H50 Drabble: Equilibrium 1/1
Title: Equilibrium
Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: This is another drabble for hawaii_5_0_100 , with the prompt “wave.” For whatever reason, it’s also something of a companion piece to my drabble from last week, The Hardest Part. The two revolve around the same incident but are from different character’s POV in the aftermath. Reading the first one may be helpful, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Oh and if my description of surfing is completely bogus, that's because I have never been surfing. I've been in the ocean maybe twice in my life, and both of those exposures were very limited, so I'm basing my understanding of it on what I've see on TV and movies.
A/N 2: Thanks to sendintheklowns for giving this a quick look for me. After all this time, I feel like I’ve almost run out of ways to describe her awesomeness :)
Summary: Kono tries to find her balance.
-o-
The Hardest Part series
The Hardest Part
Equilibrium
The Big Picture
Hold On
-o-
Kono learned to walk on dry land but she came to life catching a wave.
The feeling of the board beneath her feet, the spray of water in her face, the pounding of the surf crashing at her back: these things define her. Salt water runs through her veins, lapping on her soul like a gentle tide on the beach.
Surfing isn’t about control; it’s not even about thrill-seeking. It’s about balance. She can’t control a wave. But if she calms and listens, she can rise up with it and ride it out until it washes away once more.
After her injury, it was hard to let go, but surfing isn’t about trophies. Becoming a cop was an easy second choice, but police work is about control, order. It’s important, but it never really makes sense.
Innocent people die. Criminals get away. Good cops get blacklisted. Sometimes everything she has isn’t enough.
Today it wasn’t enough.
She knows; she remembers.
One second, Danny was moving forward; the next, he was on the ground. Like a stiff current pulling her under, Kono couldn’t do anything to stop it.
Steve hasn’t left the hospital; Chin won’t leave the office. This is how they cope, how they find order. Steve has to take responsibility for his team and won’t walk out until he knows Danny’s okay. Chin has to do his job, because in his hour of need, no one fought for him, and Chin will not let Danny’s sacrifice be in vain.
But Kono can’t wait at the hospital. She can’t work at the station. There is no order to find there, only more chaos. None of it will help Danny, and she likes to think if anyone would understand why she’s here, it would be Danny.
Because life is for living. When things fall apart, some constants remain. The love of a father for a daughter. The dedication of a partner. The persistence in getting the job done.
The constant pull of the water, making one wave after another.
On her stomach, Kono lets the water wash away Danny’s blood from her hands. She closes her eyes, waves rolling under her.
She tries not to remember Danny’s pale face or the pooled blood he left behind.
Instead, she remembers him wearing his tie, talking with his hands. She remembers his smile and the tone of his voice when he’s working up a good rant.
She feels the next wave as it comes, and it’s instinct as she shifts her body up. By the time she’s on her feet, the wave is coming harder. She bears down, searching for her equilibrium.
It’s a good wave. Strong but steady, surging forward and rippling. When it dissipates, she lets herself wash ashore, trying to assure herself that there was nothing she could have done, that it will all work out.
This is just another wave, bigger than most, but if she can ride it out, they’ll all still be standing when it’s over.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: This is another drabble for hawaii_5_0_100 , with the prompt “wave.” For whatever reason, it’s also something of a companion piece to my drabble from last week, The Hardest Part. The two revolve around the same incident but are from different character’s POV in the aftermath. Reading the first one may be helpful, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Oh and if my description of surfing is completely bogus, that's because I have never been surfing. I've been in the ocean maybe twice in my life, and both of those exposures were very limited, so I'm basing my understanding of it on what I've see on TV and movies.
A/N 2: Thanks to sendintheklowns for giving this a quick look for me. After all this time, I feel like I’ve almost run out of ways to describe her awesomeness :)
Summary: Kono tries to find her balance.
-o-
The Hardest Part series
The Hardest Part
Equilibrium
The Big Picture
Hold On
-o-
Kono learned to walk on dry land but she came to life catching a wave.
The feeling of the board beneath her feet, the spray of water in her face, the pounding of the surf crashing at her back: these things define her. Salt water runs through her veins, lapping on her soul like a gentle tide on the beach.
Surfing isn’t about control; it’s not even about thrill-seeking. It’s about balance. She can’t control a wave. But if she calms and listens, she can rise up with it and ride it out until it washes away once more.
After her injury, it was hard to let go, but surfing isn’t about trophies. Becoming a cop was an easy second choice, but police work is about control, order. It’s important, but it never really makes sense.
Innocent people die. Criminals get away. Good cops get blacklisted. Sometimes everything she has isn’t enough.
Today it wasn’t enough.
She knows; she remembers.
One second, Danny was moving forward; the next, he was on the ground. Like a stiff current pulling her under, Kono couldn’t do anything to stop it.
Steve hasn’t left the hospital; Chin won’t leave the office. This is how they cope, how they find order. Steve has to take responsibility for his team and won’t walk out until he knows Danny’s okay. Chin has to do his job, because in his hour of need, no one fought for him, and Chin will not let Danny’s sacrifice be in vain.
But Kono can’t wait at the hospital. She can’t work at the station. There is no order to find there, only more chaos. None of it will help Danny, and she likes to think if anyone would understand why she’s here, it would be Danny.
Because life is for living. When things fall apart, some constants remain. The love of a father for a daughter. The dedication of a partner. The persistence in getting the job done.
The constant pull of the water, making one wave after another.
On her stomach, Kono lets the water wash away Danny’s blood from her hands. She closes her eyes, waves rolling under her.
She tries not to remember Danny’s pale face or the pooled blood he left behind.
Instead, she remembers him wearing his tie, talking with his hands. She remembers his smile and the tone of his voice when he’s working up a good rant.
She feels the next wave as it comes, and it’s instinct as she shifts her body up. By the time she’s on her feet, the wave is coming harder. She bears down, searching for her equilibrium.
It’s a good wave. Strong but steady, surging forward and rippling. When it dissipates, she lets herself wash ashore, trying to assure herself that there was nothing she could have done, that it will all work out.
This is just another wave, bigger than most, but if she can ride it out, they’ll all still be standing when it’s over.