AN: Finally, a little longer chapter. I needed to write something a little different from my usual style. I hope you all enjoy!

Summary: Thomas and Katsumoto run into some trouble while working a case together and are forced to rely on one another for survival. Very minor spoiler for 2x12.

His return to consciousness was abrupt and painful. One moment, he was floating obliviously through the endless black. The next, the pain and adrenaline slammed into Magnum with enough force to snap him back to reality. He tried to gasp in a deep breath, but something was covering his mouth. Duct tape? What the hell…

His wrists and shoulders were positively screaming for attention and, looking up, he could see that he was chained to some sort of pipe above his head. At that height, his bare feet barely brushed the floor. Heart pounding wildly, Thomas could feel the panic setting in. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he forced himself to take slow, deliberate breaths through his nose. Stay calm, work the problem, he told himself.

Injuries? Well, his head hurt worse than it had after Nuzo's bachelor party and he could feel blood crusted from his temple down to his eye, so a concussion was probably a given. Something was...off with his chest. Broken ribs maybe? It was hard to tell. Broken ribs were painful, but survivable. All in all, he felt like crap and the strain in his shoulders was almost unbearable, but he wasn't dying. Good. Next step.

What's the last thing you remember? He thought back to the last case he'd been working. Their most recent client had hired them to locate some missing packages from his warehouse. Things had gotten complicated when they'd found one of the packages, only to discover it was full of cocaine. Naturally, HPD had gotten involved, with Katsumoto taking the lead on the investigation. While their client had no prior knowledge of the drugs, it was suspected that his shipping partner, Warren Caid, was part of a smuggling ring that was using his warehouse as a way to get the product onto the island. Magnum had been allowed to stay on the case conditionally to help convince the perpetually nervous client to talk to his partner while wearing a wire. The last thing Thomas remembered was the man adamantly refusing any further involvement as he jumped in his car and sped off, leaving him and Katsumoto alone in his warehouse. Clearly something had happened between then and now, but it was all a blank to him.

With one last deep, if shaky, breath, Thomas opened his eyes and began looking around for anything that could help him make sense of his current situation. From what he could see in the dim light, he was in some sort of small, dingy concrete room. There were no windows or vents and the only point of exit seemed to be a single metal door. Spinning slowly to his left, he felt his stomach drop. Bound much the same as him, Katsumoto hung limply from his own set of chains. Blood oozed from a nasty looking cut on his forehead and a dark bruise covered most of one side of his face. He wasn't moving. Thomas wanted to scream, to run to him, to check for a pulse, but all he could manage beyond the duct tape and his own parched throat were muffled grunts. Katsumoto didn't so much as twitch. The only thing that kept him from complete panic was the subtle rise and fall of the other man's chest.

Okay, new plan. Get to Gordon and get the hell out. Thomas glared up at the giant rusty lock on the chains above him. Easier said than done. His eyes were casting desperately around the room for anything that could help him when he saw something on the ground a few feet away. It was hard to tell exactly what it was with his vision so blurred, but it looked like a couple of old nails. His mind started formulating a plan immediately. Nails may not be the ideal lock pick, but they'd do in a pinch. Now he just needed to get to them. Try as he might, he couldn't quite reach them with his toes and the attempt left him shaking with pain. Still breathing heavily, he shot a worried glance at the door. He'd yet to hear anything from whoever had grabbed them, but he suspected it wouldn't be long before someone came in. He had to try something and he had to do it fast.

Think, Magnum. Reexamining the chains, Thomas suddenly noticed the pipe that they were wrapped around. It was relatively thin and looked like copper. An idea began forming in his head. Copper was a relatively soft metal. Great for pipes, not so much for supporting an ex-Navy SEAL. Knowing that it was going to hurt, he gave the chains an experimental tug, dropping his weight hard to the floor. Sure enough, even as the skin ripped off of his already chafed wrists, the pipe groaned and started to bend. He doubted he could break it, not it time anyway, but if he could bend it downward just enough to give him some slack, he could reach the nails. Casting one last concerned look over at Katsumoto's still form, Magnum set his jaw and began heaving on the chains. The pain was incredible. His muscles felt as though they were ripping apart and his hands like he'd shoved them into a meat grinder. Still, he persisted. With his eyes closed, he couldn't tell if it was sweat or blood running down his body and he found he didn't much care. He had one goal. Get to Gordon and get the hell out. Get to Gordon and get the hell out. Get to Gordon and get the hell out.

