"Steven," Doris sighed. "You have to hurry. There's no time. I gathered everything I could." She thrust the flash drive at him, and he hurriedly secured it in one of his many pockets.
"Mom, I - what -" He stepped in front of her as she approached Riley. "Don't touch her."
Doris reached out and touched him instead, cupping his face in her hand. "I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of both of you. I never realized . . ." She paused, studied his face. "You're injured, too."
Steve shrugged. "Concussion, bruised kidney. I can manage. How bad is Riley?"
"Concussion, bruised ribs, hairline fracture in her collarbone. You can see the lacerations . . . her right knee is likely sprained, and there was blunt trauma to her right hip. Her entire right side . . . but her left side, we think, was protected somehow," Doris said. "There wasn't . . . it wasn't supposed to happen that way. I never . . . "
"Well, a lot of things that weren't supposed to happen seem to have happened," Steve said bitterly. "You're coming with me; I want answers."
"Steven, I can't come with you," Doris said. "But I can buy you time to get out, safely, with Riley."
He hesitated.
"Steve," Doris said sharply, "there is no time. The program has been shut down, disavowed. A termination order has been given. I tried . . . I tried everything to change their minds but Riley . . . she wouldn't accept the programming. She is as stubborn as her big brother." Movement behind Steve caught her attention. "Riley, don't . . . "
Steve turned in time to see Riley pulling out her IV with a shaking hand. He gently pushed her hand aside and slid the IV out, pressing his thumb briefly over the vein.
"I want to leave," Riley whispered.
"We're going to leave," Steve assured her. He glanced down at the pulse ox monitor. "How many people come running when this goes silent?" he demanded of Doris.
"None," she answered. "That was for the nurse's benefit. We didn't need . . ."
"Oh, yeah," Steve said coldly, "you don't need that to track anything, do you?"
"Steve, you have to understand . . . " Doris pleaded.
"I don't have to understand anything," Steve said tiredly. "I'll never understand . . . really, Mom? CIA, SAD? Were we just a cover story for you, all along? And Riley . . . did dad even know?" He stopped cold. "Joe . . . Joe said we needed to run our DNA against his. Is he right?"
There was noise from the hallway, and Steve dropped quickly to the floor, crouching under the mirror.
Doris gave a stern look toward the mirror and pointed, then busied herself with one of Riley's IV bags. The noise receded and Doris's shoulders slumped in relief.
"There is no time, Steven," she said urgently. "You can stay and demand answers or you can get your sister out of here safely; it's your choice."
Riley looked between the two of them in confusion.
"Olivia?" she questioned.
"Shh, everything is going to be okay," Doris said. "You need to go with Steve."
"But you said . . . " Riley broke off, looking at Steve with apprehension.
"Yes, I did, but you didn't listen, not really; because you are stronger and smarter than we ever gave you credit for," Doris said.
Stronger and smarter . . .
"Riley, I swear, I'm not going to hurt you," Steve said. "You can trust me."
Trust me . . .
"No matter what," Riley murmured.
"She's not going to make it far unassisted," Doris warned. "I don't think it's safe to administer any more drugs," she added quietly.
"No, it looks like she's had plenty," Steve said. He didn't bother to hide the reproach in his voice.
"What were you going to do?" Doris asked, curious, as they helped Riley off the gurney. "Where were you taking her?"
"Tripler," Steve said. "We figured adrenaline caused some sort of . . . we were going to try it."
Doris nodded. "It might have worked, then. She's well past that now. There's no time to explain . . . you should know that we crossed thresholds. The programming, the nanotechnology . . . it's degrading rapidly. I'd hoped that the genetic modifications explained the accelerated healing, the pain suppression . . . I'd been lied to, Steven. It was nanotechnology all along. It started when she was just a toddler . . . "
"So you're saying that . . ."
"The entire system is crashing, Steven, that's why they pulled the plug on the program," Doris said.
Steve looked at her in horror. "She'll be okay, though, right?"
"The modifications will be . . . you need to get her into an MRI. That will permanently disable all of the nanotechnology. The information is on the flash drive," Doris said.
"So she'll be . . ." Steve wasn't even sure what he was asking, it was too much information to process at once.
"She'll be what she has always been," Doris said gently. "Strong, smart, stubborn . . . just like you. Now, you have to go. I'll create a distraction. Go. Quickly."
Steve scooped Riley up into his arms, grunting as pain flared in his lower back. Doris swiped the key card and unlocked the door, holding it for them. She looked into the hallway.
"It's clear; everyone is busy shutting down and gathering their equipment," she said. "No one wants to be associated with a disavowed program any longer than they have to be; it's all about looking out for personal interests now."
"Where will I find you?" Steve asked. "You need to explain -"
"This is much bigger than any one of us," Doris said emphatically. "Individual needs -"
Steve cut her off. "Never mind. Riley has explained to me your philosophy on individual needs."
"Steven, I . . ." Doris hesitated. "I thought I was doing what was best. My intentions . . ."
"Yeah," Steve said. He tightened his hold on Riley, wincing as she whimpered in pain. "Well, here's your chance to prove it, I guess."
Doris's eyes filled with tears at the expression of disappointment on his face. He looked once more into the hallway to be sure it was clear, and then he was moving swiftly and silently, leaving Doris to watch helplessly after his retreating form.
#*#*#*#*#
"Do we have EMS and SWAT staged and ready, Captain Grover?" Chin asked, still watching the plasma screens anxiously.
"We're standing by," Grover's voice came back over the speaker on Chin's phone.
Kono was on the phone with Catherine. "Anything? Any movement?"
"Not yet," Catherine said. "This is one of those cases, though, where no news is hopefully good news."
#*#*#*#*#
"Danny, why do you keep checking your phone?" Jerry asked, one eye open, blinking owlishly at Danny.
"Hey, Jerry," Danny said, smiling at him. "I didn't know you were awake."
"Did it work? Did the tracking device work? Did Steve get Riley back?" Jerry asked, rapid fire.
"Well, as far as we know the tracking device worked," Danny said. "Steve went in alone. That's all I know so far, Jerry. You doing okay? You need a nurse or anything?"
