The Worth of a Shirt
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The sound of gunshots echoed in the ears of Five-O detective Dan Williams as he hid crouched behind a car wondering how he would tackle the problem of the two crooks at the other end of the parking lot who were the source of those shots.
Luckily, it was a problem that the detective wouldn’t have to handle on his own.
Huddled next to Danny was Kono Kalakaua and behind another car was a calm Chin Ho Kelly and an irritated but determined Steve McGarrett. Looking carefully through the recently broken windows of the car, Steve studied the situation before him and came up with a plan. “Chin, Kono, go around the far side of that building. In exactly two minutes, we’ll provide a distraction so that you can take them from behind.”
“Right, Boss,” Kono answered.
“On it,” Chin added before the two detectives took off in a crouched run until they were out of the danger and Danny’s sight.
The two detectives waited in silence as the time passed, occasionally exposing themselves to exchange fire with their opponents. When the allotted time came, Danny shot a look at his boss. “Cover me,” Steve ordered as he moved out from behind the safety of the parked car.
Danny gritted his teeth as positioned himself against the car so that only his arms and head were exposed and began to lay down a steady barrage of fire in order to give Steve the cover he needed to move and carry out the distraction. This wouldn’t have been Danny’s plan but Steve often had no considerations for his own safety as rushed headlong into danger.
A sudden crash to Danny’s left caused the detective to whip his head toward the sound. On seeing no additional threat, he cursed the wasted critical seconds and quickly refocused his attention where it belonged. However, what he saw made his heart stop.
Steve McGarrett lay crumpled on the ground, unmoving.
While his mind cried out for concern for Steve’s life, Danny knew that moving from his position would only create a situation with two downed officers instead of one. He couldn’t let his emotions get in the way; he couldn’t afford to dwell on his costly moment of distraction…
Seconds seemed like hours as Danny and the crooks continued to exchange fire as Danny silently willed Kono and Chin to hurry up and take out their opponents so that he could find out if his mistake had cost Steve his health or his life.
Finally, gunshots rang out from behind the two crooks and Kono called out to announce that all was clear. Danny wasted no time as he run towards the body of his downed friend.
Kneeling beside Steve, Danny held back a shout of alarm as he noticed the amount blood that was coming out of wound in his friend’s abdomen. Danny tried to staunch the flow of blood with his handkerchief but the white cloth quickly became saturated with blood. Wasting no time, Danny removed his suit jacket and began to unbutton his dress shirt; the yellow work shirt was dirty and sweaty but it was the only option the detective had left.
As Danny wadded up the shirt and pressed it against Steve’s abdomen, Chin arrived. “Danny, what happened?” the Chinese detective cried out, his voice full of worry and concern.
“Steve was shot. We need an ambulance immediately!”
Chin sped towards the police radio, leaving Danny alone in his thoughts as he fought to save his friends life.
Steve couldn’t die. It was Danny’s mistake; he was the one who allowed himself to become distracted, he was one who deserved to take the bullet. Why had he looked away? His error shouldn’t cost another his life.
If Steve died than Danny would never be able to forgive himself.
The sound of approaching sirens brought a small measure of hope to the detective but Steve’s pale face meant that Danny’s worries only intensified as the medics arrived and pushed him away from his friend.
Taking a few steps back to give the medics the space they needed, Danny watched in silence as they worked, hoping for the best while fearing for the worst.
As the ambulance sped off, Danny walked over to where he had heard the crash. His heart sank when he found a downed trash can next to a dog quaking in fear; the dog must have knocked over the can in his search for a hiding place away the noisy shootout.
Danny had let Steve get shot because a scared dog; that knowledge only compounded his already overwhelming sense of failure.
*~*~*
Apologies and offers to resign coursed through Danny’s mind as he stood outside the door to Steve’s hospital room. It was his first visit to the hospital since Steve was awake and talking and the young detective feared the coming conversation.
Danny knew that he deserved a lecture and he would take responsibility for his failure to provide adequate cover. He just hoped that Steve would be able to forgive him; Danny didn’t want their relationship to end this way.
Knowing that he didn’t have an excuse to stall any further, Danny opened the door and walked into the room. Steve looked up as Danny entered and he was pleased to see that his friend looked a lot better and was sitting up in bed. As Danny tried to find the words to express what he wanted to say, Steve spoke first. “Danno, glad to see you here. Doc, tells me you’ve been busy minding the store while I catch up on the sleep the Governor’s been telling me I don’t get enough of.”
Danny grinned; Steve’s words and manner insistently put him at ease. Steve wasn’t mad and was even happy to see him! “Well, Steve, maybe if you hadn’t fallen asleep halfway through his last dinner with a few of his donor friends he wouldn’t be on your case,” Danny joked back.
Steve leaned back in his pillows, completely ignoring his second-in-command’s quip. The older started giving his detective a weird look and Danny was confused as it appeared that Steve was staring at his new dress shirt. “What is it?” Danny asked, his voice full of concern, afraid that there was something wrong.
“You ruined your yellow shirt.”
Relieved, Danny replied, “That old thing? It wasn’t worth enough to miss.”
“Doc, told me that your quick thinking and that shirt saved my life; that makes that shirt priceless in my book,” Steve said with a soft chuckle, still weakened by his ordeal.
Danny laughed with Steve, pleased to see that his friend was friend was smiling. The two continued their visit and Danny couldn’t help but realize that Steve was once again right. Life was priceless and while his yellow dress shirt had served faithfully over the years it had shown its true worth by saving a life.
