It was turning into the longest night of McGarrett's life.
After Dr. Sessums had left, he'd sat down, head in his hands, feeling the life drain from him.
He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, and looking up, saw Duke standing there.
"I heard what the doctor said. I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do, let me know."
Steve nodded. "At this point about the only thing I can think of is pray. I'm all out of other options."
"I hate to bring it up, but the sooner this is done the better. I need the gun you shot Collins and Barker with."
Steve handed over the .45. Duke took out the clip and ejected the round from the chamber before bagging the weapon for the lab. "I shot Collins?"
"And Barker. Barker's alive. Collins is stone dead. You put one through his head, just above his right eye."
"How's Compton? I like that kid. He's got potential."
"Going into surgery in about an hour. Ivory's with him. Colonel Dale got here a few minutes ago. He's talking to Susan now. I think he's going to order her to stay here overnight. He's probably the only man on this Rock she can't argue with."
"What about Big Chicken."
"Waiting for surgery. He'll live. He may not want to, but he'll survive."
"Why's that?"
"My shot shattered his spine. The doctors are saying he's going to be paralyzed from the waist down."
"He did say he didn't care if he walked out of there. Guess he got his wish."
"Sometimes karma wins one," Duke said quietly.
McGarrett was staring into space and doing a good job of scaring the hell out of Duke. When he did speak, his tone was so low he could barely be heard. "Last night, god that seems so long ago now, we were lying in bed, and she's sleeping. I've go my hand on her tummy, and there's this little flutter that's so soft you can hardly feel it. Then it was there again, like something very tiny had rolled over in its sleep to get into a more comfortable position. She never woke up. She never knew. I can never tell her." He took a deep breath, trying to think, trying to put thoughts into words. "Chicken murdered our child before it got a chance to live. He's going to pay for that."
"He already is, Steve. He'll be spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair."
"That's not enough," McGarrett said quietly.
"Which one of you is Mr. McGarrett," asked a tall man in surgical scrubs and a lab coat.
"Over here," Steve said.
"I'm Dr. Barrett," the man said. "I'm going to be doing the surgery on Sgt Alden's spine. Could you come with me a minute, please. This will be easier to explain if I show you the pictures."
Steve followed him to the nurses station, where the x-rays were hanging from the light boxes. "Have you ever seen her x-rays before?" Barrett asked.
"No, but if the scars from the surgery are any indication it can't be good." Steve said.
"These may be a little disquieting at first glance." He turned on the light boxes. The metal holding Maggie's spine together glowed on the films. There was a lot of it. "As you can see, there was extensive damage done during the initial injury. Fortunately, it's well healed. However, it did leave one weak spot, here at L-4 and L-5 and that's where the new injury is located. As soon as Dr. Sessums is done, I'm going in and fusing both those. Then I'm going to repair the damage done when she was hit this last time. That means taking out the old hardware and putting in new. It's not a complicated procedure, just a time consuming one. Six to eight hours, and that's after Dr Sessums is done. I don't think there's any nerve damage, but I've got a neurosurgeon standing by, just in case."
"How soon will you know if there is any nerve damage?"
"She was in a lot of pain before we put her out. In this case, that's a damned good indication that everything is working. I'd be more concerned if she wasn't in pain. Like that man with the bullet in his back. He's not going to be feeling anything below the waist ever again. I understand he is responsible for Sgt Alden's injuries."
"Her's and a lot of other people's. He would have killed her if the officer hadn't shot him."
Barrett nodded. Working in trauma was an education in the human experience. "I'm expecting Sgt Alden to make a full recovery. It will take time, but I think she's going to be fine. If you will excuse me, I've got to get scrubbed and brief my OR team. I'll see you around daybreak."
Steve went back to the waiting room. Lu and Colonel Dale were there, Lu in surgical scrubs and wearing Duke's fatigue shirt. Duke must have told them about the baby. Lu was clinging to Duke, crying.
"I'm sorry, son," the Colonel said, squeezing McGarrett's shoulder. "Is she going to be okay?"
"The doctor says she should be fine, only that the surgery is going to take a while. You may as well go home. She's going to be in there until the morning."
"I'm not going anywhere," Lu said. "This is Walter Reed all over. We kept each other alive there, we'll do it again here."
"I didn't know you were at Walter Reed," Duke said.
