May 3, 2011
Steve McGarrett was restless. He and his team – along with the grown Billy and Kevin – had arrived at the hospital five hours beforehand. Steve received medical attention, and now he was lying in his own hospital bed. "The doctor said that it would take a couple of hours before the surgery is completed." Danny's voice echoed in Steve's unusually chaotic mind. Danny had left the hospital to pick up Joseph. Chin and Kono were watching over Steve and Kevin and Billy were searching for Wo Fat. Would Lily survive the surgery? Steve could only remember the blood that had escaped from the bullet that had hit her in the chest. I promised the Commander that I would take care of her. Now look what has happened. Lily used her body as a shield to protect me. Steve hung his head. And I don't even know if she'll make it. The doctor said to wait.
And so Steve waited.
"Hey." Steve looked up to see Chin and Kono standing beside his hospital bed. It was Chin that asked the question. "How are you doing?"
Steve shrugged. "I've been worse." Then his lips formed in a grim line. "How is she?"
"The doctor said that he would allow visitors as soon as she is conscious," Chin whispered. "But not before then. You must not blame yourself for what happened." Chin added when he saw Steve's expression. "Lily made her own choice."
"She's like you, boss." Kono added reassuringly.
Steve's reply was only a stare.
"Rambo!" Steve's head snapped as he heard a familiar voice. His grim line transformed into a slight smile as he recognized the short ex-New Jersey detective walking towards his hospital bed. A small brown bag was dropped onto the sheets. "Molasses. The hospital food tastes like crap, so I figured you might want something while we wait." Danny paused, noticing that Steve's expression had returned somber. "She'll be all right, Steve. The doctor said the bullet missed the vital organs."
"Steve?" Joseph was in the doorway. Steve was pained to see anguish in the boy's eyes. "What happened to Mom?"
"Come here, Joseph." Joseph obliged, and soon he was at the left side of the lieutenant commander's bedside. Steve took a breath and looked into Joseph's eyes. "Joseph, your mother is in surgery because of a bullet wound. A bullet wound that was meant for me."
"My mother saved your life?" Joseph voice was a mere whisper as he glanced at Steve's bandaged body.
"Yes." Steve nodded. "She did. Joseph, your mother will be able to see as soon as she awakens, okay? Although she may not look like it, Lily Newton is a very brave woman." Steve lingered on the last words, pausing for the effect. He wanted Joseph to be brave. "Do think you can be brave like her?"
Joseph nodded, the uncertainty and fear disappearing from his eyes. "Yes, I can."
"Good." Steve gave him a small handshake. "Good."
"Lily Newton is ready for visitors now." The doctor's words relieved the aching ball in Steve's chest. Lily was going to be okay. Steve saw Joseph give the doctor a watery smile. "She specifically asked for you, Lieutenant Commander McGarrett." The doctor added with a slight smile.
"Let her Joseph Newton go first," was Steve's immediate reply. He nodded to Joseph, who was looking at him with surprise. "He's her son."
The doctor nodded in agreement. "Are you ready to go, young man?" he asked.
"Yes," said Joseph with same certainty as when Steve had asked him to be brave. "I am ready to go."
Joseph paused for a second. He glanced back at Steve. "Thank you, Commander," he said with a smile.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Danny stared at Steve for a long time. The others did the same, as if waiting for Steve to answer them. At last, Steve said, "I didn't know." He let out a sigh that he had wanted to let go since he found out that Alina Luuk was his mother. "I didn't know that Alina Luuk was my mother until this day."
"Did you have any indication that you..." Danny was uncomfortable with searching for a word to describe the word he wanted to say. "Did you have any indication that your father...?"
"Had an affair?" Steve's voice was hollow. "Had me out of wedlock? No." His voice reduced to a whisper. "I didn't have any indication whatsoever. My mother that raised me loved me and raised me as if I was her own."
"I had no idea that your father would betray his wife like that." Chin was shaken. "He had no indication whatsoever – in all the years I worked with him – that he had an affair."
"I saw a picture of my mother when I was a child," Steve confessed. "It was in my father's working desk. It was very well kept and out of sight." Steve swallowed. "From that, and from what Wo Fat told me... my father appeared to love my mother very much."
"Do you think your father loved both your mothers?" Kono asked.
Steve didn't have an answer for that.
Steve was beside Lily's bedside after Joseph had finished his visit. Even though Steve was in a wheelchair, he could easily see Lily breathe. Her face was pale from the blood loss, and her hair gently framed her face. Steve was relieved to see that Lily's heart rate on the heart monitor was good. He gently squeezed her hand. A moment later a pair of green eyes glanced up at him.
"I'm glad you're all right." Lily whispered thickly. She gave him an awkward smile.
"It's not me I'm worried about." Steve said seriously.
"I know." Lily took his other hand in hers. "That's how you always are. Like the Commander." Her voice lingered in sadness at the mention of the Commander.
"Why did you do it, Lily?" Steve asked a couple moments later.
Lily's eyes met Steve's own. "I wanted to be the one that saved you this time, Steve." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Steve." Lily murmured suddenly.
"For what?" Steve asked.
"I'm sorry about the truth about your father...and mother. It must be difficult."
Steve thought while Lily closed her eyes again. Yes, it was hard. But he could overcome it. Mary was still his sister. John McGarrett was sill his father.
And Amy McGarrett would always be a mother to him.
"There are worse things," was Steve's final reply.
"Do you think he loved both your mothers?" Lily asked.
This time Steve had an answer. "Yes. I believe he did."
As Steve watched as Lily fell into a blissful state of sleep, he whispered, "Someday we'll protect each other. Someday I'll catch Wo Fat, and you'll be able to meet the rest of my ohana. Grace, Danny's daughter, Kamekona, and Catherine, my girlfriend." Steve paused, looking at Lily's peaceful face. "Because you're ohana to me."