Author's note: I know it is not Monday. I just felt like posting a chapter today. ;)

Chapter 13

Steve was at 20 Kg load now.
If you have to carry it, it feels heavy. If it comes to PT, it means barely touching the ground.
But Steve was happy anyway. He knew he still had a long way ahead of him because his foot still wouldn't cooperate the way it should. It was stopping now and then while Steve still wanted to walk.
But standing on his own two feet and being on the way to make it at least look like walking gave him a lot of energy.
He had just unlocked the front door, so his therapist could come in on his own and was now on the way back to his recliner when his foot had one of this dropouts.
It didn't come back the whole way and twisted slightly which made Steve stumble. To prevent himself from face planting he made another step – which looked more like a little jump – with his good foot. Overstretching it and the pain and the still unstable position let his instincts and reflexes set in and he set his injured foot on the ground.
Now the overstretching from just a second ago didn't feel so bad anymore.
Steve cried out, tears were immediately filling his eyes.
Thankfully, he had reached the recliner and let himself fall on it.
He looked down his leg but couldn't see anything unusual but the pain…the pain. Her couldn't blend it out. It was radiating from his ankle to his knee and back.
He rubbed his hands up and down the area, couldn't feel anything unusual either but the pain wouldn't stop. The pain…the pain…
'My foot…my leg…what happened…I was just running…and then…then…pain…Danny.'
He didn't know how he managed it, didn't even know that he had done it at all, but he got his phone out and hit the #1 on speed dial.

Danny knew Steve wouldn't call him at work unless it was absolutely necessary and immediately knew that something was up.
"Steve what happened?" he asked with worry taking the call.
"Hurts," Steve said breathing heavily, then he hissed "leg…" another hiss "foot."
"Steve calm down," Danny said soothingly. "Breathe, relax…calm down…breathe…in…out…breath in…and out…"
Steve tried but he couldn't comply. The pain was overwhelming and overruled almost every other function.
The only thing that was still working was hearing Danny's voice and answering the questions.
"What happened?" Danny asked again after realizing that Seve wouldn't be able calm himself. He thought talking to him would do the trick.
"Did you fall?"
"W…w-wrong…step…foot…hurts…knee…c…can't move."
Danny felt like someone had punched him in his gut.
"Okay, buddy. I am staying on the phone and coming over. Kono, call an ambulance
You will be fine, okay?"
Before Steve could answer Danny heard another voice.
"What's going on here? Commander McGarrett? It's okay. I'll help you. Try to breathe…yeah…that's good. Look at me.
Hello?" Danny suddenly heard the voice nearer.
"Detective Williams?" the voice asked.
"Yes. That you Roberts?"
"Yes," the therapist answered. Then the voice was further away again for a few seconds.
"Continue to look at me commander…breathe…squeeze my hand…very good."
Then the voice was back and louder once more.
"Did he tell you what happened?"
"Not exactly. Something about taking a wrong step. He is hurting and he can't move."
"Okay, I'll try to calm him. Can you call an ambulance? We'll meet at the hospital."
"We've already called one. Must be there in a few minutes."

Since Danny was nearer to the hospital and the EMTs had to treat their patient before they could drive back, he arrived first.

"What happened? How is he?" he practically attacked the therapist when he came into the waiting area.
"Calm down, detective," he said. "Everything will be fine and it won't help anyone if you get a heart attack. Have a seat, then I'll tell you what I know."
When Danny did what he had been asked, the therapist continued.
"It looks like commander McGarrett slipped and set his injured foot on the floor to avoid falling down. It happened as a reflex. It wasn't his fault and…"
"Why did you just say that?" Danny interrupted.
"Because he said you are going to kill him when you'll find out what had happened, thinking that he wasn't careful enough."
"I won't. I know he was only doing what he was allowed to this time."
"I know and he probably know too but the shock of the incident and the pain he was in threw him into some kind of flashback from his accident.
He didn't even know that he had called you. That happened on instinct too. He just knows he can count on you.
I did a quick check over before the ambulance arrived and nothing appears to be broken. They are going to do a scan now to find out if he has injured or re-injured anything.
The "I can't move" part was because of the flashback.
The EMTs had given him a slight sedation and had put him on oxygen to help him with his breathing.
Let's wait and see. There is nothing else we can do for him at the moment."

The ER doctor came to them almost 2 hours later.
"Detective Williams, hey Andy," he greeted. "I have good news. Nothing had happened. The scans were clear. It appears that the flashback had caused a shock and had intensified the pain he had surely been in.
We'll keep him here overnight for observation. If his stats are normal for 24 hours he can go home.
We are transferring him to a regular room as we speak.
We've already removed the oxygen mask and although he now knows what was going on he is still a little shocky, so don't expect too much from him.
But you can see him if you want – and I know you want."

Steve was sleeping when Danny entered.
Still Danny said "Hey, babe. You'll feel better soon. Nothing had happened to your leg. You'll be out of here tomorrow."
"Danny?" Steve asked, eyes still closed.
"Yeah, I am here. Sorry, didn't want to wake you."
"Don't feel good," came the reply.
"I know. Try to rest and sleep. It's gonna help."
"No, sick."
"okay, I'll call a nurse."
"It didn't take long for one to enter but it was too late. She had made two steps into the room when Steve suddenly sat up and vomited on his blanket.
For the next two times the nurse had a basin under his mouth.
After another few dry heaves, he leaned back, exhausted and embarrassed.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to. Tried to hold it in," he said in a low voice.
"Don't worry commander McGarrett," the nurse said.
"We've cleaned that up in a minute."

When the fresh blanket was on, Steve said "Sorry, Danno. I didn't mean to."
"Hey, it's okay buddy. You can't hold that back forever. When it wants out it wants out."
"No. Mean this…mean worrying…you…mean…mean…God, I am so tired."
"Then sleep. Nothing of this is your fault. It was an accident, okay?"
"You not mad?"
"No. Just get some rest. I will be here when you wake up. We'll talk then."
Steve didn't hear the rest of the sentence. He lost the battle of staying awake after he had heard that Danny was waiting for him when he would wake up.