'Uhane
Chapter two
Disclaimer: see chapter one
A/N: I was asked and thought I should make it a little clearer, this story will indeed be a death-fic. I don't normally write these, but the only way I felt I could do justice to the image and story that flooded my mind was to write it this way. I you wish to not continue because of that fact I completely understand. For those of you who do continue-tissue warning still applies. Thanks-Montez
Danny sat in one of the two beach chairs that edged the waterline at the back of Steve's house. Looking toward the unobstructed view of the great Pacific, he allowed his mind to drift a moment. Flashes of a shootout in a warehouse played in his mind, the faint noise of an explosion and two final gunshots played with it, but those thoughts seemed like a distant memory. Sitting here watching the waves roll gently in brought a peace over him that he would never admit to his best friend and partner, Steve McGarrett. The man would never let him live down that face he was actually starting to like this place.
Looking around he wondered where the other man was, Danny didn't make it a habit of just sitting out back of his friend's house without said friend usually lounging in the other chair. "Hey, when'd you get here?" Steve's voice caused Danny to turn. He watched the other man coming toward him from the house, beach towel thrown over his shoulder, grey tee-shirt and dark blue swim trunks on.
"Haven't been here long, was just thinking." Danny responding knowing his friend was probably getting ready for one of his mini-marathon swim sessions.
Draping the towel over the back of the other chair Steve sat, "What are you thinking about?"
"Don't really know." Danny's voice sounded distant, causing Steve to look at him.
"You okay buddy?" McGarrett watched as a strange look crossed Williams face.
"Do you remember a shootout in a warehouse? I think there was an explosion. I keep seeing bits and pieces, but can't seem to remember it all." Danny looked at Steve, his perplexed look meeting his friend's solemn one.
"I remember, trust me you don't want to remember it. Not now anyway. Hey…" Williams noticed Steve's saddened expression as the man tried to change the subject. "You need to focus on Grace, what do you have planned the next weekend you get her?"
Shaking his head slightly Danny looked back at the water, "Would you believe my daughter wants to learn to surf? Every time I see her this island is slowly pulling her in more and more, before you know it she'll be calling everyone 'cuz' and hounding me to try pineapple pizza." Danny smiled at the memory of his daughter telling him that the horrid fruit on the pizza wasn't that bad. "Do you think you could teach her? I trust her with you."
Steve clasped his hand in front of him, his head down staring at them. "I think Kono would be better at that. You know a girl teaching a girl, beside's you always say I'm too reckless." Steve smiled at his friend.
"Reckless in our work, reckless in your relentlessness at chasing every bad guy around without proper backup, reckless with your life which makes you reckless with mine. But I know for a fact you are not reckless when it concerns my daughter." Danny smirked at his friend.
The Jersey native felt a shiver run down his back when Steve's dark-blue eyes met his, "I'm never reckless with your life Danny. Grace needs her dad; I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I couldn't do that to you, I couldn't do that to Grace."
"Hey, I'm kidding, you know that right?" Something in his partner's gaze caused the overwhelming need to reassure his friend that he trusted him with his life.
Looking at his clasped hand again, Steve continued. "I've done some stupid things, but always in the back of my mind I knew I had to keep you safe, so you could go back home to Grace."
"Man look at me…" Danny reached out and shook his partner's arm, not speaking until his friend's eyes meet his. The way the man was talking was so uncharacteristic of the Steve McGarrett he knew. "You've kept me safe. Yeah we've had a few near-misses, but we've always come out of it, a little worse for wear but standing on our feet. Anytime I've gotten hurt, it wasn't your fault, you know I rant when I'm anxious or worried or just plan pissed when a case isn't going our way. It's my way of dealing with things, you know that. Just like your silence or your faces or…" Danny motioned toward the water, "these marathon swimming sessions you take. Tell me you understand it's not your fault." Steve's behavior was really worrying Danny.
The SEAL nodded slowly, "Okay, just remember I have always had your back and always will." Steve stood pulling off his tee-shirt, stretching his arms over his head before taking a few steps toward the water. Reaching in the pocket of his swim trunks Steve pulled out the keys to the house, "Hey, do me a favor?"
Danny watched his friend walk away. "Anything."
McGarrett tossed the key ring toward his friend, "Take care of the place until I get back."
Williams caught the keys, standing he looked toward the beach house then back toward Steve as the dark-haired man started to wade out into the water. "Hey, how long you gonna be gone? I'll go grab a couple beers."
