A/N: Life's a b/tch at the moment for the both of us. So, if we missed anyone in our replies, we are sorry. Thank you all for your patience and for your support.
We are both taking an Easter-break, so there won't be an update next week. But we are right back on schedule and will keep you posted about any coming stories or chapters on our profile page. Every Monday we will give a sit-rep, so to speak. ;-)
Now, enough talking, we hope you will enjoy this chapter.
Stairway to Heaven - Chapter 6
Tripler Army Medical Center, present day
Catherine sat in the dimly-lit hospital room watching Steve sleep. She was exhausted after yesterday's frantic hike up the Haiku Stairs, the near-sleepless night in a sleeping bag, and finally this morning's ill-fated hike and chopper rescue. She was much calmer now that she was finally in the same room with Steve, but the morning had been a hectic one. Hospitals were notorious for taking their time in letting family members know what was going on, but she thought Tripler was the absolute worst in that aspect. It had seemed hours before a doctor had finally come to report that Steve was stable and in relatively good condition after his fall down the mountain.
Although after finally getting a good look at him, she felt the words "relatively good" were misleading!
Steve appeared to be sleeping peacefully after his ordeal although his sleep was drug induced from anesthesia. In addition, he was suffering from a concussion which altered his consciousness. Cath was concerned that he wasn't awake but the doctor assured her that Steve had woken in the ER and had been alert and able to answer a couple of easy questions.
She was glad to hear that he had been awake because during the chopper transport he really had her scared. The two medics on board had treated him for shock while checking for injuries. They tried to rouse Steve but had gotten no response from their patient. Catherine could see their concern in the furtive glances they gave each other and when one asked the ETA of the chopper, she began to fear that things were worse than she thought.
Now she was thankful to finally be allowed in the same room with him and wanted to check every bandage. There was a spectacular bruise on his forehead and around his eye with a cut near his eyebrow that was held together with several small steri-strips. His cheek was scraped raw and another steri-strip adorned the cleft of his chin. Through the thin gown Steve was wearing, she could see the larger white bandage running from his left shoulder to his neck covering the incision that closed the broken collarbone. Another swath of gauze on his side hid fourteen stitches. The wounds had been debrided of rock and dirt before being closed and Steve was on a cocktail of antibiotics to counter the infection that had set in. He was still running a fever, but at the moment the doctor wasn't overly concerned, feeling they had taken care of the problem in its early stages.
His right foot was a mess of bruises. It was wrapped in a cold pack and resting on a pillow. The ligaments across the top of his foot had been torn when they were jerked by the rope, but the orthopedic had assured her that with a splint and rest, it would heal without problem. In addition to the major injuries he was also covered from head to toe by scratches and bruises and she knew there were a few more minor cuts that had been sutured as well.
The day was catching up with Catherine and she had just dropped off to sleep when her phone dinged. She jerked upright and stretched, knowing she would have a crick in her neck if she fell asleep in that position. The call was from Danny and she got up and moved closer to the door to talk, not wanting to disturb her sleeping friend.
"Hey, we're back," Danny said. "How're things there?"
"We're OK, I guess. Steve's finally in a room after having surgery to set his shoulder. The doctor said it should heal without a problem. Once he wakes up and they assess him, if he is still stable and his fever hasn't risen, the doc said he might go home tomorrow. He just needs complete rest but Dr. Raegan said he could do that at home."
"Yes, but will he?" Danny asked.
"Oh, trust me… I'm gonna make sure he rests," she replied. "Besides, he'll need crutches to walk and can't use them because of his shoulder. He has no choice but to stay where I put him."
Danny chuckled. "Can I watch?"
"You know, contrary to popular belief, Steve does know when to stand down."
"I know he does. But that doesn't mean he'll like it and that's the battle I want to see." She could hear Danny's laughter in the phone before he added, "Hey, I'm gonna go pay Raymond a little visit, but I'll be by later."
"OK, see you soon. Hopefully Steve will be awake by the time you get here." She hung up the phone and turned back toward the bed.
"Hey," a gravelly voice said from across the room.
Catherine looked up and smiled. "Hey, yourself." She leaned over the bed and gently kissed the top of his head. "How do you feel?"
Steve scrunched up his face, then grimaced at the pain that action caused. "Fuzzy. But I'm going home tomorrow? I heard you say so."
She stood and smiled. "Of course that is the one thing you heard. The doctor said if everything looks good, he might let you go. Now tell me how you really feel."
