Part Four, Zero, One
"Good afternoon, Commander McGarrett." Jiang said, watching McGarrett's head snap around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice.
"And you are?" He asked.
"Someone who brings you news from a mutual acquaintance." She smiled, amused, as she watched the emotions flickered across the commander's face. He was far more transparent than she thought he would be.
"Go on then."
"The miscreants responsible for your stay in the hospital have been found and dealt with." She said.
This time there was the barest hint of a smile on McGarrett's before he asked, "Is there anything left to find?"
She smiled in return. "Good day, Commander." She turned and walked out of the room.
"What the hell happened to you?" Danny asked, watching Steve attempt to pace around his 'new' room. He had been released from ICU just that morning and moved to a room in the medical wing but still tired easily so, his pacing was limited to getting up from the bed, taking a few steps then sitting back down in the bed.
"Wo Fat sent that woman specifically to drive me nuts." Steve fumed.
"What woman?"
Steve described his afternoon visitor. Asian, female, tall, dark hair, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. He then relayed the conversation that had taken place. "She didn't say who had sent her but I know it was him. It had to be."
"But all she said was a 'mutual acquaintance'?"
"Yes, but who else would bother?"
"Okay. Before you continue down this road, tell me one thing...why would Wo Fat have one of his people, if this woman is indeed one of his people, come here and tell you anything? What does he gain by doing that?" Danny asked.
"Just to screw with me. I swear the man takes some kind of sick glee in watching me squirm."
"Let's go with that. Wo Fat did send the woman...is there any reason to believe what she said? Or is there more reason to distrust her words?" Danny asked.
"Simply because he sent her, is a reason to distrust her words." Steve replied, glaring at Danny, almost challenging him to disagree.
Danny, wisely, chose not to respond. "You been watching the TV?" He asked, taking the conversation in a different direction.
"Kinda. What's been going on?"
"We caught one of the shooters yesterday. He's already confessed. Gov. Jameson is pushing for a fast trial date."
"Really? Who was he? What about the others?" Steve asked, his sour mood lifting.
"Some two bit thug from Mainland China, hoping to make a name for himself. Two were killed at the scene, we caught one and the others have vanished."
"How many were there?"
"Five."
Steve made a face. "Did the one guy say anything about them?"
Danny shook his head. "Swears he hasn't seen them since the shooting; relax, we're working on finding them."
Steve slowly nodded. He looked at the immobilizer Danny was wearing and asked, "What did you do this time?"
"What are you talking about?"
Steve grinned. "I hear things. What happened?"
"Wrong place, wrong time. That's all."
"Doing better now? And don't lie to me, I'll know."
Danny squirmed. "I'm on such strong pain meds that I'm not permitted to drive, Chin pulls rank to remind me of it and either plays chauffeur or gets someone from the governor's office to do so."
"Good. Glad he does. Grace? What's going on with her?"
"She has Rachel's permission to come see you after school, today. Maybe you'll be able to stay awake long enough to reassure her that you're really going to be all right." He made a so-so gesture. "Eventually anyway."
Steve nodded. "For her, anything." He paused, then added. "Really, how is she handling this?"
Danny let out a sigh. "Per her mother, we're all supposed to downplay the severity of the incident...but Grace isn't stupid. She actually watches the evening news and knows it was a serious situation. I haven't lied to her, nor has Kono or Chin. She wouldn't let us, so she knows you came very close to dying."
"That's good and bad but what else could you do. You're right. She's not stupid." Steve grinned. "I pity the poor young man that gets up the courage to ask her out on a date."
"Not Funny. I do not want to think about my baby girl dating. EVER."
Steve started to laugh but stopped when pain lanced across his left side. "Grace will be able to handle herself. You know she will. What about Kono? I know it's hard to get up here on crutches. How's she doing? You learn any more new words in Hawaiian?"
"A few that I tend to mangle beyond recognition when I attempt to repeat...Kono's good. Hating the hobbling around. Duke called her to tell her HPD had caught the loser."
"That's right, Duke's on the team. Man...good for him."
Danny nodded, and then sat back in the chair. He'd been watching Steve and the pain lines around the man's mouth had deepened, even as he lost color in his face. "If you're going to be able to convince Grace you're going to be all right, you should probably take another hit of pain meds and get some rest, McGarrett."
Steve blinked. "I look that bad, Williams?"
"Just this side of road kill." Danny stood up and made his way to the door. "Get some rest, I'll stop by with Grace later."
