It Never Ends
By Montez
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: See chapter one

A/N: All I can say is WOW! I knew you guys were awesome, but i'm totally floored right now; 37 story alerts, 12 story favorites and 19 wonderful reviews and that was only for the first chapter-Thank you doesn't seem enough. I just want to mention that a few people noticed a few (okay a little more than a few, but I was excited to post) typos in my first chapter. I think I've gone back and corrected most (hopefully all) of them and thanks to you guys who pointed them out without being mean about it-constructive comments are always welcome and those were most welcomed. Hopefully I didn't mess up that bad in this chapter. Thanks again for all the wonderful support, this is still a WIP but I have a good idea of where i'm headed and hope to be finished within the week. Enjoy-Montez

Standing on the stern of Wo Fat's boat Steve felt his strength wavering slightly as pain again flared across his abdomen. He'd barely made it aboard said boat in a maneuver he'd done many times flawlessly while on active duty. When his stomach had made contact with the side of the yacht he'd nearly blacked out, thank God Danny was backing him up like always and took out the shooter, since he'd hardly had the strength to curl in on himself as the bullets pinged off the deck.

Pushing past the pain McGarrett quickly recovered before Danny or Chin noticed anything was wrong, they cleared the boat and as usual Wo Fat was nowhere to be found, but now standing on the back of the boat he started to feel sick, his mind clouding. Closing his eyes a minute he focused past the pain, just like Lt. Commander Joe White had taught him; he still had an interrogation to get through, which inadvertently gave them absolutely nothing.

But now, now he was letting himself bask in being surrounded by the people that meant the most to him, his team, his ohana. He now included Max Bergman in his little group for the simple fact the ME had patched him up earlier and instead of calling the police or an ambulance as most people would do finding someone bleeding and unconscious in their house, Max had called Chin and Danny, so Steve owed the quirky ME a huge debt of gratitude.

"You all right Son?" Joe White's voice drew McGarrett's attention.

Without hesitation Steve attempted to straighten is posture, "I'm fine Sir."

Joe just looked at the younger man, he could tell by looking at Steve that the former-SEAL wasn't 'fine' but he also knew how stubborn McGarrett could be, especially when trying to hide the fact he was injured or sick, he'd never wanted anyone worrying about him. So White just nodded and returned to his spot against the wall, back from the group, observing the impressive team McGarrett had assembled. The older man watched as Steve made his way to his partner's office. It was an unusual partnership, both men obviously cared for the welfare of the other and those of their fellow teammates, but having watched the two men together over the last couple hours, he could see they could read each other almost like you could family, like true brothers. Joe was glad the younger man had found someone he could trust unconditionally, he knew trust was one of those things Steve had always struggled with.

Stepping through Danny's office door, Steve took a deep breath to will away the dark-spots dancing in his vision, caused by the pain in his stomach as well as the adrenaline dump he was quickly coming off of. He felt hot and cold at the same time, could feel the sweat dripping down the back of his neck. Steve knew he should be checked out by a doctor, hell he hadn't really been treated for the wound Victor Hess had inflicted that morning and he knew he'd passed out at Max's from blood loss that technically hadn't been replenished.

"Hey buddy you're getting behind, drink up." Steve made his way to Danny's desk and successfully placed the beer bottle on top, stepping back, taking a pull from his own.

Steve watched as Williams closed the laptop he'd been working on before looking up at him, "How are you doing?" Danny's normally brash voice slightly softer, McGarrett noting the worried look in his partner's eyes.

"I'm fine" Steve answered, even as wave of pain sparked through his body, his vision blurring again as he tried to shake it off by placing the cooled bottle against his head, closing his eyes a moment.

"Fine my ass, you do remember you were stabbed this morning in prison, then passed out at Max's place, after taking out the ambulance crew and an HPD officer. Then you nearly got us killed jumping onto a moving boat, I seriously doubt you are 'fine'". Steve could tell Danny was moving, his voice shifting from in front of him to his side, but as his mind continued to cloud Danny's voice and presence seemed to drift away from him.