Steve thought for a moment, and then replied, "Head hurts. A lot. Shoulder is aching but nothing else hurts. Jus' tired."
"Commander, next time you decide to take a hike off the trail, would you mind letting us know first? You had me scared."
"Sorry. Wasn't expecting anyone else to be there." Steve tried to yawn, but stopped mid-way through. "Ow, now my face hurts."
"Trust me, everything's going to begin to hurt soon enough," she warned him. "Most of your body is black and blue. They repaired the break in your shoulder and you've got stitches in your side. Plus assorted other places."
"Anything else I should know about?" he asked, opening his eyes and carefully raising his head off the bed. That wasn't the best move and he landed back on the pillow with a groan.
"Be still!" Cath warned. "There are some torn ligaments in your foot, nothing you have to see right now. The doctor said it will need a splint for a couple of weeks to keep it stable."
" 'K," Steve mumbled, the conversation clearly tiring him. His eyes closed against his will but he continued, "Wha'happened to your face?"
She reached up and touched her scraped cheek. "You, Danny and I took a tumble this morning. Do you remember that?" His eyes remained closed, but she could tell he was trying to recall the morning.
"Not really. Think I remember hearing a chopper."
"Well, by that time you were pretty much out of it. Now… why don't you try to get some more rest?"
"Yeah… so you have a plan for making sure I stay… and I quote… where you put me?"
"Ah, you heard that?"
"Uh huh." He grinned and opened his eyes. "Care to explain?"
Catherine gave him a wicked grin and gently kissed his forehead. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see, Commander!"
Steve tried to stay awake to chat a little more with Cath, to learn more about what has happened, but the drugs running through his system and the toll the injuries took on him finally won out. He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of overhearing another conversation many years ago invading his mind.
- - - H50 - - -
Kapi' Olani Children's Hospital - 1989
Steve could hear low voices… arguing. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but there was no doubt that his mom was royally miffed. Steve was sure her anger was directed at him. And he could understand that, had even expected it. He had lied to his parents, just like his friends had done. And lying like that was something he had never done before.
It had been kind of exciting to come up with the cover story they all had told their parents. But now he regretted it. He didn't even have a good excuse, or any excuse for what he did. He simply wanted to hike up the Haiku stairs, and to reach that goal they came to the conclusion they had to lie to their parents and come up with a cover story.
They knew the risks; what would happen when their parents figured out what their kids had done. They had thought their plan was bulletproof; none of them thought anything could go wrong. But wrong it went. So totally wrong that it could be called a total screw up.
Steve had yet to open his eyes, or show any sign that he was awake, but that would require for him to move. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to do that. The last thing he could clearly remember was an incredible pain in his shoulder and some white bloody bone sticking out of his body. And embarrassing himself for crying like a little kid. And he vaguely remembered being held by his dad, but had no idea when that had been.
He had no desire to wake the pain that he was sure was just waiting to come out again. Besides he was really sleepy. Steve kept listening to the angry voices and let it lull him back to sleep.
- - - H50 - - -
"You should have called me, John."
"Doris, I called you as soon as I knew where Steve was," John McGarrett told her again. "There was nothing you could have done anyway."
That had obviously been the wrong thing to say. "My son almost died today, and you didn't even call me," Doris answered in a deadly quiet voice.
"I'm sorry, okay? I just thought I'd call when I had more information. Doris, please, let's not argue about it anymore," John pleaded with his wife. "Maybe I should have called you sooner, but I thought…"
"I know. I'm sorry I snapped like that. I know you did what you thought best," Doris interrupted and took her husband's hand, drawing him closer. "Please tell me how you found Steve."
- - - H50 - - -
Tripler Army Medical Center, present day
Dr. Raegan was hesitant in signing Steve's release papers because Steve was having bouts of dizziness and a continual headache. Steve's temp, while not rising, had remained constant throughout the night and the doctor felt IV antibiotics were still warranted.
But Steve was as strong-willed as Raegan and finally persuaded him to sign the papers after lunch. He had set out to prove that even with a headache he was capable of recuperating at home.
His left arm was strapped across his chest, but Steve managed to walk across the room utilizing one crutch, proving he could manage on his own. Dr. Raegan was skeptical, but released him on strict house arrest… and into Catherine's care, which irked Steve a little but he was willing to concede defeat in that matter. As long as he got home he was sure he would come to an understanding with Catherine.
