A/N: I hope everyone is staying safe from Harvey this week! The weekend crept up on me; I haven't had a chance to reply to any reviews at all. Sorry! Thanks as always for reviews and hope you enjoy this week's installment.
"You kn-n-n-ow what y-y-y-ou need to do?" Danny's teeth chattered uncontrollably as he hunched over a thermos of weak coffee and tried to absorb some warmth through the porcelain mug. A heavy, brown blanket was pulled over his bare shoulders and wrapped around his body, trailing to the floor like a lopsided cocoon, and the whole thing shook as heavy shivers wracked his body.
A British astronomer, Theodore Asquith, had responded to their frantic knocking and yelling at the doors of the UK Infrared Telescope about fifteen minutes ago. Due to the inclement weather, the normally busy 'park' of thirteen telescopes was nearly empty with Theodore present only for routine maintenance and testing. Annoyed at first and wary of his visitors, he had needed some prodding before allowing the pair admittance. When he saw the bruises on their wrists and the scuff on Steve's jaw, however, he had wavered, and when Danny suddenly burst into another coughing fit, he finally opened the door and ushered them inside.
Now, sitting in the little kitchenette below the telescope and wrapped in thick blankets, Danny tried to fight off another round of painful coughing as he continued: "Tri-i-i-athal-l-l-ons."
"Triathalons?" Steve was more concerned than amused as he watched his partner wrap his shaking hands around the mug and cradle it between his thighs, while simultaneously shrugging the heavy blanket further over his head. Using a towel, he wrapped up another hot water bottle and tucked it inside Danny's blanket, causing the shorter man to hiss. "You mean ike an Iron Man competition?"
"Y-y-y-yeah. I b-b-b-et you could d-d-d-o an Iron Man in no t-t-t-time flat. Bet you'd-d-d- even p-p-p-place in top t-t-t-ten."
Steve managed a small smile and downed the last of his coffee as he kept a careful eye on his partner. "But why would I want to? Sure I could go out right now and swim, bike, and run however far, and I might do well, but what's the point?"
"Uh, f-f-f-fame. Money. G-g-g-glory." Danny inhaled a shaky sip from his own mug and closed his eyes appreciatively as the hot liquid slid down his throat. "It's a race with a b-b-bunch of other macho dudes who s-s-s-seem to enjoy that kind of t-t-t-torture," he said, his stutter declining as the warmth finally began to sink in.
"But I already have all of that from the Navy, Danny. And I enjoy the exercise, sure, but there's no runner's high for me when I'm running or biking. It's just another PT workout. No adrenaline rush."
"Oh, r-r-r-right, because no one is shooting at you. I g-g-get it now." Face flushed as the heat settled into his system, Danny pulled the blanket down slightly so that his head emerged in a messy, blond mop from his cocoon. "M-m-m-maybe Ninja Warrior is more your speed?"
Steve grimaced and stood up to check on Danny's clothes, which had been hung up around the kitchen to dry. "Would you just leave it alone? I'm fine. Sure, I got a little bored last week-"
"A little b-b-b-bored?!"
"-but now we have a case and it's all good." Good might not be the best word to use considering their current circumstances, he reflected, but Danny didn't seem to notice.
"Yeah, you're fine until the next d-d-d-dry stretch," Danny muttered.
Steve was spared the opportunity of replying when Theodore returned with a slip of paper in hand. "That's the number for the Hilo police chief," he said, passing the paper to Steve. "And you'll have to use the phone on the wall- no cell towers around here."
Steve took the paper and dialed the number for Paul Namaka. The sleepy chief at Hilo didn't want to believe him at first, but when Steve threatened to call the governor, he finally agreed to send a vehicle to the top of the mountain to fetch them and bring them into town. A helicopter was out of the question due to the weather at the summit, but a Jeep, a detective, and a paramedic were dispatched from the town.
Nearly an hour later, the vehicle arrived. Danny grumblingly donned the not-quite-dry clothing from the night before ("No, I will not go naked, Steven. Damp underwear won't kill me and that blanket does not count as clothing.") and grudgingly allowed the paramedic to give him a once-over.
The detective driving the Jeep took their statements, but the tire tracks were already buried in fresh powder and, aside from the broken zip ties and some minor trace on Danny's clothing, there was no other evidence to be collected. After thanking Theodore for the coffee and assistance, both men piled into the vehicle and headed down the mountain.
Despite the gravel road and rough pavement, both Steve and Danny fell into an exhausted sleep and missed the sun rising over the snow-capped peak, not waking until they arrived at Hilo Medical Center at 10:05 am. Neither was happy at the prospect of being admitted for their own injuries, but a truce was reached when Steve agreed to have his cuts and bruises tended to if and only if Danny would follow the paramedic's advice and allow the doctors to listen to his chest and treat whatever complications had resulted from their adventures in the past 24 hours.
While the warmth of the observatory kitchenette had helped, Danny was still coughing and the sound had deepened and soured into a hoarse and painful croak. Steve was concerned that Danny had inhaled more water than he thought, and he knew from experience the damage that such conditions could cause on the lungs. Steve's own examination by the doctor was brief, leaving him with a couple of band aids and pacing impatiently in the waiting room while Danny was taken back for scans, blood work, and anything else deemed necessary.
…
"Are you Steven McGarrett?"
Steve's head jerked up.
"You've got a phone call, sir." The nurse gestured to the phone on the counter at the nurse's station.
"McGarrett," Steve said into the receiver.
"Steve, it's Paul Namaka. I contacted Sergeant Lukela, per your request, and he said he's happy to hear that you and Detective Williams are alive. They raided the warehouse where you were held and recovered your guns, wallets, phones, and badges, but Zhang Jian and his men are long gone."
