A/N: Hello Everyone! Happy New Year! I know I'm a little late with that greeting but I ended up terribly sick over the holiday and most of January ended up being a complete write off. Now that things are starting to get back to normal I've decided it's finally time to get to my New Years resolution.

My resolution this year is a simple one - only work on one story at a time. So that is what I am going to do. For now the focus will be this story to try and finish it and get it off my list. Then I plan to move on to new things, or maybe old things that I haven't looked at in a while. The two other projects that I have are prompt stories so they may get small updates from time to time, but only when I'm not working on a full length chaptered story. Let's see how this all works out for me. For now, updates will be as regular as I can keep them on this story and once it is done I will likely go on a hiatus until I have something new to post.

For now I hope you enjoy this story! Love to hear from you guys so please leave me comments!

Chapter 19: Should We Stay Or Should We Go?

Doris left the scene of the fire with a heavy heart. If the children that were trapped inside the house were not the children of the men who had been captured by herself and Kono, then there were way more people involved and way more lives at stake.

As she drove she thought about her son. If Gladys was willing to murder children and open fire in an airport full of innocent people then what else did she have in mind for Steve and Danny. As much as she was angry that Five-O wouldn't follow her lead, she was also sure that they would find Steve and Danny, and if they did the whole team would be together again. Even though she believed that there would be strength in numbers, and that Five-O would be whole once more, she also believed that Five-O would also be one large moving target, and maybe that's what Gladys wanted.

Doris had always worked alone. It was for safety sake, she could move in and make a kill or get people to trust her and get out again with as minimal an impact on the civilians as possible, and although she had faith in Five-O as a team, she wasn't sure they would come to the same conclusions in order to protect her son and his friends, and ultimately the civilians on the island. Doris knew what she had to do. She would watch out for Five-O from the shadows, if only to raise the alarm if the time came and it was necessary. The goal would be to save lives, when she believed that Gladys's goal was to destroy as many as she could while enacting her revenge.

Doris had a good heart, a heart for right and a heart for justice. Sadly, the means to that end were not always the ways that other would do them but protecting people, civilians, had always been Doris's prime objective.

5-0

As was expected, Steve and Danny were admitted to the hospital because of their injuries and the exposure to God knows what they'd been exposed to down there in that pipe line. It wasn't until the two very tired men were placed in a double room together, under the highest security possible, that the rain stopped and the dark night sky cleared to stars.

"Sure now the weather is with us," Danny said with a yawn as he stared at the open blinds of the upper lever window - it was either that or watch the progress of his vitals on the monitor beside his bed.

"We've gotta get out of here!" Steve said in response to his partner breaking the silence that had taken over. "We've turned this hospital into a flashing beacon. Look at us, we get away and now we are under police protecting. Come and get us, Gladys. We're sitting ducks!" Steve huffed, folded his arms and made the monitor beside him scream out in alarm.

"You need to stay still Mr. McGarrett." The nurse scolded as she rushed in. "If you block the lines that are giving you your meds the machines are going to keep you, and your roommate, up all night."

"And I want to sleep!" Danny stated angrily over the noise.

"I'm well aware of that, but I don't need this stuff. I'm Fine!" Steve stated argumentatively.

"Are you a doctor?" the nurse asked with her hands on her hips as if she were scolding a little child.

"No ma'am," Steve answered with a roll of his eyes.

"No, you are not, and your doctor, who we had to call in because you demanded it be her and no one else, has ordered that you get these drugs and stay over night for observation. Shall I call Doctor Robinson back again to tell her you've now decided that you don't want to be patient and do as your doctor has ordered? Keep in mind you demanded that she be here and wouldn't let any other doctors deal with you when the ambulance brought you in. So I'm not the only one aggravated with you right now."

Danny couldn't help but chuckle at Steve's scolding. Everything the nurse was saying was exactly the truth and how things went down when the ambulances, that were bringing the two partners in, had arrived at the hospital. Steve had caused so much of a commotion in the emergency department that Doctor Robinson had been called in when she wasn't even on call that night. She'd been so busy the day before working on the casualties coming in from the airport that she was sent home after a double shift, only to be called back again because Steve was being a baby.

"No ma'am," Steve answered and shot daggers at his partner in the bed beside him. "I give up. You win. I'm be quiet and sleep through the night. I swear it." Steve said as Chin walked into the room and was soon followed by Kono and Lori.

