While it was Danny's turn at Steve's bedside, he was stunned to hear a soft plaintive moan gurgling down his throat. The detective's hopes of a recovery were quickly dashed when the doctor explained that it was common for comatose patients to utter unintelligible sounds such as moaning, groaning and even laughing and crying.
However Danny saw this as an encouraging sign that his partner was breaking out of his shell to rejoin the land of the living. Little did he know that his enthusiasm would prove to be misplaced.
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Danny was at his wits' end. He had no idea as to how to stir his stubborn partner out of his coma. He had brought Gracie to see him and thought that her voice would elicit some sort of reaction, but with no result.
Five-0 succeeded in wringing a full confession out of Baxter in exchange for a lenient sentence. No sooner had they wrapped up the case that the governor assigned them a new one. Denning named Chin as interim leader of the unit during McGarrett's absence.
Mary had taken the afternoon shifts at her brother's bedside while Danny was at work. However Danny's mind wasn't focused on the job at hand and instead of botching his work, he decided to skip that fifth consecutive case and handed Chin and Kono the reins to manage it as they saw fit with HPD's help. He would occasionally give his input when his colleagues would ask him.
Although he was getting restless with Five-0's lack of progress, Denning nevertheless didn't press the issue and instead he allowed them to work at their own pace without losing sight of their main objective.
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One morning, Danny was on his way to the hospital when Steve's phone rang. He picked it up and read the caller-ID. He smiled at the name.
"Could it be McGarrett's girl calling me? He will be jealous."
"Danny!" Catherine laughed. "How are you?"
"I should be the one asking you that question."
"I'm doing a bit better," she answered tiredly. "Although I need to stay here a while longer to allow them to run more tests and make sure I'm in the clear." Then her voice turned sombre. "Danny, I heard about Steve. How is he?"
Danny pursed his lips as a he felt a tear coming on. "He's still in a coma, Cath."
"Oh no."
"Yeah. It's been nearly four weeks now."
"What does his doctor say?"
"Not much. He says the longer he remains in a coma, the least likely he is to come out of it." He sniffed back a tear. "I just don't know what to do. We try everything to wake him up but you know how he is?"
"Yeah," she smiled at the thought of her stubborn, yet gentleman sailor.
"Steve was worried sick when he learned about your illness. He wanted to fly to Jeddah to be with you when this happened."
"Listen Danny, I'll try to come as soon as they'll let me."
"Okay. In the meantime you take care of yourself."
"Danny, you will call me with updates on his condition, won't you?"
"Sure thing."
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The constant muscle spasms, moaning and groaning were grating on Danny's nerves and testing his patience as Steve's coma now entered into his second month. His insentient partner's eyes would often open by themselves but the vacant, staring-into-space look was giving Danny the chill and he preferred closing them.
Mary was compelled to return to California to appear at her trial, though her mind was not in it but was rather lured by the numbing effects of alcohol. Her attorney warned her about the dire consequences of falling off the wagon. This would not help her brother to know that his sister was throwing her life away. At this point she couldn't care less as she had convinced herself that Steve would never wake up.
Catherine had made a full recovery and was now on sick leave for three weeks. She was given permission to fly to Hawaii to be at her sailor's bedside.
She arrived one early morning to find Danny resting in an armchair by Steve's bed. She padded up to the bed, first glancing at Steve then at Danny.
The touch of her hand on his shoulder startled him awake. He looked up to see her strain smile. "Catherine!" He stood and enlaced her in his arms. "Why didn't you call me? I would have picked you up at the airport."
"My flight was a little late. I didn't want you to wait at the airport knowing you'd want to be here with Steve." She looked over Danny's shoulder at Steve. "How is he?"
"No change," Danny heaved out jadedly.
She approached the bed and took in Steve's appearance. "He looks peaceful, as though he's sleeping."
"Yeah he does look serene, which for the life of me gives me the creeps. It's like he's taunting us."
Catherine clasped Steve's limp hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Hey sailor! I'm here. You open those baby blues for me. I miss them." She gasped upon hearing a small moan gurgling down Steve's throat. "Danny! He moaned," she announced ecstatically.