Steve wasn't surprised.
"I know you're waiting to hear back from the doctors; just tell me when you know about Detective Williams and I'll take care of booking your flight back to Honolulu. Any trouble with insurance?"
"No sir, not at all." With their wallets missing, the paperwork had been tricky at first, but after Chief Namaka had confirmed Steve and Danny's identities, the hospital was able to obtain their records and things had proceeded much more smoothly. All Steve could hope for now was Danny to be released soon so that they could go home. "Any word on the flight that brought us over here?"
"Yes, and it's not good. My colleagues at Kona just called- they found the plane in an old hanger just outside town. The crew and pilot were murdered."
"So maybe Zhang Jian kills his men and tries to cover his tracks…"
"My first thought, too but they were tortured before they were killed. Somebody wanted something from them."
"Oh." Steve ran a hand through his hair and tried to sort out this new development. "Any indication who did it?"
"None. But I'm sending an officer to stay with you at the hospital, just in case."
Steve frowned. Having a babysitter was humiliating, but without his gun and badge, he was powerless and vulnerable and knew it was for the best. He kept his displeasure to himself.
"He'll also be bringing dry clothes for you and Detective Williams. I took the liberty of getting your sizes from Sergeant Lukela. I hope you don't mind."
"No, not at all." Dry, clean clothing was a pleasant surprise. "Thanks, Chief. Mahalo."
"No problem. Keep me posted."
After speaking with the Hilo police chief, Steve returned to his seat. It was another hour before Danny was finished with tests and the results were mixed. His lungs were mostly clear but, feeling that Danny was at risk for pneumonia and serious complications from the waterboarding followed by the hypothermic conditions in the snow, the doctor admitted Danny for antibiotics and observation for at least an 8-hour period. Danny reluctantly agreed (mostly because Steve threatened to do something worse to him if he checked out AMA) and was soon situated in a room on the third (and top) floor.
…
"Hey."
Danny mustered a brief, tight smile as his partner stepped into the hospital room. "Hi."
"No baseball games on?" Steve nodded to the TV, which was off.
"Don't know. Haven't looked."
"Ah." Steve closed the door and pulled a chair next to the bed but didn't sit down. Danny had raised the head and settled the pillow behind his back so that he was nearly sitting up. An IV containing a broad-spectrum antibiotic went to his right arm while his left carefully smoothed the blanket over his knees. A small cut on his lip was the only physical indication of what had happened with Jian.
"Mask?" Steve asked, gesturing to the item currently hanging near the bed.
"Only if I need…" Danny stopped as a wheezy cough interrupted him.
"If you need it? Like right now?" Steve finished for him.
Danny rubbed his chest with a pained grimace as the cough subsided. "I'm fine."
"Uh-huh." Steve watched Danny intently study the weave on the sheets for several minutes. The detective was abnormally quiet and refusing to make eye contact. The SEAL decided to wait him out.
After several awkward minutes, Danny finally began: "We uh…" Danny cleared his throat nervously. "We haven't really had a chance to talk yet."
About what? Steve wondered.
"I mean, that blizzard wasn't really the right place- we were trying to survive. And at the observatory, I just wanted to get warm. And you were unconscious on the plane and we both fell asleep in the car…" Danny twisted the blanket slowly between his fingers, his voice trailing away.
Steve nodded slowly. He had an idea where this was headed. "We survived, Danny. We made it, and you might be a little worse for wear, but we got out of there alive. We'll catch them. Duke's already working on it." He could give Danny the full details on the phone call later. "They've already found the men who flew us here," he added, but Danny shook his head.
"That's not it, Steven."
At the use of his full first name, Steve sat down. Danny sighed.
"I failed." Tracing the hem of the blanket with his finger, he continued, "I just… well… I'm not a SEAL." Danny suddenly looked at Steve, tried to smile, and failed miserably. "I just couldn't take it anymore." His voice broke off in a whisper. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? For what?"
"For giving in. For breaking."
Reaching across the bed, Steve took his friend's good hand and squeezed it firmly. "Danny, you were tortured. You were tortured with a method used to extract information from terrorists. You have nothing to apologize for."
But Danny pressed his lips together and turned his damp eyes toward the wall.
"Danny? Danny, look at me, buddy."
Danny remained quiet.
"I don't blame you. It's not your fault. And," Steve was grasping for assurances, "for what it's worth, you did the right thing when the time came. They bought my lie about not remembering anything when I was drugged- you convinced them of that- and you didn't give them any information that was vital."
"But I tried." Danny sniffed, his face still determinedly turned away. "I was so desperate, Steve, I would've told them anything just to make it stop. You must…" He sniffled again, "you must be so ashamed of me."
"Ashamed?" Steve was aghast. "Danny, how could I ever be ashamed of you? You didn't do anything to make me ashamed." Placing a hand on his partner's good arm, he squeezed gently. "I'm proud of you, Danny. You survived."
"I broke."
"Not completely."
"But enough." With a quiet sob, Danny rolled over completely, pulling his arm free of Steve's grasp. Shoulders shaking in silent misery, he pushed his face into the pillow as tears rushed down. "Idnurbk."
"What?"
"I…" Sniff. "I didn't have your back."
"You had my back, Danny. You've always had my back and I trust you. Completely."
"You shouldn't."
…
A/N: I left swimming ten years ago but returned to the water recently after discovering Hawaii Five-0, and I fell in love all over again. I do open-water, long-distance swimming, which is probably why I really like Steve's character. I'm headed out for a couple of miles now to help deal with today's stress. How about you guys? Any ways that H50 has helped you?