I Did it My Way

Steve let Chin and Kono pick up Tristian Ikes while he went to the hospital. Even though he knew the hospital would call with any news, Steve felt better about getting regular updates, checking on Danny himself. It also gave Steve the chance to update Danny on the case, although he wasn't sure his parnter could hear. Rachel was just coming out of Danny's room when Steve got there, and the bleak, watery look she wore told him there wasn't any change and she was loosing hope. As he passed, Steve paused long enough to squeeze her shoulder. He saw her grateful look as he went through the doorway.

The ICU room was standard and like all the others on the floor. The only real furniture, if you could call it that, was the hospital bed Danny lay on and the small chair in the corner. Other than that, the room was full of medical equipment and machines. Steve pulled the chair up to the bedside and sat heavily in it. He rubbed his forehead, then moved his hand massage his neck. The longer this entire thing went on the more tired he felt, older. He sat in silence in first five minutes of his fifteen minute visit. For the last ten minutes he talked about the few updates they had, the new lead. He didn't talk about how he got that lead, simply because Danny couldn't rant.

When time was up, a nurse came to check him. She gave him a brief smile before going about her duties. Steve watched from the doorway until she went by him as she was leaving. With one last glance at Danny, Steve went down the hall to the waiting room.

Rachel was sitting in one of the ten chairs, running a hand over the cover of a photo album. Steve knew it was full of drawings Gracie had made for her daddy; since she wasn't allowed to visit as per hospital regs, she drew two, sometimes three pictures a day, which Rachel put in the album and then took to Danny. It was a poor substitute for his daughter, but Steve thought it was as close a second as possible.

There was a clatter of hurried footsteps coming down the hall and two rushed figures went past the little cuby hole that served as the waiting room. Both Steve and Rachel had looked up automatically but only Rachel stood, shock, relief and a little trepidation playing across her face.

"James! Alice!"

The man and woman who had gone by came back. They simply stared at Rachel for a second before the woman stepped forward.

"What happened," she demanded.

It took Steve a moment, an embarressingly long moment, to realize that the two people before him were Danny's parents. Danny looked like his father, from his blonde hair and blue eyes to the shape of his nose and jaw. It looked like he'd inherited his loud abrasive manner and shorter stature from his mother, though.

Rachel, flustered, waved to Steve. "He can tell-"

Danny's mother didn't wait for her to finish, just whirled on Steve and headed to him. "What happened to my son?"

Yeah, just like Danny, Steve thought with some amusement.

"Ma'am, I'm Lt. Cmdr Steve McGarrett," he started.

Mrs. Williams moved her hand in a circle. "Yes, I know. I'm Alice Williams, that's my husband James. Now, what. Happened?"

"Danny was severely beaten almost a week ago. I'll make sure his doctor tells you-"

"No," she interuppted. "You're his partner so you can tell me."

Steve sighed and told the whole thing, listing Danny's injuries and prognosis, such as he'd last heard. He also told them about the investigation, what he could of it anyway. They both listened with the utmost attention, Mrs. Williams' eyes misting over with tears. Mr. Williams put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. When Steve was finished, Danny's father nodded.

"Thank you, Cmdr," he said.

"Please, call me Steve."

"Still, thank you. Now if we could speak to his doctor," James said.

"I'll go find him," Rachel offered. She scurried away before anyone could approve the idea or not. Steve thought Rachel was relieved to have any reason to get away.

"Car's parked Alice," a new voice in the doorway said into the somewhat akward silence.

Alice gave the newcomer a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Gregg. Come meet Danny's new partner." She gestured between the two men. "Lt. Cmdr Steve McGarrett, Gregg Thompson. Gregg was Danny's parnter right before he left home."

Gregg shook Steve's hand and evaluated the Naval officer. Apparently whatever he saw gained his approval.

"Glad to finally meet you."

Danny's doctor came in to speak to James and Alice. Gregg glanced at the little trio, then back at Steve before he jerked his head to the doorway.

"Have a moment?"

Steve led the way to a fairly secluded section of hallway. Gregg looked around before turning his full attention to Steve.

"I wanna talk to you about something," he began. "This isn't the first time Danny's been in the hospital like this."

"Being a cop, I imagine he's been in a hospital before," Steve replied dryly. Where was Gregg going with this?

"Sure, but the time I'm talking about was major, and before he was my partner. Okay, let me try again." Gregg paused, pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright. About five years after Danny became a detective, he was involved in a car bombing. Keep in mind, this is mostly second hand information. The word around the street was that a gang Danny and his then partner were investigating planted the bomb because they were getting too close.

"Danny spent about a month in the hospital because of second degree burns and some head trauma. He had no idea why he might've been targeted, or much of anything from before, case wise."

"Why are you telling me this," asked Steve.

Gregg gave him a considering look. "Because I never bought the explination the higher ups gave, ever."

"So you think these two incidents are related?"

"I think it would be a good idea to check."

The two men stared at each other, testing. Steve's phone rang and never taking his eyes from Thompson, he answered.

"Yeah. Okay I'll be there soon."

With a nod to Gregg, Steve headed for 5-0 headquarters.

Steve found Danny's lawyer, Kailani Jameson, waiting for him in his office, already seated in one of his chairs. He closed the door behind him and sat at his desk, suddenly impatient without exactly knowing why.

"Miss Jameson, what can I do for you."

"Several days ago, Danny gave me this letter, addressed to you." She held the thin envelope out to Steve, who took it. "He told me to give this to you five days from the day he gave it to me, unless he said otherwise. It has been five days, I haven't heard otherwise, so here it is." She stood to leave, as brisk and business like as her words had been. At the door she paused and turned back.

"If there's anything I can do." Kailani left it at that and walked out.

Steve studied the envelope. His name was scrawled across the front in Danny's hurried but neat writing. Steve tore it open and found two slips of paper, on a letter and the other a series of numbers. He studied the numbers before turning his attention to the note.

Steve:

This is really cliche and way too cloak and dagger for me, but it is what it is.

Hopefully I'm not dead. If I am, then go ahead and kill the SOB and you, Chin and Kono have to follow my will to the letter, no matter what Rachel and Stan try to do; Kailani can help with that.

If I'm not dead, then this is good, great event. However, I'm also not bodily able to do what has to be done, hence why you are reading this.

The series of numbers with this letter is the combination to my safe and not some kind of encrypted message Catherine needs to decipher. Afore mentioned safe is the spare tire compartment of the Camaro; see you're not the only paranoid bastard around here.

In that safe are files about a case I was working in Newark but never finished. Everything in those files will help you now, as I can't.

Good luck.

Keep an extra close eye on Gracie and Kono, okay? I'm not sure if it'll come to them being used, but then again...

-Danny

Steve read it again, slowly and carefully. Gathering both pieces of paper in his fists, Steve practically ran out of the palace and to his truck. Steve had kept Danny's Camaro parked at his house, and he was suddenly glad he did.

Parking the truck behind the car gave him some cover from watching eyes and Steve used every bit of it. He found the safe, unlocked it, put all the files and folders in the pack he was carrying and headed inside.

Steve pent the rest of the evening and night studying the papers, reading each one carefully. By the time he was done, all Steve could think was, 'What the hell?'