After talking with Danny and Chin, they had decided that Chin's vehicle would be best suited for Steve to ride in since Cath's and Danny's cars were too low and the truck was too high for him to climb into. The moment Steve got into the car he began to pester Chin about every aspect of the case, wanting to know details. Chin hedged, saying it was a long story just as Catherine's phone rang.
"Hey, Danny."
"So, did they spring him?"
"Yeah, we're on our way home now. Hey, are you free to come over tonight? Steve wants all the details on the case and I thought we could order pizza and everyone can fill in the details."
"Sure, I'll tell Kono. Let me know if he gets too rowdy for you."
"I will. Don't worry, we'll be fine. See you later." She ended the call and leaned forward in the seat. "How about we both rest this afternoon and everyone can come over later to discuss the case. You just have to promise me you'll be a model patient today. Deal?"
"A model patient? Should I remind you who you're talking to?"
"I know exactly who I'm talking to," she grinned, eliciting a smile from him.
Steve scoffed. He was always a model patient. Just ask him.
But in this case it happened to be true. After managing the slow, shuffling walk from the car to the house, Steve barely made it to the recliner before he leaned back and promptly fell asleep with a sigh of relief. Cath added a pillow beneath his injured foot and covered him with an afghan before thanking Chin again for the ride home.
"I'll call for pizza later on, so you guys come on over. Once he wakes up, I'm sure the case will be all that's on his mind. As you heard in the car, he wants answers."
"That he does. We'll be by later. Just call if you need anything before then."
She nodded. "We're good; I'm going to try and catch a nap, too."
"Not a bad idea," Chin said with a grin. "See you later."
- - - H50 - - -
Steve woke sometime later, blinking in the darkening room and soon realized daylight had all but disappeared. He raised his head off the chair and felt a rush of dizziness accompanied by the flush of heat traveling from his neck into his head.
He quickly laid his head back down and let out a breath of frustration.
"Hey!" Catherine's voice came from around the corner. "I was getting worried."
"Unh," Steve mumbled, trying to raise the chair so that he could sit up. "What'times' people comin?"
"Well, they're not coming today," Catherine told him and held up her hand against the verbal assault she knew was coming.
Steve attempted a glare which didn't phase her one bit.
"Before you start," she began, "it's late. You have been sleeping since 1430, and when I say 'asleep', I mean pretty much dead to the world. I tried to wake you three times and I took your temperature twice. Not only did you not move, I actually checked to see if you were breathing! Danny, Chin and I decided you weren't in any condition for company."
"Cath," the whine began.
"Don't Cath me, Steve. You're running a temp of 101 and after being asleep since forever and not drinking anything, I'm sure you're dehydrated in addition to concussed, infected and lame."
"Am not." He attempted to scoot out of the chair with one usable arm and one strong leg. He didn't get far.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm getting my six outta this chair. If you must know, nature's calling."
"Then here's your crutch. I'll help you up," she sweetly told him and held on to the back of his shirt until he was upright. "Do you need any help?"
He turned around to stare once again. Catherine grinned. "That is your 'bite me' face and so help me, if you say those words, I will do it. Now, you got this? If so, I'll warm up some soup because you need to get something in your stomach so you can take your meds."
Steve began walking toward the bathroom with Cath following behind. "Not really hungry. It wouldn't stay down anyway," Steve grumbled, frustrated about his current condition.
She placed her hand on his back. "OK, come on into the kitchen when you're finished and maybe you can try a shake or something. The doctor said we need to get your temperature down. Maybe the cold drink will help."
"When did he say that?" he asked while closing the bathroom door.
"When I called him about an hour ago," she admitted.
"Geez…, gimme a break," was heard from behind the door.
- - - H50 - - -
"I feel like a grandpa going to bed this early," Steve grumbled once he was in bed.
"Oh, yeah?" Cath said, grinning at him. "Well, you're the cutest grandpa I've ever seen. We've got pain pills, water, a pillow for your foot… anything else we need?"
"Yeah," Steve said, patting the space next to him. "You… right here. And I'll have you know that I'll be a rockin' grandpa."
"Is that so?" Catherine turned out the light and carefully got into bed, snuggling as closely as she could. "I hope I'm around to see that," she told him.
"Plan on it," he told her with a smile. "And come here, you're not gonna hurt anything." He held out his arm and waited until she placed her head on his shoulder. "There, that's better."
"Mmm, yes it is," she agreed. "I just don't want to kick your foot."
"It's all good." They were silent for a couple of minutes before he said, "Thank you."
