So a bit of a longer one-shot. Couldn't decide if I wanted to make this two chapters or just one big long story but I decided on a big long one.
I'm impatient you see, and I love reading a story all at once. So here it is and I hope you enjoy. Thanks to all who're reading and who've read my other stories and one shots.
I'm not a doctor so any medical mistakes or stretches of the imagination (Come on, like all book, TV or movie writers don't do the exact same thing...) I beg forgiveness and I do respect those professionals out there!
Dear: lanteaddict, thanks for the idea of blinding Steve... mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha *hack cough* Yes... well... spoiler alert? *grins*
Enjoy,
Oz
If you were to ask a solider how they wanted to die you would probably get one of two responses. Firstly they wouldn't hesitate at the morbid question as they know what they are and know the dangers that they are faced with every time they load their rifle, switch of the safety and go to war. One response would be; "I'd like to die in the arms of my family after a long and storied military career." The other response would be; "And if that's not possible, in a great big friggin' blaze of glory!"
Danny remembered having that conversation with Steve once. He remembered it clear as day and oddly enough it had been the Navy SEAL who'd brought it up. They'd been sitting in the Camaro on a stake out when Commander Buzz Kill suddenly said;
"Hey Danno... how would you want to die?" Danny had in turn launched into the mother of all rants about what kind of animal asks that kind of question and what exactly was wrong with Steve. Steve in turn had backed down from the conversation and they'd fallen into a comfortable silence. Fifteen minutes later, Danny couldn't let the question go. He sighed and without giving Steve the satisfaction of looking the man in the eye, Danny replied;
"Old, fat and happy." For some reason this brought a smile to his partner's face and when Danny returned the question in kind Steve's answered was a bit more confusing and curious.
"Quick," he answered simply. "No machines, no endless surgeries, no suffering, just... blink and it's goodbye for this sailor." This set Danny off on another rant about Steve thinking he was invincible and if that death "G*d forbid and touch wood" were to happen it would undoubtedly be because the Navy SEAL had decided his skin was bullet proof and run off into an impossible situation without backup.
The rant had Steve grinning from ear to ear which only served to enrage the detective even more particularly when the Commander parroted his favorite line; "You are the back-up Danno."
Fortunately they'd both been spared the third rant that was bubbling in Danny's gut when their suspect had run out of the building they were watching. A car chase, a foot chase and an impressive flying tackle later they had their man and were heading back to H.P.D. the conversation on death long since forgotten.
Forgotten until the exact moment Danny found himself in now.
This was not how it was supposed to happen, not for him and not for his partner.
It was no blaze of glory, it was no warm and fuzzy all it was stupidity and pain. They hadn't even been chasing a suspect or working a case. A half hour ago, Steve had ambled into his office and demanded food. Having no wish to face an unfed Navy SEAL, Danny dutifully took up his badge and gun, asked Chin and Kono what they wanted then headed out.
They'd been arguing over which was America's true sport; baseball or football, when it happened.
All the detective could remember was Steve barking out a cry of surprise before jerking the wheel hard left. The accident had thankfully not been too bad. A business man who'd just gotten back from the mainland and hadn't slept in almost two days had fallen asleep at the wheel. He'd swerved into the on coming lane and was headed straight for a minivan filled with school kids on a class trip.
Steve, being the man that he was, had put the Camaro between the out of control car and the van to which Danny was certain he would have done exactly the same. It never ceased to amaze Danny how, even in the split second Steve had to make that harrowing decision he'd also factored in his partner's safety. Both cars had been travelling at decent speeds and some how Steve not only managed to use the momentum of the Camaro to clear the out of control car away from the van, but he'd made sure the impact was on the driver's side.
The vehicle had come to a crushing halt as it got pinned between a brick wall and the other car. Shockingly, as Danny tried to stop his heart from exploding, aside from being unable to get out of the car and a decent size gash from broken glass on his arm, the detective was unharmed. So was the driver of the other car it seemed as the man leapt out of his vehicle with a look of absolute shame and fear on his face.
"Nice driving partner," Danny breathed. However when Danny finally remembered all his body parts were still in working order and he turned his head, he found Steve slumped over the steering wheel out cold. "Steve?" the detective croaked. The SEAL didn't even twitch and suddenly, Danny's amazement that he was still alive was gone. "Eh Steve? STEVE!" Nothing… which was strange; Danny couldn't see blood on the man beside him nor could he see any discernible injury. Steve was simply flat-out unconscious.
Suddenly a different man than the driver of the first car was leaning on the hood of the car drawing Danny's attention away from his partner. Only then did the detective realize how big of a crowed had started forming on the now blocked main road.
"Hang on buddy, ambulance and fire are on their way," the man said with an official tone. "My name's Aaron I'm an off duty fire fighter. How badly are you hurt?"
"I'm okay," Danny said. Except it came out much weaker than he'd liked. Clearing his throat the detective tried again; "I'm fine," he said more confidently. "My partner's out cold."
"Okay, we'll get you guys freed soon enough," Aaron the off duty fire-fighter said. "What's your name?"
"Detective Danny Williams," Danny replied. "My partner Steve McGarrett and I are with Five-0."
"Okay Danny I need you to reach over and see how Steve's pulse is doing," Aaron instructed. Danny mentally kicked himself for not checking that as soon as he'd found his friend unconscious. It would only be later would the detective realize Aaron was asking that question to find out if Steve was alive or dead. To assess who was the priority in this accident.