"Good, now get some rest and you'll likely be released when the good doctor returns in the morning."

"Still causing a ruckus?" Chin asked when the nurse had made sure that Steve's lines were untangled and she left the room.

"Nurse Penny has everything under control." Danny said with a laugh. "She gave Steve just the scolding he needed to keep him in line. She would have made an amazing kindergarden teacher."

"Sometimes it feels like kindergarden in here!" Penny stated as she popped her head in the door once more and glared at Steve.

Chin and Danny burst with laughter while the girls giggled in the corner.

"This is exactly what I mean!" Penny said as she stood in the doorway and folded her arms. "You kids keep it down. These two need to rest!"

"Yes ma'am." The Five-Os chimed and Nurse Penny left once more.

"Have you found my mother yet?" Steve asked to change the subject when he was sure the coast was clear.

"No, but we're sure she took your truck, so Toast is searching for that rather than Doris." Kono answered.

"If Doris doesn't want to be found, she wont be." Chin added.

"That's true," Steve sighed, "but at least Toast will find my truck. I have faith in his skills."

"She seems so fascinating," Lori piped in, "that woman ran into a fire fight in the middle of an airport terminal and from what I was able to see, actually got her hands on Gladys McMahon. It was insane and spectacular all at the same time."

"That sounds like my mother."

"It sounds like someone else we know. It sounds like something you would do." Danny said and it was almost like he'd cursed at his partner.

"Exactly." Lori stated and Steve groaned but didn't respond.

"So we have major cover on the hospital and at the office. We should be able to rest easy tonight." Chin said to break the awkward silence that developed in the hospital room.

"You all don't have to stay here. You've been cleared and vaccinated by the doctors. You should get your own rest and hit the ground running in the morning. Steve and I will catch up as soon as we're released." Danny said with a yawn - truth be told, he was really ready to sleep.

"And split the team up again? Is that wise?" Lori asked.

"If Gladys is willing to open fire in an airport to take out one of us, we're all sitting ducks here in this hospital room together, plus the police presence at this hospital has given away our locations." Steve reasoned.

"Sure, that may be true, but splitting us all up makes us even more vulnerable to attacks." Kono countered. "She waited until you and Danny were alone to take you. What is she willing to do with us when our numbers are down. Besides, we thought we'd lost you again. I'm not prepared to let you out of my sight. Not yet, at least."

"My mental state couldn't handle it." Lori added as she sided with Kono.

"It's not guaranteed either way you slice this pie. It's a catch twenty-two and we caught up in it." Danny said with a sigh. "My suggestion would be for you all to stay here with us. I'd feel more comfortable after what happened, and even though Steve puts on airs, I don't think he wants to be left alone with just me either. You have the whole hospital covered, police at every exit and on every floor and around the block for miles. I don't think she'll be able to break through that barrier. Besides, you all have your weapons still, and I feel like I need the body guards."

"Speak for yourself." Steve huffed.

"I am," Danny countered, "because I've been though this, alone, and I'm telling you, I feel better having my friends here. Thank. You. Very. Much."

Steve rolled his eyes but fell silent again. He was glad to have his team around him, and he was glad to be out of the dark and the water and the rain, but above all things, he didn't want to see his friends in danger, least of all, because of him.

"Tomorrow, in the daylight and with adequate back-up, we can take our chances in pairs or small groups. All I know is I really want my gun, my vest, and my shoes in the morning. We'll hit the ground running, or rather you will, and we'll catch up as soon as Doctor Robinson gives Steve another good talking to and finally releases us from theses beds." Danny said to bring things back around.

"You are much better off than you were last time." Lori said as she placed a bag on the end of Danny's bed. "I hope you don't mind, but Kono and I made a quick run once we were done in the emergency. We grabbed a few things for you, for tomorrow. Clean cloths, your weapons, and yes, shoes."

"I've missed you." Danny said with a smile at Lori.

"Thank heavens you're all right," she said and took his hand, "or rather, as all right as you can be under the circumstances."

"Yeah," Danny nodded.

"I agree with Danny," Steve said with a huff from his bed. "You should all stay here tonight, but please try to get some rest, and promise me that we keep the innocent people that are here in this hospital in mind tomorrow morning when the sun does come up. We have to get out of here and away from them to keep them safe."

"Done, we'll be gone before you even wake up!" Chin vowed and the group settled in for the night.