"TAKE MY BREATH AWAY"
CHAPTER SEVEN
Title: "Take My Breath Away"
Author: Michelle Heath
Rating: MA for adult situations and language
Summary: Continuation of the "Salvation" series by popular demand
Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!
Date Written: March 23, 2011
(After spending the morning diving, Sam and Steve have a quick lunch and head for the marina. It doesn't take them long to secure the boat and refill the air tanks, and they get back to their house around two o'clock. Steve changes quickly and heads in to work after kissing Sam goodbye. Once there, he finds there is absolutely nothing for him to do as, between them, Kono and Chin have completed and reviewed everyone's reports, including his. Kono is on the phone in her office talking with the power company and Chin brings Steve up to speed on the situation with the Montgomery's house.)
"So, if all goes well, they can move in this coming weekend. Hope you and Sam didn't have anything planned, Brah."
"We didn't, and we'd be happy to help Kono and Tony move. Between us and the SEAL team, we ought to have everything out of Kono's apartment in no time."
"Then we have to get everything out of Tony's apartment."
"Forgot they still had two apartments. Still, it should take us long."
(Kono, having walked into the hallway to join them, hears the last bit of their conversation.)
"Thanks, Steve, we really appreciate you and Sam agreeing to help up move. I, um, also need Wednesday afternoon off it that's okay."
"That when you're closing?
"Supposed to."
"Shouldn't be a problem, Kono,"
"Thanks, Boss! Okay everything is scheduled to be turned off at both apartments and on at the house this Saturday, so we should be set, and we will feed everybody."
"Too bad Caroline and Danny are on their honeymoon and are going to miss all the fun."
"I'm pretty sure they're having way more fun than we're going to, Boss."
(Chin gets a call from another of his and Kono's cousins and steps into his office to take it. As soon as he's out of earshot, Kono fills Steve in on what's going on with Lana and the fact that she ran some background checks and found nothing. )
"I can't believe you went behind Chin's back and did that."
"Hey, you'd have done the same thing if you'd been here. Chin seems to think there's more going on with Lana than just a bad case of nerves and you know his gut feelings are pretty much head on."
"Well, if you didn't find anything, there's not much we can do. Besides, it's not our business even if he is your cousin."
"Steve . . ."
"Kono, when you started seeing Tony, you didn't want Chin and Danny to stick their noses in your business, so keep yours out of his."
"I hate it when something comes back to bite me."
(Steve shoots her a knowing grin and heads into his office so he can check in with the Governor. Kono, still worried about her cousin but knowing there's nothing more she can do, walks back into her office and starts making a list of things she and Tony need to do before they can move. . . .
Chin finishes his conversation with his relative and sits back in his chair thinking about the situation with Lana. It's getting close to three o'clock in the afternoon and, although Lana is working a six a.m. to six p.m. shift, she hasn't called him as she usually does. He's on the verge of calling and leaving a message on her cellular phone voice mail when her number pops up on his phone.)
"Hey. How's your day?"
"Long. How's yours?"
"Long. . . Lana, I . . ."
"Chin. I'm sorry I freaked out last night. I really did have a rotten day at work yesterday. I got pulled out of the regular S.I.C.U. into the Pediatric I.C.U., and one of the kids I've been volunteering with was admitted. His cancer came back and . . . He died three hours after admission."
"God, Lana, why didn't you tell me? We could have skipped going out to dinner and . . . "
"It's okay, Chin. Kevin isn't the first patient I've lost and he certainly won't be the last. I guess his death hit me a little harder than usual because I've spent a lot of time with him outside the hospital."
"Still . . . Lana, I so do not want to screw things up with you. If what I said last night scared you, . . . "
"Chin . . . It's okay, really."
"So, can we have dinner tonight?"
"Sure. Why don't you pick me up around seven?"
"It's a date."
(Chin, feeling a lot better than he has all day, steps into Kono's office and gives her a brief version of his conversation with Lana. They both feel fairly confident that she was upset due to the little boy's death, and that is the only reason she reacted the way she did the night before. Glad that Lana and Chin are, seemingly, back on track, Kono, starts straightening up her desk so she can leave for the day. . .
Lana and Chin have dinner at a small, quiet restaurant that specializes in Italian cuisine and, per Chin's request, are sitting at a secluded table in a back corner. Lana appears to be more relaxed than she was the previous evening, and Chin feels relieved.)
"I'm so sorry about last night."
"I'm sorry about Kevin. I know how much those kids mean to you."
"They do. Chin, about what you said last night. . . "
"Lana, you don't have to . . ."
"I'm falling for you, too."
"Wow."
(But before they can discuss their relationship any further, Chin's cellular phone rings. It's Kono asking him to meet her and Steve at the scene of a shooting involving a retired Department of Corrections Officer who is a personal friend of the Governor's. Within minutes, Chin has taken Lana home and is on his way to the crime scene. . . .
Lana, disappointed that their evening was cut short, changes into a pair of shorts and a tank top, pours herself a glass of wine, and settles on the sofa to channel surf. She is just getting interested in an old western when her phone rings. Not bothering to look at the caller I.D., she picks up the phone and says, "Hello". It only takes a moment for her full attention to be focused on the phone call and her blood to run cold. Long after the caller delivers their message and hangs up, Lana stares at the phone in horror. The fear she experienced the night before, after another, similar phone call, returns in full force and she begins to tremble.)
