Hi, sorry for not posting this yesterday. Thank you again for all the lovely comments! Bryce x

H-5-0

Steve woke to the sounds of hushed voices arguing on the other side of the curtain around his bed. He shook his head slightly. When had they been drawn? Checking his watch, he noted the time approaching eight AM with a small frown, then sat up and tentatively stretched out the stiffness in his body.

"Look, I have a killer to find, and I can't do that lying in bed, can I? I am fine. I have a job to do. Now do yours and go get me the forms. Please!"

Straining to hear the hissed, almost inaudible reply to what he know recognised as Danny's voice, Steve reached out to remove the barrier to see what was going on.

"It's my choice, and I'm doing it," Danny said before turning at the swish of the curtain. "Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty!"

"'Morning, Danny," Steve nodded. He saw his partner's attire and frowned. "Why are you dressed?"

"Detective Williams has decided to sign himself out against medical advice, Commander," the nurse currently glaring at Danny said in a clipped voice.

"And what has this got to do with Commander McGarrett? Huh? I am quite capable of making my own decisions, thank you very much," Danny scowled hard, daring the nurse to contradict him.

Seeing that Danny had had his IV removed, Steve looked at his partner and noted the sheen of sweat and slight fevered flush pinking his cheeks, but the stubborn expression, and the fact that he'd managed to manipulate his painful shoulder into a button down shirt, clearly told him that Danny was determined to sign himself out, no matter what anyone said. Steve had guessed right that his partner was going to do this, and simply decided to bypass the inevitable argument he knew he wouldn't win, cocked his head to the side and stayed quiet.

The silence made Danny look at him with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "I'm gonna sign myself out AMA, Steven, s'that alright with you?" he asked defiantly.

The nurse pursed her lips and blew out a huff of breath, watching in disbelief as Steve just shrugged and passively nodded his agreement.

Blinking, Danny opened his mouth a couple of times before finally coming up with an eloquent, "Good."

"Nurse-" Steve squinted at her name tag, "Kekoa. If you'd be kind enough to get those AMA papers for Detective Williams to sign, that would be terrific," he smiled widely at her, waiting until she left before disappearing into the room's small washroom.

Danny stared at the closed door. What the hell? Usually Steve had argued until he was blue in his goofy Super SEAL face when Danny had ever suggested signing himself out AMA. He frowned warily and reached for the bag he'd found under the chair, barely suppressing a groan when his stiff and sore shoulder complained loudly. He carefully dragged it closer to his side and rifled through it for a pair of socks, mentally noting to remember to thank Steve for bringing him some clean clothes, even if he did forget his tie... not that he wore them these days.

The washroom door opened and Steve stepped out looking damp and a little more awake. Danny looked up, socks in his hand, instant cagey expression on his face.

"What?" Steve asked. He saw the socks. "You need help with those?"

"Why aren't you arguing about the AMA thing?"

Steve just smiled. He took the socks and slipped them on Danny's bare feet before the man had even noticed.

"Hey, wait, I'm not a child, I can put my own damned socks on," he automatically complained. Blowing out a deep breath, he then demanded, "Now, what gives?"

"Okay," Steve began, serious face in place, "I talked with your doctor last night, and knew you were gonna do this – sign yourself out against her advice. So, Danny, there are conditions, and you will adhere to them, or I'll be dragging your ass right back here myself."

"Conditions?" Danny queried cautiously.

Rubbing a hand over his stubble and scratching his chin, Steve nodded, "No exertion, no over doing it... You have to take it easy, Danny," he said emphatically. "Seriously, man, you were in a bad way yesterday."

Danny saw the haunted look in Steve's expressive eyes and knew he was still mentally beating himself up over what had happened. Misplaced as the guilt was, the SEAL carried it on his shoulders. Danny reached up and grabbed his arm, squeezing gently.

"You still think all this is your fault?" Danny asked. Steve hesitated and looked away. "Steve, look at me. Look. At. Me. This is not... your... fault. Alright?" He held Steve's gaze, his own expression sincere and open, until Steve sighed and finally nodded. "Seriously, babe," Danny then continued with a small grin, "You gotta stop thinking this is your fault, because I can feel the guilt coming off you in waves, and frankly I've had enough waves to last at least a year. Maybe even more than a year. In fact, I may never go near the waves again! So, guilt trip... Waves... Stop, alright? You're making me seasick, babe!"

