I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: thank you to CinderH for such great help and beta support. And to everyone's wonderful words!
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Chapter 6
Kono was anxiously waiting for them with HPD, emergency vehicles and an ambulance when the two helicopters landed. The third, Morse's own, was piloted by a Guardsman to a different base location. But it was now well into evening and the lights were flashing on the emergency vehicles and the ambulance crew stood at the ready with their gurney. The medical examiner van was also there for its morbid packages of Morse's own body and those of the two mercenaries. The third hired mercenary had already been taken into custody, along with the pilot of Morse's own helicopter. Steve was openly hostile towards them as he watched their tight escort. He was looking forward to introducing them to the balance of the Five-0 team.
But his attention was drawn back to Danny who was becoming more worked up by the minute.
"No." One word, said in a choked whisper as Danny's fingers tightened once again in Steve's shirt and he stared at the crazily moving flashes of light. He had slept for the final thirty minutes of flight time but had become restless, finally awakening with an uneasy gasp as he sensed their approach.
"Yup. You're right. We'll wait here until they go." Steve replied lightly as he deflected the pang of doubt. And with a calming smile, Evan hopped out of the chopper and paused to address Danny.
"They're going to leave Detective. I'm telling them now .. myself. They're only here because we didn't inform them about our change in plans to go to the Commander's residence." Danny stiffly watched Evan jog towards the two medics and Kono. The conversation was short and the EMT's gave the Corporal additional supplies from their own stash. Danny eventually relaxed when the gurney was returned and the doors slammed shut. But he calmed and only agreed to get out of the chopper after the ambulance was long gone and he could see Steve's truck parked near the gates.
"Can you walk Danny?" Steve asked the question softly as Kono jogged back with Evan, their arms full of more supplies. Chin gave her a meaningful look to take things slow, but Danny's ragged condition had her already stumbling to a halt.
"What the hell happened? What did he do to him?" She started to blurt the words in a stunned outrage as she barely recognized the rumpled man in front of her. "Danny!"
"That good, huh?" Danny whispered with a hint of an uncertain smile, as she dropped the medical supplies at Evan's feet and pulled him into a tight hug.
She laughed into his shoulder to hide a sob as he tentatively returned the embrace. "Honestly, I don't care what you look like. I mean .. obviously I do. Care I mean. You look terrible!" And Chin rolled his eyes behind Danny as he playfully smacked his cousin on the head.
"Stop before you really say something stupid."
Their were tears in her eyes as she stood back and shook her head. "We missed you." Danny was smiling though as she held him at arm's length to angrily scowl over his appearance. "You're too thin. Are you okay?"
He was nodding at all of her comments until Steve interrupted. Danny was fading quickly and he'd caught Evan's eye. The medic wanted the patient off his feet and settled much sooner, rather than later. "Hey Kono." She glanced worriedly to Steve as he welcomed her and motioned to his truck. "Can you bring my truck closer so he doesn't have to walk so far? We're going to my place to get cleaned up."
"And .. Grace." Danny whispered as he struggled to stay upright and then sagged as his vision grayed around the edges. "Not so fast." Steve murmured as he caught Danny's weight into his shoulder and fixed the blankets around his upper body. Evan had complained about his patient's low blood pressure for much of the trip back which was causing dizziness and nausea. And Danny trembled now from also being cold in the night air.
"Yeah, and see Grace. In fact, once we get settled in the truck, we're going to call her again and let her know you're home." Steve rummaged quickly through the backpack Chin had brought with him and pulled out two cell phones. Thumbing one on, he handed it to Danny who cradled it in both hands as Grace's face lit the screen.
"Might as well use your own phone, Danny." He took the phone .. something he couldn't last remember ever seeing or even being allowed to use. He had once asked to call Rachel after he'd been told of their daughter's death. Again, denied since he was in danger and no one was willing to risk his well-being. In fact, Rachel had already moved back to the mainland and his good doctor didn't know how to contact the Edwards. A call could place her in danger as well.
"Do you want that too Daniel? To place your ex-wife and her small son in danger?" His hand shook now as he remembered the doctor's parting words after he'd been given a strong sedative. "It's better this way, trust me."