Cath raised up her head. "What for?
"Just stuff," he admitted. "But I guess for not having people here tonight. I'm still kinda tired."
She smiled. "So… you're saying that I was right and you were wrong? Is that what I'm hearing?"
"Well, no, I'm just—"
"Stubborn? Pig-headed? Obstinate?" she interrupted with a grin.
"OK, let's just drop it. You were right," Steve conceded with a smile, which she could rather feel than see in the dark of their bedroom.
"Of course I was," she admitted, kissing his shoulder. "Do you think you can sleep? Does your head still hurt?"
"Um hmm… it's not bad as long as I'm still." He had to stop speaking when a yawn erupted. "Guess I'm sleepy. But, I swear tomorrow I'm going to find out about this crazy case, got it? I want everyone here."
She leaned in to give him another kiss. "Aye, aye, Commander."
"Don't be a smart ass, Lieutenant."
- - - H50 - - -
"OK, Chin, I let you finish a piece of pizza," Steve said with a grin. "And I've been patient long enough. It's time to tell me what this insane case was all about."
They were sitting on the lanai and everyone but Steve was enjoying the pizza Catherine had ordered. Steve had wisely declined a piece after realizing his stomach wouldn't appreciate the food. Even after a good night's sleep, he was still battling a headache and occasional dizziness.
He had managed to keep a banana-milk-shake down, but he didn't want to tempt his luck.
Chin took a drink of his beer which Steve longingly looked at. He had reached for one of the long neck bottles earlier but Catherine had snared it from his fingers while he heard Danny 'tsk tsk' at his attempt. In its place, Catherine had handed him a bottle of water.
He got the message quickly that there would be no alcohol for him that day.
Chin turned his seat around to face Steve. "How long do you have?" he asked. "This could make a TV mini-series."
"Although a bad one," Kono said, tossing her plate into the trash. "These guys were lolo."
Catherine leaned down close to Steve and whispered, "Do you need anything before they begin? More water? Anything to eat? Pain pill?"
Steve gave a minute shake of his head and glanced at her. "Not now… I'm good."
The look on Catherine's face showed her disbelief but she settled in the chair next to him, crossing one foot beneath her and reaching out to lay her hand on his leg.
"OK, they were crazy," Steve replied to Kono while lacing his fingers with Cath's. "I could have told you that much. What I want to know is who did what… and why?"
Chin began the tale. "First off, Raymond was quite willing to talk, trying to make amends when he learned who you were. Apparently killing two friends is OK, but when you mess with law enforcement, it's a serious matter. He said, 'But I didn't know who that dude was… I thought he was gonna steal my stuff.'"
"Yeah, Brah," Kono added, "I think he thought he could just take it all back if he confessed to what he had done. It's like he forgot the two bodies he left up on the stairs."
"Well, according to Raymond," Chin continued. "All this was their fault. He shouldn't be held responsible for their stupidity."
"That sounds like most criminals I've talked to," Danny said with a grin.
"Before we get to this story, I need to fill you in on the background." Chin took another swallow of his beer and continued. "When Raymond was 19 he graduated from high school."
"Wow… that was um… a little slow, wasn't it?" Cath asked. "Any reason for it other than not being the brightest?"
"Well... just wait and you'll see just how bright he is. His friends Ricky and Dennis were 18 so they might have been a tad bit smarter. Raymond's uncle, Mr. Makai had promised to buy him a car when he graduated, so at the age of 19, Raymond was the proud owner of a brand new 2009 Mustang. His uncle also gave him a thousand dollars for insurance for the first six months."
"Nice uncle," Steve muttered.
"Yeah, and only forty-eight hours later, the car was in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the Pali. The kids were all OK, but the car was toast. And… to show you how bright Raymond was, he had used the insurance money for a huge beach party. So, now, what do you think he did?"
"Go crawling back to Uncle?" Steve deduced.
"Exactly. Raymond went to his uncle and actually asked for another new car. Uncle apparently told him to grow up and put him out of the house. Raymond was mad and managed to swipe the statue that night when he took his mother back with him to plead his case. When that didn't work, he decided he'd take something for his trouble. He took the statue because it was something he knew his uncle valued. Raymond had no clue of its true worth."
"But even before he could get to a pawn shop with the statue, the theft was all over the news," Kono said. "So he knew he had no way of getting money for it."
"Raymond said that hiding it under the stairs was Dennis' idea, so they hiked up early one morning and found the space beneath the stairway. And over the last six years, the statue has remained and the three of them pretty much lost contact with each another."
