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Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any of the characters.
Chapter Eleven
"Hey Chin, any news on Danny?" Kono's tone full of worry.
Chin looked up, and smiled. His cousin's voice a welcome distraction from his troubled thoughts.
"Where's McGarrett?" Lou followed close behind.
"Am I happy to see you." Chin stood up and gave her a hug. "Yes, to your first question. The doc's only just left. As for Steve. I wish I knew."
Chin released Kono and flopped wearily back down on to the chair. Kono exchanged a worried look with Lou.
"What did the doc say?" Lou took the vacant seat next to Chin.
"You should probably sit down for this, Kono."
She took his advice and put a comforting arm across his back.
Chin sucked in a deep breath. "He's stable. They're still working on getting his temperature back up. The knife wounds to his chest and abdomen are mainly superficial. Meant to inflict pain rather than death. They're more concerned with the ones to his arms and hands." Chin closed his eyes momentarily, struggling to keep his emotions in check.
"Defensive wounds. He put up a fight." Lou voiced what they all knew. The numerous slashes hadn't been missed when they first found Danny.
"Yeah, that's what they figured. The one to his upper arm is of the most concern. There is extensive deep, muscle damage. They have him on broad spectrum antibiotics to counter any infection." Chin sucked in a deep breath. "They also have him hooked up to a vent."
Kono let out a sob.
Chin pulled her into his side, kissing the top of her head. "It only a precaution. Once they have his temperature under control, it'll be removed."
Kono brushed away a tear and peered up at her cousin. "When can we see him?"
"Not for several more hours."
Kono slowly sat upright. "Why so long?"
"The doc explained that the rewarming techniques are very aggressive. I don't pretend to understand them all. He's receiving warmed fluids and blood." Chin cleared his throat. "Irrigation of body cavities."
"Okay, we get the picture." Lou stood up, and started to pace. "At least we know one of our boys is being well looked after. Which brings me back to my earlier question. McGarrett?"
"And like I said before. I wish I knew. They put him on a drip. Said he was dehydrated and suffering from extreme anxiety. Next thing I know he ripped out the IV and took off." Chin leaned forward, head in hands.
"It's not your fault." Kono rubbed his back.
"Can I make a suggestion?" Lou came to a halt in front of his two teammates.
"Go ahead Lou." Chin waved his hand in the air, not bothering to look up. "I'm outta ideas."
"You two head home. Get some rest. I'll look for McGarrett."
"What about you?" Chin glanced up at the big man stood before him. "You need to get some rest."
"Yeah, and I will. After I find our fearless leader." Lou snorted.
"We should check in with Max on the way. He's beside himself with worry." Kono chewed on her bottom lip. "Blames himself for not vetting Joseph personally."
Chin stood and then pulled Kono to her feet. "Lou, you had better call us the minute you know something about either of them."
"I hear ya. Now get going."
Hands on hips, Lou watched them until they disappeared from sight.
"Now, where the hell are you McGarrett?" He muttered to himself.
H50 H50 H50 H50 H50
Chin killed the engine of his Mustang. The two cousins sat in the car outside Max's home, neither one in any hurry to go anywhere.
Kono glanced worriedly at Chin. He stared blankly out the windshield. The dark look from earlier had returned.
"We should go inside." Kono placed her hand over Chin's. "Hey cuz, you okay?"
"God...I thought he was dead." Chin choked back a sob. "And then Steve…"
"I know…" Kono pulled her cousin toward her.
Chin wrapped his arms around Kono and hung on as if his life depended on it.
"It's over and Danny's very much alive." Kono rubbed Chin's back reassuringly.
"I'm supposed to be taking care of you." Chin let go and pushed back, using the back of his hand to wipe his face.
"Well, it's my turn to look after you." Kono gave him a sad smile. A single tear escaping.
"Maybe on this occasion we should take care of each other." Chin thumbed away Kono's tears. "Let's go see Max."
"I love you, brah."
"Come here." Chin pulled Kono in for another hug. "I love you too."
H50 H50 H50 H50 H50
"What gives McGarrett?" Lou sat down heavily in the chair opposite Steve. "I didn't plan on spending my night traipsing hospital corridors looking for you."
"Not now, Lou." Steve never looked up. He just sat staring at the styrofoam cup held between both of his hands. The coffee a long time cold.
"Y'know, I oughta kick your sorry ass. What the hell were you thinking, taking off without a word?"
Steve's head shot up, and he glared angrily across the table. "I said, not now."
Lou glanced around the empty canteen, then back at Steve. "Well guess what? It's just you and me, buddy. And I don't give a rat's ass what you want because you're gonna listen good to what I gotta say."
Steve sprang from his seat, the chair scraping across the tiled floor. Without another word, he started to walk away.