He didn't know how long he'd been at it, but suddenly Thomas realized that his feet were flat on the floor. Chest heaving, he looked up and saw that the pipe had bent down several inches. Without wasting a second, he stretched his leg out, reaching for the nails. Come on, come on...gotcha! Clenched tightly in his toes, he quickly dragged them over to him. He paused for a moment, dragging in ragged breaths through his nostrils, steeling himself for what would come next. Then, with a mighty heave, he pulled his feet up to his hands. If he thought the pain had been bad before, he was in absolute agony now. The bending motion required to pass the nails from foot to hands sent spikes of white hot fire through his chest. Something was definitely wrong. He knew broken ribs and this was much more than that. For the first time, he was grateful for the duct tape. Without it, he knew the sounds of his screams would have drawn their captors attention. Finally, his slick fingers managed to grasp the nails. He was then confronted with the issue of the position of the lock itself. Wedged tightly against the chains, he'd need to hold it away from them as he worked. But, he'd need both hands to pick that lock, which meant he'd have to use his foot to hold it in place. Knowing that he couldn't maintain this position for much longer, Thomas quickly shifted his foot to expose the opening of the lock and, with trembling fingers, inserted the nails inside. His body was shaking harder now, but he pushed the pain aside, his mind focused only on the task in front of him. He couldn't see much of the lock, so he was navigating the mechanism mostly by feel. Luckily, it was an older, less complex model and, in less than a minute, the shackle sprang open. There was a millisecond in which Thomas thought, Higgy would be so proud, before his body crashed to the floor.

Time seemed to stop. He had been so focused on the lock that the sudden impact knocked all sense from him. He could actually feel bones shift and skin split. As his left shoulder connected with the concrete, there was a sickening pop and it was all he could do to stay conscious. The darkness wanted to pull him back in, but he fought it. Gotta...stay...awake...Get to Gordon and get the hell out. Gradually, the pain started to fade to a slightly more tolerable level and Thomas realized that, while far from steady, the world was no longer tilting around him. Reaching up with a swollen right hand, he carefully removed the tape from his mouth and gulped in lungfuls of damp, stale air. Still panting, he rolled his eyes slowly over to Katsumoto, who still hadn't moved.

"Shit." Thomas rasped, his blood running cold. This sight of the detective was enough to get him up and moving. With as much speed as he could muster, Thomas clumsily struggled to his feet. The dizziness threatened to knock him back down, but he resolutely ignored it and stumbled over to Katsumoto. As gently as possible, he tore the tape off of his mouth and began firmly patting his cheeks.

"Gordy? You with me? Come on man, you gotta wake up." Magnum urged, a note of pleading in his voice. Katsumoto groaned softly.

"Uhhhnnnnn...Magnum?" He mumbled dazedly as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Thomas couldn't help the slightly hysterical laugh.

"Yeah, man. It's me. You okay?" He asked.

"No I'm not okay." Katsumoto groused as he looked around. "I'm chained to a pipe in some coke smuggler's warehouse."

"Yeah, okay I'll give you that one." Thomas conceded. "But any obvious injuries before I get you down? I don't wanna make anything worse." Katsumoto considered for a second.

"I don't think so. Beat to hell, but nothing critical. What about you?" He asked, dark eyes shining with rare concern as he took Magnum's gory appearance. "You look like hell. Your side is covered in blood." He remarked shrewdly. Thomas glanced down, surprised to see a dark red stain spreading down the left side of his chest.

"S'nothing. Worry about it later. Right now, let's focus on-" Thomas stopped suddenly, eyes snapping to the door.

"What is it?" Katsumoto whispered, picking up on the urgency of the situation.

"Voices." Thomas replied just as quietly. The voices were getting louder, just outside of their door now. Thinking quickly, he spotted a rusty hammer lying in one corner. It wasn't big, but it would have to do. "Alright, listen to me. We're probably about to have some company in a second. I don't have time to get you down, so you're gonna stay here and you're gonna keep your eyes shut. Don't let them know you're awake. I'll take them out. Okay? Okay." Without another word, he moved off to grab the hammer.

"That is literally the worst plan. Magnum!" Gordon whispered fiercely as he watched the other man position himself near the door, hammer at the ready. Fuming, but with no better option, he did his best to close his eyes and sag back against the chains.