McGarrett jumped slightly when he felt a touch on his arm, damn how did Danny get that close without him knowing it? "Damn it Steve, you're burning up. When was the last time you checked your wound? You haven't even been to the hospital to have it check out." Steve could vaguely hear the concern in his friend's voice as his world seemed to be fading some.

"You all right Son?" Steve turned as he heard Commander White's voice; his military training trying to take over again as he attempted to straighten his posture, but also thinking in the back of his mind that he'd answered that question already.

"I'm fine Sir, just…" As the words left his mouth, Steve knew he was anything but fine, he could feel all his energy drain from his body, he faintly heard the beer bottle he was holding hit the floor near his feet as he felt Danny's arms grab him.

Another set of arms grabbing his other side as he felt himself lowered to the floor. Danny's worried voice barely making it through, "Steve? Hey can you hear me?" God when did it take so much energy to keep his eyes open? Steve thought searching out his partner's face. McGarrett thought he heard another voice in the background but was solely focused on Danny's, "Come on McGarrett open your eyes and try to convince me you're fine. Steve, open your damn eyes."

"Danny?" Steve barely managed to mumble, unable to understand the rest of what his partner was saying because at that moment pain again flared through his body as he felt a pressure near the wound on his stomach. McGarrett's world grayed when he thought he heard his former Commander's voice, Steve started to draw in even breaths, though it was almost impossible through the pain, he focused inward, telling himself he could get past it, he needed to focus. He'd heard someone say help was coming, but he knew help was already there, Danny was there, he had his back like he always did. Steve knew he could take comfort in that even as unfamiliar hands started to press against his wound, Steve knew Danny was there and wouldn't let anything happen to him. That was the thought that allowed Steve McGarrett to give into the pain and the darkness that accompanied it.

H50H50H50H50

He'd never seen his partner so pale and still before. In all the time Danny Williams had known Steve McGarrett he'd never seen him look vulnerable and that was the one thing that was unnerving the Jersey native the most. Steve and vulnerability did not belong in the same sentence, the same thought, much like pineapple and pizza, never the two should meet. But that was the only word that filled Danny's mind as he watched the ragged breathing of his partner, the paleness, the dark-hair plastered to a too sweaty forehead.

104 was not a good temperature for anyone, hell the one time Grace's had ever been that high Danny had found himself pacing a treatment room in one of Jersey's hospitals terrified that something terrible was happening to his baby girl, she'd only been three at the time. It turned out to be nothing more than a virus that had to run its course. They'd treated the fever, gave her some fluids so she wouldn't become dehydrated and sent her home after twelve heart-wrenching hours with assurances that she'd be fine and by the next day she was back to her spunky self, though that fear had stayed with Danny.

However a 104 temperature in an adult was a totally different matter, it was not a good thing, considering the obvious infection Williams had seen that had set up in his best friend's abdominal wound. Yes Victor Hess had told him and Chin that he'd avoided any vital organs, but he was sure Hess didn't worry about sterilizing the blunt instrument he'd stabbed Steve with, that he may have set it up for Steve to escape, but Victor really wouldn't have cared if Steve succumbed to blood loss and infection. Danny rubbed his eyes as he prayed that now that things were slowly, oh so slowly working their way back to 'Five-0' normal that he wouldn't lose his partner now, especially with all the crap from Rachel weighing on him as well, he didn't think he could take anymore blows, mentally or emotionally right now.

They were still three minutes out from the hospital when Steve's body stiffened on the stretcher, "He's seizing!" Shouted the EMT in the back as the driver radioed in the new development.

"Steve!" Danny called out as he reached for his friend, the medic stopping his motion with a shake of his head, readying a syringe with the anti-seizure medication that the hospital had radioed back.

The moment they pulled into the hospital parking lot the seizure stopped, but so did Steve's heart.