Hello! *Spoilers for 4x19* So how did you all like that? Mitch and I thought it was pretty good. There were some parts we absolutely loved, but those were mostly in the first half. The second half was decent, but we felt that they did make Danny a tad bit whiney and they let the whump kind of fizzle out. At least Danny admitted that it was a little weird that Amber is ten years younger than he is. Oh well. I don't hate her. We'd been hoping for more drama, but it was a good episode nonetheless. So don't get us wrong, we liked it, but we wanted to write our own slightly different version. Hope ya'll like it! The first part will be exactly the same as the episode, but then we'll add our own twists. Catherine is going to left out of this just because I want to keep this between mostly the original characters. Amber won't be in here either.
"Danny!" he shouted hoarsely. "DANNY!" There was no answer. He continued to call out for his partner as he stumbled through the rubble. The air was thick with dust. However, something caught his eye. A pale, white hand lay limp and lifeless on the ground, the body it belonged to obscured by several chucks of concrete. With his heart in his throat, Steve ran to it.
"Danny? Danny!" As he threw the heavy debris off of the body, it soon became clear that it was not his partner. The hand he'd seen was white from dust, not complexion. Although he already knew what he'd find, he checked the man's pulse. He nodded grimly as his suspicions were confirmed. Suddenly he heard a weak cough from the corner. He rose to his feet unsteadily, still shaken by the blast and ran toward the sound. Relief washed over him when he saw a hand rise above the wreckage.
"Danny!" he yelled for the hundredth time as he stumbled over a loose piece of rubble. "Danny!"
"Steve…" came the quiet and slightly muffled reply.
"Danny, Danny, Danny…" he kept repeating his partner's name as he took Danny's hand in his own. "Hey, I gotcha buddy. I'm right here." Steve said as he smiled. He'd never say it, but he'd been afraid that he'd never hear Danny's voice again. From the beneath the pile of concrete that covered him, Danny was making small, pained groans and Steve could hear his quick and shallow breathing. "I got you." He repeated as he began lifting the heavy concrete and metal chunks off of him. Soon, he could see Danny's face, white from dust, yet ashen skin was visible beneath. Blood covered one side of his cheek. What worried Steve was how still Danny lay as he dug him out. Anyone who had ever met Danny knew that it was not in his nature to be still. Finally, there was only one piece left. It was a heavy metal and concrete something that was far too damaged for Steve to identify. As he laid a hand on it, Danny winced.
"My legs pinned." He gasped. "And I think I broke a rib." Steve nodded and began trying to lift the concrete slab. Even with all of his considerable strength behind it, he couldn't make it move.
"Where's the other guy, huh?" Danny mumbled. He sounded exhausted.
"He's dead." Steve said as he knelt in front of Danny and took his hand. Steve took a deep breath, then began. "Ok, listen to me. This thing's too heavy. I can't lift it." Danny groaned. "We got no cell service down here so I can't call for help. I gonna get something to give me some leverage to get this thing off your leg, okay? I'm gonna be right back." Steve assured Danny as calmly as he could. Truth be told, he was scared out of his mind. He turned to go, but Danny's hand held on.
"Whoa whoa whoa…Don' go juss yet." Danny slurred, his eyes closing.
"Danny, relax. It's gonna be okay." Steve promised. Danny was starting to shake a little.
"Is it okay?" Danny asked breathlessly. "'Cause, uh, I'm in a-a confined space with a bunch of concrete on top of me and, uh, given my present condition, that's not the best situation for me, ya know what I mean?" Danny's voice was quiet, but Steve could hear the underlying fear in his tone.
"Right right right, claustrophobia." Steve replied, mentally berating himself for forgetting.
"Yeah…" Danny said with a smile that fooled no one.
"Okay, take a deep breath, okay?"
"No, that's no good, it makes it worse." Steve understood how much it hurt to breathe with a broken rib, but they were running out of options.
"Danny, I gotta get this off your leg. Do you understand me?"
"Alright alright…m'kay…Carter's behind the plate. We got Santana…Hernandez…"
"Hey hey hey!" Steve said, trying to get Danny's. This sudden change was not only abrupt, but terrifying.
"Hernandez playing first. Backman's playing second base." Danny continued as if he hadn't heard him.
"What are you doing?" Steve ask worriedly.
