CHAPTER 39
Detective Danny Williams stood at the foot of his partner's hospital bed. Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett was just the hollow shell of a man. In eighteen days, the man hadn't moved, still lost in whatever was happening inside his head. It was time for that to change.
"Hey man," Danny started before he stopped himself.
As soon as Danny had started speaking, all the guilt about not being there for his partner had come rushing back. He'd told himself that he was protecting Steve, when in reality he was just protecting himself. Protecting himself from having to face his comatose friend, from helping him find his way back to the land of the living.
Danny forced his eyes to focus on Steve's face. The bruising was finally starting to fade and some colour was returning to Steve's skin. He was breathing at a slow, measured pace. He looked…peaceful, almost too peaceful. And that scared Danny. Danny had never known Steve to look peaceful. Relaxed at the most, but never peaceful.
Danny took Steve's cold uninjured hand in his own warm ones. The contrast was startling. Steve already felt dead. The chill of Steve's skin resembled that of a corpse and not of a living, breathing soul.
Danny took a deep breath before speaking. "Hey Steve. It's Danny. I'm sorry I haven't been around much."
Danny paused when he thought about why he hadn't been there. He squeezed Steve's hand, more to reassure himself more than anything that Steve was still there.
"So, yeah. About that…I got this idea in my head that I could protect you from everyone Nazeef ever had contact with…I know, stupid right? I don't really know what I was thinking, except that I would do anything to prevent you from going through what you did ever again. Instead, I should have been here, ranting at you and begging you to wake up…But I'm here now."
Danny became lost for words, which was unusual for him. The words he really wanted to say were stuck in his throat, wanting release but not being granted it. So he reverted to talking about his daughter instead, the light of his life.
"So, Grace went to the zoo. I'm sure you heard her talking your ear off earlier. She only gave me the cliff-notes version in the car over here. Apparently, she was saving all the important details until she got here to talk to you. I'm really starting to think she likes you more than me. So you had better not die any time soon, otherwise she will be devastated."
"Anyway, I had no idea that mongoose were immune to snakes. My question is, why would those ferret-looking things need to be resistant to snake attacks when they live on an island without snakes? Where is the logic there? So I did some research and found out they are actually an invasive species. Apparently, they were used to control the rat populations in the sugarcane fields here."
Danny sighed. "You know, I wouldn't know any of that if you hadn't saved my daughter's life, once again. Just…thank you."
Danny's eyes welled with tears as he choked on a bubble of emotion.
"And I know what you are going to say. That it's your fault she was in danger, that you should have stopped it by telling Nazeef what he wanted to know. I will tell you to stop that right now. She is alive because of you. Because of her Uncle Steve, she got to see some mongoose at the zoo with her classmates, who you also saved."
"So, I dropped Grace off at home last night and Rachel asked me how you were. I said you were still imitating a corpse, which is not a compliment, by the way. You look horrible…Anyway, Rachel said you would be okay because you are too stubborn not to be. As much as I often disagree with her, this one time, I will make an exception. So please don't prove her wrong."
Danny's phone rang, piercing the silence in the room like a knife. He looked at the caller ID and saw it was HPD. He glanced at Steve before he stepped out into the hallway to take the call.
"Hello?" Danny answered.
"Danny," Duke's voice came over the line. "We got him."
Danny's legs wobbled dangerously underneath him. He couldn't believe it. "Oh," is all he could say in response as his brain tried to process the information.
"He's being court marshalled as we speak."
"Oh," Danny repeated.
"Danny?" Duke's concerned voice reached Danny's ear. "Are you okay?"
Danny chuckled a little hysterically. "Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks for informing me Duke. I appreciate it."
"Glad I could help. It's over now. You just concentrate on Steve…How is he?" Duke asked.
"Stubborn," Danny replied with a smile. "I'm about to tell him the good news."
"Let me know if anything changes," Duke said.
"Yeah. And thanks again Duke."
"Sure Danny," Duke said and hung up the phone.
Danny slipped his phone back into his pocket and leaned his back head against the wall. He could almost feel the weight being lifted off his shoulders. It was done. It was over. Nazeef's entire network of bribed, threatened and manipulated politicians and officials had finally been taken down. There was no one left to come back and get revenge. At least, Danny hoped that was the case.