Thankfully, Danny found a steady thrum of a healthy heart under his fingertips and let out a breath.
"It's fast but it's there and strong," he replied.
"Good, that's good Danny," Aaron smiled. "You hear that?" the man asked as the distant sound of sirens got louder and louder. "Helps coming and these guys are from my house so you're going to get the red carpet treatment brah. I promise you that." Danny couldn't help but smile, calmed by firefighter's sunny disposition and relaxed but confident tone.
After a lot of crunching and scraping of metal and even more broken glass the two teammates of Five-0 were freed of their prison. It worried Danny that through all the noise and confusion Steve had remained unconscious. To that end, Steve was the first one removed from the vehicle, a neck brace attached to his neck as three fire fighters and a paramedic gently maneuvered the tall man out and onto a stretcher.
An hour later, Danny walked into the waiting room of the Queens Medical where Chin and Kono stood to meet him. After some stitching and a few scans, Danny had been cleared of any serious injury and released to wait for word on his partner's fate.
"Danny, brah are you alright?" Chin asked. Nodding tiredly the three Five-0 members took seats next to each other.
"Fine," Danny replied. "Any word on Steve?"
"All the doctor gave us was he's been taken for more scans," Kono replied. Danny sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Did he say if he'd woken up yet?" he asked. Chin and Kono just shook their heads causing a surge of emotion through the detective. "That idiot put himself in harms way to to keep me from getting hurt. Remind me to punch him in the face after I thank him for saving my life."
"Yours and a van full of kids," Chin added. "The driver of the rental fell asleep at the wheel. Witnesses at the scene said the car was heading straight for the van and would have hit if you guys hadn't done what you did."
"Well at least there's that," Danny grunted. Just then a man in scrubs appeared around the corner and walked directly toward the officers.
"Five-0?" he asked. "I'm Dr Marcus, I've been looking after the Commander." The team stood and Danny extended his hand which was accepted by the doctor.
"Danny Williams, Chin-Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua" he introduced. "How's Steve?" When the doctor's face didn't upturn into a smile, Danny knew something was wrong.
"All things considered, you two are very lucky men," Dr. Marcus started. "Other than a few cuts and scraps like yourself, the Commander only suffered a sprained wrist and a concussion."
"Okay," Danny said slowly. "If it were that simple we'd be heading home by now so what's the problem?" The doctor could obviously tell Danny was a no non-sense, give it to me straight kind of guy.
"The problem is the Commander hit the part of his brain that controls his sight," Dr. Marcus explained. Danny's face fell as far as his fellow teammates' faces did. "Currently the Commander-"
"Steve, call him Steve," Danny interrupted.
"Steve," the doctor corrected himself. "Currently Steve's pupils aren't reacting the way they should to light. Now it could be temporary and we'll get a better assessment when he wakes up but at the moment, I am concerned there is some vision impairment." Danny's breath caught in his throat, that couldn't possibly mean what he thought it meant. Testing the water, and being the only team member apparently able to speak at the moment, the detective cleared his throat.
"He's blind?" he asked.
"Potentially and also possibly temporarily," Dr. Marcus replied. "When the swelling starts to go down on the optic nerve we'll know what we're dealing with. In cases like this it's usually a three to four-day window for a patients sight to return."
"And if it doesn't come back in four days?" Danny blurted out. The doctor, no doubt used to situations like this raised his hands in a calming gesture.
"Let's not go there until we have too," he answered. "If we don't see improvement then options can be explored but for the moment w-"
"Excuse me Dr. Marcus?" The group turned around to a nurse with a stern look on her face. "Sorry to interrupt but Commander McGarrett is awake and... having difficulty."
"Where is he?" Danny asked immediately.
"This way," Dr. Marcus said without hesitation. Apparently the doctor also knew when to just go along with it rather than try to stop a man like Danny.
The detective heard a smash the second he exited the elevator and knew it had to be his partner. Breaking into a light jog Danny honed in on the sound like a missile and soon came around a curtain where Steve was clutching an instrument table. The contents of which were now all over the floor.
"You're making a mess, big guy," Danny tried. He was glad his partner couldn't see him wince when Steve spun around blindly flailing his arms out in front of him.
"Danny? Where are you?" he barked out. Danny moved forward carefully.
"Coming up on your right in three, two and one." When he reached the last number he put a hand on Steve's arm. Almost immediately the SEAL clutched Danny's hand and then his shoulder. The detective would never say it but Steve's grip was so tight it was actually a little but painful.
"Danny, the hell happened?" Steve squawked. "And why the hell can't I see?"
"Perhaps I can help you with that Commander," Dr. Marcus spoke up.
"Who is that? Who's there? Danny?" Steve had always been a pillar of calm and Danny had seen the man reign in his emotions under pretty tough situations but this was an entirely different realm for them. It appeared the Navy SEAL was desperately trying to stay calm but having a lot of trouble doing so.
"Steve this is Dr. Marcus," he's been looking after you. "Come on babe, let's get you back on the bed and he'll explain everything."
A day and a half later, Danny still sat dutifully at his friend's hospital bed side. Once everything had been explained to Steve the SEAL had lost it and in the end, needed to be sedated so he wouldn't hurt himself; himself or others. Something Danny was pretty sure the Doctor was also concerned about. While Chin and Kono had gone between their homes and the office, Danny refused to leave Steve because he knew the man would be doing exactly the same for him if the situations were reversed. The cousins had offered to stay as well but Danny knew Steve would want at least two of them continuing on their case load until he was better.
