Danny Williams looked up from the pictures he'd been going through and smiled at the man who entered the office. "Hey, David, what are you doing here so early?"
"I had a meeting with the governor and your boss...or should I say our boss," David O'Brien said with a grin.
"Our boss? You mean..."
"The governor offered me position on Five-O. I figured I'd grab it since it would mean bringing back the team of shark and fish bait."
"Does Steve know?"
"The governor told him...he didn't seem to happy about it," O'Brien said.
"Steve doesn't like surprises and I'm guessing the governor never told him she was bringing in someone new."
"That's the feeling I had when she told him. I figured I'd wait here and talk to him...maybe smooth over some rumpled feathers."
"He was supposed to be here by now..."
"Hey, Danny, looks like your boss had a run in with Chris Jacobs," Ryan Cole said from the open doorway.
"What? When? Where is he?"
"At Doc's gym, about an hour ago. Doc's taking Steve to the hospital."
"Jacobs took him down?" Williams asked incredulously."
"Not exactly, but the miserable sonofabitch hid a pair of brass knuckles beneath the tape. He managed to get in a few good hits and blindsided Steve before Steve put him down for good. Doc told Steve he either drove him to Queens or he'd call an ambulance."
"Thanks, Ryan," Williams said and reached for his keys. "Guess I'd better go see what he's done now. "Ryan, where's Jacobs?"
"Probably off somewhere with his tail between his legs...licking his wounds. Doc banned him from the gym," Cole explained.
"Hey, Danny, I can stay here and hold down the fort while you check on the commander," O'Brien offered.
"Thanks, David, Chin and Kono should be back soon."
"I'll let them know what happened...call as soon as you know how he is."
"Will do," Williams said and hurried out of the office.
5050505050
"Steve, we're here," Manunui said and watched the younger man closely. He knew McGarrett was as tough as nails, but head injuries could put down the strongest man or woman.
"Damn, I was hoping you''d reconsider and drive me home."
"No chance in hell. You took several blows to the head from a man using brass knuckles...the cut above your eye isn't the only wound you sustained. There's another one that could also use a stitch or two."
"Good, since you know what i need why don't we go to the gym and..."
"No..."
"You could just..."
"No..."
"You've done it before..."
"I had no choice then and if I remember correctly you wound up with an infection that kept you off the team for two weeks," Manunui reminded him and exited the car.
Steve knew there was no point in arguing and did the same, leaning against the jeep when the world tilted on its axis and he fought to keep his rebellious stomach in check. He felt an arm snake around his waist and another took his right hand and supported him as they walked, or in his case, staggered toward the ER doors.
"Can I get some help here?" Manunui called as the doors opened. A nurse reacted immediately and came toward them with a wheelchair.
"I don't need..."
"Sit down, Steve!" Manunui ordered, relieved when the younger man obeyed his command and took control of the chair. "Where do you want him?"
"Number three," the woman answered. "Just follow me."
Steve listened to the conversation, but his head felt like it was going to explode as Manunui wheeled him into a curtained area and helped him from the chair to the gurney. He smiled at the woman in spite of the pain and eased out of his shirt with Manunui's help.
"Jane, what...Steve?" Keanna Wahine was shocked to see who the newest patient was.
"Hi, Keanna, it's not as bad as it looks," McGarrett lied.
"Oh, really, Dr. McGarrett, would you care to elaborate your self-diagnosis?"
"I zigged when I should have zagged," the head of Five-O told her.
"What about the other guy? Is he in the ICU?" Wahine asked.
"No idea, but he'll probably need someone to look at his knee," McGarrett answered.
"What did he use on you?" the ER resident asked.
"Fists..."
"And brass knuckles," Manunui finished as Wahine eased McGarrett down on the bed.
"Figures," Keanna said and turned to the nurse. "Tara, let's get him cleaned up and see what we're dealing with. Where else were you hit, Steve?"
"Just..."
"He took several blows to his abdomen and back and..."
"Well, we might as well check everything," Keanna said and helped the protesting man out of the rest of his clothing. "How's the pain level right now?"
"About a five," McGarrett answered.
"So we're looking at around an eight or nine for normal patients," Wahine said. "I'll get you something for pain in a few minutes."
Steve winced when she shone a light in his eyes, fighting the urge t be sick as he waited for her to finish. He closed his eyes and waited as she poked and prodded his body with soft hands that felt cold against his bare skin.
"Steve, I'm going to send you for a couple of scans and some x-rays just to make sure nothing is broken," Wahine said.
"Nothing's broken, just sore," McGarrett said.
