I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: busy day - so yes, the muse cooperated early. Enjoy!

Chapter Four

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Incapable of rational thought, Danny would rouse after mere seconds or just a few short minutes of closing his eyes. Twitching, moving constantly and vocalizing an incessant humming thrum, many hours later, he still could never truly achieve a healing REM sleep. His condition remained serious as the doctors carefully manipulated and managed his treatment with kid gloves. Their second patient though was causing them nearly an equal amount of trouble. With his own injuries now being tended to, Steve bivouacked in Danny's hospital room; something which the doctors disapproved for his own health even though the room was designed for two.

"You're going to get run down," Chin whispered, his voice barely heard for the ongoing hoarse sounding rumbling hum emanating up from the bed which separated them. He knew that Steve wouldn't listen to him as much as he had to his own doctors. The only time he had truly rested was on the chopper and then through the period of time of his own treatment. For that, Steve had truly gotten a due period of rest as his own body's needs kicked in with a vengeance. Within the last few hours though, he'd resumed his stalwart stance over Danny. Still, Chin tried to encourage Steve to heed doctor's orders because his friend was feverish and yet, continuing to push too hard.

"I'm not," Steve murmured defensively, his eyes never leaving the many monitors which kept a disappointing truth about his best friend's weakened state. "Not even close, Chin."

"Aren't you supposed to be hooked up to that thing?" Chin sighed as he lost the battle which never even got past that of a short courteous exchange of words. He glowered at Steve before gesturing to the bag of intravenous antibiotics hanging next to the second hospital bed. "You took the IV out again; you can't keep doing that or you're going to prove the doctors' right."

Clothed in a hospital gown and over-sized plain white bathrobe, Steve's right arm was in a sling and he stood slightly hunched for the damage done to his ribs. A multitude of parti-colored bruises would heal with time and all of that was simply good enough to keep him on his feet and by Danny's side. And much to Chin's chagrin, he ignored the mention of the IV with a patented stoicism.

"How's our package? Any word from Kono?" For a brief second, Steve glanced up. His question related to the reason for their abduction and he nodded in approval at Chin's confirming change of expression.

"Secure and ready to be moved to the venue," Chin verbalized, an unconscious wince altering his eyes to those that expressed a deep concern as Danny moaned more loudly. Then, his lips adopted a thin white line of disapproval when his eyes fell on the intravenous line which Steve had seen fit to disengage so he could vacate his own hospital bed. The situation was beyond frustrating as one unconscious friend was subjected to medical care and another resented and tried to avoid the very same. His second sigh was loudly aggrieved for Steve's voluntary transgression, yet it still yielded no response and he was forced to stay on the topic the man had chosen. "Kono agreed to stay on point with the FBI. She's worried that there'll be another attempt en route."

"She's right, so triple the detail," Steve muttered. At first distracted by Danny, his brain did now pause to focus on the next steps related to their mission and he realized something of importance. He and Danny would no longer be considered the keys to preventing the witness from testifying and Kono was on the right track. If something happened it would indeed be at the trial venue and that fact placed this secondary team in prime danger. "We're fine here and no longer targets, so I want you with Kono right now and for the duration of the mission. Watch your backs and stay alert."

"Consider it done. I'll leave and rendezvous with her this afternoon," Chin readily agreed. His face was pensive though and his parting words were stressed with an earnest concern. "Steve, get some rest. Please listen to the doctors."

"Stop. Danny, no," Steve warned softly as his full attention swung back to his bedridden friend, intercepting Danny's trembling fingers as they tore into the hair by his left ear. His own bed was indeed right behind him, however he had other concerns. So while he had certainly heard Chin and understood the genuine goodwill behind the plea, he had no time to rest; not yet. Not with his best friend in such a high level of distress.

"Danny, you're okay. Let it go," he whispered softly. With a quick look to Chin, Steve dismally shook his head as a signal to indicate what he needed to; where he needed to be. He would do what he had to as he continued to hold Danny's hand tightly, whispering an inane jumble of nonsense until some of the frenetic activity ceased and the moans turned back into an ongoing hummed vibration. Momentarily unwilling to move from their side, Chin rubbed his eyes with both hands, dragging them down this cheeks in frustration for what was going on under his nose.

"This is ... just ... I don't know," Chin quietly ground out. He felt useless and like excess baggage as doctors and nurses puttered busily around Steve attempting to keep their traumatized detective comfortable and his vital signs as balanced as possible. It was a terrible struggle though as Danny's heart rate pounded and his blood pressure stayed unhealthily low. While Steve had admitted to bearing witness to situations similar to Danny's current suffering state, Chin was utterly baffled by what he was seeing.