Moments ago, Steve had started twisting in his sleep so Danny had put down his magazine and patiently waited. A heartbeat later and two sightless eyes blinked open. Steve's brow furrowed and he raised a hand out into the air.
"Danny?" he called out.
"Right here babe," Danny replied. Though Steve's head turned toward his voice, his eyes found no purchase.
"Get me out of this damn hospital, NOW," the SEAL growled. Danny sighed, he knew this was coming but was a little surprised Steve had the balls to ask. This was the first time after waking up from sedation incurred by his melt down that the Commander actually seemed coherent. The first few times the man had fallen back to sleep moments later after making sure Danny was still at his side.
"They want to keep you for observation until your eyes start working again Steve," the detective replied. "This is the best place for-"
"The best place for me is somewhere familiar," Steve angrily interrupted. "So either you help or I call a cab." Danny leaned forward and put a hand on his partner's knee.
"Easy tough guy," he tried. "I'm not arguing with you here, you want to go home I'll see what the doctor says. If he says you need to stay then you stay okay?"
"NOT okay!" Steve yelled. He flailed his arms forcing Danny to duck around them. "This is NOT okay! I can't be here! I can't... I can't..." Steve shook his head and covered his sightless eyes before pulling his hands away. "I can't live like this Danny, I wont." Danny jerked his hand back as if it'd been burned.
"I'm sorry did you just intimate suicide? You're seriously going to sit there and tell me if and that is a very, very large if, this situation is permanent you're going to walk yourself into traffic? You!? Mr. I laugh in the face of danger while riding a Tiger shark strapped with explosives is going to pout like a toddler stomp your feet and tell me you'd rather be dead than blind?" the detective ranted. Steve's face soured a little more.
"I'm not saying that," he grunted. "I'm just saying... look I don't know what I'm saying okay? My heads friggin' killing me and I really just want to go home."
"I think you should stay," Danny came right back without sympathy. "They can put you on suicide watch, take away your shoelaces and feed you mushy peas."
"Really Danny? You're giving me crap because I'm upset about being blind?" Steve hissed.
"No," Danny said standing. "I'm giving you crap because you're an idiot and have automatically jumped to the conclusion that you're permanently blind. You haven't even given it twenty-four hours and you're already ready to eat your gun."
"Damn it Danny I'm not going to kill myself!" Steve yelled. Then he took a deep breath and another, Danny knew his partner was calming down at last. He also knew Steve was no quitter, whatever the injury; the man would never truly entertain the idea of ending his life. "I'm not," Steve repeated reaffirming Danny's thoughts, "I just... this sucks Danno, I mean it really sucks."
"Yeah," Danny replied with little else to say. After a pause of watching his partner try desperately not to freak out again, Danny gave the man a pat on the shoulder. "I'll talk to the doctor; see if I can bust ya out of here." Steve worked his jaw has he held his tender head before nodding slightly.
"Thanks partner," he replied quietly.
It took a fair bit of convincing and swearing up and down that Steve would be watched 24/7 until his eye sight returned or at least for the next four days. Giving the cousins a quick call to let them know what was going on and ask them if they could pick up a few things from his place, Danny finally took his troubled friend from the hospital.
The drive to Steve's place was done in silence. With Steve wearing sunglasses to protect his eyes and not speaking had Danny wonder more than once if his partner had fallen asleep.
But then the SEAL would shift in his seat, rub his temple and shake his head. It looked like a shake of disgust but Danny wasn't about to comment on it.
Finally they pulled into Steve's driveway and Danny turned the car off. With no other reason to avoid one another, Danny shifted to look at his friend.
"How do you want to do this?" He asked simply. Steve sighed heavily knowing exactly what the question meant.
"Just ah... Let me hold onto your shoulder," he replied with a clear loathing at the idea.
"That I can do," Danny nodded. Needless to say it was slow going and there were a few stumbles but soon enough Steve was seated on his couch. For a moment Danny just looked at the man who almost seemed like he didn't know what to do with himself at the moment.
"You got this Steve," Danny needed to say. To that the Commander snorted.
"Says you," he replied. Then he shook his head, took of the sunglasses and turned his head in Danny's general direction. "Do you have any idea how terrifying this is for me?"
"I'd imagine slightly less terrifying than being trapped in a car and thinking your partner is dead having sacrificed himself for you," Danny said instantly. That seemed to get a reaction from the SEAL. His face dawned with recognition.
"Sh**... Danny, I forgot, damn it... Are you okay?" Steve questioned with concern. Danny smiled not angry at his friend in the least for forgetting they'd both been in that car.
"Few stitches but thanks to your driving that's it," the detective replied. "You also saved a bunch of kids."
"Well at least I did something good while ending my career," Steve said. "S'gotta count for something right?"
"You're loving the pity party aren't you?" Danny sighed. Steve frowned and folded his arms across his chest.
"Yeah I am and if you don't mind it's a party for one so why don't you take a hike Jersey," Steve grunted back. Danny flopped down next to Steve and put a hand on his shoulder.
"No can do Commander Boo-hoo-hoo," Danny smirked. "Doc says you get watched for the next few days to make sure you don't bleed into your skull and die or something."
"Or if I decide to walk into traffic, right?" Steve asked. Danny shrugged.
"That too," he replied. "Do you have any idea how expensive it is to clear a body off a main street? I knew a guy once, worked with crime scene clean up. One jumper and he's pocketing a cool grand for thirty minutes of work. Massive creature like you? At LEAST an hour and a half. Don't make the poor taxpayers of Hawaii pay for your poor decision."
