A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews.
Assessing your condition.
Waking up, Danny found himself on a strangely bright place, lying down and in a great deal of pain and discomfort. He tried to move, but something restricted his attempt. He tried again with the same unsatisfactory result. He lacked the strength to try a third time. He could feel the weight of the manacles on his wrists, and the same agonizing soreness around them. Panicking, his mind didn't waste any time tricking him and placing him back on the old mattress of the metal bed while his nostrils subconsciously picked up the same putrid and humid scent of his old imprisonment place. Breathing heavily, his chest began a frantic up and down race while his heart tried to keep up with the same rhythm.
A hand on his chest startled him and made him abruptly suck in air on a harsh short breath. His mind was withdrew from his nightmare, and although his sight was a bit fuzzy and his brain boiling with fever, he could vaguely sense that he was not captive anymore. Images of his friends smiling at him; of a bottle of water; of people he didn´t know helping him; of caring brown eyes. The thunderous sound of the propellers of a helicopter; the calming sound of reassuring and shushing words; the sensation of being cradled; of being lifted and shifted; of being caressed with tenderness on his forehead. Was it all true? Did it all truly happened? Or was his mind playing with his sanity again? He needed to know. Danny instinctively tried to make sure, but his body didn't respond him. He was so weak; he could hardly raise the hand placed on his chest by taking a breath. Two thick tears started to roll down his cheeks. Hopeless, he waited one more time for the inevitable and uncomfortable feeling of them entering his ears. But that didn´t happened. They were caught midway by some sort of soft tissue. So, it was all true. Really all that happened. To make sure, he just needed to open his eyes. Only that. But Danny was so out of it. He was subconsciously afraid of it to be another dream, so panic griped his heart again.
"Calm down Danny, it's over now, you´re safe". Through his confusion, the ringing in his ears and the loud hammering of his heart, a voice barely reached his thin connection to reality. He knew that voice. It was his brother´s. His friend was here, so he automatically lowered his guard, not caring to expend any extra strength by trying to protect himself of any possible threat anymore. There was surely none, or if it was, Steve would take care of it for him. He knew that and would always know it, consciously or unconsciously, like in this case.
With his breathing calming down and his panic dissipating, Danny consequently became slightly more aware and began at least sensing his surroundings, and his body. He noted that the hand once on his chest was now on his shoulder. At the same time, he couldn´t help his clothes, or what was left of them, from being efficiently removed from his frail body. Steve compassionately turned his gaze away until a thin sheet was mercifully placed over Danny´s pubic area and thighs.
He must have dozed off, because he was startled again when a gloved hand tapped lightly the side of his face while the fingers of another were trying to open his mouth and divert his tongue with a wooden stick. The sudden and unexpected intrusion made him retch. Shushing sounds accompanied the withdrawal of the stick, while the same soft fabric from before whipped away the tears that threatened to fall from his eyelashes. His mouth wasn´t able to produce enough moisture to rewet his tongue, so he was extremely grateful when some kind of sponge was placed on his lips and he was allowed to take some drops of water. His mouth was opened again and latex gloved fingers tentatively checked his teeth, gums and internal cheeks. Again, he was offered the sponge. Then it was the turn of his eyes, which one after the other endured the uncomfortable and hurtful white penlight. He was not allowed a respite, so he manifested his complaint with a groan.
Danny was able to relax a little after he was apparently allowed to rest a few minutes. The complaint attempt was successful and whoever it was took pity of him and waited for Danny to recover from the obvious stress this whole procedure was causing, not only to his body but also to his too exhausted and feverish mind.
He was starting to doze off again, but when the feeling of the ever present strong grip on his shoulder and the comforting presence of his friend was moved away from his side, he desperately opened his eyes as a wave of unfounded vulnerability attacked him unmercifully.
"It´s ok. You´re ok buddy. I´m still right here". Danny´s attention was distracted trying to figure out why he was abandoned while strong hands started to assess the condition of his arms, legs and the tenderness of his stomach. "I´m right here". Steve reassurances made it all a bit more bearable.
Danny felt the sheet being lifted, and a cool air made him tremble as it made contact with the raw and humid skin of the very affected and uncomfortable area, while a quick but effective exam was done down there. The sheet was lowered again, while a hand patted his thigh.
"Ok champion, let´s see your back now, ok?" The same unknown and deep voice he had been hearing since he woke up addressed him directly for the first time, just before two pair of arms started to turn him on his side. The movement, although done slowly and with care, brought back up the water his stomach had managed to keep down so far and a bucket appeared immediately in front of his face while two gloved hands held his head during vomiting. Dry heaves left him exhausted and he was held in place by many hands until they finished what they were doing back there. Apparently, they had to take off some shirt fabric attached to his skin. But Danny didn´t even try to keep up anymore. His wrists and foot hurt too much, now his back did too, and his brain was starting to shut down. He could see Steve now, walking behind the doctor and following him to a corridor. He watched them talk until he lost that line of sight when he was carefully laid on his back again.