I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Steve finds out that Danny likes deep sea fishing and used to go yearly off Long Island, NY with his father. For Danny's birthday, Steve charters a local sport fishing boat off Kona which is attacked by drug traffickers. Whump and fun ensues!
Special thanks to CinderH for helping with plot bunnies, beta and for tossing around general ideas!
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CHAPTER SEVEN – A Birthday to Remember
Danny's harsh coughing awakened Steve from a light doze and he rocked forward to his knees to check his friend. Stifling a groan, he also managed to hide the pain he felt in his head and shoulder. His face held a genuine smile when he realized Danny was awake and seemingly aware of his surroundings. While the wound had stopped bleeding long ago, Danny had already lost a great deal of blood and was very weak. His persistent cough and the disturbing rise in his temperature worried Steve. He knew that Danny was harboring an infection likely from lying in the dirty, fishy water from The Cleo for such a long time.
Blinking a few times, Danny tried to speak and failed miserably.
"Hold on, have some water." And Steve raised his head to sip from the water bottle. Steve was strictly rationing the two bottles he had found earlier and giving the large majority to Danny. So when he finished the last of the first bottle and seemed worried, Steve just smiled and neatly cracked open the second one. "No worries, we have another!" Keeping his expression schooled, he helped Danny again drink.
Reaching for Steve's wrist, Danny indicated that he'd have enough. "Why are we still here?" he asked in confusion. "Where's Kono?" He breathed out softly.
Frowning, Steve couldn't hide his surprise at the unexpected questions. "Kono? Danny, I don't think she's coming."
Closing his eyes and tossing his head from side to side, Danny was so distressed that Steve took his hand to try and calm him. "No, I heard her. I did." Coughing again, Danny stopped talking to clutch at his right shoulder.
"Easy, Danno. I'm sorry. Okay." Upset that Danny wasn't as coherent as he first thought, Steve rubbed his hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. Pushing his emotions down, he tried to calm his friend and change the subject. "Kono's not here yet. Can you tell me how you're feeling? Huh?"
And then Steve heard it. He froze and grew very quiet as he heard the distant sound of a powerful boat engine. Stunned he looked down at Danny. With his eyes still closed, Danny repeated softly. "It's Kono. Steve. It is."
Squeezing Danny's hand, Steve lurched awkwardly to his feet. "Okay, I'll go see. Be right back." He missed the weak smile from Danny as he turned to almost crawl topside. Shielding his eyes from the late day sun, Steve almost laughed with relief to see a Coast Guard cutter bearing down with a vengeance on the stranded Yakuza vessel. As the cutter came closer, he could make out both Chin and Kono on the main deck and at the ready to join him.
"How did you know, Danny? How?" he asked the blue sky, as his world threatened to tilt on him. Willing himself to stand tall, Steve shouted down to the lower deck. "She's here Danny. You were right! It's Kono!"
But he couldn't hear Danny's almost smug and very quiet, "I know", as the noise from the Coast Guard vessel slowed to moor against the stranded boat.
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As the crew tied off, Kono was the first one to agilely climb over the railings. Taking in Steve's bruised and pained appearance, she had an apprehensive face as she grabbed his hands. "You look awful, boss."
Nearly unable to answer, he looked up as Chin arrived by her side with two Coast Guard medics and was equally anxious. "Hey, Steve. Glad to see you. There's a medivac enroute as well. Chopper's just a little delayed fueling up after another rescue."
Still astonished by their sudden arrival and Danny's premonition, Steve was struggling for words. "You have no idea." He finally blurted out. His voice was rough with emotion and he was clearly unsteady on his feet. Only sheer willpower was keeping him upright.
Easily seeing the bruised face and bandaged head, Chin also noticed how Steve was slightly bent over to favor his left shoulder and arm. And his glazed expression spoke volumes as to the level of stress he was feeling but would never actually admit. Chin knew Steve was not only injured but utterly worn out.
With extreme care, Chin gently took Steve's elbow. "Why don't you sit here, brah? Let the medics take a look at you?" Both Kono and Chin were terrified to ask about Danny. Not seeing him with Steve only fueled their mutual fears. But shaking Chin off, Steve hurriedly directed them below deck.