Hearing those words from Danny once more, along with the familiar ranting, made Steve smile. It seemed to break something loose, and he felt a weight lift from him. Technically, getting Danny shot was indirectly a result of his actions, but knowing that his best friend and partner was alive and didn't blame him meant Steve could happily devote the foreseeable future to making up for the disastrous fishing trip and coming up with a plan to get Danny back in the ocean, despite what he'd just said. Steve took that as a challenge.

"Come on," Danny grinned when he saw his friend smile. He let go of Steve's arm and cocked his head towards the door, "Let's go see what's taking that nurse so long with those forms, and then blow this place and go get a decent breakfast before they come back and poison me with that gruel they insist is food."

Just as Danny stepped into his loafers, Nurse Kekoa returned with a doctor, a balding man at least three inches shorter than Danny.

"Good morning, Detective Williams," the man smiled holding out his hand in greeting, "I'm Doctor Wallace, Doctor Kopi's intern."

Danny ignored the hand and glared at him, obviously not happy, and the doctor visibly shrunk another inch in height. Steve quickly stepped forward and shook his hand, trying to diffuse the impromptu standoff.

"Commander McGarrett," he introduced himself lightly.

"H-hello, Commander," Wallace mumbled awkwardly and turned to Danny again, fumbling through his notes. "Um, Nurse Kekoa tells-"

"Do you have my AMA forms?" Danny asked interrupting the man, clearly not impressed that he was still there and not out of the hospital yet.

Taking a deep breath, the doctor stood to his full height, and refused to be intimidated. It didn't quite work when Danny pinned him with narrowed eyes that silently promised severe bodily harm very, very soon.

"Detective Williams, you've still got an infection induced fever that is still being treated with IV antibiotics-" he frowned at Danny's hand, adding disapprovingly, "but I see you've removed your IV."

Steve snapped his eyes up at his partner, he wasn't aware Danny had taken out his own IV!

"Yes, because I'm leaving," Danny growled. "Now, do you have my paperwork?"

Wallace bit at his lip and Steve watched amused as the emotions played across the man's face, fear, annoyance, but mostly intimidation. Nurse Kekoa just looked like she wanted to baby the diminutive doctor, maybe even wrap him up and take him home like a helpless puppy.

"You h-have to understand, Doctor Kopi prescribed a course of antibiotics that you must finish, Detective Williams," Wallace explained. "It's important you finish the course."

"Then get me some pills, because I am leaving," Danny countered easily in a voice that brooked no dissent.

Unable to stay quiet, Steve stepped forward and frowned wondering if he was doing the right thing by letting his partner do this. "Danny-"

"Steve," Danny warned. The SEAL, knowing his protest was futile, shut up.

Eventually, just after ten AM, Nurse Kekoa brought the prepared AMA papers, a prescription, and a new sling for him, (since his previous one had mysteriously been misplaced!), along with a wheelchair, which Danny started to refuse to use until he saw Steve's face. Conditions... He let Steve carefully strap his arm to his body with the sling, and then sat in the wheelchair and suffered the indignity of being pushed all the way to main exit in silence. He made a show of walking to his car though.

In the Camaro, Steve brought Danny up to speed with the case while they picked up his prescription, coffee and malasadas, and then Danny grabbed Steve's cell and called Chin for an update.

"Danny, s'good to hear from you. How are you doing?" Chin's voice answered. Danny put the cell on speakerphone.

"I'm good, thank you. Feeling like I was hit with a Mack truck, but good."

"Steve? You okay, brah?" Chin then asked. Danny looked over at his partner.

"Yeah, I'm good. How's the stakeout? You got Scates yet?"

"No, no sign of him yet. HPD had a quiet night, Scates hasn't been back to his apartment by the looks of it, but we're hoping he will soon, because Kono is driving me nuts," Chin reported just as they heard Kono's exasperated "What? You gotta be kidding me! That was a perfect shot, that pig should be toast!" in the background.

