I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: I love the title "Mr. Creepy" that my baddie seems to have been gifted! Quite perfect for him. I'm thrilled you're enjoying this story ... the muses are working hard to keep it on an even keel. My OC of Doctor Ramirez is here; and the muse saw fit to add Doctor Lennon from the recent Father Hen story.
H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*
Chapter Four
No Kau a Kau ~ For Eternity
Steve never stopped as he two-fisted the double doors while on the same agitated run from the parking lot. In addition to being soaked to the skin from the ongoing downpour, he made a larger than life entrance into the emergency room only to be literally stopped when his body careened into the counter of the nurse's station.
"Detective Danny Williams. He was just brought in by ambulance from Ehukai Beach Park," Steve blurted the words breathlessly, barely waiting for a response, before moving off again on a hectic pace towards the examination room. He physically pushed past an HPD officer, curtly apologizing, yet essentially ignoring the similarly distressed uniformed man for his sole objective.
"Sir!" The HPD officer had been roughly shoved aside. He was slow to recover his balance and follow on Steve's heels. So he called after him, his frustration making his voice much louder than it should have been inside the busy hospital corridor. "Sir, you need to know … there's more … sir! We think … no, we know that Officer Kalakaua was with Detective Williams."
"Wait," Steve ground out when the HPD officer's words sank in and he stalled in place just steps from another set of double doors. "What do you mean? Kono?" Then, only divine providence - and the strong arms of a stunned nurse - prevented him from barging into the trauma room as he had through the first inner bay to the ER.
"You'll have to wait out here." The nurse who barreled into him on her way out of the trauma room reacted instantly to snare his upper body and Steve nearly fell as his route was pre-empted. "Preferably the waiting room."
"How bad? What's going on?" Steve didn't have much information other than that a tourist had found his partner at the parking lot of Ehukai Beach Park on the North Shore. He had been found reeling almost drunkenly across the almost empty lot by another beach goer who had wisely called both the police and then an ambulance. Details were sketchy and Steve was still at a loss for more information as he rounded first on the nurse and then the lone HPD officer.
"Detective Williams? Honestly, we're not entirely certain of the extent of all his injuries just yet." The nurse easily guessed that the stressed concern was about their latest patient as she pulled Steve along for only two short steps before she was forced to stop. "We're working on getting him stabilized. Someone will be out to fill you in when we know more; please wait outside." Any further forward motion was prevented though when the larger man refused outright to budge an other inch. With a scowl, he shirked rudely from her fingertips to leave a trail of scored white lines from her nails which demarked an inch of space across his tanned bicep.
"Next of kin? Family? Another officer?" The nurse wasn't sure quite yet whom she was dealing with and she nodded in recognition when Steve thrust his Five-0 badge under her nose.
"Friend … and partner," Steve hastily explained. "What do you mean that you don't know?"
"I need to get another doctor in there right now." The nurse waffled in a short spat of indecision before pointing with purpose towards a the white-coated outline of a doctor who hovered just inside the trauma room's doorway.
"Talk to Doctor Lennon. I need to get another doctor down here to evaluate your friend's other injuries."
"Lennon? Hey! Other … what?" Steve croaked out in alarm, finally turning towards the HPD officer for answers when the nurse rapidly turned on her heel. "What do you know?"
"We know that he and Officer Kalakaua had been surfing on their day off." The HPD officer vainly tried again now that McGarrett had finally ceased moving. "It's Officer Kalakaua, sir. We haven't been able to locate her as of yet. Detective Williams asked about her … or, he at least tried to explain that something was wrong. But he wasn't entirely making sense at first and this Doctor Lennon won't allow me in to ask him more questions. Since you were first contacted, Officer Kalakaua's car has now been confirmed as being in the parking lot; but she's missing."