Danny was doing what he did best; he talked. At the moment he was scared for his friend and he was concerned that the man he'd come to see as invincible was suddenly as vulnerable as a new-born kitten.
Well... A new-born kitten that could snap your neck but still. Talking relaxed Danny and although the current junk out of his mouth probably wasn't helping, he couldn't stop himself.
Apparently he was right to keep up the ranting. A breath after he stopped and suddenly Steve started laughing.
"Big mess uh?" He chuckled. Danny smiled.
"Ever seen a watermelon dropped off a building?"
"Once... Yeah," Steve replied.
"That'll be your coconut if you put that Neanderthal skull of yours in front of a truck full of pineapple." At that the Navy SEAL burst out laughing as he clutched his tender head but still couldn't stop laughing.
After the morbid humor had ebbed, Steve clutched Danny's hand that hadn't left his shoulder and squeezed.
"I'm going to be okay." Statement or question, the Jersey Detective would never know.
"Would I allow anything else?" Danny huffed. "Besides, I know you field strip your guns blindfolded already, I'm sure you've taken a few shots the same way. Blind? Who cares, you'll be snapping necks by dawn." Once again Steve burst out laughing. This time he actually laughed so hard tears started rolling down his cheeks.
Shortly thereafter the tears of humor became tears of fear and uncertainty as the Navy SEAL broke down again.
"I'm so glad you're here brother," Steve said. And as the man's best friend and seeing Steve as his own closest ally; Danny gave his shoulder a squeeze.
"I got you," he replied.
That first night at Steve's place, Danny didn't even bother changing into the Pajamas that had been dropped off for him earlier. He knew it was going to be a tough night for two reasons. The first; Steve was being emotionally and antsy and the doctor warned the first night would probably be very uncomfortable for the man. The second being information that Chin had quietly pulled Danny aside early so as to share it out of their Commander's ear shot.
The information? H.P.D. had stumbled across some information that they'd immediately passed on to Five-0. A massive arms deal was going to take place in little under two days; Arms dealers that had slipped through Five-0's fingers on two other occasions. This was a chance of a life time and Danny had to force himself to stay by his friend's side and pretend everything was okay.
Besides, as he told Chin earlier, he had faith the man along with Kono and SWAT's help could bring down the arms dealers no problem. There was a lot of planning that Danny knew would be going on and even as he tried to catch a few winks into the wee-hours of the morning.
Tried and failed. Steve had suddenly woken up three times and each time, thanks to the concussion, it was a good few minutes before Danny could actually bring the man back down to a coherent level. The emotional rollercoaster wasn't all that fun either.
The first time Steve was finally coherent he'd bitched and moaned. The second time; he'd spent five minutes yelling at Danny for being a "G*d damn optimist" and that the detective "should just go home and forget I exist." The third time struck Danny hard when Steve had simply said; "Give it up Danny, it's not worth it" before rolling over and pretending to go back to sleep.
The last time was the hardest for sure. Danny was a patient man, he had to be in his line of work but his partner's outbursts combined with a major case that Five-0 should have all been working on weighed heavily. Still the detective had waited quietly in the corner of the room until Steve had actually gone back to sleep before he returned to the couch where Danny had taken several long, deep breaths.
At around five am, Danny was jerked awake not by Steve but rather the slight buzzing of his cell phone. Snatching it up and heading into the kitchen the farthest point from Steve's room, the detective answered;
"Williams."
"Danny, hows'it brah?" Chin asked. Danny snorted.
"I've got a partner who's used to being the man with the plan pretty much giving up on life because of one little physical hiccup. How are you doing?" he replied. The Hawaiian detective gave a heavy sigh of sympathy for which Danny was grateful.
"I'm sorry Kono and I can't be more help right now," Chin said honestly.
"Don't even worry about it, you've got a bigger situation to handle," Danny answered. "In fact I'm sorry I'M not there to help YOU."
"Actually that's why I'm calling," Chin sighed. "I hate to do this brah but... we could really use your input on some things before this raid goes down. Minor details but details nonetheless. Kono and I have most of the details ironed out but SWAT's really looking for you or Steve's input. The Governor would feel better seeing your signature once or twice too." His hackles rising, Danny had to take a moment before he replied in a calm but angry voice.
"Do they know we were in a car accident days ago and Steve has the minor detail of BEING BLIND?" Danny snarled.
"They do Danny," Chin replied quickly and with the utmost calm. "And they are sympathetic but brah... this is THE raid that's going to finally stop the Yamani organization once and for all. Victor Yamani himself is supposed to actually be there and last reports are they're supplying half of the West Coast. You know Steve would want you involved even if he can't be." Danny took a deep breath and shook his head before pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes as if it would help him think better.
"I can't leave him alone Chin, I promised the doctor," he replied. "It's not exactly a good idea to take the man into the office even if it is to bring down Victor Yamani."
"Who?" Nearly dropping his phone in shock, Danny spun around and nearly cursed in surprise. There Steve stood, clutching the doorway with aneurysm face in full effect.
"So much for losing your ability to be a Ninja," Danny blurted out without thinking. Steve frowned but even sightless the man still managed to pull off an air of authority.
"Give me the phone," Steve snarled. Rolling his eyes but knowing the jig was up the detective made one last effort to run some damage control.
