A/N: I loved the Season 6 finale, but was left feeling a little disappointed and wanted Steve and Danny to continue their conversation. I loved hero Danny in the episode (and always!) and hoped he'd get some recognition for that - not just for the liver donation but his decision, and capability, to land the plane on the beach.
Fifilla told me this was good enough to post but there's been no real beta on this story which means all mistakes are my own, as always.
Danny reached over and tugged the curtain over to stop his partner's conversation.
"You do realize the curtain doesn't block sound, right?"
Danny leaned his head back and grabbed his left side as broken ribs protested the movement.
"I know you can still hear me." Steve's peeved voice sounded from the other side of the curtain.
Danny opened his mouth to answer but the only sound that came out was a groan as the pain in his side flared and stole his breath.
"Danny?" The curtain twitched and then slid back again. "Danny! Hang on, I'll call the nurse."
Danny shook his head and gasped, "No, it's okay. It's just a stitch in the side." He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on controlling his breathing.
"The hell it is."
Danny cracked open an eye. "What are you, my doctor now?" He massaged his side and shifted as the pain started to recede.
I know you have broken ribs, Danny." Steve stared at him, the stupid soap opera droning in the background.
"Not the first time." He smiled. "Probably won't be the last either since you're my partner."
"Yeah." Steve nodded. "Listen, Danny. They told me what you did for me."
"I gave you part of my liver. I thought we'd established that a long time ago, you doofus."
"No..."
"Oh, you mean crashing the plane," Danny evaded. "I knew you'd give me grief about that. So I'm not the pilot you are. I thought that..."
"Would you shut up and listen to me."
Danny thought about ignoring him and shrugging off where he sensed the conversation was headed, but one look at Steve's face and he let him continue.
"Standard procedure would have been to ditch in the ocean." Steve shifted more to his side to get a better look at his partner. There was a hint of a dare in his voice, "I'm surprised Air Traffic Control didn't tell you to do that."
"They did."
"They did, huh?"
"Yes, they did," Danny affirmed. "But I wouldn't do it. I couldn't do it."
"Danny..."
"No, Steve." Danny held up a hand. "You were unconscious, unresponsive, and for all I knew, dead. But I couldn't just ditch in the ocean and abandon you."
"So you risked your fool neck and landed on the beach."
"Well, you know me, I hate the ocean."
Steve chuckled and then pressed a hand to his abdomen and coughed lightly, "Yeah, you do."
"Sorry, buddy."
"No," Steve held up a hand. "No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long to say this... Thank you. Thank you for saving my life. Twice. You managed to land that plane and get me help in time, you got the bad guys and then you gave me part of your liver."
"All in a day's work."
"I'm proud of you, buddy. And more thankful than I can say that you gave me part of your liver... I'll try to take care of it."
There was a knock on the door followed by a nurse sticking her head in the room, "Good evening, gentlemen. Time for your medicine."
"Good. "Steve pointed at Danny and winked. "I don't suppose you could give him medicine for his attitude?"
"Bite me, Steven."
"See what I mean?"
"I'll see what I can do." The nurse checked Danny's vitals before passing him the little paper cup and a glass of water to take his medicine. She nodded as he obediently swallowed them and jotted a couple of notes in the computer before moving over to Steve's side.
Steve also swallowed his medicine and watched as she injected another medicine into his IV line. "What's that one?"
"That's your anti-rejection medicine."
"Oh, no chance of that." Steve smiled as he settled back on the pillow again. "Danny would kill me if I dared reject his oh-so-generous gift."
"Got that right, partner." Danny smiled back at him and pulled his covers up some more as he felt the medicine make him sleepy.
"Rest, gentlemen," the nurse told them as she dimmed the light and then closed the door quietly behind her.
"Thanks, partner," Steve said and then cracked an eye open to glance over. "Love you, buddy."
"Glad you're okay, buddy. Love you, too." Danny mumbled as sleep overtook him.