Jerry shook his head. "You'll tell me . . . if you hear anything . . " He was fighting to stay awake.
"Yeah, Jerry, I'll tell you," Danny assured him. "It's okay, you go ahead and rest."
Jerry's eyes closed, and Danny looked at his phone once more.
"Come on, partner," he muttered. "You are not leaving me to explain this to Mary."
#*#*#*#*#
Steve paused in front of the door where he'd left Rebecca. He was taking a huge risk; she could have alerted any number of people, who could now be waiting in ambush for him. Setting Riley gently on her feet, he waited until she was steady, leaning against the wall, and carefully opened the door.
"Rebecca?" he whispered.
A head popped around the edge of the door, and Steve smiled. Clever; she'd stayed back and out of sight.
"Do you have Riley?" Rebecca whispered. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, we need to get out of here quickly," Steve said. He moved to pick Riley back up, but she shook her head.
"You're hurt," she protested.
Steve started to argue, but a sharp look from Rebecca had him rolling his eyes instead. "Okay, fine," he said. "Rebecca, can you help her, and I'll cover us."
Rebecca slipped an arm around Riley's waist, and they headed for the exit, with Steve sidestepping behind them, his weapon at the ready. They reached the end of the hallway, and Steve motioned for Rebecca and Riley to stay back. He'd disabled the guard on the way in, but that didn't mean another hadn't replaced him.
He slid the key card in the lock and eased the door open. There didn't appear to be anyone on the other side, and he motioned Rebecca forward. Just as she reached the exit, loud exclamations echoed down the hallway behind them.
"The subject is not in the treatment room!" a voice yelled.
"Where the hell is that nurse? And where is Shelburne?" another voice yelled back.
"Lock it down! Lock everything down!"
Red lights started flashing as a shrill siren filled the hallway. Riley gasped and covered her ears with her hands. Steve sympathized; it wasn't doing his splitting head any favors, either.
"Go, go," he said, urging Rebecca out the door. She was half dragging, half carrying Riley.
Steve pulled the door closed behind them and looked at Rebecca, struggling to support Riley.
"She's barely conscious," Rebecca said. "The drugs . . . she was given something to counteract the sedatives but there are so many risks involved. The concussion and injuries alone . . . not to mention whatever the hell else it is that was going on . . . it's not good. She needs medical intervention quickly."
"Sweetheart, this isn't going to be comfortable, but I have to get us out of here fast," he said, as he bent and picked Riley up in a fireman's carry which left him free to use his SIG. She barely responded; he could feel her pulse pounding as he wrapped his hand as gently as he could around her wrists, and her skin was burning to the touch.
"I need you to keep up, and keep your eyes open," he said to Rebecca.
She nodded swiftly. "I can do that," she said. "Give me a back-up."
Steve grinned and pulled out a small Heckler & Koch out of a holster hidden beneath his tac vest. Rebecca racked it expertly and flicked off the safety. "You know how to use this?" he asked, but the way she hefted the firearm told him plenty.
"My dad was Baltimore HPD," she said, shrugging.
"Okay then," he said, "let's move out."
Rebecca kept pace with him easily, which concerned him. Under normal circumstances, a civilian, especially a petite civilian in scrubs, should never have been able to keep up. He was aware of a growing pain in his lower back, and each step he took reverberated in his pounding head.
He fished his radio out of a pocket, awkwardly, and looped it around his ear.
"Catherine, do you copy?"
There was a blast of static, and then Catherine's reassuring voice.
"Steve, I'm here. What's going on? We see two heat signatures moving away from the bunker," Catherine said.
"That's us," Steve said. "I have Riley, and there's a nurse who was with the program. She's with us, she helped me find Riley. Copy? I have a civilian in my party who is a friendly."
"Copy that, Steve," Catherine said. "Chin?"
"Copy," came Chin's calm voice. "Steve, we have HPD SWAT with a medic unit staged about one mile back from your SUV. Is it safe for them to move forward?"
Steve hesitated. "Not yet, we're not clear enough from the -"
His voice was cut off as an explosion detonated behind them, shaking the ground. Steve staggered, falling to his knees. He eased Riley to the ground and spun around, still on his knees, to see Rebecca on the ground behind them. He began checking Rebecca frantically for injuries, but she waved him off.
"It's just leaves and bark, I'm fine," she said. He still looked mildly panicked, and she snapped her fingers in his face. "No shrapnel," she said firmly. "No shrapnel, I'm fine. I'll check Riley," she added, kneeling next to Riley and checking her pulse.
"Steve?" Catherine's voice crackled. "The whole bunker just went up . . . it's . . . Steve, it's obliterated."
Steve stood, looking back towards the bunker in shock.
"Steve?!" Both Catherine and Chin's voices came over the radio.
"Yeah, yeah, we're okay," Steve said. "Catherine, do you see any heat signatures moving from the bunker?"
There was a long pause.
"Nothing coming your way, Steve," Catherine said quietly.
"Going away, the other direction? Anything?" Steve said, looking around.
"Nothing. There's . . . Steve, there aren't any heat signatures moving at all," Catherine said. "You're clear."
He stood, looking back toward the bunker, frozen in disbelief. Shelburne. Shelburne, his mother . . . the distraction she had promised. He hesitated, the fleeting thought of going back for her entering his mind even as he watched the billows of smoke and now, flames, licking over the tops of the trees.
A firm tug on the pocket of his cargoes drew his attention down. "Sir, she's not . . . she's not doing well."
"Steve," he said absently.
"Steve," Rebecca said, taking in his shocked expression, along with the sudden pallor of his skin. She stood up and held out her hand to him. "Steve, I want you to check on Riley for me, okay? You look like someone who has field medic training. Can you do that, please, and let me talk to whoever is on the radio? Excellent," she said, as Steve handed her the radio and knelt down next to Riley.
Rebecca grabbed the earpiece and shoved it in her ear, looping the device around, fumbling, until the microphone seemed to be in the right place.
"Hello?" she said, uncertainly.
"Hello, this is Lieutenant Catherine Rollins and Officer Chin Ho Kelly," Catherine said, "what is the situation? Is Commander McGarrett alright?"
