CHAPTER 11

Wednesday afternoon, TAMC:

"What the hell happened?" Steve McGarrett demanded to know as he entered the visiting area of Tripler Army Medical Centre.

Danny turned around and spotted Steve barrelling through the crowded waiting room and over to where he had been talking to Kono. They were both still wearing their kevlar vests despite the overly warm space.

"Steve! He's okay," Danny answered in what Steve supposed was an attempt to calm him.

Steve finally reached them and ran a hand through his hair. "What happened? You were just supposed to talk to them. How did you end up in the middle of a firefight?"

"We were going to talk to them, only we didn't count on the Yakuza arriving halfway through our discussion."

Steve surveyed his teammates. Danny's hair was unkempt; he had obviously spent some time running his hands through it. Kono was quiet, her eyes rimmed with unshed tears, her hands shaking despite her attempts to control it.

"How's Chin?" Steve asked after letting loose the air he'd been holding in his chest.

"He got hit," Kono answered with a sniff. "He pushed me out of the way and a bullet sliced his leg."

Steve sighed as a wave of guilt threatened to overwhelm him. "I should have been there with you guys."

"No. You were exactly where you needed to be. It's not your fault Chin got hurt," Danny said before looking at Kono. "And it's not yours either, Kono. He would have done exactly the same thing for any one of us."

Kono gave Danny a quivering smile.

"My question is how did the Yakuza even know the Triads were involved?" Danny continued.

"The Yakuza and Triads have been at war for decades," Kono explained with a shrug.

"My guess is the Yakuza found out the Triads were using the shop as a front. When the shop blew up and killed Hideki Ichikawa, the Yakuza wanted blood," Steve ascertained.

"And we got caught up in the middle?" Danny asked, his tone defeated.

"Seems like it," Steve answered as he looked around at the full waiting room. "How many others were hurt?"

"Two officers from HPD caught glancing bullet wounds. They are being stitched up as we speak. We have two dead Yakuza and one Triad," Danny reported. "The rest surrendered when HPD showed up and are currently being processed. With any luck, one of them will confess to blowing up the shop and then we can close this case."

"Kelly," a familiar voice called.

Steve, Danny and Kono all turned as one to face Doctor Eric Palamo.

"Hey Doc," Danny greeted, shaking the man's hand. "How is he?"

Doctor Palamo smiled. "Hello Danny, Steve, Kono. Chin is going to be just fine. The bullet took a chunk out of his leg that took seventeen stitches to close. He should keep his weight off his left leg as much as possible to let it heal, hence why he will be using crutches for at least a week. Other than that, he just needs rest."

A wave of relief momentarily replaced the guilt Steve had felt moments earlier. 'Chin's okay,' he assured himself. 'They're all fine.'

"Thanks Doc," Steve answered.

"My pleasure," the doctor answered with a smile.

"When can he leave?" Danny asked, not evading the obvious question.

"As soon as he's finished signing the forms. I have also given him a script for pain medication. He should take two every four to six hours as needed," Doctor Palamo explained.

"Can we see him?" Kono asked.

"Of course. He's in room one, just around the corner."

Steve made to follow Danny and Kono but stopped when he heard his name called. "Steve?" the doctor called. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Steve exchanged exasperated looks with Danny and Kono. "You guys go ahead," he said before backtracking to the doctor.

"How are you?" the doctor asked as soon as he was standing in front of him.

"I'm fine," Steve answered shortly. He wanted nothing more than to see Chin and assess for himself the state of his friend.

Doctor Palamo raised an eyebrow and Steve felt ashamed for having snapped. "I know for a fact that you weren't involved in today's fiasco, given you entered through the visitor's entrance about an hour after your team arrived. I also know that you hate being on the sidelines and I can probably guess exactly what is going through your mind right now."

"Which is what, exactly?" he challenged. 'Stop it,' Steve told himself.

"That you should have had their backs and that you should be the one that was injured, not Chin," the doctor stated, not at all fazed by Steve's sudden burst.

Steve looked down at his feet, shrugging. Doctor Palamo was right; he should have been with his team, not stuck in the office talking to annoying reporters and completing mindless tasks.

"It's not your fault a member of your team got hurt today. From what I hear, no one could have predicted the outcome of today," Doctor Palamo continued softly.

"Well, if I had just done my job in the first place, then none of this would have ever happened," Steve replied angrily.

