"Governor!" Steve gasped.
"Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams…" Denning nodded as he stepped around the end of Steve's bed and gently grabbed Steve's arm.
"I ... umm ... I didn't see you standing there, Sir," Steve stammered.
"I gathered that," Denning nodded as he as gently grabbed Steve's arm and firmly guided him back to his bed, but I seemed to have interrupted something between the two of you."
"Ah, we were just talking, Sir."'
"Just talking?" The governor nodded as he helped Steve back into bed before he turned and eyed Danny, who looked like he would rather still be unconscious and fighting for his life than awake and under his intense scrutinizing look before he turned back to Steve and added sceptically, "Hmm, I see … you were just … talking."
Steve nodded, casting a quick questioning glance across at Danny who shrugged weakly before he returned his attention back to the governor. "Ah, Sir, I know that the ICU nurses don't usually allow visitors this early in the morning, is something wrong?"
"Now that depends on what you classify as wrong." Denning answered cryptically.
"Sir?" Steve frowned in confusion, wondering why the governor was being so formal.
"You see, I received a strange phone call this morning from the Newark Chief of Police. It seems that he never heard about the events here in Hawaii and has been trying to contact Detective Williams, both at Five 0 and at his home, regarding his request to transfer back to Newark Police Department to return to his old position of homicide detective there." He cast a quick glance across at Danny before he returned his attention back to Steve, "So, I was wondering just why the Second-In-Command of my elite task force and the officer to whom I intend to present with gold Medal of Valor, when he is well enough to attend his own ceremony, was wanting to transfer back to the mainland. So, I thought I would ask you if you knew the reason why."
"I'm getting …the Gold Medal … of … Valor?" Danny frowned tiredly, looking first at the governor who seemed totally focused on Steve before looking at Steve, his confusion evident on his face.
Ignoring Danny's weak, confused question, Denning continued, "But I think I have discovered the just discovered the answers to some of my questions. So, I guess I have the answers to most of my questions but one." Turning back to Danny, Denning looked down at the letter in Danny's hand that he had seen Steve hand Danny only moments before. Reaching across, he took Steve's folded resignation letter that Danny still held in his hand as he added, "And that's what is in this letter and just what Detective Williams meant when he asked you if you knew what it would mean if I ever got it."
Carefully unfolding the letter that he knew from the conversation he had overheard between Danny and Steve just minutes before was Steve's resignation. He studied it for several seconds before he looked up at Steve in and frowned, "This is your resignation!"
Steve nodded, "Yes, Sir."
"I don't understand…" Denning's frown deepened as he stared at Steve.
"Well Sir, if Danny decides that he wants to return to New Jersey, I have decided that I am going with him." Steve answered honestly.
"I see." The governor looked back down at the hand-written letter that he held in his hand before he looked back at Steve and asked, "So, this I take it that this is your formal resignation from Five 0, and it's effective immediately."
"It is, Sir."
"Steve, … no…" Danny said weakly.
"I see," the governor murmured again as he looked back down at the letter and sighed, "well that puts me in a bit of a conundrum, I'm afraid. You see, I'm not sure that Detective Williams will be able to return to his old position at Newark PD. He signed a ten-year contract with HPD when he transferred here from the mainland. But, you, well, unlike Detective Williams, I can't hold you to a ten-year contract, Commander." Looking down at the resignation he held in his hand before he looked back up at Steve, he continued softly, "I guess I need to decide if I should accept your resignation or not."
"Excuse me, Governor," Denning turned and looked at the nurse as she stepped into the room. "But the doctor has started his rounds, I'm afraid that it's time for you to go."
"Thank you, nurse," the governor nodded before he turned back and looked at Danny, "It's good to see you awake and on the mend, Danny, you had a lot of people, including myself, worried the last couple of days." Turning to look at Steve, he added before he turned and walked out of the room. "I will be back later today and will let you know then about my decision regarding your resignation."
Looking down at Steve's resignation that he still held in his hand, Denning smiled as he tore up the folded piece of paper and dropped it into the bin as he passed. He couldn't stop the small chuckle that slipped from between his lips as he reached closed elevator doors and hit the button as he wondered how long he should let McGarrett sweat, especially after all the grey hairs McGarrett and his team had given him after he had become governor. Deciding that after he had a cup of coffee in cafeteria and read the newspaper in the hospital cafeteria that he would return and tell McGarrett that he had decided not to accept his resignation. He laughed as the elevator doors slid open and he stepped inside.