March 17, 2018
Mickey Dooley was the only prisoner in the transport van. He didn't say anything to Officer Greg Kretscher as he took his seat. Kretscher was one of two guards assigned to this transport. Greg had worked for Mickey for years. Mostly he helped by transporting product, which he could easily do under the radar. He didn't want to deal because if he got caught, he would lose his job.
Every month, Dooley deposited five thousand dollars into a bank account in Frank's aunt's name. The work Greg did for him was worth it.
About halfway to the jail, Mickey heard a loud cracking sound. He looked back and saw that the second guard was slumped forward in his seat.
Kretscher walked up the aisle to the driver. "Pull over, now."
"No way," the driver said.
Kretscher pulled his service revolver from its holster and pointed it at the driver. He sneered. "Do what you're told."
The driver pulled over and raised his hands. "Now get up. And give me your cell phone," Greg said. He slapped handcuffs on the driver and made him take a seat in the back of the van, next to the dead guard. He threw a couple of cell phones out the window. Then he took the wheel.
He didn't take the next turn toward the jail. Instead, he got on the highway and drove out of the city. He exited on a rural road and drove to a small farm with a for sale sign in the yard. He drove in through the open door of the barn. Then he got up and walked down the aisle of the van. Mickey watched as he raised his gun and shot the driver in the head.
"Come on," he said. He undid Mickey's handcuffs and ushered him out of the van. "I've got a car just outside. But I expect a raise for this. Ten thousand a month instead of five. I can't go back to my job now."
Mickey glared at Frank. "Are you insane? I didn't ask you to do this! I can't double your pay. I'll be lucky to have anything to live on now!"
Greg raised his revolver. He aimed. The last thing Mickey Dooley ever heard was the sound of a gunshot.
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Lou was just getting in his car when his phone rang. Junior was calling him. He answered. "Hello, Junior."
"Cap," Junior said. "Tani just got a call. The van transporting Dooley never arrived at the jail."
"Damn." Lou had hoped to get straight to preparing Steve's house for him and Danny to get back there. Instead he had to deal with this. "Junior, you stay home. Send Tani back to the Palace. Tell her I'm sorry to mess up her vacation time again." He was quiet for a moment, then added, "Listen, I've got to work on this. When I get to the Palace, I'm going to send you a text. Steve and Danny are going to be discharged in one week to recover at Steve's house. I have a list of equipment we'll need, along with a full-time home nurse and a housecleaner. Can you do some research and make some phone calls? I think insurance might cover a large part of the cost."
"Yes, sir. I'll see what I can find, and I'll send Tani to you. Goodbye, Cap."
Traffic was heavy between Tripler and the Palace. By the time Lou got there, Tani was already at work. "Hi, Cap. The GPS tracker was disabled, so I haven't been able to ping the van's location. I tried the driver's cell and the guards' cells, but no luck." She pulled up a video for Lou to watch. "We do have this video of the van pulling over about halfway to the jail. Driver throws something out the window — I'm guessing the cell phones."
Lou's phone rang. It was Duke Lukela.
"Hi, Duke. Any news about that van?"
"Hi, Lou. We had a report from a Realtor who was scheduled to show a farm just outside the city. She arrived early and found the barn door open, so she looked inside. She saw a white van and a man's body on the barn floor. She reported the license plate number — it matches the van that was transporting Dooley. I figured you would want this case."
Lou sighed. "Thanks, Duke. Yeah, I want it. I'll head out there now. Can you text me the address?"
"Sure. Let me know what you find."
"Will do. Thanks. Bye." Lou watched for the text to come through. He sent the address to Noelani and asked her to meet them there. "Tani, I know where the van is. Are you ready to go?"
"Of course." Lou and Tani walked to the parking lot together. Lou drove them to the address Duke had sent. Noelani pulled in right behind them.
A young woman was sitting at a picnic table outside the barn. Duke was sitting next to her. Even from a distance, Lou could tell that she was trembling.
She stood up when she saw him and Tani. "Hello. My name is Meilani Iosua. I'm the Realtor selling this farm. I saw the barn door open when I arrived and looked inside. I — I canceled the showing." She shuddered. "I never thought I would see such a thing. Oh, and the car that's usually here is missing now." She thought for a minute. "It's an old brown Volvo station wagon."
Lou stepped into the barn. The first thing he saw was Michael Dooley lying dead on the ground. He had been shot in the chest. He opened the van door and saw two dead men inside.
