A/N:

Thank you again and again for enjoying the ride with me (at least I hope you do :-) ).

I don't own Hawaii 5-0, any and all mistakes are mine.

Summary:

Steve and Danny go on a fishing trip which goes horribly wrong leaving the two of them injured and shipwrecked.

oooOOOooo

The Coast Guard patrol boat slowed its pace and floated a little distance from the two men in the water. Kono, Chin, and Lou could barely take their eyes of their friends as they bobbed up and down in the ocean's water in the cone of light the boat cast on them. It almost felt as if it was daylight and the spotlight on a stage at the same time that was cast on their boss and second in command. Neither of them was certain if the two had even realized that they weren't alone out here anymore.

That they were about to get out of the water.

That they were about to be rescued.

That they were safe.

Lou stood like a rock casting his steely eyes towards the water. His whole posture was hard and rigid on the outside but on the inside the big man was a mess.

Fear wrapped itself around Kono's heart, a few tears leaked from her eyes and she felt shaky on her legs like a newborn colt, as she felt the warm embrace of her cousin.

Chin felt his cousin tremble slightly and he was sure it wasn't the chilly evening out here on the Pacific Ocean. Her angst palpable. Angst they all had for Steve and Danny.

As much as they were afraid for their two friends, they also were beyond relieved they eventually and actually found them and had listened to their gut feelings and instincts to go above and beyond searching for them.

The boat's engine rumbled only lowly now as they drifted closer to the men in the water until it stopped. Shortly after, several splashes could be heard.

"Swimmers", Chin noted quietly.

Lou remained silent and didn't do anything to acknowledge Chin's message. But Chin knew the man had heard him. Kono just nodded against Chin's shoulder where she had buried her head without taking her eyes of her team.

Now all their eyes followed the swimmers who soon reached their destination.

They were a well-trained crew and each of them knew their tasks and duties during these kinds of situations.

There were eight lifeguards in total in the water nearing the two casualties. Two steadied the plank with Steve laying on it and Danny clinging onto, one at the top by Steve's head, the other by his feet. Two approached the make-shift raft to get to Steve while two swam around to get to Danny.

Another two swam close by as their back-up saving their energy by holding on to their buoys.

A choked sob escaped Kono's lips as she felt the emotions course through her and unable to hold them back in. Biting the inside of his cheek, Chin tightened his embrace while Lou stepped closer and put an arm around Chin's shoulders and hence hugging the cousins both.

oooOOOooo

A soft shake on his shoulders woke Steve. He looked for the source of the treatment.

"Danny, what the hell", he mumbled.

"A boat." Danny's voice was low and raspy. His hand held onto the raft again and with the other he pointed over Steve's body.

Steve rolled his head away from Danny and into the direction of his partner's outstretched arm.

He wasn't sure if he was seeing anything. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him again. Maybe there actually was a boat.

He found it extremely strenuous to keep himself awake and his eyes slid shut.

"Steve, hey Steve!"

Another light shake on his shoulder had Steve open his eyes to small slits.

"Don't you dare give up on me now!" Danny's low but firm voice penetrated through his foggy mind.

Steve turned heavy eyes towards Danny as his hearing picked up some chuffing sound. It sounded unnaturally, more mechanically.

He sighed.

Not again. I'm hallucinating. It's not a chopper.

"No, it's a boat."

"Oh, I said that out loud again?"

"Yes."

"It's a boat?"

"Yes."

Steve felt another surge of energy rouse his battered body and mind and he slowly turned his head in the opposite direction.

A U.S. Coast Guard Boat. For real.

Turning his head back into Danny's direction he saw a tired, weak, small smile playing around Danny's face which matched the one on his own.

Nervously and seemingly out of place, both men giggled knowing they were about to be rescued.

"They found us", Danny murmured exhaustedly.

"Hmm", was the only response his weak friend was capable of. His strength to stay awake was fading and although he was afraid to let go fearing he might not wake up, he went lax.