"Chin just needs some advice on a case, Steve. It's nothing too-"
"I heard you say Victor Yamani, Danny," Steve interrupted. "I'm blind not deaf or stupid. Give. Me. The. Phone." With a grunt of frustration Danny put the cell into his friend's out-stretched hand and watched as the man brought it to his ear.
"Whatdya got Chin-Ho?" Steve asked. Then a frown and "I'm FINE, just tell me what's going on." After a moment Danny knew they were in trouble when Steve's sightless eyes went wide and his jaw clenched tighter than even before. "We'll be there in ten minutes," Steve growled. Without so much as a good-bye, the SEAL hung up the phone. Before he blindly tossed it away, Danny leapt forward and took it from the man but kept a hand on his wrist.
"Steve-" Batting Danny's hand away Steve folded his arms across his chest.
"When the hell were you going to tell me one of Five-0's biggest raids was going to go down in a day and a half!?"
"When you realized your limitations and the fact that you are in no condition to be strapping on body armor and running into a fire fight. Physically or emotionally," Danny came back. Steve raised a hand in protest, the absurdity being he wasn't facing Danny head on anymore so it looked like he was about to have an argument with the kitchen cabinets. "Stop," Danny ordered. He grabbed his partner's shoulders and turned the man so they were facing each other again. THAT definitely took some wind from Steve's sails. "I'll take you to the office, I'll take you to the Moon if you want to because I'm not leaving you alone but don't, DO NOT, for a second think you are going to be physically involved in anything that's going to go down."
"Danny..."
"No, no "Danny, wah, wah"," the detective cut in once again. "You can beat me up when you can see again in a few days but right now we are playing by my rules from my playbook okay McGarrett?" Steve's jaw clenched so tightly Danny thought he actually heard the man's teeth grinding together.
"Fine," Steve snarled. "Can we go now Detective or would you like to wipe my ass for me too?"
"Depends, does it need wiping?" Danny asked innocently. Steve's eyes flared but instead of an argument, he just relented and shook his head.
"Let's just go," he said quietly.
Needless to say when the two dedicated law enforcement officials got to their office, all else was dust. What Danny had expected to happen, did without him even realizing it and when he did, he felt like an idiot.
Turned out minor consultations, led to advice, led to making some phone calls to check preparations of his own. Chin and Kono had things locked down tight but as their superiors on the team a raid this size did need Steve and Danny's input.
And Steve had done amazingly well too. He'd sat idly by the computer table as the other members of Five-0 buzzed around him reading information so the Commander could have his say so on what was going on.
They'd gotten into it and the more and more Danny did paperwork and conferred with SWAT the more and more he lost track of his partner. He was a cop first and foremost and other cops liked talking to him about how things were going to go down. They felt better about it.
Finally, Danny signed off on another requisition form then handed it to Kono with a smile; the smile fell as he saw he clock on the wall just behind her.
"Is that the time?" he asked. Six hours had passed much, MUCH longer than Danny had planned on keeping his injured partner in the office. Steve needed rest but he was also a man who was incapable of taking that rest without force.
Swinging his head around searching for the illusive SEAL, Danny frowned;
"Where's Steve?" He asked.
"He asked me to help him into his office a half hour ago, said he had a headache," Kono replied. Danny waved an animated hand through the air.
"And you didn't come get me?" He demanded. Kono looked up from her computer work and raised a daring brow.
"No because Steve asked me not to," she replied. "I was going to anyway in forty minutes if he didn't reappear. Set my phone alarm and everything... Danny, brah you have to know its killing Chin and me that we can't be helping you and Steve out as much as we'd like to right now." Danny took a breath and shook his head. He had no doubt the cousins were feeling bad about the situation.
"Sorry," the detective sighed. "Rough night last night."
"No doubt," Kono said. "I'll come by Steve's tonight, maybe Chin too. We'll give you a break for a few hours."
"You can't do that Kono," Danny replied definitively yet appreciating the gesture. "Odds are you and Chin might end up sleeping here in the office. Remember the Onami bust? That was half as big as this and-" Kono cut him off with a roll of her eyes.
"Steve went native and slept at the office for two days and smelled like a toilet," she chuckled. "You slept in the holding cell and smelt like a cologne and hair gel." Danny laughed along with her, he and Steve had gotten a little possessive over that case. Funny thing was Danny could barely remember what the case had been about. They'd solved it and that was really all that mattered.
"Hey I'll take a cologne bath over toilet smell any day," he chuckled. Kono gave a trademark smile before nosing her face in Steve's office directions.
"Go check on the boss," she said gently. Danny nodded and turned to go only to have Kono suddenly stop him. "Danny?"
"Yeah babe?"
"He's going to be okay right?" Danny mustered up all his courage. Last night had been less than encouraging but the detective was not willing to give up; he refused to give up and every frustrating second that passed made him just that much more stubborn.
Steve was going to be fine. Blind or not the man would eventually be fine.
"He will," Danny replied. "Because you me and Chin won't allow anything else." Kono's smile was much more confident as she nodded turning back to her work.
When Danny opened Steve's office door he sighed at the sight before him. It was quite a feat for the Navy SEAL to have curled up as much as he had on his office couch. His arm was over his eyes and the other wrapped around his upper torso. The man's body language screamed pain and fatigue right down to the slightly hitched breaths.
It took a lot for a man like Steve to show pain so undoubtedly he was suffering at a level Danny couldn't even fathom.
"Where're the fun drugs the doctor gave you?" Danny asked simply knowing his partner was awake. Despite his suffering the Commander actually managed a very tortured but amused smile.