"It's one of those things that neither of us likes to talk about. I was there for cancer treatment. She was there learning how to walk again. My ex always said that if they separated us something bad would happen. She was on a convoy that got mortared and I ended up with cancer. That's the only thing he and I ever managed to agree on." She started crying again as Duke held her. "It was horrible. She was hurt and Michael was dead. The damned war was over and I had to pack up her things for storage because no one knew if she was going to be able to stay in the Army. I had just got back to Germany. All I wanted to do was get my daughter back home and have a semi normal life. Then I found the damned lump and the mammogram found more and then there was a biopsy and the next thing I know I'm packing up my things because I'm going to Walter Reed for cancer treatment. Lumpectomy, radiation and chemo. I got lucky, I got to keep the girls." She took a deep breath. To her Duke always smelled of salt water, patchouli and coco butter, masculine and comforting. "We were both a mess. She was doing physical therapy about six hours a day, and if I wasn't doing chemo it was radiation. My hair was falling out in clumps. Hers was just starting to come back in, only whoever had cut hers had done an awful job and it was growing out in uneven hanks. Both of us looked like bone racks. She either couldn't or wouldn't eat and the chemo made me so nauseous I couldn't keep a damned thing down." Duke understood this. He'd gone though the same process with his wife. He still had nightmares that he hadn't done enough to help her. "Anyway, one day she gets the medic to wheel her over to the cancer ward. She says we both need some sun, so they round up another wheelchair because I'm too damned weak to walk more than a few feet without fainting and off we go down this walking path to this nice park with some trees and a few rosebushes and she tells our chauffeurs to beat it for about an hour." She looked up, giving Duke, Steve, and Colonel Dale a rueful look. "I probably shouldn't be telling this to a couple of cops and my CO, but what the hell, it was years ago and we didn't get caught. Maggie gets this crazy little half smile, I know you've all seen it, the one that let's you know she's up to something, and she pulls this plastic baggie out of her pocket and it's got six of the biggest, fattest, juiciest joints I've ever seen in it, not that I've ever seen fat, juicy joints before, never touch the stuff. Really, never. She said she'd heard that marijuana was good for nausea and she knew it'd give you the munchies and since neither of us were able to eat, we might as well give it try. We got stoned off our asses. But we both ate our dinner and our breakfast and managed to keep it down for the first time in weeks. That next day we both went to barber shop. She got crewcut to even out the mess the medics had left and I had my head shaved. Remind me to show you the pictures one day. I weighed 97 pounds and was bald. Not a good look for me. And that's how we survived Walter Reed. By smoking too much weed and raising hell with the medics."
"My Kukana," Duke whispered, holding her close. "I knew you were special the first time I saw you." He ran his fingers through her soft curls, wondering if he'd ever be able to tell her just how precious she had become to him.
Steve even managed a slight smile. Colonel Dale just shook his head. There wasn't much those two could get up to that surprised him anymore.
Duke heard his daughter call his name. "Dad! Mom! We heard the news and got here as soon as we could." Eddie and Lillie were crushing them both in a huge hug.
"I thought I told you to stay at Kala's*," he said, trying to sound stern and failing badly.
"It's all over the news, Dad," Eddie said, "You and Five-O are famous for bringing in those creeps and rescuing Mom. Hilo PD got us a ride on a Coast Guard chopper and HPD met us at the heliport. Good thing we got out of there when we did. What's left of a hurricane is moving in and nothing else is going to be flying until the day after tomorrow."
"Yes," said Lillie. "I'm so proud of you, Dad. You got Mom back for us."
"Hey, wait a minute!' Lu said. "What's with the mom stuff?"
Lillie and Eddie gave each other the look that only siblings can achieve when wondering about the sanity of their parents. Lillie gave Duke an exasperated look. "We thought you'd asked her already."
"I've been a little busy," Duke said, face flaming red.
"Dad," Eddie said, shaking his head. Eddie was a twenty year old clone of his father, his thick dark hair already showing streaks of silver. "Sometimes you think too much. Susan, consider this a family proposal. Please marry our Dad because we'd really like for you to be our mom."
"How about it, Susan?" Duke asked. "Do you remember a while back when I told you I didn't know how to ask and you said yes. Yes to anything I had in mind. Among other things, the one thing I had in mind was spending the rest of my life with you."
"Duke," she said, looking into those dark chocolate eyes. "The answer's still yes."
Lu found herself being crushed in a Lukela family hug.
At that moment Dr. Sessums came in, looking both tired and relieved.
"Mr. McGarrett," she said, crossing the room and taking his hand, "I've got the bleeding stopped and she's stabilized. Dr. Barrett has started surgery and so far everything looks good."
"Why am I hearing a however in all this?" Steve asked.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I got the bleeding stopped. But to do it I had to perform an emergency hysterectomy. When the placenta tore loose from the uterine wall, it took a huge piece of the wall with it. The only way I could stop the bleeding was to remove the uterus."
"I know you did your best, Doctor." Steve said.