That was as far as he got as Steve spun in place when he heard Danny's voice rising in agitation. Lennon. The young doctor was talented, but not on the Five-0 team's top list of favorite people; least of all his partner's. He was now glibly placed at the pond scum level of Steve's own personal list within seconds of hearing what the HPD officer had just shared, worsened by the faint tremor of Danny's voice which was wracked with both pain and frustration. Other voices joined those he heard from inside the trauma room to countermand orders, increasing the tension to an incredible level.
"Damn, him." Steve bristled angrily as he recognized Lennon's voice in the midst of the escalating argument. "Hold that thought!" He barked out, a finger in the air and aimed unerringly at the HPD officer. Whirling around, he entered the exam room and descended upon the doctor in question only to gasp out loud when he caught sight of Danny's bloody and bruised torso. His hand went out automatically, Five-0 badge brandished threateningly to anyone in his way, as startled demands were called out to remove himself from the room.
"What the hell happened to him?" Steve stopped just shy of the hectic activity, astounded by the series of reddened scrapes along Danny's right cheek, the large purpling bruise on his jawline, and roughened skin, torn and bloodied.
Danny's right arm was strapped to his chest and Steve correctly guessed that his shoulder had been dislocated. A sheet was draped over the lower half of his body leaving his chest bare to show off the impressive expanse of bruising emanating from his right shoulder and to wrap around his ribcage. A thick bandage, soaked with blood, covered his left temple and half the side of his head. But worst of all, Danny was fighting, struggling and arguing with every bit of energy he had available in his remaining stores.
"Get off me." Though weak, Danny's voice made it over the noise of the medical throng in the room. "You're not listening … to me. I need … to talk. Contact … McGarrett … or Kelly. Now … someone. It's urgent." The resultant pained gasp emanating from the gurney moved Steve then and he strode past the overly-determined Doctor Lennon to enter not only the fray, but his partner's line of sight.
"Danny." Steve brusquely supplanted Lennon who was hell-bent on treating his aggressive patient, as well as a burly male orderly, by glare alone to clasp Danny's lesser bruised shoulder and to gently palm his forehead just shy of the worst of the bloody bandages.
"Stop. Hey, hey, Danno, what happened? Just … stop, buddy." Steve literally flinched when Danny's pained eyes finally met his own. He flinched again when a small bit of the traumatized blue haze seemed to clear and his partner completely deflated in his hands.
"Chin's on his way. I'm here … calm down and tell me what happened." Steve breathed as calmly as he could manage under the baffling circumstances. To Lennon's sheer amazement, his combative patient ceased all movement and all verbal complaints upon the entrance of one very special person. Not quite trusting things though as his patient fought breathlessly against pain and his skilled medical care, the orderly and the rest of Lennon's people ranged uncertainly around the gurney looking towards him in askance.
"Steve. 'bout… time." Danny panted, only to close his eyes and grimace at the agony in his head which was affecting his vision and ability to cohesively construct even a glimmer of a rational thought. More pain radiated from his dislocated shoulder, torn from its socket by the simple act of putting a hand out to break a fall when Kono's abductor leveled his first well-aimed blow.
"I need to get him stabilized and get that shoulder taken care of," Lennon insisted meaningfully to Steve, relieved when the Five-0 Commander didn't argue but returned a grim-faced nod. He and the Five-0 team had crossed paths and hadn't quite managed to meet eye to eye or find friendly footing. In fact after his partner's wound had gotten infected under Lennon's care, the currently injured detective and the young doctor might never learn to gain an improved relationship.
Lennon paused, briefly uncertain if he should continue. But his patient's new demeanor gave him an opportunity and he grasped it to focus on completing the urgent tasks needed to stabilize fluctuating vital signs battered by pain and shock. "Let's try this again. Shall we?" Lennon physically rolled his head on his stiffening neck to ease his own stress in order to reinitiate his triage. He felt his entire team take a proverbial deep breath as activity slowly resumed, albeit with only a slightly lesser level of apprehension.
