AN: Hope you all are having a wonderful first week of the new year! The first chapter of 2022 for this story has arrived, and it's a doozy. We finally get back to Danny, Steve freaks out, and Sterling is a boss as usual. Thanks for continuing to read this story! As we get into the thick of it, I hope it continues to deliver!
"Danny. Hey, earth to Danny Williams."
No longer able to ignore the teasing tone, he finally looked up and met the familiar twinkling gaze. "What do you want?" he grumbled, stubbornly refusing to smile.
"What do I want? I wanna know why the star of the game tonight - the kid with a home run and a walk-off double - is moping like he dropped a fly ball to lose the game." Patrick Williams lightly bumped his shoulder. "C'mon, son, you played great tonight. Why the long face?"
"Just thinkin', I guess."
"Ah, let me take a stab at this." Miming thought, his dad's face lit up. "I got it! You're thinkin' about what you're gonna order at the ice cream celebration tonight!"
"Do I have to go? I don't feel like it."
The elder William's face fell a bit at that. Unlocking the doors to the car, he put Danny's equipment in the trunk before climbing in the driver's seat. "Buddy, I'm not gonna force you to do anything that you don't want to do, but you should really go. Your team wants to spend time with you, especially since they all miss Billy too."
Stiffening at the mention of his best friend's name, the 10-year-old stared stubbornly out the window and remained silent.
"Did something happen that I should know about?"
Silence.
"Danny, don't ignore me. I'm your dad and I want to help you, alright? You were doing alright earlier this week and talked about how you guys would celebrate if you won tonight. What changed?"
Despite his resolution to remain silent, his dad's gentle tone was enough to make him cave. "I should've saved Billy, Dad! If I wasn't too weak and a coward, he'd still be alive today!"
The elder Williams frowned, risking a glance over at his son even while driving through the New Jersey neighborhoods. "Danny, son," he started in the gentlest tone he could muster, "it's not your fault. Billy was dead by the time we found him."
"I could've done something! Maybe if I wasn't stupid when I was swimming, he wouldn't have got caught in the undertow." Scrubbing his traitorously teary eyes, he spat, "What's the point of being an elite if you can't save anyone?"
"There was nothing you could've done. Reality is hard, but you can't live your life blaming yourself for this, alright? Billy wouldn't blame you, and neither does anyone else."
"Oh yeah? Tell that to Mr. and Mrs. Selway!" Glaring out the side window, he could barely see the flickering streetlights through the haze of unshed tears. "They hate me now! They keep telling me how useless I am because I couldn't save Billy even though I'm an elite!"
Though he didn't know it then, Danny would wonder for the rest of his life what his father's response to that revelation would have been. For, as Patrick Williams turned to address his son, headlights blinked on out of nowhere and slammed into the driver's side of the car.
Danny didn't have time to scream when the car flipped. As searing pain in his chest stole his breath away, he couldn't help but wonder if this was his punishment for failing Billy.
For being an elite.
~H50~
"Danny. Detective Williams, wake up."
If he could've, the detective would've frowned. That voice didn't belong to his father and the pain in his chest was different somehow. It took him a moment to recognize that it had all been a dream - a memory replayed over and over again anytime he was at his lowest.
But he wasn't in the wreckage of Patrick Williams' sedan anymore. No, he was lying on something flat and soft-ish. The smell of smoke and blood was replaced by the sharp scent of antiseptic. Exhaustion - all-encompassing and crippling - beckoned him back into the welcoming arms of Morpheus. Yet, that stupid pain in his chest refused to let him fall back asleep.
His murmured protest only earned a chuckle from his tormentor and a quiet request for him to open his eyes. Scowling, he tried to lift his arm to bat away whatever was digging into his sternum, but his arm refused to cooperate. It was then that he noticed the ache that seemed to come from every single body part - not to be confused with slightly more intense pain in his back.
What the hell?
It took far too much energy to decipher the different sensations, and even more energy to respond to whoever was bothering him. Finally managing to open his eyes a mere crack, he groaned and once again attempted to push the hand away.