Thomas knew that they were in trouble the moment the door opened. The two men that stepped in were instantly on alert.

"Where the hell's the P.I.?" Growled the first man, a big blond with a wicked scar.

"Door's still locked. No way he got out." Muttered the other, an enormously muscular man with a dark crew cut.

"Shit, Caid's gonna-" That was as far as Blondy got before Thomas struck. The man had positioned himself perfectly with his back to him, and Thomas swung the hammer, catching him squarely in the side of the head. Blondy went down hard, his legs crumpling underneath him. Unfortunately, Crew Cut caught on fast and was on Magnum before he'd finished his swing. He rushed Thomas, pinning him to the wall and clamping both hands around his throat. Gagging and gasping for breath that wouldn't come, Thomas swung the hammer at Crew Cut's back with as much strength as he could he muster, burying the clawed end in the base of his neck. Instantly, the man's grip slackened and he tumbled back with an odd, wet gurgle. Panting and wheezing, Magnum struggled weakly to his feet. He was just heading over to check Crew Cut's pulse when he heard Katsumoto shout,

"Magnum, behind you!" Thomas whirled to see Blondy lurching unsteadily toward him.

"What are you, the Hulk?" Thomas muttered incredulously. With his trusty hammer still wedged firmly in Crew Cut's spine, Thomas let his SEAL training take over. The adrenaline surge from the fight was serving him well and was doing an excellent job of dulling the pain from his various injuries. He could do this. Blondy may be big, but he was also damaged goods and Thomas didn't need a weapon to end this. At least he hoped not.

Moving as fast as his battered body would allow, Thomas rushed into him, stomping hard on Blondy's foot with his heel, then quickly bringing his knee up to smash into the man's groin. As Blondy doubled over, Magnum drove his right elbow into the back of his neck, feeling the crunch as the bones broke. And just like that, Blondy fell forward onto the floor and the fight was over. Not trusting the moment, Thomas, carefully crouched down and pressed shaking fingers to each man's throat to confirm that they were no longer a threat. As he did so, he also did a quick search of each man's pockets and was relieved to find a gun, a knife, an old key ring between the two of them. Sure, a phone would've been nice, but the universe was rarely that generous. As he turned back to Katsumoto, he was confused by the shocked expression on the man's face.

"What?" Thomas asked a little breathlessly.

"Son of a bitch...you actually pulled it off." Gordon said, shaking his head in disbelief. Thomas snorted.

"Prison camp, Gordy. You learn to do a lot with a little. I once saw a guy make a shiv with a...nevermind. Let's just get you down, okay?"

"You sure you're okay?" Katsumoto asked as Thomas started to try keys on the lock.

"Fine." Magnum replied distractedly.

"Really? Because, you're dripping blood, your left arm's way longer than it should be, and I just watched you get your ass kicked." Katsumoto countered.

"Like I said, worry about it later. And hey, as I recall, I was the one doing most of the ass kicking. Just hang tight, one of these is bound to be it." Sure enough, on the third key, the lock sprang open and released the detective. However, as soon as Katsumoto's legs were forced to take his weight, he let out a sharp cry of pain and his right leg buckled. It was only Thomas' quick reflexes that kept him from collapsing completely to the ground. Even so, his vision greyed out and he nearly collapsed himself when all of his friend's weight came crashing down on his injured shoulders.

"Whoa, hey what's wrong?" Thomas asked, trying and failing to keep his voice even.

"My leg." Katsumoto ground out. "Something's wrong with my knee. It won't hold any weight." Thomas glanced down at the other man's leg. He couldn't see the knee itself, but the fabric of the pants around it was stretched tight from the obvious swelling and the angle looked wrong even to his untrained eye. "There's no way I'm walking out of here on this. You're gonna have to-"

"No. Not a chance. You stay here and you're a sitting duck. They'll kill you. I'm not leaving you." Thomas cut him off.

"What are you gonna do, carry me?" Katsumoto asked sardonically.

"If I have to." Thomas answered seriously. Gordon stared at him in disbelief.

"Magnum, you can barely stand on your own. There's no way-"

"Look," Thomas interrupted, "we can stand here arguing, wasting time we don't have, or we can get moving. I don't leave my people behind. Now, are we gonna do this thing?" Katsumoto sighed.

