"TAKE MY BREATH AWAY"

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Title: "Take My Breath Away"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult situations and language

Summary: Continuation of the "Salvation" series by popular demand

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately! All original characters are the property of the author!

Date Written: April 6, 2011

(When Sam reaches the CIC, she sees the ship's C.O., Capt. Adam Baker, and the CAG, (Commander Air Group), Capt. Chad Deavers, bent over a tactical table in deep discussion. Walking over to one side of the table, Sam stands at attention. Both men look up and offer her welcoming smiles.)

"Lt. Cmdr. McGarrett reporting as ordered, Sir."

"At ease, Commander. Good to have you on board again."

"Thank you, Capt. Baker, it's good to be back on the Forrestal."

"Looks like marriage is agreeing with you, Commander, congratulations."

"Yes, Sir, it most definitely is, and thank you."

"About time you married that young man, Athena. He's been trying to get a wedding ring on your finger for years."

"It's there now, CAG, and I couldn't be happier."

"Guess that means there's no chance we'll be getting you back on board on a more permanent basis then."

"No, Sir, at least, not for the foreseeable future, anyway."

"That's a shame. . . What do you think, Athena? Is the kid gonna make it?"

"Hard to say, Sir. While the experience he had during that storm was unnerving and I'm sure it would have probably scared the Hell out of me, too, I'm just not sure Ens. Todd's going to be able to bounce back from this."

"Let me put it another way, Commander. Would you fly with him in a combat situation?"

"No, Sir, not at this point in time. You heard him on the radio during the exercise, CAG; he was scared to death. The tension in that cockpit was so thick I'm not sure a K-Bar knife could have cut it."

(The two senior officers look at one another and then back at Sam with grim expressions. Capt. Deavers, the CAG, seems to be weighing something in his mind as he glances out to the flight deck and then back at Sam. For several long minutes, the man appears to be lost in thought, but finally speaks up,)

"I don't have to tell you that you're his last chance, Athena. I've spoken with Capt. Henderson at Pearl and we've decided that we cannot afford to allow Ens. Todd to remain on Active Flight Status if he can't handle it. I don't like putting undue pressure on any of my pilots, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to in this case. Ens. Todd has until the end of the week. If, in your opinion, he's not ready to resume his duties as a RIO by Friday, he's out."

"Sir, that's three days away. I'm not sure that's going to be enough time."

"It's going to have to be, Commander. We've already given Ens. Todd longer to work through this than we give most RIOs. Do what you can."

"Aye, aye, Sir."

(As she makes her way down to the pilots' Ready Room, Sam doesn't know if she's more pissed, stressed, or regretful, but, one thing's for sure; she is NOT in a good mood. . . .

Chin is going to stay at the safe house overnight in an effort to convince whoever may be watching that it is, in fact, Lana who was escorted there from the hospital. Steve and Kono are getting ready to leave and head back to the office, and both of them can see that Chin is definitely not in a good mood. Steve tries to reassure him that they'll catch Jake Anderson as quickly as possible, but Chin is still not happy. The only saving grace is that he can at least talk to Lana on the phone, and that's what he's doing when Steve and Kono leave the house and head back to the office. Kono is quiet and Steve knows it's because she's worried about her cousin.)

"I hate this! Just when things are really starting to work out for Chin, this happens."

"He'll be fine, Kono."

"Well, of course, he will. I just wish Jake Anderson had left Lana the Hell alone."

"You guys still closing on your house tomorrow?"

"We're supposed to, but I can call and reschedule it if you need me to."

"No, go ahead and close. Chin's going to be out of the safe house for a while tomorrow, so we'll do whatever needs to be done."

(As soon as Sam has landed at Pearl and concluded her post-flight, she heads straight for Capt. Henderson's office. Her C.O. was notified when she landed and is expecting her.)

"Well, Commander, how'd it go today?"

"Ens. Todd made no obvious errors, Sir, but he's a long way from being ready to fly in combat."

"I've spoken with Capt. Deavers; he told me he had passed on our deadline to you."

"Yes, Sir, he did. Capt. Henderson, I've basically been given three days to try to get Ens. Todd straightened out. As I told Capt. Deavers, that's not a lot of time, Sir."

"But that's all the time we can give you, Commander, I'm sorry."

"Sir, is Ens. Todd aware of just how precarious a position he's in right now?"

"I'm sure he has a good idea, but, no, no one has given him a specific deadline."

"Then I'd like your permission to do just that, Captain. Perhaps, if he realizes that his career as a RIO is on the line, he might be more willing to put his fear on the shelf, Sir."

"By all means, talk to him if you think it will do any good. . . I know we're asking a lot of you, Sam, but we wouldn't have given you this assignment if we didn't think you could handle it. And, I don't want you to think that, if you don't succeed, it's going to reflect negatively on you in any way."

"That thought never crossed my mind, Sir. I just don't want to be the one who puts a stop to Ens. Todd's ability to fly."

"And you won't be if it comes to that, Sam. Ens. Todd will be the responsible for that."

"Yes, Sir."

"Now, I have something else to share with you that I believe will lift your spirits somewhat."

"Oh? What would that be, Sir?"