A/N Okay, peeps! You said you wanted even more Steve hurt/comfort, you got it! You said you wanted Danny to be the one to provide the comfort, you got it! I just hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think! Funny how this started out as a one or two shot... and we are now on Chapter Seven! LoL I'm actually kind of happy with this one. But, what really matters is if you are! *hopeful smile* ~Kelcor

At the last minute, Danny remembered Steve's prescription pain killers in the car. He ran out to retrieve them, grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen, and then headed back upstairs to Steve's bedroom. As he entered, he was momentarily surprised to find his partner lying in bed with the lights still on, but then he wouldn't really need to turn them out, now would he? He shook his head, trying once again to wrap his head around the fact that McGarrett was blind - possibly permanently so. Mentally kicking himself for allowing that negative thought to even enter his mind, Danny slowly approached his partner.

Steve was curled up on the bed, facing away from the door. Suddenly unsure, Danny stopped a foot or two away from the nearest side of the bed. Then, with newfound determination, he stalked around to the other side to face McGarrett. Unfortunately, the other man had his eyes closed, clearly feigning sleep. Deciding to take on Steve's own mantra, Danny opted for some tough love.

"Okay, sleeping beauty, you can stop pretending." No response. "Come on, McGarrett. You need to take your medication, then you can fake being asleep all you want."

"Just leave it on the nightstand," was the mumbled reply.

"Uh-uh, no can do, partner! I promised your doctor I would make sure you actually take the medicine, so up 'n at 'em!" Taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, Danny gripped Steve by the elbow and hauled him up into a sitting position, which earned him a glare from the SEAL. Even so, Steve remained slouched against the headboard and held out his hand expectantly.

Danny put two pills into the waiting palm, placed the glass of water into Steve's other hand, then crossed his arms over his chest and watched until his partner washed the pills down. Huh. Who knew the SEAL glare could get so murderous. Oh, wait, that's right, everyone who had ever encountered a cranky Steve knew all too well. Still, Danny couldn't help but smile at the sign that his friend was still in there somewhere.

Danny waited until Steve resituated himself under the covers, then turned to leave. He reached for the light switch… but stopped before turning it off. Deciding that if Steve needed him, it'd be best if he didn't trip over his own feet in his haste to get to him, Danny left the light on.

H50H50H50H50

Once downstairs, Danny pulled out Steve's cell phone and scrolled through the contacts. He found Catherine's number. His finger hovered over the call button as he fought with the certainty that Steve would not want her to know about his current condition. Knowing that he just couldn't help his partner on his own, knowing that Catherine could be the only one who could get through to him, Danny touched the screen and, with one final hesitation, put the phone to his ear.

Catherine answered the call after the second ring. "Hey, you! It's been a while. When are we going to have a repeat performance of our beach date?"

"Uh, Catherine? It's Danny."

"Danny? Oh, sorry about that… wait a minute. Why are you calling me from Steve's phone? What happened? Is Steve okay?"

"Well, yes and no, I guess," Danny replied, then proceeded to tell her everything that had transpired over the previous couple of days.

When he finished, there was a long pause on her end, then: "Oh, poor Steve. What can I do to help?"

"Well, if you could come to Hawaii, that would just be awesome."

"Definitely. I'll find some way to score some leave, but I won't be able to make for at least a week."

Danny ran a hand through his hair. "Can't you make it sooner? He's falling deeper and deeper into this… funk and I don't know how to help him!"

"What do you mean, you don't know how to help him? You helped him in that cave. If it wasn't for you, he'd be dead right now."

"That was just some emergency first aid - most of which was done wrong, by the way - to keep him alive. This other stuff? This depression? I don't know the first thing -"

Catherine cut him off with an exasperated sigh. "Do you really expect me to believe that all you did was first aid for the first 24 hours? I've seen the effects of a rattlesnake bite, Danny, I know there is more to it than just physical pain."

"That was different. We were running for our lives. Desperate times called for desperate measures."

"And you think these aren't desperate times?"

"He won't talk to me, Catherine. I've tried, believe me, I've tried. But he just wants to be left alone."

"I don't believe you."

Danny hesitated, slightly flustered now. "What?"

"You asked me to believe you and I'm telling you, I don't." Realizing that Danny was at a loss for words, and wanting to explain herself before he hung up, Catherine continued. "Listen, I know you care for Steve and, trust me, the feeling's mutual, but you both have this friggin' pride that keeps you from telling each other how you feel. I'm not blaming you. It's a male thing. It's in your DNA. You can't help it."

This time, it was Danny's turn to sigh. "And your point?"

"My point is this. Steve tells you that he just wants to be left alone... that's his pride talking. I love the guy but it's true. You, Detective Williams, are desperate to believe him because otherwise you would have to step out of your self imposed boundaries to give him what he really needs. And why is that? That's right. Pride. Steve is too close to the edge right now, too close to the breaking point, to risk letting go and accepting your help. So, my question for you is, are you willing to risk losing the Steve we both love because of some stupid male narcissistic tendencies forced upon you by society?"

"Wow. You like those big words, don't you!" He paused for a moment, deep in thought, then pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he was not going to like the answer to his next question. "Fine. What do I have to do?"

"What Steve wants and what he needs are two totally different things. You have to force him to accept what he needs... no matter what it does to your pride. Because, if you don't, Steve will never come back to us. And that's just not acceptable."

"And if super SEAL breaks every bone in my body while I try to do this? Then what?"