Then his memory finally kicked in, connecting the seemingly-random haze of inputs into a full picture.
The girl falling to the ground as Steve's bullets ripped through her body. Her voice begging him to help her. The all-too-familiar feeling of cold and aching weariness that came with using his abilities. Chin's worried expression just before everything went black.
Damn it.
His eyes popped open as adrenaline flooded his system, and he scrambled backwards against the bed's headboard in an attempt to get away from whoever was touching him. One second was all he needed to take in everything in the room, which was indeed a hospital room. He had an IV and several monitors hooked up to him, but not much else to his relief. The room was empty save for a man he didn't recognize in the white doctor's coat - which was concerning - standing by his bed and his former Navy SEAL partner - which was a relief - hovering by the doorway.
"Whoa, it's okay!" The doctor took a step back, smoothly raising his hands in obvious disarmament as Danny's pulse skyrocketed. "Take some deep breaths for me, alright? Follow my lead…"
Steve, he noticed absently as he struggled to calm himself down, had moved further in the room. However, he remained stubbornly far from the bed and kept looking away from Danny. His expression was completely unreadable, which did nothing to soothe his rising panic.
Eyes locked on his closed-off friend, he forced himself to follow the unknown doctor's instructions. Abnormal behavior or not, he knew with every fiber of his being that Steve wouldn't let anything happen to him. Even as he avoided Danny's desperate gaze, his mere presence eased Danny's panic in a way that he didn't particularly want to examine.
Sometime in the last few insanity-filled months, Steve had become his anchor - someone Danny could count on no matter what.
So it was no surprise to him that, once his breathing and heart rate calmed, the first thing he managed to gasp was his best friend's name. "St've, w-what…?"
His raspy words were nearly indiscernible, his mouth refusing to cooperate as his body quite vehemently complained against any exertion of energy until he'd slept for another 18 hours at least. Still, Steve flinched slightly, mouth twitching oddly and eyes staring blankly ahead.
Battling his exhaustion, Danny forced himself to focus. Though his partner could be unreadable when he wanted to, long hours working together quickly taught him the man's tells. And right now, his body language was screaming stress and... betrayal.
Before he could analyze it further, the doctor once again stepped forward. "Detective Williams, it's good to see you finally awake. I'm Dr. B.T. Sterling. I've been treating you since shortly after you arrived in Tripler's ER."
His calm demeanor soothed Danny's rattled nerves, as did his easy-going expression. Still, Danny had been fooled before and vowed to proceed with caution. Nodding tentatively, he tried to greet the man, only for his voice to once again fail him.
Reading Danny's peeved expression with ease, the doctor moved to the table beside his bed and held a cup with a straw to his lips. "It's alright, I'll excuse the lack of greeting just this once. You've been out for quite some time, Detective. Take a few sips of water and see if that helps, okay?"
Gratefully sipping through the straw, Danny once again tried to meet Steve's gaze and failed. An unknown tension suffocated the room, twisting his stomach into a mess of knots. As he scrubbed a shaky hand through his unruly hair, his mind kicked into overdrive and began overanalyzing everything from his IV to his out-of-character partner in the doorway.
Damn, he hated hospitals. Nothing good ever happened when he got stuck in one.
Dr. Sterling appeared to sense the tension and smoothly stepped in to draw Danny's attention back to him once more. "Can you tell me how you're feeling, Detective Williams? Are you in any pain?"
Swallowing hard, he examined the doctor with a critical gaze. Confident and competent, he appeared to understand Danny's rigid boundaries and respect them. Usually, doctors would be busily examining him by now whether he wanted them to or not - and he usually didn't. Instead, Sterling maintained a reasonable distance and engaged in a relaxed conversation.
Still, appearances were usually deceiving and Danny wasn't ready to let down his guard quite yet, especially since he lacked the energy to do anything but lay limply on the hospital bed.