Suddenly, Danny’s worries over his mistake didn’t seem as important. Steve was going to be okay and that was all that mattered.
PAU
Luckily, it was a problem that the detective wouldn’t have to handle on his own.
Huddled next to Danny was Kono Kalakaua and behind another car was a calm Chin Ho Kelly and an irritated but determined Steve McGarrett. Looking carefully through the recently broken windows of the car, Steve studied the situation before him and came up with a plan. “Chin, Kono, go around the far side of that building. In exactly two minutes, we’ll provide a distraction so that you can take them from behind.”
“Right, Boss,” Kono answered.
“On it,” Chin added before the two detectives took off in a crouched run until they were out of the danger and Danny’s sight.
The two detectives waited in silence as the time passed, occasionally exposing themselves to exchange fire with their opponents. When the allotted time came, Danny shot a look at his boss. “Cover me,” Steve ordered as he moved out from behind the safety of the parked car.
Danny gritted his teeth as positioned himself against the car so that only his arms and head were exposed and began to lay down a steady barrage of fire in order to give Steve the cover he needed to move and carry out the distraction. This wouldn’t have been Danny’s plan but Steve often had no considerations for his own safety as rushed headlong into danger.
A sudden crash to Danny’s left caused the detective to whip his head toward the sound. On seeing no additional threat, he cursed the wasted critical seconds and quickly refocused his attention where it belonged. However, what he saw made his heart stop.
Steve McGarrett lay crumpled on the ground, unmoving.
While his mind cried out for concern for Steve’s life, Danny knew that moving from his position would only create a situation with two downed officers instead of one. He couldn’t let his emotions get in the way; he couldn’t afford to dwell on his costly moment of distraction…
Seconds seemed like hours as Danny and the crooks continued to exchange fire as Danny silently willed Kono and Chin to hurry up and take out their opponents so that he could find out if his mistake had cost Steve his health or his life.
Finally, gunshots rang out from behind the two crooks and Kono called out to announce that all was clear. Danny wasted no time as he run towards the body of his downed friend.
Kneeling beside Steve, Danny held back a shout of alarm as he noticed the amount blood that was coming out of wound in his friend’s abdomen. Danny tried to staunch the flow of blood with his handkerchief but the white cloth quickly became saturated with blood. Wasting no time, Danny removed his suit jacket and began to unbutton his dress shirt; the yellow work shirt was dirty and sweaty but it was the only option the detective had left.
As Danny wadded up the shirt and pressed it against Steve’s abdomen, Chin arrived. “Danny, what happened?” the Chinese detective cried out, his voice full of worry and concern.
“Steve was shot. We need an ambulance immediately!”
Chin sped towards the police radio, leaving Danny alone in his thoughts as he fought to save his friends life.
Steve couldn’t die. It was Danny’s mistake; he was the one who allowed himself to become distracted, he was one who deserved to take the bullet. Why had he looked away? His error shouldn’t cost another his life.
If Steve died than Danny would never be able to forgive himself.
The sound of approaching sirens brought a small measure of hope to the detective but Steve’s pale face meant that Danny’s worries only intensified as the medics arrived and pushed him away from his friend.
Taking a few steps back to give the medics the space they needed, Danny watched in silence as they worked, hoping for the best while fearing for the worst.
As the ambulance sped off, Danny walked over to where he had heard the crash. His heart sank when he found a downed trash can next to a dog quaking in fear; the dog must have knocked over the can in his search for a hiding place away the noisy shootout.
Danny had let Steve get shot because a scared dog; that knowledge only compounded his already overwhelming sense of failure.
*~*~*
Apologies and offers to resign coursed through Danny’s mind as he stood outside the door to Steve’s hospital room. It was his first visit to the hospital since Steve was awake and talking and the young detective feared the coming conversation.
Danny knew that he deserved a lecture and he would take responsibility for his failure to provide adequate cover. He just hoped that Steve would be able to forgive him; Danny didn’t want their relationship to end this way.
Knowing that he didn’t have an excuse to stall any further, Danny opened the door and walked into the room. Steve looked up as Danny entered and he was pleased to see that his friend looked a lot better and was sitting up in bed. As Danny tried to find the words to express what he wanted to say, Steve spoke first. “Danno, glad to see you here. Doc, tells me you’ve been busy minding the store while I catch up on the sleep the Governor’s been telling me I don’t get enough of.”
Danny grinned; Steve’s words and manner insistently put him at ease. Steve wasn’t mad and was even happy to see him! “Well, Steve, maybe if you hadn’t fallen asleep halfway through his last dinner with a few of his donor friends he wouldn’t be on your case,” Danny joked back.
Steve leaned back in his pillows, completely ignoring his second-in-command’s quip. The older started giving his detective a weird look and Danny was confused as it appeared that Steve was staring at his new dress shirt. “What is it?” Danny asked, his voice full of concern, afraid that there was something wrong.
“You ruined your yellow shirt.”
Relieved, Danny replied, “That old thing? It wasn’t worth enough to miss.”
“Doc, told me that your quick thinking and that shirt saved my life; that makes that shirt priceless in my book,” Steve said with a soft chuckle, still weakened by his ordeal.
Danny laughed with Steve, pleased to see that his friend was friend was smiling. The two continued their visit and Danny couldn’t help but realize that Steve was once again right. Life was priceless and while his yellow dress shirt had served faithfully over the years it had shown its true worth by saving a life.
Suddenly, Danny’s worries over his mistake didn’t seem as important. Steve was going to be okay and that was all that mattered.
PAU