Title: Isn't Someone Missing Me?

Disclaimer: Angst, violence, slash, and language.

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Chapter Two: Bring Me To Life

Flack leaned over the deck, Stella beside him. A pair of officers had taken hold of the attacker and were currently escorting him off the yacht. The two CSI's were watching the water. Flack tried desperately not to panic. But that was a hard thing to do when his best friend was slowly dying, drowning as he sunk further into the murky water. Mac had thrown off his coat, and handed a few personal things to Stella before diving off the side of the boat to save Danny. It had taken the other two by complete surprise.

"What's going on?" Hawks yelled as he ran toward them. Lindsay on his heels. Both of them had that freaked look in their eyes. of course, a report had gone out about an officer down. They'd all be checking up on each other, to make sure that each one was okay. Would Danny be okay?

"Danny…" Stella said, not sure exactly what to say. How could she explain to them what had happened?

"Some punk ass hit him on the head and he fell overboard," remarked Flack, putting it bluntly. "Mac dove in after him, but they've both been gone for so long. I'm thinking I might have to go in after them."

Lindsay grabbed a hold of Hawks' hand and lower arm, tears appearing in her eyes. She hadn't been a member of the team for long but already she was like family to them, and vice versa. Flack new that Danny was uncomfortable around her. Probably because she had taken Aidan's place and Aidan had been his best friend. Her death had been particularly hard on the young CSI. Flack didn't think he would pull through. Danny was good at surprising people, though. He bounced back with a vengeance. He even seemed to do okay after his brother' nearly died. Now it looked like he was going to be the one to die. Unless…

Bubbles began to appear on the surface of the water, giving all four of them some renewed hope. The scream of sirens marked the entrance of an ambulance as it pulled into the parking lot; which was now filled with squad cars and other emergency vehicles, lights dancing. Mac broke through the surface, gasping for air. He held tightly to an unconscious Danny. Tiredly he moved toward the shore, where there came another splash. One of the officers was standing nearly waste deep in the nasty water. With his help Mac was able to get Danny on shore, where the paramedics took over. At first it looked like everything was going to be okay.

Then they all heard the words they dreaded. "There's no pulse. We're going to lose him."

They watched as the paramedics ripped open Danny's shirt, and Flack began to wonder if it was such a good idea to use a defibrillator on a soaking wet person. The first shock did nothing. It was the same with the second one. Flack, now standing only a few feet away with the others, closed his eyes and sent up a little prayer. He wouldn't be able to deal if Danny died. The third shock got a sigh of relief from the paramedics.

"There's a pulse. It's weak and I'm not sure if it'll last. We need to get him to the hospital."

There was a collective sigh amongst the CSI's. Flack gave them each a moment's glance. Lindsay was hanging onto Hawks like he was a life preserver. Was there something going on between the two of them? Something he hadn't caught before? Stella stood beside Mac, one hand holding his, the other playing with a charm on her necklace. Probably a cross. The paramedics were placing Danny on a stretcher when his breathing became irregular. Both EMT's dropped their bags.

"He's going into shock. He's choking," one of them said to the other. "See if you can feed a tube down his throat before it closes all the way." The second paramedic tried, only to shake his head in failure. "Fine, we're going to have to cut him. I'm not losing him."

Lindsay looked away, as did Stella, when the lead paramedic cut an opening in the base of Danny's throat. Flack couldn't believe that the day had gone so wrong. That one moment he was hanging out with his best friend and the next he was watching his friend fight to stay alive. If only he had never gone up on the deck. None of this would have happened. The attacker would have left, or he would have surprised the both of them. Two to one had better odds. He felt like kicking himself, like yelling out to the heavens up above to let Danny live, to take him instead. As the paramedics wheeled the stretcher toward the ambulance Flack stepped forward.

"Is it okay if I ride with him, Mac?" he asked his voice sounding hollow and far away, even to him.

"Keep us posted," came the reply.

"I will," Flack said, turning to catch-up with the ambulance before it left. He just couldn't let Danny go. Not now. Not ever. But if it was his time, then he was going to die with a friend by his side. No one deserved to die alone.

Mac watched him as he left. He looked beaten, nothing like kicking a man when he's down, thought Mac. The year had been tough on everyone and they all need to take long vacations. The death of Aidan. Then nearly losing Flack because some guy was upset that he couldn't be in the Military. Stella and the problems with her boyfriend. Danny's year had been even worse. Getting stuck in that safe room, his brother ending up in the hospital, and now this; would he manage to hang on? They say that things get worse before they get better. Mac hoped that it wouldn't get any worse, it was bad enough, and now things had to get better.