Steve was safe. That's all that mattered right now. Everything else could wait.
Danny walked back inside Steve's room and sat down on Steve's left side, grabbing his ice cold hand again.
"So," Danny began. "That was Duke…We got them all, Steve. Qari Nazeef and everyone that was ever involved with him. General Gibbon is currently being escorted to his cell, where he will spend the rest of his life. He won't see the light of day ever again."
Danny squeezed Steve's hand. "It's over, Steve…Nazeef can never come back to haunt you."
Danny was quiet for a moment as he let that sink in. He felt shaky as the adrenaline dump came on suddenly.
"I can't believe you did all of this for a kid…I mean, I understand why you did it and why you wanted to protect him. I really do. He was an innocent child, living in the shadow of a horrible man. If Nazeef ever found out his own son talked to the Americans…well, we've all seen what he was capable of. But still, to keep that a secret for six years? That's impressive, babe."
Danny watched Steve's face, hoping for some kind of answer. A flutter of the eyes, a frown, anything. But Steve remained stubbornly still and unresponsive.
"You kept a promise. You made sure his father couldn't hurt him anymore, or anyone else for that matter. You gave him the gift of life. Because of you, he is living a healthy life away from violence and fear. He had the possibility of growing up normal."
"You need to wake up soon, Steve. You have got to tell me all about the kid that stole your heart before Grace. I also want to know how Tillman came to owe you so many favours when he was your commanding officer. How does that work, huh?"
"There are so many things I don't know about you. I know you don't like talking about your past, mainly because it's classified, but I want to get to know the man behind the walls. The man that saves the lives of innocent children, the man that gives everything he has to protect others."
Danny sighed sadly. "I just want my best friend back…Grace wants her Uncle Steve. Chin and Kono miss you. It's too quiet in the office without you and your grenades. As much as I hate to admit it, we need you."
"I probably shouldn't tell you this. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I know how much you hate surprises," Danny rambled. "Grace wants to throw you a party when you wake up. So be prepared to witness an explosion of pink. She's got everything ready for when you finally open your eyes."
Steve's hand twitched in Danny's. Danny looked down in surprise and saw Steve's hand squeezing his slightly. Danny squeezed back tightly and looked up into Steve's face, hoping he would see Steve's eyes open.
"Steve?"
No response.
"Steve, can you hear me?" Danny asked, hoping to get a reaction from his partner. "Come on, Steve. Open your eyes. I was only joking about Grace's surprise. I promise there will be no pink."
"Squeeze my hand if you can hear me," Danny demanded.
Danny felt his heart soar when he felt Steve's fingers curl around his own. It wasn't very strong, but it was still something. Danny reached over and pressed the call button for the nurse.
"That's it, buddy. You're doing great," Danny coaxed, hoping Steve would squeeze his hand again.
Instead, Steve's hand went slack. It was as though that tiny movement had expended all of Steve's energy. A nurse came rushing inside Steve's room a moment later.
"He squeezed my hand," Danny said as soon as the nurse was inside the room. "Twice."
The nurse smiled at Danny. "That's great news. Let me check him over and I'll call the doctor to have a look at him."
Danny nodded and took the hint that it was time for him to leave the room. He didn't stray far from Steve's room, only retreating down the hallway to what he assumed was a break room for the staff. He poured himself a cup of surprisingly delicious coffee. He also snagged a biscuit and sat down where he could see Steve's room, sipping the coffee and nibbling the biscuit alternately.
He found he couldn't sit still. His left leg bounced anxiously as he waited for the door to Steve's room to open, for someone to tell him that his partner was finally going to be okay.
Okay.
For the last three weeks, everyone said that Steve would be okay. What did okay even mean?
It was like no one understood what his partner had been through. All the pain, emotional and physical. Steve was lying, unresponsive, in a hospital bed, and all anyone could say to comfort him was that he was going to be okay. The word had been used so much that it had lost all meaning to Danny.