"No," he finally answered, clearing his throat and fighting back a persistent shiver, "nothing hurts. 'M just tired."
It was a half-truth, not that it mattered. The achy-ness couldn't be solved by painkillers and neither could the slight twinge of nausea. Honestly, the only possible cure was more rest, but Sterling didn't look like he was quite ready to let him go back to sleep yet.
"That's great to hear," he said, eyes twinkling as he picked up Danny's chart. "From what I've heard, you had a hell of a day. You seem to be suffering from severe exhaustion, among other things. Can you tell me what you remember about the events leading up to you being here?"
Mind racing, Danny ran through several feasible scenarios that he could use to explain his prolonged unconsciousness to this doctor that wouldn't give away his secret. Surely Steve would back him up, right? But a glance at Steve showed no help coming from his friend.
What's wrong with him?
Managing a sheepish smile, Danny went with a tried-and-true tale. "Yeah, we raided a warehouse to round up a gang selling drugs. I, uh, remember that I wasn't feeling great… hadn't really eaten all day and I didn't sleep the last few nights. Things are a little fuzzy, but I must've gotten light-headed and passed out." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Guess that'll teach me to eat breakfast in the morning, huh?"
Based on the raised eyebrow, Dr. Sterling wasn't buying it. "Uh huh. So low blood sugar and a couple sleepless nights are supposed to account for you being unconscious for eight hours?"
Damn it.
"Well, I mean, I don't really - -"
"Oh, shut up!"
Flinching, Danny twisted to face the source of the outburst: a furious Steve McGarrett. Gone was the blank mask from before. In its place was pure rage and all of it was directed right at Danny.
"Whoa, Steve!" Dr. Sterling tried to step in between his patient and the furious SEAL, palms raised. "Now's not the best time - -"
But Steve shoved him aside and loomed over Danny, hands clenching the bedrail with a white-knuckled grip. "Shut up for once in your life! You're really going to lie again, Williams? What, is that your go-to method for everything?"
"Steve - -"
"No, Danny! You're done making excuses because I'm so sick of hearing them. I get wanting to keep what you're able to do under wraps, but I thought we were friends - partners. You lied to my face! How am I supposed to trust you after that?"
"Really, McGarrett?" Now, Danny's own ire rose to meet his friend's, his weariness momentarily forgotten. "Last I checked, I don't have to tell you anything! News flash: it's none of your business!"
"It's my business when I find you unconscious and convulsing on the ground! Do you know how worried I've been? I had no idea what was going on or how to help you because you lied to me! And it's my business because I asked you and I'm your friend. We're partners, a team! I was honest with you, but apparently, you don't feel the need to be honest with me!"
"Gentlemen!"
Shoving his way in between the two furious men, Dr. Sterling stood his ground. "That's enough," he said firmly in a tone that brooked no argument. "Steve, I understand your frustration, but you will not yell at my patient - especially while he's still unwell and in a damn hospital bed. And you," he turned to Danny, "should be resting and most certainly shouldn't be misleading your friendly neighborhood doctor, no matter the reason. Whatever grievances you have can be settled elsewhere and you can duke it out to your little hearts' content. But. Not. Here."
A tense silence followed as the two team members remained locked in a staring contest.
But Steve broke off first, stepping back and sneering, "Fine, Danny. You wanna go at it alone so badly? Congratulations. You just got your wish."
Without a single look back, he stomped out the door while Danny's heart plummeted from his chest.
Frozen, his fingers clenched the rough hospital sheets as he tried to comprehend what his friend - what his former friend meant. Clearly, Steve wanted nothing to do with him, not anymore.
He tried to tell himself that it was fine, that he'd been on his own before. That it was better this way. But it didn't heal the gaping, bleeding hole that suddenly exploded in his sternum.
Only the sound of shifting fabric reminded him of the doctor's presence in the room, nearly startling him. "Detective Williams - -"
"Danny," he murmured numbly. He didn't exactly want a reminder of his status right now.