"Helps me relax. I just recite the eighty-six Mets line up and it helps me relax." Danny said with a slightly hysterical laugh. It reminded Steve of the laugh he had heard just after the bomb threatening to kill them both had been diffused. He smiled, glad to know that Danny was at least trying to keep it together.
"That's good! No, that's good." Steve said, laughing along with him. "I'll be right back, alright?"
"Santana's playing short stop…"
"Good! That's it, Danno."
"Knight…Knight's on third." Reluctantly, Steve left Danny's side and ran off in search of something to pry the concrete slab off with. He soon stumbled across a long, study metal pole and raced back to Danny with it. Danny was still rambling about baseball when he returned, but Steve was glad to see him conscious. Until Danny was freed, he wouldn't know the full extent of his injuries and it was best for him to stay awake.
"Where the hell you been?" Danny asked, his speech still slurred. It almost sounded as if his mouth had forgotten how to form words. "I had to go on to the ninety-two roster. It's a tough year."
"I found a flashlight, we're gonna need that." Steve said he tossed to the ground near Danny's head.
"You gotta get this thing off me." Danny said, writhing in pain. His eyes were still closed. "Ahh, man." He groaned as Steve slid the bar beneath the slab.
"When I lift this, you feel the weight come off your leg, I need you to roll out. Slide your leg out, okay? But you gotta do it quick. I don't know how long I can hold this." Steve said slowly, making sure Danny caught every word.
"That's very encouraging." Danny said sarcastically. "I'm not even sure I can move." He added. His breathing was faster now and it wheezed through his chest with every breath.
"You can move. You can." Steve assured him. He needed to be able to move. Otherwise, they had even bigger problems. "You can." Steve repeated. He got to his feet and took the bar in his hands. "Alright you ready?" Danny whimpered shakily in response. That was never a good sign. "One…two…three…" With all of his might, Steve bore down on the bar, forcing the slab off his partner. With no small amount of effort, Danny managed to roll onto his side and Steve let the slab drop again. Danny was coughing uncontrollably now, and Steve was at his side in an instant. Both he and Danny saw the chunk on metal protruding from Danny's side.
"That's no good." Danny pointed out.
"Stay still, I gotta look at this." Steve said gently as he examined the wound. It was bleeding heavily and covered with dust.
"What is that?" Danny asked. Steve ducked his head for a moment, thinking of how to proceed.
"Okay, it's a piece of rebar. It's missed you vitals, but I gotta take it out." He said, regretting the fact that this would cause Danny so much pain. Danny groaned. "The trick's gonna be to stop the bleeding."
"Maybe don't take it out." Danny suggested. "Maybe just leave it in for a minute." But Steve was already removing Danny's vest and glove.
"Leaving it in's not an option." Steve said apologetically. "This thing gets infected, sepsis sets in, then we got real trouble, you understand me?" Danny didn't reply, just laughed again. It was almost unnerving. He said something, but Steve couldn't understand it. He simply smiled back.
"Okay, stay still. I'm gonna be right back." Steve ran over to the jug of cleaner he'd spotted earlier.
"What're you doing?" Danny asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What is that?"
"Alright, this has got peroxide in it. I can disinfect the wound." Steve paused. "I'm not gonna lie to you, this is gonna hurt a lot. Really bad pain, but it'll only last a couple seconds." He promised. "You gotta stay conscious." He added as he tore off a section of his shirt. "Alright, you ready? Two…three." With a strong tug, he pulled the rebar out and poured the peroxide over the hole in Danny's side. Danny all but screamed in pain. His skin was paling rapidly and his head was lolling back.
"Stay with me, Danny." Steve ordered. "Stay with me. Hey, who played left? Eighty-six Mets, left field, who was it?" He asked in a desperate attempt to keep Danny awake. Danny replied in a barely understandable voice, grinding out the player's name and who he was replaced with mid-season.
"Mid-season, right? That's my boy." Steve said, smiling proudly. "Keep the pressure. Keep the pressure, Danny. Stay with me." Once Steve had secured the makeshift bandage, Danny lifted his head.
"How we lookin'? Is it good?"
"It's good. Pretty good."
"Come on." Danny said, holding out his hand. Steve took it, but was surprised when Danny struggled unsteadily to his feet.
"Take your weight off that leg." Steve said immediately. Danny shouldn't even have been standing.
"I'm good. Let's get the hell out of here, come on." Danny said as he struggled forward, adrenaline and fear pushing him onward.
