Title: Been There, Done That
Fandom: Hawaii 5-0
Characters: Steve, Danny
Rating: PG-13 for language
Spoilers/Warnings: none
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the TV show Hawaii Five-0 or its characters. This is a work of fiction, written purely for entertainment and nothing more.
Word Count: 2400 words
Prompt: #5 – Sprain for Injuries Table
Summary: written for 10_hurt_comfort; "Oh really? Because last time I saw a joint looking that bad it was my own with a torn ligament!" Danny doesn't yell really, just presses his point home loudly, the hand holding the phone jutting out accusingly at Steve.
Somehow, it always ends up in a chase. Well to be completely accurate, it always ends with Steve giving chase and Danny a few paces behind with handcuffs at the ready for when Steve finally tackles the bastard. It's more of a routine now and Danny's learned to expect it, to anticipate when his partner will give that final push, flying through the air like a spider monkey and tackling their suspect to the ground. This time proves not to be much different from the first hundred times it has happened.
It starts simply enough. They go to the address Chin gave them of a known dealer who was connected to their victim. Danny goes to the front door of the ground level apartment while Steve hovers near the back, just waiting for the guy to rabbit.
Danny barely knocks, "Detective Williams, Five-0, open up", when he hears the sure signs of movement on the other side of the door. There's a clatter, a muted curse, then Steve yelling his name as feet pound across the parking lot.
"Danny!"
Danny runs around the side of the building in time to see their suspect fleeing up the sidewalk, Steve hot on his heels. Cursing a blue streak under his breath, Danny calls for back up, "Suspect fleeing on foot, Five-0 in pursuit", before he climbs in the car and flies up the street.
He figures a block gives Steve enough of a cushion to make his move and pulls over to the side of the road. Getting out, Danny moves around to the sidewalk and leans against the car casually, just waiting.
He doesn't have to wait too long. He hears the commotion before he sees it, people yelping, cursing, and yelling at the maniac pushing them out of the way. After another moment, he can make out their dealer through the crowd, Steve only a few paces behind and closing in fast.
Danny takes his time sliding his gun from its holster and unclipping his badge from its resting place on his hip. Stepping away from the car, Danny points both of them toward their perp and watches with a hint of amusement as the guy's eyes widen, his face registering the shock of the new cop in front of him.
With a new threat in sight, the dealer darts out into the middle of the busy street, narrowly avoiding two cars along the way. Cars screech to a halt, horns blaring, and there is Steve right in the thick of things, sliding across the hood of a taxi, never breaking stride. Danny follows at a more sedate pace, holding up his badge to halt traffic for another moment.
As he's crossing the street, Danny watches as Steve makes his move, leaping over the low concrete wall between the street and the beach, tackling their runner into the sand. There's a short scuffle, sand flying in all directions as they roll around. After a moment, Steve comes out on top, kneeling on their suspect as he pins the dealer's hands behind his back. In the distance, Danny can hear the sounds of sirens; that's their back up arriving a few minutes too late.
Shaking his head, Danny clips his badge back on his belt and holsters his gun in favor of pulling out his handcuffs. He takes the three creaky wooden stairs down to the sand, cuffs swinging from his fingers.
When Steve spots him, he just smirks. "Book 'em, Danno!"
Danny resists the urge to roll his eyes and instead, kneels down to clap the cuffs on their suspect's wrists, reading him his rights as he goes. It's only out of the corner of his eye, as he's pulling their perp to his feet, that he catches Steve pulling himself upright, face pulling tight in a wince as he gets to his feet. Danny opens his mouth, smartass comments about old age on his lips, when two HPD officers jog up to him. Temporarily distracted by handing off their guy for booking, the moment passes by without comment.
By the time Danny gets back to the car, Steve's already in the passenger seat, phone pressed to his ear. He obligingly puts it on speaker as Danny slides in the driver's seat and registers Chin over the line discussing a new lead and rattling off yet another address of a known "associate" of their late victim. Danny sighs knowing it's just going to be another one of those days.
