I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: evidently there's another bunny who thinks its rather funny at times. Ongoing thanks to CinderH, KQ and TheDogo who routinely thump all the recalcitrant wabbits back into submission when warranted - in TheDogo's case that would be correctly described as 'thrashing without mercy'. ;-)
Chapter Twenty
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Though she hadn't been evicted from hospital grounds or arrested - at least not yet - Beth Paquin stole into the hospital during the darkest of overnight hours. They knew her by now and alternated between giving her a wide berth or closely watching her every move. Frankly, she didn't care about either of their methods. She took advantage of knowing Roger and his habits to do what she needed to do before she left.
Beth went directly to Mark's room without hesitating or stopping. She stood in the doorway briefly just to ensure that Roger wasn't there but the room was deathly somber. Her guess that he'd be in the hospital cafeteria forcing cold coffee and something from the vending machine into his stomach was indeed quite valid. But she also knew that she wouldn't have much time.
"Hello, Mrs. Paquin." Mark's nurse was familiar to her, but she'd never bothered to learn the woman's name. Rather than answering, Beth merely listened to what seemed like an obligatory update on her son. "He had a snack around midnight and he's been sleeping ever since. I think your husband is downstairs."
"Thank you. I'm glad," Beth softly replied, once more relieved when the nurse's comment compounded Roger's location. The nurse was still staring at her though and Beth managed a curt nod. "I won't bother him or stay long."
Stealing closer, Beth softly sat on the edge of the bed and watched Mark sleep. Her whispers were barely audible and he only slightly moved in response to her voice. She frowned when she realized that, in fact, she seemed to disturb him based on the scrunching of his forehead and small uncomfortable fidget. Rather than soothing, she brought a sense of true disquiet and unease with her very presence. Her resolve was made more firm as she watched the pinched look on her son's face only partly ease.
"I'm leaving, Mark. You'll be fine with your father. Better than fine," she murmured softly, unfazed by her sheer lack of tears. Searching hard, she could only find the faintest feeling of a dark heavy knot buried in the pit of her stomach. There were no actual tears though as she searched vainly for even a thread of regret. Rising smoothly to her feet, Beth leaned over to run her fingers through her son's hair. Her final kiss was briefly bestowed on his temple and a second soon followed, but she didn't falter now. "I never hated you, Mark. But, I need to go."
She couldn't voice what she was really thinking though; that she simply couldn't ever give him what he needed. The vibrancy of her beloved Allen was gone and Beth Paquin could never love her overly serious second son the way that a mother should. Self-centered and unwilling to lay claim to Mark's broken emotional state, she wasn't capable of ever giving him what he so desperately craved. Her hands fisted spasmodically as she remembered Allen's carefree spontaneous laugh and windswept hair. So alike in their ways and outgoing verve, mother and son had mutually doted upon each other. One fulfilling the other's innate spark for being the center of attention.
A dangerous thought was on the tip of her tongue as she stared almost blindly down at Mark. An evil, un-motherly wish that she nearly voiced about him instead of Allen as she much too coolly studied his sleeping face. Her unbidden yearning proved that her capacity for blame lay too strongly side by side with her self-righteous beliefs.
"Good-bye, Mark." Her final whisper was stony and utterly unnecessary. It gave her some personal credence to her visit though, at least before she turned away to complete her last task.
She left her handwritten card for Roger perched sideways on the raised tray table between the plastic cup and water pitcher without looking back. Her small bag was already in her car; she had enough money and would decide where she was going once she got to the airport. Leaving as boldly as she had entered the hospital, Beth Paquin soon disappeared from sight.
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"Hello, Danny. When I called yesterday to see how you were doing, they told me that you had been moved to a private room. I tried to come by earlier, but had to wait until today." Staring at Steve, Danny's eyes went wide as the woman's voice echoed in to him from his doorway. Danny's instantly mouthed one word of 'help' completely caught Steve off guard as he slouched down in the bed acting as if he could hide.
"Who is she?" Turning from the window where he'd been gauging the darkening skies, Steve mouthed his question quickly in return. However, he only gained Danny's disgusted eye-roll as answer as the woman swept into the room directing her aim solely for him.
