- - - - - - - -
Epilogue
- - - - - - - -

Danny, along with Kono, is readmitted to the hospital that evening for observation. The doctors aren't too happy with his blood pressure, not to mention the large bump he has on the back of his head from his fall, and they lecture him on the dangers of signing out of the hospital AMA. He does his best to reassure them that he won't do this again. That he'll take it easy for the next week. That with any luck, they'll never see him in the hospital again.

But with McGarrett as a partner, one can never be sure about these things.

It's late – well past visiting hours – and Danny can't sleep. Steve had left long ago, after Danny had nearly talked himself hoarse, insisting over and over that he was fine. It looked as though Kono had kicked her cousin out too, since Chin had poked his head in to say goodnight. So now Danny tries to relax as the machine he's hooked up to checks his blood pressure for the third time this hour.

He's reclining in another uncomfortable bed, one hand draped up and behind his head, staring at the ceiling. The day's events are running through his mind again. He casts about in his memories, trying to pull up the missing pieces of the ordeal he's been through, but is disappointed. He thought by now he'd have remembered it all. But the large gaps still loom. And Danny hates it.

He and Kono have had little time to talk since the rescue in the jungle. Steve had been present when she gave her statement to HPD, and though Danny had tried to get the details out of him, he refused, stating that if Kono wanted to talk about it, she'd tell Danny herself. It was driving Danny mad, but he reluctantly agreed.

"Nice face."

The familiar voice coming from the doorway startles Danny and he sits up so rapidly, he gets dizzy. He closes his eyes, gets his bearings, and then opens them to find Kono sitting at the foot of his bed.

"Reminds me of Steve."

Danny rolls his eyes, settling back against the pillows on his bed.

"Fantastic," he replies sarcastically. "My worst fears are coming true."

"What's that?"

"Steve is rubbing off on me."

Kono laughs and then goes quiet. She plays with the sheets on Danny's bed and he waits, taking time to look her over. Though she looks tired and worn, she still manages to look attractive in her hospital gown. The gash on her cheek has been cleaned and dressed, but Danny notices other wounds… bruises on her hands… a scratch on her neck. Hatred burns inside him, and he buries it with great effort.

Kono is still quiet, but he can tell that she wants to talk. Danny stays quiet, allowing her to take her time.

"Chin says that you can remember some stuff, but not everything?"

Danny sits up higher, adjusting the pillows behind him, and nods.

"He says that you can remember the ride on the truck… and how you tackled that guy to the ground?"

"Yeah," Danny says. "Yeah, I remember you calling out to me while I was on the ground, but after that… there's nothing."

Kono meets his gaze for a moment and then looks away, brushing some hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear.

"They were going to kill me. We both knew it. I actually think you knew beforehand, but you didn't tell me. Thinking back on it, you just had this look about you… like you had made up your mind about something, but I ignored it."

Danny recalls the memory… hearing the conversation, knowing they were going to kill Kono, deciding to try to save her instead of himself… Only he couldn't remember how he'd ended up in the jungle, and Kono had stayed behind.

"You jumped off the truck and started attacking them. I tried to run, knowing it's what you wanted, but I didn't get anywhere before I was grabbed. I yelled for you… thinking maybe you could still get away…"

She trails off and looks back to Danny. Her eyes are wet and her cheeks are flushed, but she continues.

"You turned around after I called to you again and that's when the third guy… the one you initially knocked out on the truck… he barreled for you at full speed. You sidestepped him quickly enough, but he grabbed hold of your back as he was falling down. You both…"

She pauses a moment to wipe a tear from her cheek.

"You both went over the ledge. All I could do was watch as you rolled down… the other guy stopped halfway. But you…"

Danny leans forward to reach a hand out and Kono takes it. He squeezes it reassuringly and she looks up at him and smiles.

"I thought you were dead. I could barely see you at the bottom of the slope, and you weren't moving. They thought you were dead too, and they laughed. Started talking about how they were going to call HPD. How they wished they could stick around to see the look on their faces when they found you."

Kono lets out small sob when she finishes. Danny moves his other hand over and cradles her hand in both of his.

"I realized then who they were. That I was going to be next. I felt so stupid, not figuring it out before. But you knew, didn't you?"

Danny holds his breath, not sure how she'll take the news that he withheld that information from her. He doesn't truly understand it himself, but he nods.

"I knew," he admits quietly. "I'm not sure how… all the things I remember, all the pieces… it doesn't all connect, you know? But I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I think… I just think I wanted to spare you some of that."

Kono sniffles and is quiet for a moment.

"You know," she continues, moving her eyes back down to the bed. "I think I envy you a little bit."

"What?"

She shrugs.

"Not being able to remember it all… There are things that I'd like to forget. Like you tumbling down… thinking you were dead."

Danny contemplates that for a moment.

"When we were… taken… was it really that bad?"

"It was pretty dicey for awhile," she admits quietly.

Danny immediately feels guilt-ridden. He's been complaining all day to anyone who would listen how angry he is at his lack of memory. All the while Kono has been living in her own silent torment over things she'd rather not remember.

"Kono, I'm so sorry…" Danny begins, and Kono's head shoots up. She fixes him with such a strong gaze that Danny immediately stops talking.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," she says, her voice loud and unwavering. "You risked yourself for me, and you saved my life, Danny. And that is something I will never, ever, be able to repay you for."

Danny's breath hitches at the conviction in her voice. He doesn't know what to say, so he falls back to what he does best.

"Well, that figures," he says flippantly. "I'm finally a hero and I don't even remember the details."

"That's okay, Danny," she says softly, putting her other hand on top of his and squeezing it lightly. "I'll remember for the both of us."

The End.

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for the many reviews and alerts! They really mean a lot to me! (not to mention I really do enjoy chatting with you, too!)

This story started as "A is for Abducted" for my ABC series. But, as you can see, it got rather long. Cokie316, in her infinite wisdom, suggested I break it up, and as usual, she was right. I owe her, and sockie1000, both a huge THANK YOU for their numerous reads and re-reads of this story. Thank you ladies!