Hawaii Five-0 Imagines

Chapter 9

Steve almost ran over Kono as he exited Alyssa's room. One look at his face told Kono everything she needed to know. "Didn't go so well." It really was not a question.

"She shut me out, Kono. I'm not sure what I can do or say that will get through to her."

"She's had a big shock. First, she finds out that she has a brother, then she finds out about the rest of her family. It's going to take time for her to get her head around everything you told her. It's a lot all at once and you are going to have to be patient with her."

"I hope you are right, Kono. I don't want to lose her."

"I'll talk to her?" There was a questioning inflection in Kono's tone.

"Thanks." Steve opened his mouth as if to say more, but reconsidered. He touched Kono on the shoulder and headed toward the hospital exit.

Kono walked past the uniform and into the room. She stopped when she saw Alyssa with her back to the door. Her shoulders were shaking with her tears although there was no sound. Kono gently cleared her throat. Alyssa rolled back over and, seeing Kono, dashed the tears out of her eyes with her hands. She tried to smile. "Hey," she said.

"Hi," Kono said. "How are you feeling? We've all been worried about you," she stopped, looked at Alyssa's tear-stained face, "Rough morning, huh?"

Alyssa smiled ruefully. "You know?"

Kono nodded.

"Everything?"

Kono nodded again.

Alyssa took a deep breath, "Look, Kono, I'm sorry, but I'm really not up to talking right now."

Kono smiled, "That's OK. I'll talk. There are some things you should know about Steve; about your brother."

Alyssa's eyes got big for a moment, then narrowed, but she just nodded, prepared to listen.

"The first thing that I do not think you see is just how alike you two are. It goes beyond the fact that you both served in the Navy and are now cops. You two process the same way. You hold a lot of stuff in, but you both feel deeply. I know this about Steve, and I am pretty sure about you too," Kono looked at Alyssa and when the younger woman did not deny it, went on.

"The other thing is that Steve really needs you." That got Alyssa's attention. She looked up, eyes wide and ready to deny. Kono saw her prepare to speak and cut her off. "Yes, he does. He may not even realize it, but you are just what he needs." Alyssa looked confused, so Kono explained.

"Family is really important to Steve. I think it because he is so messed up. You already know about his mother," Kono could not quite refrain from rolling her eyes. Then, there was his dad.

Alyssa nodded. All cadets had heard about John McGarrett at the Academy.

Kono continued. "Steve really did love his dad, but in twenty years, Steve probably saw him, at most, a handful of times. He and his sister lived on the Mainland and his dad was here. He was murdered a few years ago and Steve took it really hard." Alyssa was listening intently as Kono described the life her brother had. Her heart ached for his loss.

"Then there is his sister, Mary. Don't get me wrong, she is a really nice person and Joanie, her daughter is adorable and Steve loves them both very much. But she is needy and she does not and cannot understand the life that Steve chose and continues to choose. She loves him, but she does not know how to offer him the support that he needs." Kono looked at Alyssa. Brown eyes met blue ones.

"You are strong like him and, whether you know it or not, I think you understand Steve. There will come a moment when he will need the support and," she hesitated, "the love that only family can provide."

"That's all fine and good," Alyssa said, "but why me? He has you and Danny and Chin. He has friends."

"True," Kono conceded, " There is nothing that we will not to for him, but Danny can go home to Grace and his mom. Chin and I have each other and our whole family and Steve have nobody else. It cannot be a coincidence. You were brought together for a reason. Give him a chance to be your family. Give us a chance to be your friends. Give yourself a chance to belong."

Alyssa looked at Kono. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know he won't," she responded. "Think about it, Kaikaina." The title made Alyssa smile. Kono took Ohana seriously. "Focus on getting better, the waves are looking pretty good out there," Kono called out as she walked out the door.

Alyssa was left to think about what Kono had told her. She never wanted to need anybody – that way lay only disappointment, but being needed – that was a whole different thing. She had never been needed before. She really had so little to lose. She reached for her cell phone on the nightstand by her bed.

Alyssa barely noticed the nurse that entered the room while she was dialing Steve's number. They were always going in and out. This one was adjusting her IV.

Steve picked up the phone on the third ring. "McGarrett."

"Hi Steve," Alyssa said. She noticed that the nurse had a syringe and was injecting something into the IV and opening up the valve. Her legs tingled and then went numb. She tried to speak but found her tongue was no longer working. The numbness was creeping up her body.

"Aly?" she heard Steve on the other side of the line.

Alyssa tried to speak could make no sound.

"Aly! Aly, what's wrong?" Steve sounded panicked now. She tried to respond. She focused all her strength on getting the words out.

"H..help...M..mmme," she was able to mutter before the phone dropped out of her nerveless hand, her eyes closed, and her body convulsed.