Danny saw the last remaining reserves Steve had waning and he was scared. He lightly tapped against Steve's cheek to wake him up but his head only lolled limply. Not even the water that rolled over the two of them, helped Steve to come back to his senses.

Don't you dare give up on me! Don't you dare it, Steven!

"If you don't make it, I'll haul your sorry ass back here myself. You hear me?" Danny spoke angrily but without any real hear in the words.

With a sigh, he leaned his forehead against the bobbing wood of their raft as he grasped Steve's hand tightly. Without even realizing, his eye lids dropped and he drifted off into oblivion.

The roaring of the boat snapped Steve back out of his hazy semi-conscious state. He was afraid his mind was playing tricks on him but Danny had told him there was boat, hadn't he?

And Steve was so very sure he saw the white hulk with a broad red striped, followed by a thinner white and then blue stripe on its bow – the U.S. Coast Guard.

Rolling his head back towards Danny who was slumped on his other side, he felt all kinds of emotions rolling over him like the salty waves. Relief, excitement, fear, joy, desperation were only a few of them.

"Danny!" His excited exclamation was merely a whisper, "There's a boat."

Steve's head turned back towards the approaching boat trying to lift his arm to catch their attention. It almost seemed too much of an effort and he wasn't sure if he actually waved or if it was just his imagination.

"Danny…" Steve mumbled as his arm flopped down beside him. His last energy spent. Yet, he felt a hand wrap loosely around his.

The splashes that reached his ears were unmistakable. It was the distinctive sound of well-trained swimmers. He had heard it a zillion times during his time as a SEAL. Although he knew how to get into the water without making any sound at all. But these were lifeguards. It was their job to get to people in the water fast and not being stealthy and silent.

"They found us…" Steve breathed, "Danny…"

"Sirs, hey", a male voice spoke up beside Steve, "Can you hear me?"

"'s good to see… you…" Steve's lips hardly moved as he spoke.

"Good to have found you, sir." A smile was not only visible on the man's face but also very clearly to hear for the injured Ex-SEAL.

"Steve. 'm Steve."

"Steve, I'm Greg. And that on the other side of you is Tim. Can you open your eyes for me?"

Steve didn't remember when he had closed them. With as much energy as he could muster, his heavy lids opened and he looked in the face of a middle-aged man who grinned kindly at him. His skin was kissed by the sun and his hair was almost blonder than Danny's and obviously bleached by the salt water and the sun. His entire being radiated warmth and peace.

"Now, that's it. Now you can actually see me", Greg winked his eye and smiled.

"Danny", Steve aspirated as he began to squirm around desperately to get to his partner.

"Relax, please. I know it's difficult in this kind of situation but I need you to calm down, Steve", Greg coached Steve by breathing audibly for the injured man on the plank to hear. But Steve was frantic. A tender hand on his chest applied pressure and let up in an even rhythm and eventually Steve's breathing followed the pattern. A hand around his own helped Steve to relax even further though it felt unfamiliar.

"That's it. You're doing great. Keep it up." Greg heard Steve gasp a few times before his breathing evened out into a steady pattern.

"So, Danny, is that your blonde friend there?" Greg asked as he gently squeezed Steve's hand. Carefully, he repositioned his hold to take Steve's pulse on his wrist without letting up the much-needed comfort.

Steve nodded. "He's been too quiet. He's never quiet."

Greg cast a glance across Steve to the other lifeguards who had jumped into the waters together with him to get the two castaways back to safety.

Jake and Mallory were on the other side of the bobbing plank. They had already extricated the blond man from his position and had carefully turned him over onto his back. Now they held him in between them as they did a quick check-up.

"He's in good hands", Greg reassured the distraught man in his care. "Now, let us focus on you, alright?"

Steve didn't respond.

tbc…

oooOOOooo

Thank you for reading.

Have a great day.

Cheers

Biensche