"I want him on oxygen," Lennon dared demand, glancing with a superior air towards his head nurse who jumped into action to replace the oxygen mask torn off in battle. She nodded as more orders were tossed her way with no pause. "Make sure radiology is ready for us; and where the hell is Fratelli? I want him down here."
"Leave it alone, Danny." With eyes only focused on his partner, Steve waved a finger warningly in front of Danny's nose as a shaky, badly scraped hand tried to come up to object the nurse's efforts. Torn skin littered his knuckles around dried beads of blood which mimicked the deep scratches oozing across his ribcage. Danny was wet, likely moreso from the rainy deluge, but despite that Steve was momentarily distracted by the sandy hair and salt encrusted eye lashes.
"What happened?" Motioning with one hand to take in the length of his battered friend, Steve was dumfounded as Lennon interrupted to provide more information. The expression on the young doctor's face was severe and caused Steve to switch gears momentarily away from Danny in order to better understand his partner's condition. "How badly is he hurt?"
"Steve …" Danny attempted a sentence, grimacing though a surge of pain which gave Lennon time to interject his own theories much to his ongoing aggravation.
"He took a heavy roll in the waves and dislocated his shoulder before being hit twice in the head with a blunt object," Lennon quoted brusquely. "It seems he was coming in after the spill to get checked out, but was accosted in the Park's upper parking lot. HPD is describing a possible altercation which prompted these head injuries. He was found dazed but conscious …"
"Wrong. I told you … didn't … hurt my shoulder … surfing," Danny managed to growl out despite the pain he was in. His voice was weak and muffled by the oxygen mask making his delivery sound more plaintive than intended. His annoyance was obvious, at least as recognized by Steve, but before he could make himself clearer, Lennon was shaking his head patronizingly as if his patient might be terribly confused.
"Detective, please calm down," Lennon started but was forced to stop when Danny's hand managed to fist the sleeve of his jacket in a tight wad. Blood sparkled along his knuckles and Danny's hand shook badly, but his hold was steadfast.
"You ... you need to back off … Doc," Danny said angrily through gritted teeth. The condescending smile the doctor proffered to Danny when Steve unwound his fingers from the white coat wasn't received well, still Lennon picked up easily where he'd left off. His attitude earned him another pained glower of frustration but Danny had to scrunch his eyes closed as the pain in his head worsened.
"He at minimum has a very serious concussion. But I'm not sure how long he was unconscious before he was found wandering the parking lot; he says not at all, but I'm having my doubts," the doctor succinctly added.
"I wasn't … knocked … out," Danny ground out finally, blinking furiously to keep his eyes opened so he could combat Lennon's annoying tendencies to assume too much and interrupt as if he were a chuffed up peacock. He chose to completely ignore the arrogant man as he carefully drew in a thin breath of air and focused on the pure oxygen as an aid in clearing his aching head. "Steve, we're wasting … time. Kono … could be long gone."
"Alright, Danny," Steve nodded in agreement. However, he was also frowning at irksome bits of information about Kono's whereabouts and alarmed by his partner's contrary words. And though the proof lay directly in front of him, battered and bruised, he remained surprised at the apparent day of surfing.
"I need to take care of this man," Lennon sighed loudly. He rapped his hand impatiently on the gurney, alternately upset and personally offended by the whithering looks his recalcitrant patient once more aimed his way.
"You will in a minute, Doc," Steve set his jaw firmly as the Lennon rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. Lennon was young and as a very qualified physician certainly meant well; but he was over-confident, self-impressed, and didn't appreciate being managed by his patients. As far as Steve was concerned, all of that was simply too bad and the doctor would have to get over it.
"Tell me what happened from the top." With a well-trained severity to exercise self-restraint, Steve reined back the rising drum-like beat which was beginning to steal the air from his chest. He ignored the young doctor's impatience and forced his voice to remain even-keeled and entirely calm. "Danny, when you were at Ehukai today, was Kono with you? What happened in the parking lot?"