"How do you want to? Any way I do this is going to hurt you."

"Don't worry about that." Magnum said dismissively. "If you put your left arm around my shoulders and I help hold you up with my right, do you think you can walk?"

"Only one way to find out." Carefully, they shifted into position, with Thomas taking most of Katsumoto's weight. The moment the detective's arm touched his dislocated shoulder he nearly screamed. "Magnum?" Katsumoto's voice sounded strangely distant.

"Jus' gimme a sec." Thomas mumbled. After a moment, he straightened as much as his injured chest would allow. He was still riding the adrenaline high from his fight with Crew Cut and Blondy and he didn't want to waste it. "Alright. Let's go."

Their progress was slow and awkward as they hobbled through the old building. From what they could tell, they were being held in some sort of old, abandoned textile factory. Twice, they saw more of Caid's men, but managed to slip by undetected. As they moved, Katsumoto was becoming more and more concerned about Magnum. Thus far, the P.I. had brushed off any concerns about his health, but there was no denying that he looked like an extra in a horror film. He seemed to be moving well enough and he was somehow able to support Katsumoto, but he was also leaving behind a disturbing amount of blood. Nevermind the risk of detection, Gordon knew that kind of blood loss only came from a severe injury. He knew Magnum was riding an adrenaline high right now, which was both a blessing and a curse. It kept them mobile, but it also meant that a crash was coming sooner or later. And when it came…

They were getting close to the exit. After struggling their way up an old staircase, which had been its own form of hell, they'd been relieved to see light filtering through grimy windows high above them. Even better, they'd spotted an old exit sign atop one of the doorways, hanging precariously from a few frayed wires, its light long burnt out. Nonetheless, its arrow still pointed the way out. Katsumoto could only hope that, provided they could sneak out of the building undetected, there would be some sort of vehicle they could hotwire. He could feel himself flagging and he knew he wouldn't be able to walk much longer. He felt a sharp pang of guilt as he glanced over at Magnum. If he felt this bad, he couldn't imagine what the other man must be feeling. He'd silently been monitoring the way Thomas had begun stumbling and the way his breathing had taken on a harsh, wheezing rattle. He could no longer ignore the feeling of blood, hot and wet, soaking into his own shirt from where it rubbed against Magnum. How the hell was he still on his feet? Most men, including himself, would be curled up in a corner somewhere. Instead, here he was, practically carrying another man, pushing forward with only one goal in mind. It made him question everything he thought he'd known about Thomas Magnum. Katsumoto had no idea how Thomas had gotten out his restraints, but one look at his shredded wrists and dislocated shoulder told him enough. Whatever laidback, jovial face Magnum showed the rest of the world, there was another side to this man. Katsumoto had long since given into grudgingly accepting that Magnum was a man who was not just tougher, but also smarter in a fight. However, for the first time, he was seeing the soldier, the trained special operative, the man who'd survived eighteen months in hell, with the only goal of getting his team out alive.

Gordon was absorbed in his thoughts that he almost tripped when Magnum stopped abruptly and pulled them back into the hallway they'd just come from.

"What is it?" Katsumoto whispered.

"Exit's right up ahead, but there's eight men, including Caid. No way to get by without them noticing."

"Okay, maybe we can double back, find another exit?" Katsumoto suggested halfheartedly.

"You think you can make it that far? We have no idea where the next exit is and there could be just as many of Caid's guys there."

"What other choice…" Katsumoto trailed off, eyes snapping over to the windows above them. "You hear that?" Thomas took a moment to listen and grinned.

"Sirens. They must've found us."

"You sure Higgins didn't follow through with that threat insert a tracker under your skin?" Katsumoto deadpanned, feeling some of the tension bleed out of his shoulders.

"Wouldn't put it past her." Thomas chuckled quietly. "All we have to do is wait them out and-" Suddenly, there were shouts from all around them. They could hear men's voices calling from the exit and footsteps fast approaching from right behind.

"Shit, they heard it too." Katsumoto swore.

"Sirens are almost here." Magnum said, pulling Gordon back onto his shoulders and readying himself. "We're sitting ducks here. We gotta make a run for the exit."

"What about Caid's men?"

"No choice. It'll be close. We just have to get behind HPD's firing line and let them take care of the rest." Magnum paused, locking eyes with him. "You ready?" Katsumoto nodded.