"Then... I'll be there in a week to put both Humpty Dumpties back together again."

"Ha ha. Now, I see why you and McGarrett get along so well. Bye, Catherine."

"Bye. And Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"Steve has told me how many times you have saved his life. Do it again, okay? Because, when you do, you'll be saving my life, too."

Danny couldn't help but hear the tears in her voice, then she hung up without another word. But, truthfully, no more words were needed. She got her point across loud and clear. The only question was, could Danny really do it? Without the threat of life or death, could he give Steve what he truly needed?

H50H50H50H50

The room was dark. But it was more than that. It was pitch black. No light coming from anywhere. Then he remembered. "Blind. I'm blind." He felt himself sinking into despair but three words brought him back... "Steve! Save me!" At first he couldn't place the voice. Then, he realized, it wasn't just one voice. It was a combination of two, maybe three, voices all speaking simultaneously. "Steve! Save me!"

Suddenly, a bright light was switched on. It was like his vision had been restored but at a higher power. The colours were brighter. The textures sharper. Even the dimensions were more distinct. A second later, he wished he was blind again.

There, just a few feet away, was Hesse with gun aimed and ready. Steve couldn't see the person he was aiming at but he knew. He KNEW. A second light was switched on, brighter than the first. His dad was sitting in a chair, bound hand and feet. Blood from multiple beatings was streaming down his face. At first he didn't seem to notice his son but then he turned and looked him straight in the eye. "Steve! Save me!"

Steve had no idea why he was being given this second chance but he grabbed it with all his might and charged toward Hesse... only he wasn't getting closer. His legs were pumping, his heart was pounding, his breath was coming out in sharp bursts, but he wasn't. getting. closer. He tried harder but Hesse just looked at him with this manic grin on his face... and pulled the trigger. BANG!

"NOOOOO!" Steve was able to do nothing but watch as his father was killed right before his eyes.

He fought the tears because that's what he was trained to do.

Then his father's body morphed into that of his mother. Alive and well. But bound to the chair just as his father had been. She, too, looked directly at Steve. "Steve! Save me!"

This time, Steve tried to launch himself at Hesse, he flew through the air, arms outstretched for a full on tackle... and grabbed empty air. He landed on his stomach, no closer than he was when his feet first left the floor. BANG!

"NOOOOO!"

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth to keep the tears from falling. "If you break during battle, soldier, you'll never be able to save anyone!"

When he opened his eyes again, his heart hammered against his ribs with an all new ferocity - his mother was nothing more than a scorched and charred corpse!

Then, the blackened corpse morphed into Mary! His little sister was bound to the chair. Her face was bruised. Blood was seeping from a cut on her forehead. She turned pleading eyes to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Steve. Please, save me!"

Adrenaline rushing, Steve once again tried launching himself at Hesse. Like some kind of torturous game, he once again fell well short of his target, no closer than before. BANG!

His father... BANG! His mother... BANG! His sister... BANG! His mother... BANG! His mother... BANG! His mother... BANG! His mother...

"NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOO! NOOOOOO!"

H50H50H50H50

Danny woke to the strangled cries coming from the room next door. Disoriented at first, he still had presence of mind to grab his gun from the nightstand - anyone screaming like that was surely about to be killed! He ran out into the hallway. Finally, remembering where he was, he made a beeline for Steve's room.

He barrelled through the doorway, coming in low, ready to shoot whoever was attacking his partner... only to find that said partner was alone in the room, screaming and thrashing in his bed. Danny froze. Even in the cave, under the influence of the rattlesnake bite; in the hospital, drugged to the gills with painkillers and anti-venom; Steve had never gotten this bad!

Snapping out of his shock, Danny ran to the other side of the bed and sat next to Steve. He grabbed him by the upper arms and shook him. "Steve! Wake up! Steve!" Then he remembered how he had gotten through to him in the hospital. "MCGARRETT!"

As before, the blue eyes popped open but it was as if he was still locked in the nightmare. After a moment, Danny realized, to Steve's unseeing eyes, he was probably still asleep.

"McGarrett! It's okay now. You're awake. It was just a dream, partner. It was just a dream."

"No!" Steve struggled against Danny's grasp. "Let me go! No!"

"Steve! It's me! It's Danny! You're okay! I promise you, you're okay!"

Suddenly, Steve almost seemed to make eye contact with his partner and the pain and devastation Danny saw there was more than the detective could take.

"They killed her, Danny! They killed her!"

Even without being told, Danny knew exactly who 'she' was. Steve's voice broke as he fought to hold back the tears. And that right there? That sealed the deal for Danny. Shoving aside his own fears of crossing emotional boundaries, he pulled Steve into a rough hug. His partner fought ferociously to get free but his medicated state had weakened him physically, as well as emotionally, and Danny was able to overpower him easily.

It didn't stop Steve from struggling, though. "Get off me, Danny!" Even as the sobs tore through his body, he fought tooth and nail to free himself. But Danny just held on and rode out the storm. Now, more than ever, he knew that Catherine was right. This is what Steve needed. Whether the super SEAL was willing to admit it or not.

Steve continued to try to push Danny away, to extricate himself from his partner's hold.

Still... Danny held on.

"Please... Danno... Please..."

Finally, the dam broke and Steve began to shake uncontrollably in Danny's arms, clinging to him as he would a life preserver because, let's face it, at this moment? That's exactly what Danny was!

TBC

A/N Your reviews mean more to me than you will ever know!