"L, left… pocket," Steve slurred.
"Alright I'm going to look for them so don't kick me in the face," Danny replied. He closed in on his friend and knelt next to him. "I'm going to touch your leg in three, two, one..."
Steve only gave the slightest of flinches when Danny's hand landed and started looking for the medication. A minute later and Steve was propped up on the arm of the couch, pills down and a bottle of water in his hand.
"Y'alright?" Danny dared ask. Steve softly snorted.
"One of the biggest raids in Five-0 history and I literally won't see it," he replied. Then before Danny could say anything the Commander spoke again. "Just promise me one thing Danny," he said. "Promise me if this... this "thing" I've got going on is permanent you won't forget me."
"Forget you? FORGET you? Why? You were going somewhere?" Danny scoffed. "Steve maybe that contused brain of yours hasn't put it together but you've done your job for almost the past six hours. Can you handle combat situations, no; everything else you can and will do just in a different capacity. That and babe, I've got high-blood pressure on record that will never EVER let me forget you. I got you and we got this. Capiche?"
"M'starting to get that," Steve smiled. "Couldn't get rid of you, Kono and Chin if I tried." Suddenly Chin burst into the office door with his Tac-vest on.
"Hey guys, looks like the raids happening now. Yamani moved up the buy so if we're going to get him..."
"It has to be now," Danny nodded. He went to stand but then hesitated. Apparently the hesitation was all Steve needed. The sudden strong grip on the detective's wrist brought Danny's attention back to his partner.
"Go with them," Steve urged. "I'll stay here in the office. I'll be fine buddy. No worries." Danny groaned at Steve's perfectly innocent offer.
"Oh come on," the detective snarled. "Honestly Steven?" Steve didn't reply he just maintained his completely innocent "I swear I'm not begging to go with you" look.
"Seriously Danny, go" Steve nodded with his blank gaze. Silently Danny cursed the man twice to hell and back though he couldn't help but admire the strength and be grateful the man he'd come to know was still in there. That and the detective desperately wanted to be a part of the raid particularly because it was happening sooner than they thought and there was the potential for unexpected variables.
Determined to hold his resolve, however, Danny turned to Chin to say he and Steve would both stay behind but the Navy SEAL, Commander "Gets-What-He-Wants" added; "I'm okay here alone, I am. You three go, let me know what happens and… just be safe." Chin had the raging audacity to smile and shake his head even though he knew what Danny was about to do would have Steve's doctor screaming at him for a month.
"You stay in the car," Danny hissed. A grin worthy of the man's prowess crossed Steve's features. "In. The. Car," Danny repeated firmly. "Or I duct tape you into the trunk and I do mean that."
"I swear, Danno, I swear," a smiling SEAL replied. Danny fought the urge to rant at his injured partner; instead he turned to Chin who looked more than ready for action.
"You got any extra duct-tape?" he lamented. Chin just chuckled before walking away. Danny turned back to Steve who'd stood up, his raging migraine apparently forgotten and reaching out for his partner as it was only natural the man should be there ready to lead him to the car.
The raid went down hard and fast. Even Danny hadn't been that involved considering he was still days from being in a car accident but he'd been able to rush through a few doors and shout at a few bad guys to drop their weapons before H.P.D. SWAT helped arrest and handcuff them.
Finally when the dust settled there was more than a few smiles on not just Five-0 but the officers that had helped as well. The whole thing had gone down in less than a half hour and now there had been a processing tent set up for marching criminals through before loading them on to a correctional facilities bus.
A vehicle that was only there because of Steve oddly enough; when Kono had explained the plans for the raid hours ago Steve had piped up and said;
"But if Victor Yamani is there it's not just going to be the three to four guys on each side. He's going to have at least six security guys plus the middle-men on him and the guys buying will want to beef up just as much so we've potentially got 20 scum bags all in on spot. Don't want to waste the squad cars transporting that… we should just bring in a bus."
The members of Five-0 had agreed and in turn the head of SWAT had agreed and thus the bus had been on standby just in case.
Still trying to breathe through the adrenaline of a job well done, Danny was ready to check on his partner when he spotted Victor Yamani himself being hauled out of the building in handcuffs. With a feeling of euphoria, Danny decided he needed one last sound bite from the main evil doer himself before he took Steve home to tell him the story of how everything had gone down perfectly.
The detective headed over to the officer who had Yamani in cuffs and stopped them.
"Great day for a raid isn't officer…" Danny checked the badge. He made a point to in situations like this, "Hanzu?" he finished. The officer gave a nod and a grin.
"That it is Detective," he chuckled.
"Simple, simple men," Victor Yamani growled. That made the smile from both the officer's face fall and it looked like he was about to say something when Danny stopped him.
"It's okay Hanzu," Danny said. "Because you see, our soon to be guest of the State here is trying desperately to get a rise out of us so we'll do something that his team of lawyers will use to get him out of jail. So we need to show our absolute best and treat him with respect, understand?"
"Copy that detective," Hanzu said with a knowing smile. The officer then started to urge Yamani forward. "If you'll please come with me, sir." Danny started to chuckle and turned to walk away when Victor Yamani's words stopped him in his tracks.
"After all the trouble you've gone through Detective Williams, you didn't once think that my organization is just as prudent as yours in terms of gathering intelligence?" the man asked. Danny turned slowly and saw a purely evil look in the criminal's eyes. Victor smiled and added the final damning words; "How IS your partner doing with his new disability, detective?"
