Warnings: Strong language throughout.
Trigger Warning: Reference to secondary character suicide. Talk of said secondary character suicide
Chapter Main Themes:Major H/C for our OC's, Family, Friendship
Disclaimer: I don't own Hawaii Five-0, or it's characters. Only ones I own are the ones I've stated I do (I created Jeff Taylor and his son Dominic), so all the bad guys except for the ringleader Georg Rutherford.
Author Note: Various medical procedures and diagnoses in this chapter, note I am not a doctor nor do I have any experience with what I put the OC's through. Dr. Google is my friend I did do extensive research though and what would reasonably work with my story and the characters. So, if there are any inaccuracies still that's my fault I'm only human. I apologize.
Posted at 3:30 in the morning any and all grammatical or spelling mistakes are mine, and I blame on lack of sleep.
Read. Review. Enjoy.
Chapter 9
At the crack of dawn, Steve enters the hallway. The hospital has slowly come to life again. Nurses changing shifts, breakfast carts are loaded up, and doctor's started doing their rounds. Watching them work Steve has come to realize it's a new day. The lack of sleep is probably messing with his head because if the sun came up, it usually means it's a new day.
Frankly, he's in desperate need of coffee, so Steve quickly gets himself with a black coffee to-go from the cart downstairs. The second he gets his coffee Steve heads back to his brother's hospital room. Not that Scott will notice if Steve would be away for a few minutes, but he wants to be by his side in case his brother wakes up. He has a feeling he's going today, even with storm warning reports.
0850 Hours, June 21, 2019 - Friday, TICU - Patient Room 636, Moanalua, Oahu.
Colton always makes an effort to see his most critical patients first. He's just been up to Neuro ICU to see his twenty-year-old female patient with a spinal cord injury from a car accident.
Now he's makes his way over to the trauma ICU to see the last patient on his stop, Master Chief Scott McGarrett. He came in three days ago with a GSW to the right leg, that due to compounding injuries and severe blood loss has resulted in the man ending up in a coma. Colton has to say he's not surprised as much at who he sees beside the former Master Chief and Navy SEALs bed. The man's older brother retired Lt. Cmdr. Steve McGarrett, leader of Five-0 Task-force here on the island. Steve's been a permanent feature in his brother's room since he's been admitted Tuesday afternoon and was placed here early Wednesday morning. Steve hasn't left his brother's side for three days hasn't left the hospital for three going on four days now.
"Good Morning Commander, I thought I'd find you here." Shepherd greets Steve warmly.
"Morning Doc Shepherd, Any changes today?" Steve asks he's actually awake and just rereading the newspaper that he got from the downstairs kiosk by the coffee cart.
"Actually yes, from last night to this morning." Shepherd informs him.
"What about his GCS score that's what you called it right?"
"Yes, well the scale is a method of measuring a person's state of consciousness. There are other scales, but the most commonly used is the Glasgow Coma Scale, which we use. In that one, the scores range from 3 to 15," Major Shepherd explains. "There are three things to consider; eye opening, verbal response and motor response. Now, if a person has a one in each of those sections, for a total of three points, it means he is in a deep coma... or even brain dead. Three means no response at all. Scott here is currently a seven; he doesn't open his eyes, that's no response so that's a one, but in the verbal response he's a two, his speech is incomprehensible behind the ventilator, but he's moaning and groaning, like he's trying to talk. In the motor response category, he's a four because he withdraws from pain."
"So that's not bad, right?" Scott hopefully asks, but saw only worry and concern on Shepherd's face. In a quieter voice he adds, "It's bad, isn't it?"
"Basically, he's only reacting to pain stimuli. We are pretty sure he's not able to comprehend what is happening. We can't get him to react to any commands, neither verbally nor motor functions like wiggling his toes or squeezing a hand."
"So, he's not awake, but the nurse last night said she saw signs of him waking up." Steve's confused and doesn't understand how this happening. "You think this shows signs of brain damage." Steve concludes.
"Quite severe I'm afraid. The lower the number on the scale, the more damage there usually is. The harder it is for someone to come back from their injury."
"What can I do, what can we do?" Steve asks desperately. He's not willing to give up on his brother. He knows his doctors aren't either.
"We think he needs encouragement," Shepherd explains, "and we Major Carson and I believe you and Agent Sullivan can get through to him. It's a long shot, and we don't know if it'll work, but we think it's worth a try. In a few hours, we'll perform more tests, but for right now, talk him talk about happy good memories try and bring him back."
"We can do that." Steve says with conviction.
Colton takes in the Commander's tried no exhausted appearance and makes up his mind. The Commander may not like it but he's not the doctor Colton is. "Good, now Commander we need to talk about your progress or rather lack of change in routine."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying no ordering you Commander to go home shower, change your clothes, eat, sleep 8 hours at least, I don't want to see you back here until at least 1930 hours is that clear Commander?"
"That's after visiting hours." Steve states.
"I'm aware of that Commander, you let me worry about that you just be here. Am I understood."
"Yes, sir thank you for everything you've done and are doing for Scott."
"Just doing my job Commander and I think you should get back to doing yours after you follow my orders to the letter. Don't make me sick Detective Williams on you."
Steve gets up from his reclining chair, looks towards his brother one last time for stepping out. "I'll see you in a little while Scott."
"Oh, Commander you don't need to gown up when you come back alright."
Steve nods in acknowledgement and then continues on his way out and back home to follow doctor's orders. He intends to he doesn't want to be admitted himself for dehydration and exhaustion, and mess up his chances of seeing his brother later tonight.
0900 Hours. Tripler Army Medical Center - TICU - Patient Room 616, Moanalua, Oahu.
"Good Morning Mrs. Perry how are you doing this morning?" Isaac's doctor, Captain Anderson greets.
"I'm doing well this morning I've got the kids at a summer day camp give them something to do while I'm here."
"That's good keep the kids busy." Grant replies. "The nurses and I have been checking Isaac's vitals and they all look good he's healing well. We can start taking some of these tubes out."
"That's what I was hoping to hear doctor, what about waking him up?" Imani asks.
"Yes, that's why I'm here right now, I'm going to start weaning him off of the drugs that are keeping him under. Now it won't be just like a flick of switch and he's automatically awake. Think of this more as flicking on a light switch with a dimmer, it's slow gradual process."
"Okay, how long do you expect that to take once you start weaning him?"
"Several hours, it's just now 9 a.m., I wouldn't expect him to be fully awake until early evening. When that happens, the first thing he's going to want to do is go for the tube in his throat. I'll extubate him or take the breathing tube out at that time as well."
"Thank you Grant this is wonderful news you hear that Isaac we're going to wake you up slowly and get you off all these tubes." Then Imani remembers what another of Isaac's doctor's said about a possible spinal cord injury when he was brought in. "What about his spine, will there be any damage."
After Grant stops turning knobs and pumps for medication machines he turns to the woman in the chair sitting next to her husband. "When he's awake and off the ventilator, I'll take him up for an MRI and CT again, and we can get some more clear answers."
"Sounds like a plan Grant thank you again."
"Not worry Imani, Isaac's strong he's a Marine if there's anyone who can overcome the obstacles he may have to face it's him. Or so I keep hearing from his SEAL friends."
"Don't I know it the man's a stubborn fool sometimes." Grant just chuckles and then leaves his patient's room. Leaving the husband and wife alone.
On the other side of the hospital in the pediatric intensive care unit in the teen wing Grace and Will are just waking up.
0907 Hours. Tripler Army Medical Center - PICU - Patient Room 606, Moanalua, Oahu.
Captain Willis made his way to his last patient's room, and when he arrives, he sees two additional teenagers who most definitely shouldn't be in there. "Good Morning Major McGarrett, how are you?" Willis asks.
"Oh, no I must have overslept, sorry kids I was supposed to wake you, I'm good thank you for asking Willis."
Grace and Will are rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. "Oh, man what time is it?" Will asks.
"Just after 9 a.m. young man, Ms. Williams."
"Hi Dr. Willis." Grace says sheepishly. They weren't supposed to have gotten caught. Whoops. "You aren't going to tell on us are you sir?"
"No, I'm not Ms. Williams, just don't make a habit of it okay. Your friend's in good hands here." Captain Willis turns around to his patient in the bed who's rubbing his eyes as well just waking up. "How's the pain this morning Jake? On a scale of one to ten?"
"About a 5 from yesterday's 8. It's a throbbing pain, does it really have to be so big it covers almost my whole leg." Jake complains to his doctor.
"That's good to hear the pain medications are working. I'd say maybe by Sunday you could be discharged and we can get you on crutches and walking out of here. How does that sound?"
"Great. How long am I going to be in this cast, I've kind of got plans in the coming months." Jake tells his doctor.
Ethan's mouth forms a hard line, before he speaks, "Now Jake your mom told me of those plans that your ship out date is supposed to be the end of August, August 26th."
Jake nods his head that yes that's right. "Jake I'm sorry but the damage to your leg was extensive, you've got a long recovery ahead of you."
"Just give it to me straight doc please?" Jake asks seriously.
"You'll be in this cast for eight weeks and then, after you get it off it'll be a three-month recovery period. I'm sorry Jake you're going to miss your ship out date."
Jake's face falls immediately. He's been looking forward to going to Great Lakes ever since he signed on the dotted line a few months before graduation. He has had all his ducks in a row and everything set to go and then this happens. "I know how you must feel it happened to me when I was your age. I'm sure you can call your recruiter and explain your situation and he can move your ship date back.
"Three months at least would put me at November, wouldn't it? Alright I can do that. I can work towards that." Jake says.
"That's the fighting spirit Jake you're not going to let this get you, down are you?"
"No sir I'm not."
"That's good to hear I'll see about getting you some crutches and you can start to walk around on them, but don't get up out of bed unless someone is with you okay."
"I won't I promise. Thank you."
"Not a problem I'll see you later this afternoon, alright." Captain Willis waves to his patient and then heads back to his office.
Being in the PICU phones aren't allowed and calls have to be made outside of it. Jake feels a bit mortified that his mom has to call his recruiter, he's eighteen he should be able to do that himself. All the calls he's made to his recruiter before he's done himself, he's a man now. Yet he needs his mom to make this very important call for him. Talk about embarrassing.
Grace and Will leave shortly after Jake's doctor does and Grace promises to come back a little later during visiting hours. Will fist bumps Jake and the two are about to leave when Jake calls out, "Wait you guys are gonna leave without signing my cast?" Jake asks and he throws the blanket off his left leg. Jake's cast is navy blue just like his dad's and Wyatt's casts.
He guesses the one good thing if he can call it, that is the fact that with a cast this big and long he's got more space for people to sign it. It goes all the way from his toes up to mid-thigh.
After both Grace and Will signed their friend's cast the two left so Will could call his mom to pick them up.
Jake turns back to his mom after they've gone. "Uncle Steve and Danny are gonna find who did this aren't they mom?"
Brooke looks at his son really looks at him, and she can see how heartbroken and genuinely sad he is about his current predicament. He's just putting on a show while Grace and Will were in the room. "I have no doubt that they will, they're good at that sort of thing you know that. It's okay to feel sad, honey. Tell you what it's still too early in California, so in about two hours I'll call your recruiter and explain to him what's happened and we'll see what he says okay?"
Jake feels his face is wet huh odd when did that happen. He's tearing up in front of his mom. He's so glad nobody but her is able to see this right now. Jake wipes away the tears with his IV hand and says a little shakily. "Okay mom, thank you do you mind if I have a minute or two alone?"
"No of course I'll go check on your brother and check in with your brother's back with their friends." Brooke tells Jake, as she gets up from her seat she walks over to her son's bed. It's odd to Jake how there's no mention of seeing his dad or checking in on him. "Everything will be okay soon, everything will turn out you'll see, it'll just take a bit longer now you'll get there."