With every passing day, Danny had felt like Steve was getting more and more lost, drifting further away. Danny figured Steve had something to do, a mission to complete, before he would come back to them. The thought was simultaneously assuring and terrifying. Danny wanted to scream at Steve, make him wake up, make him come back to him.
Instead, he and the team had sat by Steve's side, chatting to Steve while not expecting a response. Until now. Danny felt that now, he could start to believe what everyone had been telling him. That Steve really would be okay. The word started to have meaning again.
The door to Steve's room opened and Doctor Palamo walked out, looking around for Danny. Danny immediately jumped up from his chair and approached the doctor.
"How's he doing, Doc?" Danny asked, getting straight to the point.
The doctor smiled at Danny. "He's definitely improving. His vitals are looking good. He responded to me and squeezed my hand. He's not quite sentient yet, but he's getting there. He just needs more time."
"So, does that mean he will be okay?" Danny asked.
"Everyone is different, Danny. Right now, even small movements exhaust him. When he is fully awake and aware, I can give you a better idea of his expected recovery."
"Is he in pain?" Danny asked.
"It's hard to tell, Danny," Doctor Palamo explained. "We don't have him on any strong painkillers. That way he can wake up when his body is ready. Some coma patients report being able to feel pain, while others say they felt nothing."
"What can I do to help?" Danny asked.
"Keep doing what you are doing. Talk to him, touch him, encourage him to open his eyes," the doctor said.
"Okay, thank you," Danny said.
Doctor Palamo nodded and left Danny standing outside Steve's room. Danny entered the room and saw Steve was still in the same position as before. Danny sat down in the chair and grasped Steve's hand again. Then he did what he did best. He started talking.
"So, the doctor said that you are trying to wake up, which is a good thing. He also said I should keep talking to you. So, here goes…Did you know that the neighbour's cat, or I think it's the neighbour's cat…I never checked. Anyway, the neighbour's cat has started using your window as a cat flap. We caught it having a nap on your bed before Tillman showed up. Now Tillman, he's an enigma. That man can be quite intense, but I guess you already know that…"
The voices were back. He still couldn't differentiate between the sounds or identify the words being used. His body was limp, but not numb. He could feel a gentle ache in his chest. His head throbbed lightly in time with the dull sound of beeping in the background.
Where am I?
What happened?
"Steve…Danny…around…protect…Nazeef…stupid."
Why did that voice sound so familiar? It was warm, friendly and reminded him of…what? He concentrated on the voice. Maybe it would give him some answers as to what happened to him.
"Grace…talk…important…likes you….die…snakes…ferret…logic…invasive…sugar…saved…life…thank you…danger…stop…alive…Uncle…mongoose…saved."
The words were coming in patches. It didn't make sense. Mongoose? He needed to open his eyes and see what was going on. Maybe that would help.
He tried, but it was too hard. It was like his eyes were glued shut. Instead, he focused his energy on the words being spoken and their meaning.
"Grace…home…Rachel…corpse…compliment…horrible…okay…stubborn…disagree…exception…don't…prove…wrong."
A shrill ringing sound interrupted the dull voice. The ringing stopped and he was shrouded in silence again. It was so dark.
He tried to remember what happened.
There were flashes.
The world spinning around.
Darkness.
Pain.
Panic.
He felt warmth on his hand. It was calming. The panic receded.
The voice was back. Everything was okay.
"…got them all…involved…Gibbon…escorted to his cell…rest of life."
More words.
"…over, Steve…never come back…haunt…"
Why doesn't anything make sense?
"…you did all this…kid…I understand why…wanted to protect…innocent child…horrible man…Nazeef…own son…capable of…secret…promise…hurt him anymore…gift…away from violence…normal."
Nazeef? Why do I know that name?
"…wake up…heart…talking about your past…give everything…protect others…want my friend back…Grace…Chin and Kono…grenades…surprise…Grace…party when you wake up…pink…open your eyes."
He was awake! Wasn't he? It was still dark, so maybe he was still asleep. He needed to show that he was awake. How?
He tried moving his hands.
"Steve?"
That was me?
"Steve, can you hear me?"
"Open your eyes?"
"Surprise…no pink."
"Squeeze my hand…can hear me."
The voice was persistent. He tried to move again.
