Chin and Kono were in the situation room discussing their weekend when they heard the gunshot. They both sprang for the door and down the stairs as fast as they could. As they reached the parking lot, they could see several HPD officers running out of the building, weapons drawn. An HPD cruiser, lights flashing, roared around the corner barely missing a white cargo van as it exited the parking lot. Kono could hear dispatch chatter over the growing number of radios in the vicinity. She noticed a knot of officers standing over something on the sidewalk.

Chin pulled his phone out and was dialing a number as he turned to Kono and pointed towards the group, "I'm gonna call Steve; he's gonna want to know what's going on as soon as we know. Why don't you go check that out?"

As Kono approached the group, she heard Steve's ring tone and noticed his truck parked next to Danny's Camaro behind the officers. Her first thought was that he must have seen what went down and was in a foot pursuit with the suspect. Her second thought was that she must be wrong about what she was seeing as she finally made it to the knot of other officers to see what they were standing and kneeling next to, "Chin!"

The officers parted for Kono and then Chin as he sprinted over. An HPD sergeant knelt next to Steve and was gingerly reaching for a pulse while trying to avoid the blood and not move the commander, just in case. The sergeant held his breath as he feared the worst, but quickly reached for his radio and called in an officer down and requested an ambulance. He looked up at the crowd, "There's a pulse!"

Kono and Chin both breathed a sigh of relief as they knelt next to their boss and friend. Kono kept her hand on his shoulder as she glanced around the area. Officers were quickly dissipating and beginning to cordon off the area. She pointed at an object under Danny's car, "Isn't that Danny's gun?"

Chin went over to the Camaro and knelt in front of it. He reached under and pulled out Danny's gun. He stood up and looked around before looking back at Kono, "This isn't good."

Steve was starting to flinch and move a little as the ambulance pulled up and two paramedics rushed over with their equipment. Kono finally relinquished her place next to her friend as the paramedics began to work. She listened as they read off vital signs and assessed his condition. She watched as they placed a C-collar around his neck and gently rolled him to his back. Steve groaned but didn't open his eyes.

Chin finished giving some instructions to several HPD officers he had called over and then went to stand by Kono. "Why don't you ride with him? I'll be there as soon as I wrap this up. I've tried Danny's cell, but he's not answering. I'm having HPD pull up the surveillance footage. Call me if there's any news before I get there, and I'll do the same."

Kono nodded and set off after the paramedics. She climbed in and sat on the bench next to Steve. She noticed his hands were moving restlessly and looked to be grabbing for something. She grabbed one of his hands and leaned down, "Ssh, it's okay, Boss. I'm right here. We're getting you to the hospital."

Steve struggled all the more, reaching for the oxygen mask and fighting to open his eyes. The paramedic was trying with no success to get the oxygen mask back on as Steve became more and more agitated. Steve's eyes suddenly flew open and he practically launched himself off the gurney. Kono quickly held his shoulders and moved to make sure she was in his line of sight. "Steve, calm down."

"What happened?"

"We were hoping you could help us with that." Kono spoke quietly hoping to calm her boss. "Looks like you were shot in the head, but it's just a graze. We're on the way to the hospital to have you checked out."

Steve started to settle back onto the gurney but then bolted up again, "Danny! Where's Danny?"

Kono had been about to ask him the same question. She took a deep breath before answering, "We don't know."

"We're pulling into the hospital now," the driver informed them.

As the ambulance came to a stop and the back doors opened, Steve held his hands to his face trying to concentrate. The pain in his head made it hard to think straight, and he was having trouble remembering much of anything.

Kono followed the gurney as far as they'd let her. She watched as they wheeled him into the exam room and the door shut behind them.

Kono refused to go to the waiting area and stayed in the hallway outside the exam room. She tried not to pace and failed miserably. After what seemed like an eternity, a nurse came out, looking a little frazzled, "Are you his partner? He keeps asking for his partner."

"I'm with 5-0." Kono explained, "but I'm not his partner. He's missing."

"You can come in; maybe you can get him calmed down. He's on some pretty strong pain medication." She paused. "In all honesty, with the dose he's been given, I'm surprised he's even conscious. He's very agitated; the doctor would like to admit him for observation."

"I doubt that's going to go over very well." Kono observed.

"It did seem to make him more agitated. Why don't you come in and see if you can talk some sense into him. He really needs to rest. He's been shot in the head for goodness sakes."

Kono couldn't help but hear Danny's voice in her head saying, "I always knew he had a hard head." She followed the nurse in and went to lean over Steve who was lying on the bed. "Hey, boss."

Steve opened his eyes and looked around, "Kono, what happened?"

"We're not entirely sure. Chin is trying to get the video footage from outside the Palace to see if we can figure it out."

Steve started to sit up, "Let's go. I need to get back there and figure out what happened."

"I don't think that's a good idea," the nurse rushed over and tried to push him back onto the bed. "You've lost a lot of blood, we've just put in twenty stitches and the doctor wants to get some head x-rays to make sure there aren't any skull fractures or other damage we can't see."

"I'll be fine." Steve swung his legs off the bed and tried to keep from swaying as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"Boss," Kono rested a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you need a little more time. Get the head x-rays and let them check you over."

"I need to find Danny."

Kono nodded, "I know. We're working on it. Besides, you aren't going to be any help if you pass out on us."

Steve sighed, "Okay, I'll stay and get the x-ray, but I want to be out of here in an hour at the latest so get 'em done."

Kono watched as the nurse got things rolling. Two minutes later another nurse walked in with a blood tray and IV set up. They prepped Steve's arm and expertly hooked up the IV. The newly arrived nurse turned to Kono, "We're giving him some blood and plasma to help replace what he lost. It'll help some, but it would be best if we kept him here longer and could give him another unit."

Steve glared at the nurse, but was interrupted from saying anything by the door opening and admitting the doctor. "Commander McGarrett?"

"Yes." Steve sat up slowly, mindful not to stretch the IV in his arm.

"We're about to take you down for the x-rays. It shouldn't take too long, and then you'll be free to go. We're going to send a nurse along to keep an eye on you."

"I don't need a nurse to keep an eye on me," Steve protested. "I'll be fine."

"I'm not crazy about letting you out of here so soon after you came in with a gunshot wound to the head, but the Governor has ordered me to allow it. The nurse is my condition. If you want to walk out of here, you walk out of here with one of my nurses."

Steve shook the doctor's hand, "Fine. I can live with that." He pointed at the nurse who had been attending him from the beginning. "I want her."

The nurse looked up in surprise, "Why me?"

"You do your job efficiently and very well from what I see, and you didn't talk over me when explaining what was going on." He threw a glare at the second nurse. "Plus, you were smart enough to bring in Kono."

She nodded then, "I'll get some supplies."

"We're going to go get those head x-rays, and you can be on your way."

"I'll get an HPD cruiser over here to give us a ride," Kono said, taking out her phone.

"That won't be necessary." The doctor stopped her from dialing. "We're sending you back in an ambulance at the Governor's request. The media is already sniffing around and that will get you out of here with less notice."

"Sounds like a plan," Steve nodded and then made a mental note to not do that again.

Thank you to all who have reviewed and alerted this story. I was overwhelmed by the response after chapter 1 since it was such a short, little thing. Hopefully, you continue to enjoy. This story is totally written so I hope to post a chapter a day at least so as not to leave you in suspense too long! Again, thanks for reading.