A/N: It's been a while since I've written anything - I'm trying to find my voice.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.
Chin stood silently at the entrance of the waiting room, watching as his friend and co-worker, Danny Williams, paced the tiny room. Blond hair stood up wildly from impatient hands being dragged through it. When he'd been standing there for several moments without being noticed Chin cleared his throat and took a step further into the room.
Danny looked up, "Chin."
"How you doin' brah?"
Danny let loose a short bark of mirthless laughter as he ran his hand through his hair yet again, "Me? I'm just great! Sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, again. Waiting for some word from a doctor on how my partner is doing, again. Because he ran head long into danger, again!"
Chin released a sigh, "We have played out this scene a few too many times already."
"Damn it! What was he thinking running into that building without a vest?"
Chin dropped a comforting hand on the shorter man's shoulder, "He was thinking that he had people to save."
"One minute, Chin. That's all I was asking him to wait, one minute so that he could put on a vest…" Danny's voice dropped off.
"Steve's got his own set of rules, Danny. I'm not claiming to understand them, but as long as there were people in danger in that building, waiting even a minute to him was unacceptable."
Danny dropped tiredly in the chair, "I get that, I do. It's our job to protect people, it's what we signed up for, but we also have a responsibility to ourselves, to those that love us."
Chin took the open seat next to Danny, "Ah yes, and that's the real stickler isn't it?"
Danny was quiet for a long moment then turned to look at the other man, "C'mon Chin, enough with the riddles. If you've got something to say, just say it."
Chin locked eyes with the blond detective, "Our team, we're really tight, more like family, yeah?"
Danny merely nodded his head and waited for the other man to continue, "Any one of us would gladly take a bullet for another member of our team, and we would die for each other."
Danny dragged his hand down his face, "Yeah? What's your point?"
Chin was quiet for a minute, "Did you ever stop to think about what Steve has to live for? I've got Alorah, Kono she's got Ben, even you Danny, you have Gracie. Each of us have someone to live for, except Steve."
Danny didn't respond as Chin's words played over and over in his head, yeah at one point he had lived only for Gracie, but now he had Steve to live for too. Didn't Steve realize that he had Danny to live for? Danny dropped his head back against the wall, would he even get the opportunity to tell Steve that he has someone to live for?
Chin stood, "I'm going to get some coffee, you want anything bruddah?"
Danny shook his head, "Naw, I'm good."
DWSM**DWSM
Nearly an hour later a tired looking surgeon stepped into the waiting room and called out, "Steve McGarrett."
Danny stood up, "I'm his partner, Danny Williams."
The doctor met worried blue eyes as he shook the detective's hand, "Doctor Steele."
Danny nodded then said, "How's he doin' doc'?"
"I won't lie to you Detective, Commander McGarrett isn't out of danger yet. There was a lot of internal damage from the bullets. I've done my part and repaired everything, now its up to your partner and his will to live."
Chin's words flashed in Danny's mind again, "Can I see him?"
It was on the tip of his tongue to refuse, but the honest despair he saw in the Detective's eyes changed his mind and the surgeon nodded, "Only for a few minutes, he needs to rest."
Danny followed the surgeon stopping outside of a glass pod, "Remember, Detective Williams, only a few minutes. You can see him again tomorrow."
Danny nodded his head then stepped inside the glass doors, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed. It was hard to see Steve like this, so quiet, so still. Hoses and wires seemed to be attached everywhere and Danny felt his heart catch in his throat. He stepped closer and gripped Steve's wrist, just so he could feel the warmth of his flesh and know that for now at least his partner was still alive.
Danny swallowed the lump then said, "Chin told me that maybe you feel like you don't have anything or anyone to live for." Danny lifted his hand to brush at the dark hair curling over Steve's forehead, "I just want you to know that's not true. Gracie needs you to live for her." Danny looked away blinking furiously at the tears that welled in his blue eyes, "I need you to live for me, Steve."