"Noelani," said Lou, "there are two dead in the van. We need to identify them. In addition to Dooley, there should have been a driver and two guards. I want to know who's missing."
They found a police officer's service revolver in a trash bin, along with a couple of shell casings. Lou placed these in an evidence bag. They would have to dust for fingerprints.
When Noelani had done everything she could at the crime scene, they headed back to the Palace. They had a lot of work to do figuring this out.
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After verifying that Steve and Danny's health insurance would cover their needs, Junior contacted a medical supply store. He arranged to rent two hospital beds. They would be delivered the morning of March twenty third, giving them a day to get the room set up. They also had a couple of top-of-the-line electric wheelchairs. Junior went back and forth about whether to buy or rent the chair for Steve. Finally he decided to rent it. Steve was going to get back on his feet. The chairs would be delivered with the beds.
Next, he researched home nurses. He read reviews, talked with several people, and finally settled on a young woman named Deirdre Peterson, whom reviewers described as "an excellent nurse with a great sense of humor who doesn't take any guff." He had a feeling Steve would like her. She would come five days a week, and she was willing to visit Steve and Danny at Tripler, just to get to know them. For the weekends, he hired Donna Mitchum. She also had good reviews.
Finally, he looked at house cleaners. He found a service that was run by a retired nurse. She guaranteed that her cleaners would keep Steve's house sanitary. Junior was pleased that everything was set for Steve and Danny to be sent home. The house was too quiet for just him alone.
He checked his cell phone for messages. There was one from Tani, telling him that Dooley was dead. Lou suspected one of the two guards on the transport of doing it, though they didn't have any idea of his motive. His name was Greg Kretscher, and they were back at the Palace looking for information on him. If Junior were allowed to drive right now, he would go help. But he hadn't been cleared to drive yet.
Junior decided he could do a little research of his own. Sitting on the lanai, he looked Kretscher up on his cell phone and found out he had been fired from his job with the San Francisco Police Department. Apparently he had come to work high one morning. Bet he didn't put that in his resume. Why didn't they check these guys out better before hiring them? He texted the information to Tani.
She texted back almost right away. "Damn! How did he get a job with HPD after that?"
Junior shrugged, then let his fingers fly over the onscreen keyboard. "He didn't tell them and they didn't ask. It took me all of five minutes to find the story. I'm going to get some rest now. Love you. Oh, tell Cap I got everything arranged for Steve and Danny." He leaned back on the lounge chair and closed his eyes. He was ready for a nap.
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Lou asked Meilani Iosua to come to the Palace and answer some questions. He didn't suspect her of anything, but he thought she might have helpful knowledge. He showed her the service photograph of Greg Kretscher. "Do you recognize this man?"
Her eyes got big. "Yes! That's Greg Mardell. He hired me to sell the farm. It belonged to the aunt who raised him. She died a few months ago. Do you think he killed those people?"
Lou frowned. "I can't comment on that, ma'am." He thought for a minute, then asked, "Do you know the name of Greg Mardell's aunt?"
"Yes," Ms. Iosua said. "I saw it on the deed. Lily Mardell."
"Excellent. Thanks so much. That's all I have for you, Ms. Iosua. You've been a big help." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You saw something terrible, but you handled yourself very well."
She blushed. "Thank you." She gathered her purse and cell phone and headed out.
Lou looked at Tani. "Take a look at Dooley's financial records again. Look for the name Mardell. My guess is Greg Kretscher may have had a fake ID under that name. Also, if he is the executor of his aunt's estate, payments may be made to her name."
"OK." Tani pulled up Dooley's financial records on the computer again. A few minutes later, she called out to Lou. "Take a look. Payments of five thousand dollars a month into the account of Lily Mardell."
Lou nodded. "My guess is, Kretscher wasn't looking forward to losing that money."
"So now we have to find out where he is," said Tani.
"Yeah." Lou's eyes narrowed as he thought. "See if he has reserved a flight. He probably wants to get off the island. Check under both surnames."
It took Tani about ten minutes to find the information. "Lou, Greg Mardell booked two suites on a cruise ship that runs from here to Vancouver. From there, he's got a flight to Managua. The ship leaves Honolulu at two p.m. on March twenty third."
"OK, that means he's holed up somewhere on the island. I want HPD looking everywhere for him."