"Let's go." With that, they took off. With speed being of the essence, Thomas was essentially carrying Katsumoto as they charged into the small loading bay. Outside, they could see a line of police cruisers roaring into the dilapidated parking lot, but there was still thirty yards between them and safety. The moment they entered, Caid and his men began drawing guns. As they opened fire, HPD did as well. Instantly, the bay became a cacophony of gunfire. Chips of concrete flew and pallets of cocaine burst as they were torn apart. Bullets whanged and pinged off every surface. Magnum felt one graze his bicep and another singe through the top of his hair, but he ignored them. The adrenaline that had been waning before was back and his heart was pounding dangerously in his chest. He had one goal. Get out get out get out get out get out get out…

In a moment of clarity, time seemed to slow as he locked eyes with Warren Caid just as the man took aim at Gordon. Without hesitating, Magnum reached into his waistband with his free hand, ignoring the excruciating pain in his dislocated shoulder, pulled out the gun he'd taken from Blondy, and fired. Before Caid could pull the trigger, he toppled back onto a pile of snow white powder, a neat round hole in the center of his forehead.

Thomas didn't stop. He kept sprinting forward, out of the hellscape that had been his most recent prison. He wasn't even seeing the fight anymore. It had all blurred out around him and his world had centered on only one thought. Get out get out get out get out get out get out…

"Thomas! Easy, buddy, easy!"

"Stop, man! You're good, you're safe."

There were voices, familiar voices, and hands on him. Looking around, he was surprised to see that not only were they outside, they were well behind the line of HPD cruisers. Rick, TC, and Higgins were all, somehow, in front of him, hands out out as if to stop him. That's when he realized that his legs were still moving, that he was still stumbling forward.

"Thomas, it's alright. You can stop now." He was pretty sure that was Juliet, but his grasp on reality was shaky at best. Even so, he remembered that he still had a mission. He could still feel Katsumoto's weight on his shoulders.

"Kats...Katsumoto…" He gasped. "Needs help…"

"I'm okay." Thomas heard someone mumble from off to one side.

"I got him man, we'll take care of him, but you need to stop moving, alright?" TC's warm, deep voice soothed his frayed nerves. "HPD's got it from here. Time to stand down, TM."

Stand down...stand down...stand down…

"Whoa, he's going!" Rick warned, and Thomas was vaguely aware of hands bracing him on his chest. Funny, he thought as the gun slipped through his slick fingers, shouldn't that hurt?

"I got Gordon." TC assured, and Thomas distantly felt the pressure lift from his shoulders.

"Shit, he's bleeding from, well, everywhere. Where's that ambulance?!" Rick shouted.

"Let's get him lying down." Higgins suggested. As they lowered him gently to the pavement, Thomas took in their concerned faces. Rick gave him a reassuring smile, which completely failed to hide the worry in his eyes.

"Hang in there, buddy. We'll get you fixed up real soon, okay?"

"Don' worry…'bout...me." Thomas mumbled as his eyes slid shut. "Doesn't even…h-hurt...anymore."

"Whoa, hey! Open your eyes!" Rick demanded from somewhere above him. "Damn it, he's going into shock. I need that ambulance over here now! Stay with me, Tommy."

Not going anywhere, Thomas thought as the world faded to black.

Rick Wright considered himself a connoisseur of hospital seating. After all, he'd been in enough of them to know. His bottom had graced waiting rooms and bedsides in dozens of countries all over the world. Hell, in the last year alone he'd grown familiar with the chairs of almost every hospital in Hawaii just as a result of knowing Thomas Magnum. As such, he felt confident in saying that, after nearly twenty-seven hours holding vigil in the ICU, this was one of the best chairs he'd ever encountered. Unlike most of the hideous plastic and metal monstrosities hospitals dared to call "chairs," this one was remarkably comfortable. Both the seat and the backrest were soft and well-cushioned and the armrests were at just the right height to minimize shoulder strain. It was almost comfortable enough to lull him to sleep. Almost.

Exhausted as he was, Rick knew he wouldn't be sleeping for a while. The images from the raid were still fresh in his mind and they haunted him every time he closed his eyes. Rick knew he'd never be able to forget the sight of his best friend, his brother, staggering out of that crumbling old factory amidst a hail of gunfire, drenched in blood and dragging Katsumoto with him.