"Danny…Danny, hold up."
"Huh? Which way?" he asked, swaying dangerously. If not for Steve's tight grip, he would have fallen.
"We're not going anywhere, buddy." Steve said sadly. "The place is caved in. We can't get out of here." All of Danny's energy seemed to drain away and leaned against the wall.
"Do me a favor, would ya please?"
"Of course." Steve replied instantly. "Whatever you need."
"Tell Gracie I love 'er." Danny whispered as he fell forward into Steve.
"Whoa, hey! Danny! Danny?" As gently as he could, Steve lowered Danny to the ground, just a few feet away from the dead man. "Danny? Danny, can you hear me?" Danny eyes were closed and his body had gone limp. Frantically, Steve checked for a pulse. It was weak and racing, but there. Danny's breathing came in short, harsh gasps. With careful hands, he gently checked Danny over for injuries. There was a sluggishly bleeding cut on his temple, but Steve guessed he only had a mild or moderate concussion. As Danny had mentioned earlier, he had broken a rib. Actually, four ribs. Steve swore softly as he touched Danny's abdomen and felt the tell-tale rigidity of internal bleeding. The rebar may have missed his vitals, but the impact of the concrete falling on him must've torn something inside. Knowing that there was nothing he could do, he moved on to Danny's leg. It was bruised and bloody, but at least it didn't seem to be broken. A feeling of helplessness threatened to overwhelm him. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a landline phone near where Danny had originally been trapped. The cord was long and he was able to drag it over next to Danny. The display was dark, but Steve fixed that quickly after he twisted a few wires back together. Miraculously, the machine came to life and he heard the familiar and welcome sound of a dial tone. With a sigh of relief, he typed in a number he knew by heart.
"Hang in there, Danno. I'll get us out of here."
"Hello?" the voice asked on the other end.
"Kono." Steve said, laughing a little with happiness. He hadn't thought the call would actually go though.
"Steve! Oh my God. Chin! I've got Steve on the line! Are you okay? Where's Danny?"
"I'm fine, but Danny's not. He's hurt pretty bad and if we don't get out of here soon, it's gonna be a lot worse."
"Alright, we're working on it." Chin said. "Can you tell me where you are?"
"Maintenance room, south side of the garage. Listen, I'm using an old landline, but I don't know how long it's gonna work for. I had to fix it up a little, but it's already starting to cut out. Can you get a cellular repeater down here?"
"Yeah, give us a minute…okay, Kono's on it. How bad is Danny hurt?"
"Uh, possible concussion, banged up his leg pretty bad. It's not broken I don't think. What I'm more worried about is blood loss. Not only did he take a piece of rebar in the side, but he's bleeding internally. He passed out on me a few minutes ago."
"Alright, just hold tight. We've almost got the repeater down there. I'll call you."
"Set up a video call. I need to show you something."
"Will do." Chin hung up and a few minutes later, his phone alerted him to an incoming video call. Soon, he was smiling at Chin, Kono, and Grover. Kono winced at the sight of him.
"Wow, boss, you look like crap."
"You always did know how to make me feel beautiful." Steve countered. They all laughed.
"You said you had something to show us?" Chin asked.
"Yeah, here. See if you can capture that image." Steve as he held the camera up to the dead man's face. "Danny and I found this guy in the maintenance room. He was beaten pretty bad and he knew about the bomb. He tried to warn us, but it was too late."
"Alright we got him. How's your oxygen?" Kono asked.
"Running out. Where are we with-" he stopped. A soft groan came from his left side. "Danny? Danny, wake up. Come on, man." Slowly, Danny's eyes fluttered open.
"Carter's behind the plate…" he muttered. Steve laughed.
"That's right, buddy. How're you feeling?"
"Tired…"
"Well, I got something to cheer you up. We were able to get cell service down here. Wanna say to our people topside?" Danny nodded weakly. Steve helped him into a somewhat more upright position, then held up the phone so Danny could see. As soon as Chin, Kono, and Grover caught sight of him, their faces fell.
"Aww, come on. It can't be that bad." Danny said hoarsely, trying to diffuse the tension.
"Hey, Danny. You doing okay?" Kono asked.
"More or less. Super SEAL here patched me up pretty good with some duct tape." They all laughed, but it was forced.
"Well you just hang in there a little longer. We're working on getting you out." Grover promised.