Sterling inclined his head slightly. "Danny," he capitulated, "I know everything - well, as much as your team was able to cobble together on their own."
"Congratulations. I oughta throw you a party."
Predictably, Sterling ignored him. "I specialize in medical matters dealing with elites, which is why your friends brought me in. I can help you if you'd let me, and I prioritize discretion above all else. Your secret's safe with me."
Heard that before, he thought bitterly. Nothing he could do about it now.
"Who else knows?"
The doctor settled on the nearby stool, meeting Danny's gaze with a steady one of his own. "No one besides myself, your team, and the little girl you saved."
"Is she alright?" he asked numbly.
"Good as new. She was treated for dehydration and malnourishment and her body's bouncing back quite quickly from those - far more quickly than normal. As for the bullet wounds… it's like they never existed. Though I suspect you already knew that."
Sighing, Danny ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Good."
At least one thing went right.
"She's asking for you, y'know. In fact, your entire team has been nearly frantic - especially Steve. He - -"
"Can we not talk about this right now?" Danny winced at the harshness of his own tone. "I'm sorry, I just… there's just a lot to process."
"No need to apologize." Grabbing a chart from the side table, Sterling flipped it open. "Let's start over, alright? Based on observation and what your team told me, I'm guessing you're an Energy and Soul mixed elite. Am I warm?"
Apparently, Danny's silence was all the affirmation he needed.
"Anything else in your power makeup that I should know about?"
It took every ounce of effort he had left to choke out an answer, the words gouging his throat like shards of broken glass. "No. Just those two that I know of."
He had to give Dr. Sterling credit. The man appeared totally unfazed by Danny's status, his posture remaining relaxed and his gaze sincere. "Alright, Danny, I just need to ask you a few more questions - and please answer as honestly as you can. You don't need to give me details or anything like that, but I need to get some idea of what's going on so I can help. That alright?"
"Don't have much of a choice, do I?"
Sterling shot him a cheeky wink. "You catch on fast, Danny. Okay, I'm going to backtrack a bit. First, are you in any pain?"
"A little achy. Nothing abnormal."
"General pain or centered in a specific area?"
"Both." Deep breath, Williams. "The worst of it is centered around whatever area I, uh, fixed on the other person. So my back right now. Painkillers don't help."
Damn it all, he wanted Steve back.
"Great, that answers my next question." Folding his hands, Dr. Sterling rested his elbows against his knees and leaned forward. "Just one more then I'll be done. How long do your side effects typically last?"
Shrugging, Danny fought back another wave of weariness and tried to match Sterling's calm posture. "It depends," he answered vaguely. "I know what to do, so it won't be a problem."
Sterling nodded and grinned, eyes twinkling with humor. "Trying to take my job from me, Danny? I should just retire right now since you've got this all covered." Winking, he grabbed the pen and began fiddling with it. "I was about to see if you had any questions for me, but I'm guessing you're 'fine', right?"
"When can I get out of here?"
"What, you don't like my charming aura?"
Danny rolled his eyes and doggedly persisted. "We both know there's nothin' you can do for me here. And to be honest, I'd rather just pass out in peace at home."
Where I can lock the doors and pretend like none of this happened.
Gaze softening, the doctor nodded sympathetically. "I get it, and I'll do my best to get you out of here ASAP. I just want to make sure I stick fairly close to procedure or we'll draw unnecessary attention, which means we'll need to follow the 24 hour rule. I can probably let you out this evening."
"That's ridiculous! Am I just supposed to lay in this stupid bed all day?" Danny growled. "I can do that at home where I don't have to pay for it!"
"Like I said, I'll try to speed up the process but I'd rather keep things as lowkey as possible." Rising, Sterling picked up the chart once more and handed it to Danny. "Along those lines, I made a note in your chart to contact me should they need additional information on this incident. That's fairly standard and shouldn't raise any red flags, but it'll give you an extra layer of protection against discovery."
"That's very magnanimous of you. Unfortunately, I don't read doctor-scribble, so I have no idea if you're telling the truth or not."
