Breaking Point – Part 2

"There are a ton of reporters outside." Alania Kama's 9 year old son informed her as she hurried down the staircase, already late in getting out the door to get her son to school and make her way to work.

"I know Keiki. We are just going to ignore them. OK? Grab your backpack. We're running late." She replied, placing a hand on his shoulder and guiding him toward the hall closet.

"They want to know what's going on with Mr. Williams. Don't they?" Her son replied, grabbing his pack from the closet and slinging it over his right shoulder.

"I'm sure they do. But they won't be getting any information from us." She informed him, opening the front door and shuffling him out.

They had barely made it to the car before three reporters had descended up on them and were shoving microphones in Alania's face.

"Ma'am, Ma'am! Can you tell us what happened here last night?" One reporter asked.

"No I cannot." Alania said, trying to remain calm as she shoved her son into the back seat of her car.

"But you were the one that called 911. Is that correct?"

"I need to get my son to school." Alania snapped at them. "Please move! I have nothing to say to you!"

She swung her car door open, nearly slamming it into a reporter standing nearby.

"You reported gunfire last night. Do you think Detective Williams was attempting suicide?"

Alania saw her son's eyes grow wide with horror. He was quite fond on Detective Williams. The whole family was and his daughter Grace often babysat for him. Furious, Alania slammed her door shut and whipped around to face the reporters.

"You know what? I do have something to say to you."

The reporters quickly raised their microphones in anticipation.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves. Detective Williams has served and protected this Island for the last eight years and what you folks have put him through these last two weeks is just unconscionable."

"Ma'am, we're just doing our job." Insisted one of the reporters.

Alania smirked and shook her head as she swung her car door open and climbed into the car.

"Yeah well…good job. I hope you're really proud of yourselves." She snapped back and slammed the car door in their face.

Steve turned the TV off in disgust and buried his face in his hands. This situation with Danny was only going from bad to worse. But it was comforting to know that the folks in Danny's neighborhood were supporting and defending him and for that he couldn't be more thankful. Especially to the dozen or so who emerged from their homes in the middle of night with blankets, towels or whatever else they had handy to shield Danny from the reporter's cameras as he was loaded into the waiting ambulance.

If only Danny had been awake to see this outpouring of support. Steve thought.

Danny had woken at the hospital, but quickly became agitated and combative. He assaulted a Doctor he thought was Marco Reyes and it took Steve and two security guards to hold Danny down while another Doctor sedated him. Once they got Danny settled, Steve had wanted to stay, but the doctors assured him there was no point. Danny would most likely sleep for several hours, something his body desperately needed.

Steve, on the other hand, didn't get any sleep in the few hours he had been home. He couldn't get the events of the previous night out of his mind. He had never, ever imagined seeing his partner in such a state. But after everything Danny had been through the past two weeks, he should have seen it coming. He should have known…and he should have done something.

Two weeks earlier….

"Danno!" Steve called out as he made his way toward his partner who was kneeling on the ground over a motionless child.

At the outdoor café next to the sidewalk where the child lay, cowering civilians slowly began to emerge from behind overturned tables and benches where they had taken cover once gunfire had erupted around them. Gunfire that had alerted Steve that something had gone terribly wrong Danno's foot pursuit.

"No! No! No" Danny cried. Pressing his hand over the gunshot wound in the small boys chest. A boy who couldn't have been any older than Charlie.

"What the hell happened?" Steve yelled, even though he didn't mean to.

"He just turned and started shooting at me! I dove for cover! They must have been behind me!" Danny exclaimed through his tears. "I didn't even know he was armed."

Steve quickly radioed Tanni to call for an ambulance and to let her know their location.

Off to Danny's left, a brave women had crawled over from where she had taken cover to render assistance to another victim, most likely the young boy's mother. Placing her shaking fingertips on the young women's neck she let out a muffled cry before looking up and making eye contact with Steve. With tears in her eyes, the woman shook her head. It was too late.

"Come on buddy. You're OK. You're gonna be fine." Danny was trying to keep his voice calm in the off chance that the boy could hear him but he was quickly losing his composure. "Steve?"

Steve dropped to his knees beside partner.

"It's going to be OK Danno. Just keep pressure."

"Oh my God! What have I done?" Danny cried.

"Just keep pressure!" Steve repeated before turning his attention to the crowd. "I need a towel or napkin! Something anything!

A waiter rushed forward. He quickly removed his work apron and gave handed it to Steve.

"Here. Use this!"

Steve grabbed the apron just as Lou, Tanny and Junior arrived on the scene.

"Junior! I need your help! Right now! Right now!" Steve ordered wadding up the apron in his hand. "Danny move your hands!"

Danny did so, and Steve placed the apron over the boys wound. Danny immediately moved to put pressure again but Steve pushed him back.

"Junior, I need you to hold this tight."

"Got it!" Junior replied dropping to his knees.

"Tanni! Lou! I want you to take Danny back to the palace and wait for me there."

"No! No! No! I'm not going anywhere!" Danny insisted.

Steve stood up and pulled Lou close so no one else could hear what he was about to say.

"You get Danny out of here now." He said. "I don't know if this kid is going to make it and I don't want Danny here if he doesn't."

Present Day

The boy did make it. In fact, just two days earlier the hospital had upgraded his condition from serious to fair condition. But that was of little consolation to Danny, who had been crucified in the media and by the public for his role in the shooting. He had been stripped of his badge, pending an internal investigation and ordered mandatory counseling, he had yet to schedule. Basically, wracked with guilt and anxiety, Danny had shut down, locked himself in his home and refused to see anyone, not even his kids or Steve.

Steve had spoken with him on the phone several times and even once through the security chain at Danny's front door. But each time the conversation was short. Danny insisted he was fine…he just wanted to be left alone. But Danny wasn't fine. According to the Doctor who had examined him, Danny hadn't been eating enough or sleeping in the weeks since shooting. And that, coupled with stress and anxiety had resulted in the breakdown Steve, Danny's neighbors and half of the HPD had witnessed the night before.

And now, as Steve headed out the door to return to the hospital, he was terrified of what he would find when he got there. He was hoping for the best. Hoping that with a little rest, his partner would be back to himself. But whatever the case, he was not going to let Danny shut him out this time.

To be continued…