A/N: There is a hospital in Danny's future, just not yet.

Chapter Ten

Steve released the breath he'd been holding as a sigh when he felt the weak pulse thrum under his finger.

"He's alive."

Chin and Kono had both squatted down. Chin by Danny's feet where he studied the chain attached to Danny's leg. Kono was right behind Steve as she looked in alarm at the nail still protruding from Danny's thigh.

Steve ran his eyes down his partner's body from head to toe, cataloguing in his mind the injuries he could see.

"Kono, get the medical kit from under the back seat of the truck."

Kono was on her feet and out the door in seconds. She returned with the extensive medical kit Steve kept in his vehicle, placing it on top of the cook stove, and opening it.

Steve and Chin gently turned Danny so they could lay him flat on the floor.

"Keep that leg steady Chin, I don't want it to start bleeding again."

Chin nodded as he mainly supported Danny's right leg, while Steve eased him forward so he could lift the top half of Danny's body by placing his hands under both shoulders. Kono moved to help by lifting his left leg.

A groan escaped from the prone man as he was moved, but he didn't wake.

"Kono, get a couple of water bottles from the truck. He's burning up and we need to try and cool him off." Steve shifted to Danny's right side so he could access the medical kit. He took it from the top of the cook stove and placed it by the side of Danny's head.

On Kono's return Chin spoke.

"Steve, help me lift this stove so we can free Danny's leg." At Steve's nod, Chin continued, "Kono, you pull the chain out when we lift."

Kono grasped the chain and as Steve and Chin lifted the corner of the stove, she slipped the chain free. It didn't remove it from Danny's leg, but at least he could now be moved out of the cabin when the ambulance arrived.

Steve knelt back down beside Danny.

"Okay, Chin, you cut the right pant leg up past the nail." Scissors were pressed into Chin's outstretched hand. "Kono, use this to clean off Danny's face, while you cool him down." Steve passed Kono a large gauze pad. "I'm going to check him for other injuries.

Kono moved to sit by Danny's head. She soaked the gauze pad and tried to gently clean the blood away from the right side of Danny's face.

"This is some rash, Steve. They must have dropped him while his hands were tied as we saw in the video."

Steve had opened Danny's shirt and was checking his ribs when Kono spoke. He pushed the shirt off Danny's right shoulder and uncovered a massive bruise.

"I'd say so."

Chin had Danny's pant leg cut all the way up now.

"It looks like his knee is twice the size it should be. You think his ACL has been re-torn?"

Steve turned from where he'd been examining Danny's rib.

"He has cracked ribs on the left side. There's definitely something wrong with that knee, Chin." Steve moved closer and examined the nail wound without touching it. There was redness around the wound. It was also swollen with pus starting to leak out. "This wound is badly infected."

"Should we do anything, like take the nail out?" Chin queried.

"No. There's nothing we can do here." Steve sat down and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "How long, until the ambulance gets here, Kono?"

"I'd say at least fifteen minutes." Kono went to slide in behind Danny and lifted his head to rest on her lap. Steve reached up and supported Danny's head so Kono could get settled.

"There's blood back here," Steve said as he turned Danny's head so he could get a look at the back of it. "Must be where he was hit when they took him."

Chin moved up on Danny's left side and lifted his lower arm.

"His wrists look pretty bad too." The raw skin around Danny's wrists was covered in dirt, and ugly scabs had formed over the nicks he'd made while cutting himself free. "Looks like he used that piece of glass over there to free his hands." Chin indicated the large piece of glass with blood on the edges lying not too far away.

There was silence for a few seconds while each person sat looking at their teammate, unconscious on the floor.

"Okay, Chin, you go make sure the ambulance doesn't get lost." Steve threw Chin the keys to his truck. "Kono, you keep trying to cool Danny down. I'll see what I can do for his wrists and knee."

Steve retrieved a large ace bandage from the kit and moved down beside Danny's knee. He had the knee wrapped and was just securing the bandage when Danny moved the leg and cried out in pain. Steve immediately moved up to Danny's head and put both hands on his shoulders to keep him still.

"Don't move, Danny. Lie still."

Danny rolled his head from side to side groaning as he did so.

"Danny, it's alright," Steve tried again.

Finally, two cloudy blue eyes opened. The left one barely, as it was so swollen. "St… Steve?" Danny croaked. "I… I didn't think… you'd come."

"I'll always come for you, Danny." Steve reached for the water bottle Kono had sat next to the medical kit. "Here," he said as he opened it and held it to Danny's lips. "Just a little now."

Danny had never tasted anything as good as that first sip of water. He still couldn't understand how Steve could be there. His mind tried to understand, but then he started shivering again, which caused his right leg to move and he was plunged back into the welcoming darkness.

"No, Danny, stay awake," Steve pleaded. But it was already too late. Danny was, once again, unconscious.

"Where the hell is that ambulance?" Steve said in frustration.

TBC