"Hi, Kia." Equally bewildered by the visitor's arrival, Grace's aggrieved welcome made Danny flinch involuntarily as an atrocious display of flowers was placed on his side table. The ostentatious vase had hidden her face from his view, and now Mrs. Gina Montrose smiled happily down at him. Her daughter Kia was by her side holding a rectangular bakery box and looking very uncomfortable.
"Hi, Grace," Kia muttered with a tiny smile. Trying to find reason for her presence, she held up the box higher. "My mom baked chocolate chip cookies. They're really good."
"Your mother actually bakes?" Grace sniffed in disbelief, earning a sharply poked reprimand from her father. "Ow!" Rubbing the sore spot above her knee where his finger had landed, she made a face before accepting the proffered box. "Thank you. I guess."
"Danny, how are you feeling?" With a quick smile for Grace's benefit, Gina moved closer to the bed with her eyes trained on the bedridden detective. "I've been thinking about you every day since that terrible accident."
"Uh." Danny painfully quirked his lip up in a weak replica of a smile. But for once, he was at a loss for words as she leaned meaningfully over the bed and directly into his personal space. Wincing, Danny continued with his pained attempt at a half-smile, shrinking down simultaneously into the pillows. "Hi, Gina. Fine. Good."
"Kia and I have been very anxious to stop by," Gina purred while winding her fingers into his left hand. Leaning still closer, her perfume tickled his nose but when her free hand swept over his forehead to settle in his hair, Danny forgot his urge to sneeze. He also briefly wondered if Kia was as truly anxious as her dear mother as more perfume wafted his way. "But ... you do look very tired. How are you feeling ... really? Tell me the truth."
"Uh. Fine," he croaked again. His expression remained sickly stunned as he tapped the small duffel bag which Steve had brought that morning. Pending one final x-ray, Danny was anticipating being checked out of the hospital by Doctor Webber along with a laundry list of medical orders. "I'm getting released today. Soon. Very soon, in fact."
"Oh, sweetie, I'm so glad to hear that!" Overly demure, Gina gazed happily at Danny while intentionally turning a blind eye towards his obvious predicament. Slowly, her fingers wound playfully through his hair, twirling a strand rudely around her forefinger. Lock-jawed, Danny pulled her annoying hand away only to find that Gina Montrose was now willingly coddling both his hands together within hers. He made a noise deep in his throat when her thumb ran over his knuckles. Next to him, Grace was muttering something under her breath and glaring at Kia, who once more, wished that the linoleum floor might swallow her whole.
"Sweetie?" Steve mouthed the word while he bounced on his toes as Danny's clearly annoyed and very plaintive eyes met his once more. The woman was beautiful and nearly perfection down to her long showy legs. Her daughter was impeccably dressed in a pretty sundress with a stray smudge of chocolate marring one side of her pretty cheek. For the life of him, Steve at first didn't understand his partner's visible distaste and distressed look which continually asked for help.
He watched transfixed as Gina Montrose glanced towards her daughter, patiently rolling her eyes to the ceiling at what she spied. "Peanut, you have chocolate on your face!" For one blessed second, the woman had lost interest in Danny as she fished for a clean tissue from her ample bag. Gently rotating her daughter's chin up, Gina swiped the offending streak away with a loudly bussed kiss lobbed precisely on that same spot.
"Mom, stop." Kia said, smiling in embarrassment, before rubbing at the lipstick stain she knew would be in its place.
"What kid doesn't like chocolate, right? I think she ate half of what we baked together last night before I got them boxed." Gina tweaked Kia's braid with a sweetly endearing tug. "Isn't that right, Peanut?"
Seconds later though, Steve's mouth gaped wide as the interesting woman was once more invading his partner's very breathing room. Giving out with a breathless chuckle, she regained his fingers to coyly capture them in her own. "Actually, everyone likes chocolate." Gina reiterated quietly.
"Chocolate's good," Danny agreed under his breath, equally surprised that the divorcee actually did indeed evidently know her way around a kitchen. But his next faint remark had her beaming in pleasure. "Thank you for the cookies ... and the flowers. You didn't have to go to all this trouble."
