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I Can’t Stand The Rain
“I hate this. I hate this so much.”
Danny Williams huffed and puffed as he followed along behind the retreating figure of his partner and best friend, Steve ‘the Ninja’ McGarrett. So far in this trailblazing escapade, Danny had had 2 hornets land on him with one sting; he’d walked into several spiderwebs with one spider landing on his head, and he could tell his exposed arms and neck and whatever else that might be naked were covered with black fly bites. Plus the heat... it must be 100 degrees with matching humidity but it didn’t seem to affect good old bouncy Steve. Nope, he was as enthusiastic as he ever was when he was walking the Great Outdoors.
“Just look around you, Danny! Such pretty trees and flowers!” Steve glanced back over his shoulder and flashed a grin, teeth white in his mouth in stark contrast to his tanned face.
“I hate trees. I hate flowers” Danny muttered a string of curse words when he didn’t see a tree root and tripped just barely keeping his balance to avoid falling face first.
“Danny Danny Danny,” Steve said, shaking his head and laughing then. “Come on. We’re almost at the top of the mountain!”
“You sAid that a half hour ago,” Danny answered through gritted teeth. Oh how he wanted to itch his arms but the cumbersome back pack he wore kind of prevented that. He didn’t care right now about any mountain or any view. All he wanted to do was sit a bit and itch his arms, maybe not even in that order.
Danny looked up and dammit no Steve in sight although the trail he was taking was clear so Danny grunted and took off at a faster pace trying to catch up with the SuperSeal.
The jungle, Danny thought, must not bother Steve at all. Of course it wouldn’t though. If the jungle dared to upset him, Steve the Neanderthal would likely whip out a grenade or similar explosive and blow it up, just because Steve loved the sound and the sight of an explosion!
“Danny? You coming?”
Danny stopped and resisted a smart assed answer along the lines of ‘no because you aren’t stroking it’ and shifted the pack, feeling the trickle of sweat run down his back and pool at the waistband of his jeans.
“Uh yeah I’ll be there! My legs aren’t the length of a giraffe’s thanks!”
The trail, what there was of it at this point, was steeper and Danny had to almost climb up, using his hands to grab jutting out rocks and tree roots to pull himself up. When he was nearly to the top, Steve reached down and gripped Danny’s one hand to pull up the smaller man so they were both standing on the overlook ledge.
“Yeah thanks,” Danny mumbled. Steve clapped him on the back, as happy now as he had been when they’d left the parking lot to hike, 3 hours ago.
“Look at this, Danno!” Steve said falling back on the familiar nickname that Danny’s 3 year old nephew Eric called him. “You can see for miles and miles! Look! There’s the coast!” Steve pointed towards the blue shimmering ocean in the background.
“Yeah it’s really nice,” Danny mustered. He was rummaging around in his backpack for his water. Gratefully, he uncapped the bottle and took a long drink.
“Uh uh uh Danny.”
Suddenly the water bottle was taken from his hand and Danny dumbly grasped the air instead. He squinted up at Steve, his temper about to rachet.
“Don’t just glug your water. You’ll get stomach cramps.. Sip it or you’re not getting it back!”Steve held the bottle up and away from Danny.
“Just give me the fucking bottle back,” Danny growled. He was hot, sweaty and itchy. What had compelled him to even go on this stupid hike although he already knew the answer to that. Steve had suggested spending their day off together and Danny had jumped at the chance, only to find out too late that Steve’s idea of fun was to hike up a long trail .
And right now, Danny was ready to slug his partner if his water bottle wasn’t surrendered to him!
“Promise me you’ll take small sips! You’re not puking on my watch.” Steve held the bottle even higher. His eyes, half lidded with his ridiculously long lashes clumped together from heat and sweat, were the darkest of dark blues, not that Danny noticed.
“STEPHEN!” Danny vaulted up and grabbed at the bottle but Steve’s height and long arms proved to be the deterrent.
“You didn’t promise!” Steve said but he was laughing.
Danny resisted the urge to punch his partner, who truly was being a pain in the ass today. He quit battling and because he really really wanted a drink of water, gritted his teeth.
“Promise.”
“Ok there ya go.” Steve handed the bottle to Danny, who grabbed it and walked over to a flat area on the precipice. He uncapped his treasure and took a huge swallow then faced Steve with his cheeks full of water. This he swallowed with an exaggerated show of sticking his head out and exposing his throat.
His actions made the smile disappear from Steve’s face and the taller man shook his head. An expression of something that Danny couldn’t read passed over Steve’s face then disappeared just as quickly.
“Not good, Danny. Not good.” Steve turned his back to the smaller man and surveyed the sweeping vistas before him, wanting to rid himself of the visions of that strong tanned neck and the angle of Danny’s beautiful jaw. That view made him more breathless than any mountain or ocean vista. And Steve had no damn idea of how Danny would react if Steve just took him in his arms and kissed him, lips solid on Danny’s mouth, tongue pliant to get inside that smart alek mouth.
Lest he react to these Danny filled thoughts in his head, Steve focused his attention on the view from where he stood. The point they had hiked gave them sweeping views of the lush greens and the deep blues. Steve never got tired of the beauty to be found at every turn and so wanted to convey that by doing this hike, hoping he could change Danny’s mind about how bad Hawaii was and allow Danny to relax and appreciate the island beauty. But this hike, Steve’s idea of solidifying a firm foundation to perhaps love Hawai’i just a little bit, had gone south and Danny seemed less than appreciative of that especially by the way Danny was sitting digging his arms with his hands and muttering.