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Greg was holed up. He had abandoned his aunt's car in the parking lot at Kaiaka Bay Beach Park. He stole an old blue Ford Country Squire — he had broken several laws already; one more wouldn't really matter. He left that car at 'Ehukai Beach Park and walked from there up the Ko'olau Summit Trail. He knew of a cave in the hills where no one would think to look for him. To get to it, he had to leave the main trail and hike through the wilderness for a couple of miles. He had spent his days off after Dooley was arrested preparing the cave for a week-long stay before he and Dooley could board the cruise ship. He had plenty of food, a flat of water bottles, and everything he needed to camp out there. It wasn't the most exciting food, but he would make up for it on the cruise.
A friend was going to pick him up at six in the morning on the twenty third and drive him to the cruise terminal. That way he wouldn't have to steal another car or risk being seen on public transportation.
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March 20, 2018
Lou grumbled. They'd found Lily Mardell's car at Kaiaka Bay Beach Park. Someone described a man whose description matched Greg Kretscher stealing a car there. They'd found that car and followed a trail up into the hills, but they couldn't find him. Lou wondered if he'd managed to get off the island somehow.
He and Tani had driven to Laniakea Beach today to check out a possible report from a swimmer who was convinced she'd seen Kretscher. Of course, it turned out she hadn't. The man she had seen was an innocent tourist from California. He looked a little like Kretscher, except that his hair was the wrong color. So were his eyes.
Now they were driving back to Tripler to visit Danny and Steve. Lou had Eddie in the car. It was the first time he'd been back since he was told he could bring the dog. They'd just been too busy chasing down possible sightings of Kretscher.
When they got to Tripler, Lou walked Eddie through the halls. The dog pulled at his leash. He'd been told he was going to see Steve today, and he was excited. "Sit, Eddie," Lou demanded. "You gotta stop pulling or you're just going back to the car. Now heel."
He wouldn't actually do that to Steve, but Eddie got the idea. He heeled and walked nicely the rest of the way to Steve's room. Once he was inside, though, he pulled away from Lou and jumped on Steve's bed. He seemed to understand the need to be careful of the various tubes that were attached to his person. He lay down and put his head on Steve's chest, then licked Steve's hand. His tail was thumping out his joy.
Steve stroked Eddie's coat. "Hi, Eddie. I missed you."
"He was awfully upset when we got called to Laniakea Beach for a potential Kretscher sighting," Lou said. "I had told him we were coming to see you."
Lou handed Steve a few treats. "Here. He likes these."
Steve gave Eddie the treats one by one. Eddie took them politely. Then he snuggled up to Steve and promptly fell asleep.
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March 23, 2018
"Will I ever see again?" Steve asked Dr. Abrams. She had come to talk with him about his latest brain scans.
Her fingers wrapped around his. "I'm sorry, Steve." She squeezed his hand. "Your scans indicate that your blindness is permanent."
Steve closed his eyes. "Leave me alone." He didn't mean to sound rude. He just didn't want to talk any more.
The doctor squeezed his hand again. "We'll talk later." He listened as she walked out the door.
"I don't believe it," Danny growled. "You're going to see again, Steve. I'm sure of it."
"Shut up, Danny." Steve turned his head away from his friend. Nothing made sense to him right now.
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Lou was frustrated. They'd been called with another potential Kretscher sighting, this one at Kahuku Point. Like all the other sightings, this one had come to nothing, but they had no choice but to follow up on it. It was an hour's drive to get out there and now they had an hour's drive to get back. They would never make it to the cruise terminal before the ship sailed.
They arrived about two thirty. Lou and Tani went inside the terminal and asked to speak with a manager. Lou showed his badge. "Passenger Greg Mardell, on the ship headed for Vancouver, is suspected of murder. Did he check in?"
The manager checked his tablet. "Yes, he's aboard."
"We need to get on the ship so we can take him into custody," Lou said.
"We can get you out there on a boat." The manager picked up a phone and made a call. "Go that way to the dock." He pointed. "You'll meet a man in a red shirt. His name is Oscar Fuentes. He'll get you to the ship."
"Thank you," said Lou.
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Tani was the first to climb up the ladder and board the ship. Lou followed. Fuentes came last.
A security officer met them inside. "Your suspect is in suite 523. He's probably not there yet. Passengers don't have access to their suites until three. We have officers looking for him. My guess is, he's up top, enjoying the view. He could also be downstairs in the shops or a restaurant."
