Steve is awoken by the sound of Danny vomiting. He doesn't remember falling asleep, and that worries him because it means he probably has a concussion.
"Danny," he says. "Danny, talk to me."
"One hell of a bug," Danny answers before vomiting again. He groans in pain. "Bastard broke m' ribs. An' my head…"
"Son of a bitch," McGarret mutters. "Hang in there, Danno. Everything will be okay."
He talks idly to his partner about nothing in particular. Danny doesn't do a whole lot of talking back (which worries Steve more than he'd ever admit), so the conversation is rather one-sided until he finally just trails off, filling the room with silence.
Hours pass and everything doesn't become okay. But it also doesn't get worse. At least there's that.
And then Danny begins to shout at the top of his lungs.
"You bastard! I'm gonna kill you, you son of a bitch!"
"Whoa! Danny! Danny!" Steve cries.
Danny ignores him. "You're a damn coward! Come in here and fight me like a man!"
"What the hell are you doing?" McGarret hisses. What is Danny thinking? His anger dissolves into concern as his partner begins to sob.
"Steve. Steve, I'm sososo sorry," Danny bawls.
"Danny-what? What the hell are you sorry for? I'm the one that got us into the mess in the first place!" Danny's next words send a shock through McGarret's system and he freezes in confusion.
"Steve. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I let you die."
XXX
Danny can't control the scream that tears from his lips as he stares at his partner's cold, still form.
Steve's eyes are open, staring but seeing nothing. There's blood on his lips and blood on his chest where the bullets landed and bloodbloodblood so that it's all that Danny can see. Blood and Steve's empty, empty eyes.
"Steve," he wails. He closes his eyes in the hopes of seeing something else-anything but Him-but instead when he closes his eyes, he sees Steve's bloody, slightly up-turned smile, hears him whisper, "Don't be such a girl" before the light leaves his eyes.
Danny wrenches his eyes open again and stares hard at the ceiling and hopes and prays that somehow, somehow when he looks back Steve will not be dead.
He lowers his eyes from the ceiling-
And Steve is there, tied to the pole with a blindfold over his eyes and saying his name, over and over.
"Danny! Danny, do you hear me? I'm here. I am right. Here."
Danny's crying slowly subsides, until he's just left with those shuddery breaths. "Steve?" he says uncertainly.
"Yes! Yes, Danny, I'm here. I'm right here. You were hallucinating. I'm just fine, okay?"
Danny frowns. "I…I dunno. 'm so confused…" He feels hot and shivery at the same time, and his stomach is churning and his ribs are burning and his head aches and he just wants to be at home. Preferably in bed. Maybe with a nice cold beer in his hand. "You're really alive?"
"Yes. Yes, Danny, I'm really alive. We're in a boathouse, remember? Lennon brought us here after the SUV hit us."
Danny's still not sure what he believes, but he says okay anyway. "Steve?"
"Yeah?"
"I think 'm gonna be sick." The words are barely out of his mouth before he's vomiting, except that all that's left in his stomach now is bile. He heaves again and again until he's exhausted and gasping and trying not to pass out from the pain in his ribs because he's afraid that if he does, he'll wake up and Steve will be dead again.
XXX
Steve mutters whatever soothing words he can think up as Danny gets sick again. Worry has turned to outright fear. McGarret is sure his partner is running a fever, and a high one at that, because of the hallucinations. He's also pretty sure Danny has the flu, and between the fever and the vomiting, he'll be completely dehydrated soon.
Dehydration, fever, vomiting, broken ribs, and possible concussion…Danny's in a bad, bad way.
And as the door opens, Steve realizes with horror that it's about to get a whole lot worse.
"Hello, detectives!" Lennon says cheerfully. Steve has the sudden fierce desire to rip the man's face off. "Oh. Wow. You're not looking so good, Daniel."
"Piss off," Danny mutters, making Steve grin despite himself.
The grin vanishes when Danny lets out a strangled cry.
"Don't," Steve says. He'd intended to sound intimidating, but instead the word comes out desperate.
"You can stop it, Steve, if you tell me what I need to know."
"You know I'd never do that."
"Well, then, you have your answer."
There's a crack, and Danny screams in agony. He's still screaming when the door opens and closes and the two Five-0 members are alone once more. The scream tapers off to a moan and McGarret feels a stab of guilt.
"Shit, Danno. What'd he do to you?" McGarret says.
"Knee," Danny gasps. He mumbles something that resembles cursing. Then, "Grace. Damn it, I promised I would take her to the movies…"
For a terrified second, McGarret thinks Danny might be hallucinating again. Then, with a sinking feeling, he realizes that today is Grace's birthday.
He sits in silence as Danny cries softly. He wishes he could reach out and offer him some sort of comfort. Instead, he feels helpless and useless and guiltier than hell.
And then he realizes there is something he could do.
He wonders what it is that Lennon wants, and if it would really be so bad to tell him what he wanted to know…
A/N: Thanks for the follows and reviews and stuff! It really, really helps! Also, don't expect chapters up this quickly in the future, as I am busy with school and stuff during the week. I'll do my best! Reviews appreciated!