Dog Knight Afternoon
ok here is a short but sweet one .
Don't own them, just the plot bunny.
**Dog Knight Afternoon**
(Magnum vo as he sits on the hospital chair watching the sun set on the horizon through the window)
* Higgins was right. I was selfish, I used people for my own needs and I did it justifying my idea that I knew what was best. I used favors with no way to pay them back. True, the case had been solved and his client rescued from the psychopath who'd kidnapped her. The victory had come at a cost...*
Glancing up at the monitor Magnum noted the wavering heart rhythms. He had spent enough time in hospitals to know what was good, and bad. what he saw wrenched his heart.
It was all his fault. He had done the one thing he'd been lectured about.
Magnum forced himself to look at the still figure in the uncomfortable hospital bed hooked up to more tubes and wires than an old fashioned radio. the slow hiss puff of the ventilator.
Reaching out he took the warm soft hand in his cradling it gently. He leaned forward, his voice low.
" When we were POWs the worst place to be was the hole. it was a pit the size of a coffin with a piece of a metal door that they put over you, and they covered it with dirt for days on end. I used to act up just to be the one throw in because I knew if I was, then Rick, Tc, and Nunzo wouldn't put in. I didn't think back then, "I can do this now and ask it as a favor later. " I did it because... I was afraid of losing people who might like me. Higgins would say its a childish insecurity. She would be right. I got this idea in my head that if I did things like being a private investigator people might not notice how much I needed their acceptance. no matter how much of a screw up I am."
Thomas stopped talking, his thumb rubbing the back of the hand he was holding. The machines kept a steady rise and fall of the chest.
Noelani had said there wasn't much hope at this point. There had been damage from the bullet which had ripped through the vest, too much blood loss, too much time between the shooting and when the heart had been restarted. While the family knew it was only the machines keeping life, they were unwilling to stop life support.
Gordon Katsumoto should have awakened by now.
Thomas heard Noelani outside the door with Rick.
"...worried about him Rick. He said he isn't eating until Gordon can eat. "
"Its a marine thing. no one ate until everyone ate... I will see if I can get a power bar into him or something ok?"
The voices faded for a moment before Ricks gentle voice came from the door frame.
"Hey buddy, how are things going? Any change?"
"How am I going to look his son in the eye and tell him I am the person responsible for his father not coming home?"
"We all make those pond ripple pond wave decisions each and every day. Yes. mistakes were made. It wasn't your mistake the new vests wouldn't stop that type of bullet. You were there for Gordon to give him CPR. No matter what the drs say about his chances, or if it might have been better to do nothing, that wasn't a mistake ether. But if you don't take care of yourself, it would be a mistake because then you wouldn't be here when Gordon wakes up to yell at you yet again to do that Frodo speech about being a perfectly respectable detective until you came along."
"He wouldn't be here if I hadn't come along. This is my fault, on me. he is dying because of me and I can't save him..." Thomas squeezed his eyes shut trying to prevent the tears. "Why did he have to push me out of the way?"
"The easy answer is its his job to protect and serve. you didn't have a vest. it would have killed you. "
"I could have lived with that."
Rick laid the power bar and Oj on the tray table.
"Im going to see if the dr has any updates, ok?" Magnum nodded. waiting for footsteps to fade.
"What do I say or do to make this better? What can I do ? Just tell me... Thank you for saving my life... for saving me...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Your a better friend than I ever deserved."
Gordon gave a convulsive cough sending a high pitched whine squeal from his monitors as the top of it flashed red with the green lines jumping.
"No! Gordon! stay with me! Gordon!"
Magnum was uprooted from his chair and pulled into the hall by Rick who hugged Thomas to prevent him from going back into the room.
"Let them do their job Thomas"
The silence of the monitors were deafening. Noelani hurried past them into the room as she removed the stethoscopes from around her neck.
The pain Thomas felt was worse than when Hanna had died in his arms. It was a massive gaping hole that he just didn't know if he could live with. He knew, the pain became a part of you, that after a while it became like an old friend.
Thomas heard the rattle of the crash cart being rolled out of the room. He kept his breathing steady. He wasn't ready to let grief render him into a thousand pieces.
A hand squeezed his shoulder making him realize how it looked with him embracing Rick. Turning he saw Noelani.
"Thomas? you can go in now. We are letting his family know."
Oh God. he hated this moment. The brief window where hospitals allow the private goodby.
Thomas stepped back from Rick. "Give me a couple of minutes, ok?"
"Sure buddy. Take all the time you need. "
His head downcast, Thomas walked to the bedside and sat down picking up Gordons hand to hold. The ventilators had been removed, some of the wires, but there would be more clean up to do.
"Oh Gordy." Tears ran down Thomas's tanned cheeks. "I'm so sorry"
"The car..."
Thomas sucked his breath in. It sounded like Gordon but very faint. his eyes snapped open as he stared at Gordon.
"What?"
In horror fascination Thomas saw Gordon's lips move.
"The car... want to drive next time."
Thomas felt the air push out of his lungs as Gordon slowly opened his eyes.
"Your alive!" he gasped. Thomas bent over hugging Gordon
"No kisses, ok?" Gordon said gruffly as he managed to pat Thomas's arm weakly. "Noelani already did." He said with a tired grin.
"Yes, you can drive the cars. just promise me one favor thing. "
"What?"
"Don't put yourself in harms way for me ever again. I'm not worth it."
"You are"
"Hey enough of the Bromance guys. " Rick said from the door. " Thomas has to eat something like he promised and probably take a shower while we bury his clothing... And your son is here."
Thomas sat up and slid off the bed giving Dennis a chance to replace where he sat.
"You going to be ok Buddy?"
Thomas looked back and watched Gordon be embraced his son.e
"Yeah. "
** the end**