A/N: Thank you everyone for your concern about my husband. Good news today from the doctor, he does not require surgery after all, and even better news, he should be home on Monday.
This is the final chapter, so thanks once again to my incredible beta rewob17, and Irene Claire for her input. I wish I could write the emotional stuff the way Irene Claire can, but alas I'm not that good. So I hope you all enjoy what I came up with.
Chapter Nine
Chin settled Danny back into the bed and now walked around to Steve. Danny was still breathing heavily and not able to say anything yet. "Steve." Chin said as he took hold of Steve's arm. "Yes it's was you who hurt Danny, but you were not yourself at the time and Danny knows that. He does want you here in this room, with him. Otherwise why would doc have let you stay here?"
Steve moved back further until he bumped up against his bed. Chin encouraged him to sit. "What do you remember, Steve?"
"Most of it I think. I remember after I tackled Wally I started beating on him. I was so angry and then Danny tried to stop me. I didn't recognise him, Chin. I thought he was someone who wanted to hurt me." Steve ran his hands over his face as he fought for control over his emotions. "I broke his arm and then started hitting him but he managed to get away. Somehow he handcuffed me around a tree, I think."
"Yeah, that was not easy you were in full SEAL mode there, Steve." Danny said. He was now calm and fully awake. This was not how he'd wanted Steve to remember, but now that he had they needed to talk it out or he could see Steve retreating from him out of guilt. "After I handcuffed you to the tree I tried to get your phone, mine was broken, but you kicked out and knocked me down into a gully. When I came too you were gone."
Steve blinked and remembered more. "I remember walking into headquarters looking for you Danny. I couldn't remember why I was by myself in the Camaro, but I knew I needed to find you and tell you that I needed to see a doctor just like you wanted, but you were there Chin?" Steve paused and thought some more. "I don't remember much after that until I woke up here."
"That's because you were out of it Steve. The doctors at Queen's had to do emergency surgery to relieve the pressure building in your brain." Chin explained. "Kono and I were on our way to the NorthShore to look for Danny when he called us using your phone. A Medi-Vac chopper brought him here and Dr Fry decided that it would be best if you were here as well." Chin looked over at Danny. "Danny here was threatening to leave AMA so he could be with you at Queens."
Steve looked at Danny and smiled. "Just how were you planning on doing that Danny? It doesn't look to me like you could even stand right now."
"Maybe not. But I managed to pull myself out of the water enough so I wouldn't drown even with broken ribs, a broken arm and a bad knee, so I would have found a way to get to Queen's." As soon as the words left his mouth Danny wished he could take them back. The colour drained from Steve's face and Chin threw Danny a reproachful look.
Chin eased Steve down onto his bed and sat beside him. "Steve, let me explain what happened after you left Danny in the forest and made it back to headquarters."
Danny could only watch, and berate himself for saying what he did, as Chin filled Steve in on the events leading up to Danny's arrival at Tripler. Steve was quiet throughout the explanation, much too quiet for Danny's liking. The colour had returned to Steve's face, but he had avoided looking at Danny and when Chin finished he simply closed his eyes.
With a pointed look at Danny, Chin moved away and sat in the chair by the window. He knew that he'd done all he could, it was now up to Danny to repair the harm he'd caused with his words.
"Steve, don't do this, don't retreat from me. I need you to talk." Danny said as he raised the bed so he could get a better look at Steve. "Come on partner. You have to use your words so I know what is going on in your head."
"Why would you even want me to talk to you after what I did? Now I understand everything that's been going on since I woke up." Steve finally looked over at Danny. "I can't be your partner anymore Danny. Not knowing that I hurt you like that."
"Yes, you can, Steven, because it wasn't you that hurt me, not really. You didn't recognise me because of your head injury and saw me as a threat. That ingrained SEAL training took over and I ended up hurt. But that wasn't you, my partner, or you, my best friend. I know that and I will get past it." Danny sighed. "Anyway, it's really my fault that this whole mess happened."
"What?" That statement brought Steve out of the funk he found himself in. "Why would it be your fault? I don't understand?"
"It's my fault because I knew something was wrong with you and I didn't force you to get help. I should never have let you go up to the NorthShore. Instead I should have taken you to the hospital, they would have found the bleed in your brain and we would not be having this conversation."
Chin stepped back into the conversation at this point. "Okay boys, I think you have thrown enough blame around for now. It's the middle of the night and both of you need more sleep. In the morning when you are both rested we'll work this out as a team. All of us, because Kono and I are not free from blame in this either. We both knew something was wrong with you Steve, and we did nothing just left it up to Danny."
With a shake of his head Danny laughed. "You know what Super SEAL? I see a Five-0 group therapy session in our very near future."
Steve looked from Danny to Chin and then back to Danny. "I think you're right, Danny." Then he smiled because just maybe everything was going to be alright after all. "So how about you Book It Danno."
The End
