Danny rushed over to the opposite side of the bed to grab a hold of Steve's arm. "You okay? What a stupid question, of course you're not okay. Come… sit down." He and Chin eased Steve down in an armchair.
Steve inhaled a deep breath to quell the dizziness. "I just got up too fast."
"I'll go fetch the doctor," Chin offered and was out the door before Steve could bicker.
"You don't look so good," Danny observed worriedly.
"I agree." Kono put in her two cents worth.
"Guys, I'm just bushed," Steve exasperated, eyes closed and head resting against the back of the chair. "No need to make a federal case out of it."
"You just let the doctor be the judge. I have a hunch he will sentence you to overnight observation."
Chin returned with the doctor who instantly took in Steve's chalky complexion, hollow cheeks, and drooping eyelids. He bent down to Steve's level and placed his palm against his forehead. "Commander McGarrett, I'm Doctor Kalua. Mr. Kelly here tells me you had a bout of vertigo?"
"I'm fine, doctor," Steve huffed out in frustration. "It's not the first time I felt woozy and I expect it won't be the last. I'm just a bit tired, that's all. These people are making a fuss over something as trivial as mere strain."
Doctor Kalua carefully studied the corneal reflexes and took Steve's pulse.
"You said you've had them before. How often?"
"It's an occupational hazard in my line of work."
"That's the third one he's had in the past twenty-four hours," Danny informed.
Kalua groped Steve's scalp to probe for any bump that might indicate a concussion. "Did you hit your head in the last few hours?"
"No."
"He received quite a wallop in the stomach. There's an angry bruise there," Danny indicated.
Doctor Kalua lifted the edge of Steve's shirt and methodically pressed against the discoloured area to detect any stiffness. "Do you feel any pain?"
"No. It was tender before but now it's okay."
"The abdomen's not rigid, so we can rule out internal bleeding. However the skin is slightly broken. What happened?"
"I got into a fight with a worthy opponent," Steve explained. "He rammed his fist into my belly and I think his ring is what broke my skin. I felt a prick."
The doctor stood and put his stethoscope to Steve's chest, asking him to take deep breaths. He then looped it around his neck and gave an educated guess. "At first glance I can't find anything physically wrong, aside from that contusion. However I'm concerned about that color and shortness of breath, plus which the frequent bouts of dizziness can be an indication to a deeper problem, including an aneurysm."
"My head is fine," Steve argued, swiftly turning to Danny before he could crack a joke, "Shut up!"
Danny bit his upper lip to hold his tongue.
"Nevertheless I would like to conduct a few tests as a preventive measure. Be right back." Kalua momentarily stepped out of the room to fetch a wheelchair.
Steve rolled his eyes and insisted, "Geez! Guys listen, I'm all right!"
"Humor us, babe," Danny induced. "Perhaps you should have heeded my advice."
"Danny I didn't see the need to have another lie-down considering I slept all through the flight coming here."
"Obviously it wasn't enough."
"I'll just snooze on that couch over there," he motioned to the sofa across the room, "and hopefully I'll pump some gas back in the system,"
"Commander, you'll be more comfortable in a bed," The doctor stated as he returned with a wheelchair. "I'll take you to a private room down the hall where you can rest while we run the tests."
"You can't turn down this gracious hospitality. Wouldn't be nice," Danny bantered, reaching for Steve's arm to assist him to the wheelchair.
Steve twisted his arm out Danny's grasp and griped, "I can walk!"
"Is he always this pigheaded?" The doctor asked.
Danny sniggered, "No comment."
"I'm not pigheaded," Steve objected, a bit miffed by the comment. "I just know what I can and cannot do."
"Take that as a yes," Chin chimed in.
"I see you're all ganging up on me."
"That's right, for your own good. Now you be a good little boy and SIT, " Danny snapped, practically shoving Steve down in the wheelchair, "in the chair and let the good doctor take you to a nice comfy room where you'll go beddy-byes. Now say goodbye to Danny, Chin and Kono now."
Steve gave Danny the evil eye.
"He'll be in room 601, down the hall," The doctor informed Danny before wheeling his new patient out of the room.
"Wow! Did you see that? He actually listened to you! You're getting the hang of this." Chin observed amusedly.
"Rarely have I seen that. He must really be sick. But judging by the crazed look he shot me, I fear he's going to make me pay for my little flare-up," he said, cringing at the thought of Steve's revenge.
