I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: A kind reader (Rheadoe) was nice enough to point out a dreadful 'historical' error in chapter 2 which has since been corrected! Them facts can be confusing! Thank you for pointing out the Danno letter, Japan and Korea mix up - it has been all corrected. *phew*!

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

Chapter Three - Letters E through G

In the recesses of his mind, Danny was perfectly correct because Steve was fighting. Something had happened and his mind played tricks as it replayed a splintered memory of running, leaping into blue sky, and falling over and over again. Light green became dark green before there was a solid thundering jolt that took his breath away. Then, a brownish haze followed by the blackness he was stuck in now. The sensations repeated themselves and he gasped silently as his body began to spiral in the dark.

He had jumped into of the sky so many times without a problem, he'd lost count. Falling never scared him and he felt as at home in the air as he did in the sea. It was second nature, exhilarating, and Steve had naturally learned to embrace the sky ... but this time something had happened and he couldn't stop. The blue was gone, the beauty had left him, and except for a persistent buzz of noise, he was wholly lost in space.

In his mind, his body started to fall once more and he jerked in reaction as he lost control and spun. The spin increased and he fell longer and farther than he ever had before. It was so real, that he believed it when his mind told him that he would keep falling and never stop. The swirling darkness and his mental warning finally got his attention and Steve began to fight the feeling but he couldn't overcome it.

Something had happened. He was out of control and a never before experienced panic was beginning to edge into his mind as he waited for the pain which oddly never came. 'There's no ground.' Steve silently gasped in his mind again. He would fall forever. "There's no pain because there's no ground.'

Alone, in the dark and confused, he was still determined to fight though even if he didn't know why .. or even against what. The panic grew until he heard the buzz again and realized the sound was Danny. There were no words, just a constant deep, sonorous buzz of sound that was all Danny. That he was certain of; even in the midst of falling he could hear the typical ranting tone of his partner complaining. The familiarity calmed him and Steve focused on the sound as it dipped, ebbed and then rose to still the motion.

Behind closed lids, Steve's eyes moved and the most subtle of twitches rippled through his fingers. He tried harder against the chemical sedation but that was all he could conquer.

"He's doing it again." Danny looked up when Chin and Kono came in together early that morning. His eyes were bloodshot and the tremble in his hands had only worsened. There were times when Steve seemed aware and he was watching his friend like a hawk though the medical staff had assured him that Steve was virtually in an induced coma-like state.

"I'm telling you he moved." The nurse waited tolerantly for him to finish speaking but made no move to check on Steve. Her only ability was to persistently repeat what Doctor Ramirez had explained. Except when the doctor said it, he was infinitely more understanding.

Her annoying steadfast nature irked Danny no end and had she read the aggravated Detective better, she never would have continued to correct him. "Not yet. It's impossible, sir."

"Danny." Chin sighed and abruptly said no more. They could tell he was equally angry and incredibly worried as he shook his head and declined their offer before they could voice it. However, the head nurse had other ideas which she enforced with a strident command.

"One visitor at a time. One, maybe two but I can't allow three." She glared at Danny, not too unkindly for their ongoing disagreement, though she was now adamant. Then she had the brave gall to grab his arm which he all but tore from her fingers. Kono was stunned as she watched the near silent standoff and realized it had happened before but Danny had won the prior battles. Her arrival with Chin was giving the nurse new ammunition and she would finally persevere and prevail.

"Out! Go get something to eat, take a walk, and come back later." Her severe look was suddenly aimed at Kono and then her cousin. The demand now extended to them. It was clearly coming across wrong, but she was only trying to help. Her method merely matched the mood of the recalcitrant man as Danny glowered at her quietly.

"One of you will please make sure he does that. Now."

"I'll stay." Kono knew that Chin would have better luck managing Danny's obstinate mood and she was immediately relieved when he put a calming arm around their friend's shoulders.

Danny didn't resist Chin as his face fell and the nurse gladly moved aside to give them room to pass. Under his arm, Chin could practically feel the exhausted vibration as he walked Danny out of the ICU and down to the large cafeteria.