With those promising words, Brooke leaves her second oldest alone in his hospital bed with his thoughts to go check in with her other boys, and Tristan.
1038 Hours. Tripler Army Medical Center - TICU - Patient Room 626, Moanalua, Oahu.
Just leaving Wilkes' room now Lane feels content and satisfied. He tells Wilkes' that he'll see about getting him protection, and his help had panned out. "See what helping us and cooperating gets you Wilkes."
"You...you mean you'll get me protection."
"I'll see what we can do it may take a while though."
"You better make it snappy, I'm not sure I've got much time." Wilkes informs Lane as he sits up in his bed.
Lane whips around and points a finger dangerously close to the other man's face. "You, you sick demented scumbag are in no position whatsoever to be making demands of me or any of my team. We clear on that Deegan?"
"Of course, Agent Sullivan, how is your team by the way, how is Agent McGarrett, he dead yet?"
Lane knows for a fact that his partner is not he'd snuck into his room earlier when Steve wasn't there, well before visiting hours. He's been having trouble sleeping ever since the shooting Tuesday afternoon. He'd sat for a good ten minutes just watching his partner he didn't speak didn't hold his hand just watched, hoping something would happen. Nothing did.
"You want that protection from Rutherford you better watch what you say to me or my team from now on." Lane warns.
Wilkes clamps his mouth shut after that. It's clear to Lane now that, the man's fear of Rutherford is greater than his fear or worry of what Lane'll do to him. So, threatening Wilkes' any further isn't an option for Lane unfortunately.
"Glad we have an understanding now, I'll be back later. Don't you try anything." Lane tells him seriously. Wilkes does the cross my heart and hope to die gesture across his chest. "Well alright than." Lane turns left outside of Wilkes' room and walks out, and sees Scott's day nurse Holly walk into his room. The room right next Wilkes' room.
Lane marches over to the farthest side of the nurses station away from Wilkes' room. He doesn't want the man to be able to overhear what he's anyway. A nurse looks up at the man, the agent standing in front of her. "Can I help you Agent Sullivan?"
"Yes Krista, you can." Lane speaks calmly so as not to arouse suspicion or cause a commotion. "I was just in Mr. Wilkes' room and I look to my left and saw my partner's nurse walk into his room."
"Your point, Agent Sullivan, your partner's nurse was I presume checking his vitals as she does every fifteen minutes?" Nurse Krista says.
"My point is Mr. Wilkes is a murderer I'm sure you're aware of this by now..."
The shocked look on the young nurse face proves that he's wrong that she doesn't know. "I'm sorry Agent Sullivan, I didn't know I've been on sick leave the past two weeks. I only just came back today."
Lane huffs and breathes deeply through his nose. Okay he can do without blowing his top. "Okay I don't want you to freak out but every other nurse here including the charge nurse knows of Deegan Wilkes and his situation and condition."
"What'd he do?"
"I just told you, and I'm not going to repeat myself now here's what I need you to do and I need it done now. I want Agent Evan Carson, Agent Isaac Perry and my partner Agent Scott McGarrett moved and I want patient Deegan Wilkes moved as far away from my teammates as possible. I don't care where you put him, I want him in a different unit or on a different floor that's even better I don't care which or where, just do it."
Lane is aware he's repeating himself multiple times but he doesn't care he's trying to get his point across after all.
"I can't move anyone without approval from their doctor and the charge nurse." Krista informs Lane.
"Well could you get those orders please." Lane stresses the 'please.'
"I'll see what I can do."
"No don't say that just do, and I want to know when you've got approval immediately. I'll be waiting." Lane points to his partner's room. Krista nods her head in understanding and watches the agent leave to go to his partner's hospital room.
20 Minutes Later
Nurse Krista is walking into Scott McGarrett's room to see the man's partner reading a book to him.
"Good night monkeys and good night lemurs, good night parrots and good night snakes..." Lane stops reading aloud when hears the footsteps next to him, and turns to look at Krista. If Krista knows the book Lane is reading his partner she doesn't comment on it.
"I've spoken to the doctors and the charge nurse and they've approved your request. Although when I spoke to Agent Carson's doctor, he said he'll be discharged in the next two hours. Would you still like me to have Agent Carson moved?"
"When's his doctor discharging him?" Lane asks as puts the book 'Night Night Jungle' away in his go bag.
He's been reading up on all sorts of information on TBI patients. Reading them simplistic child stories is something he can do. So, he just brought a few books from home that he reads his youngest son at bedtime. Scott loves animals always has, though he has a fear of sharks, also always has. He loves the zoo, he's like a big kid every time he goes. The aquarium he doesn't go too much only when his kids were younger he'd tolerate those 360 degrees all-encompassing glass tubes. With those man-eating creatures swimming all around him, he had solid reason to be terrified.
"Agent Carson is scheduled to be discharged at 1200 hours." Krista informs Lane.
"Okay guess that takes care of Evan, where Scott and Isaac being moved?"
"Since Agent McGarrett is in a coma and has suffered a severe TBI he'll be moved to the NCCU or the Neurological Critical Care Unit, where he can be better monitored. As for Agent Perry, he'll also be accompanying Agent McGarrett to the NCCU due to his possible spinal cord injury."
"What about Wilkes' where's he going?"
"Mr. Wilkes is perfectly stable and as you said ambulatory although I don't see how that's possible with him being handcuffed." Lane gives Krista a look. "Right yes moving on he's being moved to the step down Surgical Ward on the fifth floor."
"Good thank you, that should suffice. Now on moving him, he should be moved first before either Isaac or Scott to not seem suspicious. He knows he's not in need of critical care intensive monitoring anymore so it'll make sense to him for him to be moved to a different floor. After he's escorted and secured by myself and a colleague then we can move Isaac and Scott."
"That sounds like a plan Agent Sullivan and again I really do apologize for the placement of your colleagues the transport technicians aren't kept in the loop and they move patients' wherever they are told to."
"It's being fixed now Krista no need to stress over it." Lane smiles and he looks over at Scott. "It's been more than three days Captain Carson said with his blood sugar levels raised too normal he should be awake by now, so, why isn't he?" Lane says dejectedly.
"I'm not your friends' nurse, but I've seen many TBI patients in my time here, and sometimes like in your friends' case there are compounding factors that lead to a longer state of deep unconsciousness."
"Like the fall, he took in the ER on Tuesday." Lane realizes.
"If it was bad enough, then yes, umm I hate to interrupt your ruminating thoughts Agent, but Mr. Wilkes is ready to be moved."
"Good, just let me go get my friend and he'll help escort Mr. Wilkes." Lane gets up from his seat with his go bag and walks it over to lockable personal effects cabinet found in each patient's room.
Lane follows Nurse Krista out of Scott's room, just as Nurse Holly is walking in to yet again check on her patient. "What did you read this morning?" Holly asks Lane conversationally.
"Night Night Jungle, I have a feeling he likes it I've seen him twitch his fingers."
"That's good, you'll be back this afternoon?"
"I will when I know what room he's being moved to." Lane tells his friend's nurse.
"Of course, the move I guess this'll be my last time seeing him." Holly says. "He's one of my more interesting patients I've gotten to know."
"He is a pretty interesting guy, I've got to go now Holly nice talking to you."
Lane enters Wilkes room a smile on his face. "Guess it's your lucky day Wilkes you're gettin' out of here!" Lane exclaims false enthusiasm dripping from his voice.
"Wha-what really?" Then Wilkes sees the gurney being brought in following Agent Kamaka.
"I'm not really getting out of here, am I?" Wilkes raising his shackled IV arm as far as he possibly can.
"Fat chance in hell you're getting outta here without me escorting your ass out in handcuffs to HPD."
"Yippee." Wilkes exclaims sarcastically.
"Get your behind on that gurney." Agent Kamaka orders. Wilkes shakes his cuffed hand in emphasis. "Agent Sullivan?" Havika turns to his partner.
"Right, I mean I could just dislocate your hand slip it out. You probably wouldn't even feel it." The nurses around the room all looked shocked. Lane's already producing the handcuff keys and then he grabs the man's wrist as he gets onto the new transport gurney, and he's immediately cuffed to it again. "Let's get the patient here to his new room, you better behave the nurses are real nice and will tell me if you act up."
With that Wilkes is escorted out through TICU and to his new temporary room until his doctor deems him fit to be released. He takes just under twenty minutes to get the convicted murderer into his new room and get him cuffed again. Lane and Havika exit the room, and give the three uniformed HPD officers explicit instructions.
"One of you is going to be in there at all times. Under no circumstances is he to be left alone period watch his hands he's a crafty bastard. You switch off in shifts of who watches him. He makes any suspicious moves and you call either myself or Agent Kamaka immediately."
"Understood Agent Sullivan." One of the officers says. "I'll take first watch."
Havika and Lane satisfied with the new arrangement with Wilkes in the capable hands of the HPD protection detail officers leave and head back up a floor.
1122 Hours, TAMC - NCCU Neurological Critical Care Unit - Patient Room 646, Moanalua, Oahu.
Havika stands by the opening of his friend's new hospital room, and he's got to say it's a step up from the trauma ICU. These rooms are bigger and have an adjoining family member sleeping quarters big enough for two reclining chairs and a small table and chairs for two. So that two-family members can be close by to the patient and sleep overnight if they wish too. Though the only ones authorized to stay overnight are, Lane, Brooke, Steve, and surprisingly Danny. How Steve is able to swing that Havika will never know.
Lane situates himself in a comfy looking armchair on the left side of Scott's new hospital bed surrounded by beeping machines. Scott is still attached to all the machines and tubes and drips that he was attached to down in the trauma ICU. Now there's an extra monitor by the left side of his bed to monitor his ICP or intracranial pressure, with actual images of the inside of Scott's brain. It's pretty cool in Havika's eyes to see the inside of his friend's brain like that.
"Remember Lane, we've got that group meet up to compare notes with Five-0, 1300 hours. I'm going to head over our HQ and update Blackburn in person, you want me to get you anything from your locker while I'm there?"
"No, I'm good Havi thanks." Lane replies as he picks through a collection of books he's brought to read to Scott. Lane pulls out 'Night Night Jungle' to the page he'd left off.
"Alright brah, I'll see you then." Havika says quietly and leaves his friend with his partner.
1137 Hours. NCIS Pearl Harbor Field Office - Locker Room, Pearl Harbor, Oahu.
Havika steps out of SAC Blackburn's office with a heavy sigh basically having to recount the last three days and relive the shopping center incident all over again. And the ambulance scene and finding Isaac bleeding out by the ambulance, and watching his friend watching Scott fall on his IV pole hitting his head, and hearing Brianna scream. He doesn't think he'll get her screams out of his head for a while. From either three of those incidents all occurring within the span of several hours of each other.
Report given to his boss and being advised by him to watch the weather reports concerning the tropical storm that's due to roll in anytime now, he walks off. That's concerning the storm that is what with all that's going on Havika won't be surprised if Blackburn calls a full stop on cases and operations so they can all prepare. Though since the weather report came out on Tuesday night, they've all already been prepping, and waiting for the inevitable storm to hit. It's supposed to be a bad one. High winds and heavy rain make for stupid and careless drivers.
Worries of the storm at the back of his mind for right now, Havika heads to the locker room. Inside the locker room he finds Brianna staring off into space at a row of lockers. No not just any lockers their unit's lockers. She's staring intently at Scott's locker, that's in between Havika's own and Lane's locker. There's also a lone duffel next to her on the bench empty.
Was she thinking of leaving, really after all they've been through, in the past few weeks. After all we're still going through? He never thought of the younger woman as a quitter.
"You thinking of going somewhere sistah?" Havika asks in lieu of traditional greeting.
"Huh." Brianna turns to see the much taller Hawaiian agent standing next to Lane's locker leaning on it.
"Are you thinking of leaving, as in quitting NCIS?" Havika asks more clearly. "I know things have been rough these past few days..."
