Hey guys! I promise I'll update my other stories as soon as I can, but in the meantime, here's a little one shot Mitch and I wrote. It's got a happy ending, though it is a little angsty to start out, which is odd considering we had such a wonderful day. We were building a crib together today, which is fun in and of itself, but when we were done, we got in the most ridiculous saw dust fight ever! I have wood shavings in places I never knew existed, but I gotta say, it was a great stress reliever. I've been with Mitch since I was sixteen, yet he never ceases to make me laugh. I hope you all found something to laugh about today.
Summary: While chasing a suspect, Steve gets a face full of a new and dangerous drug.
"Danny, go left and cut him off!" Steve shouted as the two men sprinted after their latest suspect, a dealer of incredibly dangerous new drug called Puhi. If smoked, the fumes of Puhi were said to give the most powerful high out there. Danny shot his partner an incredulous look.
"Are you serious? I'm not leaving you alone with that maniac!"
"I'll be fine, just go! We need to cut him off before he gets somewhere he can hide!" Steve replied a little breathlessly. They had been running at an impossibly fast pace for several minutes. Throwing one last glance back at Steve, Danny veered left to come around and take the dealer from the other side. With one last burst of energy, Steve increased his speed and began rapidly gaining on the suspect. However, he slowed as he turned the corner. Somewhere along the way, the dealer, Cortez, had vanished. Steve staggered to a halt, eyes scanning carefully for Cortez. Out of nowhere, came an angry, almost inhuman roar. Then a cloud of white powder exploded over Steve, coating his face, chest and arms with a light coating of dust. It was like fire, white hot on his skin. He screamed in agony as he felt it burn his lungs and his eyes and every other part of him exposed to the drug. He didn't notice Cortez slip away. His skin was melting away now, he was sure. His screams died off into pained wheezing and he writhed around on the asphalt, begging for the blackness to take him.
"Steve!" the voice sounded far away, but he would recognize it anywhere. Danny. Danny was here. Danny would help him. "Steve, oh God. Hold on, babe, just a second." No, please, he thought. Danny, help me….
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Something was wrong. Steve and Cortez should have been there by now. Danny was making his way quickly down the alley towards the path Steve would have taken when he heard it. It was the most awful scream of pain Danny had ever heard and there was no mistaking whose scream it was. Running for all he was worth, Danny quickly came upon a scene he knew he'd never scrub from his memory.
"Steve!" he shouted. As he neared the two men, he saw Cortez preparing to run. Without a second thought, Danny put a bullet in the man's chest, not caring if the suspect lived or died. He stuttered to a halt and fell to his knees next to Steve's violently thrashing body. The pleading in Steve's eyes sent a knife through his heart.
"Steve, oh God. Hold on, babe, just a second." Danny had seen this drug in action before. He knew what happened to those who touched Puhi. Thinking quickly, grabbed one of the trash bins in the alley that had filled with rain after several heavy showers.
"Alright, here we go. This will make it better, I promise." Danny assured Steve with a shaky voice. He dumped the water over Steve, washing away the fine powder. Once that had been done, he donned the pair of latex gloves he always kept in his pocket and began removing Steve's shirt. Throwing the sopping wet polo aside, Danny pulled out his phone and called for an ambulance, simultaneously checking Steve's pulse. Despite its racing beat, his pulse was weak and stuttering. Steve' breathing was shallow and ragged. It looked as though each breath sent a fresh wave of unbearable pain through him. A weak hand found Danny's wrist and grasped it tightly.
"D-Danny…" Steve gasped.
"Shhh, hey, it's okay. I'm right here, Steve. I'm right here. Try not to talk, alright? Help's comin', so just hang in there." Danny soothed, ripping off a piece of his own shirt and wiping away the last traces of Puhi from Steve's skin. Steve's eyes were now shut tight, but Danny knew that they must be red and painful.
"Gh-gggg-god…D-danny…hurtsss…" Steve whimpered. Danny winced at the pain in his friend's voice as he gently smoothed back hair from his forehead. Steve's fingers were clenched into fists and his arms jerked with involuntary spasms.
"I know, buddy, I know. You'll be okay, I promise. Would I lie to you?"
"N-n-no…aaarrrgggh! Please…Danny, p-please…" Steve begged. For what, Danny did not know.
"The ambulance is almost here, so just hang in there, alright? I promise the pain is gonna stop. I promise." Danny said with a shaky voice that held little confidence. Both he and Steve knew what happened to the other victims of this drug. It came in stages. First came the painful burning. Then came the spasm, which were already starting. Lastly, came paralysis of the vital organs, which had thus far always resulted in death. If help didn't arrive soon, Danny knew Steve wouldn't make it. Strong as the man was, there were just some things even Steve could not survive. Steve was coughing uncontrollably now, fighting to draw in even a minute breath.
"Easy, Steve. Take it easy. Slowly, ok? In and out…in and out. Just like that. You're doing great." Steve's grip on Danny's wrist tightened, but it was not from the pain. Without warning, Steve began convulsing violently, rigid hands clenched painfully around Danny's wrist. With some effort, Danny released his wrist and turned Steve gently on his side just as Steve began vomiting. It was fortunate, at least, that the ambulance arrived at that minute. Instantly, the medics descended upon their newest patients. Cortez was quickly pronounced dead and for once, Danny found that he cared very little.