"I know he heard me." Danny mumbled once they had gotten coffee and a light breakfast. Though he had better choice words in mind, he managed to keep them to himself. "That nurse is clueless."

"No doubt." Chin huffed a quiet, agreeable sound that added weight to his words. "I'm sure he did. Steve may be sedated, but I'm sure he knows on some level that we're all here for him."

The sensible comments eased Danny's volatile state and he sighed to express his thanks as they chose a secluded table in the cafeteria. His eyes were burning from fatigue and he closed them while listening to the sounds around him. Someone accidentally dropped a tray and he flinched as a bowl rolled over and over again on the hard floor.

"Go home, Danny." Chin was soft, reasonable and comforting as he studied his exhausted friend.

"Why? Why bother?" He frowned at the irritable response and hung his own head. Grace was on holiday with her mother and Stan. Danny was alone and the concept of a much too quiet apartment was a sad affair. He knew that Danny would never actually rest let alone sleep, so Chin didn't push the idea.

"You're right." His words once again had the desired effect and Danny relaxed more as the argument he had anticipated was cleanly diffused. There was another option though and Chin would try something else.

Ramirez had graciously offered his office and that had a somewhat comfortable faux-leather sofa along the far wall. Pillows and blankets awaited anyone needing a well-deserved rest.

"Go lay down in Doc's office. Just for a little while." Chin reminded him of that fact as Danny finished the last of his coffee. He checked his watch and smiled since there was enough time before the doctor arrived that morning.

"It's only eight and Doc gets in at eleven. Kono and I will be here." He was relieved when Danny nodded and then silently got to his feet. He blinked tiredly at Chin for a minute as if he might say something; it seemed important as his mouth opened but then after a long second, simply closed. With a shake of his head, Danny only heaved another sigh and wandered off.

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

As Danny closed the door to Doctor Ramirez's office, he blearily noted that two pillows and a pile of neatly folded blankets were waiting as promised. For him .. or them .. whichever member of the team might decide to take the kind doctor up on his generous offer.

Ponch's office faced West which made the room dimly lit by natural light. It was even dark when Danny closed the blinds. He sighed in relief as he toed off his shoes and folded himself into one of the blankets. Then almost against his will, Danny was dozing though his brain was in a tired over-drive of sorts before giving up entirely.

Letters E through G

He thought of Steve's eagerness to take on the seemingly impossible and his enthusiastic attitude. His partner was a large child sometimes that liked to play with dangerous explosives. Danny tossed and turned a bit and then growled under his breath because his brain refused to stop playing the game.

"Explosives. Damn fool." His heavy eyes refused to open though as he stressed 'fool' but then admitted Steve was fearless. It was an undeniable truth that the SEAL was utterly fearless and where he lay now supported the adjective.

That trait frightened Danny the most .. as it did now, and he swallowed hard against a burning, tightness in his chest that rocked him from his doze. The feeling got his eyes to snap open and he wound up staring at the side of the doctor's solid dark-wood desk. However, his anger dwindled away to a persistent feeling of sadness.

"News flash, Steven. You're not a winged god, damn-it. Certain people need you around here." He complained to himself as he blinked away weary tears. Grace with her special Uncle Steve was foremost in his mind. She didn't have any special Aunts or Uncles other than real family back in New Jersey. But here was different for the both of them and they'd gotten too close.

He ground his jaw in frustration for the many new meaningful words he'd learned and added into his daily and already quite ample vocabulary. "Too close." Danny muttered to himself. They all translated into people and uniquely important things. So, he naturally meant himself too; and of course, Catherine, Steve's sister Mary, Kono and Chin. The list would tally on with Kamekona, Max and so many others that he had to stop thinking.

Danny forced himself to settle down while realizing he was being foolish. He was positive that he was simply drained of energy and because of that, even more emotional than usual. Tossing and turning on the couch, it took some time but his body eventually defeated the churning in his brain and he fell asleep.

~ to be continued ~