"Rough, rough!" Brianna exclaims shooting up from her seat on the bench and still feeling dwarfed by the taller man. "Rough is when my old man left us to fend for ourselves for a week. I mean who does that? Rough is when is having to explain to your elementary school teachers how you ended up all black and blue and convince them that no Daddy isn't beating us. Those times were rough, this...this is...beyond that. Our boss is probably paralyzed and will never walk again, this is all Scott's fault!"
Havika brings himself up standing straight, and doesn't miss the fact that through Brianna's rant she said us as in two people. Maybe she's not an only child like the rest of the MCRT. Himself, Evan and Perry are all only children. The CRT component of the unit are the ones who have siblings. Scott has Mary and Steve, Jackson is the youngest of five brothers, Lane has two younger siblings, a brother and sister, and Kali has two brothers. It's kind of interesting how that worked out. One half has siblings and the other half of the unit doesn't. Although with what Brianna said he's thinking that's not so true anymore.
"Whoa, Whoa, hold on there sistah you better remember who you're talking to and who you're talking about." Havika warns losing his cool for once. He will not have another teammate of his talk about a brother of his when said friend and brother isn't there to defend himself.
"I'm sick of it. Utterly sick and tired of it." Brianna fumes. Now Havika's mildly confused what is she tired of?
"What are you so sick and tired of?"
"Of your SEAL brotherhood code shit. I've never seen three guys as close as you three are. You're practically attached at the hip. McGarrett's just one man. What about Isaac? What about Evan? MY partner he could've died!"
Havika takes a breathe to compose himself slightly before replying, "If you'll remember Agent Seeger." Havika starts stressing the agent title as if to emphasize where they currently are. "Evan didn't die because of a SEAL, because of Lane's advanced medical training, he saved Evan's life." Havika reminds her gently.
Brianna wants to retort that no it was the doctors who saved Evan's life actually. He was in surgery for five and a half hours, died on the table twice Tuesday night. But no matter how much she might not like the younger McGarrett and his recklessness, she has to agree with her senior field agent. The medic of the CRT who just so happens to be another SEAL, did save her partner's life in those first few minutes after he was shot. What did she do, stand there shocked and scream and she thinks she remembers crying? She's an emotional mess. She blames it on being her time of the month, or possibly the birth control pills she's taking. Anything to not admit the truth.
The door to the locker room opens and two male agents walk in halfway seeing the two elite unit members of the combined teams. This is an elite unit whose unparalleled success rests on the superior skills of those who work there. They all bring something different to the table. Even three ex-SEALs. Who had the exact same training, they all had a different rating or job before they were inducted into the SEALs in the beginning.
The two male agents can sense the tension and emotion in the room, the older looking agent looks to Havika and says, "Uh sorry we'll come back later Agent Kamaka."
It's no secret in the NCIS office that three of their own are in the hospital. Two of them in critical condition. Agent Carson is being released today apparently.
Havika nods his head in acknowledgement and waits until the door closes to speak again. Outside the locker room a probie agent of another one of the MCRTs is walking towards the locker room. "You do NOT want to go in there man trust us Blackburn's Golden Team is in there stay out for your own good, at least until they leave."
"When'll that be?" the rookie agent asks.
"No clue, but I heard a bit of what they were saying in there if you value your life you won't go in there." The older tells the rookie and he and his partner walk away leaving a bewildered rookie agent behind.
Back inside the locker room, Havika sits down on the bench facing his locker and looks over at his younger teammate who is faced away from him staring into the empty duffel now.
"Brianna?" Havika gently asks. When Brianna turns his way, he can see that she has unshed tears in her eyes. Not what Havika is expecting at all. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? I told you our boss is probably paralyzed now if you haven't noticed." Brianna answers him upset.
"The doctors said it's too soon to tell if there's significant spinal damage. They have to wait until he wakes to do more tests. Imani told me Isaac's doctor started weaning him of the drugs earlier this morning. He'll be awake by this evening."
"More tests its always more tests and wait until they wake. I've seen the results of Isaac's injuries before."
"What do you mean Brianna?"
"Brett, he was injured in Afghanistan." Brianna's previously unshed tears are now streaming down her face. Brianna doesn't elaborate she can't go through that again. It's only been a year, it's still raw and fresh at times. She remembers Brett's teammates telling her the story of how it happened. She couldn't sleep for a week after that. Brett who is Brett? A boyfriend maybe? A childhood friend? "He ended up paralyzed from the waist down. He couldn't live his life that...so he killed himself."
Havika takes in what the younger woman all of four years younger than his own 36 years has just told him. He has to tread very lightly here, he doesn't want to set her off again.
"Brianna?" Havika asks slowly. "Who was Brett? To you I mean?"
"My twin brother." Brianna lets out a choked sob and falls forward into Havika's broad muscular chest. Havika catches her and let her cry it out for a few minutes. His mother always says you feel better after a good cry.
Damn twin brother He's known a few twins in his life and those bonds are pretty close at least the ones he's seen. When Scott first introduced him to Steve in person all those years ago he'd have guessed they were twins if he hadn't known for a fact Scott was younger and yet two inches taller than Steve. Scott always gives Steve grief over that, and Steve always gripes whines and complains only ever Danny, himself and basically any other SEAL he knows. Danny not included in that of course, he gets a pass being Steve's husband. Yet Steve makes short jokes at Danny's expense all the time, but dare any make a joke about the two inches Scott has on Steve, and Steve's loses it. Complains to anyone who'll listen.
"Oh, Brianna I'm so sorry." Is all Havika can think to say.
"He did it, blew his brains out all over his apartment living room wall. Last year two days before our thirty first birthday. Two of his EOD buddies found him, when they got there they realized it was too late. He was already gone." Brianna explains trying to hold herself together as best she can.
Remembering the call, she got from Brett's best friend. They were going to do some pre-birthday celebrating that day, and instead Brianna and Brett's shipmate at recruit training who turned into his best friend, were planning a funeral in the coming days instead of celebrating the Seeger twin's thirty first birthday. The funeral had been attended by several dozen sailors, men in his EOD unit, and a few close family members that still talked to the twins. Brianna didn't want their father anywhere near the funeral, and he'd found out a few months later when Brianna had come to visit him.
"Isaac won't do that though, he..." Havika stops and rethinks what he wants to say. "It's like I said before we don't even know if he is paralyzed or not. Your brother he did know right, he knew after his accident that he wasn't going to walk again."
"He did know, my brother knew and still...he still..."
"Brianna that's it!" Havika exclaims jumping up his seat as the realization just comes to mind.
"What? What's it, Agent Kamaka?"
"I'll tell you when we're in the Camaro, pack up Evan's go bag, I got Lane's, and Isaac's." Havika orders.
Fifteen minutes later both agents are leaving with duffle bags over their shoulders, Havika carrying both Lane and Isaac's on either of his shoulders. Brianna carrying Evan's duffle over her right shoulder. Havika opens the backdoor to the Camaro and throws in the duffle bags.
Havika's driving full lights and sirens over to the Iolani Palace in early afternoon traffic. He can't believe he didn't see it before now. Then again, he didn't know what the connection was because Brianna was the odd one out, not in the sense that she was the only female target targeted. He couldn't figure out the connection between the five targets until just now. They'd built profiles on all five targets, and came up with very few things they all had in common. What they did have in common until now didn't fit Wilkes' motivations.
"So Havika are you going to tell me what's got you as energized as McGarrett on a sugar high?"
"Brothers." Havika says as if it's the simplest explanation in the world.
"What?" Brianna asked turning to face Havika in the drivers' seat.
"Brothers that's the connection between the five of you. You all have or had brothers in yours and Danny's case.
"I'm still not following, Havika."
"Think about it you and Danny had younger brothers. Scott is Steve's younger brother, Jackson is the youngest of five older brothers."
Brianna's eyes go wide is shock, "Wilkes must have had a younger brother, something must have happened to him."
"Not just something, someone must have done something, and he wants revenge."
"That's a good start hopefully Five-0 can give us some more insight on that laptop they found in Wilkes' hotel room."
Soon enough Havika and Brianna are pulling into a parking spot in the TAMC parking lot. The two agents grab the respective duffle bags they need out the Camaro and split up to see their respective partners.
1200 Hours. TAMC, TICU - Trauma ICU, Patient Room 606, Moanalua, Oahu.
Evan smiles broadly when he sees Brianna walk into his room duffle bag over her shoulder. Brianna sees Ailani sitting in one of the chairs in the room Evan's clear plastic personal effects bag next to her.
Brianna waves to Ailani as she enters the room and looks around, Brianna mouths, "Who's he talking to?"
"His mom." Ailani mouths back.
"Yes Mom, yes I'm okay now I swear the doctor gave me a clean bill of health. I'm being discharged as we speak. Yes Mom, I promise I'll call on Sunday okay, tell dad I said hey, I'll try to call him. I'll listen to my doctor, yes, I will. Mom look I've got to go now Brianna just walked in. Love you too, Mom Bye."
Evan hits the end call button on his phone. "I love that woman, but it took all I had to make her not come out here. I'm fine, now."
"Oh, no Mister don't you start going SEAL on me, you saw where that got Agent McGarrett." Ailani says.
"Lani you don't even know him. His partner Agent Sullivan saved my life I owe that man my life." Evans tells his girlfriend.
Before the other woman can reply Brianna spoke up, "Hate to interrupt Evan, but we're kind of on a schedule here. Unless you want to meet Agent Sullivan in sweats and a t-shirt?" Brianna hands Evan his duffle bag.
"Thanks, Bri, is my..."
"Yes, and your badge and credentials, I kept your Sig safe and secure myself. Though you won't be needing either for a while."
"Right I've got PT scheduled already for Monday as an outpatient." Evan groans at the impending PT session he's going to have to endure. And not just one several if he wants to have mobility and function in his arm.
"You're on medical leave as now Evan, you shouldn't even be coming to the meet up in an hour." Brianna tells him. "Now go change bro." Brianna gently pushes Evan towards the bathroom in his room to change.
Brianna doesn't realize what's she's said until Evan's behind the bathroom door and Ailani is looking at her weird. "Did you just Evan bro like in a brother way?"
"You just heard me say it didn't you." Brianna retorts. "What the amount of time we spend together at work, and he's younger than me. He can get annoying sometimes like a younger brother." She reasons.
"Everything okay out here?" Evan asks as he comes out of the bathroom dressed in skinny chino khaki pants, and black and white striped short sleeve shirt and white converse, his badge prominently displayed on his left hip. He'd left his service weapon in his duffle for now. As Brianna said he won't be needing it for a few weeks.
"Yep totally Alani do you have Evan's discharge papers yet?" Brianna asks.
"Yes, I do right here." Alani raises a small sheaf of papers in her hand standing up from her seat and grabbing Evan's personal belongings bag.
"Good, why don't you go fill his prescriptions Alani I'll take Evan over to Agent Sullivan."
"Excuse me ladies, gentlemen." A male transporter calls out in tan scrubs from Evan's door a wheelchair in front of him. Evan looks at it with disdain. "Sorry man hospital policy."
"I may be discharged, but I'm not leaving the hospital just yet." Evan says as he walks over to the wheelchair and sits down in it. "I've got teammates I need to see."
"I figured you would Agent Carson, I've okayed it with Agent McGarrett's nurse." His transporter Justin replies. With that Evan in the hospital mandated wheelchair is wheeled out of his room and out of the TICU across another wing the NCCU with his two best girls behind walking behind him. Something had definitely gone on when he was changing in the bathroom between them, but he wasn't going to push his partner right now.
1200 Hours. Iolani Palace - Five-0 Headquarters - Main Office Area, Honolulu, Oahu.
Steve had gone home and slept in his bed just like Major Shepherd had told him to, and Danny had made sure he'd eaten and hydrated. He's only been in the office an hour now, and the team is giving him an update on the case. Or more specifically what Jerry, Tani and Adam were able to get from the Wilkes' laptop. What's on the laptop surprises them, and makes Steve's blood boil.