It still smarted that he hadn't killed Nazeef the first time in Afghanistan. To know the man had been able to recover and reign terror once again felt like a failure on Steve's part. If Steve had just finished the job, then he wouldn't have been injured and he would have been the backup his team needed today.

Doctor Palamo frowned. "What do you mean 'in the first place'?"

"Nothing," Steve replied hastily.

"Right," the doctor said, his voice tinged with disbelief before he expertly changed the subject. "So, how's the running been going?"

Steve gratefully grasped onto the new conversation topic. "Really good. I can feel myself starting to get stronger. I'm not as tired, but I still need to walk at times. Especially some of the uphill areas. I haven't been needing to sleep as much, either. Just an afternoon nap for an hour or so."

"Excellent. It sounds like you are making good progress. We'll discuss that more in your appointment on Monday. For now, you should go see Chin."

"Right. Thanks, doc," Steve said.

Doctor Palamo watched his most frustrating patient disappear around the corner before returning to work. He hated to admit it, but he had been relieved when it had been another member of the team that had entered the emergency department that afternoon. He didn't think he could handle the head of Five-0 as a patient for at least another year.

Steve knocked on the door to Chin's room and entered when he heard a chorus of "come in" from inside.

"Hey," he said as he slipped inside and closed the door.

"Hey Steve," Chin said with a smile.

"How are you?" Steve asked as he approached Chin who was sitting on the edge of the hospital gurney. He took in the white bandage wrapped around his elevated limb.

"Like I just told these two, I am fine. Nothing a few days rest won't fix," Chin answered.

"Sounds great," Steve replied, trying to sound as though he actually meant it.

"So, the doc said you can leave soon," Danny stated.

"Yeah. I'm pretty much good to go. Just waiting on the nurse to bring me some crutches," Chin replied with a smile.

"I'll bring the car around to the front then," Steve said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder.

"Whoa!" Danny blurted. "Hang on! Just whose car did you take?"

Steve knew for a fact that Kono's Cruze was still at the scene and the Camaro was parked haphazardly somewhere in the hospital's short-term parking lot as he'd passed it while parking an SUV that the Governor had loaned him last minute.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. The Governor gave me a loaner until I could replace the Silverado," Steve answered.

Danny threw his hands up in the air. "Of course he did."

Steve just smirked unapologetically and turned on his heel, leaving Danny and Kono with an injured Chin.

As soon as Steve disappeared out the door, Chin turned to Danny. "Okay, what is it?"

"What?" Danny asked, spinning around to face him.

"I mean, what's up with you and Steve? You guys were having a conversation earlier and I'm guessing it had something to do with the phone call you got," Chin answered.

Chin knew he had interrupted the pair earlier and he was curious as to what they were discussing. Even when injured, Chin couldn't help investigating. After all, Five-0 hadn't been created based on their good looks. It just made it difficult to keep anything from the rest of the team.

Danny shoved his hands into his pockets. "I got a call from Tillman."

"Rodger Tillman?" Kono checked.

Danny nodded. "Yeah."

"What did he want?" Chin asked as he sat forward. Given their previous encounter with the man, Chin figured it could be anything from just checking up on them to having another terrorist on the island.

"He wanted to know how Steve was because the idiot wasn't answering his calls," Danny groused.

Chin frowned; it wasn't like Steve to ignore anything. "That still doesn't explain the awkward tension from earlier." There was something Danny wasn't telling them something.

"Well, Rod said that the Navy wants Steve's statement about the Nazeef thing."

"Well, we knew that was a likely possibility," Kono reminded him.

"Yeah. He only has to live through the whole thing again, but that's fine. Nothing to worry about," Danny added sarcastically.

No, that wasn't it. Chin knew there was something else, something that had the blonde man on edge. "What else, Danny?"

Danny sighed and checked the door was closed before answering. "Tillman said they want to give him a medal."

Chin realised why Danny was so distressed. For Steve to relive not only the events from his first deadly interaction with Nazeef, but also divulge what had occurred when the terrorist had come to island, would be damaging. It was that damage Danny believed Steve couldn't handle.

The first few weeks of Steve's recovery had been rough; Steve refusing help and Danny doing what he did best - being a mother hen. The last week, however, felt like they'd turned a corner. Since Steve had returned to work, there had been a light in his eyes; a sign that the Steve they knew was still in there.

