Title: Crash Landing
Author: sylvanelfqueen
Characters: Steve & Danny (main); Chin and Kono.
Prompt: Prompt by jesseofthenorth for stevedannoslash's Spring Fling 2012: Steve and Danny are lost or stranded. Danny is mostly out of it. Steve is also injured but gets them to safety even while suffering his own injuries. Lots of awesome injured Steve would be much appreciated.
Rating: PG-13 for language
Word Count: 6,000+ words
Disclaimer: All Hawaii Five-0 characters herein are the property of CBS. No copyright infringement is intended. All characters engaging in sexual activity are 16 years or older.
Summary: "We have no choice, Danny!" Steve grips Danny's arm and gives it a squeeze, making sure Danny's with him. "It's either jump or crash, and trust me, we are much safer if we jump."
H*5*0
"We have no choice, Danny!" Steve grips Danny's arm and gives it a squeeze, making sure Danny's with him. "It's either jump or crash, and trust me, we are much safer if we jump."
Danny looks for all the world like he wants to protest, but instead he just nods. They don't have much time and they don't have a choice, and for once Steve's glad that Danny just shuts up and does as he's told. He nudges Danny to get moving, watches as Danny moves from his seat into the small cargo bay in the airplane. Once he's out of sight, Steve makes sure the controls are set to autopilot, not that it'll make much difference in a few minutes. Then he's up and following Danny.
He grabs one of the two parachute rigs strapped the wall and shoves it towards Danny. "Now listen to me carefully," Steve instructs as he guides Danny's arm through the harness straps, "As soon as you are out of the plane, start counting, slow and steady. When you get to twenty, pull this." Steve grabs Danny's hand and lays it on the parachute release, making sure Danny's aware of where it is. "That'll deploy your chute. You'll have two steering lines drop down, use them to guide yourself, but don't make too many movements too fast otherwise you'll get your lines tangled up."
The plane gives a shudder as the first engine stalls out. Danny and Steve both grab on to the nearest wall to steady themselves, but Steve quickly pushes away, cinching Danny's harness tight with renewed urgency. "Steer towards a clearing or a less dense population of trees, okay? And wait until you are close to the ground to brake. Grab your steering lines and pull hard. Try to land on your feet and keep your knees bent. Cut away your chute as soon as possible too or it'll drag you all over the place."
Once he's sure Danny's rig is secure, he takes the two shoulder straps in his hands and gives Danny a little shake. "You with me, D?"
"Yeah, yeah. I hear you." Danny answers back hollowly. He looks a bit spooked, but after a moment he nods and meets Steve's gaze. "We got no choice, right?"
"You'll be fine, Danno." Steve gives him one last look before he moves away, hauling open the side door and motioning Danny to the edge. The roar of the wind is too loud to speak over so Steve just lays his hand across Danny's chest, gives it a reassuring pat, before he gives Danny the nudge he needs to jump from the plane.
Steve watches, frozen, for a moment as Danny free-falls through the air, but the plane bucks again, the second engine giving out. Steve tears his eyes away and grabs the older parachute rig, quickly pulling the straps over his shoulders and cinching them tight. He's reaching for his backpack when the engine gives a final shudder and stalls out. The alarms in the cockpit blare their warning as the plane loses power and starts to nosedive. Steve all but throws himself out of the plane, not wanting to get stuck as it crashes.
He tumbling through the air, free-falling for a moment before he's able control it. Steve pulls all his limbs in, streamlining his body as he speeds through the air and away from the crashing plane. Below him, he watches as Danny's parachute springs free of the pack and slows his decent. Steve's able to breath a sigh of relief that Danny's doing okay before he spreads out his limbs and prepares to deploy his own chute.
Giving a hard yank on the release handle, Steve's prepared for the sudden deceleration, but instead he finds himself still falling at the same speed and suddenly whipping around in circles. Daring a look up, Steve sees the deployment container in the air above him, but only half of his canopy is deployed. Before his heart can even skip a beat in fear, his brain is running through all the trainings engraved in him since day one. Don't panic. Think. Analyze. He goes through all his options and decides that trying to get the rest of his canopy to deploy is his best option. If that doesn't work, he'll only have a few seconds to cut away his main chute and pop his reserve.