A few of the more prominent pictures of Scott some solo and some with Agent Sullivan are displayed on the big monitors above the smart table and they're clearly of the two on undercover cops. The pictures show them kissing or sitting close together holding hands. Other pictures show Scott alone, at the beach dripping wet with sea water hair slicked back from the waves. It's not the pictures of Scott alone or with Lane that get to Steve.
No, it's the ones with him, Danny, Grace and Charlie. The trio of adults and two kids eating at Kamekona's, shopping for Grace's birthday. Charlie's birthday. Just out for a fun day together, the movies, the zoo, the aquarium.
There are a surprising amount of pictures of Steve and Scott together, just hanging out just the two of them, hiking, running, cycling. Then there are the joint cases they've worked together, again most of these are just with Steve and Scott both decked out in their respective tactical vests and gear. Scott more so as more NCIS regulations for CRT units. Some serious photos of the two of them in action. Others of them both in that after action high regrouping with their teams or just the two of them checking up on one or the other if one of them is sitting in the back of an ambulance getting patched up.
There are also pictures of Scott with each of his boys alone or in various groups. What seems odd to Steve is that out of all the pictures with Scott and his sons there are no pictures of Scott with Brooke. Not a single one.
It's like Wilkes has got the past few years of Scott's life depicted in the photos, not just the last two months. Those aren't the only photos there are even NCIS crime scene photos that show Scott geared up in full tactical gear. Or just stripping off literally his vest and shirt as he often does when things get a little hairy and he needs to change his top. All aspects of his life are documented in these surveillance photos.
"Wilkes' is clearly beyond stalker status here" Danny comments as he looks at the various collages of photos displayed across all three monitors. Off to the side of the monitors there's the news playing keeping everyone updated on the weather report, and the approaching storm. They've got several hours yet until it hits, but they all want to be prepared in time.
"I'll say Danny, I've never seen something like this before." Junior tells the Detective.
"Me neither so Jerry what do you make of all this, what's the connection?" Tani asks Jerry.
"I'd like to know that too Jerry."
"I think we all want to know that brother." Lou says looking at Steve who's got his arms crossed over his chest. He's looking at a picture of Scott in the back of an ambulance sitting down and mouth open in a laugh as the paramedic stitched him up. He remembers that case, it's a funny story actually, but that's a story for another time.
"That's it, that's the connection Lou, brothers." Jerry answers.
"Well we can see that Jerry all the pictures are of Scott and Steve here, or of me and Steve." Danny comments.
"No, Detective I mean the connection between all five targets, you, Steve, Scott, Agent Santiago, and Agent Seeger." Jerry explains.
"The connection between all of us are the siblings we have or had." Danny asks a quizzical look on his face. It's been five years since Matty died and it's still hard for him to refer to him in the past tense sometimes.
"Agent Seeger's the odd one out. She's an only child as far as we know. She doesn't have any siblings." Steve says, "How does she fit in Jer?"
"That's the thing Commander, I don't think she's the odd one out, I think it's Danny who is."
"How do you figure that." Danny asks.
"Matthew Williams." Jerry pulls up a picture of the younger Williams brother. "Was a stock broker in New York." Than Jerry pulls up service record pictures of Steve, Scott, Agent Santiago, and Agent Santiago's brothers. "Are you getting the picture yet?"
"Danny, Matt does make you the odd one out. Matt was a stocker brocker. Scott, myself, and the Santiago brothers are all Navy." Steve realizes. He also recognizes the SEAL trident on Lt Cmdr. Santiago's dress blue uniform.
"Except Agent Santiago, he was Air Force." Adam comments noticing the difference between the dress blue uniforms of the seven men up on the screen next to Matthew Williams in a business suit.
"Okay so Wilke's has something against military guys." Danny puts out there.
"Or he has something specifically against Navy guys." Junior adds, "As the Commander said he, Scott and the Santiago brothers are all Navy."
"I think you might be onto something there Junior." Steve says, just as his phone rings in his right cargo pocket. He fishes it out and sees its Major Shepherd. He walks away from the smart table and into his office for some privacy. He answers it once he's shut the door to his office.
"Major Shepherd has something happened to Scott is he okay?" Steve asks.
"Scott's been moved to a new room in the Neurological critical care unit as a safety issue was brought to our attention by Agent Sullivan."
"What kind of safety issue?"
"Now Commander I'm just the messenger and as they say don't shoot him, your brother's TICU room was right next to Mr. Wilkes' room, and when Agent Sullivan found out he handled it as professionally as he could."
"Good, good I don't want my brother anywhere near that man. Where's he been moved to."
"Since Mr. Wilkes is no longer critical he's been moved down a floor to the step down surgical ward on the fifth floor."
"Good to know the sooner he's out of the hospital and in HPD custody the better."
"Well Commander I best let you get back to work that's all I wanted to inform you of so you wouldn't freak out when you came later and saw Scott's room empty. Though I must advise you that the NCCU visiting hours are stricter, I'll tell you about them when you come tonight."
"Okay Major, thank you for the information. Aloha."
"Aloha, Commander."
Steve hangs up the phone, and walks back out of his office and pockets his phone again.
"Everything alright babe?" Danny asks.
"Yeah, that was just Major Shepherd he wanted to inform me that Scott's been moved to Neuro Critical Care Unit or Neuro ICU for short."
"Why? Has something changed in his condition?" Danny asks.
"No, no change, but a security and safety issue was brought to their concern by Agent Sullivan. Wilkes was apparently put next to Scott's room in TICU along with Agent Perry and Agent Carson. Sullivan was not happy."
"So, he got them all moved to different floors." Danny deduces.
"Shepherd wouldn't tell me where the others have been moved just that they're nowhere near Wilkes anymore."
"Do you think we should have a protective detail on your brother and his teammates?" Adam asks.
"That's also not our jurisdiction anymore apparently. They're NCIS agents not cops or civilians. If Agent Kamaka and Agent Sullivan deem them safe than I do too. I trust them."
"If anything, they'll place their own agents on protective detail." Junior reasons.
"Probably right." Steve replies and looks back up at the board. He wonders what the agents are doing right now and what they may have found out. If they've found anything further on Wilkes, or Rutherford's location.
1230 Hours. TAMC, NCCU - Neuro ICU, Patient Room - 646, Moanalua, Oahu.
"It's really good to see you up and walking around, kid you had us all scared back there." Lane says.
"You saved my life Agent Sullivan, I owe you big time."
"I wasn't going to let you go, I couldn't possibly you're a part of a team Evan a family."
"Wow uh thanks Agent Sullivan, that...that means a lot to me." Evan tells the older agent. Evan looks over at the agent in the bed. "How's he doing?"
"Docs say he's a seven on Glasgow coma scale it basically measures a person's consciousness, he's only responding to pain stimuli. Steve and I have tried everything we can think of to wake him up." Lane looks back at his friend in the bed. "It's all up to him now, the doctors said they're going to do more tests later in the afternoon."
"That's not so good, is it?"
"No, it's not, I've seen him come back from worse."
"Worse than this?"
"Injury wise yeah. I've got to believe he can pull this, he's got to."
"If I can come back from being dead twice from what I've heard in the locker room Scott can make it through this."
"Yeah I just don't know if he can survive the aftermath." Lane gestures to the remains of friend's right leg. Evan looks over and can tell there's a missing lower half of Scott's right leg where it should be. They must have had to amputate that part of his leg.
"They had to amputate his leg five inches below the knee to save his life. Captain Carson the trauma surgeon who perform the amputation said it was the only way."
"I'm sure Scott can adapt that he will adapt." Evan says. Evan looks down at his watch. "Don't we have to be somewhere in twenty minutes?"
"Ah shit you're right, Havi'll ream me out royally if I'm late." Lane gets up and puts his hand on Evan's shoulder. "I'm glad you're alright man, first day you can drink again, drinks are on me."
"I'll hold you to that Agent Sullivan." Evan says as he watches the older agent walk out of his partner's hospital room.
1330 Hours. Iolani Palace - Five-0 Headquarters, Main Office Area, Honolulu, Oahu.
"Sorry I'm late everyone." Evan apologizes as he walks into Five-0's HQ clipping the visitor badge to his shirt. "I had to haggle with Alani to let me come."
The group looks up and sees the junior field agent of the MCRT walking over to the smart table. He looks good all things considering. The only sign of him being shot three days ago is a medium sized gauze pad on the left side of his neck, and he's got his dislocated shoulder in a black sling. He doesn't want to be wearing the sling, but Alani made him wear it. She also stressed his doctor's orders of no heavy lifting, and to rest and take his meds like he's supposed to.
"Agent Carson it's good to see out of the hospital." Junior greets the curly haired agent.
"Your eye okay?" Evan asks noticing the man's still yellowish green purple tint under his eye where he was punched three days ago
"It's all good almost all healed now, nothing a little ice couldn't fix." Junior replies.
"Good to hear so what do we have on the case?" Evan queries looking around at the Lane and Havika the two most senior agents in the room at the moment.
"Agent Carson, Evan I don't mean for you to take this the wrong way but I didn't mean for you to come when I sent the text it was an automatic autopilot send the text to everyone in the unit, you just out of the hospital an hour ago, you were shot in the neck three days ago. You should be at home resting, you start PT next week."
"I know, I do and I should be, but I have to be here you know for Isaac and Scott. I want to get this bastard just as much as you guys."
"Hey, hey Evan, no one's saying you don't want to get this guy." Jackson chimes in. "But, Agent Kamaka is right you really should be resting."
"I'm pretty sure your doctor didn't clear you for any heavy lifting either, desk duty only." Kali reminds him gently gesturing to his arm currently in a black sling.
"If you're all here then I'm here too." Evans says firmly. If he had listened to Alani he'd be at home bored out of his mind, and he couldn't even help Alani board up the windows in their apartment before the storm. He can't drive either, at least here he'd be doing something contributing somehow. "You know it wouldn't be any different if any of you were in my position" he says pointedly looking at his four non-injured teammates.
Neither of the four could argue that point and Lane and Havika's seniority in the unit had nothing to do with that fact either. They would be here non-incapacitating injury or not.
"Alright okay Agent Carson you can stay." Havika tells the younger man. "But the minute you feel tired or feel like you need to rest you tell me."
"Both Danny and I have couches in our offices so that you can lie down if you want." Steve offers.
"I'm okay you guys really." Evan says. "Where's Brianna she said she wanted to give Alani and I some space, and she said she'd take a cab. She not here yet?" Realizing they're missing the second female of their unit his partner. She's not one to be late, to things if she can help it.
Havika doesn't like this, even after the conversation he had had with the younger Agent back in the HQ locker room. "Call her, and keep calling her until she answers."
Like Evan is going to do anything else. He whips out his phone puts it up to his ear with his left hand. The right one being in a sling.
"We've got some really solid information here." Havika turns to Five-0, "And it's all thanks to you guys we've just put another piece of this puzzle together."
"It's a team effort. We all helped." Jerry tells the NCIS agent.
"It's like I always say we do this as a team or not at all right Agent Kamaka." Lane gives his friend and acting unit chief a look.
"Right." Havika says.
"Which also means we shouldn't have secrets as a team we shouldn't keep secrets from each other." Lane says.
Oh, no Lane don't do this not now. Why don't you ever listen. Kali thinks to herself.
"Agent Sullivan..." Kali tries.
"No, Kali I need to know." Lane pushes Havika who's a good three inches taller and has ten pounds more muscle on him into the back of the smart table.
"Watch the equipment Brah." Chin exclaims as his precious holo table is used to pin the taller Hawaiian down.
"Chin Cuz I don't you think want to get involved." Kono warns her older cousin.