"Where do you keep you credentials?" Wahine asked, folding her hands across her chest as she stared at him.
"I..."
"Don't have any...well I do and right now I want to do my job and that includes putting you through the wringer," Keanna warned. " is going to give you something to help with pain and nausea."
"I don't..."
"Humor me," Wahine said.
"Just as long as I get out of here before noon...I was hoping to meet someone for a late lunch," McGarrett said.
"Let me do my job and just maybe I'll take you home and take care of you myself," Wahine told him.
"Now there's an offer only a fool would refuse," Manunui said.
"I'm not a fool," McGarrett said and finally admitted, at least to himself that he needed help.
"Take good care of him," Manunui told her before leaving the man in the woman's care.
"Steve, you're going to need stitches."
'I figured as much," McGarrett said and closed his eyes in an effort to ease the pain in his skull.
5050505050
Danny hurried into the ER and looked around for a familiar figure, and hurried to the main desk when he recognized the woman seated there. "Callie, where's Steve?"
"Good morning, Detective, he's in with Dr. Wahine right now..."
"Is he all right?"
"I don't know anything yet. Wait here and I'll let Dr. Wahine know you're here," Callie Miller told him.
Danny leaned against the desk and looked around. There were several people waiting for news on friends or family, but the ER wasn't as busy as it usually was and he figured it had to do with the early hour. He didn't have long to wait as the nurse and doctor hurried toward him. "Keanna, how is he?"
"He's showing all the sign of a concussion and he's just going for a scan so you might as well go into the waiting room and I'll come find you as soon as the test results are in. Try not to worry, Danny, he's tough and we both know how hard headed he is."
"Can I see him?"
"For a minute...follow me," Wahine said. "Just take pity on him and don't go off on him until he can handle it."
"I wouldn't..."
"Yes, you would and most times it's fun to watch, but not today," Wahine said and pushed aside the curtain. "Steve, do you feel like company?"
McGarrett opened his eyes, not surprised to see his partner step up to the bed. In spite of the throbbing in his skull, Steve forced a smile to his face and tried to sit up, but Keanna was having nothing to do with that and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're not going anywhere for a while, Steve, so just be still," Wahine said and moved quickly when she saw the look on his face. With Danny's help she eased him onto his side and placed a basin in front of him.
Steve hated the feeling of being sick, especially when it was coupled with a resounding headache and battered ribs. He lay back against the pillows and closed his eyes, snapping them open when he heard Keanna speaking with the nurse.
"Start an IV and..."
"Hell," McGarrett cursed as she wrote up the orders. "I don't need..."
"Steve, we need to make you comfortable and that won't happen if you're vomiting. Just relax and maybe you'll be out of here in time for dinner."
"With you?"
"If you behave yourself," Wahine said and knew she needed to bring in someone else because she was too close to this man to stay neutral. All he had to do was smile at her and she would gladly give him her first born child and ask him if he would like to have more. Shaking her head she left the cubical and made her way to the desk.
"Fine mess you got yourself into this time, Steve. What the hell happened?" Williams asked.
"Had a run in with Jacobs," McGarrett answered.
"What were you doing at Doc's gym?"
"Went there to work something out," McGarrett told him.
"And Jacobs just happened to piss you off?"
"Jacobs always pisses me off, Danny, but he wasn't the only problem I had today," McGarrett said, closing his eyes as the nurse returned and set up an IV in his left hand. He knew Williams was still there, but he didn't feel like talking and feigned sleep while the nurse completed her task. He heard an orderly come into the small cubical and soon felt the bed being wheeled out.
"I'll be here when you get back, Steve," Williams said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone as he walked toward the doors. Once outside he called Chin and left a message about McGarrett. He repeated the same call with Kono and assured them both that he'd call as soon as there was anything to report.
5050505050
Steve felt someone touching his head and opened his eyes to find a man leaning over him. He lifted his hands to push him away, but a gruff voice made him wince.
"Easy, Commander, Keanna asked me to take over your case."
"Why?"
"Well, it was a conflict of interest...basically her personal interest in you. My name is Lee Hong and I can show you my credentials anytime you feel the need to see them."
"How long was I out?"
"Not nearly long enough. How's the headache?"
"Still there," McGarrett answered, grimacing as he shifted on the bed and every part of his body seemed to scream in protest.
"Tara is going to give you something to help with that," Hong told him.
"Thanks," McGarrett managed as the man froze the area around the cut above his eye. "When can I get out of here?"
"Depends on how you feel in the morning..."
"Morning...hell no, I'm not staying..."
"Oh, really? I see Keanna was right about your dislike of hospital stays."
"Is there anyone who likes them?"
