I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: the muse that came up with this story in the first place, won the final Tara toss! I'm relieved - always stick to the original plan. But you will all have to be patient for one or two more chapters.

Chapter 25

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Shy of an hour after Danny left her office and just as he was cautiously turning the handle on the door to enter the warehouse, Tara was called into Doctor Ramirez's office for a chat. Groaning when the caller ID panel lit up on her office phone, Tara toyed with the idea of making believe she wasn't there. But it would only have delayed the inevitable. Ramirez was not willing to let it go or more so, let her go without giving her another piece of his mind.

"A chat?" She repeated warily on the phone. She could tell that he had calmed and might be more reasonable, but he was still annoyed by their earlier discussion. And Tara knew he was irritated since he always dripped sarcasm and that moment was no exception as he bristled at her questioning repetition of his request.

"Yes, Tara. A chat. A talk. Share words. We need to discuss this issue of yours." He hung up without waiting for her reply, so Tara had no choice but to go directly to his office.

Knocking once, she entered his office and closed the door. Settling in for a chewing out and preparing herself for a discussion that would likely become an all out argument. But the older doctor was serious and subdued as he sat behind his desk. And after a few minutes, Tara realized that it wasn't a sharing of words at all. She only needed to listen.

Retired Army Colonel Samuel Alphonso "Ponch" Ramirez, for all intensive purposes, shared his life's story with her; uninterrupted, largely unedited, and completely off the record. He started with his well thought out enlistment after medical school and subsequent tour of duty in Vietnam assigned to a M.A.S.H. unit. A Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. The young doctor had just completed his residency and loved his country – still did thank you very much – and served well. He took pride in his work and honed what would become exceptional surgical skills. The first tour lasted twelve months and though he was married, he voluntarily re-enlisted for another tour.

With the M.A.S.H. units moving every few months in order to remain within twenty miles of the front lines, Ramirez had seen it all, done it all and experienced every terrible part of combat humanly possible. At the beginning of his second tour, he was considered seasoned and promoted to Major and then to interim commanding officer of the M.A.S.H. unit. But only because its first commander – and one of his friend's - had been killed while on a short two-day leave in a small village.

There was a multitude of successes, failures and traumatizing deaths. Destruction that was unfathomable. Friendships that came, went, died or were simply lost to time. He told her about his first wife. Loyal until he came home and decided to remain in the military. He accepted promotions through the Army ranks eventually landing at that of Colonel. But that was long after he'd lost her to divorce. She had actually left him a few months after his State-side return, taking their young son away in fear of his sometimes violent dreams and startling flashbacks. She also disliked the idea of moving from one Army installation to yet another every few years based upon whatever his orders required. He hadn't asked her ... he didn't think it had mattered. So besides scaring her, he had become selfish and he paid for it. And in the end, he couldn't blame her, but of course he did at the same time.

He had then become bitter and disillusioned. And it had taken him years to find himself again, eventually locate and introduce himself to a resentful teenage boy who was now a married man, rebuild a stellar surgical career, and then find his Ellen.

In short, he didn't feel it necessary for the young Doctor Tara Desai to follow a similar and potentially very dangerous career path. And he absolutely abhorred bureaucratic, red-taped, paper pushers. He valued his family over anything else.

"For what? You've served your time. You've done your duty. Get out now ...unscathed and whole. Have a nice family." He ended the one-sided lecture abruptly but never once lost eye contact with her. And Tara was enthralled .. hanging on his every word.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do. And admittedly, none of what I've shared is entirely relevant to you. But you have a value here at TAMC .. where you can do more for your patients."

Tara promised Doctor Ramirez that she would weigh all her options. She was humbled as she left his office and was struggling to remember why she had become a doctor in the first place.

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"You don't look okay." Steve stared down at Danny in disbelief. There would be ramifications. There would always be ramifications until Tara Desai said otherwise and cleared Danny one hundred percent. So while Chin smiled and Danny contented himself by taking deep soothing breaths, Steve only slightly relaxed as he remained vigilant.

He noticed that Danny had yet to even try and move. Sitting against Chin limply and now almost uncaring of the activity taking place around him, Danny was clearly exhausted. The slight tremors were abating, but not yet gone and his hands were cold and clammy. Steve's gaze also settled on Kono and he was relieved to see that she was on her way over. He waved an urgent signal to her as their eyes met and she turned back immediately to ask the EMT who had treated her to bring his kit over to where Danny was sitting.