"I need to know what you and Scott are hiding."
"Hiding I'm not hiding anything Agent Sullivan, I'd watch your tone or I'll have you written up for insubordination."
"Insubordination!" Lane crows. "Go ahead wouldn't be the first time. Perry's done it before. I'm pretty sure Blackburn's got a whole drawer full of them just for me in his office."
"Guys I don't know what this is or about but you should take it outside." Steve half orders half suggests. He doesn't at all expect what comes next.
"Stay out of this Commander!" Both NCIS agents yell at the former SEAL. Navy rank doesn't really hold weight here right now. Even if this is Five-0 headquarters and Steve is the leader of the taskforce. This whole case is more NCIS' than it is Five-0s, anyway. It starts with NCIS and it's going to end with NCIS.
Steve's taken aback by the two agents the two other SEALs in the room who are supposed to his brother's friends. He doesn't really know what to do in this situation.
"Ey oh both of you need to cool it." Danny yells and tries to get in between the two arguing federal agents and gets a black eye for his trouble. Courtesy of Agent Sullivan. Danny steps back already holding a hand over his left eye.
"I'm not hiding anything!" Havika argues.
"Yes, you are, I know you and Scott are. I saw the looks he was giving you Tuesday when were here gearing up for the snatch and grab." Lane's tone matching Havika's perfectly in pitch and volume.
"He told me to alright! Is that what you want to hear." Havika's voice rising an octave and shoving the shorter SEAL off of him, and away from the holo table.
"Told you too, and you listened!"
"Yes, I did he was of higher rank than me at the time. He still is, you think I wanted to get demoted."
"Rank? Wait what are you talking about?"
"See you don't even know, it's not what you think it is, so would you just drop it." Havika asks his tone a lighter now quieter. "Please." He almost begs, it'd be comical to see if not for the situation and the tension hanging in the room still. Everyone wondering who's gonna be next to get decked if they try and intervene.
"Fine." Lane throws back not entirely satisfied. He turns back to Danny and actually manages to apologize. "Sorry about the black eye."
"Don't worry about it wouldn't be the first time I've been decked by a SEAL. I shouldn't have gotten in between two arguing SEALs."
"You really shouldn't have." Evan comes in from the small kitchenette Five-0 has into the main area again holding his phone.
"Any luck?" Havika asks.
"No none I've called her three times."
"I'll ping her phone see where she is." Jerry offers and does his thing with the smart table.
"You think I'd know better after living with this putz for two and half years and how often he and Scott fight and it comes to blows." Danny laughs it off. Everyone seems to feel lighter now that the tension isn't so thick. Though it's as if the bad weather and impending storm is a bad omen, the weather report playing out constantly in the background on one of the screens keeping them all up to date.
"Got it she's at...Halawa Correctional Facility." Jerry reads off the smart table.
There's only one person she'd go see there all the NCIS agents and now Five-0 now that. Except for Kono and Chin. As they weren't there on Monday when the lockdown happened at the hospital, and the ensuing phone half of them received.
"Is there already a perp you put away there?" Chin asks.
"You could say that brah" Havika offers vaguely.
"Who is it?" Kono asks. "Someone who can help with the case?
"If what she's told us, of this man no." Lane answers the younger Hawaiian.
"Why is she there then?" Kono asks.
The five NCIS agents look between one another. Evan answers the two former Five-0 members. "The man she's gone to see...is her father, Conrad Seeger." Before Evan or anyone else from Five-0 or NCIS can explain two phones go off.
Steve's phone rings at the same time that's Havika's does. Both men go off to answer their phone calls in private. Havika heading for the kitchenette and Steve his office.
"McGarrett." Steve answers after shutting his office door.
"Commander it's Major Shepherd. I'm calling with an update on your brother."
"How's he doing doc?"
Colton takes a breath on the other line before speaking. "Scott's spiked a high-grade fever of 104. I know that seems alarming, but all those myths you hear about 104 being deadly, it's not. If it gets higher than 106.1 that's dangerously high or hyperplexia is the medical term for it."
"What are you doing about it then? If it's high grade and not dangerously high as you say?"
"We're doing everything we can to cool him down right now." Shepherd informs Steve. "We've got him literally covered from head to in ice packs. Everywhere we can put ice packs we have. And I do mean everywhere."
"Do you know what's causing the fever and will it come down?" Steve asks.
"It's hard to tell right now, honestly it started about thirty minutes ago. We acted right away as soon as a nurse informed me. It could be from an infection in his chest tube, a reaction to the antibiotics we've got him on to prevent any infections, or this fever could be a precursor to a seizure."
Steve leans on his desk for support. "A seizure I didn't know that." Steve says shocked.
"Yes if this fever is a precursor to a seizure as a precaution I've decided to take him off the ventilator he's breathing on his own now, so I've taken out the tube."
"Doesn't he need the tube to help him breath."
"He's breathing just fine on his own now, which is good. If he has a seizure while the tube is in he could aspirate and choke. We don't want that."
"No we don't. How come I didn't know of this complication?" Steve wonders.
"It should have been in the list of possible complications, I sent you in that email this morning."
Steve rubs the back of his neck and then realizes the doctor can't see him. "I uh haven't gotten around to reading my emails yet sir, I've been busy at the office."
"That's alright it's partially my fault I should have pulled you and Agent Sullivan aside earlier and told you in person. From now on I'm going to call you with any updates to your brother's condition or have you come in."
"That sounds like a plan doc thanks."
"If your brother develops any further symptoms of a seizure I'll let you know."
"Good to know Major thank you, I'll let you get back to it."
"Actually Commander that isn't the only reason I called. Unfortunately with Scott's sudden decline in his condition. And the approaching storm, I'm afraid we're canceling or barring any visitors from all ICU's that aren't already on campus. I'm sorry."
Steve wants to argue with the Major that he should be there for his brother, storm be damned, but he realizes it's not only for his safety but for the safety of his brother and the other patients as well.
"You mean I can't visit." Steve states he can imagine the other man shaking his head sadly.
"Major I have to be there for him. Agent Sullivan's tied up in our case. Has Brooke been informed?"
"Yes she has and I take it will inform Agent Sullivan as well."
"I will Major, I have a question for you though, has Brooke been in to see Scott at all since he's been admitted or moved?"
"No she hasn't we keep track of who visits what patient and for how long by their visitor bands they wear. Major McGarrett hasn't once set foot in the Master Chief's room. Neither when he was in the trauma ICU or moved up to the Neuro ICU."
Steve wants to throw something or punch something. He doesn't know what's going on with Brooke, but that's her husband lying in a bed. Okay Steve gets that she has three injured sons to take care of, or moreso two. Wyatt's just got a broken arm, an injury he's had a few times. Tristan and now recently Jake are the ones who need her attention and care more. Cooper, and David are more than capable of looking after themselves, at seventeen and fourteen respectively.
"There's got to be a way you can sneak me in there doc please. He's got no one there for him. He's got to know there's someone there for him."
"You have my word Commander that your brother will be well looked after during the storm. We're talking all the necessary safety precautions we can to prepare ourselves and our patients."
"Mahalo for the update Major I appreciate it." Steve tells the man and then hangs up his phone.
Danny's standing at the doorway of Steve's now open office door. "You okay babe?"
Steve looks up and sees Danny holding an ice pack in his hand that was over his left eye. "Nice raccoon eye there Danno."
"Yeah Lane's got a real mean right hook. Shoulda ducked huh."
"You should have, that was Scott's doctor, Scott's spiked a high grade fever in the last thirty minutes 104, though Shepherd told me it's being handled and the hospital's barring or cancelling visitation from now on because of the impending storm."
"I'm sorry to hear that Steve. I'm sure Scott'll be just fine in a few days, and you'll get to see him tomorrow morning when the storm's past."
"You're right I'm the one overreacting now. Hey you should come up with a cool story to tell Charlie about that shiner." Steve decides against telling Danny about the fact that Brooke hasn't seen Scott at all since he's been admitted right now. It won't do anything for himself or Danny.
"Yeah you think so what'd you have in mind, hmm?"
Meanwhile Havika is sitting at the small round table in the kitchenette phone to his ear. "Mr. Kamaka." A man's voice comes through Havika's phone.
"Yes this is he? Who am I speaking to?"
"This is Dante the Aloha Summer Camp coordinator. I'm calling you because you're listed as your son's second emergency contact."
"Has something happened to Tino?" Havika asks the hairs on his neck rising. The last time Tino had gone to a Summer camp it didn't end well, and he'd gotten lost in the forest and hurt and he was terrified.
"No, no your son's perfectly healthy and safe Mr. Kamaka. Albeit a little bummed out about camp being cancelled."
"Cancelled?"
"Yes Mr. Kamaka, with the weather worsening, and the impending storm, we're calling all parents and guardians to come pick up their children or charges. And take them home. If it's the money you're worried about all money will be refunded seeing as the camper's didn't get the full Aloha summer camp experience."
"No, I'm not worried about the money." His parents had paid for Tino to go as a summer present from Grandpa and Grandma. What he is worried about is Alana his cousin. "I'm the second contact, my cousin Alana is the first contact because of my job, it's always easier to get a hold of her why didn't you call her first?" Havika questions his mind now running a mile a minute.
"You see, Mr. Kamaka we did, twice but Ms. Kealoha isn't answering her phone, it's camp policy to call twice and leave a message, and if we can't get through the second time we call the second emergency contact. Which is you Tino's father."
"Okay thank you for informing me I'll call her right now and see if I can't find out where she is."
"That'd be great Mr. Kamaka. I must advise you though we're only going to be at the site, parking lot on the North Shore for another hour, we've all got to get home too to prepare before the storm."
"I understand Dante, I'll call and see I can't find my cousin, I'll call you back at this number in twenty minutes. Aloha."
"Aloha Mr. Kamaka." Dante hangs up the phone on his end.
Havika runs a hand down his face in frustration. This is one of their rules and it's not just a unit rule the Never be Unreachable. It's not just for the members it's extends to the family members too. It's important and Havika's stressed the importance to his younger cousin, actually the same age as Brianna multiple times. So in situations like this he can call her no problem and know she'll answer. Now he's not so sure. He's hoping her phone's just run out of battery or she's left it in the house on accident and it's not something serious. He doesn't think he can take anymore on top of what he's already dealing with right now, He doesn't know how Isaac deals with it.
He takes one more minute to compose himself and then calls his cousin. It's rings and rings and rings and goes to voicemail. So he leaves a message. "Hey Alana it's me Havika Tino needs picking up. Call me back please."
He waits again a few minutes before calling again. Once more no answer so he leaves a message this time more urgent. "Call me Cuz, come on Alana this isn't funny anymore, where are you? Pick up the phone Lana 911."
Havika sighs and hangs up his phone hopefully the message gets to her and she's okay. Just before he's about to call Dante back a new email pings on his phone and he opens it. It's short and simple and to the point. The To, line displays every agents government email address in alphabetical order by last name. He sees Evan's name on the list as well when he hits the drop down and he sees Scott's and Isaac's as well knowing this is a send to all automatic situation and Blackburn can't opt out of not sending it to three agents.
To: All Current and Active Agents
From: SAC Blackburn
Subject: Call Back To Headquarters
ALL active agents in the field are to return to headquarters immediately.
Sincerely,
SAC Blackburn
Havika stares down at the email, and wants to pull his hair out. Now he's torn between his duties as acting unit chief and as a father. Havika walks back out into the main area of the Five-0 offices.
"Guys hate to run like this but we've been called back to HQ." Havika addresses the Five-0 members.
"Go we got this right guys." Steve asks his teammates who all nod in acknowledgement.
"There's something else isn't there?" Steve asks.
"Yeah I've got to go pick up Tino from his summer camp." Havika says.
