Sorry about the wait - the Fanfiction website doesn't seem to work properly for me lately and refuses to even load most of the time. I don't even remember the last time the notifications worked for me either, but oh well. I managed at last! - Thinking about moving only to my AO3 account that works flawlessly for any future stories (if there are any).
Also - I think I wasn't exactly clear in describing the scene and events of the previous chapter because some of you guys understood that Danny and Steve didn't get out of the building, which they did (at the last moment). So sorry about that.
Let's get back to the story.
They've made it.
By a sheer miracle, and by a hair's breadth, but they made it out and far enough from the blast that thundered behind them mere seconds after they had barged through the front entrance.
But it wasn't over yet.
As Danny knelt over Steve in the cloud of dust, his emotions swirled like a thunderstorm within him. It was as if time had stopped when he watched Steve's eyes flutter closed without warning. It filled him with a sickening dread.
He reached out to gently shake Steve's shoulder. "Steve?" he tried.
Nothing.
"Steve?"
His friend didn't move a muscle.
"Come on, buddy, wake up," he urged, his voice cracking with despair. "Open your eyes."
But Steve remained stubbornly still, his breathing shallow and ragged.
"Steve, please."
Danny could barely hear his own voice. Barely see the five figures sprinting toward them. The echoes of the sirens from the incoming emergency services vehicles were muffled by a loud ringing in his ears.
As he shifted the weight underneath him, a wave of pain scorched through his body, and he nearly collapsed next to his partner, but he couldn't afford to do that right now. He lifted a palm gently to his ribcage and applied a touch of pressure. His face creased in pain. His ribs were fucked. His septum was broken, too, and the skin was already ballooning.
He wiped off the blood dripping down his chin and tapped Steve's bruised cheek gently. Steve's skin was burning with fever, as suspected. The touch failed to rouse him. So Danny looked up and began clambering back to his feet, desperate to get him some help.
The whole scene felt surreal.
The air was thick with debris and dust from the explosion that had just rocked their world. The blue, red, and white lights flashed in the distance, and the police officers began to line up and keep the curious and shocked civilians away from the carnage.
Hundreds of men, women, and even some children grouped together stared at the pile of rubble in disbelief. Danny guessed they were the ones inside the building and the adjacent shopping mall.
The ones sentenced to death by a heartless monster.
Saved by the fire alarm.
Danny turned around and there was a mount of destruction right where an iconic building stood just less than a minute ago, and he knew it would shake the whole island. It'd make the worldwide news. The governor would probably be as mad as ever, and berate them about the effects on tourism and the economy.
But none of it mattered.
As long as Steve was finally free from Makoni's clutches. As long as he'd survive. Which, right now, was still questionable.
Amidst the swirling dust, the rest of the team caught up with them. Tani, Junior, Lou, Kono, Chin –they were all there, all sharing an equally concerned look on their tired faces.
"Danny!" Chin called out. His voice seemed a mile away. "Are you okay?"
"I am," Danny forced the words out.
Chin's eyes landed on Steve. "And Steve?"
Danny shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted, his throat tight with fear. "We need to get him to the hospital."
As on cue, the paramedics rushed in, their faces grim as they assessed the situation. Hands touched Danny's arm lightly, but he shook them off.
"No," he said firmly. "I'm fine. Help him."
"But Sir, you don't look too good yourself," one of them opposed while the other one crouched by Steve to check him out.
Danny shook his head. "He needs you more than I do."
He watched, as if in some alternate reality, as the two of them worked together to stabilize Steve. Their voices sounded distant even though they stood mere inches away from Danny, and their movements were a blur. In no time, Steve was ready for transport.
Danny followed the two paramedics and his best friend into the ambulance, his mind whirling.
"Hey," Lou called out to him when he climbed in. "We'll be right behind you."
Danny nodded, and the doors shut closed.
The ride to the hospital couldn't take longer than ten minutes, but it felt like forever. After dutifully answering the paramedics' questions, he watched them work, silently begging his friend to be all right.
Finally, they stopped, and rushed Steve through the entrance and the hallway. Cradling his ribcage, Danny followed, barely managing to keep up the pace. He was hurting all over, but he wouldn't leave Steve's side.
A hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks.
A nurse, stopping him right before a double door. "Sir, you can't go there," she said.
Danny knew that much. But it didn't make watching his best friend disappear on the other side of the doorway any easier. He stood there, still in shock, staring at the door.
The nurse scanned him up and down for a second before saying, "Come with me."
"No," he said. "I…. I can't. I need–"
"You need to get patched up," the nurse interrupted.