"What do we got?" one of the paramedics tending to Steve asked.
"He got a bunch of that new drug, Puhi, thrown at him. When I found him, it was all over his face, chest, and arms. I washed it off as best I could, but I think some still got into his system. I also think he inhaled some." The medics nodded as she rolled Steve back onto his back. The seizure had tapered off, leaving him disturbingly limp. As the medics worked, Danny became aware of the fact that Steve was growing paler and his breathing was slowing.
"Damn it." muttered one of the medics. "It looks like he's going into stage three. Jake, go ahead and give him Epinephrine. I want to keep his heart going." The younger man, Jake, ran to ambulance and came back with a syringe full of clear liquid, which he administered immediately. An oxygen mask was fixed over Steve's face. With gentle hands, they lifted Steve onto the gurney and quickly loaded him into the back of the ambulance. Without hesitation, Danny climbed in next to them as the doors slammed shut and the ambulance roared to life. They had only been driving a minute when Steve's body started to seize again. The older medic turned Steve on his side again and called to his partner over his shoulder.
"Jake, what do we have for anticonvulsants?"
"I'd use Lorazepam. It didn't seem to interact with Puhi in the last few victims." The older man nodded and accepted another syringe. After he administered the medication, the convulsions died down. It seemed like they had been driving for hours when they reached the hospital at last. A doctor Danny vaguely recognized from one of his many trips to the emergency room met them at the doors. After the paramedics quickly explained the situation, Steve was whisked away down the long hallway. Danny was politely pushed aside and a nurse handed him a stack of papers that Danny, as Steve's medical proxy, would have to fill out. Running on autopilot, he completed the forms and called Chin and Kono. With fear in their hearts, the three on them sat down together to wait.
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Hours passed before a tired, but smiling doctor approached them.
"Excuse me, are you all here for Steven McGarrett?" the man asked.
"Yes." Danny replied quickly. "How is he? Did he make it?" The man smiled and nodded.
"Steve's a strong man. Against the odds, your friend pulled through." They all let out a collective sigh of relief. "I'm Dr. Sagan, I've been treating Steve since he arrived. I believe I recognize you. Sir," he said, turning to Danny. "didn't I once set your ribs about, oh, six months ago?" Sagan asked. Danny chuckled softly.
"I think so, Doc. So how is he?"
"He's not great, but he'll recover, given time. He's resting at the moment. We were able to counteract the drug this time. A few minutes later, and we would be having a very different conversation. His skin will be painful for a few days and he'll have some residual muscle cramps and spasms two weeks or so. For now though, they'll be pretty painful. Breathing is also going to be an issue. He did inhale some of the drug and as a result, his whole respiratory system is inflamed. We're not going to put him on a ventilator as of right now, but he'll need to refrain from any excitement that would cause him to breathe heavier. The swelling should go down soon, but we need to be careful. As for his eyes, it doesn't look like much got in. They'll be sore for a while, but that shouldn't last more than a day or two." They all nodded, taking in the news.
"Thank you." Kono said after a minute. Sagan smiled.
"It was no trouble, my dear. Now, I assume you'd all like to see your fearless leader? He's in for a rough time and I reckon he could use you three."
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His skin was burning. Was he on fire? Danny, he called, or tried to at least. No sound escaped his lips. Why would no one help him?
"Danny…" he succeeded in whispering. A strong, reassuring hand gripped his own.
"Right here, babe. How ya feelin'?" The soothing tones of Danny's Jersey accent calmed him a little.
"F-fire." Steve stuttered, hoping Danny would understand. Danny said nothing, but soon enough, he felt cool rush of painkillers flowing through his veins, dousing the flames to embers. A moment later, a cool, damp cloth was gently wiped over his forehead. It was heaven on his skin and he never realized how he leaned into it. He heard Danny's soft laugh, the one that always accompanied by one of his gentle smiles.
"Better?"
"Mmmmhhhhmmmmm…"
"You just let me know if gets bad again, alright?"
"'kay. You okay?" Steve mumbled sleepily.
"Me? I'm just fine. You on the other hand, my friend, have just shaved at least ten years off of my life."
"S-sorry Danno." Steve apologized genuinely. Danny sighed.
"S'alright. You just scared me, you know? Had us all pretty worried there for a while."
"Thank you…came back for me."
"'Course I came back for you. I'll always come back for you, just like I know you'll always come back for me."
"Promise?" Steve asked, the drugs bringing out a sort of child-like innocence.
"We're partners, Steve. Like it or not, you're stuck with me, pal. I got your back." Danny assured him in the tone he usually reserved for Grace.
"And I got yours." Steve replied in a soft whisper. Danny gave Steve' hand a quick squeeze.
"I know, Steve. Get some rest, we'll be here when you wake up."
Ok, one quick rant about last night's episode. Not Cool. No real bromance, Danny's mom annoyed the hell out of me, and too much Grover! There, I'm done.