With Five-0 now in their debt after they'd helped find and free Junior, Rick, TC, and Higgins hadn't had much trouble bullying HPD into including them in the investigation. After a rushed investigation finally turned up a lead, they'd quickly organized the raid on the abandoned textile factory where Warren Caid was running his smuggling operation. When the shooting had started, there'd been a moment of intense relief when Rick had seen Magnum and Katsumoto, both alive, tearing out of the loading bay. It was immediately followed by a moment of intense fear as he watched bullets pass mere inches from each of their heads. Thomas seemed oblivious to the bullets as he careened toward the line of cops firing directly at him. Rick remembered screaming at them not to shoot just in time to stop his friends from being ripped apart like Caid's men. As Thomas and Katsumoto had reached them, Rick expected them to stop, to collapse into a heap just behind the nearest cruiser. Instead, Thomas had continued on, charging past the line of confused cops in an awkward, stumbling run. Gordon, for his part, had clearly just along for the ride, casting a pleading look at them as they'd barreled by. In the end, it had taken the combined efforts of TC, Juliet, and himself to slow Thomas enough to get a good look at him, and what he'd seen had made him sick. Physically, Thomas was a mess. They wouldn't learn the full extent of what lay beneath the bruises and the blood until they reached the hospital, but it didn't take a medical degree to know that he was in a bad way. Thomas didn't seem to be registering any of that. Even as they'd bodily restrained him, he kept lurching forward on wobbly legs. As close as they'd been, Rick had felt the erratic pounding of Thomas' heart and seen the wild look in his eyes. By the time they'd managed to talk him down and get him to release his fierce grip on Katsumoto, Thomas' reserves had been spent and the man had collapsed against Rick. After that, shock had quickly set in and it had been a frantic rush just to keep him alive until the paramedics got there. Rick had essentially forced his way into the ambulance before anyone could argue. They had been less than a minute away from the hospital when Thomas had crashed. The last image Rick had of him before he'd disappeared behind a set of double doors was of him bleeding out onto a crisp, white gurney as a paramedic straddled him and pumped his chest.

Rick shook himself, trying to banish the memory. They'd been forced to sit through a seemingly endless twelve hour wait while Thomas had been in surgery. During that time, Katsumoto had also undergone surgery for his knee. They'd all stopped in briefly to check in as he'd woken up. Groggy as he was, Gordon's only concern had been for Magnum. However, they'd had no answers to give. For all they'd known, Thomas could've succumbed to his injuries. Even after they'd been told that he'd made it through and had been deemed critical, but stable, Rick could hardly believe that Thomas was actually alive. Looking down at the man in the bed, he had to admit that it was hard to tell. The blood had been cleaned away, but he still looked awful. Any skin that wasn't bruised or bandaged was a sickly grey color. Like a corpse, Rick thought darkly, then immediately chastised himself. Thomas was still here. He was still fighting and he wasn't about to give up on him.

"Somebody page Dr. Kahele now!"

"Get that lorazepam on board stat."

"Mr. Magnum? You need to calm down. The tube is helping you breathe."

Voices, loud and unfamiliar, assaulted him from all directions. They all seemed to be yelling different things, commanding him to do something, but he couldn't focus past the fact that he was suffocating. He wanted to claw at his throat, to remove whatever was blocking it, but strong hands held him back.

"Do we need to get him in restraints?"

"Move. Let me try." A deep voice broke through the din. This one he recognized. "Thomas?" Unlike the others, TC's voice was soft. No matter what was happening, that tone never failed to calm him. "Easy, brother. Just relax. Everything's going to be ooookkkkkkaaaaaayyyyyy." TC murmured, drawing the last word all the way out. Thomas could feel a large hand on his cheek and he couldn't help but lean into it, letting it ground him. He tried to speak, to ask what was going on, but his voice caught on whatever was still blocking his throat. He instantly reached for his mouth, but another hand pulled him back.

"No no no no no, leave that in, buddy." Rick's here too? "You're on a ventilator. You need it to help you breathe. I know it sucks, man. I know it feels like you're choking, but I promise you're okay. Would I lie to you?" Never.

"Shhhhhh…" A voice that sounded suspiciously like Juliet hushed from somewhere near his feet. "Rest now, Magnum. Just rest."

And he did.