He shook his head.
"He is in good hands," the nurse said. "Let us help you too."
"But–"
"She's right," Junior's voice sounded behind him.
Danny turned to see the rest of the team rushing in too.
"Go," Junior said. "You're not any good to Steve like this."
"Come on," the nurse tried again.
"I… I can't," Danny said, realizing it was a dumb decision. But as much as he wanted some relief, he wasn't about to miss any piece of information on Steve's condition.
"I promise we'll do our best to have you back in time," the nurse said.
"Go," Tani urged. "Steve will need you when he comes around. I'll come and get you if we hear anything before you're back."
Reluctantly, Danny nodded and followed the nurse.
After his checkup, Danny felt a tiny bit more human again. The pain relief meds had dulled the ache in his ribs, and the doctor had managed to straighten out his broken nose. His hearing started to come back, too, which was a nice bonus.
As he rushed into the waiting room, he was greeted by the grim faces of his friends. Jerry and Kamekona had joined the rest of the team meanwhile and the worry was palpable in the air.
"Hey," Danny said softly. "Any updates?"
Lou shook his head, his expression grave. "Not yet," he said. "Still waiting."
Danny's heart sank at the words. He wanted nothing more than to hear that Steve was going to be all right, but the waiting was torture. He slumped into one of the chairs, simmering with tension.
"How are you feeling?" Kono asked.
Danny shrugged. "Better."
Kono offered him a sad smile. "Good."
Their eyes met. "Thanks, by the way," Danny said. "You've saved our asses up there."
Kono bowed her head, her expression haunted. "I should've done that a long time ago," she said.
Chin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's not on you, cuz," he said.
"I don't know, Chin," Kono opposed. "If I had taken the chance, none of this would have happened."
Danny could see the guilt weighing heavily on his former teammate. In a way, he understood. It was Kono who had had a chance to kill Makoni four years ago, but instead, she shot him in the shoulder on purpose. It had been enough to provide a distraction, to give Steve time to turn the situation around, disarm, and arrest him. She had done that, thinking the life sentence in prison would be a better punishment for someone like him. But none of them had the slightest idea he'd be able to break out and act on his promised revenge.
"Chin's right," Danny chimed in. "You did nothing wrong back then. Death would have been too easy for him. It was a good call."
"Doesn't seem like it now," she said, unconvinced.
Danny watched her, his heart heavy. Maybe there was a bit of a truth in her words. None of them took Makoni's promise to be back seriously. Not even Steve. Maybe if they had, they could have prevented the deaths of so many. Maybe not.
There was no point in wondering what if, though. They had more important things to focus on.
None of them spoke anymore. Until a familiar voice sounded from somewhere behind Danny.
"Mind if I join?"
Danny turned to see Adam in a wheelchair pushed by a young nurse.
"I'll be back in thirty minutes, okay?" she said.
Adam nodded and watched her walk away.
Danny watched his friends taking turns in greeting their injured teammate and asking how he was doing. Seeing Adam in one piece provided some well-needed relief. He got up last, hugged his friend, and said, "Good to see you. Sorry we weren't around."
"No need to apologize," Adam said. "You had your hands full. Besides, I wasn't all alone."
His glance shot to Kono, who watched him from her seat in silence.
The tension Danny would expect wasn't there, just the honest gratitude and feelings that were obviously still strong between the two ex-spouses.
"I never changed my emergency contact after–well, you know," Adam said to Danny. "I'm kinda glad I haven't."
"Yeah, me too," Danny said. "If Kono didn't show up, me and Steve would be already dead."
"Got any news about him?" Adam asked, his expression turning more serious.
Danny shook his head.
"Well, I'm sure he's gonna be okay," Adam assured him.
Danny wished he was right.
As the time dragged on, Danny's anxiety grew with each passing minute. He paced the room restlessly, his nerves frayed with worry for Steve's life. His brain kept replaying the harsh reunion with his best friend. The way Steve barely kept himself upright on his knees, the defeat in his face, his begging to leave him behind. Danny couldn't shake the feeling that he had failed him, that he could have done more to find him sooner.
Finally, the moment they had all been dreading arrived when the doctor emerged from the doorway, his expression unreadable. Danny was the first one to shoot up to his feet in lighting speed to meet him.
With desperate hope in his voice, he whispered, "Please, tell me he's going to be all right, doc."
*to be continued*
What do you think? Will Steve make it? ... (not) sorry about another tiny little cliffie :)
Thanks for reading and as always, I appreciate your feedback! It means a lot to me when you share your opinion.