Exchanging an amused, baffled look with Danny, Steve added, "Yeah, okay. Keep on it. Danny signed himself out AMA and we're just gonna swing by my place so we can get showered and changed."

"What? Danny-"

"Chin, I'm fine," Danny quickly said, glaring at Steve when Kono's raised voice filled the Camaro with a heated, "What did he say? Danny did what?"

"See what you did now, Steven?"

Steve blinked bemused. "What? What did I do, Danny? You did sign-"

"Seriously? You're still saying that out loud?" Danny yelled, his hand becoming more animated. He really didn't want to incur Kono's wrath, because he was positive the woman had secretly been taking lessons from Grace in the 'laying on the guilt trip' department. Even down to the puppy dog eye thing!

"Well, you did! Against medical advice!" Steve shouted back. "There, I said it!"

Even though Steve had told Danny that he knew he'd sign himself out, and didn't stop him, it didn't mean he was actually happy about it, (especially when he saw the bright spots of fever on the man's cheeks and the way he stiffly held himself!) Hence the not-so-unintentional slip of the tongue.

Chin looked across at Kono in their car, both putting their hand over their mouths to mute the laughing when the rant escalated to ridiculous proportions.

"Oh, and, like, you've never done anything like that, huh? Steven?!"

"What? When-"

"Try yesterday, you moron, at the ambulance. Hello pot, kettle here," Danny snapped.

"We making tea now, Danno?" Steve snarked back easily. "Earl Grey or Green?"

"Earl Grey? What are you, the Queen of England? And don't call me Danno!"

"If I'm the Queen, would that make you my princess, Danny? Maybe I can find you a tiara for those baby curls."

Before Danny could sputter out an indignant response to that, they both stopped and stared at the cell practically vibrating with the shrill sound of Kono's laughter.

"T-tiara? Baby curls? Bwahahaha..."

"I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You," Danny growled at Steve, "Slowly and excruciatingly painfully!" And the SEAL for once had the good grace not to smirk.

Instead, he bit his lip and said into the cell, "Call me as soon as Scates is in custody, then isolate him until we get there, alright? I wanna interrogate him myself."

"Copy that," Chin said and the lines disconnected.

The rest of the drive was done in a stony silence, though small smiles were carefully being hidden. Neither man was really furious at each other, but it was good to clear the air in their favourite way, and it felt good to verbally spar again.

When they got to Steve's house, Danny disappeared into the guest bathroom with a large bottle of Tylenol, while Steve headed for his bedroom and the en suite. The SEAL was showered and changed within five minutes and was in the kitchen making a healthy snack for them, (because, malasadas? Just... no), when he heard Danny's outrageous shout. He grinned to himself and carried on slicing cheese.

Danny stood gaping at the Little Mermaid toothbrush. "Really, Steven?" he yelled. He'd actually been impressed and a little touched that Steve had picked up some clothes and his loafers for him, and, for all his teasing, even remembered his hair gel. But the toothbrush? It was Grace's, obviously, and Danny sighed, loading it with paste anyway. He'd buy her a new one.

The melodic tune of Under The Sea made him roll his eyes. It was one of those stupid brushes that blared out music when you used it. Grace loved them. But then, she was a little girl.

Growling in his throat, Danny brushed quicker, deciding that Steve was going to buy her a new one instead!

After an awkward one handed wash and shave, he narrowly missed spraying his face with deodorant, styled his hair, pulled on his pants, downed three Tylenol, and then stood frowning at his shirt. The hated sling had to go.

"Steve, get me out of this thing, please," he said coming out of the bathroom. Steve looked up.

"C'mere," he murmured, deftly helping Danny out of the support and on with his shirt. "You all minty fresh now?" he teased when Danny slapped his hands away from his buttons.

"Ha-ha. You're a funny guy," Danny muttered, roiling his eyes when Steve raised his brows holding the sling for him again. "I don't need this, you know," he griped as a token protest, but let Steve secure his arm in it anyway because he was still pretty sore, not that he'd admit to that.

"Humour me," Steve said sitting Danny down at the table. "Sandwich. Eat."