Steve turned and faced his friend, the sun sinking every so lower in the sky, casting his long shadow up the beach. Waving his hand at his partner Steve responded, "As long as it takes." With that McGarrett moved a few more feet out into the surf then dived effortlessly beneath a small wave. Danny stood, watching his friend's strong strokes take him further from shore. The blond felt a strange pull in his chest, an uneasiness that made him want to rush out to the water and call his friend back. Shaking it off he turned, crossing the yard, finally reaching the back porch he stepped through the patio doors, entering the darkened interior.
5050505050
Kono and Chin paced the waiting room set aside for the team. The Governor had met them at the hospital after hearing the severity of the condition the first and second in command of her task force. All any of them knew was what had been assessed at the scene. Danny had been shot in the upper thigh, the bullet had indeed nicked an artery, but the tourniquet had slowed the bleeding enough that he hadn't bleed out in the warehouse. But he'd lost a lot of blood none the less, his blood pressure bottoming out just as he was loaded into the helicopter.
Steve had been another matter, the wound he suffered had shocked them all. When Chin had moved forward, trying to get a better view of the commander, he felt the air rush from his lungs as he saw the small hole just above McGarrett's left eye. The older man's hand shook when he checked for a pulse on the downed commander and a part of him was shocked to find a faint one. Then the medics loaded Steve on the stretcher, Chin didn't know if it was good or not that there wasn't an exit wound. He didn't want to even guess at the type of damage the bullet had done.
Both men were airlifted to Honolulu Medical and rushed into surgery upon arrival. That had been three hours ago and they still had no word. Chin had put a call into Rachel to let her know about Danny, but he'd had to leave a message on her voicemail. He kept it simple, telling her where they were and that Williams was in surgery, he'd call back with more news when he could.
At the three and a half hour mark a scrub-clad man stepped into the room. "You all here for Detective Williams?"
Chin and Kono crossed the floor to the man, the Governor stepping up next to them. "How is he?" Kelly asked.
"Detective Williams made it through surgery, though we had a few problems keeping his blood pressure up from the blood loss. The bullet that entered his left thigh actually chipped the femur, sending a fragment through the femoral artery. The tourniquet, which we really don't like to see used much anymore, actually did save his life this time. It didn't stop the bleeding but slowed it enough that he made it here alive. The femur wasn't broken completely though it was fractured pretty badly, so we screwed a steel rod into the side of the bone to stabilize it. We are currently pushing units of blood and working on keeping him hydrated. We also started him on antibiotics, hoping to keep ahead of any possible infections that might develop. But I'm cautiously optimistic that with time Detective Williams will make a full recovery." The surgeon watched as relief flashed in the three people's eyes.
"You're sure?" Kono asked, not believing that the man she'd seen so near death was actually going to make it.
"We're hopeful." The Doctor nodded. "He's still currently under light sedation just to give his body the time it needs to rest and start to repair itself, after a few hours it should start to wear off and we'll let him wake-up on his own then treat his pain as needed."
The Governor stepped forward, holding out her hand. "Thank you doctor."
"Ma'am" The surgeon shook it.
Chin pulled Kono into a hug; at least they had good news on one of their friends. Pulling back Kelly looked at the doctor again, "Do you know anything about Lt. Commander McGarrett?"
The man shook his head, "I'm sorry I don't. I just know the best neurosurgeon in the state is in the operating room with him. His type of surgery could take several hours. I'll see if they can't send someone out to update you."
This time Chin stuck his hand out, shaking the doctors, "We'd appreciate it. When can we see Danny?"
"He'll be moved to the ICU in a couple hours, he can have visitors then." The surgeon looked at Governor, "I know you have it arranged that if any of your team members are in the ICU that the others be allowed complete access and I'm willing to comply as long as they stay out of the way of the nurses."
"That won't be a problem Doctor and thank you again." Jameson responded. The Doctor turned to leave the room.
The older woman turned toward the remaining two members of her task force, "I know it's futile to tell you both to rest, but I know you must be hungry. I'll call my aide and have something brought in, but I must insist that you do try and get some rest anyway. Danny and Steve both will need the two of you to help them through this. I'm passing any cases you were working on to HPD, as of now everyone is on indefinite leave until we know the extent and recovery time for McGarrett and Williams." Pat paused as she took in the haggard appearance of the two people in front of her. "I have to take care of a few things at my office, please call if you hear anything about Steve; I'll try and be back as soon as I can."
"We will ma'am." Kelly responded as he shook her hand. The Governor gave Kono a quick hug before she left the room.
For the first time since arriving at the hospital it was just the two cousins in the room. "Do you really think Steve's gonna be okay?" Kono asked quietly, she too remembered the wound and shuttered to think of what it could mean for the normally active, full of life man.
Chin saw the tears in the young woman's eyes. Stepping forward he pulled her into a tight hug, blinking to try and stop his own from falling, "I hope so kid, I hope so."