"I think he's in shock," Rebecca said. She stood behind Steve and slipped her fingers against his neck. "His pulse is rapid and thready, he's suddenly a bit absent . . . was he injured before he came here?"
"Concussion and bruised kidney," Chin confirmed.
"Well, shit," Rebecca said succinctly, "that explains so much. Okay, is there any way you can get some people in here? Because I am not sure that I can handle these two on my own."
"Chin," Catherine said, "I'm still getting zero readings on heat signatures. I think at this point the risk of injury is outweighing the risk of possible pursuit; would you agree?"
"I agree," Chin said, "Grover, move a SWAT team and a SWAT medic team to the coordinates I send you. As far as we can tell, there are no hostiles; you are going in for Commander McGarrett and you've got two injured. Take the vehicles as close as you can, but you'll likely need to move on foot the last half mile or so."
"Thank you, Officer Kelly," Rebecca said.
Steve was reaching impatiently for his radio, and Rebecca handed it back to him.
"Catherine," Steve said, "keep surveillance for any indication of a heat signature moving away from the bunker. Call Tripler and have them set up an MRI for Riley; I'll explain later. I've got to get her out . . . "
Rebecca placed a calming hand on his arm. "Steve, they're coming for us."
"Chin?" Steve questioned.
"Steve, we've got HPD SWAT and medics coming to you," Kono chimed in. "Stay put. Listen to the nice nurse and do what she says, okay?"
Steve rubbed a hand across his face and looked at Rebecca in confusion. "When did they put you in charge?"
Rebecca smiled fondly at him. "When you went into shock. It's okay; we're okay. Let's take care of Riley, how's that sound?" She knew his type well, had grown up around men who epitomized the phrase, 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall'. Clearly, he'd reached his limit, but he would be the last to recognize it. The best she could do for him was keep him focused on Riley.
"Here, I want you to lean up against this tree," Rebecca instructed, "and I'm going to shift Riley over to you . . . there we go," she said, easing Riley's head onto Steve's lap.
#*#*#*#*#
"We've got them, Danny," Kono said, clutching her cell phone to her ear, and hugging her knees to her chest. She'd slipped into her office to call Danny, and suddenly it was all too much - the strain, the worry, the endless moments of radio silence. "Grover is sending in a SWAT unit, and medics, and there's a nurse with them, and they're okay, except Steve is in shock, and no one said anything about Riley, other than she's hurt, and what if -" Kono broke off in a sob. "What if after all this something bad still happens?"
"Babe," Danny said, his voice warm with understanding and sympathy, "oh, honey, it's going to be okay. Steve and Riley are made out of pretty strong stuff, right? It's going to be okay. Are they coming here?"
Kono sniffed loudly and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. "Yeah, Steve said something about having an MRI ready for Riley? But Tripler; he definitely said Tripler."
"Okay, so you and Chin should probably head over here, too, yeah?" Danny said.
"Kono?" Chin said, poking his head in her office and looking around in confusion. "Oh, there you - why are you on the floor? You okay?"
"I gotta go, Danny, I'll see you soon," Kono said, hanging up the phone.
"Hi," she said, looking up at Chin. "I just, um . . . "
Chin smiled down at her kindly. "You just needed a moment?" He slid down the wall to sit next to her, and grabbed her hand. "I think I need a moment, too."
#*#*#*#*#
"Boy, am I glad to see you guys," Rebecca muttered, as the medic team reached them.
"What have we got, ma'am?"
"This one," Rebecca said, pointing to Steve, "apparently set out with a concussion and a bruised kidney, then hiked in several miles, engaged in - well, there were guards, and then there weren't, and that's all I want or need to know - and then retrieved this one," she continued, pointing to Riley. "Based on his pallor, pulse, and respirations, my guess is that the kidney is at least diffusing blood, if he hasn't gone and torn something vital."
"I'm fine," Steve protested, scowling.
"Of course, Commander," the medic sighed, flashing a penlight into Steve's eyes.
"Oh, hey guys," Steve said, smiling up at them. Familiar medics. Always nice. He could usually talk the HPD medics into treating and releasing him on scene.
"Hey, Commander," the other medic offered, "don't even try, sir, you're going straight to Tripler."
"Okay, and this patient?" the first medic said, turning back to Rebecca, who was helping set up the stokes basket to carry Riley.
"Severe concussion, deep lacerations, which were stitched but I'm sure some of the sutures are not holding; careful, she has a hairline fracture of the collarbone, watch that shoulder," Rebecca cautioned, as they lifted Riley into the basket. "Deep contusion on the right hip, bruised, possibly cracked ribs on the right side. The biggest problem is the overdose of benzodiazepines and a subsequent dose of Flumazenil."
"Shit," the medic muttered. "Sorry, ma'am," he added.
"No apologies," Rebecca said grimly. "How are her vitals?"
"Shaky," the medic said tersely. "What else?"
"She's semi-conscious," Rebecca continued. "And she stays much calmer if she can see his hands, so we can't separate them. There's a lot I don't know how to explain . . ."
"It's classified," Steve said, hauling himself to his feet with the help of one of the SWAT officers. "And you wouldn't believe us if we told you. We need to get her to Tripler."
Steve refused assistance, walking beside Riley as they moved as swiftly as possible toward the waiting medic and SWAT vehicles. He did accept a water bottle that the medic pressed into his hand, and took a swig. As they reached the trucks, Steve frowned when he realized that there wasn't enough room for Rebecca in the back of the medic unit.
"She's with us," he said, addressing the SWAT officer in charge, his demeanor no less imposing for being in obvious pain and shock. "She needs to be at Tripler."
"I understand, sir," the officer said. "I'll bring her myself."
"Okay," Steve said, wincing as he climbed into the back of the medic unit, where the medics were busy hooking Riley up to blood pressure and pulse ox monitors. "Rebecca," he said, leaning back out of the truck, "thanks. I - we'll explain more, I promise. Thank you."
She nodded at him, then helped close up the back of the unit, and smacked it soundly.
"Wow," she said to herself, watching it pull away. "That was . . . not another day at the office."
