Thanks to all for your reviews on my last chapter. Again I thank "Book 'Em Again" for providing Chin's family background for me to use. I would be lost without her help. My story will get very dark and intense from now on so please be aware of my initial warnings in case it will disturb you.
Chapter 11
Dizziness, painful throbbing, a ringing in the ears. Chin summed up the agony he felt as his consciousness grew in clarity. Moaning involuntarily, he rolled onto his stomach and used his hands and knees to push himself up, inch by inch, from the forest floor. His hands, his arms, his entire body trembled with the effort, but slowly, shakily he managed to get back to his feet. He stood unsteadily, his arms reaching out, searching for something solid to grab on to, as the world spun wildly. A spindly tree stood in front of him and he made a grab for it's thin trunk but his hands found only the air and his knees buckled. Once more on the ground, Chin knew he'd have to be patient this time and wait for the world to still itself before attempting to climb to his feet again. On his hands and knees, Chin took several deep breaths. Something was making the left side of his face throb with pain. He ran his fingers along the side of his face from his temple to his cheek. Warm liquid coated his fingertips and oozed down to his chin. He became consciously aware of the deep gash that felt like a crease, which ran at least two inches long from the corner of his brow. Some of the blood had already started to congeal. Chin realized he needed to get back to his car and call for help. He looked up and surveyed the area around him, the throbbing hurt in his head escalated with the movement. No sign of Annie or the big kanaka who clobbered him. Surely the dizziness should've faded by now! With each passing minute the pain grew in intensity, almost bringing tears to his eyes.
Nausea gripped his stomach and everything in sight kept twisting and turning every time he moved his head. I have to find Annie. But I can't. Not like this. Have to get to the car. Call for help! Can't pass out. Got to find Annie…
Summoning the last ounce of strength his body could muster, Chin forced himself to his feet. He took one groggy step after another. His disoriented mind began to send panicked signals when he couldn't grasp his bearings. Which way to the car? This way. No, a little to the east? No, can't be right…
A single heart wrenching scream rent the air and pierced Chin's ringing eardrums. His heart hammered in his heaving chest, slamming against his ribcage. Annie! I'm coming! Hang on, please hang on!
Somehow the sound of the little girl's scream brought forth a surge of adrenaline and Chin found himself taking longer and faster strides. Big mistake! Thirty or so paces later, the concussed detective didn't even comprehend he'd lost his footing. Everything went dark as if night time arrived suddenly, yet Chin still felt himself running through the black void as fast as he could. His feet never touching solid earth, he kept running in his mind's eye. Never reaching his destination. Never reached sweet little Annie Harper.
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"He's coming around, call the Doc," a disembodied voice broke through the realm of darkness. Chin slowly opened his eyes. A face hovered above him in the dimly lit room. But nothing was clearly defined. Just a blur of moving shapes. His eye lids grew too heavy to keep open and he closed them again. The black tunnel consumed him once more.
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"Doc! How is he?" breathless, the island's top detective sprinted down the hallway of Queen's Hospital towards Doc Bergman.
"Serious but stable, Steve," Bergman replied succinctly.
"How serious?" Steve voice rose a pitch or two. He'd received a phone call from Dan not even 10 minutes ago that Chin had been taken to Queen's Hospital from some sort of head related injuries. He didn't wait for the details but told the young man he was on his way.
"He received two heavy blows to the side of the head presumably with a log. Danny said the possible weapon was found at the scene. Che is working on the blood samples left on its surface. Steve, there's a chance Chin's injury may have caused an epidural hematoma. It's when there is bleeding between the dura mater and the skull. If this is the case he'll need surgery to relieve the pressure on the brain. I'm on my way to check the test results and his x-rays. I'll fill you in as soon as I know more," Doc turned to leave but Steve took a hold of his arm.
"Doc, has Chin's wife been informed?" Steve asked, the concern imprinted on his face.
"She's with Danny in the waiting room. I have to go Steve," Doc gave Steve's lingering hand a squeeze and gently pried them away.
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Dan's pacing came to an abrupt halt as his boss approached him in the waiting room.
"Danno where's Lin?" Steve gazed around the room expecting to see the middle-aged, petite Asian lady, that was Chin's wife.
"She's calling her sister. The kids are over there waiting for news,"
"What happened to him out there Danno?"
