AN: First and foremost to my readers and reviewers - I'd like to thank EVERY single one of you for taking the time to read my story. You left me blushing and smiling. It's people like you that keep writers like myself doing what they love outside of their RLs.
A special thank you to the wonderful lady beta-ing this story for keeping me in line, particularly with my grammar.
Chapter 4
General Hospital, Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, 1972
The tall, dark haired man dressed in a grey suit walked with purposeful strides towards the front desk of the hospital. "Excuse me, Miss."
"Can I help you?" The young receptionist inquired, smiling up at the neatly groomed figure before her. The man's chiseled jaw was set grimly and his expression sombre.
"I'm Detective Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O." The detective presented his badge to the woman seated at the desk.
"What can I do for you, Mr McGarrett?" The receptionist studied the badge briefly then turned her attention back to the man holding it.
"I understand you have a patient here by the name of Dan Williams. I was told he was brought in this morning." McGarrett continued.
"One moment please, Mr McGarrett." The receptionist scanned down the list of patients brought in that day from the admissions index on her desk. "Danny Williams?" She raised her brow questioning the detective of the slight variance in the name he gave her.
"Yes, that's right." The detective's voice began to sound impatient as his frown deepened.
"Yes, he's in the intensive care unit. I'm afraid you'll have to speak to Dr Moore first if you wish to see him." The young woman replied with an apologetic look in her eyes. She could tell the man before her was profoundly concerned for the person he no doubt wished to see.
"Then I'd like to speak to Dr Moore, please. Where can I find him?" McGarrett asked urgently.
"I'm sorry Sir, he's with a patient at the moment but if you would like to wait in the cafeteria over to your left, I'll have him see you when he is finished." The receptionist suggested with sincerity.
McGarrett wanted to ask just how much longer he was expected to wait but settled with a courteous nod and hung his head as he trudged his way towards the cafeteria.
Entering the doorway with his head held low, McGarrett almost collided into a young man wearing a light-colored suit over a check shirt.
"Sorry." The young man backed up a step and held up his hands.
"My fault. I wasn't paying attention." McGarrett replied in a low voice as he stepped around the stranger and proceeded into the dining area of the cafeteria.
The young man walked out and headed to the reception desk. As he approached, the receptionist looked up and smiled. "Inspector Keller, Dr Moore shouldn't be too much longer." She knew the question the Inspector was about to ask before he could even open his mouth to utter a single syllable.
"Thanks. I'm becoming too predictable." Keller quipped, a grin emerging on his clean shaven face.
"And Dr Moore is going to be on the most wanted list!" The receptionist let out a short laugh. "Another gentleman just asked for him a moment ago. Did you catch him? I told him to wait in the cafeteria. Actually, he was a policeman too. A detective from Hawaii. Mr…Mr McGarrett, he said his name was."
"McGarrett? Detective Steve McGarrett?" The young inspector's eyes widened with renewed interest.
"Yes that's him. Do you know him?"
"No but I'm supposed to meet him. Thanks." Steve Keller thanked the receptionist then hurried back to the cafeteria.
Sure enough, the Hawaiian detective was seated hunched over at an empty table in the corner, a Styrofoam cup in one hand. At the sound of footsteps approaching McGarrett raised his head. He recognized the man walking towards him as the same one he almost bumped into and hoped that he wasn't about to attempt to join him in small talk. McGarrett was not in the mood to strike up a conversation with someone he didn't know. In fact the only person he could care to see right now was the doctor tending to Danny's injuries. How long does the good doctor expect me to sit here and wait? McGarrett knew that patience was not a strength he possessed but he simply could not and would not sit idly too much longer with no news as to the condition of his detective and close friend. The sickening worry and peaked levels of anxiety were all too familiar feelings that came with the job each time one of his men were hospitalized.
"I'm sorry to disturb you but are you Steve McGarrett?" Keller asked politely as he reached the table where the stranger sat scrutinizing him.
"Yes. Do I know you?" Steve eyed the young man but his mind couldn't recall having met him before although there was a familiarity in the man's voice that he could not place.
"No, we haven't met. I'm Inspector Steve Keller. SFPD." The smartly dressed Inspector introduced himself and offered his hand.
Realization and recognition dawned on McGarrett as he stood up and shook the Inspector's hand then gestured for him to take a seat. "Were you the one who I talked to on the phone earlier today?"
"Yeah that was me. I'm sorry about your detective. We didn't know who he was until we checked the registration of his hand gun. Even then, we weren't too sure the gun in question belonged to the man we found." Keller began to relay the information he had. "He had it in his hand when we found him unconsciousness in an alley off Montgomery Street. At the time we thought he was a suspect in a double homicide we were investigating. The body of the latest victim lay near where we found your detective, Danny Williams."
"Danny was sent here on an undercover assignment three weeks ago under the Governor of Hawaii's orders and Washington's recommendations. We had reason to believe that a suspect involved in the distribution of illegal fire arms is residing in this district. His name is Sean Tate. Five years ago he was arrested for charges of smuggling Friday night specials in Oahu. Due to insufficient evidence, the charges were dropped and he was released. Immigration confirmed he now lives here in San Francisco. Our contact, Lieutenant Nielson from SFPD, has been working with Danny closely. Last night, Danny failed to report to Nielson. How bad was he hurt?" McGarrett ended his explanation with the question he longed to have answered.
"According to Dr Moore, he was hit in the head with an object, probably a metal pipe or a rock; something with a jagged edge." Keller paused, deliberating how to deliver the fact that McGarrett's man had amnesia.
"And? Is he going to be okay? Is his condition serious? Inspector I need to know!" McGarrett was becoming tired of waiting for his detective's prognosis.
"He has amnesia. The doctor doesn't know if it's permanent or temporary. As far as how the serious his physical injuries are, I can't tell you." Keller replied as calmly as he could.
"Inspector, that's not good enough! My detective has been lying in a hospital bed since this morning and this is all you can tell me? What is the extent of his memory loss? Does he have a concussion or brain damage? Why haven't you taken it upon yourself to find out these details?" The anger within McGarrett began to bubble its way up to the surface.
"With all due respect detective, I have been here since Williams was brought in, waiting for him to regain consciousness or find out the details of his condition. I know you're worried and upset, I understand that, but I can only tell you as much as the doctor has told me! I know it's not much but at least Williams is alive." Keller's patience was beginning to wear thin. Who does he think he is?
"Whoa. What's going on here? I can hear you two from out in the hall!" Lieutenant Mike Stone strode into the cafeteria eyeing the two men at the table ahead. He gave McGarrett a once over. "You must be Detective Steve McGarrett. I'm Lieutenant Mike Stone." The seasoned Lieutenant took his hat off respectfully and greeted the seated detective. "I just ran into Dr Moore. He says we can see Danny Williams for a few minutes. He's going to be okay except for the memory loss."
The detective and the inspector rose from their chairs simultaneously and without a word they followed Stone out of the cafeteria and into the corridor where Dr Moore stood waiting.
"Gentleman at this stage I can only allow one visitor at a time. Mr Williams is confused as it is and still under sedation." Dr Moore informed the trio.
"Buddy boy, let's you and me sit this one out." Stone gave Keller a wink then nodded at McGarrett who stood in between them.
The detective took a deep breath as his anger subsided and he thanked the senior Lieutenant and his partner then followed Dr Moore towards the ICU wards.