Danny grabbed his coffee and drained it, fighting down the nausea he was suddenly feeling. Picking up the cheese and ham sandwich, he bit his lip and tried not to imagine the greasy mayo sliding down his throat. He wondered if Steve would notice if he accidently forgot to eat it and looked up, deciding on a distraction, "We should get to work."

"After we eat and you take your meds," Steve said. "I told you – conditions."

Sighing, Danny ate his meal and took his pills, praying the food stayed put and tamping down the urge to roll his eyes and complain, because, even though the man looked a lot better having had a night's sleep and a shower and shave, that haunted look was still lurking behind Steve's eyes and Danny didn't want to hurt his friend anymore than he already was. But when he got home, the awkward sling was history, and he was going to stuff himself with pineapple free pizza and malasadas, and beer. Or maybe not, he thought grimly as the sandwich suddenly threatened to make a hasty reappearance. Suffering alone also sounded just as good.

Steve's next words quashed that fantasy in typical Super SEAL fashion; "You'll be staying with me until the doc says you can lose the sling."

Damn.

In the early afternoon, they got the phone call they'd been waiting for from Chin. Gil Scates had been apprehended and was in custody, waiting to be interrogated.

Five-O HQ

Kono greeted Danny as he walked into the HQ, with a warm welcoming hug, and then she scolded him for being stupid, and threatened to drag him back to the hospital if she saw him doing anything more strenuous than lifting a pencil. She wasn't impressed with the fact that he was a little warm, like he was still feverish, and her big brown eyes, expertly pleading, instantly melted Danny's resolve and he found himself promising as such.

Chin and Steve stood behind the two, biting their lips together.

"I'm interrogating Scates, though," Danny held up a finger. That was non-negotiable. The bastard had shot him, Danny wanted to talk to man.

"I'm not gonna stop you, Danny, but-" Steve stopped Danny's interruption with a stern look, "But there'll be no physical altercations and you will take it easy. You understand me, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Danny agreed.

In the holding room, Gil Scates was secured to a single chair, waiting for whatever fate was going to deal him. He'd gone over his story in his mind and was going to stick with it. He felt confident he'd be okay.

As soon as he recognised the two cops entering the room though, Gil's confidence quickly plummeted.

"I'm begging you, please, I need a reason. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't bust you in your jaw right now sitting in that chair," Danny said loudly when the door closed. He glared at the man who'd shot him and stolen their boat with clear disdain.

Gil looked apologetic and shook his head. "Look, I didn't know you guys were cops."

"Oh, okay. What would you have done differently, genius? Shot us, instead of the boat?" Steve asked angrily. "Oh, wait, you did shoot at us, and you shot my partner!"

"Look, I'm sorry!" Gil cried, staring wide eyed at Danny's strapped arm. "I am a fellow law enforcement brother. I have mad respect for you guys. If I'd known-"

"Shut up!" Danny growled heatedly. "You are an out of work rent-a-cop, alright? And you got fired for peeping in windows."

Blinking, Gil bit at his lip at this information the cops had. He fervently shook his head, "I didn't do that."

Danny raised his hand. "Stop. We are way past pretending here," he said seriously pointing at the idiot in the chair. "Your fingerprints are all over the boat."

"Al Burgess got you fired for snooping on his wife," Steve supplied, "So you lured him out there and you killed him in cold blood."

Frowning and shaking his head again, Gil looked up and answered, "We argued over the price of the boat..."

"Okay," Steve narrowed his eyes.

"...and he attacked me. It was self defence."

What the hell? Danny stepped in. "Hey. You are an unemployed security guard. You are three months behind on the rent. You could not afford a dinghy, let alone that boat!"

"We know you didn't go out there to buy that boat, so tell us what the hell is going on," Steve barked sternly. Gil swallowed hard and looked away trying to get his fear in check.

"Scates!" Danny started forward, his fingers curling into a fist. Steve quickly moved to stop him with a firm hand on his good shoulder. Danny looked up and immediately backed off at the unspoken warning clear in Steve's eyes.

It made Danny feel marginally better though when he saw the look of terror on Gil's pale face.

H-5-0