Seconds later, Kono was back with Steve's truck and everyone helped Danny ease out and get settled in the back seat with blankets once again tucked around him. With Chin on one side and Evan on the other holding the I.V. bag and stowing a medical kit that was now almost over-flowing with supplies, he felt more safe. But he was holding the cell phone like it was a life-line and slowly paging through saved pictures on the device. Definitely his own for he remembered each and every image .. where he had been and what he had been doing. The large majority focused on Grace or on him with Grace. But a few included McGarrett and there was a brief pang of uncertainty. Danny pushed the negative feelings away and flicked back to the screen saver.
Steve started the engine and then turned around to face his partner in the backseat. He was relieved to see a genuine smile finally starting to brighten the sunken, scruffy face as he stared in awe at his favorite picture of Grace. He seemed unsure of what to do next and Steve grinned.
"Hey." Danny looked up in surprise and the smile suddenly faltered, but McGarrett was only tapping his hand with a pleased expression.
"Speed dial's still the same as it was. Call your kid Danno! Tell her you're home."
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With a voice that was raspy from fatigue and tight with tears, Danny spoke haltingly to Grace but hesitated when she asked to come over.
"Can she?" Danny whispered to Chin who had for the most part, kept up with the one-sided conversation. The doubt had resurfaced as the question was carefully posed. "Come over .. like we said?"
Before anyone could reply, McGarrett interrupted with a resounding yes, but his finger went up and Danny fought against the spontaneous flinch as hope left his eyes. Evan coughed a sly warning at the change in Danny's demeanor which Steve immediately noticed. Danny had heard many a yes before .. but the price was always very high and his unease was palpable to everyone around him.
"But." He had meant to sound light-hearted, even funny, but Steve sobered quickly as he caught the surge of unease and Evan's subtle message. "Shower and a shave .. clean clothes .. tell her to come over in about two hours. We need some time to get home. And like I said before, I need you to let Evan check you out."
A small smile returned with an apologetic snort and Danny relayed the timing to Grace. He closed his eyes when Rachel's accented reply of 'definitely' reached his ears and the call ended. She was still there too. But of course she would be; her move back to the States was a fabricated lie. Evan chuckled as Danny looked ruefully down at his ruined shirt and bare feet. He was a complete mess and didn't doubt that he'd be a terrible sight for Grace to see after so many lost weeks.
They all smiled, and even Danny managed a light agreeable huffed sound at the truth of Evan's next words. "Uh, sir .. if I may say so myself .. we've all suffered long enough already in the short time I've known you .. give the kid a break!"
Danny forced himself to relax in the back of McGarrett's truck. He was slouched between Chin and Evan.,. who was still fiddling with the blood pressure cuff and wanting to take various other manual readings. He'd passed the IV bag to Chin as he made a few notes. He realized that the farther away he got from Morse and that damnable island, the better able he was at least trying to cope. Though now, Danny couldn't help clenching his fist as the cuff tightened for a reading and he shifted uncomfortably.
"Okay? Danny" Chin asked, as he pulled the blankets back up. They'd slipped down and he trembled as a chill ran through his body. He could only find the strength to nod as his eyes began to close again; though he jerked awake as the truck slowed.
"Traffic." McGarrett offered apologetically and Danny nodded again while he pushed down a fearful lurching sensation in his stomach. Kono was following in her car. He was already finding a comfortable predictability and was soothed by the Honolulu streets and the blur of passing lights from stores and other cars. The cell phone now sat in his lap, fingers curled protectively around it. Grace was good; better than good and both were now excited to see each other in just a few hours. But Danny's body was betraying him and he couldn't stop the light doze from creeping back in. His eyes were half-open as he blearily studied the back of McGarrett's head until their eyes accidentally met in the rear view mirror.
McGarrett was worried. The stony expression was gone; replaced by a concerned and moody deepness. Danny recognized the pained aneurism face immediately. A lopsided, tired quirk moved his lips and the words were out before he could think.
