I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: Wow! such incredible first reviews - thank you so much. As an FYI, TAMC does accept civilian E.R. cases. A major medical center closed certain locations across the island in 2011-2012. TAMC expanded their services to take on the civilian load. (E.R. only). With the OC relationship developed in prior stories, it's reasonable that Danny could go there.

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

CHAPTER 2

"So how's the rabbit?" Doctor Ramirez blandly asked as he poked at Danny's bruised ribs. He had just listened to the detective describe how he had tackled a suspect down a short flight of concrete stairs and how Steve had insisted that he visit TAMC's emergency room as a matter of due course.

"You winced one time too many in my presence, Danny. Get it checked out .. just in case. Tripler is closest and maybe Ponch is even on duty. Go there and then go home .. after the week we've been through, everything else can wait until Monday."

Steve had practically growled the order at him after a long night of staking out the dealings of a small but lucrative group of drug runners down on the docks. They were both tired, cranky and hungry when the drop went down; plus an all out foot chase across the docks hadn't improved their moods much.

They were forced to separate during the chase. And Danny had literally tackled the smaller of the two men while Steve continued on after the much heavier-set Hawaiian who had finally stopped of his own accord – heaving as if he was going to have a heart attack from exercise his large frame had likely never experienced, the man simply surrendered to Steve.

Coming back with this suspect in tow, he'd found Danny well in control of his own situation as his target had been knocked unconscious and now lay at his feet properly trussed up. But Danny was tightly holding his ribcage from the hard tumble.

Clearly not in the mood either, Danny had grumbled back about not needing medical care. But he had gone ahead to TAMC since, truth be told, he was miserably uncomfortable and didn't feel like a prolonged argument. So tired and achy, Danny had driven himself over to the emergency room and as luck would have it, the teams' favorite doctor was on duty. The E.R. was busy but Danny had waited patiently just so retired Army Colonel Samuel Alphonso "Ponch" Ramirez, could take a look at his impressive, multi-colored side.

Steve had already called it a day and as soon as Ramirez cleared him to leave, Danny would be doing the same with the obligatory "I'm fine, mom" phone call to his sometimes most-annoying boss. Albeit he knew that his own day would end soon with pain medications and two pillows. One anchored gently against his injured ribs, and a second one pulled tightly over his head in anticipation of at least eight peaceful hours of undisturbed sleep.

He groaned dramatically as Doctor Ramirez gently finished his examination and took a step back. "Just bruised so a standard OTC anti-inflammatory should do it. But how is that rabbit .. what was her name? Mr. Hoppy?"

As a favor to Danny, the medical doctor had grudgingly agreed to examine Grace's very grumpy and sickly appearing pet rabbit only to find that "Mr." Hoppy was a "she" and quite pregnant. Danny had been thrilled that Stan's defective little gift had seemed ill until he'd learned that Grace had loaned the creature to a classmate. Said classmate not only got the little furry fiend pregnant, but he had been a boy named Jake.

The baby celebration was short-lived as he put warnings back into place about Grace daring to even communicate with a youngster of the opposite sex. But then, she had asked if he would build the mother-to-be a new hutch. And with Steve's help, Mrs. Hoppy was moved into the elaborate townhouse of all rabbit hutches – which was most conveniently deposited on Stan Edwards' soil.

"Ah .. " Danny winced as he pulled his dirty, smudged t-shirt back on. "Mrs. Hoppy had eight lovely little babies that Grace managed to disseminate to good homes throughout her class."

"Disseminate?" With hands shoved deeply into his pockets, Ramirez bounced on his toes and chuckled wryly as the Detective rolled his eyes. He started to laugh before making himself stop as the ache increased in volume.

"Never mind ...Grace kept one .. and the others are gone …she," They were both interrupted by loud voices, a woman screaming and a gunshot echoing through another section of the emergency room. Instantly, the two men reacted; Danny snatching up his gun and holster while Ramirez hit the silent alarm system.

Moving together, they ran to where the sounds were coming from against a tide of patients, would-be patients and hospital staff that were fleeing the trauma area of the large emergency room. Security was attempting to control the stampede so that no one else would be injured in the resulting mêlée but they were clearly challenged by the level of panic. And anyone trying to move upstream against the tide of frightened people in the small hallway was hard pressed to succeed. Unless of course you were as big and imposing as the retired Colonel who managed to make way as if parting the proverbial Red Sea. Danny stayed in his wake as he bellowed his way through the masses at an aggressive pace.

As they rounded a corner towards a second trauma area, there suddenly were no more people as they came face to face with a wide-eyed Army Corporal holding a gun and one of the nurse's brutally by her neck. A police officer lay unconscious on the floor nearby and it was obvious that the Corporal had taken his weapon and ammunition.

"Whoa!" Ramirez hauled Danny back by the scruff of the neck as he tried to pass the doctor by and automatically take a protective stance with his own gun at the ready.

"Easy soldier ..what's going on?" Ramirez barked with authority as he put himself back between the detective and the agitated Corporal.

"What are you doing?" Hissed Danny as he vainly tried to keep a line of sight for a clear shot around Ramirez's stocky body. "He's armed .. there's a hostage .. hello? Doc?"

Ramirez started to whisper quickly for only Danny's ears since he knew the man. "Corporal Derrick Carter, just back from a tour overseas; being treated for head trauma. He's become a bit .. volatile."

