/ / / Nursing \ \ \ s03e17 - Paʻani (The Game)

Danny prayed as they drove to catch up with Redding that they would get him and book him in time to get to the game.

He should have known he didn't have that type of luck. As Steve dove between the escalators his heart caught in his chest hoping that Steve wasn't about to fall to the ground through the space between them even while he pushed his aching, burning muscles to move. Danny grabbed the guy, hold firmer than it should have been, as he looked at Steve; catching a breath again as he saw Steve get up and start moving.

"You alright?"

He cuffed Redding and then got a good look at Steve and the shoulder that didn't look natural. Danny sighed – another dislocated shoulder though thankfully this time Steve wouldn't be trying to rip out their laundry while it was healing. Danny was thankful for small mercies sometimes.

"Huh?" Steve responded.

"Oh, wow," Danny looked away from the arm – he never had been good with those types of injuries. He could handle blood but bones protruding under skin turned his stomach. "I don't think your shoulder is supposed to look like that."

Steve looked down at it and Danny could almost hear him think about popping it back in himself.

"You will wait for the paramedics," Danny instructed.

Steve looked up at him and nodded.

"Let's get back down to the car and call this in."

Steve nodded and stepped towards the stairs.

"How about, just this once, you take the escalator and rest your shoulder."

Steve caved and that told Danny everything he needed to know about how badly Steve was hurting. By the time they made it downstairs the first cruiser could be heard and the ambulance wasn't far behind them. Danny waited until Steve had stepped up to the ambulance before he dragged Redding over to the uniforms to be taken back to the station and hold-up.

"These guys are going to take me to Kings to set my arm," Steve said, lying on the trolley.

Danny stopped in front of him and looked down at his insane partner. "Yep."

"You can just go; you're going to miss the kick-off."

Danny sighed and pulled his phone out.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked. As if he didn't know.

"What am I doing? I'm making sure these prime, once in a lifetime, seats don't go to waste."

"Danny, you can go to the game."

"No, I can't." Danny said.

"You bought the tickets."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yes, and your arm is hanging out of its socket so I'm not going to the game I'm coming with you to hold your hand and keep you from swooning."

"I have never swooned in my life."

Danny looked at him suspiciously. Steve glared back. Danny stepped back to make his call to Kamekona already regretting the fact that he was going to miss the game but he'd never leave Steve while he was injured. When he was done the paramedics were ready to take Steve to the hospital.

"I'll meet you there," Danny said, ignoring the police and ambulance officers around him to leave in and kiss Steve swiftly.

Steve smiled at him, in that surprised way he did when Danny was affectionate in public. Danny turned around and headed for his car, smiling over the fact he would get to drive even if the reason wasn't great. He drove slowly so he didn't need to cool his heels while Steve was admitted. He walked in and the triage nurse gave him the ED section number without bothering to wait for him to say anything. Danny walked back in and found Steve sitting on a bed.

"They are about to take me for an x-ray." Steve explained, as he caught sight of Danny.

"Good," Danny said, sliding into the seat next to Steve. "How are you feeling?"

"They gave me some pain killers."

"And you accepted them?" Danny asked, reaching out of Steve's good hand.

Steve nodded, resting his head back on the pillow. Danny frowned at him. Then the curtain separating them from the rest of the Emergency Department opened and a doctor walked in. He looked familiar but Danny had been treated by or, at least meet, half the doctors on the island so Danny didn't worry about it.

"Mr McGarrett."

"Commander," Steve corrected.

Danny rolled his eyes.

"The orderly is just going to take you up to x-ray. Then they'll be moving you up to the orthopaedic ward. I'm sure you'd like to go up with him Mr Williams,., I assume we won't have the same problems as last time."

Danny frowned and then realised why he recognised the doctor – he was the same ED doctor from the night they'd come in after Steve had been beaten by Robert Montegliano. Danny really hadn't behaved at all well that visit.

"No, and, listen, I am sorry for my behaviour that night. But, no one would tell me how Steve was."

The doctor frowned at him. "You're welcome to walk up with him."

"Thanks."

The doctor stepped out and a few minutes later an orderly walked in with a wheelchair. "Are you ready to go, Commander McGarrett?"

"I don't need a wheelchair."

The orderly smiled. "Non-negotiable, Commander."