"Sometimes your best doesn't seem good enough, Mr. McGarrett. I know she really wanted a child. Now it's never going to happen. I'm sorry."
"She's still alive, doctor," he said, "and to me, that's all that matters."
Dr Sessums got up, sighing. "I've had a long day and tomorrow's going to be here soon enough. There's a storm moving in and when the barometer starts dropping so do the babies. If someone would be so kind as to drive me back to Tripler, I'd like to go home. I'll be in tomorrow to check on her, Mr. McGarrett. She's a tough lady. She's going to be alright."
McGarrett nodded. "Duke, could you get someone from HPD to give the doctor a ride home?"
"Not a problem, Steve. Come with me, doctor. Susan, kids, could you get us some coffee please. Steve looks like he could use some."
"Coming right up," she said. "This way, kids, I saw a coffee shop at the end of the hallway. You can buy your mom a coffee, since I have no idea where my wallet is."
They left, Lillie on one side, Eddie on the other, their arms around their new mom.
Sometimes, Steve thought, the good balances out the evil.
"Steve" Danny said.
McGarrett looked up at the sound of his name. Danny, Kono, and Chin were standing at the door of the waiting room.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Aren't you suppose to be processing the crime scene?"
"Everyone's done but the lab," Danny said. "I knew you wouldn't leave so I got you some clean clothes. You can use the shower in the doctor's locker room. It doesn't show that much on black but you've got blood all over you."
"Thanks," he said, standing up. "I guess I do look a mess."
"You don't want to scare Maggie just as she's coming out of anesthesia. You're looking kinda rough."
"Today started at three this morning." he said. "She's going to be in surgery for at least another six hours. I'm not leaving until she's out."
"Come on, Brudah," Danny said. "Let's go get you cleaned up."
"We'll wait here," Chin said. "We'll be here when you get back."
"Yeah, alaka'i," said Kono. "Ohana mau loa."
As Steve followed Danny to locker room he realized that he had a bigger family than he'd ever hoped for. My Ohana, he thought, they've always been there. I wonder if I'll ever be able to tell them how much I care about them. Then he realized he wouldn't have to. They already knew.
Duke found Marks in the hallway by the ER with Kanoa and Franklin, all awaiting news about Compton. "He's going into surgery in a few minutes," Duke said. "There's a waiting room down the hall. Kanoa, please give Dr. Sessums a ride back to Tripler."
"No problem, Sergeant," Kanoa said. "How are the women? The two sergeants? They going to be okay?"
"Susan wasn't hurt and Sgt Alden's in surgery. The doctors are expecting her to make a full recovery. Thank you for asking." Duke said. He handed Franklin McGarrett's gun, sealed and tagged inside a plastic evidence bag. "Franklin, take this to the lab, please." Franklin took the bag and the two officers left.
"The shooting review team is going to be here as soon as they're done at the scene," Marks said. "I already told them what I saw."
"That's all you could tell them, son." Duke said. "Where do they have Big Chicken?"
"He's waiting for surgery. The docs got him stabilized and said he could wait. I think they got sick of listening to Barker bitch and knocked his ass out. The powers that be are gonna want to talk to both of them as soon as possible. Chicken's in trauma room two. He's conscious. According to the docs, he ain't feeling a thing below the waist."
"Thanks, kid. When Ivory comes out, take her to the waiting room." Duke said. He went down the hall to trauma room two. There were two HPD officers standing by the door. "I need to see Mr. Rhodes for a few minutes."
Duke was wearing a black tee shirt and black fatigue pants and boots, badge pinned to his tee shirt, the expression on his face inscrutable. There was something about the look that worried the officer guarding the door.
"The doctor said no visitors," the officer said.
"I need to ask him a few questions," Duke said. "Just in case he dies during surgery."
The officer, a young black man named Wilkes decided he rather piss off a doctor than the man who could have him walking a beat in the worse part of town. "You can have about ten minutes, Sgt Lukela."
"It won't take that long," he said as he entered the room.
Big Chicken was lying on his side draped in a sheet and hooked up to various pieces of medical equipment. Duke walked over to where Chicken could get a good look at him. He wanted Chicken to know who was talking to him, and why.
"You know who I am?" he asked.
Chicken nodded.
"I shot you. I didn't kill you. I could have but I didn't. Do you know why?"
Chicken shook his head.
"That would have been too easy. You have caused nothing but pain to other people since you were old enough to start snatching purses from elderly ladies. You have left a trail of misery wherever you go, from the kids you sold that poison to, to those three little girls we found in the cellar at the mission. All you've ever done is hurt people. Then you made the mistake of threatening my family. I can't allow that. You had Susan and my kids followed. No one threatens my family. No one."
