Hi,
Next day or two? I'm so sorry it's been more than a week. I'm moving to a new bi-weekly updating schedule. I'll be posting a oneshot and chapter to my main story on a Thursday, and a single chapter of my main story every Tuesday (please note this is Australian dates?). Anyway, thank you so much for your patience. This one will hopefully tie you over until a longer update on Tuesday. Along with this chapter, my new (and first) Avengers oneshot is out now! It's called Global Warming and the summary is at the end of this chapter. Please review and send requests. I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this chapter.
Rose xx
(Some quick notes:
-my medical knowledge is limited. I research as best I can but as they say, don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.
-my political and American health care system knowledge is very limited. Apologies.
-while the statistics about obesity in Hawaii are correct, the policy in this is one hundred percent ficticious.
-this is set around the second season of H50, therefore around 2012.
I think that covers it. Onwards!)
Fifteen minutes after he gets the call, Steve is at the hospital's lab with Kono. They've stuck with their earlier plan, Danny and Chin off trying to find out more about their victim's business lives.
"You have the results?" Steve addresses the tall brunette man holding a manila file.
"Well, we're not really sure. It appears to be an infection, but it's unlike anything we've seen before and thus far, it hasn't been responding to any antibiotics we've tried. The good news is that it is an infection of some kinds, rather than a virus." Kono nods along; both their high school biology teachers had gone through the dangers of viruses and their lack of cures.
"What sort of timeframe are we looking at?"
The lab tech addresses Steve. "We're not sure so far. Before I go any further, the CDC have reviewed the tests and we've established it isn't contagious. They progressed very fast initially, going from asymptomatic to severe in the course of twelve hours, but since they got here they've all stayed stable with the exception of Lane who's breathing has worsened. In the hour we transferred her to the ICU and intubated." Steve nods along, not sure what the appropriate response is in the present situation.
"I'd assume the CDC are still looking into the pathogen for a cure?"
The tech nodded once more. "They're examining the blood samples as we speak. I can get them to come out here and give you an overview?"
"No, that's fine for now. We have somewhere else to be but thank you..." Steve trails off, realising that in their haste for information they'd skipped introductions.
"Mike."
"Thanks Mike. I'd say we'll see you later but we never really know."
Hands are shaken and then Steve and Kono make their way out of the building.
"We're here for a Mrs Linton?" The receptionist looks up at Chin from her desk, and Danny can see the corner of a gossip magazine hidden under the papers she'd hastily shovedonto her desk as they approached.
"Names?" Danny doesn't think he can remember a person ever sounding so bored (barring Grace when she spoke about math). Danny pulls out his badge, cutting off Chin before he can answer the question, slapping the wallet open onto the desk.
"Five-O, Detective Williams and my partner Chin Ho Kelly."
The receptionist looks taken aback. "Third floor, I'll send someone to meet you at the elevator."
Danny smiles charmingly. "Thank you."
As they walk away, Chin gives him a questioning look. "I hate cases with kids, man, and every second we waste with people like her is a second those kids have to suffer."
"I get it, but we want everyone here to help us yeah? Scaring them isn't going to help." Danny lets a breath out.
"Yeah, I know."
They ride up the elevator in relative silence, and as the receptionist promised, there is a young man dressed sharply in a navy tailored suit waiting for them. He sticks out a hand, smiling brightly at the two men.
"Benjamin Casely, I'm Mrs Linton's intern." Chin and Danny return his greeting, introducing themselves. "Follow me then, her office is just down here." He gestures down the corridor and then walks away, bouncing with each step.
He leads them to a handsome wooden door, the name Sonia Linton on a brass plate affixed to the front.
"Mrs Linton is aware you're coming, have a great day!" Benjamin leaves with a glowing smile, bouncing back down the corridor he'd come from.
"He's cheery." Danny commented as he knocked.
"Very." Chin's reply is cut off by the door opening. The woman revealed is rounding, easily heading towards the latter end of her fifties, pearl earrings and a matching necklace trapped in the folds of her neck. Her brows are thick and her hair is in a stern bun, but her smile is kind, if with a gold tooth at the front.
"Good afternoon Mrs Linton. I'm Danny Williams and this is my colleague Chin Ho Kelly, may we borrow some of your time?"
"Oh please call me Sonia. I'm so sad to hear what happened to poor Johnny and his sweet girl, so sweet Lane is, always bring me a fresh flower when she comes in, I haven't the heart to tell her they're weeds." She looks sad for a moment before shaking her head. "Anyway, that's not what you're here for, so what can I do for you?"