"Kono … yeah, then this guy … came from nowhere," Danny forced his eyes to remain open despite the throbbing pain in his head which was making his initial tussle with the ocean and surfboard seem like child's play. "Lost track of the time since it happened … but it's been too long already." His crash in the waves was almost, but not quite child's play, because he'd scraped half his right side raw across the sandy bottom before coming up for air, only to have it happen twice more before reaching shore. It was no exaggeration that he'd only managed to reach the beach due to Kono's help. His ribs and entire right side burned from scoured skin irritated by abrasive salt water. On his second violent immersion, he felt as if he'd swallowed half the Pacific, which had duly rattled him to his very core. If he had been miserable before, after being attacked in the Park's upper parking area, he was now helplessly trembling from the unexpected added trauma.
"He took … her … near the car," Danny grimaced and then groaned as Lennon palpitated his ribs and a nurse did the same to each of his bleeding hands, his fingers and then his abdomen was probed with painful persistency. Apologies were whispered, but his assault continued and Danny had to pause often to gain his breath.
"I … I think …. photographer …. took her … couldn't stop him ..." He wheezed badly, losing his breath entirely as his bruised right leg received more attention. Danny's face contorted in a rigor of silent agony. A blinding white pain flashed through his head and his ability to create any sound other than a strangled gasp simply ended. What failed next was his capacity to inhale while his body revolted to draw him closer to seriously passing out.
His panicked grapple for purchase gained the strength of Steve's hand but still he lost himself in a numbing agony. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, an odd array of dark sparking lights danced relentlessly across his vision and he was at a loss to hear the angry words bellowed on his behalf. Shock was setting in to an extent where he knew he was in trouble as his body began to uncontrollably shake while his hearing faded distressingly to nothing.
"Steve?" His mumbled whimper was barely a sound at all. Hardly an intelligible name. But everything was taking too long because Kono had been kidnapped. And in situations like this, every second mattered and that fact was all he could manage to think of.
"We need to finish our triage and get him stabilized. I have a neurologist coming in because I'm distinctly worried about his head injuries. Do you have what you need?" Lennon was desperately attempting to remain professional and in control of his emergency room. In all honesty, he was truly disturbed now; any patience long gone as his face clouded unhappily. Standing across from Steve, he obviously disliked what he was finding and his tone was filled with a growing sense of trepidation. If it hadn't been for all of those dire hints, Steve would have pummeled the man into submission. But what Lennon was urgently communicating pulled Steve in two conflicting directions and he hesitated.
"I highly doubt that he does," a booming voice intoned suddenly from the doorway. It startled Doctor Lennon enough for him to stumble backwards from the gurney, wide-eyed as he issued an astonished curse. Two seconds later, his face had reddened in a weird combination of embarrassment and anger.
"Commander." The word was said with a blithe sense of strong familiarity. Doctor Alphonse 'Ponch' Ramirez's sheer size and breadth filled what little space remained in the trauma room as he cocked his head inquiringly towards Steve and then nodded towards Danny. "Why is my patient here and not at my clinic as I expected?"
"What do you mean your patient?" Lennon barked at the sizable man now striding boldly into his own ER. "And at your clinic?"
"What are you talking about?" Steve blurted out, neatly copying Lennon's stunned expression as he stared stupidly at the older physician. He had a badly injured partner and a missing officer on his hands. Ramirez's appearance and nearly sardonic questions were about to send him over a sketchy precipice and Steve threw his hands up in the air. "Clinic? Your patient? Ponch, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Exactly!" Lennon finally found his tongue, astonished still by yet another unannounced interloper within the inner sanctity of his emergency room. "What in God's name are you talking about Ramirez? What's going on here?"