Reaching up, Steve grabs on to the risers and yanks on them as hard as he possibly can. For a heart-stopping second, nothing happens and Steve fears the worst. Then suddenly the rest of the canopy springs free from the deployment bag. His body slows its descent in a bone-jarring jerk, but he's still dropping faster than he should be. With another glance up, Steve sees that the last three cells on his canopy, the part that had been stuck, were torn, barely catching enough wind to keep them open. He hopes they'll hold long enough for him to land.
Below him, Steve watches as Danny seems to drift lazily, heading for a clearing. Following Danny's lead, Steve grabs on to the steering lines and starts to maneuver himself in the same direction. Danny's closing in on the ground and Steve tries to keep his eyes on Danny, wanting to make sure he lands okay, but it's hard to see through his watering eyes. With no goggles to protect them from the wind, Steve's eyes are burning and watering constantly. He dares to release a steering line for a second to swipe a hand across his face, trying to clear his vision, but before he can grab onto it again, the canopy above him collapses in and he's falling fast to the ground.
Steve scrambles for the risers again and pulls on them hard, watching as the trees are rushing towards him. After a few seconds, his canopy catches wind again and he slows, but not enough. His canopy is torn and three of the eight cells are useless, flapping ineffectually in the wind. The ground is coming closer and closer and it takes all Steve can do to keep his hands on the steering lines. He gives them small pulls to try and head for the clearing where Danny disappeared, but it's useless.
His legs come into contact with the trees first, plunging into the green foliage at a high rate of speed and breaking the branches off. The sheered off branches catch and gouge at his legs, tearing through cloth and flesh. It's only when the lines of his rig get tangled up a moment later that Steve's body is brought to a sudden stop, still feet off the ground. His body continues with its forward moment for a second before it can go no further and is catapulted back into the tree. His right side slams hard into the trunk of the tree and Steve feels a split second of pain before his head follows and the world goes black.
H*5*0
When Steve comes to, it's to the sensation of floating. It takes him a minute to realize that the feeling isn't imagined. He cracks open his eyes to see the ground eight feet below his dangling boots. With a groan, Steve tries to lift his head and is rewarded with lighting sharp pain from his head down to the base of his spine. He sucks in a breath and tries to breath through the pain as it slowly abates. Going slower this time, Steve manages to lift his head up enough to see that his canopy is hopelessly tangled up in the tree. The only way he's getting down is to cut away the chute, but that means an eight-foot drop.
With no other choice, Steve yanks hard at the cut away cord and is dropped down to the ground. He manages to land on his feet and rolls somewhat clumsily into the landing fall he learned in jump school. He lies there on his back for a moment as the rest of his body seems to come online, singing with pain. His head, his neck, his shoulder, his hands, his side; they all flare with pain of differing intensities that leave him breathless. It's hard, but Steve pushes himself up, grunting with the effort and leans back against the tree. He wants to rush off and find Danny, make sure he's okay, but his training has taught him better than that. He needs to see to his own injuries first before he can go off and tend to someone else. He'll be no good to Danny if he ignores his own injuries and collapses.
The blood on his hands is the first thing he notices when he looks down. There are cuts on his fingers and palms. After a moment, he realizes they're from the lines of his rig. His right shoulder is a solid ache that expands across his chest and his ribs twinge in protest with each deep breath. It's his neck and head, though, that cause him the most pain, but considering he can move all appendages, Steve's quick to move on. If he sprained his neck or has a concussion, there's not much he can do about it right now except try to deal with the pain.
He makes quick work of the straps of his rigging and removes his outer shirt. Tearing off two strips, Steve uses them to bandage the worst of the cuts on his hands. Then he begins to check his pockets to gather his supplies, which turn out to be minimal at best. He'd been forced to jump without the backpack of supplies he and Danny had brought along; a bag that was packed with necessities like a satellite phone, bottles of water, a compass, and a med kit. With that, Steve wouldn't have been so worried. Without it, all he has on his person, and what little Danny carries on him, is what they have to survive. He empties his pockets on the ground in front of him and takes stock. His phone, which appears to have not been damaged too badly but has no signal, his wallet, gun, and badge, which are useless. He's also got a few sets of zip tie restraints, two extra magazines for his gun, and a small knife, none of which proves to be much help.
