Ok, so is being stupid and will not let me update my other story. So in the meantime, here's this.
"Can we just stop?" Danny asked, holding up a hand.
"What?" Steve asked, obviously confused.
"Let's just take a moment to appreciate that I am getting to drive my own car. This is such a rare occurrence I feel that it must be observed." Danny said, a grin spreading across his face.
"Yeah, alright Danno. Once this stupid bet is over, you'll be back where you belong. The passenger seat fits you so much better." Steve said with a smile and wink. The bet that had gotten Steve booted from the driver's seat had been his idea in the first place. He had been so damn sure that as a fairly high ranking naval officer, he could beat a Jersey cop in Battleship. Apparently not. Either Danny was secretly an incredible military strategist, he was cheating, or the game was, as Danny had said, simply a matter of luck. Steve had immediately discounted the first two options. Danny? Military strategy? No. And say what you will about the loud mouth detective, but Danny Williams was no cheater. Luck it was then. Steve smiled to himself then turned to Danny to hand over the precious keys. Then a single loud crack! shattered the evening calm. Danny looked at Steve for a moment.
"What?" then he fell forward into Steve's arms. Heart pounding, Steve dragged Danny behind Chin's enormous van and inspected his partner. The shirt had been a soft blue moments ago. Now, an ugly dark red stain spread across his chest. Heart hammering, Steve yanked off his button down shirt and pressed it into the gaping hole.
"God, Danny. Stay with me!" Danny's eyes were open, but they weren't tracking well and he looked beyond confused. Steve pressed down harder as more and more blood seeped out of Danny's body.
"Come on man. Can you hear me? Danny, I need you to focus buddy!" There was no response. Just the same dazed and lost expression. He had seen this before. In the eyes of the men who had died in his arms. Then Chin and Kono came sprinting out of the palace and took shelter behind the car with them. That seemed to bring Danny back to awareness.
"Steve? What…what happened?" His voice was barely a whisper.
"It's okay Danny. You're okay." Steve said soothingly as he pushed his friend back down.
"Di' I g-get shot?" Steve didn't need to answer. Danny could see it in his eyes.
"You're gonna be just fine Danny. Hang in there pal." Danny didn't have the energy to answer. There was another loud crack! And a bullet shattered the van's window straight above them. In a moment, Chin and Kono were running, weapons drawn, towards the shooter's position. When they were within ten yards of the building the shooter was using to fire from, a burst of automatic fire pinned them down behind a truck. None of them had their phones on them. None of them could call for backup. With herculean effort, Danny pulled his eyes back to Steve.
"You gotta go. They n-need help. They need you." Danny's voice was nothing now, a breeze through dry, dead branches.
"No, Danny. I'm not leaving you."
"Steve, I'm n'gonna make it. Don't waste your time on the dying. Go take care of the living."
"Shut up Danny. You're gonna be fine. Help has to be on its way with all the gunfire. You'll be fine, just stay with me." Steve pleaded in denial. Danny was not giving up. Danny coughed. It was harsh and wet. Blood flew out and splattered his lips.
"I'm gonna die. Know that. But you guys shouldn't have to die because of me. Go. You can save them."
"Danny-"
"Juss make sure you tell Gracie that Danno l-loves his monkey…" Danny's eyes slipped closed. Steve frantically felt for a pulse. It was there, but only just. Placing Danny's limp hands over the balled up shirt, he said,
"I'll be back buddy." With that, Steve took off at top speed. Instead of rushing foolishly to Chin and Kono, he ran back towards the palace. Like a madman, he ascended the stairs and went to one of the big windows in his office. Taking a second to aim, he fired and all of the sudden, the gunfire ceased. Not even taking the time to feel guilty for taking a life, Steve ran for all he was worth back down to his partner.
"Danny!" he yelled as he slid to his knees next to his unmoving friend. He shook Danny's shoulders. "Come on, don't do this Danny!" He started CPR and in the background, he heard someone calling for an ambulance. One minute…nothing. Two minutes…nothing. Three minutes…nothing. Four…nothing. Five…a wet gasp and a few weak coughs.
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"We're losing him." Danny had heard these words many times before. He had heard it as friends died. As a good cop bled out on the table. As a scumbag who needed to testify struggled for life. So many times.
"Put pressure there. No, there. Harder damnit!" But it had never been Danny feeling the icy darkness tear at him. It had never been he who had clung to doctors' every word as he hoped against hope that he would last another minute. So many times.
"Come on, Danno. Please, don't do this!" That voice. He knew that voice. That voice was safety and warmth and trust. Though he knew that that was the very last voice he should relax around, nevertheless, he let the darkness claim him.
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Beep. Whoosh. Beep. Whoosh. The achingly familiar sounds of the ICU room filled Steve's ears. Except for a few minutes in which Chin and Kono had led his shocked and unresisting body away to clean the blood off, he had been with Danny since he had come in. Three days. Steve hadn't slept. He looked like hell. Felt like it too. Funny, Chin and Kono had cleaned off the blood, but it was still there, tattooed on his arms and hands, his face. Everywhere. Danny's blood. Danny's life. He stared at the utter wrongness that was Danny Williams in a hospital bed, small and frail, with tubes and IVs everywhere. What struck Steve the most were Danny's hands. Always in motion and telling you just how he felt. Now they were still. Wrong.
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Five days. Ten days. The alien breathing tube was removed and replaced with an oxygen mask. Fifteen. Steve was worrying them all. Rarely eating. Only sleeping when his body forced him. The doctors were this close to admitting him. But he couldn't leave Danny. Not again. Last time…Steve didn't want to think about it. Twenty days. Twenty long days. Steve sat next to Danny's bed.
"So my dad pulls out his hammer of all things. And dad, Mr. 'I'm a big tough cop', sat down next to Mary and pounded every last dent out of that Barbie car. And then he sat down and played with her. He was Ken. Later, my G.I. Joes parachuted in and invaded. I guess that's my favorite memory of him." As Steve wrapped up his story, he didn't realize that two blue eyes were watching him.
"Don't lie, Steven. Doris has shown me pictures of you with Barbies. I do believe you favored the red head." Steve jumped in surprise at the weak and muffled accusation.
"Danny!"
"Hey." was all Danny had the energy for.
"Hey? That's all you have to say after all this time? Jesus, Danny. And you I'm going to send you to an early grave."
"How long've I been out? Must've been a while if you've started ranting. By the way, you're not looking so good buddy. You alright?"
"Says the guy who looks like death warmed over and is barely strong enough to talk. To answer your question, twenty days."
"Damn…and have you slept at all during that time, Steven? Passing out doesn't count."
"No, he hasn't." Said a voice from the door. There stood Chin and Kono, broad grins pasted on their faces.
"How are you feeling, Danny? You had us pretty worried." Chin asked, giving him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder.
"I'm good. You guys are the ones who look like crap."
"Ever the charmer." Kono smiled.
"Steve…you alright buddy? You kinda look crazy right now." Steve's ridiculously huge smile spread even wider across his unshaven face.
"I'm just thinking that our little bet is gonna have to wait. Looks like the Camaro's mine for the next few months seeing as you can't drive." Steve's tone belied the relief that he felt at even having Danny alive to make that joke to.
"Yeah yeah, live it up Barbie boy." Danny retorted weakly, but it was said with affection. The other shook their heads.
"Try as I might, I will never understand you two." Chin said. Steve and Danny just smiled.
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