"I received a phone call." Ponch breezily began his explanation as he anchored his hands firmly behind his back. His mouth twitched in annoyance at the young doctor's presumption to so boldly and even rudely refer to him by his last time. He stared unflinchingly at Lennon until the man realized his error and looked away in chagrin, his face reddening and a similar heated flush rising to encase his ears. Ramirez didn't back down an inch until the room quieted. Fingers-interlaced, a small bounce on his toes tilted his upper body forward to indicate his rising sense of agitation at the sights laid out before him. He looked quizzically from Lennon, down to Danny and then over to Steve before frowning once more at the injured detective.
"Officer Kalakaua called me …," and the imposing doctor pointed adamantly down towards Danny, "about him … contacted me directly at my clinic requesting that I see him after an encounter with a rather large wave while surfing. They never showed after quite some time had passed and neither of them answered my calls. I made a few more of my own and learned there'd been an altercation involving a police officer at the beach. It wasn't too hard to figure out things from that point and I tracked the ambulance to this hospital. And so now, I'm here."
"More than an hour?" Steve blinked once and then twice in confusion, breathing out a rather perplexed sound as he silently made his brain function. On the gurney, Danny was mumbling something which he couldn't quite make out as the confusion of multiple voices rose once more in the small room. "Kono called you?"
"She did. It's been over an hour and a half ago now; closer to two hours, actually." Ponch nodded again, grimacing thoughtfully when Danny seemed to pale at the pronouncement regarding the passage of time. "She and Danny were supposed to be on their way to my clinic so that I could evaluate some cuts and scrapes; but nothing like this. Nothing related to head injuries or what looks like a what … is this now a dislocated shoulder? And did I hear correctly … Kono is actually missing?"
"Ah ..." Lennon was beside himself, floundering for words as he was once more pushed aside, this time by his older and more experienced peer whom his patient was quite relieved to see. His flush refused to abate and he rubbed inanely at his neck, unknowingly opening up a swath of reddened skin there, too, which complimented the bright color of his ears.
"Ah … dislocated … yes, we believe from the surfing accident." His voice trailed away as the elder physician shook his head to deny the claim on Danny's behalf when a bloodied and badly scraped hand waved in exasperation through the air amongst them.
"No, that's not what I believe happened," Ponch stated, deep in thought as he recalled Kono's description of Danny's much more simplistic injuries. In the background of that initial phone conversation, he had heard Danny's aggrieved complaints about minor scrapes and a short smile flew across his lips. Based on what he'd been told, neither the head wounds nor the injured shoulder had been in existence.
"No." He worriedly tightened his fingers behind his back, before committing to his final assessment. "This … is all new. These injuries including the dislocated shoulder clearly happened after I was contacted."
"Said … that," Danny muttered brokenly under the oxygen mask. "I did … I said … that all along." His relief at Ponch's unexpected arrival rivaled that of Steve's and he reveled in the big man's ability to speak on his behalf. "Kono … she's missing."
"Okay," Doctor Lennon shrugged at the news. He was embarrassed and fighting to regain control of the situation. What Ramirez declared meant little to him in the grand scheme of things as his injured patient struggled to remain cognizant. With an effort, his voice was kind, exceedingly patient in fact, but he was wanting to focus on his own important job. "I'm glad that's cleared up and I hope it helps, but it doesn't change the fact that this man is badly injured. My team needs to finish triage and get him stabilized. I want everyone out of this room so we can do just that."
"No," Danny mewled in distress forcing his fingers to stay curled around Steve's, refusing to let go until he conveyed his peace. His voice was wracked with worry as he insisted on relaying something much more important. "Two hours, Steve. Too … long … could be anywhere."
As way of a reply, Danny sensed the sudden placement of a protective bubble which surrounded him like a thick blanket. Ramirez was included in that realm of safety, yet Danny knew it wouldn't last long because the dueling doctors' common Hippocratic Oath would win out over his own fading threads of stamina. He still had limited time as he fought their care and the abuses layered upon his exhausted system.
