A/n: you all wanted to know how badly our poor Steve is hurt and now you get to find out. And I promise that Mason is going to make an appearance real soon. There's also a small reference to the first story in this series Aloha Oe but you'd still be able to follow even if you haven't read that one.

Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you.—Denis Waitley

Danny felt a little bit more like himself after getting some sleep. After his minor meltdown in the Officer's mess, the cousins had led him down to the quarters that Joe had arranged for them. It was a small room with just a couple of bunks but it was enough for the three of them during their short stay on the ship. They changed out of their dirty clothes and into some sweats that Petty Officer Shaw had dropped off for them. His mind had been racing when he first settled down on the cot. He was trying to process everything that had just happened and how exactly he felt about it all.

There was an overwhelming sense of relief in knowing that Steve was safe and with him again. The past week had been one of the worst he'd ever experienced. Though he wasn't an overly religious man, Danny couldn't help but thank God that his partner was alive and that he hadn't been too late. But now that the danger and threat was removed from the picture, the feelings that he had had before Steve decided to take off to North Korea had returned and he didn't know how to deal with them now after everything that had happened. How could he still be pissed at Steve after what he had gone through? How could he still feel hurt and betrayed now that he knew the reason why Steve had done it? In their current situation the feelings felt wrong but Danny couldn't seem to let them go. They hung around his mind like a heavy fog that clouded his thoughts and weighted down his heart.

Danny didn't know how long he had slept after exhaustion had finally taken over his body but he woke up to find Kono sitting on the bed next to him, gently shaking his shoulder. He blinked quickly as he tried to get his surroundings and for a brief second, he had hoped that this was all a bad dream and that he would wake up in his bed back in Hawaii with Steve lying right beside him, but as he took in the cold metallic grey walls and starch white sheets, he realized his nightmare was his reality.

"Hey brah," Kono said softly as she stared down at him. Her eyes were filled with sympathy and Danny had to look away. He wasn't ready to accept their pity yet because accepting it meant accepting that something had happened and that things had changed and Danny wasn't ready to deal with that yet.

"Hey," He responded, still slightly groggy. "Have we heard anything yet about Steve?" Kono nodded.

"Yeah, Petty Officer Shaw just came by. He said that the doctor wants to talk to us." She replied. Danny sighed and shifted in the bed. "You want us to give you a minute?" She asked.

"No, I'm good." He assured her as he moved to get off the bed. Kono gave him a pat on the shoulder as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

With the cousins at his side, Danny followed the young Petty Officer through the halls of the ship as he led them towards the Sick Bay. Somewhere in the back of Danny's mind he wondered if the young man had been assigned the unenviable task of being their babysitter while they were on board. As they walked, he took in the sights of the air craft carrier and it made him feel like a bit of a voyeur. The Navy was a part of Steve that Danny had never been privileged to before and being here on the ship felt like a bit of an invasion, like he didn't have his partner's permission to be there.

"Excuse me sir," Petty Officer Shaw spoke up as they stopped in a doorway. Danny looked over his shoulder into the room where another officer stood only this one wore a white coat over his uniform. "This is Detective Williams, Officer Kalakaua and Lieutenant Kelly. They're Commander McGarrett's team." He explained.

"Thank you Petty Officer." The man said, dismissing the young man. He then turned his attention to the three people standing in front of him. "Please, come in. I'm Captain Seabrook, I've been taking care of Commander McGarrett." The officer introduced as he ushered them into a small room which looked to be his office.

"How is Steve?" Kono asked since she was the first to find her voice.

"He's stabilized now. The Commander was in critical condition when he was brought onto the ship." Captain Seabrook stated.

"But he didn't look that bad. Banged up but not critical." Chin commented.

"Most of the injuries that he sustained were internal. The only external wounds we could find were a few electrical burns on his chest and neck, most likely from some kind of tazer. Those should heal with minimal scarring." The doctor explained and Danny could tell he was stalling.

"What about his other injuries?" He insisted as he prepared himself for bad news that he could sense was coming. The Captain shifted slightly and then gestured for them to take a seat at the small table in his room.

"Commander McGarrett has a concussion which is part of the reason that he hasn't regained consciousness yet. There doesn't seem to be any intracranial bleeding but he'll be evaluated further once he's state side. The more pressing injuries though are the separated shoulder and broken hip that he sustained. Significant damage had been done to the joints and there is some internal bleeding. We've set both the injuries but they'll need surgery to fully repair them." The doctor explained.

"How bad is the damage?" Danny asked softly.

"I'm not an orthopedic specialist so I can't give a detailed prognosis but there appears to be severe damage done to the muscle tissue in the shoulder and hip. They can be repaired…but there is a good possibility that there will be permanent damage." Captain Seabrook declared.

"Are you saying that Steve won't walk again?" Danny asked, his voice surprising strong despite the news.

"No, the damage to the hip is bad but it shouldn't affect his ability to walk. The shoulder is the far worse injury of the two." The doctor replied.

"Which shoulder is it?" Danny asked, though he had a sinking suspicion of what the other man was going to say.

"His left shoulder." The Captain replied with a knowing look at the Detective. Danny just nodded sadly.

It had been Steve's left arm that had been hurt when his Humvee hit an IED during his last deployment with the SEALs. He had been in therapy for nearly three months after they had put a titanium rod to support his shattered humorous bone. The doctor seemed to sense that Danny knew what it all meant.

"Will he lose function of the arm?" He inquired.

"I don't think he'll lose function but he could have very limited range of motion in the arm." Captain Seabrook answered honestly. "Again, I'm no orthopedic specialist. Once he gets state side, he'll have surgery to repair the damage and the surgeon will be able to give you a better prognosis." He added. The three of them nodded.

"Can we see him?" Kono asked quietly.

"Of course. He's still unconscious but it might do him some good to hear some familiar voices. Commander White also informed me that a medical transport should be ready in a few hours to take you all state side." Captain Seabrook informed as he stood and gestured for them to follow him through another door.

"Thank you." Danny said, holding out a hand for the doctor to shake.

"Just doing my duty, Detective." The Captain replied as he pointed them towards a bed on the other side of the room.

Danny, Kono and Chin walked slowly to Steve's bedside. The cousins place a hand on each of Danny's shoulders as they looked down at the bed where their friend and partner lie there looking defeated and broken. Danny reached out a shaky hand and stroked it across Steve's cheek gently. As he looked down at his partner's bruised features he sighed and squared his shoulders to set his resolve again. It was his turn to be the strong one for awhile.