"Check him out." Steve quietly asked the EMT who already had the Detective in his sights. He stepped back as the EMT knelt down and began to check Danny's vitals. An oxygen mask was quickly put in place for the occasional cough. A blood pressure cuff soon followed and Steve frowned at Danny's total lack of objection and barely open eyes.

"Ramifications", Steve thought to himself disgustedly. But he supressed the worry as he turned to Kono.

"What's the verdict and how's Duke?" Steve picked at the dried blood on her sleeve. It wasn't hers, so it had to be Duke's. Which didn't make Steve feel all that much better.

Kono was chugging a second bottle of water and he waited patiently for her to catch her breath. "Hot. But fine. Duke needs surgery to remove the bullet. They think it's lodged in his shoulder but his vitals are good. The heat sure didn't do any of us any favors in there."

She smiled as she watched the EMT continue his assessment and she pulled Steve off to the side. "Danny was amazing. I think he read that guy's lips. I mean, how else could he have known what was going to happen?"

Steve nodded in agreement since he and Chin had a running commentary the entire time. Lip reading. A new, unexpected skill. And the thought caused Steve to shake his head with an astonished wry smile. "Yeah, I bet he did."

The EMT looked up with a slight frown and addressed Steve directly. "Pulse is a bit rapid. Blood pressure is on the low side. He's acting almost shocky."

Confused by Danny's fatigued state, he pulled his penlight out to check his pupils which elicited an annoyed groan. "Did he fall in there? An injury we aren't seeing?"

Danny flinched as he pushed the penlight away with an annoyed expression. His voice was muffled under the oxygen mask, but there was no denying the aggrieved tone. "I'm sitting right here. And I can tell you that I'm just tired." The EMT grinned and apologized but he gently began to palpitate Danny's arms, torso and each leg.

"Let's just make sure, sir." The continued basic physical exam had Danny grumbling unhappily especially when Chin helped to rock Danny forward into a more upright sitting position. There were a few tiny cuts on one cheek deemed too minor for more than a simple antiseptic cleaning. But a fresh blood stain on the underside of one bicep was a bit larger and the EMT cut away Danny's shirt to reveal a sizeable wooden splinter.

Steve and Kono knelt down and then grimaced at the ugly piece of wood. "That's got to come out." The EMT noted calmly as he searched for a set of tweezers and readied an appropriate bandage. The scissors had Danny complaining again about one of his best shirts being ruined. And then the tweezers had him yelping as the splinter was removed with one swift motion. He glared at the unflappable EMT as he skillfully cleaned and bandaged the wound.

"Tetanus shot lately?" The EMT asked as he finished and began to pack up his supplies. Danny sighed and nodded yes. That was at least a positive. The whole team was up to date on required vaccinations and inoculations. No need for more poking and prodding.

"Like I said before, I'm just tired." Danny was now officially worn out and he couldn't hide the irritated snippy tone as he pulled the oxygen mask off. The EMT shrugged as he stood.

"I guess he's okay. There's really nothing to take him in for .. but I'd at least make sure he hydrates and gets some decent rest."

'Ramifications,' Steve thought to himself apprehensively as clenched his jaw and studied Danny. Through the entire process, Danny still hadn't once tried to move off Chin. He was much too pliant while at the mercies of the EMT and though verbally irritated, he was too damned agreeable. Plus the tremors were still evident .. mild but sporadically causing his body to shake.

Heaving a sigh, Steve nodded to Chin and caught Danny's eye as he stepped forward. "Alright, let's go." With Chin on one side and Steve on the other, the two supported Danny to the Camaro and gently pushed him into the passenger seat.

"Thanks." He muttered quietly as he stretched heavy, wooden legs and then rubbed his arm which was now aching near the small bandage. As soon as the door was closed, he pillowed his head into it and closed his eyes. He listened to Kono's soft voice and Chin's stern warnings about driving too soon. Their voices were hushed by the glass and the tones were soothing. After a time, he sensed rather than saw the driver's side door open as Kono squeezed into the back of the Camaro. Chin would drive her car and follow them to Steve's.

A tired smile flit across his face as Kono's hand fell onto his shoulder and offered a comforting pressure. "By the way, thanks yourself, brah." Kono laughed quietly into his left ear. "That was amazing."