Lou frowned. He spoke quietly to Tani. "We're going to have to split up. You go up top and work downwards. I'll start down here."
Tani patted her sidearm. "I'll be fine, Cap. Remember, he doesn't have a weapon any more."
The security officer pointed her to the elevators. She could have taken stairs, but walking up thirteen flights didn't appeal to her. The elevator would be faster.
Tani walked out onto the deck. The view from the ship was beautiful, but that wasn't why she was here. She started looking for the face that had been seared into her memory from his photographs. There was a man looking out at the city that was the right build and had the same hair color. She walked up behind him. "Greg Kretscher?"
He didn't turn around. Didn't acknowledge her in any way. She put a hand on his arm. "Greg Kretscher?"
He swirled around, his forehead wrinkling. "Name's Matt Scarpelli, ma'am."
The face didn't match the photos she'd seen. "I'm sorry, sir."
She backed away. About that time, someone brushed up against her. She didn't realize until he had moved away that he had pulled her gun out of its holster. "Hey!" she shouted.
He was running fast. He looked like Greg Kretscher. She ran after him. "Hawaii 5-0! Stop now!"
The security officer who was helping Tani shouted for everyone on deck to get below. That started a stampede for the stairs and elevators. Tani almost lost sight of Kretscher.
When the area cleared, he turned around and aimed the gun at her. He quirked up an eyebrow. "For a member of 5-0, you're not very observant."
Tani stood perfectly still with her hands in the air. She had no intention of becoming this man's fourth victim.
He stepped towards her. She took a step backwards. "Lou," she said. "He's up top, on the deck, close to the central elevators."
Lou's voice in her ear was a comfort. "Copy that. On my way."
"Shut up!" Kretscher ordered. "Take off your mic and your earpiece and throw them overboard."
She did as he said. Now she just had to keep him from moving her elsewhere before Lou arrived.
He waved her toward the safety rail. "Climb over."
Tani glanced over the rail. Her fear of heights warred with her determination to avoid getting shot. He took a step closer, the gun aimed right at her head.
Tani climbed over. She was a strong swimmer, and she could see the boat that had brought her and Lou out here. She would be OK if she jumped. Even so, she clung to the rail. She couldn't be sure he wouldn't shoot as she fell.
He bent over her. "Jump!"
Instead, she grabbed his arm. If she was going to fall, so would he. She took him by surprise. He dropped the gun. She tried to catch it, but it hurtled downward.
He tried to dislodge her from the rail, but she managed to keep her left arm wrapped tight around it while her right arm pulled at Kretscher. He yanked his arm free. Only when he wrapped both hands around her upper right arm and twisted hard did she realize how strong he was. She felt her bone snap. Pain coursed through her. She barely managed to keep her other arm holding tight to the rail. She couldn't fight back any more. She couldn't move her right arm at all.
Just as Kretscher started trying to pull her left arm off the rail, a blast rang out. Kretscher went limp. He fell against the railing, eyes wide open and lifeless.
Lou's face appeared, peering over the rail. He reached over and pulled Tani to safety. "Young lady, you just about gave this old man a heart attack!"
Tani hurt too much to respond. She sank down on the deck, her right arm hanging limp. She was barely managing to stay conscious. Her forearm and hand were getting numb.
"Hey," Lou said, kneeling next to her. "Can you walk ? Or should I get the ship's medic?"
"Ship's medic please." Tani steeled herself against the pain of movement.
The security officer said to Lou, "Take care of Ms. Rey. We'll deal with Kretscher."
Lou helped Tani to her feet, then supported her as they walked to a lounge chair. He helped her sit down.
One of the bartenders came over. "I'll get the medic. You stay with her," he said. He left, then came back with a woman.
"Hi, Tani. I'm Dr. Holden. Kevin told me what happened. How did your arm break?"
Tani nodded in the direction of Kretscher's body. "He grabbed hold and twisted it hard. I felt it crack."
Dr. Holden winced. She carefully examined the arm. "It's most likely a spiral fracture of the humerus. It's hard to tell how much displacement there is because of the swelling. I'm going to get a splint on this and put it in a sling. We need to get you to the hospital ASAP. The captain has turned the ship around and is heading back to port."
