Disclaimer: I do not own Hawaii 5-0 or any of the characters.
A/N: I should point out that my medical knowledge is almost non-existent. I hope you are all still enjoying this little adventure.
Whatever Steve expected it wasn't that. He watched as his best friend just dropped bonelessly to the ground. Panicked, he located the button to alert the nurse's station and clambered out of the bed, ignoring the pull of the stitches in his leg. He managed to also detach the IV that had been running into his right arm. He was crouched by Danny's side in seconds, glad that he was wearing a loose fitting pair of pyjama legs rather than the standard hospital gown. He tried to free his left arm from the strapping but had no luck.
"Danny! Danny? Daniel? Come on Danno, you're scaring Gracie. Please wake up," Steve said as he knelt down by his friend.
Grace had remained by the bed as she had watched her father drop to the ground, her eyes big as saucers and her mouth open. Eventually shaking herself, she ran to kneel beside her Danno.
"Uncle Steve?" she whispered.
Looking up at the girl's face, Steve once again panicked, he could deal with many things but a frightened child was not one of them. "It's ok Gracie, someone will come help any second," Steve said as he again turned to stare at Danny. He really didn't look well, he was very pale. Where the hell is a nurse? Steve thought to himself.
With that the door opened and Claire's voice could be heard, as she still stood on the corridor "Ah Commander, you're back in the land of the…what the heck?" seeing Steve kneeling on the floor beside his downed companion. "What's happened?" she said, turning her back on the scene for an instant, calling down the corridor, "Dr. Collins…Dr. Collins, come quickly please."
Claire then strode across the room and knelt down beside Steve, taking Danny's wrist into her hand, checking his pulse. "Commander, what happened?"
Steve stayed looking down into Danny's face, "I…I don't know…I just woke up and was…was talking to Grace and he," pointing to Danny "came out of the bathroom and he just…he said there was something wrong and then just dropped. I don't know. Wait a second; he was complaining about a pain in his back…he went to his GP."
Steve was then interrupted as Dr. Collins and another nurse raced in. "What have we got?" he enquired as he removed his stethoscope and started listening to Danny's chest.
"Detective Williams was here visiting the Commander and just collapsed as he came out of the bathroom. I didn't think he looked well when he was here early," Claire explained.
Steve spoke up again, "he was in a fight recently during an undercover job. He took some hits to the kidneys but everything was showing up clear…" Steve just shook his head.
Grace had remained silent all the time while the grown-ups spoke but finally cleared her throat, "Danno was at the doctor when the dog attacked you Uncle Steve, I don't think he was finished though cos he was so quick getting to the house. I was so scared and you were hurt and…and Danno came and took over looking after you. Then when we were coming to the hospital, I saw the dog and Danno chased the owner but he didn't catch him, well it turned out to be a her but I know Danno was sore but he was so worried about you."
Steve put out his right hand to pull Grace towards him but winced as he gathered that girl into his arms. This didn't go unnoticed by Dr. Collins, "Nurse would you kindly get the Commander back into bed and tend to his arm where his IV should be, then maybe get his little visitor a little treat." The second nurse that had accompanied the doctor had already left to find a gurney and orderly.
Moments later the door opened "Ah perfect timing," the doctor said as two hospital orderlies arrived with a gurney. "Gentlemen, we need to get Detective Williams for a scan ASAP. I need to find out what exactly is going on."
Steve was unwilling to be helped to the bed for several more minutes until Danny was positioned on the gurney and ready to be taken away to be examined. The adrenaline of seeing his buddy collapse finally wore off though and Steve suddenly felt very unsteady, with pain shooting through his shoulder and leg. His head also joined in the party and his vision started to blur.
"Ok Commander, your friend is in good hands. Dr. Collins will take real good care of him but I need to take care of you now. Come on, back into bed. I need to look at that arm of yours and put in another IV," Claire said in a calm coaxing voice.
"Hmmm?" was all Steve could reply.
Grace then moved to her Uncle's side, "Come on Uncle Steve, lie down so the nurse can fix you up. Danno will be really cross when he wakes up if he finds you weren't behaving."
Claire had to stifle a laugh to hear this young girl give the Lieutenant Commander orders, but what was even more amusing was that he obeyed her.
Within a few minutes, Claire had Steve settled, with a piece of gauze taped to the spot the IV had been. She had another one attached and had already administered something for the pain.
"Now Commander, I want you to, as your little guardian here has said, behave yourself. As soon as Dr. Collins knows anything he will come and tell you. Grace would you like some chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk?"
"Yes please," she nodded, and then looked back at the nurse in a quiet voice she added, "will Danno be alright?"
"Dr. Collins will take really good care of your father. Now I need you to stay here and look after your uncle for me while I go get you that milk, ok?"
"Thank you," Grace replied quietly.
Steve had remained quiet all the time since he had lay down in the bed; he had watched the little exchange between Grace and Claire, amused at how like her father she really was. Starting to feel the effects of the painkillers he cleared his throat, "Hey kiddo, you want to join me here on the bed? I'm sorry that Danno is sick. It's my fault he didn't get properly checked out."
Grace walked over and gently climbed up on the bed, settling herself into Steve's right side, mindful of both the IV and his wounded right leg, "It's not your fault Uncle Steve. That ketchup dog was going to hurt me and you saved me and then Danno came and saved you. It's all that pirate lady's fault!"
"Huh? What pirate …wait the dog belonged to Maya Kahale? Grace, have you a phone, I need to call Chin? Do you know did they get the…what type of dog did you just call it?"
"A ketchup dog. A mongle…a mon-girl…"
"Mongrel?"
"Yeah that's the word," she smiled. Then shaking her head she said "Sorry I don't have my phone, I left it in Danno's car."
"It's ok kiddo," Steve responding, thinking to himself he'd really need to ask Danny what the hell a ketchup dog was!
"Uncle Steve I think you should probably go to sleep," Grace said as she yawned.
"Hey you too Gracie," he answered as a yawn threatened to dislocate his jaw.
Grace started to move from his side in the bed, but he pulled her close, "Stay here, you'll be fine. There's plenty of room."
"Ok Uncle Steve, but let me know if I hurt you ok?" she said as she leaned up and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and settled down in the crook of his arm.
"Good night sweetheart," Steve said as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head and then left the pain killers do their thing, taking him quickly into a dreamless sleep.
Claire returned a few minutes later with a glass of milk and a small pack of cookies. Finding the two occupants asleep she checked Steve's IV and then placed the cookies on the locker. She left again with the milk, turning off the light as she went.
…more tomorrow!