I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended. Ever!

Notes: continual thanks to Jazzie for super fast, ad hoc beta and re-beta work! Thanks to all for the great comments, reviews and get well wishes.

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CHAPTER TEN

"I understand what you're telling me, Chin. I understand why it was done and I get it. But he's exhausted after all this time; and damn it, enough is enough." Steve was still angry as he gently removed Danny's wrists from each restraint. Even though Chin had warned him in the elevator, Steve had been shocked by what he saw when wheeled into Danny's room. Both wrists were tied low to the bed rails as Danny persistently writhed and fought to break free. While the method certainly prevented him from hurting himself and others, it was now only serving to exacerbate the feverish ramblings.

His injured leg had been elevated on a pillow but also mechanically restrained by the use of a heavy splint to prevent additional damage to the newly flushed and re-sutured drain. Two nurses were with him and gently bathing his face and neck with lukewarm water. Readings were being monitored and he certainly was not alone. And while that all seemed almost benignly acceptable, Steve had seen enough of Danny's obvious ongoing distress within seconds of arriving.

"He feels trapped." Steve had angrily gotten out of the wheelchair with Chin at his elbow and ground out his demand at the first face he saw. "Get those things off his wrists. Now."

But the nurses had sharply declined his request and a not so quiet argument had taken place. Steve had just taken matters into his own hands by brusquely moving them aside. While his partner was far from completely quiet, he lay virtually spent in the hospital bed as a third unsuspecting nurse returned with a refreshed basin of tepid water.

"Go take a break." Not only had he just removed the two wrist restraints which had been attached to the bed rails, Steve had lowered one rail and was now perched firmly next to Danny's right hip. He was close to the splint but well away from the injury and from where the drain had been inserted. One hand lay firmly in the center of Danny's chest to prevent any movement as he talked to Chin over his shoulder.

"He's fine, Chin. Go take a break and get off your feet." There was too much activity in the small hospital room and he meant his initial demand for the nurses more so than Chin, but he repeated himself when he saw the man's escalating stress level.

"Do you need anything?" Chin whispered remorsefully to the back of Steve's head and was relieved when the man turned around with a genuine smile.

"I'm good. Trust me .. stop worrying about this. It's okay, but it's over. You should take a break too; get some coffee and something to eat."

The nurses had confronted Steve much more adamantly than Chin to the point where they'd threatened to call security in order to remove him from the ICU. Fearful of Doctor Ramirez's wrath, they were frustrated by the SEAL's forceful arrival and subsequent response to seeing Danny restrained. The fact that he was now giving them orders wasn't sitting well either.

"It's for his own safety. He's already damaged his arm and re-injured his leg. Doctor Ramirez's orders were quite clear. Only he has authority to remove those." The eldest nurse pushed one final time but stopped when Steve returned unsteadily to his feet. His wheelchair was off to the side and his connection to his own IV line drew taut as he stood. His hospital gown was completely askew, but his anger made her take a full step backwards.

"It's become counter-productive and I'll deal with Ponch." The nurse was obviously startled by Steve's use of the familiar nickname and she frowned as she looked at him a bit differently.

"I'll make it personally clear to him that you distinctly objected. You can leave now."

She retreated reluctantly and Steve allowed himself to resume his seat. He immediately had to intercept Danny's newly freed right hand when it jolted upwards towards his face and the oxygen mask. The mask was intentionally elevated on one side with a rolled up piece of gauze to keep it from resting directly on the stitched cheek and it would be relatively easy for Danny to pull off.

"Don't make a liar of me, Danno. I just took on the biggest, meanest nurse this place has to offer and I'm sure that her "I told you so" would hurt. Badly."

But Steve grabbed his fingers and then fisted the front of Danny's heat-soaked hospital gown when his upper body suddenly heaved. Leaning forward, he easily recognized what Chin had not been able to hear or understand very well.

"Billy .. drowned .. can't reach him. Steve?" The words were faint but quite clear to him and Steve could easily derive their meaning. "Killed him."

Keeping a firm hold of Danny's chest and hand, Steve started to talk.

"What did I tell you before, Danno? It was just yesterday." He started there on the Mariah as the fingers of Danny's left hand slowly curled around his wrist.

"Do you remember what I told you after that damned yacht blew up in all its glory?"

The sigh that puffed the oxygen mask seemed confused and hesitant as Danny's brow furrowed. "No .. not sure. Billy's here."

"Think, Danny. What did I tell you?" Steve grinned as Danny's weak mutterings eased slightly behind the oxygen mask. His fingers twitched again but Danny stopped tugging against his hand as Steve quickly continued.

"I told you the truth that you did good and saved us .. you saved me and we're both fine. You owe me an explanation by the way because I still don't know what you did."

"Sawyer." His grin faded immediately to be replaced by a narrow-eyed anger as Danny's face contorted in pain. Danny tried again to get up and Steve had to hold him down as he panted out broken words related to the faked mission. "Sawyer .. he's .. it's all wrong."

It wasn't where Steve wanted to go and he felt like he lost the small amount of headway gained as Danny tried to convulse away from him. Keeping one hand wrapped in Danny's weak grip, Steve snagged the sponge that had been floating in the basin of water. Though some dripped down his arm and the bed, he awkwardly wiped Danny's forehead and neck.

"Forget about him, Danno. He's gone. Think about Grace and getting better." He worked at a snail's pace, talking and rinsing the sponge with one hand until Danny seemed to completely relax. It took time and a nurse hesitantly popped her head in to check on them, leaving quickly when she saw that things were indeed under control.

Steve sensed her arrival and subsequent departure but completely ignored her. He waited as Danny seemed to struggle to finally wake. The next word brought his smile back as hazy, unfocused eyes partly opened.

"Steve?"

"You bet, Danno." Continuing to rinse and then wipe the heat from his partner's face, Steve's smile grew as Danny tracked him and then briefly looked around the hospital room.

"Not here?" The confused worry meant Billy Selway and Steve patiently waited when Danny's eyes settled on the foot of the bed as if expecting to see a ghost. He swallowed hard as he took in a short, shallow breath and shook his head.

"He was here. Saw him."

"No, he's not here. Never was buddy. You've just been sick and your mind is playing tricks on you. He's not here and well .. I am ... you did good, Danny. Do you remember what happened?"

Trying to moisten lips that were dry from fever, Danny's eyes found Steve's face again and studied him closely. The dark bruise was evident on his chin, as was the fact he was wearing a hospital gown. He found the IV and traced the line to the fluids hanging near Steve, before dropping down to the damp sponge that Steve held loosely in his free hand. Both hot and cold, he shivered and blinked through the confusion before arriving at one simple conclusion.

"Hospital?"

The loopy lop-sided grin on Steve's happy face was enough approval as Chin wandered quietly back into the room. Danny partially lifted his hand as a muffled word or two of welcome were tiredly whispered.

"Hey .. Chin." He rocked to a stunned halt behind Steve and then didn't know what to say. Knees wobbly, Chin's face was pale and tight from fatigue as he simply stared from Steve to Danny before collapsing bonelessly into the side chair.

He was still rubbing his eyes when Steve gave Danny a tiny shake. "You had better say more than hello to Chin, Danny. You've just about shaved fifty years off his life."

~ to be continued ~