They’d been told that Hank Lee was awake and lucid for a few moments at a time.
The four stood around his bed.
Kauhane bent down close to his ear. “Hank, Hank, can you hear me?” There was no response. Kauhane laid his hand on top of Lee’s. “Hank, it’s Del Kauhane, can you hear me?”
The coroner’s eyes flickered open. “Uh-huh,” he whispered.
“Hank, you said there was something odd about a body at the morgue, is that right.”
Lee’s eyes shifted toward the Captain. “Uh-huh.”
“Hank, which body? What did you see?”
Lee’s eyes closed. There was no response.
“Hank? Hank?” Kauhane squeezed his hand gently. “What was odd about the body?”
Lee’s eyes opened again. He mumbled something. From the other side, Chan bent down to listen and shook his head to signal he’d not heard it either.
“Hank,” said Kauhane, “the odd body?”
Lee opened his mouth, and tried to speak, but only expelled air.
“Maybe we gotta wait?” said Kelso.
“Maybe,” agreed Kauhane.
Chan, still leaning close to the Coroner’s ear tried one last time. “Hank, it’s David.
What did you see?”
Lee’s eyes flicked toward Chan. Then he whispered, “Daniel.”
“Sean Daniel?” said Chan.
“Yes,” came the soft reply. “On the table. Dead.”
Chan glanced up at the others. “You had Daniel on a slab, Hank?”
“Yes, dead, Daniel.”
Chan straightened up. I need to get on the phone and call Daniel. He’s at the monastery, he has to be.”
He rushed out to the nurse’s station and grabbed the phone.
“Yes?” It was Chan’s son.
“Dave,” said Chan, “is Daniel there?”
“Yes, Pop, he’s right here. I’m standing right next to his bed. Do you need to talk to him?”
Chan’s brain was spinning some. “I, uh, yes, yes, put him on.”
The voice of the British agent came on. “David, hello, what’s up?”
“It’s the damndest thing,” said Chan. “I’m here at the hospital. We’re trying to talk to Hank Lee. He said that he had you on a slab at the morgue. He said that you were dead.”
There was silence on the other side.
“Sean?” said Chan.
“Yes, yes, David, I’m here. That wasn’t me, David, I assure you. I’m here.”
Chan heard something in what Daniel was saying that sounded odd. “Right, of course, Sean. But, uh, why would he think you were in the morgue?”
There was a long silence again. “Ah, David, it’s hard to explain over the phone. Can you come to talk here?”
“What’s to explain, Sean? Just tell me what it is.”
“All right. Yes. Okay, David, they’re trying to replace me.”
This did not help to slow down Chan’s thoughts. “Say what?”
“David, please come back here. It’s complicated. I’ll tell you when you come back.”
Chan felt frustration pushing its way to the fore. “Okay, Sean, I’m coming. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
“Good, David, that’s good. I’ll try to make everything clear for you.”
Chan ran back to Hank Lee’s room. “Daniel is fine. I’ve got to get over to see him. Kelso, with me.”
The two made their way to the parking lot quickly.
“If he’s alive,” said Kelso, “what the hell was Hank talking about?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you what I think I heard Daniel say,” said Chan.
Lanning Lee 