Chapter 5

Searchingly, Chin, Mary and Joan looked around. The emergency room was swarming with patients, mostly victims of the attack on the pier, and the doctors and all the nursing staff were trying to be everywhere at once. Somewhat lost, the three stood among the injured, trying to spot Steve and Catherine somewhere.

An orderly who was hurrying past them noticed them and stepped toward them.

"Are they looking for someone?" Mary nodded.

"My brother and his girlfriend. Steve McGarrett and Catherine Rollins."

With two long steps, the nurse was at the registration counter and fished out the tablet. With one finger, he scrolled through the admitted patients. Then his finger stopped. He quickly read the information on file, his face becoming more serious. He put the device back behind the counter, where one of the doctors immediately grabbed it, and returned to the three of them.

"Unfortunately, the two of them are among the seriously injured who were brought in. They are already both in surgery. Unfortunately, I can't tell them anything more yet. It's best if they wait on the second floor in the Family area."

He looked attentively at the mother and daughter, who had become even paler. He typed something into the medicine cart and a compartment opened. He filled two small cups with the medicine and handed one to Mary and the other to Joan. Joan eyed the cup critically and was about to hand it back to the orderly when he smiled at her.

"Go ahead and drink it. Your mother and you, you need all your strength right now to be there for your uncle and aunt. And this will help you do that."

"Thank you," Mary whispered and drank the cup empty. Joan followed suit and handed the empty cup back. He gave her a friendly nod and then pointed to a door that led further into the hospital.

"It's that way to the waiting rooms, they just have to go up one floor."

Chin thanked the orderly and took the two McGarretts by the hand. Once in the waiting room, they sat down on one of the couches and looked around. Four other relatives were also waiting for word. Whispering, they talked about the incident at the pier.

There was a knock at the door and the LAPD police sketch artist entered the room. Spotting Chin, he headed toward him with quick steps. Chin introduced Mary and the sketch artist retreated with her to one of the corners so she could describe the man in peace. Restless, Joan slid around in her chair. She wanted to help too, and after her mother finished, Chin allowed her to describe the man to the draftsman as well. The two pictures were very similar and were immediately made available to all police officers for the manhunt.

About an hour later, a doctor entered the waiting room. Seven pairs of eyes looked at him anxiously.

"Janice Miller?" The young woman straightened up a bit. He sat down with her and began to speak softly to her. A moment later, she broke down crying.

"Can we get someone to call for her?" Sobbing, she shook her head. "She was my family, my everything." She took a breath.

"My brother. ... He ,... he is the only one who still talks to me."

"I'll call him for her."

The doctor gave her hand one last comforting squeeze, then got up and left the room. Despite her concern for Steve and Catherine, Mary got up and sat with the young woman, without saying anything, she simply took her in her arms until fifteen minutes later when a young man entered the room, took Janice in his arms and left the waiting area with her.

Slowly, Mary came back to Chin and Joan. What if Steve ... ? Then she had only Joan. She tried to shake off the thought, but she didn't quite succeed.

Another hour had passed, and neither she nor the other relatives had heard anything. Chin had gone out to make a few phone calls. The assassin had not shown up anywhere yet. When the door opened again, everyone's eyes flew anxiously toward those who had entered.

"Danny? Grace? Where did yours come from?"

Danny stepped up to Mary and took her in his arms, then pulled Joan close. Lastly, he greeted Chin and pulled him amicably into his arms. Grace did likewise to her father and then sat down with Joan.

"We got on the next plane right away. Is there anything new yet?"

Mary shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no."

Danny sat down with the others.

Only belatedly did they notice that the door to the waiting room had opened again and a doctor was looking around.

"Which one of them belongs to Steve McGarrett?"

Mary jumped up. The doctor nodded at her, came to them and sat down. Quietly he began to talk.

"Commander McGarrett sustained injuries to blood vessels and other internal organs from the abdominal gunshot. We had some trouble finding all the injuries and stopping the internal bleeding. However, the Commander is stable now and will be coming out of anesthesia shortly. So, if they would like, they can join him in a half hour for a few minutes."

The friends exhaled with relief. But Joan looked at the doctor inquiringly.

"And what about Catherine?"

"Is Lieutenant Rollins one of them, too?"

Everyone nodded. Worry lines formed on his forehead.

"Unfortunately, I don't have such good news. She has a tension pneumothorax due to the bullet through her lung and also has severe internal bleeding. Her condition is still critical, especially since colleagues have not yet found the cause of the bleeding. We suspect a tear in one of the larger blood vessels. I'll let them know as soon as I know anything, but right now I need to get back to the OR."

"Thanks Doc."

The friends were left in the waiting room with mixed feelings. Steve was on the mend, but Catherine ...