Truth Be Told
Danny opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. The bright fluorescent lights of the hospital room he found himself in assaulted his sensitive eyes and he quickly closed them again. The room was quiet except for the steady, rhythmic beeping coming from the machine beside his bed and while he knew that beeping represented the beating of his own heart and he should be grateful that it was still beating at all, there was something unnerving about listening to his own heartbeat. He didn't like it. At all.
Slowly, he opened his eyes again and turned to where he knew Steve would be. And of course, he was. Sound asleep.
"Steve." Danny tried to call out to him, but his voice came out only as a soft whisper.
Taking a deep breath, and swallowing to alleviate his parched mouth, both of which hurt immensely, Danny tried again.
"Steve!"
Steve clearly heard him this time. He jumped from his chair and was at Danny's bedside almost instantly.
"Yeah! Danno! I'm here. I'm right here."
Danny rolled his eyes.
"I know you're here you putz! You've been here the last 5 times I've opened my eyes. I would have said something sooner but they had that stupid tube down my throat."
Steve smiled. It was so good to hear Danny being his old cranky self.
"I did not like that by the way." Danny said of the aforementioned tube down his throat. "I didn't like it at all."
Steve smile and tried to blink away his tears as he reached out and brushed Danny's blond hair back off his forehead.
"I know pal. I'm sorry. But you weren't breathing on your own so it was kind of a necessary evil."
"Hey. Are you crying?" Danny asked him, reaching out with his fingers to wipe a tear that was making its way down Steve's cheek. "Babe! Don't cry. I'm fine. It's all good."
"It's not all good Danny! " Steve exclaimed. "It is far from good! This is the second time in less than a month that you nearly died right in front of me!"
"OK." Danny replied with a nod. "But in my defense, you nearly died on that boat too Babe. I just had the good sense to pass out first so I wouldn't have to watch you."
"Danny! That's not funny! I'm being serious here!"
"OK! OK! I'm sorry." Danny insisted. "I'm just trying to make you smile. I don't like it when you're upset like this."
"Well I am upset! OK? I can't do this anymore. It's like God is trying to send me a message something and I just keep ignoring it."
"What message would that be? Just let him die already and put yourself out of your misery?"
Steve frowned.
"You're doing it again."
"Sorry. I just…I don't know what you're talking about? God is sending you messages? About what?"
"About you! About me! Us!"
"What about us?"
Steve sighed and buried his head in his hands.
"Babe…what?" Danny asked, placing his hand on Steve's head.
"I've almost lost you twice now…and you never would have known."
"Known what?"
"That I love you!" Steve exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the bed. "OK? I love you!"
"Yeah…" Danny said with a hint of apprehension in his voice. "Well I know that. I love you too."
Steve shook his head.
"No. You're not getting what I'm saying Danno. I love you. OK? When I picture myself twenty, thirty years from now, I picture myself with you. OK? Not Lynn, not Catherine. You!"
Danny just stared at him a moment. Finally he uttered the only word he could manage.
"Oh."
"Shit! What the hell am I doing?" Steve wondered aloud as he got up from his chair and made his way over the window. When he turned back, Danny's eyes were closed.
"Danny?"
"I'm still here." Danny replied. "I'm just…you know…trying to process what you said. Which is really hard to do at the moment with all these drugs they have pumping into me right now."
"Awe buddy." Steve said, making his way back to Danny's side. "I'm sorry. Your right. This was not the time or place to talk about this."
"No it's fine." Danny insisted.
"No it's not." Steve replied. "Listen…just get some rest. OK. I'm sorry. We can talk about this later. Or not." He quickly added.
"No. We will definitely talk about this." Danny assured him. "Although you may have to refresh my memory on what we were talking about."
Steve slumped his shoulder and his jaw dropped.
"Seriously?" He asked Danny. The last thing he wanted to do was admit all that again.
Danny chuckled.
"Nah! I'm just messing with ya."
Steve smiled and placed his hand on Danny's shoulder.
"Get some rest. I'll be back later." He turned to leave but before he could, Danny reach out and grabbed his wrist.
"Steve."
"Yeah." Steve replied, turning back to face him.
"I do too." And before Steve could ask him, Danny clarified. "When I think about my future, it's with you. It's always with you."