"You just make sure and stay awake, alright brah?" Chin said, a worried smile on his face.
"I'll try. Can…can you do something for me?"
"Anything, man. What do you need?"
"Grace. Rachel had to leave this morning and she's staying with me. School gets out soon I think and I don' want he seeing this." Kono nodded.
"I'll go pick her up. Keep her off the internet and her phone and everything."
"Thanks babe. Means a lot."
"No problem, Danny. I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Yeah…" Danny was tiring quickly and Steve took the phone back.
"Alright, I'll call you back in half an hour. I need to conserve battery life." Steve said.
"Talk to you soon. Oh, and try not to move. That whole are is unstable." Steve nodded then hung up and shut down his phone.
"Steve?" Danny asked.
"Yeah, Danno?"
"This sucks." Steve laughed.
"Yeah, I know, buddy. Hang on, I'll be right back." A moment later, Steve returned with a can full of water from a leaking pipe. "Here, drink this." He said, handing Danny the can.
"S'that toilet water?" Steve rolled his eyes.
"It's clean. Now, you need to drink this. You lost a lot of blood and you need to replace your fluids."
"'kay." Danny took the can, but his hands were shaking so badly that it nearly slipped form his fingers. Without a word, Steve helped him drink. Danny managed at least half of the water before he pushed it away.
"Come on, just a little more, Danny."
"C-can't. Hurts." Steve nodded.
"Okay. Okay, we'll stop for now. How are you doing, huh? You're shaking pretty bad."
"'m cold." Steve frowned. It was a hundred degrees down here and he was sweating profusely himself.
"Damn it. You're going into shock. Here, lay down. That's it." Together, they maneuvered Danny onto his back and Steve rested Danny's head on his lap. "Okay, put your feet on that chunk of concrete there. You need to keep them above your heart. Shit, if I had known I wouldn't have had you drink anything."
"S'okay…"
"Alright, we need to get you warm." Steve pulled off his vest and laid it over Danny, pulling him closer too.
"Where's Grace?" Danny asked tiredly as his head flopped against Steve's chest.
"She's with Kono, remember?"
"No…why Kono?"
"You asked her to pick Grace up after school."
"I can't remember."
"It's okay. Blood loss causes confusion. It'll be okay. Why don't you tell me about the eighty-six Mets line up?"
"Carter's behind the plate. Hernandez on first. B-backman's on second…" Danny stopped when a sudden fit of coughing overtook him, jarring his broken ribs.
"Shh, it's alright Danny. Slow breaths. You'll be okay." When the coughs tapered off, Danny sagged even further into Steve.
"I…I don't feel so good." Steve's brow creased in worry. Danny's hands were freezing, but his head and core were warm. Gently, he peeled back the edge of the bandage on Danny side. Not much, but enough to see the inflamed tissue around the room.
"Infected?" Danny asked.
"Yeah, but not too bad. It's time to call Chin back. We'll see where they're at with getting us out." Steve turned on his phone and tried another video call. A moment later, his friend's face appeared on the screen.
"Steve, hey. How are you doing down there?" Chin asked. He looked even more worried, if that was possible.
"Not so good. We need to get out of here soon. Danny's not doing so great."
"We've been looking at all of our options, but only one seems possible."
"What is it?"
"You're not gonna like it. The only way out is the ventilation shafts. There about thirty feet from you guys. If you can get over there, we may be able to pull you up."
"What happened the whole 'don't move it's unstable' thing?" Steve asked.
"That's still true, but we have no choice." Steve sighed heavily. He didn't like it, but he knew that there was no other way.
"Chin?" Danny rasped. Steve shifted the phone so that Chin could see Danny as well.
"Hey man, how you holdin' up?" Chin asked.
"Okay. Grace?"
"Kono just dropped her off with Kamekona. She's safe."
"Good…"
"Alright, Chin." Steve said. "We'll start working our way over. Have paramedics standing by right away."
"On it. See you guys soon, okay?" They said goodbye, then disconnected the call.
"You ready for this, Danno?" Steve asked, turning to his partner.
"Not really, but what choice do we have?" Steve smiled.
"We'll take it slow, okay? You just lean on me and let me do the work." Steve helped Danny painfully to his feet and wrapped an arm around him to keep him upright. "That's it. You're doing great, buddy." Danny didn't reply, just concentrated on moving his feet. He was leaning heavily on Steve. Occasionally, he'd stumble, but Steve never let him fall.
