guys take a break and get something to eat. I'm going to stay here."

Sensing that she needed some alone time with Steve, he tapped Danny's shoulder and motioned towards the door to the ward.

"Sounds good. I'll bring you back a salad. Cousin."

The two men left them alone and it was then that Kono stood up and leaned over Steve. She held his good hand to her cheek again like she had at the scene. She turned it slightly and kissed his palm, returning it to her cheek again.

"I know you probably can't hear me right now and that's why I feel like I can say this. I meant what I said back there. I love you Steve and you just have to be okay. I need you Steve. I…I…love you so much…"

It was at that moment that one soft hazel eye opened blinking through long lashes to settle on Kono's tearful face.