The SWAT officer grinned. "No kidding, ma'am. You know who that was, right?"
Rebecca shook her head. "Probably not . . . it's complicated."
"That's Commander McGarrett; he's head of Five-O. The governor's task force," he tried to explain. "You're not from around here, are you," he decided, as Rebecca looked confused. "That's his sister. Word has it, bad people had her, he went full SEAL - which he does, from time to time - and went in after her. All I'm gonna say is, you can be glad that you got on his good side."
Rebecca nodded slowly. "His sister . . . that explains so much . . ."
"Come on, ma'am, I better have you at Tripler by the time he's there," the officer said, guiding her toward his squad car.
#*#*#*#*#
Danny, Chin, and Kono were pacing inside the emergency department bay when the sirens announced the arrival of the SWAT medic crew.
Steve stubbornly refused help as he climbed down out of the back of the medic unit and rushed to Chin.
"Here," he said, shoving the flash drive into Chin's hand, "get this to Jerry and see if we can make any sense of it. It's what my moth - it's what we have on Riley; with any luck it will give the doctors something to work with."
Chin nodded and took off at a quick pace.
"How is she, Steve?" Kono asked anxiously.
"She's . . . I don't think she knows who I am," Steve said.
Two doctors approached Steve, gloved hands held at the ready.
"Commander McGarrett, your team told us to have an MRI ready, and we do," said the first doctor. "I'm Dr. Link and this is Dr. Reeves. What can you tell us?"
"I was instructed by a source that I trust, that an MRI is the safest way to neutralize some nanotechnology that is degrading rapidly," Steve said.
Dr. Link studied him for a moment. "Do you have any reason to believe that the instructions would be deliberately harmful? A sabotage of any sort?"
Steve looked at Danny helplessly. "Danno, I . . . she said . . ." Steve hesitated. "What do I do, Danny?"
"Trust your instincts, babe," Danny said.
"Sirs, she's becoming agitated," the medic said, apologetically, pushing Riley's gurney closer to them.
She was muttering and trying to shove herself off the gurney.
"Hey," Steve said, stepping to her side, the SWAT medics backing away. He wrapped his hand gently around her forearm, the one that had been sutured on her last visit to Tripler, and turned it over. His thumb traced gently over the scar. "Hey, it's okay, Riley. We're at the Army hospital, at Tripler, and you're safe. You've actually been here before."
She calmed, looking at his hand. She glanced up at his face, but looked back down quickly.
"Your hands?" she asked.
"My hands," Steve said firmly.
Danny and Kono looked on curiously, but before they could ask anything, a petite, slightly dishevelled young woman in scrubs pushed her way through the bay to stand beside Riley.
"Sorry I'm late," she said cheerfully. "Hi, Riley." She looked at the doctors. "I'm Rebecca, I was Riley's nurse at the . . . facility," she said carefully, glancing at Steve for approval. He nodded slightly.
Dr. Link looked relieved. "Let's get her into a treatment room and get a history," he said. "I just need as complete of a medical history as possible," he said, holding up a hand to Steve. "I understand the situation is . . . unique. I'll leave that to you to sort out, Commander. I don't need to be read in on the situation, just the medical facts as they pertain to her condition. And Dr. Reeves should be familiar to you, Commander - she was the doctor overseeing your treatment before you convinced us to release you."
Steve looked sheepishly at Dr. Reeves. "Hello, Dr. Reeves."
Dr. Reeves put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at Steve. "Pain, shortness of breath, slight disorientation?"
Steve started to argue, but Rebecca slid into his line of vision, standing next to Dr. Reeves.
"Yes, ma'am," he said meekly. "But I can't leave Riley. Not only for her comfort, but for your protection. Everyone's protection. And I think it's important that Rebecca stay with her as well; she seems to trust her."
Dr. Reeves rubbed her eyes and glanced at Dr. Link. "Okay, well, we'll work it out. Should we just move this entire operation to the secure wing?"
Dr. Link nodded.
"My people are still there?" Steve asked. He loosened one of the straps of his tac vest; it seemed impossibly tight, suffocating. "Danny? Yeah, let's . . . shit -" he broke of with a sharp gasp of pain.
"Okay, Commander, you'll be no use to her if you go down," Dr. Reeves said, emphatically. She gestured to an orderly for a wheelchair, but Steve held up his hand in protest. "Commander -" she started.
"Ma'am," Steve said, "The idea of sitting . . . "
Dr. Reeves' face softened in sympathy. "Okay, sailor," she said. She pointed to Kono and Danny. "You two, can you manage him?"
Danny and Kono raised their eyebrows at each other and shrugged. Kono noticed Steve pulling at his tac vest again, and she quickly loosened more straps and pulled the entire vest, loaded with equipment, over his head. He took a breath and nodded in relief.
"We seem to manage, somehow," Danny said. Steve rested one arm around Danny's shoulders and kept his other hand firmly on Riley's gurney; Rebecca on the other side.
"Alright, let's get this moved to the secure wing," Dr. Link said, and the group made their way to the bank of elevators.
The narrow space of the elevator forced everyone to stand in a cluster around Riley's gurney. Steve wrapped his hand gently around her arm, and looked down to see her watching Danny and Kono. Danny noticed, too, and he smiled gently at Riley.
"Hey," he said, his blue eyes warm and kind, crinkling.
"You're real," Riley breathed. "Sunshine . . . " She looked at Kono, who also smiled softly at her.
"Hello, Riley," she said. "Do you remember us?"
"Coconut," Riley said, tilting her head at Kono curiously. "I . . . coconut?"
Steve brushed a hand across his eyes. "Kono rubbed coconut oil on some of your injuries, before," he said softly. "Do you remember?"
"I remember coconut," Riley said, her eyes drifting closed.
"That's how she did it," Rebecca murmured. All eyes turned to her. She looked at Steve, unsure of how much to say.
"Go ahead, Rebecca; the doctors have to be read in, if they're going to help Riley. That's why we're at a military hospital," he said.
"There was programming," Rebecca said. "The whole thing fell apart because the programming didn't work. They kept saying that she was fighting it. That's how she did it - she built associations. She probably doesn't remember your names yet, or how she knows you - but she built positive associations that . . . well, that were strong enough to withstand the negative programming. I only know the general idea of the procedure; I suspect you'll find more on that flash drive."
