Disclaimer: Do not own Hawaii Five-0. No copyright infringement intended.
Authors Note: Enjoy!
Chapter 2
They'd been odd-looking pines, pyramidal, unfamiliar and now unnerving. Rough, blackened branches drooped to the forest floor, snatching at Danny's pant legs to trip him up, send him and his daughter sprawling. He'd lost count of how many times he'd taken Grace to the ground, each time becoming more entangled in her arms and legs because she'd refused to let go of him. Now, unable to maintain his waggish front for her, all his energy was diverted to his efforts to stay upright and mobile.
"That's it Danny, get up. You've got to keep moving, buddy."
"Come on, Danno, give me your hand."
Both voices bounced between his ears, an encouraging echo of one another before a rushed, whistling sound in the air overhead made him start. Birds burst from their cover, calling in alarm as they scattered in all directions. Danny peered up and hesitated, searching through the gaps in the canopy, trying to see the source of their flight. He hadn't realized it was his and his daughter's loud clambering that had unnerved them. So he ignored them as he reached for Grace's hand to pull himself upright. He staggered forward. Another wave of nausea rolled through him. Dappled swatches of sunlight teased him when he looked through the trunks of the trees, denying him the view that he needed, that they both craved. The Silverado.
His breath was coming fast and ragged now, his sweat running cold down his face. He could feel his heart pounding as he and Grace stumbled down the remaining hillside, a soft mat of decaying needles cushioning their footfalls. If he could only stop and lay down for a minute. A quick rest.
"Please, Steven."
"You're doing great, Danny. Trust Gracie. She'll get you home. Keep going."
He didn't hesitate this time, just plowed through the pain as Steve's voice drove him harder. The coolness of the evening had begun to turn the afternoon heat. The forest passed in a blur before they finally lurched out of the trees and onto the well-worn road, almost falling again.
Danny squinted against the approaching sunset, shielded his eyes with his hand to confirm that the shimmer of the truck wasn't his mind playing tricks on him. After a few more feet, they reached their destination. Winded, he slumped against the side of the Silverado, placing a bloodied palm against the panel before he had to crouch, his left leg extended. His heart raced as he tried to think through his cramping muscles to what came next. Because movement, any movement, created agony.
"Still no signal, Danno."
Waves of heat rolled off his body. Bent over at the waist with a hand on his knee, he took deep breaths until he could stand upright. His vision wavered before settling on his young daughter, his breath catching as her eyes seemed to burrow into his. The connection was so intense that her gaze held him, as sure as a manacle of iron would.
But then her intensity changed, loosening her hold on him. For an instant, he saw a look of blind terror pass across her features and then it was gone. In its place her eyes blazed intelligence. He saw it flaring there, burning in her, and through it all he felt an overriding sense of her integrity and her love for him.
Unknowingly, she was giving him a safe place to fall.
"No! Danny, don't."
The warning, Steve's voice again, flashed through his mind making him remember why he shouldn't do that, why they were there, that time was passing. Time they didn't have and that he couldn't waste. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"Danno, let me …" Grace held up the keys to the Silverado, the key fob dangling from her fingertips, her arm outstretched. "You've taught me what I need to know. And I've driven the golf carts at the club. I can do this. Just until we can get a signal."
He hesitated.
"Danno, please."
The way she spoke the words made him force himself to draw in another breath. He swallowed hard. His heart felt as if it were coming up into his throat, but then his mind wandered again.
Grace was getting tall, almost as tall as himself. She was becoming a stunning young teen with the most amazing, gentle brown eyes. Eyes that were distinguished by her strength, fortified by family, and blessed with heart and humor. She was becoming one of those young women whose power and gentleness emanated in equal proportions. He knew this. He did. And he ached because of it, because of the thought that he was losing her childhood.
So now she stood before him, straight and resolute, her hand reaching out to him to be placed on his shoulder.
"Trust me."
Danny's hesitancy left his body in a rush. He slumped against the truck, the warmth of the setting sun settling into his trembling body.
"I trust you."
Her eyebrows lifted. A small smile then adorned her lips as a tear of pride trailed down her cheek.
"I trust you completely, Monkey."
Grace nodded as she settled her hand lower, pressing lightly on his forearm. Her fingers tightened as she helped him inside the cab of the truck. Fraught with groans and hisses, he was able to position himself semi-supine on the front passenger seat. He'd refused to recline in the back, the urge to be available should a hand be needed, too great. Grace scooted around to the driver side to adjust the seat, pedals and mirrors. Once positioned correctly, she encouraged him to lay back so his head was cradled by the head rest.
"Stay still, Danno. I'll let you know if I need help. Just relax." The fingers of her right hand gently brushed against his forehead, peeling back strands of sweat soaked hair.
He glanced up at her touch. Grace's narrowing image revealed determination, but still beseeched his reassurance when she whispered …
"You promised."
Danny clasped onto her shirt sleeve, giving the smudged cotton a gentle tug. She'd turned over the engine, placing the gear stick into drive. He kept his voice low, but firm.
"I won't leave you."
He saw relief wash over her face before she finally nodded.
H50
It'd been just under an hour since they'd blundered out of the imposing, towering trees, the Silverado now descending steadily into the setting sun. They were heading west along the old forest service road. Potholes and ruts littered the graveled, but poorly maintained right of way. Grace's body hurt from muscles gone rigid, her teeth grinding because of the responsibility placed on her shoulders. A responsibility that she willingly accepted and that she'd never forfeit. But the going was slow, each dip or lurch of the vehicle ripping a groan from her father.
When she could emancipate her white knuckled grip from the steering wheel, she felt heat radiating off of his clammy forehead. And although the bleeding from his bandaged thigh had seemingly stopped, his weakened smile and glazed over eyes had her worried. No, make that terrified, though she'd never admit that. Never admit to the fear that her body would curl into a ball of withering potentia, and that the action was not that far off from actually happening.