"Not that I know of, but there comes a time when there's no choice in the matter. You have a concussion and major bruising along your left side and at least one cracked rib. That puts you under a 24 hour watch. Simply put, you could be released tomorrow morning with time served," Hong told him.
"I could sign..."
"But you won't. You're a smart man, Commander, and smart men don't do stupid things unless there's no other choice in the matter," the ER resident observed. "Now, relax and we'll get you sewed up and settled into bed...I'm pretty sure Keanna will tuck you in if you behave."
Steve felt the medication taking effect and allowed himself to give in to the aches and pains he'd accumulated through the morning. He didn't feel the sting of the needle as he drifted toward sleep.
5050505050
Kono waited for the nurse to finish with the patient and entered the room to find the man awake, but still confused. There was no mistaking the look of hope in his eyes as she neared his bed.
"Do I...you were here be...fore. Do I know you?"
"I'm Kono Kalakaua," Kono said and showed him her badge. "I was here yesterday, but you'd only just had surgery. I was hoping you could answer some questions?"
"I'll try, but I have more questions than answers," the man told her.
"Do you know what happened to you?" Kono asked.
"No...just bits and pieces like a jigsaw puzzle with too many missing parts. I keep...keep trying to get a clear...I..."
"What is it?" Kalakaua asked when the man closed his eyes and appeared to be reaching for something buried in his mind.
"...wasn't alone...happy...I was happy...she...she..."
"Easy, Sir, do you want me to get the nurse?"
"No...no nurse. I need...I need to find her...need to find...my...my wife!" his eyes shot open and he tried to sit forward, crying out when the move reminded him he was far from well.
"Your wife?"
"Sandra...we were...we were on our...honeymoon. Some...something hap...happened to her. Some...someone took her," the man said.
"I'm afraid you'll have to leave," the nurse said upon entering the room and finding her patient fighting to get out of bed.
"No...please don't...don't leave. You have to find her...you have to find Sandra."
"We'll do everything we can to find her. Can you tell me your name?" Kalakaua asked.
"Kevin...McMillan. Please, you have...you have to find Sandra."
"We'll do everything we can to find her. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Try...head hurts."
"Can't this wait, Officer Kalakaua?" the nurse asked.
"Not really. The more we find out about his wife and their whereabouts when she disappeared the better our chances of finding her," Kono answered. "Tell me what you remember."
"Sandra and I were at The Outrigger. It was a wedding gift from my parents and we had the bridal suite. God, she looked so beautiful. I can't lose...lose her," McMillan told her.
"We'll do everything we can to find her, Mr.. McMillan. Can you tell me if you noticed anyone paying particular attention to your wife?"
"I'm not sure," McMillan said, but frowned as he tried to draw on his memories. "There was a man, but he never spoke to us. He gave Sandra the creeps when we were at the luau...and we left early because he kept staring at her."
"Did you go right back to your hotel room?"
"I don't...I don't know," McMillan answered and moaned softly.
"I'm afraid that enough for now, Officer Kalakaua," the nurse said and straightened the blankets around the injured man. "He should be resting."
"I'll leave my number in case you remember anything else," Kono said and left a card on the table before leaving the room. She took out her cell phone and noted she had two missed calls from Danny Williams. She listened to the messages and hurried toward the stairs at the end of the corridor. She reached the first floor and made her way to the ER just as Danny finished speaking with Keanna Wahine.
"Danny, I need to get back to work. Tell Steve I'll check on him before I head out," Wahine said before nodding at Kono and speaking to the nurse behind the desk.
"Danny, how is he?"
"Concussed and cranky," Williams answered. "Dr. Hong admitted him for observation, but it's just precautionary."
"How the hell did he get a concussion at the governor's office?"
"He went to the gym after he saw the governor and met up with Jacobs. From what I heard Jacobs hid a set of brass knuckles under the tape they use, but Steve took him down," Williams answered.
"About time someone did," Kono said as McGarrett was wheeled from the room and pushed toward the elevators.
"Did you find out anything new on the John Doe?" Williams asked.
"It is Kevin McMillan," Kono answered and walked alongside Williams.
"Was he able to answer any questions this time?"
"His memory isn't clear, but he remembers someone at the luau he and his wife attended...said the guy gave Sandra the creeps," Kono answered. She watched the doors close and pushed the button for the next elevator.
"Did he give you a description?"
"No, but he'll call me if he remembers anything else."
"Hopefully he'll remember something useful before it's too damn late to find the missing women," Williams said and stepped into the elevator.
Author's Note—-Surprise, here's another part...hope you enjoy...Winnie