Danny took a deep breath before starting, and Steve's heart doubled in pace.

"We showed up at the scene after HPD, and I don't know exactly what happened, but some words were exchanged and apparently our drug dealers were more than a little unwilling to go quietly. There were some shots exchanged, and we decided to raid the building."

Danny ran a hand through his hair.

"There are some details I'm missing, and only you can fill them in, babe, 'cause God knows if I can tell what goes on in that cracked head of yours sometimes, but I can tell you what I know.

"HPD drew the perps' fire away while the four of us skirted around to the back. Chin and Kono took one side; we had the other. I don't know, Steve, you were...you were weird. You kept making these hand signals, and calling me 'Worobi,' and...I don't know how to describe it. It was like I was talking to you, and you just...you were somewhere else."

Steve's gaze had dropped, and he was staring resolutely out the window in the other direction.

"But we took down the guys, and no one got hurt, and HPD took over the scene and freed the hostages, but you...like I said, Steve, you were somewhere else. I've never seen you like that before, babe. You kept saying something about how the 'target' hadn't been 'eliminated,' and about 'the mission,' and some other stuff I'll probably never understand."

Steve's hand—his left, the one not in a sling—was clenched unbearably tightly in the sheets, and Danny reached over and laid his hand atop it. Steve didn't pull away, and as Danny continued, he felt his partner relax into the contact.

"You wouldn't put down your gun, either. And then Chin tried to take it from you, and you," Danny licked his lips nervously, "...you went crazy. You aimed at him, and kept screaming something about a 'breach in the ranks,' and when Kono tried to stop you..."

When Danny was quiet for longer than usual, Steve spoke, voice rough and broken. "What did I do to her, Danny? Tell me what I did."

"Christ, you dislocated her shoulder, Steve."

Steve squeezed his eyes shut, sudden nausea rolling over him. He'd hurt Kono, he'd hurt his team, but more than that: he's hurt his family. He had acted in violence towards his ohana, and for that...Steve wasn't sure he'd ever be able to forgive himself.

He wasn't sure when his ears started ringing, but when buzzing receded, Danny was speaking again.

"Chin managed to get your gun, but you were...you were scary, babe. You were really, really scary."

It was some time before Steve found his voice again.

"So the...your throat, was that...did I...?"

Danny just nodded.

And holy fuck, the world might've well stopped spinning.

"Shit," Steve gasped out, and his arms—his whole body—was trembling, "shit. Danny, I...I...fuck. Fuck."

"Steve," Danny's voice had taken on something akin to alarm, and suddenly he was in Steve's face, his arms grabbing the ex-SEAL tightly, grounding him, "Steve, listen to me: breathe, okay? Breathe. Come on, man, you're scaring me. Breathe, Steve, breathe."

Steve managed to a gasping inhale, then a shaky exhale. "That's it, that's it. Just breathe."

When it finally felt like he wasn't about to drown or strangle himself with his IV, Steve rasped, "I'm sorry, Danny. Fuck, I'm so, so, sorry."

"Hey," Danny reprimanded, leaning back and sitting again, "don't be. Like I said, you were somewhere else; I'm not going to blame you for your actions if you couldn't control them." A pause. "Which, actually, brings us to our next conversation."

Steve shifted uncomfortably. He knew what was coming, and while, yeah, this was probably overdue, it would be a lot more convenient for him to have a medical crisis, or something, right now.

Damn.

If Danny saw the look on his face, though, he steadfastly ignored it. "You need to tell me what's going on Steve," Danny looked at him seriously, but somehow Steve couldn't bring himself to meet his partner's gaze, "and no more of this 'it's nothing' bullshit. I want answers. So you need to tell me what's up with you right now," something sad but threatening flashed in Danny's eyes, "or I quit. Because if you can be honest about your problems with us, and innocent lives are being put in danger because of it, then I can't just sit by. I don't need it, and frankly, Steve, I don't really enjoy watching you fall apart in front of me. So come on, out with it. What's going on?"

Steve was quiet for a long, long time, but when he finally looked up, Danny was shocked and disturbed to see tears glistening in the corners of the ex-SEAL's eyes.

"Okay, Danny," he whispered, nodding, "Okay."