"Rachel called me and told me she and Stan are picking up Charlie too." Danny chimes in. "I can have Rachel pick up Tino as well shouldn't be a problem." Grace has been at the Grover residence all day and called Danny earlier telling him she'll ride out the storm with Will and his family. Since driving anywhere in about the next four or so hours will be highly ill-advised. Even for emergency personnel.
"Thanks for the offer Danny, but I'll go and pick him up." Havika looks over to Lane hoping the other man gets where he's going. "I've got go find my cousin also. Her phone's dead or off so pinging it won't work."
"Don't worry about Blackburn man, I'll deal with him." Lane tells Havika. Knowing it'd fall to be him as the second highest ranking active member in their unit.
"I'm going to go bring Brianna back from Halawa." Evan tells the two senior members of his unit.
Jackson steps up to the smart table. "I'll drive you Evan." Jackson offers.
"Thanks man, uh how we gonna get there. Havika's taking the Camaro, and Lane's taking their truck."
Steve's already got his keys out before anyone can answer Evan. Steve tosses his truck keys to Lane, who catches them. "Take my keys, and than Jackson can drive the CRT truck."
"Works for me." Lane replies.
"Me too." Jackson answers.
"Not me I don't get to drive my own car." Danny complains because he just has too. "MY car Steve, I should be able to drive it. That's why I drove myself this morning, because I let you sleep in as per doctors' orders, and drive yourself."
"It's one day Danny, one day and Lane needs my truck."
"Fine but I'M driving MY car Steven." A fond smile on face, after all these years he really doesn't mind, but likes to indulge his partner from time to time.
"Sure sure whatever you say Danno."
"Great now that's settled we better head out Kali, you want to grab your go bag and mine from our truck." Lane asks.
"Can do boss, keys?" Lane tosses the keys to Kali and she heads out the door ahead of her boss.
Within fifteen minutes the five agents have all left the Five-0 offices leaving the Five-0 members to decide what their next course of action is. Steve looks around at his teammates at his friends, and than at the still streaming weather report on mute. The storm's getting closer and the roads are going to be a nightmare to go anywhere in a few hours so, leaving work now would be a good decision.
"Alright guys we've got a major lead on Wilkes and why he may targeted those of us he did. With him in the hospital we're not going to be able to do much more right now. Go home and prep, be with your families."
Lou, Adam, Junior, Tani, and Jerry say their goodbyes leaving just Steve, Danny and the cousins in the main area.
"Where are you two staying?" Danny asks.
"At the Hilton Hawaiian Village we're on one of the top floors." Chin supplies.
"We're all good to go Danny, we'll be okay." Kono assured.
"We'd offer you to come over to the house, but we're boarding it up and we're going to ride out the storm over at Scott's house. It's bigger and it's going to be a pretty packed house as it is already." Steve says. After he'd gotten off the phone with Scott's doctor, he'd gotten a text from Brooke asking him to pick up Cooper, David and Wyatt, from the hospital and bring them home.
"No worries brah, we'll be fine and we understand kids come first." Chin says. "Say hi to them from us."
"Come on Chin we better go if we want to go to the stores before we hunker down at the hotel." Kono tells her cousin. The two cousins wave to Steve and Danny as they leave the offices.
"Well it's just us now, we better get a move on too Steve." Danny suggests. He walks towards his office to grab what he needs and lock it up. Rachel's going to bring Charlie over at 3 p.m. to Scott's house where they'll all be riding out the storm.
Rachel and Stan are staying at their house and Grace is going to be safe with Lou and his family. Danny's not worried. Though he is worried about Steve there's clearly something going on, maybe something the doctor told him about Scott. He won't push not right now, not when they have other things to focus on. Steve gets a text from Agent Sullivan telling him where the CRT truck is parked in the parking lot outside.
"Come on Danno, let's head over to the hospital and pick up the boys." Steve says as he goes to his office and collects what he needs to. "You can follow in the Camaro."
"Why thank you Steven." Danny rolls his eyes as the two head out of the office together.
1424 Hours. TAMC, Surgical Ward, - Nurses Station, Moanalua, Oahu.
Steve and Danny find their way to the nurse's station and ask to speak to the charge nurse of the floor.
"I'm sorry Commander, Mr. Wilkes is no longer a patient here." The nurse informs him.
"What? He died? When?" Steve wonders why had no information about this or why they hadn't been informed. Than he remembers they're Five-0 not NCIS, he's surprised the nurse is giving him this much. With all the new regulations they have to follow with joint NCIS cases such as this one.
"No. No, he didn't die. He was transferred about an hour ago."
"He's already in a private room with two HPD officers guarding him where's he been moved back to the ICU? Were there complications?"
"No, on both accounts Commander. He was transferred to another floor that could better care for his needs."
"His needs he had surgery because he was shot in his shoulder, he had rotator cuff surgery." Danny exclaims. "I know from experience it's painful but what needs could he possibly have?"
"He's been moved to the inpatient VA psychiatry ward, Detective."
"I'm sorry ma'am did you say VA psychiatric ward? As in the same ward where the lockdown occurred on Monday?" Steve asks the more he's finding out about Wilkes' the more confused he's getting.
"Yes I did Commander. Is there are problem?"
Yes there's a problem, but I can't tell you what it is because I'm confused about it myself.
"Can you tell us why he was transferred there?" Danny asks.
"I'm sorry Detective I'm really supposed to only talk to the NCIS agents. He's a perpetrator in their case."
"We know that ma'am we're helping them with the and all of the agents have been called back to their headquarters by their boss. We could really use the information."
"When a nurse went into the room to check on him, he was found slumped against the bed railing. His right wrist severely bruised. He was trying to hurt himself we think to kill himself. And he was murmuring a name 'Rutherford' like a mantra."
"Kill himself are you serious?" Steve asks incredulously.
"Yes Commander we take suicide attempts very seriously. His doctor advised moving him for his own safety. The HPD officers are still with him though they're all three outside the room."
"What no how'd that happen I was told by Agent Sullivan there was someone in the room at all times."
"The officer was in the restroom when it happened. He says he's sorry. The officer in his room was clearly making him agitated and distressed, the nurse and doctor made an executive decision to move the officers outside the room."
"Against the orders of the agents, who placed him in your care in the first place." Steve is outraged at what he's hearing. "We need to see him now." Steve demands.
"I'm sorry Commander, the inpatient psychiatry ward is a locked ward. You need clearance to enter and I'm afraid you don't have it. None of Five-0 do, only..."
"Only NCIS, right right." Steve turns and starts walking away, they've spent enough time here now. Now he needs to shift focus and be Uncle Steve he can't worry about Wilkes right now or why he'd be moved to the VA inpatient psych ward.
"Thank you." Danny tells the charge nurse.
As Steve and Danny head up one floor to PICU Danny is listening for once to Steve and not talking. "I don't get it, Danny. Why would they transfer him? And why did they transfer him where they did?"
"I don't know the answers this time babe. I'd say overcrowding but this is a military hospital, there's only one reason he could have been moved to the VA psych ward."
"I know Danny, but I can't believe it. I won't believe it until we have proof."
Just as the two men are coming up on Tristan's hospital room, Cooper comes out of the sliding glass door in a hurry and almost crashes right into them.
"Whoa Whoa there Coop where's the fire, is something wrong?" Steve asks as he stops his nephew grabbing him by the shoulders and looks at him.
"Yeah, there's something wrong Uncle Steve Mom's lost it, she cares more about her job than Dad!" The brunet haired teenager rages.
"Now Cooper I don't think that's true she's just stressed is all what with your brothers being hurt too." Steve tries to reason with the teen.
"Uncle Steve I'm not a kid anymore I can read between the lines, I've over head my mom and dad talking before. They aren't happy, and now this happens..."
"It gives Mom a way out." Wyatt says just as angrily as he comes out of his brother's room with his brother David by his side. "He's comatose she doesn't have to deal with him anymore. Did you know she hasn't seen him once since he's been admitted."
Steve nods his head. "Yes I do know I asked your dad's doctor she hasn't set foot in your dad's room since he was moved over to Neuro ICU."
"Boys why don't you go with your Uncle Danny he'll take you to the car." Steve tosses Danny the CRT keys to unlock the door.
"Maybe you can through to Mom, Uncle Steve, because we apparently are just kids and don't know anything. What taking care of dad would entail." Cooper bites out.
"I'll try Coop, don't worry I'll sort your Mom out. Now go, I'll be with you guys soon." Steve gives Danny a look before he turns back to the glass sliding door leading to Tristan's hospital room.
Steve's surprised to see Jake set up in a second bed next to his brother. Brooke sitting up on the couch.
"Hi Steve thank you for taking the boys. I just have to be here for TJ and Jake. I can't leave them."
Steve closes the door, he really doesn't want to send his nephews out of their now shared room in their conditions but he wants privacy to talk to their mother. He doesn't want them to hear what he has to say even though they're both adults in his eyes.
"Hey TJ, Jake you think you two are up to playing Mario Kart in the teen lounge?" Steve asks. His nephews are smart and know when a question isn't really a question and more of an order. They don't object. Within minutes of pushing their call buttons both Jake and TJ are being wheeled out of their room by their nurses and down the hall to the teen lounge.
Satisfied TJ and Jake won't be coming back for a good while Steve walks over to Brooke and sits down at the table and chairs. "Brooke I'm only going to say this once, so I want you to listen and listen good."
Brooke just nods her head, not at all sure what Steve is going to say. "The man you call your husband, the man you're supposed to love is my brother, my little brother and he's lying in a hospital bed on the other side of this hospital in a coma. Because he was doing his job."
"Doing his job? Was shooting that nut job his job? Was being there while he was already injured doing his job" Brooke asks hotly.
"No, you don't get to talk, you sit there, shut up and listen. Scott's my little brother and I'd do anything, ANYTHING at all to go back to that Tuesday afternoon and stop him from leaving that van, tackle him, yell at him. I'd stop him. Thing is Brooke I can't. I can't change what's already happened, and I accept that. It's eating me up inside that I couldn't stop him, that my inactions got him hurt. If I let those thoughts get to me, focus on what I can't change, I won't be able to see the future, won't be able to see tomorrow, or the next day, much less next month or a year from now."
"Why are you telling me this Steve?"
"Because Brooke, that's how I feel. How do you feel about all this? You have to feel something. I know you have two brothers, Bryce and Eddie. I know for damn sure they'd do anything to protect and keep each other safe. I know they'd also do the same for you, their little sister. I know Bryce would do anything for his wife Terri, if she got hurt he'd take care of her by any means necessary, whatever it took, what he had to do because he loves her. My question to you Brooke is why won't you?"
Brooke is left speechless she can't answer her husband's brother. Coupled with what she'd said to her own son and what he'd yelled at her. She doesn't know what to do or say.
"I'll leave you to your thoughts Major, I better go before Danny my husband a man I love thinks I've gotten lost and comes looking for me. Don't worry about your boys, who aren't hurt they'll be well taken care of by Danny and myself." Steve echoes Shepherd's words from earlier.
With that Steve leaves his brother's wife alone in TJ and Jake's shared hospital room.
He was waiting for them in the hospital parking lot. Lean tall with a little muscle, he sat on the bumper of his car while casually smoking a cigarette as he absorbed the comings and goings in the parking lot. He was relieved to be outside and moving as he stretched long enough to pop an elbow with a satisfying snap. His boss, sat just inside the car also watching the comings and goings of the parking lot. His boss stayed silent in the car, Wilkes should have been released by now McManis knows this.
From where they're parked they have a clear view of the ambulance bay and the visitor entrance. Calvin sees the two paramedics that brought in that Marine, who he knows is Agent Isaac Perry. They're conversing easily laughing and joking around it looks like and they have no idea what's coming.
Calvin wraps his knuckles on the passenger side window of the car after putting out his cigarette. Georg rolled down his window waiting for the shorter man to speak. "Boss, I can go in now I just saw Commander McGarrett walk out which means he's left his brother alone."
