I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Notes: my muses are out of control but as I've been told, some stories are meant to have a life of their own. this is one of them! My continued thanks to CinderH for awesome support and all the beta-ing help.
Chapter Nine
H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*
"You're not actually going?" There was a wary concerned tone to Steve's voice as Danny wandered into his hospital room fully dressed. Only the shirt he wore on his back was newer. Borrowed from an HPD officer's gym bag, it hung loosely on his shoulders. But the pants were from the accident and they deeply smudged with dirt, grime and traces of old blood. He was leaning heavily on a cane and probably should have been in a wheelchair, but he'd been released to go home. He could easily read Danny's expression too and it clearly said that he actually wanted to go – in fact, he wanted to be alone. But Steve didn't personally believe any of what was happening to be the best of ideas.
He watched as Danny slowly sank into the chair nearest his bed. While his coloring was good, the bruising that peeked out from under his bandaged head was now impressively black with touches of a softer blue. He winced from the damaged rib and was carefully tucking the sling with his broken left arm close to his body.
"Doc said nothing was life-threatening and they couldn't do anything for me here that I couldn't do at home. I have all the pain meds I need to take if I need them." Danny had just eased himself into the chair near Steve's bed, but the SEAL was already swinging his legs off the side to stand with his I.V. pole in hand.
Danny was still talking but had closed his eyes as a slight twinge of pain moved across his side. "You on the other hand, still have a fever and need antibiotics for another day. How do you feel by the way?" He completely missed Steve's dark look of denial and the fact that he'd simultaneously rung for the nurse's station.
"Danny … I don't care what the man said. You can't possibly be serious about leaving this hospital. And then what .. going home .. alone?" And then he saw it again, the almost relieved look on Danny's face. One that said he wanted to think and consider certain things; stew and obsess on the custody proceedings and a multitude of other things. That same look held a glimmer of sadness though too, and Steve shook his head.
"Bad idea Danno. You're not going to be able to manage." Steve gripped the pole tightly in his left hand as he frowned down at Danny.
Kono and Chin had left earlier that morning to fly to Maui .. for there had been yet another fire. It had been set overnight and once again, at a historical site under renovation. The beautiful old complex had burned totally down to the ground; it was a complete and total loss. Either their man had an accomplice or it was an aggressive copy-cat and Chin especially now wanted to put this case to bed. The team simply couldn't afford to drop the ball as long as things were still in such a state of flux. The Reynolds flight had left two hours before and they were safely on their way back state-side. But Danny and Steve had been left in HPD's care until much later that evening when the cousins planned to return with their latest findings.
Danny tried to shrug off the decision. Other than needing to move slowly and take a few pain medications, he could sleep at home, recover in peace and so, didn't see the big deal. But he was intentionally avoiding Steve's pointed gaze and therefore, the real issue. "Hospitals do this all the time and if I'm going to lie around, I'm better off at my own place. One of our HPD guys can take me there. "
"That's the last place you need to be Danno. And you know exactly what I mean." Steve's words were worriedly hushed as he watched Danny look down at the floor. With Grace still away for the holidays and the focus of their last talk, being alone in a small, unfriendly apartment was definitely a bad idea.
"Besides, there's too many stairs anyway. Not enough food in your fridge .. I've seen it." The number of excuses came fast and furious as Steve threw ideas and reasons out arbitrarily.
"You need to fill prescriptions … you can barely make it around on that cane. Of course, cleaning won't be an issue." And Danny rolled his eyes in disgust at the snide comment. "But how are going to make anything to eat? What happens if you fall down?"
As the list continued, Danny tiredly propped his chin on the palm of his right hand and closed his eyes while he listened to the never-ending tirade. During a lull, he snorted sarcastically and lobbed his own comment back.
"Anything else you'd like to add, Captain Cynical?"