"Steve," Chin asked. He was appalled by the grayish pallor to Danny's face and the dark purplish circles smudging the area below his eyes. In short, Danny looked deathly ill and completely unlike his usual energetic self. "What can I do? There must be something?"

"I didn't talk," Steve ground out. "And I know that Danny wouldn't have either. He wouldn't have said a word about the safe house despite what they did to him. So, don't allow this to be for nothing."

Chin nodded silently in reply. When it came to Chin's real question about Danny and being able to do anything more though, Steve was already shaking his head to the negative. His eyes met Chin's to communicate his own depths of concern and inability to really be of value. "We have to wait," Steve finally offered. "Wait and have faith that these doctors know what they're doing. The rest is up to Danny."

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Danny opened his eyes without knowing he would. One moment there was nothing and then the next, he simply opened his eyes without fanfare. The whitish blur of too many disorienting shapes filled his field of vision and he stared at them without comprehension. He was lying on his left side and in a hospital bed with blankets tucked high over his shoulder; something else he wouldn't yet be able to fully understand in his current state.

He hummed softly out of habit, the fingers on his right hand flexing almost painfully in response. He eventually stopped though out of a true weariness or even a possible lack of needing to make noise to offset a stifling silence because there was a new sound. A simple melodic harmony that he finally heard. It was almost pleasant and he stilled as if listening, a shallow shudder rolling through him at a newly brief sound of a deeper thrum which was almost out of place ... and yet, not.

"He hears it," Steve whispered barely above that of soft breeze as Danny's disturbing tuneless hum faded and his brow creased in the first sign of real awareness in what seemed like days. The doctors in the hospital had introduced a low undertone of classical music within Danny's private room to offset their patient's discordant noises. It had taken time and a studious particular use of occasional sedation as his vitals were carefully monitored, but now it did seem that Danny was finally recognizing another difference in his vicinity.

"Dammit," Steve cursed softly, worried when he saw the ripple of shock run through Danny's body at the sound of his voice. He hadn't been loud and yet his partner had reacted. He glanced up to the doctor's face, worried and then reassured when the man only nodded to continue. Ever so hesitantly Steve shifted his position from where he sat on the edge of a chair not even a foot away from the bed and eye to eye should Danny ever decide to actually focus his lifeless gaze.

"Try," the doctor said, pointing to Danny's partially opened but still dazed looking expression. Steve nodded wordlessly, instantly nervous because they had tried before ... he had tried before, but to no avail.

"Danno, can you hear me?" Steve kept his voice modulated low and steady. "It's okay; you're okay here." He intentionally shifted again in an attempt to pull Danny's gaze into a tighter realm, a hand daring to still the nervously twitching fingers before they could become buried in the bedding. There was a startled puff of air at the touch and Steve froze in kind; the smallest of confused exhales as his hand covered Danny's which still didn't seem quite warm enough. The frown deepened as well, another sign that just maybe things might begin to turn a more healthy corner. With a surge of hope, Steve looked to the doctor, daring to smile as the man approved the more natural response; slim as it might be.

Danny unconsciously pursed his lips as the grayish-white blur moved unexpectedly. He blinked in a rapid succession and he startled again as something warm and strong eked into his circle of awareness through the fingers on his right hand. It was too soon for him to think though, at least not in detail as he blinked again and settled his eyes on ... a face.

He stared hard not actually trying to understand and yet, knowing somewhere in his still beleaguered mind, that he needed to. Blandly watching the face shift and change, Danny blinked again. Once and then twice, before his eyes dropped to his hand where the warmth seemed to be emanating.

"Danno?" Almost too sluggishly, Danny moved his gaze back upwards to the blurred outline of dark hair and moving lips. Sound which had once made him flinch away finally seemed to make sense in its sonorous vibration. "Danny, do you know who I am?"

The question was faint. Far away and yet as luminous as a cloud where it shook something loose inside his chest. But instead of dwelling on what it might mean, Danny wearily closed his eyes. The warmth on this hand tightened and for the first time he returned the pressure, suddenly aware of a saddened, softly uttered moan of disappointment.

His eyes remained closed, but Danny felt the stunned trill communicated to him through his fingertips and he nearly sketched a timid smile. The reality of a true acknowledgement would have to wait though, too, because he was far from achieving that level of sanity. But he knew something then without needing to try too hard and he surprised himself at the realization.

He understood the last scarcely uttered question as words clicked magically into place: 'Danny, do you know who I am?'

Yes, he understood the question and inherently knew the answer. So before falling asleep, Danny managed one faintly pushed out word that brought his best friend to his feet with an incredulous gasp.

"Steve."

~ to be continued ~