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Chapter 6

And it would be several days before Steve was able to even notice his friend again – or to actually realize anything that was happening around him.

Due to the pain medication, he was getting now, he was resting comfortably but the next morning his fever started to rise abnormally fast and got too high and he also started to get shaking chills.
A quick check of his injuries showed that everything was alright – meaning no infection or inflammation.
Knowing that Steve had vomited in recovery, the doctor also ordered a lung x-ray. That and a blood test confirmed his suspicion. Steve had aspirated parts of the vomit and pneumonia had set in.
They put him on even stronger antibiotics than he had already been on and increased the flow of fluids considerably.
Although the antibiotics had started their work immediately, Steve didn't feel any kind of relief.
Danny wasn't allowed to stay in the room and when they let him in it was only for a few minutes.
In his opinion Steve got worse every time. His face had lost any color and he looked like he was on the brink of death.

Steve wasn't unconscious. He was either sleeping or in a world he didn't know if it was real or not – he was kind of floating.
He wasn't in pain but he felt…strange. Something was off, he just didn't know what. There was something familiar to the situation like he had been in it before. But it felt like it wasn't something good. He felt like he was in danger. He tried to move to assess the situation. Every time he did though, there was pain – in his chest and agony in his right leg.
Pictures came up: a broken leg, Joe carrying him. 'Did we make it out of there or are we hostages now?'
He tried to open his eyes and to push himself up but it was all the same: pain, agony, another short flashback of injuring his leg.
'Where am I?' he wanted to know – now!
Then he felt a hand on his arm, a soft touch, nobody who wanted to hurt him.
'Tell me where I am,' he wanted to say but it didn't come out. Instead, he just groaned. He heard someone talk to him – a woman.
'Cath?' Another question that didn't make it out of his mouth. Another groan.
He could still feel the soft touch and he could also still hear the voice but he couldn't make any sense out of it.
'Definitely a woman but not Cath. Who is she? Mary? No, why would Mary be here? Where is "here"?'
Suddenly he felt something cold against his forehead. He jerked slightly at first but then he enjoyed it.
'This feels good. Don't take it away.'
Then something cold got wiped across his face too.
'That is great. Don't stop. I feel so hot. Do it with the rest of my body too. Please.'
Then he was out again.

Next time he was aware, he was as confused as before but something was different. There was still someone by his side – holding his hand – providing a soft touch as well. But it was a different person that much he could tell.
And something else was different. Although it still brought pain and agony to move, he didn't have the feeling of being in danger. He felt…protected.
"Steve, buddy? Don't try to move. You are just hurting yourself."
'Soothing voice – male – familiar…Danny?'
"'anny?" was all he managed.
Danny hadn't expected that reaction but he was glad about it. He gave his friend's hand a squeeze and said "Yes, babe it's me."
Danny wasn't sure but it felt like Steve had squeezed back – slightly.
"I am here. You'll feel better soon."
'Danny. Danny is here. I am safe.' A barely visible smile appeared, the tension about all the unanswered questions he had left his body and he was asleep once more.
This time it was a peaceful sleep.

At other times it wasn't. Steve was reliving combat situations. His brow was furrowing, his good leg was kicking out, his fingers were twitching and he was mumbling incoherently. The sweat on his forehead was not only due to the fever.
On other times he was still shivering and getting breathing problems.
When that happens Tessa changed the oxygen mask for a nebulizer and her patient got better again soon.
It was also her writing the results into Steve's chart and even more important her who recognized one thing: Steve's vitals were anything but stable going up and down: pulse too high but then going down a minute later, fever too high then spiking into a dangerous level then back down to "just" high.
But none of this happened when detective Williams was by his side. Everything – except the fever – was in almost normal ranges.
Dr. Wahale was busy taking care of another patient but Tessa was around long enough and experienced enough to take matters into her own hands.
She asked Danny if he wanted to sit with his friend for about two hours.
He didn't need to be asked twice.

During that two hours Tessa read out Steve's vitals every ten minutes.

Dr. Wahale hadn't exactly been pleased when she had told him what she had done but he was curious if she was right or if it was just a coincidence.
It wasn't. In the end Danny spent four hours beside his injured friend and although Steve's vitals were still going up and down not once, they weren't as erratic as before.
Let's try something else," Dr. Wahale said.
He sent Danny out and left the room as well.
It didn't take even 5 minutes until the patient started to get restless – his pulse elevated and his breathing became labored.
Danny came back in and took his place beside the bed. He didn't do anything else. He didn't talk and he didn't touch the SEAL. Needless to say, that he was almost desperate to do both of that.
Another five minutes later the vitals were as "normal" as they had been before.
"That is amazing," Dr. Wahale said. "And it is also a good sign. It means he has to notice something and is probably more aware than we think."
From that moment on Danny was allowed to get into Steve's room for as long as he wanted. The only exceptions were when the staff took care of Steve's needs or when they forced Danny to take a break in order to take care of himself.