The glare he received in return said 'not yet', since Steve was bound to think of something else or come up with some other reason to keep Danny under his thumb. But Danny was also justifiably angry as he pointed to Steve's bandaged hand because he knew his crazy fool of a partner would find some way to refuse medical care. His own voice began to rise as he guessed Steve's thoughts and narrowed his eyes as the SEAL quietly considered his injured hand and then the I.V. pole.
"You cannot risk yourself for one night Steven. So don't even think about doing ... whatever it is .. you're thinking about doing! And, by the way, I don't need a damned babysitter."
"What's going on?" The now not-so-tolerant voice of Doctor Byrnes echoed from the doorway as he entered the room. A nurse had come from the station, but upon hearing the increasing argumentative voices had instead retrieved the doctor.
"Commander Confidence here doesn't think I'm ready to be released." Danny drawled quietly as he challenged Steve with an annoyed look of his own. And then he waved his right hand in a neither here nor there sort of gesture. "I think he's jealous actually. I get to go .. he has to stay."
Byrnes pursed his lips as he looked from one man to the other, and then wisely stayed quiet. The way Steve's face darkened said that Danny was way off in that assessment and he listened as Steve voiced his real concern with a tone that mimicked Danny's own.
"Alone Daniel … I don't think you should try to manage alone for an hour, let alone twenty-four."
Though he didn't fully understand the full import of what Steve meant, Doctor Byrnes wasn't ignorant about his patient's needs and he made an unhappy face. "Based on hospital policy and Danny's current status, I have no recourse to keep him here. I didn't realize that you would be alone though, and I do agree that being on your own entirely as you recover will be quite ….difficult and even problematic."
Without being asked, Byrnes steered Steve back to the bed and unwrapped the bandaged hand. Re-checking the stitched wound, he found that much of the harsh redness had lessened. But he made a dissatisfied face over the ill warmth emanating from the base of Steve's thumb and wrist. Silently, Byrnes then once more took Steve's vitals and sighed heavily.
"Your temperature is improving but it's still elevated. A full degree either way .. could be very good or honestly, become quite damaging and put you back to square one."
"He's staying." The definitive word came from Danny as he struggled to his feet, cane in his right hand as he carefully made his way to stand near them. He peered over the doctor's shoulder to stare at the ugly wound and his face fell at the sight of the reddened, infected area.
"He's staying and he will be here until you say otherwise." Danny held up his hand authoritatively to forestall another outburst from his partner. "I'll go to your place okay? No stairs … stocked fridge .. sun, sand and surf .. what else could I ask for?"
Steve snorted in sheer annoyance as he met Danny's eyes. Sun and surf were the very least of his partner's wish list items, but Danny was at least trying to ease the tension in the room.
"Not good enough." Steve stated blandly as he saw the sadness lurking behind the blue and Danny's lips tightened angrily. Neither had brought up the cousins since they both knew the Maui investigation was critical. Interrupting Chin and Kono for this supposedly small issue wouldn't be appropriate so they just stared off at each other.
"It's going to have to be, babe." The soft challenge was clear as Danny cocked his head in Steve's direction and tried to ease his friend's mind. The tight anger lifted briefly as he calmed himself down. Each was only worried about the other, and Danny needed Steve to understand that he was actually better. Dan Reynolds had given him a new perspective on a few very important things; Danny only needed to rationalize them in his mind.
So he meant it when he quietly met Steve's concerned gaze. "I'll be fine. We're just talking a few hours."
And then Byrnes suddenly offered another possibility as he addressed Steve directly. "One more bagged I.V. drip would take approximately four hours to infuse. Finish what you're on ..that will take about an hour or even less. And then make me happy with another cycle and I will release you later this afternoon or by early evening."
"If ..now wait!" He put his hand up in warning as an eager smile broke across Steve's face. "Wait! The caveat being .. should your temperature actually rise … we would need to discuss this plan of action. It would negate my offer!"
"He understands Doc." Danny grinned back as he playfully poked Steve in the arm. "There ya go! I'll go to your place and fluff your pillows .. as long as you cooperate that is!"
