Steve and Grace
Chapter 9
Disclaimer:See chapter one
"Danny, they went after Steve too."
It took Danny's mind a moment to completely understand, the same guys that came after him had also gone after Steve, while Steve had Grace. Chin was shocked to see anger flash in Danny's eyes, "What the hell did he do that landed my daughter in the hospital? What crazy ass SEAL shit did he pull that put my little girl in a hospital bed? Is that why he isn't here? Because he knows if I get my hands on him I won't be responsible for what I do to him!"
The doctor moved forward, Chin could see the syringe in his hand, but he held up his hand, even though Kelly could see the toll the information he'd given Danny was taking, he also knew that as soon as he saw Grace and Kelly got a chance to explain what happened Williams would hopefully calm down.
Just as Chin was getting ready to tell Danny about Steve Malia came through the door, holding it so the wheelchair following behind her could enter. In that instant Danny's eyes landed on the small form huddled in Kono's arms, "Oh God, Grace…" Williams tried to move again, Chin holding him back as the chair stopped and Kono stood.
The moment her daddy's voice reached her ears Grace tried desperately to get to her father, "Daddy!" she cried as Kono stood up, quickly getting Grace to her father's bed.
Grace calling him 'Daddy' told him more than anything just how terrified his little girl was. She looked so small in Kono's arms, so fragile, her face was pale, her eyes red and puffy from the crying she'd done and even before she was placed on the bed beside him he could see her body shaking. As soon as Kono placed his daughter beside him Danny grabbed a hold of her tightly, ignoring the pain flaring through his side, he needed to touch her, to feel her in his arms to know she was okay. "God Grace…" He whispered into her hair as he buried his head on top of hers, he could feel her tiny arms holding onto him for dear life, her small body shaking from uncontrollable sobs. However it was the next words out of her mouth that nearly stopped his heart.
"Daddy…Uncle Steve's dead."
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Chin sat in one of the chairs in the dimly light waiting room set aside for them just outside the OR. The Governor had left word that he needed to return to his office, but as soon as Commander McGarrett's condition was known he wanted to be contacted. Kelly glanced at his watch; he'd been sitting there nearly an hour when a cup of coffee was held in his line of sight. "Thought you could use this, since we missed ours this morning." Malia's soft voice brought Chin's eyes from the generic tile of the floor to the beautiful, but worried face of his wife.
"Thanks." He said, first accepting the cup, then her smaller hand in his when she sat next to him.
"You've always been the most optimistic person I know; well except for that one time when you thought I wouldn't want to be married to a cop IA was after…" She gave him a little smile when he glanced at her, he couldn't help the hint of one he returned, "You have to believe everything will work out, that Steve will pull through this."
Chin honestly didn't know what to say, his mind had been reeling since that first phone call from Duke and to be totally honest he really hadn't had time to process everything that had gone on over the last few hours. But it was the memories of what transpired in Danny's room a short while ago that played through his mind.
Just over an hour ago
"Daddy…Uncle Steve's dead."
Four words spoken through the heart wrenching sobs of Grace Williams seemed to suck the air from the room. Kono turned to Charlie, who was just behind the wheelchair. Malia moved closer to Chin who was still next to Danny's bed. The doctor and nurse took that moment to step back, closer to the door to give the group a moment, but still close enough should Danny need assistance.
At those four words Danny's thought process seemed to skip a beat, again he could feel his heart racing, his breath seeming to catch in his throat as he swallowed desperately to stop the bile he felt starting to rise from his stomach, 'Daddy…Uncle Steve's dead' Echoed through his head as he fought to process those words spoken by his terrified daughter.
Chin watched Danny lose what little color he had, the older man had forgotten that the last image Grace had of Steve was the Coast Guard divers doing CPR on his lifeless body. Kelly watched as Danny's head turned quickly to look at him, the younger man's blue eyes now filled with panic, fear and guilt. Just seconds ago Williams had been cursing his partner for Grace ending up in the hospital; Kelly had known then that Danny had never considered something had happened to Steve.
"Chin?" It was his whispered name, spoken from a man not exactly known for his quiet tone that helped Kelly find his voice again.
Chin didn't exactly know how to start, but he decided to start with the last image Grace recalled, "From what I know from speaking to the Chief of Staff, Steve was in full arrest when the Coast Guard brought him and Grace in." Kelly leaned down a little, placing his hand on Grace's arm so she would look at him, "Grace, I know what you saw, but you need to know that Uncle Steve is in surgery right now, do you understand?"
It seemed to take a second before Grace understood what that meant, "Uncle Steve's not dead?" Her voice hiccupped at the question, a small glimmer of hope flashed in her gaze.
Standing again, Chin glanced at Danny, then back to Grace, "The doctors were able to get his heart going again and they took him to be operated on, so no Honey he's not dead." Kelly added the word 'yet' in his own mind, then silently berated himself for the doubt he felt toward Steve's survival.
"Wait a minute…" Danny had finally found his voice, "Why did she think Steve was dead? What did she see? And why did the Coast Guard bring them in?" Grace was still burrowed close to her father, a dull ache starting to filter again through his body, but he refused to acknowledge it, he needed to know what happened that had left his daughter believing Steve was dead.
Several minutes passed as Chin told the younger detective about the phone call from Duke concerning him, then Grace's and Steve's phone call just moments later. Kelly tried to explain what he heard in Steve's voice when the younger man had told him to call the Coast Guard. "Danny he honestly believed he didn't have another way out, he thought he only had two shooters at the time and he was running out of ammo. It turned out there were five men sent after him. According to HPD there would have been no way Steve could have possibly made it past those men and back to the parking lot. When he told me to call the Coast Guard he knew he was going to have to go into the water, that it was the only way to try and protect Grace."
Grace had sat quietly against her father as she listened, when Chin paused she looked up at Danny, "Uncle Steve told me to tie his rope around me, then he attached it to that thing you use when you go climbing…he told me what we were going to do and I was really scared, but I was even more scared of the men with the guns." Grace took a deep breath, her hitched breathing easing some now that she was with her father and knew her Uncle Steve wasn't dead anymore. "Uncle Steve told me to wrap my arms and legs around him really tight and put my head against his chest…Danno, his heart was beating really fast, just like mine was. I think he was scared too, but he didn't act like it. He told me to make sure I took a deep breath when he jumped, he said you and Kono told him I was a good swimmer and he said he was a good swimmer too."
Danny watched his daughter as she spoke about what had happened between her and Steve at the lookout, he could just image the calm Steve had been trying to maintain to help keep his daughter calm in such a terrifying situation. "Daddy, Uncle Steve told me something before he picked me up and started running."
Danny touched his little girls face, he could see everything that had happened playing in her eyes, "What did he say to you?" Williams really needed to know, needed to know what words of comfort his best friend had spoken to Grace before taking a life or death jump in an attempt to save Grace's life.
"Uncle Steve told me I was brave and he was going to do his best to get us out of there okay, then he told me to always remember my Danno loved me and that he loved me too." Grace's eyes filled again as she said those words.
Danny lost it, the emotions he'd held at bay over the few minutes everything was being told to him finally broke free as he pulled Grace in tight to him and tears slipped free of his eyes. His breath catching at the thought that in those last few seconds where his friend, his brother had to make that final decision to risk a jump to try and save Grace's life or face the gunmen closing in on them, knowing neither would survive it, Steve had offered the ultimate comfort to his daughter. Reminding her of the love her father had for her and giving her a piece of his own heart in telling her that he loved her too.
