A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews. I appreciate them a lot.

Rough night

Subconsciously picking up the pace, Steve walked with determination through the hospital´s hallways towards the ICU room in which Danny had been settled in after the surgery. He hadn´t gone home, and he didn´t intended to. He just went a few minutes outside, to take a little of fresh air from the silent night while the nurse changed his partner´s gown and sheets, which were again soaked with sweat.

His timing was perfect. He gave the nurse a small smile when they crossed at the door. She beckoned him to resume his task of keep refreshing the cloth and placing it on the hot fevered forehead until she or the doctor came to check on Danny again. He gave her the thumb up, repeating the smile. She knew she didn´t even need to ask him, that this man would do whatever it takes to help his friend.

Approaching the bed, Steve stopped a moment by the basin filled with fresh water, picked up the cloth and, while wringing it up, took a moment to examine the now apparently calm complexion of his partner. He concluded that it wasn't a natural calmness, but exhaustion and total lack of any energy reserve that made his ever moving and currently feverish friend to be so still. He also concluded that the change of the soiled bed linen for clean ones provided Danny some comfort and relief, motivating a relaxed attitude for the time being. Not wanting to disturb his friend´s peace, Steve decided to wait a little, and, folding and leaving the cloth beside the basin, he sat and reclined heavily on the chair closer to the bedside. Rubbing his forehead with his fingers, he examined Danny as much as the dim lights allowed him.

The surgery, or better say the surgeries, went well. Four long and endless hours took them to minutely separate flesh from metal; open the rusty manacles with the help of a firefighter called specially for the occasion with specific tools; clean and repair the wrists and ankle. Two more hours to fix broken bones and fingers, and three more for a plastic surgeon to carefully minimize the long-term evidence of the injuries.

Although finished, the team of surgeons agreed that additional surgeries will be required, especially because of the infections. So, they intentionally left the most compromised wounds covered but unstitched, to allow oozing. Now, after the change of sheets, gown and a general cleanup, the nurse had changed Danny´s position on the bed, allowing him to lay on his side. His heavy head was partially sunk in the soft pillow; his arms were carefully placed in front of him so not to disturb the just operated wrists and the same was done with his leg, which could be seen slightly elevated below the sheets. The tube coming out of his nose was diverted from his mouth with new and clean tape on his cheek and the other tubing coming out from below the sheets led to a bag hanging from the lower part of the bed with a little content of opaque urine. A third shiny tube was thinner, and connected to the IV bag that constantly provided fluids and antibiotics to fight the infections.

While in surgery, they had been able to keep the fever at bay, but once in the ICU, it spiked considerably. Seeing again signs of perspiration and restlessness, Steve got up, silently picked up, dipped, drained and folded the cloth. Approaching his friend, he gently sat on the edge of the bed and placed the cool fabric on the forehead and temple, pressing it a little bit so it won´t slide. The brief seconds he left his hand there were sufficient to feel the heat emanating from the distressful bedridden man. Watching the moving eyes beneath the closed eyelids, Steve sighed softly. Watching the dry, parched and lacerated lips he wondered when will Danny be able to talk coherently; when will he be capable and lucid enough to finally ask for his beloved children; when will he be the eloquent Danny again; when will he be able to tell all the things he had to get through during the kidnapping; when will he express him his forgiveness for not finding him sooner; when will he at least call him by his name; when will he… Steve closed his eyes tightly, reproaching himself. He had no right, no right to push Danny like that; no right to not be facing this with the strength his partner didn´t have at the moment and required of him to take the lead and take charge of the situation and the decisions; no right to think those things and hipotetic different scenarios of what if. He just had to be there, present, focused, for his brother, every step of the way.

Opening his eyes, Steve rubbed them with his hands and then dried his tear soaked palms on his pants. He also had no right to feel guilty. All the attention should be only and completely on his friend. Not on his own guilt, his own sorrow, but only on Danny´s recovery and needs.

Removing the cloth, he was startled by the enormous heat emanating from his friend. Reaching forward, he took the edge of the sheet and, peeling it back, uncovered Danny´s body. His partner immediately started to shiver and growled angrily in disagreement.

"I´m sorry buddy, I´m so sorry". Steve pushed the call button, convinced it was time to get the doctor, again. It has been less than an hour after the change of the soiled sheets and gown, and now the new ones were almost as sweaty as the previous ones. Rewetting the rag, Steve intended to replace it but was prevented from doing it. As he reached out to wash Danny´s sweaty face, a violently raised arm intercepted his hand halfway, catapulting the fabric on the air, making it pass by the night´s male nurse´s head, who was just entering the room at that moment. Realizing the current situation, he rapidly paged the doctor and then approached the bed to help his patient´s friend, who was having trouble keeping him still.

"Brace his shoulders and biceps with your upper body, Commander". He instructed when he saw Steve tentatively trying to grab his partner´s flying arms without causing additional harm but failing completely. At the same time, the nurse grabbed and squeezed gently but firmly Danny´s knees together and checked that the catheter did not come off or suffered a pull. Then, while they waited for the doctor, he struggled with the task to keep his legs unmoving by wrapping one arm around the knees and the other around the lower legs, minding the broken ankle. The ex-navy seal was practically lying with all his upper body strength on Danny´s chest and begging him to stop moving. But it was no use. Who knows what fever induced hallucinations made him find this energy reserve. But this reserve wasn´t very large, an soon it wore off, leaving the abused body scattered on the bed with non-existent capability of movement rather than a pitiful panting broken by a few moans.

"Ok, it´s over. It´s ok now". The nurse loudly said to achieve a sense of solace and relief while he lowered Danny´s legs that he still had pressed firmly to his chest and then smoothed and arranged the now completely wet gown so at least some dignity could be preserved.

Steve leaned with both hands heavily on the mattress, finding it difficult to look away from his friend´s face with his shocked and big eyes. But finally he blinked and looked behind when he heard a metallic sound. The doctor had arrived and was lifting the IV rack from the floor and then approached his nurse, who made a detailed explanation of the facts while he personally read the vital signs, checked all the tubes attached to his patient and pulled out the stethoscope to listen carefully to the still galloping heart.

Steve straightened from his lurched position and with rubber legs made it to a chair. Briefly looking out the window, he could see the rosy sky and the first light of dawn. Looking back inside, he saw the previous nurse entering the room with various things on her hands. A new gown and clean sheets, the third of the night; towels; ice packs; another bag of fluids; some kind of medicine and other things he wasn´t able to see due to the rapid pace of the woman. But he didn´t get up or approached them. He just took calm on the fact that Danny was being taking care of. So he sank further on the chair and rested his head on the back of it. He was so tired. They didn´t ask him so he didn´t left. He watched them work for a little while until his eyelids were so heavy he didn´t had another choice but to succumb to sleep.

Feeling the sun on his face, Steve woke up to find he was still slouched on the same chair, but now bright rays of sunlight were entering from the only window that was partially opened. Another difference was the fact that a pillow was placed behind his head and upper back, and a blanket covered his legs. Sighing heavily, he attracted the attention of a figure who, until now, Steve had not noticed its presence. Lou got up from the armchair beside Danny and came to greet him with a familiar handshake and an affectionate tap on the back. Steve gave him a faint smile, but his eyes were entirely on Danny´s tired but apparently resting shape when he spoke.

"Rough night, man".

"I know".