Steve stood up petulantly and sat in the wheelchair.

The orderly smiled at Danny. "Are you coming too?"

"I certainly am."

"My name's James, and we're going up to x-ray, right?"

Steve nodded.

"Excellent, you're going to like our x-ray technicians today, Gary and Elspeth, they are very nice people, excellent senses of humour…"

Danny let James' chatter pass over him as they moved through the hospital watching Steve instead. Danny could see how tired he looked, the pain squinting his eyes. Danny couldn't believe that it was just his shoulder and had a feeling that if he stripped off Steve's clothes the taller man would be covered in bruises. Danny knew he'd have to fight to spend the weekend taking care of Steve and forcing him not to overdo it. Danny smiled, chuckling to himself, when he remembered that they had Grace this weekend, that he'd be picking her up the next day. His weekend got easier knowing she would be there to guilt Steve into behaving.

James wheeled Steve directly into x-ray leaving Danny to sit outside and twiddle his thumbs waiting for Steve to be done. Then they went up to the orthopaedics ward.

"How much pain are you in, Steve," Danny asked, watching the way Steve sunk down into the mattress.

"I'm fine."

"That much," Danny said with a sigh.

"I just want to go home."

Danny nodded and hoped that Steve would be allowed to leave. It was a close run race but he was a slightly better patient at home than in the hospital. "You're not going to work tomorrow regardless."

Steve nodded and then closed his eyes. Danny sat next to him and watched him breathing shallowly. A few minutes later a doctor came in, startling Danny.

"Commander McGarrett," he said, smiling, "I'm Dr Kelly, I'm here to reduce your dislocation. I read in your notes that this isn't your first dislocation. As such, you will probably experience chronic shoulder instability meaning that it will pop out of the joint more easily. If that happens we may need to operate. For now, I'll reduce the dislocation, we'll re-x-ray and then you might even be able to go home, assuming you have Detective Williams' help over the weekend."

"He will," Danny offered.

"Good, then, if you wouldn't mind stepping outside, Detective Williams, we'll get started."

Danny kissed Steve quickly and slipped outside, finding a TV showing the game. As he sat down to watch he called Rachel to talk to Grace.

"Hey, Danno."

"Hi, Gracie."

"What's wrong?"

Danny smiled into the phone. "Steve got hurt today. He dislocated his shoulder so we're in the hospital getting it looked after."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Of course, I should even be able to take him home tonight."

"Good."

"But, that means we can't go on the camping trip."

Grace sighed dejectedly into the phone but when she spoke she wasn't miserable. "Of course not, another time?"

Danny scrunched his nose up but said, "Steve will insist."

"Are you still picking me up after school tomorrow?"

"I am, I'm going to need your help to keep Steve from overdoing it."

"You are," Grace agreed. "I'll make him a card before I go to bed."

"That sounds perfect, Grace."

"Okay." Then Grace called out loudly, obviously to Rachel, "I have to go, Danno, Mum said dinner's ready."

Danny dropped his head. "Of course, Danno loves you."

"Love you too, Daddy. And Steve. Tell him to be good."

Danny smiled. "I will."

"Bye, Dad."

"Bye, Gracie."

And then she was gone and Danny focussed on the game in front of him, standing up to get a better view. He saw Cath and Kono, standing there congratulating his, his, idol. Cath went for the bloody Texans. He turned around and explained it to the other people in the waiting room but they didn't seem to really care and he knew Steve would just feel bad if Danny told him. Danny shook his head at the match and turned his back on the TV to pace in the hallway.

"Mr Williams?"

Danny spun around and looked at the doctor.

"You can come back. We'll have to keep him for another couple of hours just to keep an eye on him and then you can take him home. I'll come back and see him before he leaves and we'll discuss his care over the next few days."

"Thanks."

"He's in pain, Mr Williams."

"I can see that, how bad is it?"

"It's not just the shoulder; there is a lot of bruising. He said he jumped a suspect."

"He took a flying leap between a set of stairs and the escalator next to it to tackle the suspect."

The doctor looked horrified. "He's barely going to be able to walk tomorrow. I will keep him in if you like."

"He's actually easier to deal with at home and my daughter will make sure he does what he's supposed to."

The doctor smirked at him. "I've heard rumours about your daughter from Malia."

"You know Malia?"

"Chin's my cousin."