But Steve lost his smile as he looked at Danny meaningfully and then checked the time on the wall clock. Another four or five hours in the hospital would be a much too long, exhausting amount of time for Danny to wait, so leaving now made sense. And having Byrnes meet them half-way was a distinct advantage.
"It's eleven now … I'll be there by six p.m. Danno. Count on it." Steve still didn't feel entirely comfortable as he watched Danny ask one of the HPD uniforms to drive him. If for some reason he didn't get released, Chin and Kono were scheduled to land at seven p.m. But Steve was worried about Danny being too alone for too long a period with certain thoughts rattling around in his head. Too alone with Grace still state-side for the holiday and the very threat that fact supported. The Reynolds' visit had helped a great deal but the old worries could return and Steve wasn't sure how Danny would deal with them now, especially after the accident.
But then a nurse arrived with a wheelchair, Danny was gone with the officer and Byrnes was settling him back in bed. The decision had been made and Steve looked at his bandaged right hand in disgust. It hurt and was still infected, but much of the swelling and heat had gone down. He just needed his body to cooperate as he demanded it to, so he would be released later that day.
Less than thirty minutes later, Steve was on his cell phone managing to smile at the mildly annoyed tone he earned when he pestered about lunch and Danny getting off his feet. But Steve could hear the weary exhaustion already creeping in from the short trip, followed by the pained edge that said medications were soon to be due.
"Yes dear, I'm here safe and sound. The unit's still out front. I'm in the process of destroying your couch as we speak. And yes again .. soup's on."
The call ended and Steve automatically looked up to visually measure the amount of drip left before the next full bag would be put into place. He estimated it to be less than ten minutes and even though the machine would beep on empty to signal the refill, Steve's hand was already poised to thumb the call button to the nurse's station.
Because in reality, Danny hadn't actually sat down on the couch or started lunch, in fact he never even visited the kitchen. Using the cane for balance, he aimlessly made his way out to the lanai to stare blindly at the distant pounding waves. However after a few minutes, he found himself pleasantly surprised as he breathed in the clean, fresh air. The beach front and all of its natural sounds were as equally soothing as the utterly peaceful silence.
"Damned island." Danny remarked to himself without meaning it at all. The comforting warm breeze shook the stringent antiseptic smell out of his nose and calmed his racing mind. He hadn't realized the sheer persistent volume of the near deafening sounds of mechanical devices that beeped, hummed and whirred at the hospital. The constant noise of people talking, walking and then coming or going to check on him. For once all of that more familiar, cold, hard noise was replaced by birds, the soft breeze through the few trees around the house, and the distant sound of waves crashing far away on the beach.
Danny carefully settled himself into a lounge chair and was soon lost in his thoughts about Grace, Rachel and the custody issue plus what they would do after the holiday. He ordered and prioritized them one by one and the mental exercise lifted his sadness away. But then he briefly switched over to Belle and the baby. The custody battle was softened by a new perspective related to what a real loss could mean and it strengthened Danny's resolve to do whatever was right for Grace.
There would be no winning or losing with Rachel since Grace wasn't a game that could be shuffled about or won or even lost. In fact, there was no losing, just different futures with different challenges. And he wasn't going to dwell on nasty 'what ifs' either because it was a waste of good time when he needed to use his energy constructively.
He eventually fell asleep in the shade with a soft smile creasing his face as he remembered baby Daniel's excited, questioning babble and his grandfather's happiness because like he said, what was done .. was done .. and Dan Reynolds would make the happy best of whatever came next simply because it was the right thing to do for Belle and his family. And that in itself was a very comforting thought.
At the hospital when his own lunch arrived an hour later, Steve asked for extra ice and cold drinks. And when Higgins, one of the HPD officers poked his head in to say hello during the shift change, Steve asked him to lower the air conditioner just a few degrees. It might be childish, but Steve was going to make sure that his body's temperature duly cooperated to the full extent of his ability.
~ to be continued ~