"No, now isn't the time I want Wilkes, Agent McGarrett will soon follow. Do you have what you need?" Rutherford asks from inside the car. He looking at the graying sky and storm clouds.
"Do I have what I need, do I? What do you think I've been doing in the hospital for the past three days sitting in the cafeteria twiddling my thumbs?"
Calvin feels insulted, he maybe a serial killer but he's a smart clinical serial killer. There's a reason he chooses to poison his victims. It's clean, efficient, fast, and no messy clean up. Like that idiot Wilkes shooting people, leaves such a mess.
"You dare talk back to me?" Rutherford asks from inside the car.
"Yes boss I dare. Unlike that schmuck Wilkes' I'm not scared of you. You need my skills my expertise." Calvin reasons.
Rutherford is mulling this over in his head. The other man is right and he hates to admit that. There's a reason he hired McManis in the first place. His efficiency and no loose ends.
"Do you have what you need?" Rutherford asks again. Another he doesn't like to do. Repeat himself.
"Yes, I do nobody will see me coming. Wilkes is on the floor below McGarrett and the other agents."
"Agent McGarrett is still alive?"
"He is as far as I've heard, nurses really are chatty. And they'll spill all they know about VIP patients to a lowly nursing assistant."
"VIP you say?"
"Yeah that's what they're calling the McGarrett and the other agent Perry VIPs they are federal agents boss."
"Interesting."
Griffin is in the back of their rig reloading and restocking supplies when gets the vibe that someone is watching them from across the parking lot. Griffin leans out the back of the rig and calls out to his partner. Frank.
"Ey Frankie boy come'ere." Griffin calls out.
"Yeah Griff you done yet I've sent like five texts already. I want to get back to the station and back home you know before this big cluster fuck of a storm hits."
"Language Franklin." Griffin chastises his partner half heartedly. "Look over there to your right down in the parking lot the black Chevrolet truck blond haired twink. He look shifty to you."
"I'd say pretty flexible." Frank jokes.
"Dude I'm serious does he look suspicious to you? The parking's lot practically empty except for the doctor and staff that have to be here, yet that truck's still here."
"He does, and it looks like he's the driver for his other blond haired passenger. What are you going to do about it. Mr. Coast Guardsman?"
"Nothing I'm not an idiot, I'm calling Havika." Griffin pulls out his cellphone out of his black work pants pocket.
"Well can you do it in the rig, I'm not liking those storm clouds man."
"Not if I don't want to get a ticket." Griffin responds.
Frank groans, and then punches his senior partner in the shoulder. "Just make it snappy, I'm hungry now. We skipped lunch because of that last call."
"You're cranky when you're hungry, you know that right."
Frank makes a rude gesture with his hand and waves it about. "Make with the snappy phone Griffey."
Griffin hits the contacts button on his phone and scrolls through it until he finds the Agent's number. He hits the name and waits for his call to go through. The man in question finally picks up on the third ring.
"Sorry I didn't pick up sooner dropped my phone, traffic's at a standstill on the North Shore brah. What's up, I've got Tino in the car."
"Okay than I'll make this quick. I don't know if this is anything for you to worry about or not, but there are these two guys parked outside the hospital. They have been for the past hour they're car hasn't moved. Frank and I have been and gone twice."
"Can you get a description of these guys?" Havika asks.
"Yeah I can get closer and have a look?" Griffin starts.
"No! Hold off do not get closer, can you get a description of the vehicle and where it's parked. Without moving closer?"
"Yeah, yeah we can do that." Griffin says. "It's a late model Chevrolet truck black probably 2010."
"Thanks for the info Griffin, you should get back to your shift, we'll take it from here."
"Alright man you be safe out there, it'll raining buckets soon enough."
"Right back at you brother."
Havika ends the call hitting his earpiece as he pulls up into parents' expansive driveway of their all too large house. People would think at least twelve people live in the house from how large it is, but no only two spry elderly Hawaiian parents. On occasion the members of their son's unit who needed somewhere else then their own home to stay at for a while.
1508 Hours. 3249 Diamond Head Rd, Mr. and Mrs. Kamaka Residence, Honolulu, Oahu.
Havika shuts off the engine to the Camaro, and turns gets out and walks around to the other side to let Tino out.
"We're staying at Tutu's house?" Tino asks a confused expression on his little face.
Havika picks Tino and his backpack, and carries from the car to the front door. "We are Tino, they're house is bigger and isn't as close to where the storm'll be."
"Are we all staying here Daddy? Are you staying with me too?" Tino asks they reach the front door.
"Daddy's got to go back to the office to meet up with your Uncle Sully and our friends." Havika tells Tino slowly as his mom opens the door to let her son and grandson into the house.
"Come in, come in Havi. Hi Tino sweetie." Havika's mom greets the two of them and closes the front door behind them. "Everyone's in the den? How was the drive?"
"A flip- I mean really long lots of traffic."
"Daddy, can I get down now please?" Tino asks. Havika looks around and down at his son and realizes he's carried him all the way from the front door to the den and hasn't let him down.
"Sorry kiddo, of course." Havika lets his son down and he runs over to an elderly tan Hawaiian man with silvery white hair. "Aloha dad, howzit?"
"Howzit wit chu sonny? You look like you haven't slept in three days?"
Really has it been three days since he had a solid night's sleep. I guess a cat nap here or there didn't count. Havika scrubs at his face tiredly, and hears the loud boisterous voice of his cousin coming from down the hall talking on her phone.
"Ey Cuz howzit Havi?" Alana asks as she walks into the family den where everyone has gathered. Putting her phone away in her pocket as she greets her older cousin.
"Howzit? Alana? Really are you playing with me right now? Gimme your phone?" Havika asks and Alana hands it over. Havika slaps the phone into his palm for emphasis. "Where has this been for the past hour? I've been trying to call you? I was worried sick about you?"
Alana looks down at her feet feeling thoroughly chastised liked their kids again and she's taken one of her auntie's famous cookies without asking first.
"I'm sorry Havika I didn't know, I left my phone back at our house and when we left to come over here I didn't realize until later. Look Tino's okay, he's here he's happy healthy."
"I didn't know that, I thought...I thought something had happened to you Alana. Keep your phone with you from now on huh. Pretend you're texting that guy you liked in high school."
"So, stick it to me like glue."
"Yes Alana. Look I'm not going to go into it now, but I need you Alana to be here."
Alana nods her head her black wavy hair falling into her face, she brushes it back behind her ear. "Okay Cuz I'm here, whatever you need."
"Help Mom and Dad look after the kids."
"Havika are you coming back tonight where are you staying if you can't get back before the storm?" Havika's mom asks her son.
"I'll be back here well before the storm Mom. If I'm not whoever I'm with at the time we'll probably go back to their place and ride out the storm there. I'm prepared we're prepared. I'll call you."
"Good, that's all I want to know."
"Alright everyone group hug Dad's got to go back to work, I'll try and be back here soon." All five of Havika's kids, his cousin, and parents crowd around his tall frame to hug him.
"When's soon?" Tino asks.
"You see the clock on the wall, Tino." His son nods. "When the little hand on the clock reaches the 6, and the big hand reaches the 12, that's 6:00 at night. I'll try and be back."
"Before bedtime and story time?" Tino asks.
"Yeah little surfer before bedtime and story time." Havika smiles down at his youngest and pulls away sadly out of the group hug really having to go now. He's already late and it usually takes him forty minutes to get from his parents' house to the house, but take on the storm preppers and the generally slowness of traffic on the island, and yeah, he's totally calling Lane to tell him he's not making it to the All Call Meeting at the office.
He waves one last time to his family smiling and jogs out through the front foyer back out the front door to the Camaro. Havika slides into the driver's seat and looks to the passenger seat where his partner usually sits. Destination decided, he guns the powerful engine under the hood of the Camaro and peels out of the driveway of his parent's home.
1700 Hours. TAMC - Neurological Critical Care Unit - Patient Room 656, Moanalua, Oahu.
Two hours it takes him two hours to get to the hospital because of HPD detours and blocks set up. He finally makes it to his desired destination after stopping off at the gift shop and the little shoppette on the first floor. Havika is pleasantly surprised to see his boss, friend, and partner sitting up, and awake talking to his son Marcus.
"Isaac, you're awake this is great brah." Havika exclaims unable to keep the happiness out of his voice. Hey it's 5 o'clock he's off the clock officially. No need to be professional as Jackson would put it. He's got to call the others once he's had a talk with Isaac.
"I am, and it's about damn time." Isaac says.
Havika shakes his head. "Only you Isaac would berate yourself for not waking up fast enough. You got badly hurt brah you needed your beauty sleep I guess." Havika grins widely.
"Uncle Havi, Dad said, Savannah and I get to go with you because of the storm. Isn't that cool." Marcus says. Marcus is a cool kid and just loves everything having to do with Hawaii even the crazy epic tropical storms.
"Yeah Marcus that is cool. Where's your Mom and sister?"
"In the cafeteria, Mom was hungry."
"I'm really glad you're awake Isaac, you had Imani really worried."
Isaac smiles at his partner. "Oh, and you weren't?"
"Me, of course I was I've been doing your job for the past three days don't know how you do it. You can have it back whenever you're ready brah."
A male voice interrupts them. "I'm afraid that won't be for a while, Master Gunnery Sergeant here has a long road of recovery ahead of him." Grant tells.
"Isaac!"
"Dad!"
Both Imani and Savannah exclaim as they see their husband and father respective up and awake in bed talking.
"How are my beautiful girls this fine Friday evening?"
Imani rushes over to her husbands' side and hugs and kisses him. "So, happy you're awake honey, I missed you."
"Dad I was so worried, when they brought you in we were so scared." Savannah says. Tears running down her cheeks.
"Oh, baby girl I'm fine now. You were so brave for you and your brother. You did a great job keeping him entertained."
Major Anderson watches from the doorway of his patient's room and clears his throat. "I hate to break up the reunion here, but I've got to talk to my patient in private."
"Come on kids, let's let your father talk to his doctor." Imani gives her husband one last kiss before taking Savannah and Marcus out of the room.
Havika sits on the left side of Isaac's bed, and Isaac's face immediately falls into a thin line. Havika knows that his partner is just keeping up appearances for his wife and kids when they were here.
"My name is Major Grant Anderson, I've been your trauma surgeon since you were admitted late Tuesday evening."
"Nice to meet you sir." Isaac greets shaking the other man's hand with his IV hand.
"What's the last thing you remember before waking up Isaac?"
Isaac takes a long breath, before answering. "I was in the back of an ambulance transporting our perp Wilkes because I shot him so he wouldn't get a kill shot off on Agent McGarrett. Oh, God where is he, where are they? Are they okay?" Isaac asks in rapid succession his heart rate going up slightly.
Grant puts a calming hand on his patient's shoulder, "Easy Mr. Perry, let's focus on you right okay."
"No, doc I have to know are they okay?"
Grant knows this a possibility. The man's a Marine no man left behind and all that. He cares more about his teammates than he does about his own health right now. "Agent Carson was released from the hospital earlier today, he was shot in the neck, but doctors patched him up really good, and he'll make a full recovery with some PT, in his near future for his left arm and he dislocated his right shoulder."
"What about Agent McGarrett? He was shot three times by Wilkes."
Grant is not going to go into the full scope of the other man's injuries only because he doesn't know them himself. He's not his doctor, he's Isaac's.
"Master Chief McGarrett's injuries were severe, there were...complications. The resulting surgeries and complications landed him in a coma, he has a GCS score of 7. It's not looking good right now."
"Can I see him?" Isaac asks as he pushes himself up on his elbows, and immediately regrets it as a searing pain lances through his chest.
"I'm sorry Mr. Perry not right now. All patients are to remain in their rooms due to the storm approaching, even if they are ambulatory."
