"Trouble In Paradise. Again."

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Title: "Trouble In Paradise. Again."

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: Even paradise has its ups and downs. The Hawaii Five-0 family is about to discover more of each.

Date Written: February 16, 2011

Disclaimer: I so do not own Hawaii Five-0; unfortunately!

A/N: Apologies for not having posted for a few days as I was out of town. Many thanks to those of you who have posted reviews and/or sent me private messages. I truly appreciate each and every one of them. Reviews, comments, and suggestions are an author's lifeblood and certainly help my "muse" when I get "bogged down". Please, please, please, keep them coming! Michelle

(After a long, tension-filled flight, the group from Hawaii finally reaches Ramstein, A.F.B. in Germany and is met by the chief security officer for the base. Once they reach the base hospital, they are shown into a private waiting area which is quite comfortably furnished with several sofas, several large, well-cushioned chairs, coffee and end tables and lamps which provide a soft, welcoming glow to the pale beige walls. The Base Commander, Gen. Allen Herring, joins them minutes after their arrival along with Col. Joseph Miles, the Chief Medical Officer. Introductions are swiftly made and they finally receive the information they have been waiting hours for; the current conditions of Sam, Caroline, and Tony as given to them by Col. Miles.)

"I know you are all anxious so I'll get right to the point. Lt. Thrasher sustained a serious head injury when her chute became entangled in some trees after ejecting from her aircraft. From what we've been able to determine, she was initially unconscious for a considerable length of time. Quite frankly, if it had not been for her flight helmet, she would have probably been killed instantly. However, other than the two different impact points, one on the back of her head and the other in the right, temporal area, Lt. Thrasher suffered no injuries other than some minor scrapes and bruises. She is fully conscious and coherent, and is currently undergoing some neurological tests."

"Thank God! So my daughter should recover completely then."

"I certainly hope so, Adm. Thrasher."

"But you just said . . ."

"Admiral, there is some swelling in the cranial cavity; some pressure on the optic nerves."

"What are you saying, Colonel?"

'At the moment, Admiral, Lt. Thrasher is unable to see."

"Caroline's blind?"

"Yes, but I must stress to you that we believe the blindness is due to the pressure on the optic nerves. We have every reason to believe that, once the intracranial swelling is decreased, her vision will return."

"Is there anything you can do to reduce the swelling, Col. Miles?"

"We have several options, Mrs. Thrasher, but, until we have the results of the tests we're currently running, I don't want to commit to any course of treatment other than observation."

"Can we see Caroline?"

"As soon as the tests are completed, Ma'am. . . . Lt. Montgomery received a stab wound during hand-to-hand combat and sustained a partially collapsed lung as well as a fair amount of blood loss. We've repaired the internal damage and are giving him blood and fluids to reverse the hypovolemic shock. He's still out from the anesthesia, but he should be regaining consciousness shortly."

"I'd like to see my husband."

"Of course, Mrs. Montgomery. I've left special instructions with the S.I.C.U. staff for you to be given unlimited access to your husband. I understand you're newlyweds."

"Yes, Sir, we've only been married a few days."

"Your husband's a fighter. I see no reason why he can't make a full recovery, but it's going to take time."

"Thank you, Colonel."

(Steve has been standing very quietly as the Colonel has been explaining Caroline's and Tony's injuries and he's watched the faces of Danny, Kono, and the Thrashers as Col. Miles has been speaking. Danny's face is a mask of anguish as are Mike's and Libby's at the thought that Caroline might not ever be able to see again and Kono appears to be cautiously optimistic but very worried. Steve's years of experience as a SEAL, waiting many times outside of Sick Bay on a ship or in a base hospital while one or more of his men were being treated for injuries sustained in the line of duty, sitting with family members waiting for hours on end while doctors worked furiously to save the lives of their loved ones gives him a sort of "insider knowledge"; he's done this too many times not to realize that doctors always save the most serious injuries until last. When Col. Miles turns toward him, Steve steels himself to what's coming, but he is praying that Sam's condition is not as dire as he thinks. Col. Miles offers Steve a look of compassion even as he takes a deep breath before speaking.)

"Lt. Cmdr. McGarrett, your wife was shot as she was attempting to reach the helo during the extraction. Fortunately, the angle of entry was such that the bullet missed most of her vital organs, and, although she lost a lot of blood, we've been able to remove the bullet and repair the damage. We've also given her several units of blood and stabilized her."

"What is it you're not telling me, Colonel."

"Cmdr. McGarrett, your wife . . Your wife was six weeks' pregnant. We were unable to save the baby. I am so sorry."

"That's impossible, Colonel. My wife was on birth control."

"I called Pearl and got her medical records, Commander. She was recently on antibiotics as a preventative measure after being held hostage in Kabul. Antibiotics negate the effectiveness of birth control pills."

"Oh God. Does she know?"

"She hasn't regained consciousness yet. I'll tell her as soon as she's awake."

"No! No, Colonel, I'll tell her."

"All right, Commander. . . I'll have someone show you, all of you, to the S.I.C.U. If you need anything while you're here, please let me know."