Note: many thanks for all your reviews. Sorry I haven't been able to reply individually but been busy with work the past few days, all reviews are greatly appreciated though.

Chapter Eight

Chin and Kono returned the next morning and were surprised to find both Steve, and Danny, still sleeping. While both looked better than when they had left them the night before, Steve's knee looked even more swollen, and Danny still looked very pale and was connected to several monitors.

"Ah, the other half returns," Elaine said entering the room. "I hope you two aren't as hard work as these two."

"Have they been giving the staff a hard time?" Chin asked, knowing his friends' tendency to drive the staff mad.

"You could say that. They kept the night staff busy." Elaine chuckled as she exchanged Danny's bag of fluids.

Danny slowly blinked open his eyes, and smiled at the elderly nurse, and his team members.

"Morning, Hun. How are you feeling this morning?"

"Better thanks." Danny said reaching for his pain pump and delivering another dose.

"Good to see you using that thing." Elaine smiled, then plumped Danny's pillow and helped him sit up more.

"Yeah, learnt that lesson, the hard way," Danny sighed.

"The nurse said you were giving the night staff a hard time, brah. Misbehaving again?" Chin questioned raising his eyebrows.

"Not me, Super SEAL." Danny replied looking innocent.

"Oh you caused your fair share of worry. This one here," She said pointing to Steve who slept on oblivious. "This one decided he was gonna take a midnight trip to the bathroom, only he ended up on the floor, while this one," Danny was sure he could feel the heat of her glare, and he felt like he was back in high school being told off by his English teacher. "This one made himself ill worrying about that one."

"Ill?" Kono asked scrutinising Danny for an explanation.

"It was nothing. I was reluctant to use the pain relief until I knew how Steve was. Unfortunately the pain got a bit too much." Danny replied trying to play down just how ill he had actually felt.

"Sounds like a typical hospital stay for these two." Chin said as Kono nodded.

Elaine laughed, "Well I'm back on duty today, and they will certainly be behaving." She said leaving the room.

Chin and Kono pulled over a chair each and sat nearer to Danny, leaving Steve to sleep. Danny filled them in on Steve reinjuring his knee, and then Chin and Kono filled Danny in on the Pike case.

Finally Steve woke and gave his three friends a dopey smile. "Morning, sleeping beauty," Danny called over.

"Sorry, I couldn't get back to sleep last night." Steve said rubbing his eyes then slowly sitting himself up, mindful of his broken ribs.

"Danny told us you rehurt your knee. Was it too painful?" Kono asked remembering how her own knee injury had kept her awake at night.

"No, doc gave me some codeine which settled it. But I couldn't sleep 'cos Danny looked dreadful, once I got back, and I half expected the alarms to start blaring." Steve answered honestly.

"You too are as bad as each other." Chin said shaking his head.

"So the nurse drugged me before I could find out how your knee really was. Is it really fine?" Danny asked concerned.

"It will be." Steve simply answered.

"So, no further damage?" Danny probed, knowing his partner was holding back.

"Nothing that won't heal, with time."

"And that would be?" Danny asked again, now getting concerned at Steve's coyness, so he sat himself up more, grimacing with pain as he did so, and stared directly at Steve.

"Ok, I may have a slight tear in my," the rest was muttered under his breath.

"Tear in your what? Steven." Danny demanded, as Chin gave Kono a smile, both relieved that the partners were back to bickering.

"My ACL, ok? I tore my ACL. But it will heal on its own, and I'll be back at work in no time. No bitching or moaning."

"Bitching or moaning? Are you implying I did so when you tore mine," Danny ranted, his hands waving wildly, and the IV's in his arm flapping around.

"A little," Steve smirked relieved to get the usual rise from his partner.

"Well maybe if you hadn't have taken great delight in walking faster, and insisting on taking the stairs, I wouldn't... You know what? I should have left you on the floor, hell I should have left you in the basement." Danny said crossing his arms then immediately regretting it as it hurt his ribs.

"What did I say about behaving," Elaine said standing at the door. "I do not want to even think what your blood pressure is."

"Sorry." Danny quickly answered.

"Sorry." Steve apologised.

"I was coming to tell you, that the physiotherapist is on his way with crutches for you." She said to Steve. "As long as he is happy you can manage, you can go home. I have your prescription, and you will need a follow up in a week."

"Great, thanks." Steve smiled.

"Lucky you," Danny sighed.

"Only a few more days, Hun, then you will be following suit. While the physio is with Steve, how about we get you out of bed?"

"Sure." Danny replied not liking the thought of being stuck in hospital for several more days. Rachel was due to leave the island the next day, and now Danny was going to have to ask her to stay longer. Not to mention he needed to tell her and Grace what had happened.

An hour later Danny was sat out in the chair, most of the monitoring equipment now gone, and pillows supporting him. Chin and Kono stood to one side as Steve signed his release paperwork.

"There you go." Elaine said passing the prescriptions to Chin. "Make sure he takes those, they will help with the swelling as well as the pain."

"That's everything? I'm a free man?" Steve asked.

"Sure are." Elaine confirmed.

"Great." Steve said standing with the help of his crutches then gradually making his way over to the visitors chair by Danny's bed, and lowering himself back down.

"You goof." Danny laughed as Elaine watched on in confusion. "Go home."

"Nope, not 'til tonight, then I'll be back first thing tomorrow. You know what we say Danny. Never leave a man behind."

THE END

Still working on the next story. Hopefully won't be too long.