Isaac nods his head in understanding. "Okay doc." He levers himself back down onto his fluffy white hospital pillows.
"Now can you tell me the last thing you remember before waking up?"
"Some guy jumped me after I handed off Wilkes to doctors and nurses, and then there was a sharp pain all over by back."
"You were attacked from behind and stabbed multiple times in your back some quite close to your spinal cord."
"So, I could be paralyzed?" Isaac asks. He didn't want to say anything when Imani and the kids were in the room, but he couldn't wiggle his toes or feel his legs. It's like he's lost all sensation. "I have to be truthful here doc I can't feel my legs or wiggle my toes I just didn't want to say anything in front of the wife and kids you know scare them."
"That's quite understandable. There was pressure on some of your nerves in your spinal cord, when you were stabbed in your lower back. Which could lead to temporary paralysis. You also hit your head pretty hard on the asphalt resulting in a mild TBI, a concussion, so there's also that to do contend with" Grant explains.
"So, I am paralyzed?" Isaac asks, not even really registering the concussion part he's had a few of those before. He knows the drill with those. No driving, rest often, no electronics etc.
"That would be the working diagnosis but with a simple bedside test, I can administer I can confirm it."
"Test away doc." Isaac gestures to the rest of his body with his hands.
Grant conducts the Babinski Reflex test by pulling up the blanket over his patient's legs and stroking the sole of Isaac's feet with a blunt needle. "Can you feel any of this?"
"No, I...I can't." Isaac answers.
Grant continues stroking and prodding parts of Isaac's legs and hips. "Can you feel any this, the poking?"
"No, nothing." Isaac informs his doctor sadly.
The paralysis is from the waist down, Grant concludes although since the pressure as subsided and been reduced around his spinal cord, this means the paralysis is only temporary. It will reverse itself over time.
"I'm paralyzed doc aren't I?" Isaac doesn't even need to ask really, he can see it in the other man's face.
"Yes, you are. The good news though is that this is only temporary none of your nerves or any of your spinal cord was actually severed completely. I believe you should regain feeling and function in about two weeks. You will have to essentially though learn how to walk all over again. That's going to take some time."
"I understand doctor thank you." Isaac thanks him. Grant smiles, and recovers his patient's legs and makes sure he's comfortable before leaving.
Havika and Isaac sit in silence for a solid five minutes before Isaac speaks. "I could walk three days ago, run, jump, play with my kids. Now I can't do any of that." Isaac says dejectedly his head thumping against the softness of his pillows.
Havika looks at his boss and partner and can't imagine what he's going through right now. "How are you feeling otherwise you also hit your head when you fell?
"My head hurts like a mother, and I can't feel my legs and by extension by feet and toes. But hey, what's a little paralysis, right? It's temporary not like I'm suck like this forever? What are you smiling at Kamaka?"
"You're talking just like normal, like you usually do."
"What?"
"You're talking." Havika grins at his friend. "Like normal."
"Yeah, I guess I am. Improvise, Adapt and Overcome right."
"Oorah Marine."
"Hooyah Sailor." Than Isaac gets quiet a quiet Isaac is never a good sign. "Havika what if I stay like this?" Isaac asks suddenly.
"Major Anderson said it was temporary Isaac you have to believe that there's no evidence of permanent damage. Watch in two weeks' time you'll be running and chasing over perps in no time."
"But what if it's not what if he missed something Havika. Don't act like it's not a possibility. I can't feel anything below the waist. I can't even piss without a fucking tube. This is fucking real and please don't say it will change, because you don't know that."
Havika looks into Isaac's chocolate brown eyes, "Would you change what you did, would you hesitate to do what you did for anyone else on our team?" Havika asks.
"No, I'd do it again in a heartbeat for any of you." Havika knows Isaac's being sincere and he truly means it. "You're my team, I'm not going to let you lose any more friends." Isaac has only been the unit chief for this team for three years, pulled from the New Orleans field office back in 2017.
He knows this team is special is different. The four original members took the deaths of their friends, partners, and teammates hard. For those four others members to be replaced just like that, not even within a year of that fatal case, the four former SEALs turned NCIS agents didn't take that overhead decision very well.
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy even you know that. Then there's your answer Isaac, you saved Scott's life. Like you said, what's a little paralysis, it'll wear off, you'll do PT you will walk out of here. It may take time, but you will." Havika can see Isaac is struggling with his emotions. Even with all this positive talk and ribbing and tough love on Havika's part. He is after all just a man. A man with flaws and emotions, and he's just been dealt some serious news, possibly life changing news. "You want to be alone for a minute?"
"No, please don't go man, that's an order."
"Alright I'm not going anywhere yet. I've still got time."
"That's good to hear, Agent. Your friend needs you right now." Nurse Devonte comes into the room. "Agent Kamaka would you excuse us for a few minutes?"
"What? Why is he leaving he just said he was going to stay?"
"Agent Perry, I need to remove the foley and I'm sure you don't want anyone seeing that?"
"Why are you removing it?" Why would they I can't even piss without it.
"We like to remove it as soon as possible, to reduce the risk of infection."
"Yeah, I get that, but I can't...I mean...you know..."
"Don't worry, every four to six hours you will be able to empty your bladder. I'll teach you how."
That is actually too much information for Isaac. He never even thought about the long-term ramifications permanent paralysis would have for him. If this did end up not being so temporary like Major Anderson says it is.
"Ehm… Isaac, I'll uh... I guess that's my queue to leave. I'll take care of Savannah and Marcus tonight, you just worry about getting better." Havika stands up from his chair and looks encouragingly at his friend, who looks totally and utterly miserable, before he slipped out the door.
Havika finds Imani, Savannah and Marcus down in the cafeteria, and tells Imani she can go up and see Isaac in about ten minutes. After he whispers and explains what a nurse is doing up there right now.
"Thank you for talking him Havika. Sometimes he just needs a guy, a brother as he so often says to set him straight."
"No worries Imani, I'll always be there for him. He's my partner, even when he thinks he doesn't need me he's Ohana. You and your kids are Ohana to me."
"That means a lot to us really Havika thank you. Well kids I guess you best get going with Mr. Kamaka, Marcus be good and behave yourself young man."
"Yes Ma'am."
"And Savannah make sure Marcus has his inhaler and all his medicines."
"I will Mom, and he does. We're all packed." Both Isaac's kids hug their mom goodbye and then Havika leads the two Perry children out of the hospital to the Camaro parked in the loading zone with a police badge sticker on the inside of the dash.
A security guard is looking warily at the tall man and the two kids walking towards the car. "Don't even think about it brah."
The security guard notices the badge, gun, and holster and sheer height of the man in front of him and backs off and walks off the other way.
His parent's house is too far away now, he'd never make it in this traffic before the storm hit. So, his house it is, he'll get there in half the time it'll take him to drive all the way to his parent's house. Which is near Diamond Head, and in the complete opposite direction of his house. He hopes as he hops in the driver's seat of the Camaro that having Savannah and Marcus with him will keep his mind of their father, and off Scott and their conditions. Havika revs the engine of the sleek black Camaro, and pulls round the loading circle and heads towards the post exit.
The forecast predicts a major tropical storm and half his unit is spread out throughout the island right now. He hasn't heard hide nor hare from Evan or Jackson about Brianna. Last, he's heard from Lane is Blackburn just wanted to do roll call, and then send everyone home, hold all cases, and ensure everyone has somewhere to stay for the duration of the storm.
Lane tells him that he and Kali are going to Scott's house, it's the closest to their current position. Plus, Lane has to return the Silverado to Steve. Lane also tells them that he's bringing Blackburn with him and Kali to Scott's. Since Blackburn lives close to the ocean, and he lives alone, Lane isn't not going to let his former team lead, now boss, boss ride out the storm alone. Havika agrees with Lane's sentiment, one hundred percent.
Havika curses under his breath. "Uncle Havi are you okay?" Savannah asks from the passenger seat looking over at her pseudo 'Uncle'. Marcus is occupied with his PSP, and headphones in the backseat.
"I'm okay, Savannah just wishing I'd laid out more time, is all." Havika answers the young teen. Havika eases into the the already crawling traffic.
He doesn't even have that far to drive, but at this speed he'll be lucky to board up his living room windows if any at all. A gust of wind shakes the car and he grabs the wheel tighter to steady it, eyeing the van in front of him swaying. The black clouds towering over the didn't look promising, and already the trees bent low under the high winds that carried dust and sand. The roads are increasingly filling with people trying to get home to board up their own houses.
His cell rings and he has Savannah hit the green accept button.
"Evan? What's up? Haven't heard from you guys in a while, I've got Isaac's kids in the car." Havika warns lightly. And to hopefully prevent any outbursts from either three of his teammates.
"We're stuck, that's what up! I guess we are in one of the safest places on the island so we should be perfectly fine. Brianna not so much, at least mentally." Evan's voice seeps through the phone. Havika can hear the nervousness in the younger man's voice.
"Where are you?" Havika looks out the window at the van in front of him fighting the wind gusts.
"We've been given accommodations. We'll tough it out here." Jackson's calm voice pipes in.
"Don't worry about Brianna, Havi I've got our girl." Evan tells Havika.
"Good, keep an eye on her."
"I'll be fine!" Havika hears Brianna yell in the background. If that isn't a lie Havika doesn't know what is.
"Stay safe you guys, this'll all be over before you know it."
There are three voices of affirmation, and goodbyes and then Havika hangs up the call, just as he pulls into his driveway.
2132 Hours. 99-902 Moanalua Rd, Aiea, - Halawa Correctional Facility, Honolulu, Oahu.
"We've been here for over eight hours you can't tell us we can't leave." Jackson tells one of the correctional officers.
"Yeah unlike these fine inmates here we haven't done anything." Evan tries to reason with the man.
"Yet." Brianna murmurs to herself. Evan and Jackson are too preoccupied to hear her.
"Sorry Agents we're on storm lockdown no one in or out of the prison until tomorrow morning." The Hawaiian officer tells the haole looking cops.
"Do you even know who we are?" Jackson asks.
"You're military cops aren't you, NIS or something?"
"NCIS, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and NO we're not cops. We're federal agents." Jackson corrects the man.
"His team leader is Steven J. McGarrett's brother." Brianna tells the correctional officer. That gets the officer to react somewhat other than nonchalant.
"That true?" The correctional officer asks Jackson.
"Yes, it is, is there any way you can get us out of here we'd all like to see our families." Jackson tries.
The correctional officer shakes his head. "I'm truly sorry agents, but not even a connection to Five-0 can help you. This is a safety concern for any and all who leave the prison now. We're liable, if we sent you out there in that storm." As if to make his statement more clear a loud clap of thunder can be heard.
"So, we're stuck here than with Halawa's finest of Oahu's worst of the worst populace. Great." Brianna grouses.
"I'm afraid so." The correctional officer says.
"Is there really no way you can get us out of here. Wait no not all three of us how about just my partner. He just got out of the hospital today. He was gravely injured he really shouldn't be spending the night on some cot with a scratchy blanket."
"Give it up Agent Seeger, we're stuck here, partner." Evan tells her. "I'll be fine for one night. We've spent in worse places, remember."
Brianna finally lets out a heavy sigh, defeated she nor her two teammates are getting out of here tonight. Well looks like we'll be settling in for a long night. The three agents are brought blankets and pillows and three cots are set up in the attorney client consultation room. It's one of the rooms furthest away from any of the prisoners. Still just to be safe the officers take the agents service weapons and lock them down in the guard room.
As the three agents settle down for the night in their 'accommodations, Evan looks over to his right and see's Brianna shaking. Somehow, he has a feeling it's not because of the lowered temperature in the room.
Brianna what's going on with you partner? I thought you trusted me? Evan asks himself as he drifts off into an uneasy sleep. It has nothing to do with his current surroundings.
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