Two chapters in one day, yay!

Reaching the lip of the hole, Danny felt hands grabbing his shoulders and tugging him the rest of the way out.

"We didn't think you'd be first." Chin said, clapping the man on the shoulder. "I thought you'd force Steve into the harness."

"He said he wouldn't go, if I didn't go first." Danny said, worry for his partner evident in his tone.

"Alright. The harness is on it's way back down." Lou said, placing a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Glad to see you're in one piece."

"Me too." Danny said, stepping away from the edge of the hole, and looking down it worriedly.

"Ok, here's the lift." Kono said, patting Steve's back again. "You ready?"

Steve nodded weakly, eyes still closed. After throwing up, he hadn't quite been able to stand up straight, and now stood slightly hunched over, favouring his right side.

Kono guided him to the harness and helped him put it on. After double checking all the straps, she radioed up for the team above to pull her injured friend up to safety.

As he began to rise, Steve clutched tightly at the cable, a wave of dizziness and nausea hitting him full force.

Kono stepped back, hoping her boss wouldn't throw up again.

Steve felt like he was going to fall, and found himself starting to panic. He tried to get it under control, but it was so hard. He hurt everywhere, and the flimsy harness was digging into his hurt side. His head spun and his stomach flipped uncomfortably. He wanted off of this thing. He wanted off.

He clenched his hand harder around the cable, leaning his head against it to try and fight the overwhelming dizziness and nausea.

Dogs. They were going to get dogs. Danny acted like he wasn't sure about it, but Steve knew he wanted a dog as much as their girls did. Steve figured he could probably convince Danny to get two dogs, one for each of their precious children.

"Steve." He heard his name, but it sounded muted, far away. "Hey, babe? You ok?"

'I hurt. It hurts everywhere. Make it stop.' He tried to say, but was pretty sure he didn't.

"Off..." Steve mumbled, eyes still closed, hand still clenched around the cable, as if clutching onto life itself. His face was even paler in the light, with a tinge of green.

"Ge' m'off."

Danny gently shook Steve's shoulder. "Steve, babe. You're gonna be ok." Danny said quietly, squeezing the man's shoulder slightly.

"You heard him, get him off." Danny said to the workers, voice barely controlled.

Steve didn't want to open his eyes. They hurt, just like the rest of him. But he knew he had too, if only to look at Danny and reassure him that he was fine. Well, mostly fine. Okay, reassure him that he was still alive.

"Babe, hey, babe." Danny said. He had hold of Steve's hand again, and he was walking beside the backboard that Steve was laying on, as the paramedics carried him away from the rubble.

Steve squeezed Danny's hand, acknowledging that he had heard him.

"You're gonna be fine. You hear? You'll be fine."

They were at the ambulance now, and the paramedics were placing the backboard onto the actual stretcher. They set to work, first putting in an IV of pain killers and saline, to keep him hydrated.

The whole time the paramedics worked to stabilize the superSEAL, Danny talked to him quietly, keeping him distracted.

Twenty minutes later, Steve was being loaded into the back of the ambulance, Danny right beside him, never letting go of his hand. One of the paramedics climbed in after them, while the other went around to the cab and started up the vehicle.

Steve shifted, turning his head towards Danny, as the ambulance took off, heading for the nearest hospital.

"Hey, babe. Deja'vu, huh?" Danny asked, chuckling softly.

"E'cept opp'site." Steve rumbled, blinking open his eyes.

He blinked again, and again, and again.

"Danno." He said, panic clear in his voice. "Dan'o, I can't see!"