Sighing, Steve slips the items back into his pockets and pushes himself up from the ground. He needs to find Danny. The ground dips and sways beneath his feet and he's forced to lean against the tree until it stops. Once he's steady, it takes him a minute to orient himself, glancing at his watch, then up at the sun. He's thankful that it isn't quite noon yet because they still have hours of daylight left. They had been flying east, and when they had bailed, they had been heading away from the plane. Steve drops his eyes back down to the trees around him and starts heading west.
After a few minutes of searching through the jungle, Steve sees something white nestled in amongst all the green. He picks up his pace, nearly running the last few feet to where a parachute is tangled up at the base of a tree. It's been cut away from the main rigging and looks to be in good condition. Scanning the area around him turns up no sign of his partner.
"Danny!" he calls out, hearing nothing but the sounds of the jungle answer in return. "Danny!" he turns and calls out in the other direction and this time is rewarded with a weak "Over here". Steve spins in the direction of the voice and finds Danny slumped against a tree a few feet away from the clearing.
"Jesus, Danny," Steve murmurs as he kneels beside his friend. Danny's got a nasty gash along the side of his head and he appears to have a concussion from the way his eyes are having trouble focusing. But it's Danny's leg that draws most of Steve's attention. Danny's left leg is swollen, pulling the fabric of his pants tight across his knee.
"I almost stuck the landing," Danny murmurs, rousing himself a little more and trying to make eye contact with Steve. "You're bleeding," he says as an afterthought.
Steve whips his gaze up and realizes Danny is staring at the right side of his head. Steve gingerly lifts a hand up and touches near his temple. He's rewarded with fresh pain and crimson stained fingers, but Steve shakes it off. "I'm fine, D. I gotta take a look at this leg. You hurt anywhere else?"
Danny starts to shake his head then thinks better of it. "Just my knee … and my head," he mumbles.
Steve pulls out the small knife and starts to cut up Danny's pant leg. When he gets close to the knee, Steve drops the knife in favor of using his hands to tear the fabric the rest of the way. What he reveals is troubling. Danny's knee is severely swollen and purpling around the joint. Steve swallows thickly and looks up at Danny.
"How bad is it?"
"Dislocated." Steve states. He runs his fingers gently over the joint and is relieved to find that the joint isn't as bad as he had originally feared. "It's already reduced it self, but we can't risk you bending it. I'll have to brace it." Steve's eyes are already scanning the trees around them for what he can use. He casts a glance back at Danny in time to see all the color drain from his partner's face. "Whoa, hey. You with me Danny?" He grabs on to Danny's shoulder, grounding him.
It takes a minute but eventually Danny's color starts to come back and his breathing evens out enough that Steve feels safe in letting go, moving back to give him some space. After another few breaths, Danny nods his head and murmurs an apology.
"It's the shock, Danny. Just try to relax and take a few deep breaths. I'll be right back." Steve waits long enough to make sure Danny's following his instructions before he pushes himself up from the ground. The world tilts and sways around him and it takes all his willpower to stay on his feet. He locks his knees and waits for the pounding in his skull to lessen before he dares to move.
He finds what he's looking for a few feet away; two fairly long, sturdy branches that he can use to brace Danny's leg. When he gets back to Danny's side, Danny looks better, his eyes, when they open, are clear and his color is coming back. He gives Steve a weak smile as he pushes himself upright. Using the straps from Danny's rigging and the rest of his outer shirt, Steve's able to make a fairly stable brace for Danny's knee. It's not ideal, but it'll do the job for now until Steve can get them out of here.
"How are we gonna get out of here?" Danny asks a few minutes later and Steve can easily hear the trepidation in his voice.
Steve doesn't answer right away, choosing instead to take in their position and the area around them. "Our best bet is to get to higher elevation so we can get a signal on our phones." Steve tears himself away from surveying their surroundings to look at Danny.
"Shouldn't we stay put? Isn't that what they always say, stay where you are?"
"By now a search and rescue team should be assembled. I managed to relay our distress signal. Plus, they would've seen the plane drop off radar. They'll be searching but it's a large area to cover. We'll need to narrow it down for them if we want to get found before nightfall." Steve eases Danny into a standing position, no small feat for either man. His right shoulder screams in protest when he takes Danny's weight and the pain that shoots up his neck threatens to black out his vision, but Steve holds his ground. It takes a minute, but he's able to get his breath back enough to continue speaking. "If we can get up high enough to get a signal on our phones, they'll be able to track us."
