He could hear Steve's tortured cries as soon as he stepped outside. The EMT's had moved him onto a stretcher and both men were trying to calm him down.

Danny was at his side in seconds. He was strapped to the stretcher. He was obviously in agony yet he was fighting the men as they tried to restrain him.
"DDANNYY…..NNNEED DDANNYY….OOOOHHH….. GGGET DDANNY"

Danny put a hand firmly on Steve's forehead and leaned closely to his face, "Steve, stop babe….stop struggling, I'm here partner"
"DDannyy…"
"Yeah, it's me buddy. Relax now, I'm right here"

"DD..DDanny…..oooohhhh shitt…..hhhurts…" Steve was panting as he fought the intense pain coursing through his body.
"I know babe, relax now…..slow down your breathing for me"
"Nnot an aacc…..ccident DDaan…nno…..Gracccie"

Danny glanced up as Chin and Kono arrived and were standing at the other side of the stretcher.
"Steve, listen to me…..Gracie's fine…..sssshhhh…" The detectives' voice choked with emotion as he stroked his partner's forehead and continued to talk softly, "You saved her life Steve…thank you"

"Shhe's g….ggood?"
"Yeah buddy, she's good. Do you know who did this Steve?"
He simply repeated, "No accidentt…" before he passed out and the EMT quickly placed the oxygen mask back over his face, stating "We need to move him now!"
Danny looked at Kono, "Kono, can you stay with him and call us with updates?"
"Of course"

They lifted the stretcher into the ambulance and Kono hopped in. Soon it was racing through the downtown streets towards Hawaii Memorial Hospital.

Chin placed a hand on Danny's shoulder, "You okay brah?"

"No…..no, I'm not…Oh God why Chin? He thinks this was intentional, shit he thinks Gracie was the target man!"
"You know the odds are good that he was the target, he's made alot of enemies very fast. He didn't say anything else?"
"You saw him…oh my God Chin….he's not going to make it" Chin felt Danny's body shake with fear under his grasp.

"Come on Danny, Steve's as tough as they come"
Danny responded softly, "A body can only take so much Chin"
"Danny, we can't think like that…..don't let yourself go there…..."

5050505050505050505050505050

Back to current day….

'Don't let yourself go there…...'Chin's words echoed in his head as he looked down at Steve. Damn he was sure a fighter. That first night after six hours in surgery they had given him only a twenty percent chance to make it through the night. Danny had stayed at his side throughout the night while Chin and Kono watched over his family for him. Having just come out of surgery he had remained unconscious through the night but Danny hadn't slept at all. He was afraid to close his eyes…he was afraid if he did his partner would die…

But Steve had proved them wrong. He had made it through the night. But after twenty four hours had passed without him showing any signs of waking the Doctor had told him that the SEAL was in a coma. The Doc kept saying not to worry…..easy for him to say.

It was explained to him that with such a serious head injury the coma was not unusual. With his mulitiple broken bones and other injuries, his being unconscious was in some ways a blessing. At least he wasn't in pain and day after day his body was slowly healing. It was so hard to watch him like this though, so still and quiet...

Twelve weeks…twelve weeks that had changed his life and now it could all be over. He sat holding Steve's hand as he remembered the day when this man showed up at his door telling him that he was now a member of his task force, and that he was his partner. He remembered his feelings on that day so well. He had hated this arrogant, cocky Navy SEAL. Shit he had gotten him shot that first day.

When had those feelings changed? He couldn't exactly pinpoint it…was it when Steve gave him the gift of the Hotel room for him and Gracie? Was it when he saw the SEAL's concern over Kono's safety when she was undercover with Sang Min? Was it his constant obsession with calling him Danno, the nickname previously reserved only for his little Monkey? Was it Steve's love for his precious daughter and the love that she obviously shared with him? Was it when Steve interceded on his behalf calling the Governor's office, thus helping him in his custody dispute? Was it the devotion Steve exhibited towards Chin, giving the detective a way back into police work when the HPD had turned its collective back on him?

Or was it when Meka was killed? Meka Hanamoa his partner at HPD. Danny had moved to Hawaii five months before meeting Steve. He had been partnered with Meka during that time. Meka….Hawaiian born, raised by a HPD Officer and a school teacher. He was a man of great honor and when he was murdered five weeks ago…..it was horrible. That event had brought them closer together. Steve was there for him, helping him find the corruption in the HPD, and the Officer who had killed Meka when he got close to exposing him. He had a hard time dealing with Meka's death and Steve was there, night after night. He literally became his designated driver for several nights as he drank his sorrows away.