"That took longer than I thought." he muttered. The eyebrows went up again in surprise and Danny's grin quirked up just a bit more. But he yawned around the words as he struggled to stay awake. "Such a face McGarrett."
His last word almost ruined it, but Steve recovered. Danny missed the brief cloud that crossed Steve's eyes and then only heard the startled sound since his eyes were already closing. He only heard McGarrett's self-conscious reply.
"Go to sleep Danny. We'll wake you when we get home. We won't let you miss Gracie."
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The small group of friends gently guided Danny into Steve's house and he stood there briefly in the living room, out of breath and exhausted from his ordeal and very much overwhelmed by his rescue. McGarrett's house. So familiar and yet it made him slightly uncomfortable to be standing there now. Kono made a bee-line for the kitchen to find soup or a broth as instructed by Evan. And then McGarrett was a constant crutch as he escorted him to the bathroom and then took a step back to see if Danny was still willing to be left in the medic's care even though Chin was hovering in the doorway.
"You okay? Still alright with Evan? Chin's right here and I'm going to get you some clean clothes … clean everything."
The bathroom was small and Danny hesitated briefly but then nodded as he weakly sat on the side of the tub. The window was open, as was the door to the hallway and he would make himself relax. McGarrett's house. The internal argument was just on the surface. But Grace was coming and he'd escaped .. no, the truth was he'd been found and rescued. He looked up now as Evan settled his kit on the floor and he realized that he would be able to trust the man. He was going to trust him as Evan began asking permission and explaining what he would do.
Chin couldn't hide the sad wince as the medic gently removed the tattered shirt and then balled it up to throw in the corner. The signs of beatings and abuse ran up and down Danny's back and ribcage. Some new and many old black and blue marks mottled the area and he was achingly thin. Chin felt Steve rock to a sudden halt over his shoulder and barely heard the muffled curse.
"If he wasn't dead already .. I'd kill him again."
"Yeah. No kidding." Chin agreed angrily as Evan gently palpitated the worst looking bruises. Just enough food to keep him going, but not enough to gain full strength back. A much too light diet free of protein and the effects were clear. Danny was shaking from fatigue and easily impressionable; spooked by a single word or sound. But he sat there quietly enough as Evan listened to his heart and lungs. Closing his eyes as the blood pressure was retaken, along with baselines of his temperature, pulse and respiration. Determined to beat back the angry voices in his head. He winced as the medic examined his back and bruised shoulder and then tsked an unhappy sound over what felt like two fractured ribs. All too soon, Evan could sense the man's ability to cope running desperately thin so he ended on an up-note as he reached for Danny's arm.
"I'm going to remove this so you can shower." Danny nodded in surprise as Evan removed the I.V. line and then the port. A cotton ball and small bandage were quickly put in its place. "Tell me if you feel dizzy or nauseous though. Alright?"
The medic was his typical polite self as he backed away. Turning, he took the clean towels and clothing from Steve and plunked them in his patient's lap. He didn't like the too low blood pressure or the rapid pulse; plus Danny's temperature was elevated but the man was home and needed positive reinforcement. Everyone, including Evan was ignoring some of the fearful over-reactions and attempting to act as normal as possible. But the Detective needed x-rays to see what, if anything was going on with two particularly creaky ribs and have his badly bruised right shoulder evaluated. In fact, he needed a valid physical from a real medical doctor. A psychiatric exam would also be on the short list of must-haves. However, Evan didn't find anything physically life-threatening and he personally agreed with the normalcy of a supportive environment in the short-term.
So with a genuine smile, Evan pointed to the shower. "You need a light meal, fluids, and a good rest – a great deal of rest and we're going to run another I.V. But you have a guest due to come over so we can talk about all of that later."
Danny's eyes flew to Steve's face with an awkward grin as he staggered to his feet. Evan snorted as Danny's knees weakened and he held him up until he regained his balance. "Hey, you have enough bruises already for me to look at! Let's not add any more."
And he laughed. Weary eyed and completely worn out. Danny laughed at the medic's chuckled words. "Sorry about your face." He added as he motioned to the bruise.