"…Buddy…great…"
The voice wasn't as clear as before. Why was everything so fuzzy?
I'm soo tired.
Why couldn't…
Need to…
Open…
Everything was black. Everything was quiet. Where did the voice go?
…
He opened his eyes. It was so bright. He covered his eyes with his hand.
"Steve?"
He rolled over and stood on shaky legs. He looked around for the source of the voice. It was too bright. He couldn't see anything.
The voice was familiar, but also not. Why was it so hard to think?
"Steve…it's me," the voice echoed off the walls.
What walls?
As he turned around, walls materialised around him.
Yeah. Definitely dreaming.
If I'm dreaming, I can't be dead. That's good, right?
"Steve!"
Suddenly, a small boy appeared in front of him. His brown hair covered his large, brown eyes. His smile lit up the room.
"Ari?" Steve asked.
The young boy nodded.
Steve took a step forwards and knelt down, holding his arms out. Ari raced forward into Steve's arms, pushing the air out of Steve's lungs as he latched on to Steve's torso. Steve stood and twirled Ari around, his heart light with joy at the sound of Ari's carefree laughter.
Suddenly, Ari grew heavier in his arms. Confused, Steve stopped spinning and put the boy down on the ground. Instead of small boy staring up at him, a teenage boy stood with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Steve.
"Ari?" Steve asked.
Two hands suddenly appeared on Ari's shoulders, pulling him backwards.
"Ari!" Steve screamed and ran forwards.
"You promised he wouldn't hurt me anymore," Ari said quietly, despondently.
Steve stopped when Qari Nazeef came into view. He had Ari's shoulders in a painful grip, but Ari showed no outward sign of discomfort. Steve glared at the man that had caused the boy so much pain. Steve found himself transfixed by the gaping hole in Nazeef's jaw.
Blood dripped from the open wound onto Ari's shoulder.
"I told you I knew your weakness," Nazeef said.
It was a wonder the man could talk with his jaw shattered like that.
"Your team is dead and Ari will meet the same fate. Then, so will you," Nazeef said, his sinister voice echoing off the walls, the statement repeating itself over and over again.
Nazeef grabbed Ari's neck. Steve looked at Ari and saw nothing but resignation in the young man's eyes. He had failed. He had broken a promise.
Snap!
The sound echoed loudly in the room.
"Ari!" Steve screamed.
Steve watched as Ari's body fell towards the floor in slow motion. Steve ran to grab his body before it hit the ground. Steve cradled Ari's lifeless body in his arms as Nazeef laughed.
"I'm sorry," Steve whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"I told you it was all your fault," Nazeef said when he finally got his laughter under control.
Steve leaned his head against Ari's cold body. He felt the tears running down his face, creating a puddle beneath them. The puddle quickly grew, covering their bodies completely. Steve kicked with all his might to keep them above the rising water level.
Until he couldn't anymore.
Then he let go and welcomed the darkness like an old friend.
One day later:
Waiting for someone recover from a coma was not like anything you saw in the movies. It took days, weeks, sometimes months or even years. There was no sudden awakening and everything was fine. No. It was more like watching a very slow cricket match.
Danny, Chin and Kono were sitting around Steve's bed in silence. They had all taken turns talking to him and found they had quickly run out of things to say. After nineteen days in a coma, there were only so many things one could think of to initiate a conversation with someone who wouldn't respond.
Steve hadn't moved since he had squeezed Danny's hand the previous day. The excitement from that moment had long since dissipated with Steve's continued lack of responsiveness.
Danny stood up and stretched his aching back and shoulders. He had almost forgotten how uncomfortable hospital chairs were. He walked over to the window and peered out at the view. It had been raining earlier, so the sun was reflecting off the residual droplets on every surface. The thing that caught his eye, however, was the double rainbow in the distance. Danny smiled and wondered if Grace was looking at it right now.
"Steve?" Kono asked timidly.
Danny spun around at Steve's name. He rushed back to his partner's bedside and was surprised when he saw Steve's eyes were open. Not only were they open, but there was recognition and awareness in them.
Steve's lips turned upwards slightly as his eyes fluttered closed.