"I got a call from Duke. He said Joyce Webber reported seeing Father Davies' van in the Watershed Forest Reserve off Manoa Road. She called it in as she was off duty and Keoli rang Chin. Apparently Chin decided to check it out himself. Thing is he was gone over 5 hours. He wasn't responding to his radio. Keoli reported it to Duke who called Lin. She thought he was with me! Duke - Duke called me. I'm sorry Steve," Dan took a breath, his voice grew unsteady.
"It's ok Danno. Slow down. Take you time. Tell me what happened next," Steve placed a reassuring hand on Dan's tensed shoulders.
"So I called Joyce and she told me where to look. I called for back up right away. Then I went to look for him. It took longer than I thought to find him but there he was lying on the ground, not moving. His face was covered in so much blood. I thought - I thought-" Dan couldn't voice what his thoughts had been upon discovering his friend's prone form.
"Easy Danno, easy,"
"He started regaining consciousness whilst we waited for paramedics and that's when he started mumbling about Annie being there hiding from someone. That somebody hit him then chased after her," Dan took a deep breath, gritting his teeth from the discomfort it brought to his healing ribs. "HPD and search and rescue teams are scouring the area. Che's lifting prints at the cabin near the van," Dan's cop instincts kicked in and he briefed Steve in on the investigation at hand.
"Good Danno. You did good my friend," Steve was proud of the way Dan had handled the situation. He couldn't have done better himself! Don't know why he's always doubting his abilities.
"Gentleman," Doc Bergman cleared his throat to draw the attention of the two detectives in the waiting area.
"Doc, is he - ?" Steve was the first to bombard the doctor,
"The good news is there is no swelling or hemorrhaging but he did sustain a small contusion to the brain. He's in ICU and we'll be monitoring him very closely. He's just regained consciousness and he's asking for you Danny," Doc replied.
"Go on Danno. I'll tell Lin when she gets back.,"
Dan nodded and followed Doc to Chin's room.
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"Five minutes Danny," Doc pointed at his watch to emphasize his point.
"Thanks Doc," Danny entered the room of the Intensive Care Unit. Doc closed the door to give the detective and his patient some privacy.
"Dan-ny" Chin slowly turned his head towards his companion. The anesthetics kept most of the pain at bay.
Dan swallowed the bile that crept up inside him at the sight of one of his dearest friends lying wounded on the bed. Thick gauze padding was taped down over half his face concealing the area where a long, deep gash had been. An IV line had been inserted in his arm and machinery monitoring his vitals were also attached to his weak body.
"Howzit Chin?" Dan pulled up a chair from the corner and sat by the bed.
"Had - had bet-ter days. Lis-listen Danny. You-you have to find An-nie. You have-have to find her! Kana-ka. Ch-ased her, " the desperation in Chin's feeble voice tore into Dan.
"We'll find her Chin. Don't you worry about that right now. You just hang in there bruddah. Just hang in there," Dan wished Chin had called him about the van. Why did you go on your own?
"Where's - where's Lin?"
"She was on the phone. I'll get her for you." Dan rose from the chair and gave Chin's arm a light squeeze.
"Thanks. Danny, you're - good friend," Chin smiled weakly.
Before Dan made it to the door, it slowly swung open. Steve and Lin were there. Dan stepped aside to let Lin pass him as she immediately took vigil by her husband's bedside, taking his hand in hers.
"We need to talk," Steve's face was unreadable as he led Danno out into the corridor.
"I just got a call from Duke. The boys found Annie,"
The way Steve conveyed the message sent chills down Dan's spine. His cop self knew something was off in the way Steve spoke. His tone did not belong to the bearer of good news. The unreadable mask he wore had transformed into a look of despondency.
"Steve?"
"They found her body," a momentary pause followed as Steve steeled himself to say the rest, "At the bottom of a pretty steep drop not far from where you found Chin. Maybe a mile away," Steve's voice sounded far away in Dan's ears.
It took what seemed a whole minute for the information to register in Dan's brain, yet his mind still refused to believe it, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah Danno,"
Danny felt the bile return. He felt like a cold wave had washed over him, leaving him chilled to the bone. My God, she's only a little girl! Oh no, Chin! I can't tell him. It'll tear him apart! How do I tell him?