"Salvation: Forever and Always: Our Ohana"
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Title: "Salvation: Forever and Always: Our Ohana"
Author: Michelle Heath
Rating: MA for adult situations and language
Summary: Story #7 in the Salvation series. Mr. and Mrs. Tony Montgomery announce the birth of their son.
Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!
Date Written: September 11, 2011
(Just as Sam, Steve, and Kono, having taken showers and gotten dressed, are walking back into the den, Mike's cellular phone rings.)
"Good morning, Danny. . . Son, you're a little late. Grace apparently woke up early and was channel-surfing when she heard one of the news channels talking about a SEAL team. Of course, she didn't realize it was Tony's team, but she got Kono up and then woke the rest of us. . . . Tony's fine. The injured man is Dean Dodd. Kono, Sam, and Steve are going to meet Adm. Henderson and the base Chaplain at the Dodd's house in a little while to tell his wife. . . He has a brain injury, but we don't know how serious, yet. . . . Grace is just fine, Son, she and Libby are getting dressed. You and Caroline take your time. I expect the two of you could use a little tension-free time right about now. . .We'll see you later."
"Adm. Henderson said he and the Chaplain are going over to the Dodd's in about half an hour, so we need to start heading that way ourselves. You sure you're okay with this, Kono?"
"I'm sure, Sam. I am the team leader's wife, and it's my responsibility to be there for the other wives."
"Atta girl, but, seriously, if you start to feel overwhelmed, I'll stay with Lisa and Steve can bring you home. He reminded me last night that, although he's in the Reserves and not on active duty now, I'm still an officer's wife and I need to act accordingly should the need arise."
(Libby and Grace walk into the den and catch the last part of Sam's comments and Grace, bless her heart, tugs on Steve's pants with a puzzled expression on her sweet, little face.)
"Did you forget Aunt Sam outranks you, Uncle Steve?"
(And big, bad SEAL that he is, Steve absolutely melts at the expression on little Grace's face. Hunkering down so he can be on eye level with her, Steve smiles as he answers her.)
"No, Gracie, I didn't forget, but your Aunt Sam's also the wife of an officer, and officer's wives sometimes do things to help their husbands."
"Like go talk to other wives when their husbands get hurt?"
"Exactly."
"What else do officer's wives do, Uncle Steve?"
"Why don't you let your Grandma and me explain that to you, Grace? Your Aunt Sam and Uncle Steve and Kono need to get going."
"Okay, Grandpa. . . Drive carefully, Uncle Steve. Bye, Aunt Sam. Bye Kono. I love you."
"We love you, too, Nugget. Be good for Grandma and Grandpa."
(Twenty minutes later, Kono and the McGarretts arrive at the Dodd home at the same time as Adm. Henderson and the base Chaplain, Lt. Edwards. The three men and two women ring the doorbell and wait. Lisa and Dean Dodd have two children, a six year old boy, Tommy, and a little girl, Jennifer, who's just turned three. Lisa's father and brothers are also SEALs, and, when she opens the door and sees the group standing on her front porch, she squares her shoulders and remains calm although she turns a few shades paler. Immediately inviting them into the house, she waits until they are in the living room before asking the question she fears the most.)
"Is he dead?"
"No, Mrs. Dodd, your husband is not dead. He is seriously injured, however. He has a head injury and is currently being treated at Ramstein A.F.B. in Germany."
"Lisa, if you'll give us the numbers, we'll be glad to call whoever you need us to call for you."
"Thank you, Kono. Just let me get my phone from the kitchen."
(But the woman has taken no more than three steps before she falters and Steve quickly catches her and moves her to the sofa. In seconds, Kono is sitting on one side of the distraught woman and Sam is on the other. Steve and Adm. Henderson have absolutely no idea what they can do and feel helpless, but Lt. Edwards kneels down in front of Lisa Dodd, takes her hands in both of his and begins speaking to her in a comforting manner. Steve heads into the kitchen to locate Lisa's cellular phone and finds Tommy sitting at the table coloring while Jennifer sits in a high chair eating cereal. Smiling at the children, Steve softly calls Adm. Henderson into the kitchen. Steve then tells the Admiral he believes he's found something the two of them can do to help until family, friends, or neighbors arrive. Smiling his agreement, the Admiral sits down at the table and starts talking with Tommy about the picture he's coloring while Steve takes Lisa Dodd's cellular phone into the living room and hands it to his wife before returning to help the Admiral. Lisa asks Sam to call her neighbor and gives her the woman's name telling her the number is in the contacts list on her phone. Within minutes, not only that lady, but two more neighbors are in the Dodd's house and quickly take charge of the children. One of the neighbors calls Lisa's parents and they, too, are soon at the house. Kono talks with Lisa for several more minutes and assures her that anything she needs will be taken care of; no matter what it is. Sam also adds her assurances and Lisa, who has regained control, thanks both of them. Just before they leave, Sam pulls Lisa Dodd's father, retired Senior Chief Michaels, off to the side and tells him to call her and Steve if they need anything as Kono is due to deliver any day now. By the time Sam, Steve, and Kono leave the Dodd's home, they realize they've been there over four hours, and Kono is looking a little tired. They drive straight back to the Montgomery's house and find that Caroline, Danny, and Chin are already there; Lana had to go to work. Mike, Danny, and Chin are in the kitchen working on lunch and Caroline and Libby have straightened up the bedrooms and bathrooms and are sitting on the den side of the bar watching the three men work. As soon as Sam, Steve, and Kono are in the house, Libby makes sure that Kono is okay by giving her a thorough once-over with her eyes. Kono seems to be fine, but, surprisingly, it is Sam who appears pale and, frankly, a little shell-shocked. After making sure that Steve is getting Kono settled in the den, Libby takes her daughter's hand and pulls her into one of the bedrooms.)
"Are you all right, Sam?"
"Not really. How did you do this all those years, Mom? Lisa Dodd was sitting there perfectly calm one minute, and crying her eyes out the next. I had absolutely no idea what to say to her! All I could do was sit there and pat her on the back. I've never felt so useless in my entire life!"
"Oh, Sweetheart, I'm sure you were a big help to that young woman. Just you being there meant a lot to her."
"I hope so, Mom. Kono was unbelievable. She sat right down and started talking to Lisa like she'd been doing this kind of thing all her life."
"Good for her. . . This is about Steve, isn't it, Sam?"
(At her mother's softly spoken words, Sam raises tear-filled eyes to Libby and bursts into tears, which prompts Libby to put her arms around her daughter and hold her close.)
"I'm scared to death, Mom! I scared that Steve's going to be called back to active duty, and sent on an op that's going to get him killed!"
"Samantha, what's gotten into you? Steve is the head of the Governor's Tasks Force; do you honestly think, for one minute, that she's going to let Steve be called back to active duty?"
"Lisa Dodd looked so devastated, Mom. Like her world had come to an end and her husband is injured, not dead. Do you think Dad might be able to find a way to get her to Ramstein?"
"We can certainly ask him. . . Sam, I know you love Steve, but you're going to make yourself sick if you don't let go of this fear you have of losing him."
"I can't help it, Mom."
"Every time you start thinking like that, force yourself to think of all the good times you've spent together. Just like you did a few years ago before the two of you were married. You've done this before, Sweetheart, you can do it again. You have to; you're not only an officer, you're an officer's wife and a SEAL's wife, as well, and you know what's expected of you as such. Don't let Steve down."