"This is gonna hurt like hell, isn't it?" Danny asks.
Steve can't find it in himself to answer right away so instead he just tightens his hold on Danny. "We'll get through this, Danny. I promise you. I'll get you out of here." With that, Steve takes his first step, Danny grunting and limping along beside him.
H*5*0
By the time Danny has tripped for the third time, Steve can barely hold them up any longer. Danny's arm flails against his back, grip tightening as he gnashes his teeth against a scream. Steve stumbles under the shift in weight, his ribs and shoulder echoing Danny's pain. Steve's vision grays out and it is only sheer force of will that keeps them both upright.
As soon as he gains his breath back and his vision has cleared, Steve limps them both over to the nearest tree and settles Danny against the trunk. Steve wants so desperately to sit down next to Danny and rest, but he can't. Not just yet. He kneels down next to Danny and puts his hand on Danny's shoulder.
"How ya holding up, D?"
Danny lets out a shaky laugh as he cracks his eyes open. "Just peachy," he pants out. He squeezes his eyes closed as another wave of pain washes over his leg. He can't hold back a groan and Steve is helpless to do anything but give his shoulder a squeeze in comfort.
"I'm just going to take quick look at your leg, okay?" Steve's fingers are gentle as they loosen the two straps from the rigging he had placed around Danny's knee to keep it stable. He hears Danny hiss in pain and whispers an apology, but doesn't stop his work. He's relieved to see that Danny's knee isn't any worse than it had been an hour ago when they started out.
After tightening up the straps again, he gives Danny a good once over. It's obvious that he's not fairing well. His skin is pale with lines of pain etched deep into his face. He's sweaty, whether from the temperature, the exertion, or the pain and shock, Steve doesn't know but he's betting on a combination of all three. Danny's awareness seems to be flickering in and out. He's there one moment with Steve, responding to him appropriately, and the next minute he's blanked out. He's positive for a concussion, Steve's well aware of that fact, but there isn't much he can do except keep a close eye on him and try to get them to safety.
Danny looks up at him then, eyes raking over Steve's form, a frown forming across his brow. "You look like shit," he rasps, squinting up at Steve.
Steve lets out a startled laugh and gingerly shakes his head. "You're one to talk, Danno." Steve pushes himself upright and feels the world once again move beneath his feet. This time he feels his knees starting to buckle with the pain and he presses an arm out against the tree for support. It takes a minute for the ringing in his ears to cease, but the pain doesn't ease off. There's a sharp spike of pain lancing through his right temple with every beat of his heart.
"Steve?"
Steve snaps his eyes open and looks over at Danny, hearing the worry in his voice.
"Sit down before you fall down Super SEAL." Danny's words are in jest but his tone is quite serious. Steve can see it in his eyes.
"I'm all right. Just a bit dehydrated. We need to find some water." Steve pushes himself away from the tree and forces his unsteady legs to carry him a few steps away from Danny. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and frowns at the words "No Signal" flashing across his screen. Cursing under his breath, Steve shoves the phone back in his pocket and glances instead at his watch. It's just after noon now and the hottest part of the day is upon them. He knows they shouldn't keep going. They're both injured and dehydrated and they run the risk of collapse if they try to continue on. But they also need water, Steve thinks. And that no matter if they take a break now or later, dehydration will set in with this heat; it's only a matter of time.
Calculating the risk in his head, Steve decides it's better if they move on now. Once they find water they can take a break. Turning back to Danny, he's discouraged to find Danny dozing once again. He gives Danny a gentle shake and watches as he slowly comes around.
"Sorry partner, we gotta get moving again. Think you're up to walking again?" Steve isn't waiting for a reply though. He gently slips Danny's left arm up over his shoulder and starts to haul him upright, biting down on the groan that tries to escape. "Come on, need a little help here Danno. Work with me," he pants out. Danny nods mutely and pushes weakly against the ground.
Once they are both upright, Steve has to press a hand against the tree to steady them both, breathing hard. Spots dance across his vision, but after a moment, he's steady enough to trust himself to start moving. "Almost there, Danny. Just a little longer."