"Where are we?" Danny asked after a minute.
"Almost there, pal. Just stay with me."
"Where?" Steve frowned.
"The parking garage."
"Parking garage?" Danny asked, confusion evident in his voice. Steve could feel the heat radiating off of Danny now.
"Your fever's rising. I know it doesn't make sense, but I promise you're okay. Just a little further."
"kay." They walked on in silence for a few more minutes. With every passing second, Danny took less and less of his own weight. They were almost to the ventilation shafts when the building rumbled around them debris came crashing down. Luckily, they managed to avoid the falling rubble, but once again, they were effectively sealed in, this time in a much smaller space.
"Okay, listen to me Danny. I know you're confused, but I need you to focus. We are trapped in a collapsed building. If we don't get out of here soon, we'll die. Now, I've got an idea. I'm going to blow us out of here so we can get to the ventilation shafts and have them pull us out. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Th-think so. Be careful."
"You got it, Danno." Steve gently slid Danny back and began closing off the end of a pipe. Using a dismantled grenade, he formed the makeshift explosive. "Okay, Danny, on three I'm gonna light the fuse. Ready?"
"Wait…Steve, I love you, man."
"Love you too, brother." Steve said as he placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "I'm gonna get us out of here. One…Two…Three!" Heat and sound flew all around them, then darkness.
H
5
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The ground shook beneath their feet.
"What was that?" Kono asked. She had just gotten back from dropping Grace off. They were gathered around the ventilation shaft, anxiously waiting for their teammates.
"Everyone fall back! Give me a light!" the search and rescue captain yelled. A minute of agonizing silence passed, then they heard coughing.
"Steve! Danny!" Chin shouted into the hole. The line for the pulley pulled taut.
"Chin!" Steve gasped between coughs. "Pull Danny up! He needs help, now!" With fervent haste, the line was pulled up. Soon, Danny's dust covered body came into view. He hung limply in the harness. Chin immediately took Danny's arm and began pulling him out of the hole.
"I got you. Danny, come on. Come on! Here ya go, here ya go." Danny was barely conscious at this point. "I gotcha, I gotcha."
"Steve…" Danny whispered weakly, his eyes falling shut. "Have t' get Steve…"
"We know, Danny. We're bringing him up right now." Kono assured him as the paramedics bean stabilizing him. A moment later, Chin and Grover's strong arms were hauling Steve topside. He walked a few steps before stumbling to his knees next to Danny.
"Whoa, McGarrett, you alright?" Grover asked.
"C'mon, let's get you two in an ambulance." Chin said as helped Steve over to one of the waiting emergency vehicles.
H
5
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"Carter's at the pl'te." Danny mumbled from the bed. Steve's head shot up. A wide grin split his face. After four days, Danny was finally awake.
"Hernandez is on first." Steve replied, squeezing Danny's hand. "You with me, partner?"
"Steve?"
"Yeah…yeah, Danno, it's me. Man, is it good to see you awake. How do you feel?"
"Like a building fell on me." Steve laughed.
"You've been sleeping for a while. We were beginning to think you'd never wake up."
"You, Steven, are a worry wort."
"Like you're not?"
"Touché."
"Seriously, though. Any pain?"
"Nah, they must have me on the good stuff. You alright, babe?"
"Me? I'm fine. You were the one who was in surgery for nine hours and nearly died on us."
"Even you can't just walk away from that without some damage."
"I got some bruises and cuts, but nothing more. Grace was very happy to put neon Band-Aids on all of my boo-boos."
"Grace was here?"
"Of course she was. Did you really think we could keep this from her for four days?"
"How is she?"
"She's fine, just worried about her Danno. She'll be by this evening to see you. In the meantime, why don't you get some rest? I can tell your exhausted."
"'kay. Wake me when she's here…and Steve?"
"Yeah?"
"Love you, babe."
"Love you too, Danny."
So, how was that? I hope I caught all the typos. Oh, and recently, it has come to my attention that some of you only read my stories once they are complete and there is nothing wrong with that. However, I would like to tell you guys that while my story A Bond Like Brothers is not listed as complete, each chapter is it's one complete, stand-alone story. I know some of you have been wondering where all my one shots have gone. I just decided to group them all under one thing.
I will update Jersey Style soon! Though, probably not tomorrow since I'm super busy.