Chin turned to Kono that he noticed could barely keep her eyes open. "Cuz, we'll let you rest a bit. Danny and me'll go grab a cup of coffee. We'll be back shortly."
Through a yawn, Kono murmured her understanding and drifted off to sleep.
Before leaving the room with Chin, Danny gave Kono's hand a gentle squeeze. "You hang tough now, you hear?"
Outside the room, Danny suggested visiting with Malia.
"She's sleeping right now and I don't want to disturb her," Chin said, nudging Danny toward the waiting room. "Let's get some coffee and talk. I want to know everything that went on in Japan."
"You sure you're up for this?" a question directed more at himself than at Chin.
They stopped at the coffee vending machine and Chin chose first. "If I didn't know better I'd say he'd witnessed hell on earth. I've never seen him looking so ghastly before and please, don't sugar coat it on my account."
"He's been through the ringer all right," Danny sighed dejectedly.
"Then start talking, brah." Chin exhorted, vacating the space so Danny could take his turn at the coffee dispenser. "When we last spoke on the phone, you said you were bringing Steve's mother back to Hawaii."
"Yeah,"
"Where is she?"
Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Downstairs."
"Downs...," the word caught in Chin's throat as it dawned on him. "Danny that's the morgue."
Danny waited for his cup to fill up and motioned Chin to join him in the waiting room. "Danny?"
Danny flumped down on the sofa and took a healthy gulp of coffee. Chin sat next to him, his frown deepening at the sight of his friend's dejection. "She's dead?" Danny gave a weak nod of the head. "Oh my God! What happened?"
"Joe and Steve were at each other's throats. They came to blows and wrestled for the gun, it went off and she was accidently shot in the chest. She died in Steve's arms minutes later," Danny said forlornly, his mind a clutter of parts of a nightmarish jigsaw puzzle that he needed to piece together for Chin's benefit.
"Joe and Steve fighting? What for?"
"The triggering element was a blend of several startling confessions, starting with Joe being Shelburne, not Margaret McGarrett."
"Joe? Why would he lie about that?"
"Turns out he was using her as a decoy to convince Steve that as long as Wo Fat was still breathing, her life was in danger. Said that they could have tortured her for information she might have had on John McGarrett's investigation of the Yakuza. Even behind bars he could still get to her. He wanted to coax Steve into releasing Wo Fat into his custody and that in turn, Joe could take him out for good, thus allowing Steve to bring his mom back home, seeing how the threat would have been lifted."
"I doubt Steve would have agreed to that."
"You're right, he didn't. When he insisted on bringing his mother back with us, Joe forbid it and pulled out a gun. Meanwhile, one of his goons tried to kill me" Chin reacted. "Luckily he missed and fled, but not before he revealed that Steve's mentor, the man he entrusted with his own life, was the head honcho of the Yakuza network and had been for many years."
"I don't believe this," Chin was completely floored.
"It's true. Now Wo Fat's quest for Shelburne all made sense. He wanted to knock him down the throne so he could take his rightful place."
"So Shelburne is the head of the organization?"
"Precisely."
"Dear Lord!" Chin was beside himself. He put his cup on the table, stood and ran his hands through his hair.
"Steve's mother knew from the start that he was the top man and tried to get John to drop his investigation of the Yakuza for fear of his life."
"Was she involved?"
"Apparently not, but who knows?"
"So Joe was behind John's murder?"
"Rumor has it that it was Wo Fat's doing." Danny paused, allowing Chin to process it all before he continued, "And that's just the cake. The icing is that at some point, Steve's parents experienced marital problems. Margaret sought comfort in Joe, first as a confidant and friend. One thing led to another and ...well you get the picture."
"He had an affair with her?"
"That's what he told Steve."
Chin was utterly dumbfounded.
"And last nail in Steve's coffin... Joe and Margaret's affair apparently produced a son."
Chin stared at Danny. "You don't mean?" Danny pursing his lips was answer enough. Chin ran his hands through his hair and grabbed at the back of his neck, pacing the floor like a caged animal.
"Now you see why he looks so hagridden? He may be SuperSEAL with a high threshold for pain, but this has understandably reached his breaking point. He got the wind knocked out of him and can't seem to suck it back in."
"I need a drink. Want one?"
"Yeah. I could use something stronger than coffee right now. I'll join you in a minute. Just want to check on our big lug and see if he's behaving properly."
"Ok, I'll just check on Malia and meet you outside."