And just a few seconds later, he felt Steve settle into the driver's side. The door was closed with a light snug click and the engine of his car was started. But the vehicle didn't move and with his eyes closed, Danny sighed into the glass. His breath briefly fogging the pane. Steve was staring at him and closely studying him. Without looking he knew there was a face. One that was full of SEAL-sized personal guilt and concern. The fact that Steve would have done the same if not more, was wholly irrelevant. And the face would also be tinged with confusion too because Danny had to have read lips to know so much. And without him, Kono and Duke might not be alive that moment. And Steve himself might have been grievously wounded.

He snorted softly when Steve blurted out a few words. But the reprimand was soft and almost apologetic. "You didn't listen."

"But I tried."

"Not hard enough, Danno."

Slapping his thigh as the rant took hold, Danny finally opened his eyes to look at Steve across the short distance. "Really? What would you have had me do? Have you or Chin get shot? Lose the Rookie? Abandon Duke?"

His words made Kono take mock offense as she lightly slapped Danny's shoulder. "Hey, that's not necessary!"

"And you have no defense if the roles were reversed." Steve narrowed his eyes angrily at the challenge. Danny's answering smirk wasn't appreciated but Steve just couldn't let it go as he put the car into drive but kept his foot firmly on the brake. He knew Danny was right but he was also sure something else was wrong as he glanced once more at Danny's weary eyes.

"So what else is wrong." It wasn't a question and the guilt was definitely there. And Danny knew they'd sit there all afternoon if the crazy SEAL didn't get an answer. Plus he desperately wanted his dark room and the soft bed where he could bury himself under a mountain of blankets. Almost unconsciously, he rubbed the ache between his eyes as it increased in volume.

"Maybe a headache. " Danny admitted as he rested his head once more against the window. Before Steve could make a tight-lipped comment laced with regret, Danny held up one finger to silence him. "But it was worth it."

The bitter snark was out of Steve's mouth before he could stop himself. "Yeah, it's worth it until Tara finds out. Or you have some god awful relapse."

Kono made a face in the back seat and Danny groaned as he closed his eyes. Tara would have plenty to say about what had happened and there was no way he could hide the slight scratches on his face or the bandage on his arm. Plus he was wrung out and completely exhausted. He did have a headache and he hadn't been this tired since overdoing it with Chin on the Sunday he'd insisted on returning Grace to Rachel. In fact, Danny wasn't sure how he would manage to stay awake or even wake up in time for Tara's arrival later that evening.

Dismally, Danny nodded once. "You're right. On both." He whispered the words quietly and closed his eyes as the car began to move. He dozed and what seemed like mere minutes later, Chin was there. Sandwiching Danny between him and Steve, they once again escorted him to the bedroom. Nightlight, blinds drawn, concerned glances. Pain medication and water were silently dispensed. Minutes later, Danny was soon blissfully unaware as he sunk into the warm bedding and the last of the tremors finally eased.

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Tara's head was spinning and she needed time to think after seeing Doctor Ramirez. Most of the offices were now empty as she returned to her own and stared out her window. It was later than she thought too as she clocked the sun in the sky. Shaking her long hair down from the tight bun it had been in all day, she pulled our her cell phone.

"Need a raincheck on 2nite." She texted Danny and waited five minutes and then ten minutes. When no reply came at the twenty minute mark, she assumed that he was sleeping and decided to call Steve directly.

Steve's phone vibrated just as he was leaving the spare bedroom. He had stayed quietly in the room until reassured that Danny was comfortable and sleeping soundly. As he closed the door, Steve answered quickly in a loud whisper when Tara's name flashed on the small screen. And Tara frowned immediately on her end when she heard his voice. "Now why does he sounded exactly like the kid who's hand got caught in the cookie jar?'

"Tara! I .. how are you ..Danny .. well, he's sleeping …"

She made a face at the odd stuttered outburst but she was distracted herself, and so briefly ignored it as she begged off the loosely established plans for the evening. "I'm sorry to do this, but something's come up at work. Is Danny alright? Can you let him know for me?"

The relief in Steve's voice was apparent and Tara almost took the cell phone off her ear to quizzically study the device. "Oh it's fine, Tara. He's fine. We .. I mean, he'll understand. He's sleeping anyway."

"Thanks, Steve. I'll call tomorrow." But before ending their conversation, she couldn't help adding. "And Steve?"

She could hear him walking down the stairs and she envisioned him standing in his living room. "Yeah, Tara?" Much too innocent .. definitely kid and cookie jar stuff.

The knowing glean was in her voice as she made herself perfectly clear. "When I see you tomorrow? I expect you to tell me exactly what happened this afternoon when you left my office." She was grinning at her desk as she left him sputtering on the other side of a dead connection.

~ to be continued ~