"It's no trouble at all, Danny," Gina gushed happily, a blush rising to her cheeks at the compliment.
Partly biting back an amused laugh, Steve cleared his throat loudly to signal his presence as Grace now glared at the woman's brashness. "Excuse me," Steve pursed his lips at the willowy brunette, momentarily taken by her alluring outfit and pristine appearance. "Can I help you?"
"Oh!" Stunned by his presence, she looked up quickly freeing a hand in order to place it dramatically over her heart. Her intake of breath ended on an odd squeak as she recovered her senses to appraise Steve from top to bottom. At first genuinely surprised, she soon regained the warmth of her beaming smile.
"And who's this pray tell?" Gina stood tall now next to Danny while maintaining a constant hold of at least one hand. Yet, her smile had deepened exponentially as she looked from Danny to Steve with an ever-increasing amount of appreciation.
"He's my Uncle Steve," Grace bristled anew as Mrs. Montrose gazed deeply into Steve's face before her eyes flickered briefly to his hands. Her obvious search of a wedding ring made Danny chuff an overly amused chuckle as Steve's eyes widened in surprise. Gina Montrose would never be deemed as a subtle woman and she was as fickle as the day was long.
"Gina, meet Steve McGarrett. You two should get to know each other," Danny smirked as he easily freed the last of his fingers from the red-tipped talons. He watched in captivated glee as she sauntered around the bottom of the hospital bed to sweetly shake his partner's hand. Once more though, she lingered in her introduction just a few moments too long, causing Steve's nose to wrinkle in a bewildered way.
"Steve," Gina smiled grandly, waving her hand blindly behind her back to bring her daughter forward. Propelling her forward with one hand on top of her head, Gina held her in place. "This is my Kia. She and Grace are in the same classes at school."
"Hi Kia. It's nice to meet you." Bending down, Steve made the little girl feel special when he held his hand out warmly for their introduction.
"Hi," she answered shyly, at a total loss for words when he took her so seriously. "Mom made cookies. They're really good."
"I see that," he said, glancing now at Grace who held the ribboned box on her lap. Half tolerant smirk and half annoyed, Steve could barely read the odd expression on her face. Confused, he blinked once and then twice before smiling brightly to Kia. "Homemade cookies are the best and I bet these are perfect."
"Hmm, they are. One of my many talents," Gina suddenly cooed as she continued in her inspection. "Tattoos? They're very ... impressive," she purred sweetly, clearly intrigued. As her hand came up to dare to touch his bicep, Steve was already backpedaling to stand nearer his window which suddenly seemed safer from the unconscionable Gina Montrose. "Military? Army man?"
"What?" Steve stared at the brunette. "Yes. I mean, no!" She was remarkably beautiful but alarmingly forward. He clearly understood now Danny's original plea as she advanced on him in the confines of the hospital room. Sitting on the bed, Grace gave out with an audible dramatic sigh before shaking her head while Danny's grin quirked upwards to make his eyes shine deviously. Wincing as if in pain, even little Kia Montrose seemed wise to her mother's antics.
"Army man," Gina grinned happily. "I bet you look darling in uniform. All those big guns."
"Ninja black. Camo," Danny smirked quietly from his bed. He lifted his eyebrows comically as Steve found his eyes. "And he prefers grenades to guns ... or even napalm."
"Shut up, Danny," Steve sputtered as Danny laughed outright. Gently taking Gina's hand only to stay where it might travel, Steve made another disgruntled face as she beamed radiantly up into his face. She nearly swooned at his formal use of an old-fashioned, polite word. "No, ma'am. Not the Army."
"Here we go," Danny grinned as Gina freed her hand to finally fold her arms suspiciously against their friendly antics. Grace was grinning and Danny was truly laughing now, holding his side as tears pricked his eyes. She was sure he wasn't laughing at her precisely, but Gina Montrose was utterly confused as the two men shared a not so private joke.
"No, no, ma'am," Steve's lips were white as he pressed his mouth firmly closed. From the bed, Danny was nearly crying when he belligerently replied, "Navy. I'm in the damned Navy!"
~ to be continued ~