Chin instinctively knew that Danny was afraid of Steve shutting down again. It had been unnerving to see a man normally so confident reduced to uncertainty and possess an unnatural uneasiness that seemed to seep from within. The blank, emotionless expression had become so constant that the team feared they'd never see their friend smile again.

Chin knew that Steve would refuse the medal. In Steve's mind, he was just doing what anyone else would do in that situation. He would, of course, ignore the fact that most people wouldn't dare to stage coup using a terrorist's own child and then protect said child at the expense of torture and heartbreak.

The only problem was the Navy didn't know about Ari. If they did…well, Chin actually had no idea what would happen but he believed it would not be good for Steve.

"Have you told him yet?" Chin asked.

"I tried this morning, but then…" Danny petered off. Chin knew he was referring to the shootout.

"He has to know," Chin declared.

As much as they all wanted to forget everything that had happened and move on, they knew the Navy wouldn't leave well enough alone. Not when there were inconsistencies. Until then, it wouldn't truly be over and their friend would continue to suffer.

At that moment, the nurse walked in with crutches for Chin. Chin accepted them gratefully and hobbled to the door. The group paused when they heard yelling. Exchanging looks, they exited the room and moved towards the source of the disturbance.

Steve walked back inside the hospital after having parked the car right in front of the main entrance. He weaved his way through the doctors and patients milling about and headed towards Chin's room.

He didn't get far.

"Look who it is," a voice came from behind him. "The coward."

Steve paused and turned around only to be confronted by a man the same height as him but thinner. He was wearing an HPD uniform. Steve's eyes flicked down to the name badge, which read 'Clarke'.

Not wanting to start a conflict, Steve simply said, "excuse me," and walked away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Clarke called after him.

Steve clenched his fists but kept walking. He had no intention of giving Rogerson's partner a platform to vent his frustrations.

"McGarrett! I'm talking to you!" Clarke yelled.

At Clarke's yell, everyone in the vicinity stopped what they were doing. HPD officers, doctors and civilians stood in a trance-like state to watch the drama unfold.

With a deep breath and a heavy sigh, Steve turned around. "You got something to say to me, Lieutenant Clarke?"

"Yeah, I do," Clarke said as he filled the space the between them.

They were now only inches apart. Steve refused to take a step back, refused to show he was intimidated. He looked defiantly into Clarke's hazel eyes and waited.

"Where do you get off on showing your face around here?" Clarke spat.

Steve frowned. "Excuse me?"

"The only reason you are still alive is because Carl sacrificed his life for yours. Yet here you are, walking around like nothing happened. A good man died and I bet you didn't even know his name until just now."

Steve's jaw was clenched tight to stop the tidal wave of emotions that suddenly threatened to overwhelm him. Outrage at the assumption and sorrow at the memory.

"Carl Rogerson was my best friend, my partner. His fiancée killed herself, unable to cope with the heartbreak. She killed herself because you are incompetent. Five-0 is supposed to be this special taskforce that protects people. But when it came down to it, you just wanted to save your own skin."

Steve knew for a fact that Regina Matherson was killed by Nazeef or at least one of his many accomplices. She was dead before Rogerson had been shot. He'd read the report. It didn't matter if Carl had done everything Nazeef requested…his fiancée was dead anyway.

Clarke barely stopped to breathe as his voice rose a few notches. "You and your team nearly get half of HPD blown up searching for a suspect and now this! You call for backup and get our officers injured. I suppose you are just going to pretend this didn't happen either? Sweep it under the rug with all the other atrocities you've committed."

"You're a cop killer. A killing machine. That's all you are and ever will be," Clarke's eyes flicked to something over Steve's shoulder and he smirked slightly. "Don't be surprised if no one comes to help you or Five-0. Your team is dead by association with you."

Steve hadn't realised his team was standing behind him and had heard every word Clarke had spat in his direction. He turned and caught Danny's gobsmacked expression before turning back to face the irate Lieutenant.

Steve stood straighter before simply stating, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Clarke was taken aback by Steve's response. Perhaps he'd been expecting a fight from the Navy man. Not condolences. He watched with an open mouth as the Five-0 team walked passed (or in Chin's case, crutched).

Steve turned and made for the hospital entrance doors without waiting to see if his team was following. He wouldn't blame them if they chose not to.

Once he reached the sliding doors, Danny paused. He was tempted to go back and give Lieutenant Clarke a piece of his mind, tell him just how wrong he was. He felt a tug on his arm and turned to see Kono shaking her head at him.

