A/N: Hopefully I've got the scorpion stuff down okay. I did a lot of research, but I'm definitely not a medical professional.

Chapter Five

Steve was relegated to the ER waiting room, once they reached the hospital. Doctor Scott, who knew the team well, happened to be on duty. He took the anti-venom from Steve, but wouldn't allow him to follow Danny into a trauma room.

When Chin and Kono arrived they found Steve pacing, like a caged tiger, from one end of the room to the other. Most of the people there were looking at him nervously. He still had on his vest, weapon, and badge prominently displayed.

"Lou stayed behind to organize the capture of the second scorpion." Kono informed Steve when he looked up as they entered.

"Steve, sit." Chin spoke lightly as he approached Steve and led him over to a group of chairs. "Danny's strong, he'll be okay."

Steve sat, his elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed. When he spoke is was so quiet, Chin and Kono had to lean in to hear him. "He started to convulse in the ambulance. I'm not sure he was even breathing when we got here." Two grey, pleading, eyes looked up at Chin. "He should have called me. He should never have gone in there without back-up. I can't do this without him Chin." Steve dropped his head into his hands and Chin suspected he was fighting tears.

Chin knew that the big bad Super SEAL, as Danny liked to call him, would hate to be seen breaking down, especially in a public waiting room. But Chin also knew that Steve cared a great deal for his partner, even loved him like a brother, and if the worst did happen, then he knew that Steve would break down, no matter where he was.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes. It was Kono that finally could sit still no longer. She pushed to her feet and started pacing, much like Steve had been doing earlier.

Thankfully Doctor Scott came out, shortly after Kono's pacing began, and stood looking for the Five-0 team.

Steve and Chin rose and approached the doctor as Kono also came to a stop next to them. "How's Danny?" Steve asked before Doctor Scott could say anything.

"He's alive, and I'll do my damnedest to keep him that way. The anti-venom you brought in seems to be working. Here, sit." The doctor indicated a group of empty chairs close by. "When he arrived Detective Williams was convulsing and had actually stopped breathing. We gave him the anti-venom immediately and he soon started breathing on his own again."

"Thank God." Steve sighed. Chin and Kono both released the breath they'd been holding since the doctor started talking.

"He's far from out of the woods yet, though. This particular scorpion's venom is a neurotoxin that can be lethal under certain circumstances, but usually to the young, elderly, or someone who already has a medical problem. Detective Williams doesn't fit into any of these categories, but it appears he received an extremely large amount of venom, which is why he's so ill. We will probably have to give him more anti-venom soon as the toxin will take a few hours to metabolize out of his body. Once that happens I don't expect him to remain in a coma for too much longer."

"What?" Steve exclaimed. "He's in a coma?"

"Sorry." Doctor Scott exclaimed. "Yes, he slipped into a coma after the convulsion. It can happen with Deathstalker scorpion stings. Actually, I'd like you to come in and talk to him, once he's settled. I think that will help him find his way out of the coma quicker. I, for one, believe that comatose patients can hear people talking to them. But you have to be prepared, because he could get worse, before he gets any better."

"Yes." Steve stood ready to go with the doctor right then.

"Give us a few more minutes. I'll have a nurse come and get you." Steve nodded as the doctor got up to leave. "He's strong, and he can recover from this." Doctor Scott said as he turned to go back through the ER doors.

Only one of them was allowed to stay with Danny, so once Chin and Kono had visited, Steve took up residence next to his partners' bed.

Doctor Scott was right. Things did get worse. An hour into his bedside vigil Steve realised that Danny was having difficulty breathing again. A sudden rush of doctors and nurses into the room had Steve backed up against a wall trying to stay out of the way. It scared him, seeing his partner like this.

Danny was given another injection of anti-venom and gradually his breathing returned to normal. Doctor Scott put a hand on Steve's arm as he was leaving. "That was scary, I know. But in another few hours the venom will have left his system, as long as we have enough anti-venom, and we do, he'll beat this. Go, be with him."

Steve slowly returned to Danny's bedside. The chair he had been using was gone, moved from the room during the crisis. But Steve simply settled himself on Danny's bed, next to his left hip, and took Danny's limp left hand between his own slightly trembling hands.

"Danno, you have to come back from this. You're my anchor, Danny. I need you so much. I'll do anything if you'll just stay, please." Steve felt a tear fall on his forearm. He hadn't realised he was crying until that moment, and had been crying the whole time Danny was in crisis. "Danny, you have to live, not just for me, but for Grace. What will she do without her Danno? Don't make me call her, not with news like that. How do I tell her that I wasn't there to protect you? She once told me that she knows you will always be safe because I protect you. Today I wasn't there to do my job, and look what happened."

Steve removed one of his hands from Danny's, but only for long enough to brush away another tear. "There are a lot of people out there in the waiting room, all just waiting for you to wake up. They all care about you, Danny. Chin, Kono, Lou, although right now he's off capturing the other scorpion. HPD officers, even some TSA officers have come to find out how you're doing. Don't keep them waiting too long. Don't keep me waiting, I love you brother."

Silence fell for a few minutes until Chin entered the room bringing two chairs with him. "Doc came out and said you might need someone. I can stay for a while if you need to talk, or maybe take a break?"

Steve moved to the chair Chin and place next to Danny's bed, but he didn't release the hand he was still holding. He raised his eyes to Chin, who had pulled his chair up next to him.

Chin sucked in a breath when he saw the tears of despair in Steve's eyes.

"I don't know what I'll do if I lose him, Chin." Steve whispered.

"You are not going to lose him, Steve." Chin reassured.

"You don't know that, Chin. I nearly lost him not ten minutes ago." Steve brushed another tear away.

"Talk to me Steve. Tell me what you're thinking, why Danny is so special too you." Encouraging Steve to talk was the best way Chin could think off to get them both through this.

After a few moments of silence Steve quietly started to talk. "From that first moment I saw him, in my father's garage, I knew he was special, Chin. We may have had a rocky start, but I knew we were meant to be partners. He completes me, and I know we drive each other crazy sometimes, but I don't think I can do this job anymore without Danny by my side." Steve put his head down and rested his forehead against his hands that still encased Danny's.

Chin sighed and put a hand on Steve's shoulder to try and comfort him. Danny had to survive this, because if he didn't Chin was convinced they'd lose Steve as well.

TBC

A/N: This doesn't count as a cliffie, does it?