Danny headed to Steve's room and padded inside with a wince. "Is it safe to come in?"
Steve turned his head lazily toward his partner and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah."
Danny walked the rest of the way. "Sorry I had to be so blunt back there, but the situation called for desperate measures."
"S'okay," Steve breathed out, eyes closed, sinking his head into his pillow. "I needed to be set straight."
"That you did," Danny agreed.
Steve squinted mischievously. "And you enjoyed that, didn't you?"
"Immensely," Danny ribbed back. He laid a friendly hand on Steve's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
"Lousy. It's weird, Danno. I feel drained but when I catch some winks, I wake up feeling worse. I've suffered from exhaustion before but never like this. I feel so weak."
Danny patted Steve's shoulder. "Well don't fret about it. I'm sure they tests will give us some clue."
"Danny, I underwent a complete physical three weeks ago when I went to my monthly training. If something was wrong, I'm sure they would have caught it?"
"I'm thinking this might be a bug you contracted while we were on that island."
Steve frowned as he pondered for a moment. "You could be right. In that case, you should get tested too."
"Yeah, I will. Wouldn't want to spread that thing around, whatever it is." He rubbed Steve's arm, ending with a friendly pat. "Babe, I'm gonna go out with Chin for a bit. I should be back in an hour. You'll be okay?"
Danny's brotherly concern never ceased to tug at his heart, but he wasn't about to tell him for he knew he would never live it down "Yeah, I won't go anywhere." He reached for Danny's arm and gave it a weak squeeze. "Thanks Danno...for everything," his voice trailed off as the last ounce of energy left him.
Danny smiled and gently nudged Steve's shoulder with his fist. "Don't mention it, you pigheaded mule."
Danny spotted Dr. Kalua at the nurses' station and walked up to him.
"Doctor Kalua?"
"Detective Williams. Something wrong?"
"No, well yes...I don't know. This thing Commander McGarrett has, well I suspect it could be a virus of some sort he caught while in Suruga Bay. We were both on this tiny island and...well.. I'd like for you to take a blood sample to see if I could be infected."
"Yes of course. Nurse," he hailed one of the nurses on staff at the station, "could you take two vials of Detective Williams's blood and send them down to the lab for analysis, please?"
"Right away, doctor." Then addressing Danny, "Come right this way, sir."
Once the blood samples taken, Danny joined Chin at a local pub across the street. Danny elaborated on the Suruga Bay episode and in turn, Chin filled him in on the Delano bust and his own tribulation with Malia's shooting and Kono's drowning.
Meanwhile, somewhere on the islands...
Joe dialed a number on his cell phone. "Chan?"
"Joe?"
"What part of laying low didn't you understand?" he lashed out.
"What's the matter?"
"Mirko. He paid me an unexpected visit. Not only that, he tried to kill Williams."
"I wasn't told about that," Chan replied.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know. He hasn't reported back yet."
"The bloody idiot blabbed. Now McGarrett and Williams know all about me."
"Then we have a big problem."
"Gee, you think?" Joe snorted.
"He will be taken care of."
"Save it, the damage's done. Besides Plan B's already in motion."
"Good."
He sighed heavily into the phone. "I don't think I'm going to go through with it, though. Let's face it, Williams doesn't have half the clout McGarrett does. He won't be able to carry it out."
"McGarrett has to die one way or the other. Williams is next. They know too much."
"Yeah, them and probably dozens of others by now, you plan to kill them all?" Joe scoffed at the inanity of Chan's plan. "No, I need to disappear for a while for everyone's sake. I'll run the show from my remote location. I need to be on my toes 'cause I know McGarrett will shadow me and stop at nothing to dig me out of my foxhole."
"All the more reason to eliminate him," Chan crunched his words.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's wait another few hours and see how it goes. Perhaps Williams can pull it off after all. I know he'd give his life for his partner. He might be able to find the resources to do our bidding."
"I don't like this, Joe. Too risky."
"I'm the boss, aren't I? I say we wait. Thereafter we'll plan our next course of action."
Barely an hour later, Danny and Chin returned to the hospital feeling a bit more lighthearted than when they first left. Doctor Kalua was at the nurses' station scribbling down notes in a patient's file when they walked up to him.
"Doctor Kalua, do you have the results of our tests?"
"As a matter of fact I do. You are listed as Commander's McGarrett's medical proxy."
"That's right," Danny said with some dread at the doctor's mention of his medical POA. "What's wrong with him?"