It's not until they are back at HQ that Danny notices another wince cross his partner's face, as he's getting out of the car. Danny stays a few paces behind Steve as they walk into the building under the guise of fiddling with his phone. He keeps his eyes on Steve's uneven gait as he strides stiffly into the building. It takes him a minute to realize that Steve is almost limping, favoring his right knee which doesn't look to be bending all that well.
Steve nods to Chin and Kono as they enter, but keeps heading straight for his office, Danny following only a step behind. He stands by the door for a minute, quietly watching as Steve eases himself down into the chair behind his desk, keeping his right knee outstretched. He watches as Steve gently kneads the joint, face creasing in discomfort as he does so.
"Well, let's see it," Danny finally breaks the silence, watching as Steve snaps his head up in surprise.
"See what, Danny?" Steve asks, feigning ignorance as he pulls his hand away from his knee and looks around his desk for something to make him look busy.
"You've been favoring that knee since this morning, don't think I haven't noticed. So I repeat, let's see it." Danny takes a few steps into the office, coming to lean his hip against the side of the desk.
Steve looks a little disgruntled as he shuffles some papers around but makes no move to acquiesce Danny's request. When Danny plants a hand on the middle of his papers, Steve looks up and knows Danny means business.
"Its fine, Danny-"
"You have two options here, Steven. Either prove to me that your knee is fine or I'm hauling your ass to the ER." Danny states calmly, only the hint of steel in his eye belies how serious he is.
Steve thinks about protesting but there is a tone in Danny's voice that warns him not to. Instead, he leans down and starts to pull his pant leg up.
"That's not gonna work." Danny smirks at Steve's confused stare. "Been there, done that babe. If your knee is as swollen as I think it is, you're not gonna get your pant leg up much higher." He looks down at his own knee meaningfully and realization dawns on Steve's face.
Steve stands up, face pinching with pain as his knee flexes. His hands go to his belt, starting to unfasten it when he pauses. He glances up at Danny before looking pointedly towards the glass door of his office and their two staring teammates on the other side of it. When Danny barks out a laugh, Steve frowns darkly at him.
"Sorry babe. Didn't know you were shy." Despite his words, Danny saunters over to the door and gives Chin and Kono a wink before drawing the shades on the door and the windows.
When he turns back around, Steve's standing there next to his desk with the waist of his pants bunched in his fists nervously, still at his hips. He suddenly looks unsure and it's only Steve's obvious discomfort that keeps Danny's laughter held tightly behind his lips. He swallows the laugh and walks back over to Steve waiting patiently for him to move.
"I promise you'll leave with your virtue intact. Just drop your pants already, McGarrett!" Danny can't keep the mirth out of his voice and watches as Steve's tight posture relaxes a fraction.
Before he can change his mind, Steve drops the hold he's got on his pants letting them gather around his ankles. He glances down and sighs heavily at his appendage. His knee, just as Danny predicted, is swollen and bruising a deep purple. It's not all that bad; he's definitely had worse injuries and kept on going, but it's also not something that he can easily ignore until it goes away. He hears Danny make a small grunt of empathy and looks up to meet his eyes.
"That's pretty bad, babe." Danny crouches down, bad knee groaning loudly in protest, to get a better look. He barely touches the inflamed joint, just skims his fingers along the purpling skin. "You should get ice on that right away," he murmurs as he stands again and pulls out his phone, scrolling through the contacts. "I'll call and see if my doctor can fit you in tonight."
Danny starts heading for the door when Steve reaches out to stop him.
"I don't need a doctor," he protests, but Danny cuts of the words with the raise of his eyebrow.
"Oh really? Because last time I saw a joint looking that bad, it was my own with a torn ligament!" Danny doesn't yell really, just presses his point home loudly, the hand holding the phone jutting out accusingly at Steve. "Don't need a doctor, my ass," he mumbles heading for the door again. "You'll go see the doctor and get it taken care of or I'll be on the phone with Governor." It's an idle threat, they both know it, but somewhere along the way, Danny got his point across, and Steve acquiesces somewhat gracefully.