Danny laughed. "Of course he is."

The doctor smiled widely. "We're a large family."

"You certainly are," Danny said, "thank you."

"Not a problem, I'll be back in to see you soon. Oh, and the drugs we gave him will make him tired and probably a bit too happy."

"Sounds great," Danny said, walking into Steve's room. "Bye, Doc."

"Hey, Danny," Steve said, turning to look at him.

"How are you?"

"Sore," Steve offered, smiling goofily.

"Want me to kiss the boo boo better?" Danny asked.

"Yes."

Danny chuckled and moved over but Steve grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down until they were kissing properly.

"I didn't realise you hurt your lips."

Steve just kissed him again.

"I don't think we can go camping this weekend." Steve told him, once Danny had pulled back completely – a slightly happy grin on his face to match Steve's.

Danny laughed. "Grace has been a wonderful influence on you. I already called and told her it was cancelled. She is going to make you a card to give to you tomorrow after I pick her up."

"How was Rachel?"

"Frosty, but that's to be expected given she was just served papers telling her I intended to legally change our custody agreement."

"But you'd warned her."

Danny huffed out a mirthless chuckle. "That really doesn't matter to her."

"No," Steve said, "Lily's right, she isn't a very nice lady."

Danny leaned over and kissed Steve softly. "What?"

"I love you, even when you're loopy."

"I am not loopy," Steve said, indignantly.

"Of course not."

Danny sat next to Steve as the injured man closed his eyes and rested.

"You can turn the TV on for the game," Steve offered, not bothering to open his eyes.

"I'm taping it at home. We'll watch it tomorrow when you're taking it very easy. And you will be taking it easy."

Steve sighed but didn't open his eyes or comment. Danny listened to his steady breathing knowing he'd fallen asleep and rested back in his chair waiting for the doctor to come back and release them.

Steve complained about the wheelchair that took them down to Danny's car and asked for Spam for dinner but Danny agreed, stopping at what Chin claimed was the best place for good Hawaiian food before they went home. Steve ate as soon as they got there, showered, and then they stretched out on the couch to relax until Steve fell asleep and Danny helped him up the stairs and put him to bed.

"You're not going to sleep in the spare room," Steve asked.

"I should."

"No," Steve said, reaching out and snagging Danny's hand, "you're not going to."

Danny sighed and sat next to Steve. "You're in pain."

"We are not doing that again."

"Then you're going to have to sleep on my side."

Steve smiled and shuffled over on the bed. "You coming to bed?"

"It's still early."

Steve looked up at him and Danny slid in next to him, folding his arms behind his head.

Danny went back downstairs when Steve was asleep and cleaned up around the house – making sure there wouldn't be anything to tempt Steve away from relaxing over the weekend. He packed away all of the camping equipment they had been getting ready and then stripped Grace's sheets ready to wash in the morning. He remade her bed and when he couldn't find anything else to do he cleaned up and crawled into bed next to Steve.

Danny's alarm went off at five and he immediately sat up and turned it off before he turned over and looked Steve who was struggling to sit up.

"Don't move."

Steve glared but Danny had a feeling it had more to do with his aching body than with Danny.

"Just let me get your medication," Danny said. "Don't move."

"I'm fine."

"I will take you back to the hospital," Danny threatened, grabbing the water and pills before he sat carefully next to Steve.

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would," Danny said, running his fingers through Steve's hair. "Now, take your pills and go back to sleep."

Steve took the pills but looked very annoyed about it.

"Go back to sleep, Steve."

"I don't need to sleep."

Danny kept running his fingers through Steve's hair until Steve's face cleared and he fell back to sleep.

"I had to choose the stubborn, adrenaline-junkie, Navy SEAL," Danny muttered, as he walked back around to the other side of the bed. "I couldn't fall in love with someone easy, no, I pick Steve."

Steve grumbled in his sleep and moved.

"I suppose I'd be bored with anyone else," Danny said, kissing Steve on the forehead before he settled down to sleep with a sigh. "It might have been nice to try it just the once though."

/ / /

I am debating the next chapter. Grace's weekend with them and Steve being sullen and injured but cowing to Grace OR the next episode chapter which is for the Roller Derby episode. Decisions, Decisions. Honestly, I need to stop procrastinating and get to my smallfandombigbang but this is so much FUN and I've missed it so much!