"Later," she mouthed.

Danny reluctantly agreed. Now was not the time to defend his friend, no matter how badly he needed to. He knew Steve believed he deserved the severe tongue-lashing regardless of how unwarranted it was.

Danny, however, would not just let it go. Mark his words, Clarke would get what was coming to him and the whole of HPD would know the truth.

Wednesday afternoon, temporary Five-0 offices:

After dropping Chin at home and promising to call him if a case came in, the team returned to their temporary headquarters. Steve drove the borrowed SUV in silence as Kono and Danny exchanged worried glances that went unnoticed by their usually observant leader. Once in the office, Steve left without a word after barely two minutes in the confined space.

Danny sighed as he slumped in his chair after his partner's departure. "I should have just called in sick this morning."

Kono smiled. "And missed out on all the fun?"

"Can you believe Clarke?" Danny asked heatedly.

"I kind of understand where he's coming from." When Danny was about the retort, Kono continued. "As far as he knows, his partner died trying to help Steve. He doesn't know that Rogerson is the reason several HPD officers nearly got blown up or why Steve was taken in the first place."

"It doesn't mean he can blame Steve for it or call him…a cop killer." Danny really hated those words. "Doesn't he know that Steve's already beating himself up over Rogerson's death? Steve thinks it's his fault Nazeef used him in the first place. Steve didn't deserve that," Danny said imploringly. "And I still haven't told him about the inquiry. And then there's those stupid flowers. He doesn't need anything else on his plate."

"Did he find out who the flowers were from?" Kono inquired.

"No. He got another delivery this morning though…at his house."

Kono frowned. "That's…weird."

Danny nodded in agreement. "He didn't seem too bothered by it. However, I did take the card. I was thinking about getting it analysed, just in case."

"What, you think he has a stalker?" Kono asked with a teasing grin.

Danny shrugged. He honestly had no idea. "Maybe. After everything that's happened to him lately, I just want to be sure. He doesn't need any more trouble."

Kono realised Danny was serious and held out her hand. "Give it to me. I'll get Fong to take a look at it."

Danny reached into his desk and pulled out an evidence bag and handed it to Kono. "Keep it between us for now, okay?"

"Sure," Kono replied.

There was a knock on the door before it was opened by Duke Lukela. The sergeant raised his eyebrows at the pair.

"Hey Duke. What's up?" Danny asked the older man.

"I could ask you the same. McGarrett's in the gym beating the heavy bag to a pulp," Duke answered.

Danny exchanged looks with Kono. "We had a bit of a run-in with Lieutenant Clarke at the hospital. He may have said some things about Steve…" Danny let his answer trail off.

Lukela sighed. "Let me guess, he insinuated that Steve caused Rogerson's death?"

"Amongst other things," Danny answered cryptically.

Duke sat down in Chin's chair and ran both hands down his face. "And getting caught in a turf war between the Triads and Yakuza probably didn't help his already short fuse. I don't know what more I can do. I've tried keeping him away from Five-0 as much as possible, but it's hard with the Palace out of commission for the time being."

"We've got to get Clarke to realise Rogerson's death wasn't Steve's fault," Kono fumed.

"How do we do that? Steve said we weren't to tell anyone what really happened. This is way above us," Danny reminded her.

"I don't know, Danny!" Kono snapped before realising what she'd done. "Sorry. It's just…not fair."

"We understand Kono," Duke said. "It's a difficult situation. For now, I think we just need to keep Clarke distracted and away from you guys until this blows over."

"That's going to be hard, especially if we're working in the same precinct," Kono rebutted.

"Last I heard, the Palace repairs will take another month. The explosion was more for show than actual destruction. It's mostly smoke and water damage. I'm just glad no one was hurt. At the time, my gut told me there was no way you guys were in there despite evidence to the contrary. Then Chin called me and I felt so much relief. I really didn't want to be wrong," Duke said, his eyes staring off into the distance as he remembered the scene from the not so distant past.

"Believe me Duke, no one is more relieved than I that we weren't caught up in that," Danny said, shuddering as he thought about leaving his daughter fatherless.

The aftermath of the explosion was still ingrained into his mind. He saw it in his dreams; the flames licking at the Palace, destroying everything in its path.

Except it didn't defeat them. They would prove that Five-0 was still strong. Nothing could stop them. At least, that's what Danny thought before Pedro Fuentes and Qari Nazeef came into their lives.