"One minute. He needs one minute; I need a minute with him." Steve hunched over the gurney leaving Lennon to Ramirez, his face inches from Danny's with one hand entrenched in a frighteningly cold grip. His other hand found its way to Danny's forehead, wrinkled and lined in not only pain, but fear.
"You and Kono were surfing at Ehukai and what, Danny? You took a header and were going to the clinic to get checked out … what happened after that?" Steve spoke almost rheotrically, gauging his partner's agreement or denial as best as possible as he strove to fill in gaps. "You ran into a guy in the lot …. you think he was a photographer and he kidnapped Kono … but first, he got you from behind." Steve said it all quickly, his eyes wandering rapidly over Danny's pinched face for affirmation.
"How could that happen, Danno? Both of you?" The incredulous thought was inaudible since Steve remained confused for the unlikely aspect of anyone being able to take out either one of his team in such a way. Either of them alone was a force to be reckoned with. Two was unheard of even with Danny scuffed up by a bad tumble while surfing.
"Stalker," Danny ground the word out hoping it made a better impact. "Meant … business. Planned attack … never saw it coming. Waiting …. watching us - no, just Kono …. waiting. Weeks …now. Those … damned … flowers. The stuffed toy. I'm sure…so sure, Steve."
He tried to get more out, but his mind faltered along with his ability to stay aware. He was desperate to explain how an SUV had hemmed Kono's tiny red car into their parking space but then, that was all he could truly recall. His gut clenched as he realized that he didn't remember much of anything else and if two hours had gone by, that man could have taken Kono virtually anywhere. He'd been accosted from behind. Instantly eliminated as a threat by that one blow, he didn't even recall being laid flat by the second after struggling to his feet with his newly dislocated shoulder. He had only bits and pieces of memories as his brain jumped blindingly to the face of the kind elderly tourist who had intercepted his reeling gait across the nearly deserted parking lot. Now, he had a myriad of bone deep aches which resonated distressingly across his chest, shoulder and directly upwards into his skull.
None of these things which he tried to verbalize proved possible when his fingers spasmed and he fought valiantly against a nauseating blackness that swirled to take him without a grain of regret. Steve saw the change instantly and he worriedly glanced up to meet each of the doctor's faces. Ramirez, who was hawk-like in his concern, and then Lennon who had become blatantly stressed in being unable to manage his medical protocol.
"It's enough. Take him," Steve nodded after giving his partner's fingers a reassuring squeeze. "Danny, I'll take care of it with Chin and we'll find Kono. Let them help you now."
"Lennon is quite correct," Ponch's deep voice was closer, just over his head and Danny found himself partly relaxing as he listened to the man's calm authority. "He needs to take care of Danny, Steve. I'll stay with him and can keep you all appraised ... and vice versa."
"Kono," Danny tried to say more, but failed with a dismal groan. While it really wasn't going to be much, he had more to share and he forced his eyes to open. Steve needed to leave the hospital in order to locate her. But Danny had more to say and he couldn't properly concentrate or make the blackish glitter of discordant lights leave his vision. He sought Steve's eyes regardless of the merging of light and dark worsened by visual disturbances. His stomach churned as Steve's face faded to swim murkily inches from his nose.
"Danny, no more," Steve whispered. "It's enough. It is."
"No. Hawaiian guy … knew her … trap. Setup," Danny pushed out his poor description of their attacker on a hushed groan. Frightened that he was doing a bad job and unable to provide leads of any value, he stammered the entire time he fought to find a clue inside splintered images. His head thrummed relentlessly and a vacuumed hum of disembowled white noise filled his ears. He was sick, cold and his thoughts were suddenly too vague to capture, leaving him to shiver against the growing lassitude which pulled so badly at him. It was true that hindsight was twenty-twenty. The man had been waiting for an opportunity and Danny's unfortunate tumble in the waves provided that out. From that point, there was nothing sophomoric about the photographer's well-orchestrated next steps.