"You sound like my wife," Sterling grumbled, snatching the file back. "Keep it up and I won't give you the insider secrets to help manage these side effects."
Rolling his eyes, Danny enjoyed the brief relief of banter - even if it was with a doctor he just met instead of - -
No, not the time to think about that.
"Hate to break it to you, Doc, but the grand solution is basically me sleeping for a long time, then I chug coffee for about a week until I no longer look like the Walking Dead."
"Gee, that's groundbreaking. You should write a book." Handing Danny the cup of water, his tone softened from playfully snarky to serious. "You're right in that sleep is the best possible thing for you, but there are other things that can help besides caffeine. Staying hydrated during these spells is really important, as is your diet. Make sure you eat healthy foods: complex carbs, proteins, vegetables, and it's okay to eat a little more than normal. You need to give your body all of the right tools to recover from this."
"I thought you were gonna give me actual advice, Doc," Danny shot back peevishly.
Dr. Sterling ignored him aloofly. "Energy is dominant in your mix, so that explains most of your side effects. What happens after you use your gifts is that your body is stuck in an unconventional energy transfer. Not only is your tank completely dry, but you don't know how to switch it off, for lack of a better word. One thing that helps is putting yourself in an energy-rich environment; it'll help train your body to go back to normal. Heat is a great example of this - warm blankets or taking a hot shower."
Curiosity officially piqued, Danny couldn't help but ask the question that he'd been asking since he was old enough to formulate it. "And the Soul part? What does that… I don't know, how does that work?"
"Your guess is as good as mine - probably better, actually. I know that it allows you to heal people. Mixed with Energy, it makes you particularly good at manipulating anatomical-biological energy. And since you're manipulating life, I suppose the eventual side effect would be… well, the opposite." Tilting his head, Dr. Sterling examined him. "Have you tried it in reverse? You using other - -"
"- - No, it's impossible."
Please let it go, please let it go, please let it go.
Because it wasn't impossible - Danny knew that well. And he vowed to never, ever do it again.
"I suppose your guess is as good as mine." The doctor rose and moved towards the door, smiling gently as Danny failed to stifle a yawn. "Get some rest, Danny. I'll be back later to see about getting you out of here. In the meantime, you got some people very eager to see you."
Based on Steve's reaction, they were probably more eager to yell at him than visit him. Still, he managed a wan smile before settling down further into the bed, this time not even attempting to hide his yawn. "Thanks, Doc."
"No, thank you for saving that little girl's life." Hand on the doorknob, Sterling turned to face Danny one last time. "It would be better for all of us if people never find out what you did, but I hope you know that you're pretty damn heroic for it. In a different world, they'd be giving you a medal for it."
Then he slipped out the door, leaving a drowsy detective in his wake. As Danny drifted off to sleep, he wondered what it'd be like to live in a world like that.
Because in this one, being an elite had only ever brought him pain and loss. And today, Steve apparently joined that long list of lost things.
He fell fast asleep as that lonely reality sank in for the second time in his life.
~H50~
"Well?"
"He's admitted at Tripler, but everything's pretty hush-hush. And his doctor isn't on our payroll."
"I didn't ask you for problems. I told you I wanted him and your job is to make that happen! So you better have a plan of some sort or you might not live to regret it."
A pause, then, "We've got a few of the medical staff there who will help us. I'll arrange for some falsified orders to be drawn up. If he's sedated, he won't put up much of a fight and we can just wheel him right out of the hospital."
"Excellent. Make the calls."
"Already did, sir. There's just one small problem. His team won't leave the room."
"What did I say literally two seconds ago? Figure. It. Out. I want him here by tonight or I'll stick you in one of these crates and ship you off to God knows where. Understood?"
Silence.
"Understood?"
"Yes sir."
At this point, I have no idea if we'll ever meet Dr. Sterling's wife, but she's gotta be an absolute legend. I love throwing in those little comments. Well, all hell is about to break loose. Thanks for reading and reviewing!