"Thanks." Tani was trying hard not to pass out. She had never hurt so much in her life. In the end, she lost the battle. She fainted right there in front of everybody, and she didn't wake up until she was in a treatment room at Tripler.
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Lou knocked on Steve and Danny's door. He stepped into the room and found Danny eating his lunch. Steve was still getting most of his nutrition through a tube. Lou hoped he would be able to start eating soon. He was losing weight.
Lou closed the door behind him, then sat down between Steve and Danny. Joe was there, too. "Hi, Steve. Danny. Joe. Sorry I don't have Eddie with me this time."
Steve didn't say anything, which surprised Lou. He'd been pretty chatty since he started talking again. Lou looked at Danny, darted his eyes over to Steve and then back to Danny. Danny just shrugged.
"I wanted to let you know," said Lou, "we got Kretscher today. He's dead. He was trying to kill Tani, so I shot him. He broke her arm."
"Damn," Danny said. "Lou, you better watch out. You're the last man standing."
Lou's lips lifted in a wry smile. "Jerry's good too. He's really helped keep things going." He shifted in his seat. "In other news, all the medical equipment was delivered this morning. The room is set up for you. Nurse Peterson will be there by the time you get home tomorrow."
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As soon as Junior got word that Tani was injured, he grabbed the keys to Steve's pickup, which Lou had brought down from the trailhead. Junior hadn't taken his pain pills today, so he felt safe to drive. It hurt, wedging himself into the driver's seat, but he needed to get to Tani and he wasn't going to wait for a rideshare.
At Tripler, he walked through the ER doors and approached the triage nurse. His ribs ached with every step, but he didn't care. "Hi. I'm Junior Reigns. I'm here for Tani Rey."
The nurse smiled at him. "Come this way." She guided him through the maze to Treatment Four. She peeked inside. "Ms. Rey, Junior Reigns is here. Do you mind if he comes in?"
A second later, she backed out and gestured for Junior to enter.
Tani was lying on the exam table, dressed in a hospital gown. A blanket covered her from the waist down. It was chilly — the air conditioning must be on high. Her right arm was badly bruised and swollen above the elbow.
"Hey," she said drowsily. "How'd you get here?"
Junior shrugged. "Drove Steve's truck."
"You're not s'posed to drive yet."
"Didn't have a choice. I had to get here. I didn't want to wait for a rideshare." He stroked her good arm. "I'm sorry about your arm."
She shrugged. "Doesn't hurt right now. They gave me th' good stuff."
He smiled. "I can tell."
Her eyes filled with tears. "He tried to kill me, Joons."
"Hey, he's not the first, and probably not the last. But you won this round." Junior kissed her. "Kretscher died, not you."
"I can't believe he got my gun." She shuddered. "Joons, he could've hurt so many people. I should've paid closer attention. Lou saved me. He's th' one who shot Kretscher."
Junior looked deep into her eyes. "Tani, he didn't hurt anyone else. I wish I could've been there to help you." He caressed her cheek. "Tani, I want to take care of you."
Her left hand grabbed his arm. "Move in with me, Joons."
He smiled. "I'd love to, but I'll let you ask me again when you aren't sedated."
She nodded. She was drifting off to sleep. He held her hand and watched as her eyes sank shut.
A few minutes later, Tani's doctor came in. "Oh good, I'm glad she fell asleep," she said. "Are you related?" she asked Junior.
"I'm on the list of people you can talk to. Junior Reigns. We work together." Junior kept hold of her hand.
The doctor checked her paperwork, then nodded. "All right. I'm going to admit her for the night. She has a mid-shaft spiral fracture of the humerus and radial nerve damage. She'll need surgery on the arm. I want to get an MRI and a CT scan before we move her to a room. I've scheduled surgery for tomorrow morning. Dr. Kowalski will be her surgeon."
Junior knew Dr. Kowalski was good. He had also performed surgery on Steve and Danny. "Doc, can I stay with her?"
The doctor's eyes traveled to Junior's hand, still holding tight to Tani's. She was quiet for a minute, but then she nodded. "Sure. You can sleep in the recliner. But you're going to have to let go of her for now so I can get the MRI and CT scan."
"Thanks." Junior nodded. He pulled his hand free of Tani's. "I appreciate it."
"Wait here. When I know what room she'll be in, I'll let you know."
Junior got to his feet. "Actually, I'm going to visit my boss, Steve McGarrett. He's in Room 223. Could someone bring me her room number there?"