"Okay, so I get the coconut, but . . . sunshine?" Kono teased, poking Danny.
"I get it," Rebecca said, smiling at Danny.
The elevator dinged, and Dr. Link carefully pushed Riley's gurney through first, the rest falling in behind him.
Chin was waiting for them in the hallway. "Guys, Jerry had no problem opening the files on the flash drive, and I think you're going to want to see this right away." He paused, turning his tablet over in his hands. "It's not pleasant; I'm sorry," he added.
Dr. Reeves nodded. "Okay, double room, right here. With your permission, Commander McGarrett, can we all be read in to this at the same time? Because you're clearly not leaving Riley, your team is clearly not leaving you, and I'm not letting you go any longer without at least checking that kidney and getting you started on an IV. Can we all agree to multi-task?"
There were nods all around, and within moments, Chin was standing at the end of a generously sized, well-equipped hospital room, holding the tablet. Riley was quickly hooked up to cardiac and respiratory monitors, with Rebecca murmuring explanations as Riley appeared to drift in and out of consciousness.
"We need to get her in an MRI," Steve fretted, "and for God's sake, can't she be given something for the pain?" He gritted his teeth against his own pain, as Danny helped Dr. Reeves ease his shirt over his head and loosen his belt.
"Commander, I know you're anxious," Dr. Link said, "and we are going to help her as fast as we can, but I think we better get a little more information, or we could do more harm than good. We'll find out as much as we can from Rebecca and from Lieutenant Kelly, and then we'll proceed." He turned to Rebecca. "She's obviously dehydrated and running a fever; I assume it's safe to push fluids?"
Rebecca nodded, still working on setting up the pulse ox monitor, and Dr. Link reached for an IV kit. He tore open an alcohol swab and wiped the back of Riley's hand. There was a blur, and then blood was pouring from his nose. His obviously, painfully, broken nose.
Dr. Link stepped back carefully from Riley's gurney and everyone in the room froze in shock, staring at Riley.
"No more," she said firmly, her voice eerily calm and strong. She was focused entirely on Dr. Link, and Steve was fairly certain that a hint of a smile was on her face. As they watched, a flicker of uncertainty passed through her eyes, and she looked at her hand, smeared with a bit of Dr. Link's blood, and then glanced around the room, her eyes wildly confused.
Rebecca stepped carefully into her line of vision.
"Riley," she said, "I'm going to start an IV for you; it's fluids, just fluids, nothing else. I promise. Is that okay?"
Riley nodded. She looked back at Dr. Link. "Sorry?" she said, hesitantly.
Kono grabbed a handful of paper towels and held them out; Dr. Link accepting them with a pained smile and nod, and pressing them gingerly to his nose.
"What the hell was that? A glitch in the matrix?" Danny murmured.
"Not too far off," Chin said, gesturing to his tablet. "From the data that Shelburne gave Steve, I can give you the big picture. I tell you, if Jerry hadn't seemed to think all of this was perfectly plausible, I'd find it impossible to believe. What we just saw may be explained by this," Chin said, flicking a file onto the small screen.
Dr. Link pointed with one finger to a spot on an image of Riley's brain. "Damage to the bilateral amygdala," he said, mumbling from underneath the wad of papertowels, and Dr. Reeves and Rebecca nodded.
"In English, for the rest of the class?" Danny prompted.
"The center of the brain that processes fear and anger," Dr. Link explained. "There's some damage; either from blunt force trauma, though that seems unlikely. More likely from . . . a seizure, perhaps."
Steve nodded. "She had a seizure."
Chin flicked open another file. "And they knew it. After the seizure, they were able to flood her mind with images. Steve, I'm so sorry . . . they alternated images of you with direct stimulation to the pain centers of her brain."
"But how? Remotely?" Dr. Link asked, skeptical.
Chin pulled up another file. "I don't begin to understand it, but yes. With nanotechnology."
Dr. Link nodded. "I understand the concept; we've hoped for years that nanotechnology could be applied to soldiers with massive injuries . . . I just didn't realize it was being done." He shook his head. "What a waste of good technology. This could be helping people, not . . . "
"So they made her afraid of me," Steve said, "that's how they did it. While she was unconscious."
Chin nodded. "And then once they had her . . . it continued. The notes indicate that they attempted programming using your images, Joe's . . . all of ours. Alternated and integrated with nanobyte and chemical means to intricately link those images with sensations of pain and fear."
Steve limped over to Riley's gurney, wrapping his hand around her forearm, his thumb rubbing gently.
"And she fought it?" he asked Rebecca, his voice rough with emotion.
Rebecca nodded, her eyes filled with tears. "She fought it so hard. Shelburne was angry at first, but then . . . I think then she was . . . proud. I don't understand. They wouldn't . . . " Rebecca had to stop and clear her throat. "They wouldn't administer any sedatives, or pain relief. They said that wasn't how the programming worked."
Riley's eyes fluttered open again and landed on Rebecca. "You said hold on," she whispered.
Rebecca wiped tears from her eyes. "Yes, yes, I did," she nodded. "I didn't know that it would cause you so much pain, though; I'm so sorry . . . I didn't understand quite how it all worked."
"'S'okay," Riley muttered. "Held on."
"Yes, you did," Steve whispered. "I'm so proud of you." He turned to Chin and Dr. Link. "Is she still actively fighting the programming? Now that we've gotten her away from there?"
Rebecca nodded. "It's not like a switch; she'll fight it until she accepts it, or . . . well, I don't think they had a contingency plan. I don't think it ever occurred to them that she could successfully fight it."
"So she's still . . . it's still hurting her?" Danny asked.
Rebecca nodded, brushing away more tears and then stroking Riley's cheek. "Yes," she whispered, "she has to be in excruciating pain; that, and the dehydration and fever, is why she's in and out of consciousness."
"The programming could still - okay, we have to hurry," Steve said urgently, pleading with Chin and Dr. Link. "We can't let her - figure something out. How does the MRI factor in? What do the most recent files say?"
