Entering the hospital room Doc paused at the door, not willing or wanting to intrude on this very private moment between McGarrett and his injured Second-In-Command. It was a private moment between the pair rarely witnessed by others. The soft murmured whispers of encouragement and possible regrets, the hand resting on Danny's arm spoke volumes about the closeness between these two men.
Watching silently, totally unnoticed by the dark haired detective who was still murmuring to the unconscious man in the bed, Bergman marvelled at not only the closeness between these two men but the closeness that existed between the entire Hawaii Five-O team. They were not just a group of talented detectives who worked together as the elite State Police unit but they were Ohana- a family.
He smiled in fondness as his mind drifted to each member of the small band of detectives- first of all there was Chin. The oldest member of the small Five O ohana (Doc smiled, resisting a small chuckle- younger than himself of course – after all he was proud to include himself in this close knit family), Chin, a father of eight, was very much the uncle of the team. Calm and wise, the Chinese detective was always the one to keep his head in the heated moments, who quietly offered fatherly advice and the occasional father scold when he believed that one his younger and hotter headed colleagues required it. Even McGarrett had not escaped Chin's sage advice nor had he managed to escape the soft spoken fatherly scolds when he had been too tough on any of the guys or decided to risk himself in the pursuit of justice. The lead detective had learned quickly while building the small team to listen when his Chinese detective offered his quiet opinion.
And then there was Kono! Doc shook his head and grinned as the image of the large, laid back, gentle Hawaiian developed in his mind's eye. Kono was the muscle man of the team. His large size, laid back attitude and pidgin speech gave much the impression that Kono was not as bright as the other team members but beneath the deceiving surface Doc had came to know a totally different man. Relaxed and easy going, Kono's mind was as sharp as the rest of the team's. Although not quite as devoted to the job as Steve would like him to be, Kono enjoyed not only being in the company of his Five-O ohana but also the company of his large extended Hawaiian family. As a detective, Kono rated as one of the best. McGarrett would not have accepted him into the team if he had not been, but Kono also had a healthy attitude of keeping his home life and work separate. The Hawaiian native enjoyed riding the surf and chasing the girls and could often be found on his rare days off pursuing these interests, often in the company of the youngest member of the Five-O team.
Hmmm...The youngest and newest member of the team... The man who was now lying motionless in the bed...The young man who had managed to slip under the hard armor of his Boss' emotional shell...The only man whom Bergman had ever seen get close to the detective who was often seen by criminal and fellow police officer alike as tough and a no-nonsense type of cop whose life revolved around his job and the pursuit of justice. Young, personable, bright and articulate, Danny had been like a breath of fresh air when he had joined the elite Five-O team. Danny had quickly become the glue that had solidified the Five-O ohana. An orphan from an early age, with an aged aunt who lived on the mainland as his only living relative, the Five-O team had become Danny's ohana. Doc grinned, even his own wife had wanted to adopt the young cop after she had first him.
The smile faded from Doc's face a little as he focused back onto the two men in the room. There was a side to the young detective that caused him to worry. Danny still had the impulsiveness of youth, hot-headed at times and a tendency to fight when backed into a corner, the combination of which was terrifying. Doc swallowed hard and said a quiet prayer that Steve would be able to help the young cop learn to control these dangerous traits. It was one of his own greatest fears that one day he would be looking after one of his 'boys' in his more regular job as Coroner rather than as their private physician.
Rubbing a hand over his face to wipe away the moisture from his eyes at the mere thought of the possibility of having to treat one of these wonderful boys in his 'other' office, Doc stared at the back of the dark haired man who still softly whispering to his closest friend and youngest detective.
Steve McGarrett had initially been a hard man to get to know. The hard shell that protected the man from the rest of the world had been almost impossible to penetrate. A Navy Intelligence Officer before taking over the role of lead detective of the elite state police unit, McGarrett was always fully focused on his job. Steve had been friendly enough but made it obvious that he believed that the team was there to work on solving criminal cases rather than socializing. But that had slowly changed after Danny joined the team. The iron hard emotional shell had revealed that it had a few chinks in it, and the young detective had managed to slip through, getting to know the 'real' McGarrett that few people knew.
Over the past eighteen months, Doc had seen a quiet change in the lead detective. Steve had become more open, more social, closer with the members of the team and the team had morphed from a team of detectives to a close knit ohana that had widened to include not only the team members but also May, Che Fong, Duke, himself and all of their families.
As close as the Five-O ohana had become, it was not as close as the strong relationship that had been forge between these two men. At first Doc had believed that the friendship had been based on a shared background of a love of the job and similar family backgrounds, Steve's only living relatives were his younger sister and her family who, like Danny's elderly aunt, lived on the mainland.
Watching the very private moment shared between these two friends in front of him, Doc shook his head in acknowledgement on how much deeper their friendship truly ran. These two were more than close friends- they were as close or even closer than most brothers he knew. The friendship these two men had forged was extremely special. They had a friendship that many would envy- one based on understanding, respect and the knowledge that each had human flaws and the willingness to overlook them. Both men would no doubt be willing to die for the other and would always be there when the other one needed them most.
Yes, these were two of his 'boys'!
"Doc?" He jumped in surprise as he consciously pulled himself away from his thoughts and turned his attention back to the anxious detective standing next to the bed watching him.
"I'm sorry Steve, I was reading Danny's chart." He blushed guiltily as he approached the bed, "What did you say?"
"I asked how he is doing." Steve asked again.
"He's holding his own Steve." Doc answered gently as he reached the lead detective and gently placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "With a little time for healing and rest - he's looking good for a full recovery. Now why don't you go home and get some sleep yourself. Danny's not going to be awake until the morning." He struggled to hide the small smile of affection that he felt for these men as he heard Steve's answer.
"I think I will sit with him for a while, Doc, just in case he wakes.
Pau