"Nah. My wife will tell me it's an improvement." The funny comeback was unexpected and it made Danny sit down again with a thump again on the side of the tub. He was still smiling and the laugh lines around his eyes lit up his expression.
Steve shook his head in wonder at the happy transformation and dared to slightly relax before pushing past Chin and Evan. "Let's get you cleaned up. Grace will be here before you know it." Danny needed help in his weakened state, as everyone but Steve vacated the small bathroom.
Grace and Rachel showed up scarcely fifteen minutes after Danny was tucked into bed. But before those few minutes, Steve was still fretting about what soap and water revealed under the caked layers of dirt, dried blood and grime. He'd needed help but had refused to ask. Steve's quiet assistance was met with a great deal of uncertainty and even embarrassment, but then accepted. The trust was there but easily dashed and Steve was silent as he helped him shower and change. Completely drained of energy by the time they'd finished, Danny mumbled his thanks. But other than that, offered nothing and Steve found himself resenting Danny's subtle avoidance in speaking directly to him.
Afterwards, Evan quietly took Steve off to the side to explain his theories about what had been done. "I'm not an expert of course. And he needs x-rays .. to see a real medical doctor ..maybe a nutritionist." From that, Evan described the blunt force trauma and what looked like burn marks around Danny's back and torso.
"Luckily, I don't see any head injuries .. they definitely wanted him to hurt .. but not be so injured that he couldn't perform their little job. They fed him, but not enough to regain any real strength." Evan had become sickened himself over what he'd found and deduced from his examination.
"And a blood test .. I'd like to try, but I'm not sure if he'll let me take it. We need to see if there's anything left in his system. The marks on his arms .. injection sites and from god knows what kind of I.V.s" Evan hesitated as he brought up the final delicate subject.
"Commander. We don't really know what was done to him. You were his primary target and there could be other triggers .. other latent problems. I'd be very careful until you know for certain. Especially with his daughter coming over." Evan heaved a sigh and held his hands up in resignation as Steve angrily reacted to the possibilities. But the medic was right.
"McGarrett." Only said in a whisper and most often only when he absolutely needed to. Said even to others in conversation as a casual remark. But it was out of context; entirely wrong. Danny still hadn't said his name and it bothered him. Again, it felt wrong .. something was definitely still off. But Steve would handle it; right now, it was good enough to have Danny safely home and the maniac with Max where he belonged zippered tightly up in a black bag.
"I'll handle it." Steve bluntly remarked to the medic. "I'll take care of it."
Kono was sitting on the side of the bed next to Danny as she helped him steady a water-glass after finishing a bowl of broth. Evan was insistent that he drink as much as possible and have crackers or something light. Danny was obviously ill, but looked more normal and more like himself after a shave and being hidden under clean clothes that hung on his tired frame. Moment's later, Steve had to excuse himself to stand out on the lanai to settle his own breathing and wipe tears from his eyes.
"My fault." Steve muttered again in apology to the night sky and then couldn't help sending a chair flying out in an angered fit of rage across the patio and into the sand. He had let the threats go unattended after they had apparently stopped over time. But Morse had been merely preparing for the abduction. Toying with them all until he was ready for that first fateful day. Steve had let his guard slip and allowed himself to table the issue and Morse had laughed the entire time. And from the grave, the maniac might still very well be laughing.
He rubbed his face with both hands noticing the tremble as his own adrenalin slowly wore off. "Let this be it. Please" Steve whispered the words quietly but he knew as he said them that something wasn't sitting right; there was something still off. "No more surprises. This was enough."
"McGarrett."
Evan's comments had completely unsettled him and he understood the truth of it. The medic had bravely voiced what Steve had thought. Morse and his twin were both crazy, but the one brother had been insanely devious in his madness. He liked games. He liked to hide surprises deeply within his games. It took Steve many minutes to get himself back together and when he rejoined the group, the doorbell rang. Grace and Rachel had arrived.
Five weeks and one day after her father disappeared after dropping her off at school, Grace bolted into the bedroom and was sobbing in his arms. And Steve was still playing Morse's game.
~ to be continued ~