"Where are you going?" Steve asks, voice quiet after the storm of Danny's mini tirade.
Danny cracks a smile then, staring back at Steve, the closest he ever comes to pouting, with his pants around his ankles and standing awkwardly on his swollen joint. He can't help the chuckle that slides passed his defenses and just shakes his head.
"I'm just going to get you some ice, Super Seal. Now sit down before you fall down. I'll be back in a minute."
True to his word, Danny comes back a few minutes later, an ice pack in one hand, a bundle of grey fabric tucked under his arm, and his phone pressed between his ear and his shoulder. He drops the ice pack on the edge of the desk and the bundle of fabric into Steve's lap as he ends the call.
"Uh huh. Yeah that's great. Thanks again, Sandy. We'll see you soon." He slips the phone back into his pocket and directs his attention back to Steve. "You have an appointment at 4:45 with Dr. Oh." He pulls a pill bottle out of his pocket and shakes it for emphasis. "Ibuprofen. Take two now, it'll help with the swelling."
Steve nods his head, taking it all in, as he unfolds the bundle in his lap. "Sweat pants?" He queries, confused.
Danny nods as he kneels down next to Steve's feet and starts unlacing Steve's boots without asking. "Yeah, trust me. You'll need them later." Without elaborating, he slides Steve's boots and cargo pants off and straightens the swollen knee out carefully. He slides an extra chair over and gently levers the injured limb up onto the cushioned surface before easing the ice pack into place.
Steve instinctively stiffens at the ministrations and the sudden cold on his inflamed knee, but relaxes again as the ice works it magic. He nods at Danny's silent question, 'Yeah, I'm good', and swallows down two ibuprofen like a good little soldier.
"Ice it on and off every 15 minutes," Danny instructs him as he folds up Steve's cargo pants, draping them over the back of the chair. "I'll be back for you in about an hour. Don't move! If you need anything, call." He points towards Steve's office phone for emphasis as he heads towards the door.
"Thanks Danno," Steve murmurs as he relaxes back into his chair.
Danny just nods in reply as he slides out the door.
Two hours later Steve finds himself sitting on a paper covered exam table in his boxers and t-shirt. His injured knee is stretched out on the table, propped up by rolled up towels and swathed in ice packs and ace bandages. The doctor has poked and prodded his knee then sent him off for a scan. He'd been sitting here ever since, counting the stripes on the wall and the dots on the tile floor in an attempt to stave off boredom and focus on something other than the fiery ache in his joint.
The door swings open a minute later revealing Danny, Dr. Oh a few paces behind. Danny takes the seat in the corner while Dr. Oh flips through a file and hangs up scans on the light board.
"The good news is that there are no significant tears," the doctor states, jumping right into the conversation as he stares at the grey images.
"And the bad news?" Danny asks before Steve can even think to ask it.
Dr. Oh turns around then, tucking the scans back into the file. "You've got a second-degree sprain. There are a few minor tears in the ligaments but they should heal on their own with no problems. Sandy will fit you for a brace. You'll be laid up for a week or so but that's about it." He scribbles something down on a prescription pad and hands it over to Steve along with his discharge papers. "Anti-inflammatories and pain meds. Take them as prescribed. Rest that knee completely for a few days and keep icing it." He shakes Steve's hand with a smile as he slips out of the room.
The nurse Sandy comes in a minute later with a brace, showing Steve how to put it on before giving him a minute to pull his clothes back on. Steve is sliding off the table to his feet when she comes in a minute later with a cane in hand. At the sight of it, Steve glowers but Danny barks out a laugh.
"Don't even say it, Danny," Steve growls out a warning but Danny is already out of the room leaving Steve to hobble a few unsteady paces behind him.
End.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please feel free to leave a comment, I love getting feedback. This is my first Hawaii 5-0 fic so please let me know what you think!