"Your days of hurting people are over. This is the last. You threatened Susan and you hurt Maggie Alden and I don't think you would have stopped there. I think you would have been stupid enough to have gone after my kids and after Beverly Patterson next. So I stopped you. But I didn't kill you because I want you to suffer and to remember every bit of the pain and misery that you've ever caused. Call it karma. Call it payback for the evil you've done. Call it anything you damned well please. It all ends up the same. You're going to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair wearing a diaper and pissing into a bag in a federal prison on the mainland, away from any of your networks and your connections. You're going to be on your own without your hired muscle. You're going to be just another loser con hoping to die in his sleep."
"Evil begins when you treat people like things. That's what you did. You treated people like things to be used and thrown away. Now it's your turn. I hope you have a long and reflective life."
Duke turned and walked out the room. He stopped momentarily to speak with Wilkes. "There are two people who are not allowed near Rhodes under any circumstances. One of them is Steve McGarrett, the other one is me. Got that?"
"Yes, sir," Wilkes said. "Don't let Mr. McGarrett or you near Mr. Rhodes."
"Good," Duke said. "Thank you, Officer Wilkes. Be sure and pass the word along to you relief."
"Will do, sir." Wilkes watched as Duke walked away.
The storm started around two, with wind and rain and a few flashes of lightening. Mostly it poured rain in sheets.
McGarrett had been sitting staring into space for the last few of hours, causing those who knew him well to worry. Sitting still was never one of his strong points. It was as if all the energy had been drained from him, leaving only an empty shell.
Colonel Dale had gone home. Ivory Thompson was sitting with Compton in recovery, holding his hand and wondering what in the hell her mama was going to do when she brought that white boy home to meet the rest of the family. Duke had sent his kids home, reminding them they had school unless the storm caused a bad weather day. Lu refused to leave. She was curled up next to Duke with her head resting on his shoulder wrapped in a blanket one of the hospital volunteers had brought. Steve had insisted that Chin and Kono go home, since someone had to be at the office the next day. He tried to get Danny to leave, only to be refused. Danny, like Duke, wasn't leaving until he knew that Maggie was out of surgery and was recovering. Neither of them wanted to think about the alternative and what it would do to McGarrett or Susan.
Just after four, Dr. Barrett came in.
"Mr. McGarrett," he said, smiling, "Maggie is out of surgery and in recovery. She's doing well. I'll take you to her if you would like to see her."
Lu sat up. "She's okay?"
"Yes," said Dr. Barrett. "She's doing extremely well. You can see her later on today. Right now I'd suggest you get some rest yourself."
"See," Duke said, "I told you she'd be alright. Now will you go to your room and try to get some rest?"
She smiled and nodded. Duke helped her to her feet and walked with her to the room and to the bed she was suppose to have been resting in that night.
"You ready to see your lady, Mr. McGarrett?" Dr Barrett asked.
"Yes, and thank you."
Dr Barrett showed him to the recovery area where Maggie was resting, still out from the anesthesia and pain killers.
"She probably won't know you're here," the doctor said, "and if she says anything she's not going to make much sense, but she's doing great. Let me show you." He pulled back the covers, and taking a reflex hammer from the pocket of his lab coat, ran the handle down the bottom of Maggie's bare foot. Her toes curled in response. "See, good reflexes. I don't think there's any nerve damage at all. We'll know more once she's fully conscious, but that's going to be a few hours from now. For now we're just going to let her sleep."
"Thank God for that," Steve said.
"That's one tough lady. I'll leave you two alone for now. The nurse will be back in a few minutes to check on her."
"Maggie, sweetie, my little Menehune," Steve whispered, bending to kiss her. She seemed too pale and too quiet. He pushed a stray lock of hair back from her face, noticing that her hair was still braided and pinned up. He very gently removed the hairpins and uncoiled the braid, pulling her hair down over her shoulder. When the nurse came in to check Maggie's vital signs, he asked for a comb. The nurse brought him one, curious as to why, and went to check on another patient.
Very gently, so as not to disturb her sleep or to pull her hair, he unbraided the long tresses and started combing out the snarls and tangles. When he was done and her hair was once again a smooth silver sheet, he braided it into one long loose braid that fell over one shoulder, securing the end with the hair band he'd removed earlier.
Danny, Duke, and the Governor of Hawaii stood by the door of the recovery room, watching the chief of Five-O comb and braid the hair of the women he was obviously very much in love with.
They left quietly, without letting him know they were there, not wanting to intrude on such a sweet moment.
*Kalakeke – Hawaiian translation of Gladys.