"He does that sometimes. Don't be fooled. His doctor says it's involuntary," he deadpanned. "He also opens his eyes and laughs and cries for no reason."
"Do you think he can hear us?"
"I'd like to think he does. Either he doesn't understand what we're saying and asking of him or he's plain stubborn."
She looked up at Danny trying to stifle a yawn. "Danny you look beat."
"Well guess worrying will do that to you."
"Why don't you take a break and catch some sleep. I'll stay with him for a while."
"Okay. I'll go back to the house for a few hours. By the way, where are your bags?"
"They're in the trunk of the rental car."
"I have the guest room ready for you at Steve's. Unless you prefer sleeping in his room?"
"No. The guest room will be fine, but where are you sleeping?"
"The couch. I love it down there. It's the biggest room in the house and I need space."
"I understand. You go now. Really. I'll be fine."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "You call me if there's any change."
"I will." Once Danny was out of the room, she turned to Steve who wore a huge smile on his lips. "Oh, something you find funny?" she asked, amused by the almost elfish grin on her lover's face. "Steve, speak to me," she egged on with a firm squeeze on his hand and was rewarded with a giggle.
She leaned in and pressed her lips against his. Again he chuckled. "Is that all the effect I have on you?" she asked, acting offended by his reaction she knew was purely unconscious. When Steve's laugh melted into a small sob, she wrapped her arm around him and brushed her cheek against his. "Don't cry, baby. It's okay. You'll get through this. I know you will."
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Steve's coma was now entering into his fourth month. Danny was faithful in his visits, dropping by the hospital every morning and keeping a vigil most of the nights. The constant worrying had visibly taken a toll on his health. His sunken cheeks and overall emaciated facial features and the alarming seventeen-pound weight lost from lack of sleep and malnutrition were signs that the man was on the brink of physical and emotional collapse.
Catherine was summoned to return to active duty on the Enterprise and returned to Hawaii twice during a short hiatus, hoping that on both visits Steve would show signs of waking up.
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Mary was founding it hard to cope with her brother's coma. Following her trial in which she was placed on one-year probation, she declined Danny's offer for the second time to come stay with him at Steve's house. She didn't feel comfortable hanging around a place that constantly reminded of her brother's condition. She wanted to put some distance between them as it somehow eased the pain and allowed her to keep her mind off the thought of Steve dying.
One late Sunday afternoon after dropping Grace at her mom's, Danny returned to his adoptive home, as he now referred to Steve's house, and flumped down on the couch, completely prostrate. For some reason, his gaze wandered to the desk and stared at it. Finally he stood and went to sit behind it. With a quavering hand, he pulled open the top drawer and rummaged through it to find the Manila envelope with 'Danny' written upon it. He held it for the longest time as he replayed the scene in his mind.
"Danny," Steve whispered weakly, cringing as another wave of pain shot through his head. "Danny listen. There - there's a sealed Manila envelope inside -"
"Shuuuu, don't talk. Relax."
Steve insisted, again tightening his grip on Danny's hand. "Envelope marked Danny on it. It's - it's in the top drawer of my desk in the study at home. If anything happens - "
Danny leaned closer to Steve's face. "Nothing's gonna happen, you hear me?"
"I love you, brother. Don't ever forget that."
Danny's eyes began to sting as tears rushed in. His chest was caught in a vice of overwhelming emotions that he could no longer contain nor repress. He decided to place the sealed envelope back in its place. He refused to open it for fear of hastening the inevitable that he believed might still be avoidable.
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The next morning, Danny arrived at the hospital to find Doctor Prentiss and two nurses hovering over Steve's bed.
"What's going on? What's happening?" He stepped up to the bed and gasped. "Why is he back on the respirator?"
"Detective, come with me." Doctor Prentiss nudged Danny out of the room but the careworn man refused to leave.
"No! Tell me, why is that thing back in his throat?"
The doctor beckoned the two nurses out of the room before he explained the situation. "I'm afraid he took a turn for the worse."