"Sonia, as you know Senator Bailey's daughter has fallen ill, and we've established it is an attack. What we're trying to establish is whether it is on politicians in general or if it has a more persona not that it's following. So, we'd like to ask if you know of anything that may have sparked anger that the senator was involved in?"
The woman ponders for a moment. "John was so well liked, he did lots of charity work, never really had any controversies. A good family man, John, stayed out of the tabloids, he had a career and a family but they were kept largely separate."
Danny sighs, hoping they'll come away with at least a bread crumb. "Are you sure? No angry phone calls or letters? As his secretary, everything must have had to come through you yes?"
"Yes, but nothing of that nature. Although, now you mention it…" She trails off.
"Yes?"
"There policy a few years ago. John advocated for it. It was for the adjustment of the public health fund, moved funding from some areas to others, made a few people a bit angsty? Oh, what was it called? That's right, it was the…"
"The State of Hawaii Health Service Adjustment January 2011." Steve pulls the thick file out with a triumphant smile. "I knew the names sounded familiar. They were all involved in the changes to the policy at the start of last year." Steve scans the file, nodding along with what is slowly coming back to him. "It moved money around to try and tackle the rising obesity problem on the islands. As of 2008 it was and has continued to be the leading cause of death. It was a success and there has been a slight decrease in diabetes and related death, as well as obesity-induced heart attacks."
"That's great, but why would that lead to any of their kid's being poisoned? This policy looks like a good thing?"
Steve lets out a deep breath, frustrated. There was something about it, some controversy. I just can't for the life of me remember what I was."
Steve's phone rings at that moment and upon seeing it's Danny, he hits accept.
"Danno, what've you got?"
"Something about a health policy."
"Same here. Meet back at The Palace in half an hour."
"Great, see you then."
Kono is already moving to pack up the files, ready to head out. "You hungry boss? I thought we could grab some dinner on the way back?"
"Sounds good Kono, nothing for me, I have a shake in the fridge back waiting for me."
Kono snorts. "Whatever boss, the rest of us will eat real food."
Steve heads towards the car, laughing with her.
The four members of five-o congregate around their table back at the palace, Chin, Kono, and Danny eating an assortment of sandwiches while Steve sucks down the shake he'd pulled out of the fridge. He'd just switched to a new protein powder and it tasted strange today. Then again, protein powder rarely tasted good.
"So, this policy, what exactly was it?" Kono asks.
Danny pipes up. "From what we've learned, it was essentially o tackle the rising obesity crisis. They moved funding from several areas into public education, weight loss measures like publicly available nutrition classes and more affordable gastric surgery, classes in schools, things like that."
"That's all good," Kono says, "But where did the money come from?"
"That's where it gets hazy. It came from a few different sectors; research that wasn't going anywhere, funding for a care unit that got canceled, things like that." Steve reads from the file. "It all looks pretty good."
"There has to be something," Chin argues. "It's virtually the only policy that the three of them all advocated on for the same angle, and Sonia Linton remembers there being some people protesting it outside the office."
"Why would people be against public health funding?" Kono asks, "What's there to lose?"
Steve looks further over the file. For such an important political decision there's very little information publicly available." He sets the folder down. "Alright, do we all agree this is important?" The rest of the team nods and Steve checks his watch. "Alright. It's past nine now so we'll all head home, get some rest and come back fresh in the morning. Danny and I will head to the public records office, hopefully, there'll be more there. I want you," he looks at Kono and Chin, "to head over to Hirono's office, find out if anyone remembers anything about the policy like Mrs Linton did." There's a quiet round of agreement, Danny yawns.
"Alright, clear out." They laugh and pack up their things, heading home to sleep before what will surely be yet another long day. As Steve walks out the door, in the back of his mind a clock is counting down. He doesn't know when it will hit zero, but he knows unless they figure this out, it will hit zero, and then, there will be three children dead and their lives will be on Steve's hands.
Steve tosses and turns in his bed, his stomach churning. He's feeling hot and sweaty despite the relatively cool night. It's when his head begins to pound when he starts to consider the possibility the sushi he'd eaten when he got home had been in the fridge a few too many days. By the time dawn breaks, Steve has spent four hours lying in front of his toilet, retching up everything he'd eaten in the last few years. The alarm rings at five and he hops up. He'll feel better after a swim. Surely.
Love it? Hate it? Want to know more? Let me know what you think in the comments, follow and favourite! Any theories on what's happening? Chuck it below! Until Tuesday!
Rose xx
Also, check out my first Avengers fanfic, Global warming, a 5,000 words angsty/family fluff fic. Summary below:
Steve is a leader, and leader's aren't supposed to be scared.