The next time Thomas awoke, it took him nearly ten minutes of staring up at sterile, white ceiling tiles to process the fact that he was, in fact, conscious. It took another five to realize that he was in a hospital. What the hell? The last thing he remembered…

His mind hit a wall as he struggled to extract information from his muddled brain. He felt like someone had backed over him with TC's van and, more distressing than that, he had no idea why. Something about...drugs? A warehouse maybe...and...Katsumoto. All at once, the memories slammed into him. Somewhere above, the tranquil beeping above his heart monitor took on a frantic cadence.

"Thomas? Hey, he's awake!" A moment later, Rick's face came into view as he leaned over him. "Easy, brother. You're okay." Rick soothed. "Just relax and-" He broke off when Thomas shot out a heavily bandaged hand and weakly grasped at his shirt. Thomas tried to speak, desperately needing answers, but all he could manage was a hoarse croak.

"Whoa, hey don't try to talk just yet." TC coached, moving in to join Rick. Thomas ignored him and continued his efforts to force words past his abused throat.

"He's okay, Magnum." A soft voice said from somewhere to his left. Glancing over, he could see Higgins smiling sadly down at him. Carefully, she reached over and eased Rick's shirt out his grasp. "Gordon is doing very well. A little banged up, but he'll be fine. He's mostly worried about you." Juliet explained, gently carding her fingers through his hair. "He's been an absolute nightmare for the nurses, demanding that they let him in to see you." Her words washed over him, driving away the fear he'd felt.

"That was a hell of a thing you did, TM." TC said. "Carrying him out of there like that? Now he'll have no choice but to admit that you two are friends."

"I think that ship already sailed when he tried to steal a security guard's badge last night and pass it off as his own so he could sneak up here check on you." Rick added with an amused grin.

Katsumoto couldn't suppress the apprehension as TC wheeled him toward Magnum's room. The last time he'd seen the man, he'd literally been dying. Now, he was told that he was awake and talking. For some reason, he couldn't picture the latter. He half expected to enter the room and find Magnum still on death's door. It had been four days since they'd escaped and Gordon had spent much of that time haunted by memories of Thomas bleeding out in that parking lot. He knew his mind wouldn't be able to accept that Magnum was alive until he saw him with his own eyes.

The others had warned him of what to expect. While Thomas was doing remarkably well, given the circumstances, recovery would be slow. For now, he was weak and exhausted and, according to Rick, would likely fall asleep on him at some point. As they entered his room, Katsumoto could see what they meant. Magnum was almost unrecognizable beneath all of the bruises, bandages, tubes, and wires. He was lying at a slight incline with his left arm in a sling and propped up on a pillow. His skin was disturbingly pale and his eyes were only half open. Nonetheless, a genuine smile lit up his face when he saw them come in.

"Hey Gordy." He rasped. TC parked the wheelchair next to the bed and gave him a quick pat on the shoulder before leaving.

"Magnum." Katsumoto replied with a stiff nod. He'd been so consumed with getting here these last few days that he hadn;t actually considered what he'd say once he did. "You look...well." He finished lamely. Thomas snorted.

"I look like crap and we both know it." Gordon couldn't help but smile a bit at that. He may not look like it, but at least he sounded like Thomas Magnum.

"I wasn't going to say it. Unlike you, I was raised to have manners." He joked softly.

"Glad to see you're looking so good. Higgy said you'd make a full recovery."

"Because of you." Katsumoto replied seriously. "Look, Magnum, what you did...I can't ever-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." Thomas interrupted. "Whatever speech you've got, save it. I'm gonna explain something to you, because you don;t seem to have picked up on it yet. We don't leave our people behind. I don't leave my people behind. There was no way I was leaving that place without you. Like it or not, Gordy, you're Ohana now." Katsumoto sat for a moment in stunned silence. For Magnum, it was that simple. How the hell had this infuriating P.I. come to mean that much to him?

"I guess I am." Katsumoto said, clapping a hand on Magnum's uninjured arm. They both smiled, grinning widely at each other.

"Now, what's this I hear about you stealing a badge? Because after all the crap you gave me…"

AN: Whew, sorry for the delay! That took much longer to write than I expected. I keep falling asleep while writing. I'm glad this tumor is gone, but they weren't kidding when they said brain surgery will knock you on your butt for a while. I'm just glad I can get back to writing again! As always, I truly do appreciate everyone's reviews and I welcome any suggestions on what you'd like to see next!