Note From Author: Wow, you guys rock! Thanks for all the awesome feedback. I promise never to post a chapter that short ever again. Please enjoy chapter 2.
"Danny! Danny, you open this damn door right now." Steve bangs on the door to Danny's apartment. "I know you're in there. The Camaro is parked out front."
More banging...
"Go away," Danny growls from inside.
"Yeah, real cute." Steve says from his side of the door, "You take off from the hospital, scare the crap out of everyone and all you can say is 'go away.' Dr. Hardwick says that you can't be left alone. Davis is already booked, he gets to spend his time in jail. The hospital is better than jail, right?"
"Go 'way."
"Danny, bro, leaving you here is not an option. You could get hurt or worse, maybe hurt someone else." Steve holds his breathe waiting for Danny's answer.
"I'm not staying in the hospital, tied to the bed for the next couple of days. Go 'way."
"Fine, you don't want to stay in the hospital. Can't say I blame you. Come stay with me. You can have your own room. We can go swimming. We can relaxe."
Inside, Danny was considering his options. "You know what, I think I'll stay. I got groceries and I won't leave the apartment. Don't want to be a burden to you, anyway.
Go home, I'll be fine. See ya in a few."
"Danny?" Steve called. "You open this door or I kick it in. Same result either way. I am coming in. You want a broken door?"
"Alright. Alright!" Danny yells. "You neanderthal."
Steve hears the lock slide free of the wall and a second later the door opens. Steve allows a small smile.
"Pack a bag and don't forget swim trunks." Steve bodily turns Danny around, pushing him toward the bedroom in the back of the apartment.
"You are enjoying my unhappiness way to much." Danny mumbled, shuffling off to the bedroom to pack. While Danny was packing Steve surveyed the contents of the fridge.
Danny's grocery shopping left a lot to be desired. The fridge had beer and frozen pizzas and little else. Steve shook his head.
Danny returned a few minutes later with his duffel bag, but he hadn't bother to change out of his work clothes. Steve chose to pick his battles today and left the tie alone. The two headed outside together.
"Keys," Steve put his hand out.
"It's my car," Danny argued, brow creased.
"Wrong. It's a Five 0 car that has been assigned to you." Steve replied, "as your boss I am withdrawing driving priveleges."
"Where's you're truck?"
"Kono took it to my house after we got here. I knew I wasn't leaving without you. Keys."
"No, get lost." Danny felt his anger rising and knew in his head that it was the toxin making him lose control. He fought hard and took deep breaths.
God, his head hurt. Was the sun always this bright?
"Danny, the doctor said to expect mood swings and to try and get your self control." Steve looked hard at Danny, trying to decide if he needed to intervene, "can you give me the keys?" Steve was ever patient as Danny pulled out the keys and handed them over. He wanted to be so angry inside, he wanted to take off running. Giving anything to anyone had never been so hard. And why was the sun so bright? Finally, they were inside the Camaro and headed toward Steve's. Danny still stewed.
He wanted to explode at Steve. First he was ordered to open his door. Then ordered to pack a bag. Next to give up HIS car keys.
"Pull over," Danny growled.
"You gonna be sick?" Steve looked over at Danny, taking his foot off the gas and applying the brake.
"Yeah, sick of you, I refuse to go to the McGarrett Detention Center." Danny popped the door open as the car slowed to about 15 miles per hour and got out. He was so angry he was shaking. He knew in his head that he shouldn't be this upset. He knew his emotions were magnified in a bad way by the toxin. Stupid toxin. And Steve was a convenient target. Steve didn't deserve this. He was only trying to help him. Danny line of thinking went south. He reasoned that Steve and the team would be better off without him, at least until he had some kind of control over this toxin and back to normal. They'd be better off without him. Yeah.
"Hey," Steve now had the car to a complete stop and was half way out of his door. Danny had started to walk back the way they'd come. "Where are you going?"
As Steve moved to follow Danny, Danny panicked. His fear escalated so fast it was unreal. The shaking got worse and he started to sweat. Danny took off running,
it took Steve a split second for his mind to catch on. Danny was terrified of him. And running into oncoming traffic. Steve took off after him. Horns honked. Tires screeched. Someone even flipped Steve the bird.
Danny's pattern of escape was completely unorganized. He changed directions. Two steps this way. Three another way. He really didn't know where he wanted to go. Just that he wanted to go. Steve on the other hand had his goal in his sights. Half way across the four lane highway brought Steve within arms length of Danny, Steve grabbed Danny by the bicep and stun him around.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" Steve shouted into Danny's face. Danny responded by trying to yank his arm back out of Steve's grip and run. Only Steve was ready for him. Steve kept ahold of his arm and twisted it up behind his back. "You listen to me, Detective." Steve let a little of his own anger seep out.
"This getting out of cars while they're still moving business stops now. Are you gonna sit and behave or do we need to find another option?"
"Ow, ow, ow," Danny complained as Steve marched him back toward the Camaro. His fear seemed to have left him along with the intense anger. When Danny heard the jingle of car keys and the pop of the trunk lid, he knew what was coming. "Steve, no. Stop." Danny tried to turn around and get a look at Steve. "Steve, please. You know I can't control it. Please, Steve, please. I want to sit up front."
Steve had marched Danny right up to the open trunk and was about to dump him inside. Hearing Danny plea had melted his own anger. Danny wasn't even in full control of his own body. If anything he was the victim here. "You going to trust me and do what I tell you?" Steve gave Danny a jerk, one hand holding onto Danny by the left shoulder the other by his upturned arm.
"Yes, Steve," Danny said quietly, "I'm really gonna try."
Author's Note: Please, please review. I know sometimes you just want to read a story and then move on to the next one. But, please just write a quick 'I liked your story' or something. Thanks for reading and I will update soon.