This is my first fanfic for Hawaii Five-0. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or anything affiliated with that amazing show.

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There wasn't enough time.

He knew he wouldn't get to Danny in time to warn him, but he lunged for his office door anyway. He knew there was no way Chin and Kono would hear his shout of warning, but he yelled all the same.

He felt the explosion before he heard it. The floor beneath him swayed and quaked beneath his feet, causing his knees to buckle. It was in slow motion as Steve watched his hand reach out for his office door handle. It was in muffled tones that he heard his voice shout out.

But there wasn't enough time. He was too late.

Steve looked frantically for Danny, and thought he might have seen his partner by the central station's surface table. But he couldn't be sure. Chin and Kono were nowhere in sight, but maybe they had already left the office by then. Again, he couldn't be sure.

He wasn't sure of anything in that final instant before a white-hot flash of light blinded him and he heard it. The deafening roar seeming to take over all of his senses at once, causing him to force his eyes tightly shut.

He never reached the door to his office. The force of the explosion threw him back and blackness engulfed him.


Steve drifted in and out of consciousness. His thoughts flew in and out of clarity, and the pain right along with them. He thought he heard noises, but before he could define them they stopped and the silence became deafening.

His training kicked in immediately. Or at least it tried to. He could feel the fog lifting slowly - his senses becoming more keen and aware as he woke. He found it extremely difficult to open his eyes and so he focused his energy on evaluating his situation using his other senses.

He was lying on the floor, that much was certain. He mentally traced his body, attempting to pinpoint the locations of each pain and pressure he was feeling. Starting at his feet, he worked his way up. He could feel his legs, and he cautiously tried to move them both. A spike of pain erupted from his right ankle. Steve tried moving it again more slowly, but the effort only produced another wave of pain. Broken, he assumed, and he moved on to assess the rest of his body.

Something sharp was piercing his back and he attempted to adjust himself to figure out what it was. Pain shot abruptly across his abdomen and he stifled a cry as he lowered his back down to the floor. He'd have to deal with whatever he was laying on later.

He tensed his arms and they throbbed and ached, but moved with relative ease. He gingerly moved them to his torso, his hands scraping along what he imagined to be debris along the floor. His shirt felt tattered in places, but there was little to no pain as he poked and prodded himself in the chest, searching for anything out of place.

He ignored the shaking in his hands as he continued his self-examination, moving skillfully down his front and sides. He took a sharp intake of breath as he hit a tender spot on his right side. More carefully, he felt around his ribcage to determine if he had a broken rib or two. The pain was sharp and intense and he realized he'd have to examine it visually to get a better understanding of his condition.

It wasn't until Steve opened his eyes that he fully appreciated the predicament he was in. He squinted as he looked around at what remained of his office. To his left, a ray of sunlight poured in from the now shattered window, casting an orange-like hue on everything. Turning his head to the right, he saw his mahogany desk blown nearly to the opposite wall by two of his leather chairs. The couch that would normally have been found underneath the office window was hidden beneath shards of wood and glass. His walls, once adorned with shelves full of knick-knacks and memorabilia, now appeared bare.

The blast from the explosion had not completely destroyed Steve's office, but it had tried its hardest. He sighed as he realized the cleaning job he had ahead of him. Not that getting his office back in order was top on his priority list at the moment.

Steve turned his gaze downward to his body. His gray shirt was ripped on his right side, which he considered lucky since he wouldn't' have to maneuver too much to get a good look at his ribs. As he carefully pulled back his shirt, he moved his hands back to the tender spot he had felt earlier. Cautiously, he pressed his fingers down, pinpointing the exact location of his injury. There! Right there, he could feel it. Definitely a broken rib…. probably more than one.

Sighing, he put his shirt back in place and shifted his gaze down to his right ankle. His foot hung limply at an odd angle and he could see the swelling already starting to form. Bits of debris left a light dust-like film on his clothing, giving Steve the appearance that he had just climbed out of a sandbox. He had small cuts on his hands and forearms, but nothing to cause him any concern.

He moved his hands to his head, brushing his fingers through his hair to remove any bits of rubble and was rewarded with a shower of fragmented glass. He discovered a few larger pieces embedded in his scalp, and he removed each piece, careful not to cut himself further in the process. His hands came away bloody, but Steve was satisfied for now that he was not in any real danger aside from the obvious pain in his ribs. As long as he didn't move around too much, he figured he'd be in good shape.

Steve shifted slightly and the object he was laying on dug further into his back. Careful to not aggravate his injured ribs, he slowly moved to his left, sliding his right arm underneath his torso. Once again pain shot through his frame, but he grasped the object quickly and dropped unceremoniously back onto the floor. He closed his eyes, panting slightly, until the pain receded. Breathing in through his nose and out his mouth, he regained his composure and opened his eyes.

Looking at his hand, he frowned slightly. Steve had been resting on a piece of a model of the Missouri that once held a prominent display on a shelf in his office. He couldn't tell if the ship had broken in the explosion or as a result of himself landing on top of it. He sighed, brushing the delicate ship with his fingers. How had he ended up here?

It had all started with the phone call. He had been reading a report at his desk, although at the moment he couldn't quite remember what it was about. His phone rang, and he hadn't even glanced at the caller-id to identify the caller before answering.

Then he heard it… the warning that his day was about to get messy. He had read the HPD reports on The Aloha Bomber, of course. The rumor was that the malicious bomber would call the victims immediately before the bomb would detonate. That knowledge still didn't prepare him for the chilly voice on the other line. The Aloha Bomber had targeted him and his team, and that very thought caused his anger to rise. The anger, however, was instantly replaced with overwhelming concern.

His team…. Danny. Chin. Kono. Where were they?

From his location on the floor, he could not fully see out of his office. A bookshelf lay toppled over, books strewn everywhere, blocking his view almost entirely. He desperately wanted to get a good look out – see if he could see any movement…. any indication that he wasn't alone. He tried in vain to scoot himself into a better position, digging his left heel into the floor and pushing his body in a backward motion. But the pain in his back and ribs prevented a good deal of movement. He knew that maneuvering himself too much could cause more damage, so he stopped – resigned to the fact that at the moment, he should stay put.

Steve sighed and opted for plan B.

"Danny…" he heard his voice slur as he called out for his partner. The sound of his own voice surprised him. It was far too raspy for his liking, and he cleared his throat. That, in turn, caused him to cough and it was a full minute before he regained his composure. Damn dust, he thought to himself. The quality of air in his office was poor, despite the open window. Steve took several deep, calming breaths before craning his head in the general direction of Danny's office. He raised his voice and called out again. "Danny!"

The noise that he heard back filled him with dread.

It was silence.