Dr. Link looked over Chin's shoulder as they quickly flipped through file after file of notes.
"It says here that Shelburne gave up after one last effort to convince Riley that Steve had . . . oh, God, Steve," Chin said, looking up in horror. "They tried . . . everything WoFat did to her, they tried to convince her that it was you . . . but she refused to accept that explanation, even when Shelburne tried to convince her it was Stockholm syndrome; she also refused to accept that the Five-O team members were figments of her imagination. The program was deemed a failure, and -" Chin broke off, horrified.
"Terminated," Rebecca said softly. "The program was to be terminated."
"Okay, so they were going to terminate the programming, using an MRI?" Steve asked. "That's what my - that's what Shelburne said; to get her into an MRI, it would shut down the technology."
Rebecca and Chin looked at him sadly.
"What?" Steve asked. "Come on, Chin, what does the file say? How were they going to -" He broke off, realization dawning. "They were going to terminate the program. Not the programming. The program. Riley. They were going to kill Riley." His voice was flat with shock.
Danny stepped next to him, his strong hands wrapping around the tattoos on Steve's biceps, grounding him.
"But they didn't? Right? Because you went in there and got her out. Okay, so Shelburne said an MRI would . . . would what?" Danny prompted.
"She said it would destroy the nanobytes, and that Riley would be . . . just Riley. No tech," Steve said, his voice still dull with disbelief.
"Okay, so does that fit?" Danny demanded. "Does that fit with what you're reading?"
Chin's fingers flew over the tablet as Dr. Link answered. "From what I can tell, from a fast read of the files, yes."
"Jerry says yes as well," Chin said, reading a message from their conspiracy theorist.
"Well, then we have to do it," Steve said. He looked at Dr. Link. "Please."
Dr. Link nodded, wincing as the movement jarred his broken nose. Kono silently held out a red hazard waste basket, and he gratefully dropped the towels in.
"You should go get that fixed," Dr. Reeves said quietly.
"No, I'm taking my patient down for an MRI," Dr. Link said, smiling at Steve. "Set it back for me, Melissa," he said, turning to Dr. Reeves.
"You sure?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow, but she stepped over to him even as she was speaking. "Okay, on three," she said. "One, two -" there was a resounding cracking sound which made everyone in the room jump.
"That is hard core," Kono murmured, impressed.
"Well, that experience was not totally wasted, then," Dr. Link said, smiling at Kono. "Okay, Rebecca, you and I will take Riley down for an MRI. I'm going to call and clear the floor. The fewer new faces she has to deal with the better. And I'm going to call a research physician I trust, in DC, to help me determine the settings for the MRI. Can you assist?"
Rebecca nodded and started shifting the leads and IVs so that Riley could be moved, while Dr. Link stepped into the hallway, his phone in hand.
Riley's eyes fluttered open again, and Steve paced back over to her. She flinched away from him, and searched his face, her eyes clouded with confusion. He carefully placed his hand over hers, and turned her arm so that his thumb traced over the scar there. Her eyes watched the movement carefully, and she relaxed.
"How does that work?" Kono asked quietly.
"She must have a very strong positive association with that, somehow," Rebecca said, looking up at Steve.
"Riley's arm was . . . injured," Steve said carefully, looking at Riley. "I stitched it up for her. I think she remembers that."
Riley nodded slowly. "Why?" she asked.
"Shhh," Steve said. "We'll talk about it later, when you're feeling better, okay? You're going to go with Rebecca, and Dr. Link, and they're going to help you feel better. It's okay, I'll be right with you."
"Yes, unfortunately, right with her to the radiology suite," a voice behind him said softly.
Dr. Reeves had slipped behind Steve while he was leaning over Riley, her deft fingers palpating the bruising on his back. He had barely paid attention to what she was doing.
"You're going to have a CT of this kidney, Commander," Dr. Reeves said. "And you're getting on the gurney, and getting hooked up to an IV, no more stalling."
Steve started to argue, but she held up her hand. "Detective Williams, will you please give Commander McGarrett a brief update on the bruising that you can see?"
"Steve," Danny said, his voice filled with concern. "It's bad, partner. Really bad."
"Commander, I know you are compartmentalizing, I know your SEAL training has kicked in," Dr. Reeves continued, "but the adrenaline that is allowing you to focus on Riley is not going to last much longer. My guess is that the minute she goes into the room where you can't follow, into the MRI, you're going to crash, and hard. I know you're in shock, and I suspect it's partly because you've got more active bleeding going on with this kidney. We need to get ahead of it, or you could be in emergency surgery just about the time that Riley needs you. Do I make myself clear, Commander?"
Steve looked at Riley again, torn.
"You're hurt," Riley said, "I remember . . . Shelburne was asking . . . " Riley peeked around Steve and looked at Dr. Reeves. "He has a concussion, too," she informed the doctor.
Steve shook his head and grinned down at Riley. "So that, you remember?"
A slow smile spread across Riley's face. "Yes," she said. She was still smiling, but clearly baffled. "I'm confused," she said.
Rebecca laughed softly. "You're trying to figure out why it's making you happy, that you told the doctor something about Steve?"
"Steve?" Riley said softly, and he nodded in confirmation.
"You're happy, because you just ratted out your big brother," Rebecca said carefully.
Danny grabbed Kono's hand and held it, both of them holding their breath to see Riley's reaction.
Tears slipped down Riley's cheeks. "I don't remember," she said quietly.
"It's okay," Steve assured her. "It will come, in time."
Dr. Link came back into the room. "Okay, let's get this show on the road," he said. "The MRI department is cleared out and ready for our use."
Steve squeezed Riley's arm gently once more. "I'll be right behind you, Riley." He looked at Dr. Link. "Can Danny and Kono go with you? I don't want her to be alone," he said, anxious.
Dr. Link nodded, and Danny poked Steve in the shoulder.
"Behave, Steven, and do what the doctor says," he said, then turned and followed Riley's gurney out the door.
Dr. Reeves let Steve watch until the door closed behind them.
"Gurney. Now," she said, looking up at Steve, who towered over her, pointing at the bed.