H*5*0
They find water much quicker than Steve had anticipated in some runoff from a rock face. Steve holds Danny up while he cups his hands under the gentle flow and drinks. Steve follows suit a few minutes later and allows them both a quick respite in the cool shade. When his watch ticks passed one o'clock though, Steve gets them both up and moving again. With one last drink, they move on. Steve wished they had a container with them to take some water along, but they've both drank enough to last them for a little while longer.
Much to his relief, the water seems to have revived Danny a bit. Steve had noticed Danny's focus fading in and out. And while he hadn't been the most excellent of conversationalists, Steve had tried to keep Danny awake and aware. Despite his effort though, Danny had been slipping in and out of awareness more and more frequently. Now though, he seems to be coming around a bit and Steve is relieved. Danny is taking a bit more of his own weight and easing the strain in Steve's neck and shoulder, which had been bordering on unbearable for a while.
Their progress is slow and gets even slower the higher they climb. Steve pauses occasionally to watch the sky and mark their position, making sure they aren't travelling too far off course. When they stop, both he and Danny pull out their phones and watch intently, waiting to see if a bar will flicker on the screen. But every time they are crestfallen when the "Searching for Network" message comes back to them as "No Signal".
Steve's not sure how long it's been since their last break, but he knows that the heat and the pain are sapping his strength entirely too quickly. He glances over at Danny to see the other man's head down, chin resting on his chest as he forces his body to move another step. Steve knows the feeling. Each time he sets his foot back on the ground, it's a little harder to pick it back up again. His head is starting to grow a bit fuzzy too, time slips away from him chunks at a time and the world is constantly wavering in and out. He's just about to suggest they stop when Danny's body beats him to it.
Without warning, Danny suddenly goes lax in Steve's arm, weight falling into Steve's right side and sending them both crashing to the ground. Steve gasps in shock and scrambles, suddenly snapped back to awareness. He tries to grab on to Danny and keep him from falling, but their legs get tangled and they both end up in a heap on the ground. Steve cries out as he hits the dirt and immediately rolls away from Danny, reaching for the sharp pain in shoulder. He presses his forehead against the ground and tries to breath as agony rips through his body. His shoulder and chest are a mass of white-hot pain and his head is pounding ferociously.
After a minute and a few strangled attempts at deep breathing, Steve manages to push himself up. Danny's sprawled on the ground next to him, breathing a bit ragged, but from the laxness of his limbs, Steve can tell Danny's out for the count. He gently eases Danny over onto his side and checks him over quickly. The brace on his let is still holding and there doesn't appear to be any new injuries. Even Danny's head wound has quit bleeding. Steve lets out a relieved breath and sits back trying to compose himself.
He's pushing himself too hard; he knows that. He's well aware of how much is body can take and right now he's pushing those limits. But he can't stop. He needs to get Danny out of here and to a hospital where he can be treated properly. Steve's own injuries are minor; it's the exertion and the dehydration that are sapping him of strength. A glance at his watch tells him they've been travelling longer than he realized; it's just after three o'clock. Time is of the essence now. Their window of getting rescued before nightfall is closing in on them fast. They need to get moving.
Steve looks over at Danny and realizes that he's still out cold. The culmination of pain, shock, and exhaustion has finally won out. He has no choice then, Steve thinks to himself as he lurches to his feet. "I guess I'm carrying you the rest of the way, Danno." With an effort, Steve gets Danny's limp body up right and with a bit of maneuvering, gets Danny over his shoulders in fireman's carry. He staggers under the added weight, his neck, shoulder, and chest alight with fresh agony, but Steve locks it down. With his eyes pinned on the ground before him, Steve starts to move them once again.
H*5*0
Steve's stumbling with each step he takes. His vision is growing dim and the pounding in his skull has turned into a constant, steady pain. He fights for each breath as much as he fights for the next step. But he won't stop. He can't quit now. The steady incline of the past few minutes is easing up and Steve knows that if he can just make it up over the next crest, he may finally get a signal. With endurance born of years of training, he pushes on.
