OIP11

Johnny slowly opened his eyes to find himself in the last place he ever wanted to be on vacation. A hospital bed and hurting like hell. The bright lights hurt his eyes telling him he had ended up with a concussion, his right arm was in a sling and his left foot was elevated. To his dismay he found an IV in his left arm and a bandage over his left eye.

Turning slightly he saw a familiar doctors face.

"Hey Doc," Gage didn't smile. "I see you got your wish, huh."

"I'm sorry Mr. Gage but your injuries precluded we had to admit you. I'm sorry," Sun shrugged.

"And don't tell me I get out Monday if I'm lucky, right?" Johnny gave a slight smile.

"That's very good Mr. Gage and why Monday?" Sun crossed his arms.

"Well because it's the last day of my vacation that's all. And let me tell you doc I don't think I'm ever coming back to Hawaii. Believe me this is not the vacation I planned on. Someone trying to kill me was news to me and," the paramedic looked at the knowing doctor's face and his pulse rate started to rise. "You knew didn't you!" Johnny pointed his finger and the doctor. "You knew and you didn't tell me and you call yourself a doctor." Johnny pouted.

"Yes he is a fine doctor and he was acting under orders," a deep baritone filled his private room.

"And who the hell are you?" Gage pointed to the dark haired man, followed closely by Williams.

"Um he's my boss," a contrite detective smiled at the prone paramedic.

"So this is McGarrett and…" Johnny's eyes got wide as he connected the dots. "You made me bait!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Gage it was necessary," McGarrett now stood by Gage's bed, the doctor at the foot and Williams on the other side. "You see no one had seen the Grey Ghost but you and we didn't want to spook him."

"You used me as bait!" John whispered. "I'm lucky to be alive. He told me he tried to kill me three times. Where were you?"

"You are alive aren't you," McGarrett said without inflection. "I think Danno covered you very well."

"Covered me? Covered me! Man if you think you covered me…" Johnny held up his IV'd arm.

"You're alive aren't you," McGarrett said succinctly, shuttering the angry paramedic.

"Man you got a point. So I went on vacation to Hawaii and this is all I got to show for it," Gage sighed heavily. "Man I'm tired."

"Well Danno I'll see you later. See to Mr. Gage. Mr. Gage thank you for being a hero," Steve smiled and waved leaving the doctor and detective with the dejected paramedic.

"Man, yeah thanks," Johnny's chin dropped to his chest. "Yeah, I'm alive. Some vacation."

"Well I'll let you sleep Mr. Gage will talk in the morning," Danno turned.

"Yeah, man be my guest go home to your nice warm bed and think of me stuck in this hospital bed and eating hospital food on my last vacation days. Chester B. is going to have a field day and won't ever let me live this down. Man this is just great, just great," Johnny yawned and found himself slipping into a deep, restful sleep.

****

Gage woke up feeling depressed. His vacation had turned out to be a disaster. Worse he had no photos, no souvenirs and nothing for the guys, other than what he could find at the airport and then looked at his body. No doubt it would be on crutches and a taxi ride home. Roy had been kind enough to give him a ride to the airport and now he would have a long taxi or shuttle ride home. His hotel room was paid for and empty and the only thing he saw of Hawaii was out of his window into a parking lot.

"Man this is just great. Just freaking great," Johnny mumbled.

"Hello Mr. Gage," Williams came in with a few newspapers. "YOU made the front page." He laid the newspapers on the bed. Both front page photos saw him with a large blood stain on his once, expensive white jacket, soot covered his face and he had a deer in the headlights look.

"Man I've seen better photos of me. Did I tell you I once was going to be in a magazine until my partner got the job?" Gage shook his head. "Man that's the story of my life."

"I'm sorry Mr. Gage I really wanted to tell you but…"

"Your boss had other ideas. You know you could have asked me. Man would that have been too hard to do?" Johnny frowned, his eyes downcast.

"And what would you have said?" Williams all ready knew the answer.

"Man it would have been no first but I'm sure you would have talked me into it," Johnny smiled. "It took me three years to save up for this trip. Overtime, just camping and now this."

"I'm really sorry Mr. Gage and..."

"Johnny please I mean after all that's happened how can you call me Mr. Gage?" Johnny smiled.

"All right Johnny. I see you got breakfast," Danny looked at the uneaten food.

"Man I thought hospital food would be different here but no dice," picking it with his fork Gage played with the rice. "Seems hospital food stinks everywhere."

"I didn't know you were a connoisseur being a paramedic and all. I thought you took people to hospitals not stayed in them," Williams cocked his head.

"Man that's the idea but sometimes our victims have different ideas," Johnny picked up one of the papers. "If Chet got a one look of those he'd have me for years."

"Chet?"

"Um yeah a guy I work with. Hose jockey who likes practical jokes, mostly on me," John's chin hit his chest again.

"Oh," Williams looked perplexed.

"It's a very, long complicated story. Anyway what's the use? I'm stuck here right. Anything good on TV here other than soaps. Man I get suckered into them so easily, especially if it isn't baseball season. Roy, Roy thinks I'm crazy for watching them but man they make you get in and…"Johnny could see the detective tiring. "Um sorry."

"Johnny I'm really sorry. But I brought a peace offering," Williams brought out a pink bakery box. "Fresh hot malasadas from Leonard's."

"Malasadas? What are those?" Johnny picked one up and could smell the cinnamon sugar, stuffed one in his mouth and was hooked. Within in minutes six of the dozen pastries were gone. He then noticed the sugar scattered like rain drops on his hospital gown.

"OH and I got you these," Danny produced pajamas, "I think they'd fit. I hate hospital gowns too."

John eyed the detective warily. "You do huh. I thought detectives had it easy?"

"Well Johnny you thought wrong. Now I have to go but I promise I'll bring you and editable dinner. Aloha." The detective waved as a pretty nurse came in and looked at her patient.

"Hello," Johnny gave her a big smile. "Any chance you can help me into these?" He innocently held up his p.j.'s.