"No, Danny. He's hurt badly. Kono, please ….get him on that chopper. Stay with him." And he then began to sway on his feet as he realized help had truly arrived. Acting quickly, Chin firmly took hold of his elbow and this time forcibly guided him to a seated position where one of the medics immediately started to assess Steve's vitals. Rubbing his eyes Steve swore softly at the pain in his head and the unsettling double-vision.
"I can't believe that he knew." He muttered softly. "He really knew."
Not understanding the last few words, Kono looked at Chin in askance. But he could only shrug in response.
In an effort to keep him seated calmly, Kono put her hand on Steve's arm to halt any further movement. "Okay, we got him, boss. I'll stay with him myself. But you need to sit here with Chin and get checked out." She turned quickly and the second medic was on her heels as she ran below deck.
Anxiously watching after Kono, Steve closed his eyes and seemed to literally wilt in front of Chin. "How are you doing, Steve?" He asked worriedly, and looked at the medic for an update. In response, the medic made a face over Steve's low blood pressure and much too rapid pulse. Checking his pupils, the medic also confirmed the certainty of a concussion.
"Sir, can you tell me where else you're hurt?" The young ensign asked. Not getting an immediate reply, he and Chin worked together to carefully cut away Steve's shirt to reveal the swelling and extensive bruising extending from his left collarbone and into both his back and his shoulder.
Chin hissed in sympathy as the medic palpated the area gently. "What the hell, Steve?" Chin prompted him again. "Steve, what's wrong with your arm? What happened?"
Opening his eyes briefly and then closing them again, Steve tried to lift his arm and then thought better of it. "Had a little altercation with the butt of a rifle I guess." His voice was low and careful. Chin knew that Steve was concentrating on only staying conscious.
Quietly he added, "I'm going to kill him Chin." While the tone and words startled the medic, Chin snorted in appreciation.
"Yeah, but you may be too late for that my friend."
Cracking an eye open at Chin, Steve wasn't really listening as he briefly rallied in newly found anger. "Yakuza, Chin. He killed at least two men I know of. One was just a boy really. He's evil, ruthless."
Pausing, Steve took a deep breath to collect himself as he finished his promise. "And he tried to kill Danny. He's mine when we find him." Steve's voice was low and measured, and the tone was lethal.
Knowing that it was going to be too much, Chin changed tact to simply agree with his friend. "I know. I believe you too. But first things, first okay. Medivac will be here in less than four minutes. You and Danny are going on it and then right to Tripler. "
Satisfied that he'd been heard, Steve closed his eyes and drifted. A few minutes later he never felt the gentle hands that placed him in the rescue basket that was airlifted into the medivac. And he never realized that he hadn't even asked how they had found him and Danny on the stranded Yakuza boat in the first place.
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Below deck, Kono fell to her knees next to Danny's prone body and had to strongly pull her emotions into check. Once again he had fallen unconscious as both pain and weakness won out.
"God, Danny." She choked out when she saw his much too pale face and bandaged shoulder. Touching his forehead, she could feel the heat coming off his body. His breathing was rapid and there was rattle on his exhale. They were almost too late and she was scared.
"It's bad, isn't it?" She whispered quietly to the medic who had immediately dropped next to her to assess his condition.
Silently nodding, the medic continued to record Danny's vitals. "We need to get him to Tripler ASAP. He's lost a lot of blood and he's crashing." Hesitating, the medic frowned. "He's definitely gotten an infection too. Temperature's elevated at one hundred one, chest is congested."
Continuing to work, he put Danny on oxygen and deftly inserted an IV into the back of his hand to push fluids. Rising, he made to go topside. "He's a very sick man. I'd list him as critical. We need that chopper here now."
Keeping her promise to Steve, Kono argued and forced her way into the medivac to be with both men. Sitting near Danny, she gently stroked his fevered forehead and rubbed his cold hands.
Quietly she whispered to him. "We got that crazy guy too. He's dead, Danny. And you're going to be okay." Looking over at Steve who lay unconscious on an identical stretcher, she added firmly. "You have to be. You both have to be."
~ to be continued ~