It's only when the incline gives way to a plateau that Steve wavers. He wasn't expecting the quick change of terrain and over compensates. The next thing he knows, he crashing to his hands and knees. Danny slumps over his shoulders to sprawl on the ground in front of him, but Steve is aware of little else besides the sharp blade of agony that rips through his shoulder when his hands contact the ground. A flash of ice cold, then white-hot wash over him and he can't hold back the nausea when it comes. He heaves and gags between his hands, body sagging and screaming in pain with each wave.
It abates after a long few moments, but it takes Steve even longer to catch his breath. He slowly shifts his weight to his left arm and pushes himself back so he's sitting on his butt, back against a tree. He leans his head back and sucks in a few slow, deep breaths, each one further igniting the fire in his shoulder. After another long minute, his vision clears and Steve immediately feels guilty when he sees Danny slumped over on the ground.
Cradling his right arm close to his side, Steve crawls the short distance between them and gently rearranges Danny so he's on his back. Steve fists a hand in Danny's shirt and hauls him backwards across the ground until he's resting at the base of the tree with Steve. It takes a bit of maneuvering, but Steve gets Danny settled against the tree next to his side. He lays a hand against Danny's chest and reassures himself with each steady rise and fall of Danny's chest.
He's starting to drift when a sudden beeping pulls him out of his haze. Cracking his eyes open, Steve looks around, confused for a moment until he realizes the beeping is coming from his pocket. Slipping his hand off Danny's chest, Steve bumbles it around his pockets until he reveals his phone, two bars lighting up the top of the screen. Steve huffs out a laugh of relief until he sees the battery bar blinking red at him. 10% battery left, enough to make one last phone call.
Thumbing open his contact list, Steve blindly presses at the second number on his call list. He presses the phone to his ear and listens to it ring over the roaring in his head. After a few seconds of hesitation, a voice finally comes across the other end.
"Steve?"
"Chin," Steve gets out. His voice is a raspy whisper from disuse and dehydration. He tries to swallow and clear his throat but his second attempt doesn't come out much better. "Track the phone."
"Steve? I can barely hear you, brah." Chin's voice is crackly as it comes down the line and Steve fears that maybe the connection isn't strong enough.
"Boss? Are you and Danny okay?" Kono's worried voice comes across the line a bit louder and clearer than Chin's.
"Plane went down. Track my phone," he pants out. The pain in his body is ratcheting up a notch and Steve can feel himself losing his tenuous hold on consciousness. Thankfully his message must get across because a second later Kono's voice is back.
"We're on it, Chin's tracking you now. Hang in there, boss." Muffled voices come across the line and Steve thinks he might be losing the connection until Chin's voice starts speaking.
"We're on our way, brah. I just relayed your position to Search and Rescue. They're about five minutes out from where you are. Hang in there, okay?"
Steve wants to nod, to tell them that he'll be fine, he can hold on for a few more minutes. But instead his arm drops, the phone falling from his numb fingers. His arm drops across Danny's chest and the world blacks out around him.
H*5*0
The world floats in and out for a while, coming in short bursts of sound and movement and hazy, dull images. Strong wind and a steady thump of the air, uniformed bodies with tanned faces and prodding fingers, echoing voices asking half formed questions. Floating, drifting, swaying. Worried eyes and mouths moving with no sound. A prick of pain, a flush of cold, then nothing.
H*5*0
The first thing he's aware of is the soft murmur of voices and pungent smell of disinfectant. Hospital then, he surmises. He floats in and out for a while, letting the sounds drift over him. His body comes back online pieces at a time. A twinge of pain in his knees, a dull ache in his hands, a throb that settles in his temples, then the sharp pain in his shoulder and neck. It's the last sensation that has him biting back a groan and forcing his eyes open. The hospital room swims into focus and along with it, Chin's worried face.
"Are you with us, Steve?"
Steve blinks hard a few times and tries to reconcile the pain he feels and his friend's worried face. The plane, his muddled brain supplies. The engine blowing out as they came up on the North Shore. Plane crash? No. He remembers falling, remembers the parachute. Danny!
"Danny. Where's-" Steve's abrupt attempt to move is cut off by the sharp pain in his chest, but he doesn't need to get out the rest of his statement as a split second later Danny's bruised face comes into view.
"I'm right here, buddy. Take it easy." Danny's hand wraps around his left one and gives it a reassuring squeeze.