Every few minutes, her Danno would reach over to place a quivering hand on her bicep or tug lightly on her bloodied shirt sleeve. His whispers of encouragement, unbeknownst to him, were warding off the claws of fear that were trying to rip through her chest.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Silverado crawled to a stop at a T-intersection. After placing the hog of a rig into park, Grace swiped the face of the cell, breathing a sigh of relief when two bars popped onto the screen.
"I've got a signal, Danno." Grace's small smile withered after peeking over at her passenger. "Danno?" She placed her hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. "Danno?"
No response but a groan.
"Danno, wake up!" A bit harder shake produced a small protest and lids that fluttered open to half-mast, but then closed again. "Stay awake," she whispered. "You promised me." Her father's fingers twitched in response as she intertwined hers with his. "I'm calling for help, Danno. You have to stay awake."
Within seconds, Grace one-handedly punched in the connection to 911. Her hand shook as she raised the phone to her ear.
"Honolulu dispatch, where's the exact location of your emergency?"
"Kuaokala Forest Reserve. But I don't … I don't know exactly where we are."
"Are you still in Kuaokala Reserve?"
"Yes."
"Are you hiking in the reserve or are you on a road?"
"We're on a dirt road. The intersection of a dirt and paved road."
"Do you know the name of either road? Is there a sign or any landmarks that would help me determine where in the reserve you are?"
"No, it's mostly just trees. I don't remember the names of the roads, and there aren't any signs that I can see." Grace hesitated, pilfering through her memory for anything usable. "Oh, wait. When we turned into the reserve I remember my Dad pointing out the satellite tracking station. The big white ball looking things. But I can't see them from where we are now."
"Okay that's still very helpful. Is your Dad there with you?"
"Yes. He's hurt really bad and needs an ambulance … please." Grace's voice wavered, her hand still resting within her father's.
"Can I talk to your Dad?"
"He hasn't said anything in a while. I tried to get him to talk before I called. He'll squeeze my hand if I squeeze his but he's having a hard time keeping his eyes open."
"Okay. Can you tell me if your Dad is still responding to your voice and the squeeze of your fingers now?"
"Hold on ... Danno?" Grace strangled her father's hand in hopes of a rejoinder before setting the cell down on the middle consul. "Danno?" Her small fingers cupped her father's face as she leaned closer. Her breath released a stifled sob when she felt the weak rebuttal and his eyelids fluttered back into utter slits. Slowly his eyes tracked to her own, and held there. Reluctantly, she pulled her hand away from his cheek to pick up the phone.
"Yeah, he is. He can hear me, but he's still having a hard time staying awake."
"That's okay. It's good that he's responding to you. What's the number that you're calling from?"
"(808) 529-3111."
"Is that a cell phone?"
"Yeah. It's my Dad's cell. Detective Danny Williams. He's with Five-0."
"Did you say Detective Danny Williams, Five-0?"
"Yes."
"Is anyone else with you? Anyone else injured?"
"No, it's just me and my Dad. Only Danno's hurt."
"Okay, what's your name, hun?"
"Grace, my names' Grace Williams."
"Alright, Grace. I'm getting another dispatcher to contact HPD to secure a lock on your cell phone. That'll help us figure out where you and your Dad are. I need you to stay connected with me and not hang up, okay?"
"Okay."
"Grace, can you tell me exactly what happened? How your Dad got hurt?"
Grace unloaded the information and images as if she were being chased by her worst nightmare, tripping over her words as tears once again began to trickle out of her. By the time she'd relayed the story, she was hanging on to her composure by sheer force of will.
"You're doing great, Grace. How long ago did this happen?"
"Um … it's been about an hour, maybe a little bit longer?"
"Alright. I'm organizing EMT's and HPD to get help to you now. Stay on the line with me till they get there and I'll tell you exactly what to do next, okay?"
"Okay."
"Is your Dad still bleeding from the wound? I don't want you to lift up the bandage to look. Just tell me if the dressing and bandage has soaked through yet."
"No … I mean, yeah. I can see a little bit of blood. But the bandage isn't completely soaked through."
"Okay, I don't want you to move your Dad unless he's in danger or unless I ask you to. And we're not going to splint his injury ..."
"Wait. What about the belt? Danno had me help him put his belt around his leg above the wound and tighten it. Do I need to take that off?"
"Yes. Can you get it off by yourself?"
"I think so."
"Wait a second, Grace. Before you take the belt off, do you have any more dressings or bandages in the first aid kit that you used before? In case the wound starts bleeding again?"
"I think there's more of both."
"Okay, I'll tell you how to stop the bleeding in case it starts once you get the belt loose. I'll need you to listen carefully to make sure we do it right, okay?"
"Okay."
"Go ahead and pull out another dressing and bandage so it's ready to use if you need it."
"Hang on, the duffle's in the backseat. I have to grab it first." After extricating her fingers from her father's hand, Grace scrambled over the center console, making sure not to kick out as she scooted past. "Okay, I've got it." A quick scramble back to the front seat and she was rifling through the bags contents to grab what she needed.
"You ready, Grace?"
"Yep. I found both. I'm ready." Grace blew out an unsteady breath.
"Once you loosen the belt, if blood starts soaking through, lay another dressing on top of the old one and wrap the bandage like your Dad showed you. Then press down firmly and remember, don't lift it up to look."
Grace tapped the speaker function and set the cell on the dash so she could use both hands. Just her hesitant touch, her hands trembling so fiercely that the leather continually slipped through her fingers while she attempted to release the prong from the hole, created a deep, cavernous groan from her father. Tears trailed, unrestrained, down her cheeks.
"Danno, sorry … sorry …"
~to be continued~