Danny didn't humor the man with a response, he didn't even think about it and he didn't even care. The second those words left Victor's mouth, the detective was running back to his car praying to all the powers that be, his partner was still there. In this major operation as much as Kono and Chin loved him, even they would have gotten spread thin and potentially they'd all left the vulnerable Navy SEAL alone in a car.
"Steve!" Danny said running toward the car; "Steve! STEVE!"
A white-hot light lifted Danny off his feet and threw him several feet backwards between two dumpsters. As soon as his back struck the brick between the two large trash containers, he knew immediately at least two ribs cracked and shifted in his chest. So close to the blast, Danny could barely register what had happened or the intense pain he knew his body should have been in.
As he struggled to breathe or think, he looked down and saw a large piece of shrapnel logged into his thigh. Looking up again he took in the nature of the carnage around him. People were running in several different directions barking out orders and cries of confusion.
It appeared no one quite realized the injured detective was only a few feet away. Maybe, due to his proximity before the explosion some thought he'd been incinerated by the blast. Sadly, Danny's mind couldn't find the focus to call for help. All it could think was, "Steve's dead and it's my fault." That pain and self-loathing was worse than any impalement or cracked rib.
Or the inability to take a breath. Tears squeezed from Danny's eyes; of fear, pain and sadness he'd never know.
"S'eve," he croaked. The very attempt almost sent him into convulsions as pain rippled through him. "St... eve," he croaked again.
"Danny!" A familiar voice suddenly yelled out. "Danny!" It came again.
Sure enough stumbling around people who seemed oblivious to the tall man wearing sunglasses, Steve appeared in the detective's line of sight. He looked amazingly fine for a man who'd just been blown up.
It seemed like a miracle and Danny opened his mouth to call for his friend only to find air just wasn't finding its way to his lungs again. He was going to die, meters from help simply because he couldn't call out.
"Has anyone seen Detective Williams?!" Steve barked out. "Chin?! Kono?!" Having enough of people just running past his blind partner Danny used all his strength and thumped on the dumpster beside him.
Shockingly as his vision started fading, Danny saw Steve's head snap in his direction.
"Danny!?" Steve called out again among the chaos. Danny would have screamed if he could find the air but all that came out was a gurgle and a whisper so yet again; angry at the irony of it all the detective banged once, twice and again.
Just as Danny's body started to give up, Steve was there. The blind man nearly tripped over his partner's feet as he stooped to his knees.
"Danno? Buddy, that you?" Danny let out a breathless gasp but gave his partner a tight squeeze on the arm. It was all Steve needed. The tall man stood again and barked out for help with so much authority that two paramedics, a firefighter, Chin and Kono were there seconds later.
Knowing he was at last in good hands and not alone, Danny let go of consciousness hopeful it wasn't for the last time.
It wasn't.
Danny came too six hours later in a hospital bed his thigh bandaged and immobilized as well as his chest tightly wrapped. Moaning he turned to his side where a slumped over Navy SEAL was sitting in the chair beside his bed apparently asleep.
"Steve," he wheezed out. True to his excellent hearing Steve was awake in a shot fumbling with his sunglasses. Once the disorientation subsided, the man leaned forward.
"Hey buddy," Steve smiled. He fumbled a bit but finally found Danny's hand and gave it a squeeze. "You know it's not fair you eating a C-4 sandwich when I can't see where you land after the blast partner. I'm supposed to be your backup." Danny huffed out laugh but then shook his head. Only Steve could help save his life and still be blind as a bat.
"I thought you were in the car," he replied with genuine emotion. "I thought I left you in that car," he repeated.
"Yeah, sorry Danno I uh...," Steve winced. "I may have paid a patrol officer 50 bucks to take me to the surveillance truck so I could listen to the radio chatter. I figured I could get back to the Camaro before you noticed I was gone. Then I heard one of the surveillance guys talk about one of Yamani's men being caught in the parking lot and… It just didn't feel right. A second later and boom, I heard the explosion." Danny was struck dumb for a second before every emotion in the book flared up. He slapped Steve's hand away and flailed his arms. Sure he regretted it immediately because one, Steve couldn't see the gesture and two, it hurt like a bastard but it still made the Jersey native feel a bit better.
"So you decided to run blindly TOWARD something blowing up?" he barked out. "What the hell is the matter with you!? You could have walked into a bullet and it would be entirely my fault for being the idiot who brought you to the scene."
"Well, you're still the idiot who trusted me, ME, to stay in the car if it makes you feel better," Steve smirked. Danny groaned, in pain and frustration as he dragged a hand down his face.
"S'like talking to a brick wall," he muttered. Then with a stronger voice he said; "You realize you saved my life out there right? I couldn't breathe, I couldn't call out and all I'm thinking is I just got you killed and I'm going to die twenty feet from help because I didn't even have the voice to cry like a baby."
"Two cracked ribs and two broken," Steve explained. "One punctured a lung and you were leaking into your chest cavity like a sieve. That plus a concussion and rapid blood loss it's actually really impressive how you still managed to get my attention by making noise. But Chin and Kono were already looking for you brah, they would have been there if I had found you or n-"
"That's enough helping my monologue McGarrett," Danny spat out. At this, Steve, as if he could see, dropped back into his chair and folded his arms across his chest.
"A monologue?" he grinned. "A step up from a rant! This I have to hear! Bring it on me Jersey, this should be epic." There was something about how at ease Steve looked at the moment that Danny couldn't help but tap into everything that made him who he was.
