It was clear upon their return that they would not be getting any answers out of Danny that night.

The blonde detective drifted in and out of consciousness as his teammates took turns keeping watch over him. When he was asleep he was restless and would mumble incoherently. And when he was awake, the pain and dizziness was so bad that all he could do was grit his teeth and pray for it to end.

Shortly before visiting hours were over Steve sat at his partner's side. He could tell that Danny was trying to hold it all in and put on a brave front, but every now and then a heart wrenching groan or a whimper would escape.

"Danny…we know you're hurting…you don't have to be strong for us, man."

"Says Super-SEAL who thrives on pain." It was the first sentence he had put together in hours and it was enough to leave him breathless.

Steve couldn't help but chuckle. "Well…you know what they say…no pain no gain."

"I say…no pain…my gain," Danny joked with a fraction of his usual sarcasm, but it cost him. The room which had already been rocking was now also rolling around him. "Ugh," he moaned.

"Danny?"

But there was no answer as Danny was out once more.


Morning brought an exhausted detective waiting to be prepped for surgery. Upon the expected arrival of Steve, Chin and Kono, he forced a smile.

"Hey."

Steve pulled up a chair next to the bed and the others followed suit. "How're you feeling, buddy?"

Danny sighed and said faintly, "For the first time in my life I'm looking forward to going under the knife so they can knock me out and put me out of my misery."

"That good, huh?" Chin teased.

"Mmmhmm," he mumbled before lapsing into silence and listening to the familiar and comforting banter between his friends. After some time passed he said, "Hey…you guys don't have to stay. I'm sure you've got a case or something."

"Right now you are our case," Kono replied with genuine concern.

Danny felt a stab of guilt in his gut.

"Yeah, man, we're gonna find the woman who did this to you."

And Steve just twisted the knife deeper. Before he could say anything more, a doctor came in with a nurse. 'Saved by the surgeon,' Danny thought.

After describing the procedure in a little more detail than any of them wanted to know, the nurse explained that she was going to start an IV which she promised would begin to 'relax' him shortly.

"Fabulous…proceed to poke away." While Danny focused on the needle that was being inserted into his vein he missed what was going on around him.

The remaining members of Five-0 were off to the side having a conversation completely using eye, head and hand movements. Each one was trying to avoid being the one to broach what was sure to be an uncomfortable topic with Danny.

As the nurse left and they were alone once more, it was Kono who stepped up to the plate first. "So…Danny…did you remember anything else since yesterday?"

"Yeah," Danny snorted. "I remember how much concussions suck."

Next it was Chin's turn. "Can you tell us anything else about your attacker?"

Danny bit at his lip not knowing what to say; he could…but he sure as hell didn't want to.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Steve took a deep breath and went for it. "Look, man…was it some woman you met and…you know…took home?"

"Took home for what?" Danny asked, already starting to feel a bit fuzzy from the drugs.

"For you know…um…for the evening," Steve blushed.

"What? No…you know that not my scene." Danny, too, turned a distinct shade of pink.

"Yeah…I know…but it would explain some things that aren't adding up."

Chin jumped back in to help out a floundering Steve. "If she were say…a professional…it would make more sense her attacking you so she could steal from you."

"And your reluctance to tell us about it," Kono concluded.

"A…A…professional? Danny went from pink to red. "How can you even ask me that?"

The room became silent as an awkwardness hung in the air. Whether it was the increasing effects of the drugs or the realization that the truth couldn't be worse than what his friends were thinking, he blurted out, "38-18-36." When they looked at him like he was insane, Danny added. "Her measurements…those are her measurements."

The trio was sure that it was the medication speaking, but Kono humored him and said, "a woman with those measurements wouldn't be able to stand up…that's impossible."

Danny's eyes were getting glassy and his speech slightly garbled. "Not if you're eleven inches tall and made of plastic."

Kono covered her mouth moments later as the light bulb went off in her head. It took Steve and Chin a bit longer to catch on, but when they did it was with great hilarity.

Steve was the first to lose control and break up. "Oh, Danno…done in by a Barbie Doll," he said between giggles.

"Wonder which one it was?" Chin laughed.

"Felony Barbie?" Kono offered and then doubled over.

"Hawaiian Barbie...I stepped on Grace's Hawaiian Barbie doll and my feet went out on me," Danny murmured and then instantly regretted it as it only added fuel to the laughter. The irony hadn't been lost on him either that a doll representing the very place he put down left and right had gotten revenge for her state.

"Hey…man about to be sliced into and screwed together …wanna put a lid on it?"

"Oh…c'mon, brah…lighten up," Chin said.

"Yeah…karma's a real…"

"Barbie," Kono cut off her boss as they continued to find amusement in Danny's situation.

Danny was trying, but it was impossible to find anything amusing when he was feeling so lousy. His head and arm still ached mercilessly and he was feeling lightheaded and sick from the newly added medications. Plus, the cocktail coursing through his veins was simultaneously lowering his inhibitions, while also heightening his emotions.

It came out as almost a strangled sob, "S'not very funny…hurts." But he didn't know what hurt more…his injuries or their teasing. "It's why...didn't tell you...sooner."

Steve, Chin and Kono instantly stopped and the smiles faded away. It was rare to hear such a desolate tone come out of the usually boisterous mouth.

They had gone too far…too soon.

TBC…kudos to those who guessed right!