"Dennis heard that Uncle died a couple weeks ago and he came to Raymond, asking about the long-forgotten statue. Dennis was a little cash-poor and wanted his share of the profits," Kono said.
"And that's why all this was Dennis' fault!" Chin told them. "Raymond said he wanted no part of it."
"Then why is Raymond the only one left alive?" Steve asked.
"A very good question. Raymond went to Ricky's and they all decided to go up the stairs. Ricky was more interested in actually walking the stairs than in the statue… at least according to Raymond."
"And yet Ricky is dead and Raymond isn't," Danny pointed out.
"It gets better," Chin promised. They met and began their hike and Ricky did want to climb the stairs. He left the other two at the bridge section. And this is where it gets good, Steve. You should probably receive a commendation from the governor!"
"Huh?" Steve asked, wiggling a bit in his seat to get more comfortable. He stopped fidgeting when he saw Catherine watching him more closely.
"The guys went under the bridge and not only did Dennis find the statue, he found countless other items hidden there. It seems that even though Raymond was into car repair during the day, he had a more lucrative job at night." Chin leaned forward in his seat. "Get this… there were stolen items from no less than six unsolved robberies hidden up there… all of which occurred in the last five years." He shook his head and grinned. "And HPD isn't finished cataloguing everything… there may be more."
Steve had a look of disbelief. "Guess Raymond was good at something, huh?"
"Yeah, but when Dennis found this out, Raymond said he was really pissed. Imagine that!" Kono added. "So, Raymond said to keep his little secret, he had to kill Dennis. He surprised him with the knife and stabbed him, then pushed him over the side. The plan was to tell Ricky that Dennis had fallen."
"Only Raymond didn't know that Ricky was on his way back down the stairs and he saw the whole thing. Ricky ran the rest of the way down and confronted Raymond. They fought over the knife and somehow Ricky got it from Raymond, but then began running back up the mountain…"
"Sounds like he wasn't so bright either," Danny said. "Nothing on top could save him. Why didn't he run down?"
"Who knows?" Chin replied. "Raymond chased him and clubbed him with the statue. Then he came back down to make sure all the rest of his treasure was well hidden. He was under the bridge when he heard the chopper and saw people zipping down. Then he heard you talking on your phone on your way up and knew he had to wait until you left the scene before he could come out of hiding."
"Yeah, Boss and it was your fault you got hit with the statue. If you had minded your own business, you would have made it to the bottom and so would he… those were Raymond's exact words."
"I look forward to having a little chat with Raymond," Steve replied with a grin.
"When you're ready to go to the office," Cath reminded him.
Steve rolled his eyes at her then had to blink to refocus when the action made him dizzy. He laid his head back against the chair and closed his eyes for a few seconds, knowing Catherine and probably Danny were watching him again. He grinned. "Yes, I'm fine and no, I don't need anything," he said, opening his eyes to stare at her.
"I wasn't going to ask…" she said and turned away from him.
"I got a question," Danny asked, staring at Steve.
Here it comes. "What, Danny?"
"Why did you lie when you said you hadn't been on the mountain? Because I'm pretty sure you've been there."
Steve paused a moment to arrange his thoughts. "You asked if I had ever been 'on top' of the stairs. And I hadn't, so I didn't lie to you."
They heard a voice from the beach and everyone turned that direction.
"Mind if I join you?" a man wearing a flight uniform asked. He came closer and Steve got a good look at him, then smiled in recognition.
"Skip! I haven't seen you for years. Guys, this is Skip Cromer; and he grew up a couple houses down. His parents still live down there." He held out his hand to shake the newcomer's hand. "Skip joined the Coast Guard and I really had a bad case of hero worship."
"Sorry to barge in like this, but I wanted to check on you," he said. "Wanted to see if you were trying to earn frequent flyer miles?"
Steve shook his head, not understanding Skip's question. "Huh?"
"I was the pilot of the chopper yesterday," Skip explained. "Didn't know it was you until we had landed and I signed off on the report. But, as I recall, that was the second time we met on that mountain."
"Oh, the plot thickens," Danny said in delight. "We were just beginning to discuss the fact that this wasn't Steve's first visit to the stairway."
"From the looks of you, the trip ended about the same," Skip said.
"OK, you don't have to rub it in," Steve complained.
"So, tell us," Danny continued. "What kind of trouble did you get him out of the first time?"
- - - H50 - - -