Danny had come to the realization that Steven McGarrett was not the arrogant, cocky Navy SEAL he first appeared to be. It's not arrogant or cocky when you can back up your bravado. Steve was a special man and there was no question about that. He hadn't shared a lot with him about his SEAL background, at least not yet. He had used the fucking line of 'it's classified' more times than he could even count! But he had seen Steve's dress uniform, covered with ribbons and medals. Steve was a HIGHLY decorated SEAL and only someone of special strength and character earned the accommodations he had received. As he looked down at the man lying so still, fighting to live...….he saw more than a Military hero…..he saw his brother, his partner, his best friend and he was terrified that he was going to lose him. Other than his family he had never felt like this about another human being, other than Rachel of course….He loved Steve and he needed Steve. This crazy ass Navy SEAL was a part of his family now and he had to survive, he just had to.

"Come on Steve…you keep fighting partner"

He felt it, he wasn't certain because it was so weak but he felt it. His eyes watched closely as Steve's fingers moved around his, ever so slightly but they moved! Danny jumped to his feet keeping a tight grasp on Steve's right hand. He placed his other hand on the injured man's forehead, rubbing softly. "Steve, can you hear me partner? Squeeze my hand buddy….squeeze my hand"

He definitely felt it now, the squeeze was very weak but it was there! "That's it baby, that's it!" Danny reached up and punched the Nurse's call button as he continued to encourage Steve "Don't try to talk buddy, you've got a tube in your throat" Again Steve squeezed his hand in understanding. Danny noted a tear slipping from the SEAL's uninjured eye. He wiped it away with his thumb as he asked softly, "Are you in pain partner?" Steve's grip tightened in his, "I'll get you something for the pain, you relax…you're doing great Steven. I'm right here. It's time you came back to us so open those bright eyes for me now, can you do that?"

Danny watched as Steve struggled to pull himself back to consciousness, his eyelid eventually fluttering open.
Danny could see the pain in man's eye as he continued talking softly, "Hey welcome back" Steve again squeezed just as the Nurse was reaching the bedside.
"Well hello, it's good to have you awake" She checked his vitals and then let them know that the Doctor would be by in just a few minutes to take the tubing from Steve's throat. She then left the room.

Another squeeze…."Relax Steve. I know you want answers. Don't try to talk, just squeeze. Do you remember what happened?"
Squeeze…

"You were busted up a bit partner but you're going to be okay now. That hard head of yours took a pretty good knock and you've been sleeping a bit"
Squeeze…Danny knew exactly what he wanted to know.

"Four days buddy" Steve closed his eye tightly and clenched his jaw. Danny noticed his heart rate was beating rapidly. "Steve, relax now…slow down your breathing partner…..relax"

Danny continued to talk to him soothingly until the Doctor arrived a few minutes later.
"Hello Steve. My Nurse tells me that you're doing well here" After re-checking his vital statistics he turned to Danny, "I need you to hold his shoulders, this is going to be uncomfortable for him" He turned back to Steve, "Now Commander, as I pull the tubing out you'll feel the urge to cough. Try to take short, quick breaths. Okay, here we go"

As the long tubing was pulled from his throat he could not help but gag and gasp for air. Danny leaned close while pushing lightly on Steve's forehead to keep him still, "Good job buddy…short little breaths now, nice and slow…that's good, real good"
After a couple of minutes Steve spoke, his voice sounding raspy and painful, "Th..hirssty Dann..no"

The Doctor brought a glass of water to the bed and as Danny lifted his head the Doctor placed the straw into his waiting mouth instructing him, "Just small sips now young man" Steve did as instructed and once he was done Danny settled his bandaged head back onto the pillow"

Steve suddenly became agitaed as memories flooded back to him, "Gracie? Oh...God...Gracie?"
Danny again held Steve's head down on the pillow, "Calm down partner. Gracie's fine, I promise. I'll tell you eveything once you calm down"

The Doctor left the men alone letting Danny know that a Nurse would be in shortly to hook him up with an IV pain medication drip. Danny shook hands with the Doctor and then turned back to Steve.