A sigh of relief slips passed his lips and Steve instantly relaxes back against the bed. He closes his eyes for a minute against the pounding in his head. Now that he's fully aware, each ache and pain is coming to life with a vengeance. When he feels Danny's hand giving his a little squeeze, Steve manages the strength to open his eyes again. He tries to turn his head to look over at Danny, but a sharp pain stops him short. It's only then that he notices the brace around his neck and the sling holding his right arm secure to his body. Steve frowns down at his arm for a minute before flicking his eyes over Danny in question.
"You got yourself pretty busted up there, Super SEAL," Danny says, his tone not quite matching the jovialness of his words.
"Are you okay?" Steve asks, eyes flickering the best they can over his partner.
In response, Danny rolls his eyes. "You're the one in the hospital bed and you're asking if I'm okay? Damn it, Steve." Danny's more worried than angry, but he puts up a good front for a moment. Then a small smile slips back on to his face as he nods at Steve. "Minor concussion, some bumps and bruises, and a dislocated knee. Not bad for my first attempt at a landing, right? It seems I fared better than the one who survived jump school!"
At Steve's confused look, Danny sighs in exasperation. "Really, Steven?" Danny shakes his head. "You've got four busted ribs and a broken collarbone, a sprained neck, and a pretty decent concussion, not to mention the countless stitches it took to close the gashes on your hands and numerous bumps and bruises covering the rest of your body!"
"Sixteen stitches," Kono supplies, amused. "To each hand."
Steve looks from his teammates down at the bandaged left hand and remembers pulling hard on the canopy lines to try and get his chute deployed the rest of the way but he doesn't remember actually cutting up his hands. "My chute malfunctioned," Steve states. "The canopy didn't deploy all the way and I tried to manipulate the cords to get it out. I must've cut my hands then."
Chin nods along. "Yeah, that's what we figured. One of the Search and Rescue teams found your chute tangled up in a tree. They said it was pretty shredded and it was amazing that you survived, let alone getting the both of you to high ground to call for help." Chin's face doesn't betray much, but his eyes do; they speak volumes of wonder and amazement at Steve' actions. Next to him, Kono is sharing the same look.
Steve's not quite sure what he did to receive such admiration from his teammates and looks to Danny for help. Danny, though, looks equal parts grateful and concerned and isn't offering him much to go on. He tries to think back to what happened but all he can draw up are a few fuzzy, disjointed moments. He remembers the chute malfunctioning and fighting with the cords, he remembers waking up in a tree, and bracing Danny's leg. He remembers walking and the world dipping in and out of focus, and dialing his phone.
An uncomfortable silence descends over the room as Steve fights with his memories. It's only broken as Chin clears his throat quietly and heads for the door, Kono in tow, with the excuse of finding Steve's doctor. Danny shifts, the chair squeaking under the shifted weight, and leans closer to the bed.
"Do you remember what happened, Steve?"
"No," Steve states simply. "Not much any way, just bits and pieces. It's all a bit hazy."
"Yeah, the doc said that might happen because of the concussion." Danny's silent for a moment, lost in thought. "You saved my life, Steven." Danny looks up at Steve, face serious. "I don't remember all of it, but I know for a fact that you are what got us out of there. I remember you bracing my leg and helping me walk through the jungle. At one point I must've passed out because all I remember is walking and then waking up in the ER. They said you must've carried me farther up the mountain to get a signal on your phone to call for help. If it wasn't for you … " Danny's voice breaks off. He's shaking his head like he can't even finish the thought.
Danny squeezes his hand as he relays all he knows and Steve just nods, some of the pieces coming together and making a bit more sense now. He knows he would do anything for Danny, including carrying him up a mountain if Danny couldn't do it under his own steam. He smiles at Danny and nods. He's at a loss for words at the gratitude he hears in Danny's voice; he's just relieved that Danny's okay.
"So how long until they spring me?" Steve ventures to ask a few minutes later.
Danny jerks his head up to look at him like he's crazy, but still asks, "Why? Something more important you gotta do?"
"Yeah," Steve states matter-of-factly. "I gotta show you how a proper landing fall works for the next time we go skydiving."
Danny let's out a bark of surprised laughter and shakes his head in disbelief. "Never again, Super SEAL. Never again."
H*5*0
End.