"Sure," the doctor said. She wrote down Steve's room number. "It'll be about an hour from now."
"Great. Thanks."
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Danny's back ached. His surgeon had said he was lucky he hadn't sustained a more serious spinal injury. A sprained back was something to be thankful for, even if it hurt like hell. Lying around in bed didn't help.
Maybe if he sat up for a while, the pain would decrease. "Hey, Joe. Can you help me get into the wheelchair?"
"Sure, Danny."
"Back hurts?" That came from Steve. He hadn't talked much since Dr. Abram's visit.
"Yeah."
"Gotta move around," Steve said.
Danny nodded. "Yeah, I know. Hard to do with two broken legs."
"Sit up. Stretch your back." Steve's speech was getting more fluent. He sounded almost normal now.
Joe nodded. "He's right." He moved Danny into the chair. Lou helped him.
"Yeah, I know, as much as it pains me to admit it." Danny regretted his words as soon as he'd spoken them. He shouldn't needle Steve right now.
"Ha," Steve said. "Hurts more'n your back?" Then again, maybe needling him was just what Steve needed. Clearly, he felt up to a bit of snark.
"You being right?" Danny moaned. "It's excruciating, pal. I'll probably need surgery to get over it."
Lou chuckled. "It's good to hear things getting back to normal around here."
Steve laughed, but it didn't sound convincing. Things weren't really back to normal. Danny hated the blank look in his friend's eyes. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to Steve being blind. It couldn't be permanent. The very idea of it made Danny sick to his stomach.
The pain that arched through his back reminded Danny of why he was sitting up. His physical therapist had taught him some effective stretches he could do while sitting. He tried those now. They helped a little.
Someone knocked. Lou opened the door a crack and then all the way so Junior could come in. "Junior, how did you get here?"
Junior held up a keyring. "I borrowed Steve's truck. I was just downstairs with Tani."
Lou's forehead wrinkled. He got serious very quickly. "You aren't supposed to drive yet."
Junior shrugged. "Tani needed me."
"Yeah, Tani needed him." Steve held up his hand and curled his fingers. Junior fist-bumped him.
Lou was quiet for a few seconds. "How's she doing?"
"They're admitting her," Junior said. "Spiral fracture of the humerus. ER doc says she needs surgery. It's scheduled for tomorrow morning. She's getting an MRI and a CT scan now. They'll send someone to let me know when she's in a room."
"Damn," Steve said. "Take care of her, Joons."
"I intend to." Junior sat down. "Mind if I hang out here for a bit?"
"Not at all," Danny said. "We're glad you're here."
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Junior got word about half an hour later that Tani was in room 212. "Hey, guys. I'm going to spend the night in Tani's room. Doc already said I could."
Lou beckoned to him. "Give me Steve's keys. I'll drive you home tomorrow."
Junior rolled his eyes. "I'm fine to drive, Cap. I'm not taking the pain meds any more. At my appointment yesterday, the doc said I was healing well."
"He's fine to drive, Lou." For the first time since his injuries, Steve used his authoritative tone. "Keep the keys, Joons. You —" He sighed. "It's your truck now."
Junior sat down next to Steve. "No, Commander. Your sight will come back. You'll be driving that truck before you know it."
Steve shook his head. "No. Doc told me this morning. It isn't coming back. It's your truck, Junior. I'll figure out signing it over to you later."
Junior sat there, stunned. He had been expecting Steve to wake up one day able to see again. "Um, thank you, Commander." He touched Steve's arm. "I'm sorry."
"Go to Tani, Junior. She shouldn't be alone." Steve didn't say anything else.
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Tani's arm felt heavy. Even though it was the upper arm bone that was broken, she couldn't move her forearm or her hand. She didn't have much feeling below the elbow.
She forced her eyes open. She was in a hospital room. She moaned. She just wanted to go home.
A hand came down on her good arm. "Hey," Joons said. "The doc said I could stay with you. I'll sleep in the recliner."
"Thanks, Joons. How long am I here?"
"Just overnight." His voice was soft, soothing. Tani felt as if she could float away on it. "You'll have surgery on your arm in the morning. Once you're out of Recovery, I can take you home." He pressed his lips to hers. "I called Koa. He sends his love, but he can't come till tomorrow afternoon. You'll be home by then."
Tani's eyes drifted shut again. She was too drowsy to stay awake long. "G'night, Joons."