"Yes, ma'am," Steve said, and sat down on the bed obediently.
Dr. Reeves arched an eyebrow at Chin. "Will he cooperate with you, Lieutenant Kelly?"
"I think I can help, ma'am, though you seem to be doing remarkably well," Chin said, barely suppressing a smirk as he helped swing Steve's legs onto the bed, and began unlacing his boots.
Steve was panting with pain as Dr. Reeves started an IV. "What did I tell you, sailor, hmm?" she murmured sympathetically. "Okay, so this is fluid. The ride down and the CT will take a while. Please; let me give you something for the pain. I won't knock you out, I promise. But we need to try to cut back on the amount of adrenaline you're churning out. You know as well as I do that the adrenaline dump after this is going to be brutal."
Steve nodded reluctantly, and Chin looked at Dr. Reeves in alarm.
"Lieutenant?" she asked quietly, noting his expression.
"I've never seen him willingly agree to medication," Chin said, resting his hand on Steve's shoulder. If Steve heard him, he gave no indication.
#*#*#*#*#
Steve was vaguely aware of light, and sound, and soft voices. It seemed to him like there was something important . . . something very important . . . that he was supposed to be doing. Something . . . someone he was supposed to take care of.
He shifted uncomfortably, his hand twitching.
"Steve? Steve, babe." A voice. Danny's voice.
"D'no?" His throat was impossibly dry.
"Hey, buddy," Danny said. He reached for a cup of ice chips.
"Danny, what . . . Riley!" Steve exclaimed, struggling to sit up.
"Babe, it's okay, hold on," Danny said, holding out a spoonful of ice chips. "Here."
"Danny, that doctor promised she wasn't going to knock me out," Steve said, around a mouthful of ice chips. "What the hell, man; you're my medical proxy. Did you sign off on that?"
Danny held up his hands in front of his face, trying to ward off the wrath of one very pissed off SEAL.
"Steve, Steve, whoa. First, Riley is okay," he said, standing up and leaning his head around a curtain. "Can we . . . okay, thanks." He carefully pulled back a curtain, and Steve was able to see Riley.
"Okay?" Danny said, pointing to the curtain.
"Yeah, okay," Steve said, and Danny dropped the curtain back down.
"So, Super SEAL, you have a very badly bruised kidney, and you passed out on us. CT came back; good news, there's no need for surgery, bad news . . . " Danny winced.
"What, Dann- oh," Steve said, shifting again. "And there's a catheter."
"Yeah."
"Riley. Tell me about Riley," Steve demanded.
Dr. Link appeared at the end of the curtain. His nose was an impressive array of purple and blue, with bruising extending outward, under his eyes. "Commander McGarrett," he said, holding a chart in front of him. "At this point, to the best of our admittedly limited knowledge, Riley holding steady. She seemed to tolerate the MRI well. She seemed to be in and out of consciousness before the procedure, but she had a short period of time after the procedure in which she was, as far as we could tell, completely lucid. She was somewhat uncooperative, because she was demanding to see you and we couldn't make that happen, as you were having an emergent CT at the time. We reviewed all of the files, and based on that information and on the bloodwork, we determined that it was safe - and high time - to administer a mild sedative and some pain relief. She's resting comfortably now. There's some concern about her fever, but we're monitoring it. We will, of course, continue to go over the files, and Rebecca will explain more to you, but that's what you need to know for now."
Steve sagged back onto the pillows in relief, and brushed a shaky hand over his face.
"Now, there's something else I think you'll want to see," Danny said, his blue eyes crinkling. Steve could hear the sound of the door opening and closing quietly.
"Hey, sailor," Catherine said, appearing around the edge of the curtain.
Dr. Link smiled at Steve. "I'll go back to Riley now; and I'll also let Dr. Reeves know that you're back with us."
"Thank you," Steve said, but his eyes were fixed on Catherine.
"Cath," he said, swallowing hard around a sudden lump in his throat.
"Ah, before I go," Danny said, shifting, "there's something that I think Catherine and I should tell you . . . together."
Steve looked at him suspiciously. "How long was I out?"
"Well, long enough for me to make a decision, with Catherine's input, I hasten to add," Danny said, edging closer to Catherine, "actually, it would be more accurate to say that we made the decision together. Jointly. Equally."
"Danny," Steve said, his voice a low warning.
"We called Mary, Steve," Catherine said, coming to stand next to him. She brushed a kiss over his cheek. "I have contacts at Barstow, someone went and spoke with her, explained that you had been injured, though you would be just fine, and offered to see to it that she had safe transport here, if she wanted to come."
Steve looked down at the blanket covering him, picking at a thread. "Did she? Want to come?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, actually, she really did," Catherine said. "We didn't want her flying commercial, not with WoFat still unaccounted for, so it will be a couple days. We've got her on a comfortable flight, not cargo. But yeah, she's coming, as long as that's okay with you."
Steve nodded, still not looking up. "Yeah," he said, his voice choked. "Yeah, that's more than okay with me. Thanks." He looked up, his eyes watery.
"Okay, then," Danny said. "I'm just . . . ah, I'm gonna go, make the rounds, check on Jerry and Joe, and . . . mostly, I'm gonna give you two a few minutes." He grinned broadly at the two of them and then ducked around the curtain.
"Cath, I -" Steve broke off. "I don't . . . " His breathing turned shallow and rapid.
"Steve," Catherine said, taking his hands in hers, and sitting carefully on the edge of his bed. "Are you in pain? What it is?" Her voice was calm.
"No, I'm . . . I don't think . . . Cath, my mom . . . our mom . . . " Steve panted, "and Riley, and I don't . . . "
"Hey, hey," Catherine soothed, cupping her hand around his face. "Okay, we're going to breathe. Right now, we're just going to breathe, okay? You know the drill, sailor. Four in, four out. Come on, do this with me."
Steve focused on Catherine's warm brown eyes and let her coach him through breathing until he felt steadier.
Dr. Reeves knocked quietly on the wall just outside the curtain. "Commander?" she called out quietly.
"Yeah," Steve said, his voice stronger.
Dr. Reeves pulled the curtain back a few inches and stepped into his side of the room.