"First of all, what I do and do not monologue or rant at, as you insult me by saying, isn't something you should be excited for you should be fearful. Fearful because undoubtedly you have incited something that means I am beyond aggravated, frustrated or genuinely pissed off at you so it's most definitely not something to be celebrated or congratulated!" Danny wheezed.
It hurt his newly patched up lung and sore ribs it did but it needed to come out and the detective wasn't about to stop it. So on he went;
"Secondly, the very fact that you're sitting there saying that I would have been fine if you hadn't pulled your "I'm in charge do as I say" man-call is absurd because I was tucked between two dumpsters and a mountain of trash while other wounded were well with in eye sight of the too few emergency personnel we had on hand… Did we lose anyone?" Danny asked interrupting himself. Steve smiled and shook his head.
"Some broken bones, concussions and a few shrapnel wounds but no one worse than you," Steve succinctly replied.
"Good," Danny said taking a breath and rubbing his sore chest. "As I was saying, that you'd think I would have been fine without you using your bat like hearing and Elf like accuracy you my, magnificently talented and stupid, friend are sorely mistaken." As Danny tried to catch his breath and massage the dull pain from his tender chest, Steve snorted and burst out laughing.
"Elf like accuracy?" the Navy SEAL snickered.
"Grace forced me to watch the Lord of the Rings! Whatever! That white-haired pretty boy has some serious moves! So sue m—Aaaah..." As Danny's body finally gave severe protest to the action it had been getting a sharp pain road through his entire body.
"Hey, easy… easy," Steve soothingly urged. Somehow the Navy SEAL found Danny's knee and gave a tight squeeze. The detective mentally held onto that comforting sensation and eventually managed to breathe through the pain. He finally lay back on his bed and gave Steve a pat on the shoulder.
"You saved my life out there Steve," he stated firmly. Steve's posture straightened up a bit and he gave a sad smile.
"Maybe," he replied. "But I-"
"You're still stubborn as a mule you," Danny shut the man up. "Please, for the sake of my daughter still having a father do not disrespect your actions by saying, it was a fluke." A face Danny had never seen before crossed his partner's face and the detective knew he'd never know exactly what that emotion was.
"Alright Danno," Steve said at last. "I saved your life. I'm officially the most awesome blind man in the world and you're welcome."
"Thank you," Danny smiled. The outburst at his partner had left him quite tired and with each passing second it was a struggle to keep his eyes open.
"Hey listen," Steve said gently almost as if he knew Danny was seconds away from falling asleep. "I'll call the doc to check on you but why don't you take it easy until he gets here." Danny nodded, not quite realizing that his partner couldn't see it until he was half sleep.
"Mmm, bossy…" he grunted but within seconds he was fast asleep.
"Danny… Danny… DANNO!" The next awakening wasn't such a nice affair as the detective grunted and his eyes snapped open at the sudden and persistent cry of his name. In spite of his pain he looked around the room for potential threats before his eyes found his partner standing and holding onto Chin and Kono's shoulders.
The two Hawaiian's must have shown up when Danny was sleeping off his pretty strong pain meds. Still his own injuries forgotten, the detective took in his wide-eyed partner's pale face as he clutched the two and blinked rapidly.
"What it is?" Danny asked with a rough voice. "Steve, you okay?"
"We've been here for an hour and he just woke up in a panic," Chin explained as he and his cousin held their boss steady.
"Steve?" Kono asked. A moment of wide-eyed blinking and Steve's pupils seemed to find purchase. They looked hazed and were struggling but even with a heavy squint, they found Danny's and the Navy SEAL smiled brighter than ever before.
Those eyes were looking straight at him and Danny knew, his partner's eyes sight had finally started to return. Drugs and pain were ignored as the detective smiled and said;
"I know, I know. I'm still just as handsome as ever." Steve threw his arms over Chin and Kono's shoulders, pulling them into a headlock like hug as he bellowed out a whoop of excitement;
"Stunning Daniel! You're face is absolutely gorgeously ugly as ever!"
Later that week, as Danny had finally been freed to a wheelchair visit to the cafeteria, his every dutiful guard dog named McGarrett pushed him up to a table with their food and sat down next to him. Danny gave a nod of thanks before reaching for his fork when he was a bit startled by a strong grip on his wrist. Turning to his partner, Danny raised an eyebrow;
"Just because you bought me lunch doesn't mean I'm going to put out, Steven," he dead-panned. Steve however didn't even smile at the joke, his healing eyes looked directly into Danny's as he spoke.
"You gave me hell for trying to give up Danny," he said. "All I wanted to do was kiss the world good-bye and you were the only one who told me not just to man-up but that it was okay to be broken and take the time to learn how to deal." Wincing at how he'd apparently come off to his partner Danny shied from the man's gaze.
"I was just trying t-"
"You say I saved your life when I couldn't see... Danny, I think you saved mine first by not giving up and by putting up with all my baggage," Steve interrupted. Then he smiled and added, "Don't disrespect our friendship by telling me that was all a fluke." Grinning, beaming even, Danny picked up a soggy wilting hospital cafeteria french fry and offered it to his partner in "toast" to their friendship.
"Guess were even then," he smirked, winked and with as much emotion as he could affirmed; "Partner."
Ha ha... phew... been working on this for six days now! Stupid real-life got in my way of finishing this but alas, here it is and I hope you all enjoy it.
I'd love some reviews as tomorrow promises to be a particularly rough day at the office for me... sigh.
WRITING MAKES ME HAPPY!
Oz