"Has to be him," Danny murmured under his breath. Fighting his flickering level of consciousness, he had been at a clear disadvantage from the word go, and at least remembered struggling to hobble behind Kono to get to her car.
"Who the hell parks like this?" Kono had let her worried anger get the better of her as she stared at the big SUV before running ahead. In fact, they both had been cursing the ludicrous parking job of the SUV's errant driver when things had gone completely sideways. Danny remembered that it had been white, but couldn't precisely recall the make or model.
"White SUV," Danny winced as he shook his head in misery. "Suburban maybe … don't know."
"What did he look like?" Steve carefully coached. "This guy … the photographer. Can you tell me anything else about him before I go, Danny?"
"Steve …. I don't know," Danny moaned with a sense of rising trepidation because he was of very little help where it counted and he very well knew it. "Dark … tall and fit. Hawaiian and maybe … early to mid-thirties."
Even in terms of providing a physical description of the photographer, he'd only seen the tall dark-haired man from the waves. The man appeared to be Hawaiian and very tanned; tall and he seemed athletic but that would describe more than half the island's population. Hell, he had practically described Steve for all the real help he could provide. With only his gut instinct at the fore, Danny was at a loss to describe anything else that might help find Kono and time was ticking dangerously on.
"Don't know," he murmured faintly. He was utterly tapped and fading quickly, barely able to get his final words uttered as his voice faded away."Had to be … that guy. Has … to be. Please … get out of here now. Wasting … too much … time.""
"It's good, Danny. It's enough and I'll figure it out. Chin's on his way, too," Steve whispered vainly trying to offer some comfort as his partner's fingers tightened once before unexpectedly growing lax. "Danny?" He was left gently trying to disengage himself from what remained of Danny's grip as the gurney began to move. Steve looked up in surprise to find himself staring at yet another doctor who had joined their small anxious entourage. A complete phalanx of three physicans now ranged around his partner.
"Doctor Fratelli," Lennon explained quickly as he introduced the newest arrival while on the move. "Staff neurologist. I want to be on the safe side and we do need to take Detective Williams to radiology. Now. No more waiting."
"Doc? Neurologist?" Steve ran his fingers through his hair in frustration as both Doctor Lennon and now Doctor Fratelli picked up their pace while both he and Ramirez kept time. His entreaty to Ramirez mixed confusion over Danny's words, his now missing youngest officer, and the potential extent of his friend's injuries.
"I'll tag along, Steve," Ponch vowed over his shoulder as they all stopped near a bank of elevators. He wrung his hands in agitation, rending his fingers for lack of being able to shove them habitually into his typical lab coat pockets. At any other time, Steve would have been amused since the big man was seemingly unable to speak when denied his habits. Instead, Steve watched the elevator numbers flicker and light to signal a descent to their current floor. He looked worriedly from his unconscious partner up to the elder physician.
"His system's been badly stressed from these injuries and he's exhausted. I'll stay here for as long as it takes, Steve. Go find out what's happened to Kono," Ponch finally managed to offer.
"Commander, I know we've had our differences, but he's in good hands," Lennon added just as the elevator arrived. He was still perturbed by Doctor Ramirez's unprecedented arrival. The elder doctor and his own father were life-long friends and he felt the strain of their combined judgment falling squarely on his young shoulders. Still, he managed to forge on to find words that were finally appropriate for the situation. "We'll take very good care of Detective Williams." He had also regained most of his control and composure possibly due to the addition of Fratelli's bolstering support. "Of that, I promise."
With a final glance towards Ramirez for reassurance, Steve nodded his thanks before he was left behind to seek out the HPD officer who seemed equally baffled by too little information coming in from the crime scene. He had just waved the lone officer down in the hospital corridor when a very harried Chin Ho jogged through the ER doors. "Steve? Hey, what's going on?"
~ to be continued ~