"You gave us a bit of a scare, Commander," she smiled. "May I -" she gestured to Catherine.
Steve wrapped Catherine's hand in his. "Yes, absolutely. This is Lieutenant Catherine Rollins, Naval Intelligence."
"Lieutenant," Dr. Reeves nodded. "Commander, your CT scan revealed massive bruising of your kidney, as we expected. There may be some microtears in the vessels connecting your kidney to your body - it's not a terribly tight fit, for an organ, and very susceptible to violent movement - like you would have experienced when your truck was attacked. As I'm sure you know, we see this injury frequently in -"
"Yeah," Steve said, clearing his throat. "Yeah; I was . . . yeah. Afghanistan."
"Okay, then. Now, we don't see any indication for surgery, but - and I can't emphasize this enough - you absolutely, positively, have to rest. We'll be monitoring your intake and output of fluids carefully, to be sure that your kidney function continues to improve. You had enough slow loss of blood and dehydration to put you into shock," Dr. Reeves explained.
"I get it, doc," Steve said. "How soon can I . . . move freely about the cabin?" he quipped, gesturing toward his midsection.
"When I'm convinced that the bleeding has stopped, or slowed to an acceptable level," Dr. Reeves said archly, "and not a minute sooner. It's one way to keep you still; or so your medical proxy informed me. Now," she continued, "it looks like your sister is waking up."
"Riley," Steve said, trying to sit up, craning his neck around.
"Stand down," Dr. Reeves scolded. She pushed the curtain back all the way. "I'll be back to be sure you're following orders," she added, smiling, as she left the room.
"Hey," Steve said quietly, looking over at Riley. He was hesitant; not knowing if she yet remembered who he was.
"Steve?" she asked. Rebecca was standing close to her, adjusting an IV, and she gently patted Riley's hand.
"Yes, see? We promised you he was okay," Rebecca said. "Here, let me . . . " she kicked a couple of levers and started to gently push Riley's bed toward Steve's, and Catherine moved quickly to help her.
Riley reached out her hand, carefully, and Steve took it in his own, turning her wrist gently and stroking his thumb over the scar on her forearm. It was even more inflamed than before, and part of it had been covered with a bandage. Riley's eyes were fixed on the movement of his hand, and tears fell down her cheeks.
"Hey, honey, it's okay," Steve said. "You're safe."
"I don't . . . I remember bits and pieces and . . . I don't know what's real and what isn't," she said.
"We'll figure it out together, okay?" Steve said, rubbing her arm gently. "Rebecca, I was told that the advanced healing . . . that was all nanotechnology?"
Rebecca kept her hand gently on Riley's as she started to explain. "So, from what we understand from the files, once the nanotechnology started to fail, some of the effects of the nanotechnology started to reverse. Now, the good news is, Riley is free from anyone interfering with her, ever again, using those nanobytes. As a result, though, some of the accelerated healing started to reverse."
"So, if the healing was all nanotechnology . . ." Steve said.
"Riley is, unfortunately, suffering the full effects of her injuries," Rebecca said. "But, apparently you McGarretts are made of strong stuff, because she is handling it like a trooper."
Riley looked at her in surprise. "But . . . I cried," she whispered.
"And what on earth is wrong with that?" Rebecca demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
Riley frowned. "I don't remember," she said.
"Well, good," Steve said. "That's one thing that I'd be very happy for you to forget."
Riley tilted her head at him, pondering. Steve smiled; it was obvious that she was still confused, but he could see the familiar intelligence and curiosity in her eyes, mirror images of his own. Her eyes had drifted to Catherine, who smiled at her gently.
"Hello, Riley," she said softly.
"Riley, this is Lieutenant Catherine Rollins," Steve said. "Do you . . . do you remember her?"
Riley rolled her eyes at Steve. "Please. The walls in your house are thin."
Steve laughed heartily as Catherine blushed. "Well, okay then. You remember Catherine," Steve said. He looked at Rebecca for confirmation.
"There was no record of any images of Catherine," Rebecca said. "Her memories of Catherine would be, um, untampered with."
"Being a little sister is definitely coming back to you," Catherine teased gently.
Riley grinned - the lopsided grin that had been one of the first indications that she and Steve were more than strangers whose paths had crossed thanks to WoFat. Her eyes blinked slowly as her pain medication and sedatives started to pull her back under.
"I . . . there are other people," she said, struggling to stay awake.
"Yeah, there are," Steve said softly, "and they will all be so happy to see you, in just a little while. Rest, Riley. I'm not going anywhere. You're safe."
"Hmmhmm," Riley mumbled. "Olivia told me. WoFat is dead. He can't hurt me any more." Her eyes fell closed and her breathing evened out.
Steve looked at Catherine, confused. "Did I miss something? I thought you said WoFat was still unaccounted for."
"To our knowledge, he's still in the wind," Catherine said.
"It must have been . . . to try to win her confidence. Catherine, my mother, she . . . "
Catherine covered Steve's hand with hers. "We're still processing the scene, Steve," she said gently. "So far, we haven't recovered anything that we can link to your mother. The evidence is being combed through, sifted through, but . . . so far, nothing. She may have made it out."
"I just - at the end, I think she did what she could," Steve said.
"Yeah," Catherine said. "Yeah, Steve, I think maybe she did." She brushed her hand across his cheek, threading her cool fingers through his hair. "I think you need to rest right now, though. It's been a long day. It's going to take a long time to sort all of this out." She kissed him on the forehead, and started to turn away from his bed.
"Cath," he said, reaching for her with the hand that wasn't still holding Riley's. "Stay?"
Catherine's face lit up in a smile. "Yeah," she said, pulling up a chair.
Steve shook his head, and patted his hand on the bed next to him. He scooted over, wincing in pain at the movement. Catherine carefully eased her body onto the bed until she was snuggled securely next to him; her head resting on his shoulder, and his hand wrapped securely around her waist. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the comforting scent of her shampoo.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Fifteen minutes later, Danny, Chin, and Kono stood in the doorway, smiling.
"Well, would you look at that?" Danny whispered.
"He still has his IV in, and everything," Kono marveled.