He eyed Carter from top to bottom, taking in the new nasty gash by his temple that seemed to have been only partially dressed. Frowning unhappily at the roughed up appearance of the man before trying to command him to release one of his best E.R. nurse's and relinquish the weapon.

"Carter, stand down!" But the Army Corporal only shook his head no as Ramirez held his hands out defensively.

The nurse, Gina Hodge, took a deep breath before quickly trying to explain. "He was roughed up in a bar fight .. found him in an alley unconscious .. we were just checking his injuries ..he came around, panicked, and grabbed the officer's gun." Carter growled warningly at the nurse before choking off her words.

"Shut up!" He barked out as he put the weapon back to her head before he addressed Ramirez directly. "I caught these two infiltrating the barracks. Radios are out but I've sent for help .. using other means." Shifting, he tightened his hold around the nurse's neck and she gasped now in fear at the strength of his grip.

Danny edged along with the doctor as he took a few tentative steps forward. Carter's gun hand was shaking and he alternated between aiming the gun at the two men and the nurse's head.

"Stop struggling, Gina." Ramirez softly asked the young nurse who immediately did her best to listen. "Derrick is just a little confused and he's going to let you go."

As a retired Colonel, the older doctor not only had an impressive no-nonsense nature, he was also a large, broad-shouldered man and not many dared to cross him. Rumor had it that his own temper could be extreme and Danny had actually witnessed it first hand. So even though the harsh tone wasn't meant for him, Danny cringed inwardly.

"I said. Stand down, Corporal." The blatant warning was voiced in a deep, threatening rumble. It was severe but it unfortunately had the opposite effect as the soldier's face took on a menacing and suspicious expression. And when Danny and Ramirez moved deliberately forward, he began to drag the nurse backwards towards one of the labs.

"I don't recognize either of you .. what unit are you with?" Even more wary now, the gun swung quickly to settle on Ramirez giving Gina a chance to disobey the doctor's earlier request. Kicking backwards, she caught Carter in the shin. An elbow flew into his stomach and it was enough for him to let her go. Falling to her knees, Gina skittered away to hide behind the counter of the nurse's station.

Reacting quickly, Ramirez dove at the Corporal's hand and a struggle for control began while Danny tried to get a clear shot to wound the irate soldier. The doctor had his strong fingers wrapped around Carter's wrist and his second hand buried in the man's neck. But Danny never got that chance as a shot rang out unexpectedly.

And Danny was close; so close he had no chance of finding cover when Carter's weapon discharged once to rock him to a complete stand still. He stumbled back into the wall of the corridor and couldn't tell then if his own weapon went off from the shock or if he had pulled the trigger on purpose.

He watched as the Corporal winced and then his eyes darkened with a dangerous rage. He staggered too, but stayed on his feet as Danny's bullet went completely through the calf of his right leg. Feeling as if he'd been punched, Danny needed to use the wall to stay upright. His brain was short circuiting as he looked down at his t-shirt and saw a small red blood stain appearing on the lower left hand side of his stomach. Then there was a matching feeling of a hot wetness creeping and expanding down his lower back.

The dull throb flared into a sharp, biting pain and Danny's gun hand wavered in the air. He was helpless as his weapon fell from fingers that were instantly numb and the breath left his lungs. He dimly registered Ramirez losing the battle with the Army soldier as he regained complete control of the situation. And now, the doctor had a horrified expression all for Danny and he could barely hear Derrick Carter at all.

Suddenly, the larger than life frame of the doctor took up what was left of his fading vision. "Danny. Easy." But the rest of the words became a buzz of nonsensical sound as his knees gave way and he found himself wrapped in the big doctor's arms. Breathing raggedly through his nose as incredible pain spiked through his abdomen, Danny couldn't help clutching at the doctor's white coat. Confused by the rapid change of events, Danny waited for the inevitable connection with the tiled floor. But his leaden descent was broken by those same strong hands that kept him upright.

"Stay with me, Detective." He finally heard Ramirez's demanding whispers through a mind now hazy with pain. Sounds were oddly fluctuating and Danny could barely keep up with what was happening. He did sense the worried anger though as the doctor covered the bleeding wound firmly with his own hand. And Danny sagged again as the pain unexpectedly ratcheted up to an all new high. Moaning in objection, he closed his eyes as he picked weakly at the unrelenting fingers.

"No, Danny. Just breathe and stay with me." He had to force his head up and then his eyes open as Ramirez ducked to pull his arm over his shoulders; but somehow the doctor was keeping his other hand firmly wedged into the bloody wound. Danny saw that the nurse was gone and the officer still lay unmoving on the floor. And that sadly, Corporal Carter had scooped up Danny's own gun as he took back firm control of the playing field.

Danny blinked as he vainly tried to clear his vision. Gasping through the pain, he found himself staring at the barrel of an HPD revolver which was levelled directly at him and Ramirez.

"Move. Now." With a hand that was now eerily steady, Carter's demands were clearly not to be ignored. However, Danny could feel Ramirez's own anger echoing through his tense body as he hesitated for a split second.

"Doc?" Danny coughed out in concern as he sensed the dangerous mood swing. He wondered for a brief second if Ramirez was channelling his crazy partner as the large man seemed to refuse the soldier's request.

"Hang on. You're going to be fine." The anger was still on the surface, but there was a subtle softening of his posture as Ramirez murmured the words instead. And as his head fell forward wearily, Danny felt himself being half dragged down the hospital corridor as Carter barked enraged orders for them to double-time it, so that they could fall back to a better position and away from enemy fire.

~ to be continued ~