"You think you're the only one hurting? Ohana. How many times have I heard that since I came to this island? We're a team, McGarrett. We've all seen each other at our lowest with our emotions stripped bare for all to see. That includes you. Or have you forgotten about your run in with Wo Fat?"
"Your point, Lou?" Steve spat the words.
"We're Ohana. So you can drop the act. Showing your emotions isn't a sign of weakness."
Steve laughed. "Who told you that, Danny?"
"Look what I'm tryin' to say...hell I ain't no good at this shit."
"You don't say."
"Sit down. I'll get us some fresh coffees." Lou pushed the chair Steve's way.
Steve walked back over and rested one hand on Lou's shoulder. "Sorry, Lou."
"It's Chin you need to be apologizing to."
Steve nodded and sat back down.
Lou set two steaming coffees on the table before dropping a pre-packed sandwich from under his arm. Steve wrinkled his nose.
"Hey, I showered."
"Not this side of yesterday." Steve raised an eyebrow.
"I imagine you've had worse." Lou sipped at his coffee. "Anyone told you about Danny's condition?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, he's gonna be fine." Lou tapped his index finger on the table. "What's really eating you?"
Steve absently picked at the label on the sandwich wrapper. "I've seen a lot of guy's suffering from hypothermia in the field. Not all of them were... the same after."
"Brain damage?"
"Some. A few struggled to get back to full health. Some suffered with amnesia, kidney failure. Lou, these were men trained to endure..." Steve shook his head despondently.
"Danny's strong. You'll get him through this. Hell, we all will."
"Ohana?"
"Hell, yeah. Now eat, and then maybe you can use your ninja skills to get into Danny's room."
H50 H50 H50 H50 H50
Steve couldn't help the tiny bit of laughter that escaped his lips, as he ran his fingers through the blonde hair. "Hey, Danno. I thought this might piss you off enough to make you open your eyes."
When no response of any kind was forthcoming, Steve pulled his hand away. He sank back into the hospital recliner by Danny's bed and heaved a big sigh. As he cast a worried gaze over his partner's still body, his mind began to wander.
His ninja skills and "means and immunity" had been of no help when it came to getting access to his friend. He had been granted ten minutes, and then he'd been ushered out. With a great deal of persuasion from Danny's doctor and Lou, Steve had reluctantly gone home to freshen up and get some much needed rest.
Now here he sat, three long days on, and still there were no signs of his best friend waking. Thankfully the activity in the ICU room had started to slow. A sign that things were at least heading in the right direction. A myriad of machines still monitored Danny's vitals. By some miracle, a mind boggling list of threats appeared to have been avoided though he was still being monitored for pneumonia, pulmonary edema, pancreatitis and kidney failure nonetheless. The medical experts concluded that the hypothermia, blood loss and a concoction of drugs now caused his friend's comatose state.
Steve leaned forward, and slid his fingers under one of Danny's bandaged hands. Both his arms and hands were covered in dressings. The knife wounds yet another woe to add to the long list. The nurse had not long departed after changing the dressings on those injuries.
"Come on, buddy. Life's too quiet without you. I need a dose of Jersey..." Steve closed his eyes momentarily, his emotions threatening to surface.
"I'll make a bet with you, Danno. Which one is gonna get you complaining first? The oxygen mask, what's attached to your - well you know..." Steve reached up with his other hand and began to once again play with Danny's hair. "Or touching your hair like this?"
Steve's weak attempt at humor, his only defense keeping the flood waters at bay. Because seeing his best friend like this crushed him. And there was only so much more he could take.
H50 H50 H50 H50 H50
The sensation of something running through his hair slowly lured Danny back to consciousness, through the fog that clouded his mind. He knew he was injured, but how? He couldn't remember past the image of a gift.
The low rumble of a voice accompanied by steady beats caught his attention. A present. That was the second reality hit him like an exploding bomb, fragments of memory ripped through his mind, tearing his world apart. Hands clawed at him, held him down, morphing into knives. His breath hitched, as the hand stilled, and something wet slavered his cheek - a tongue.
He tried to move, an arm, a leg, even a finger, but nothing responded. It felt like he'd been tied down, held against his will. The steady beats now a prestissimo adding fuel to his already panicked mind. He needed to escape.
The voice at his side became louder, frantic. He wanted to take a look, but was petrified by what he might see. Why the hell couldn't he slow his breathing? He needed to take back control. The persistent tug of the frenetic words eventually forced him to try harder. His eyelids didn't seem to fair much better than the rest of him though, and with what he knew was way too much effort, he opened them. The hazy image of a face appeared. It loomed over him with an expression of utter devastation. Tears falling to mix with his own.
~ to be continued ~