Yesterday, much to Steve’s surprise and delight, Danny had agreed to spend today with him, and Steve had tried to make a plan of something fun to do, discarding the usual sports parks and matinee movies Then this hike, a 12 mile loop around the ridges and lush rainforest of western Oahu, had popped up as a suggestion of things to do on the Big Island and Steve was eager to share the experience with his blonde partner. Thus far, however, Danny had just complained. Which was actually nothing new. Steve was used to Danny complaining because there wasn’t a day that went by that Danny didn’t have something to say and certainly was expressive in his opinions. It just felt different now, when they were alone on the top of a mountain and supposed to be having a good time. Now there Danny was, Steve noticed, sitting on a rock digging his arms with his chewed upon nails.
Steve couldn’t stand seeing Danny destroy his epidermis so He walked over and sat beside Danny and placed a hand on Danny’s furiously moving hand as he scratched up and down his arm, raising the red welts.
“Don’t. Just don’t,” Steve said gently.
“For fuck’s sake, Steve!” Danny squealed, “would you please let me just do whatever I want to do? It’s not like it’s bothering you!” Danny moved away from Steve, and Steve regretted the loss of heat from Danny’s muscular body. Well, if Danny wasn’t going to listen to a direct order then maybe Steve would attempt another bit of reasoning.
“Hey I care about you. Your welfare and everything, you know.” Steve’s tone was serious and his eyes, half lidded, looked at Danny with the heat that their bodies had produced just a few minutes ago. He brushed a stray blonde lock of Danny’s hair back and tucked it coyly behind Danny’s ear. Danny stopped scratching and his eyes met Steve’s. For just a second, it seemed like time stopped. All Steve had to do was to lean forward and gently press his lips against Danny’s mouth—
“Yeah well... they itch. In fact, I swear I have those damn gnats inside my clothes!” Danny huffed. The smaller man looked down at his arms as the spell was broken and Danny resumed itching.
“Just try to resist the itch,” Steve countered then started to laugh, because really what else could he do? Danny had looked and acted for one second as if there was something so real between them but had pulled away, leaving Steve regretful and a little sad. Nothing to do now then but to appreciate the scenery!
Steve stood up again, legs like springs, and walked over to the left of where Danny sat. “You can see for miles! This is what I’m talking about! Come look, Danny!” Steve turned and waved to Danny to come over.
“Nah. I’m good.” Danny leaned back and ignored the ache of the muscles in his thighs. Maybe he was more than a little out of shape to climb up a Goddamn mountain.
“We hiked up here because of the views!” Steve said, voice a bit louder than before.
“Yeah yeah I can see from here. That’s Pretty. It’s pretty.” Danny waved a hand at Steve dismissively and sat back, crossing his legs Native American style. Was that thunder he heard in the distance? Oh good. Maybe they’d get caught in a downpour.
“You’re itching again,” Steve said with a disapproving tone. Danny shrugged but stopped the itching to drink more water from his bottle. Steve was being super bossy and he supposed that maybe he should listen but Danny was too wound up to relax. Sighing, Danny stood up, brushed the dirt off the seat of his jeans and took a look at the vista. He was ready to go home now that Steve had dragged him all of the way here. Maybe Steve would even be up for beer and steaks on the grill later if they got home early enough.
“Can we go now?” Danny asked. Hiking down would be easier on the climbing trail that led them upwards but not in the rain. In fact, Danny thought he could hear thunder from somewhere far away over the mountains or some other such nonsense, and thought perhaps both of them should start down. Of course, Steve, being the outdoorsman, had been listening, his tall lean figure an imposing sight against the light of the hazy sun. Danny’s breath hitched. Did the man not know how absolutely gorgeous he looked, standing at attention, one hand shading his eyes while he worked out the problem. Danny squelched that thought, those feelings, in much the same manner as he had for the last 8 months. Steve was straight as an arrow with a lovely ... whatever Catherine was ; Steve would never look at a 34 year old short irascible widower like Danny.
As if reading Danny’s thoughts, Steve turned and walked over to Danny with a no nonsense look on his face. At first, Danny thought that Steve might have instinctively known what Danny was thinking and he panicked a bit, feeling his breath hitch. Steve extended his hand to Danny and seemed unaware of any mental plot to get into his pants.
“Come on, buddy. We gotta get off this mountain. There’s a storm coming. It must have veered over this way because of the wind.”
Whew! Crisis averted. Steve was glaring at the gathering grey clouds like he could banish them to the desert.
“Why? What’s gonna happen? Why do we have to get off the mountain? Is it gonna storm bad? Steve?” Danny allowed himself to be hauled up by Steve’s hands as he worried aloud. He felt his insides clench with anxiety. He really hated thunderstorms ever since that night spent in the basement of his childhood home because of a tornado that had struck in a nearby city.
“Gonna rain. Come on. Careful.” Steve kept his face neutral, realizing that maybe this was another of Danny’s triggers. “Just a rain storm. We’re probably gonna get wet.”
Steve led the way down the trail, and Danny followed, keeping his booted feet sideways in order to keep from falling on the sloping hill. Both of them hit the straightaway and Steve was off like a rocket. Again. Danny sighed, trotting behind Steve’s retreating figure, the way back a bit easier since they’d blazed through the hanging brush on the path that morning. Danny lost sight of Steve and mentally cursed himself that he was not as agile or graceful as his SuperSeal friend. Instead, Danny felt every one of his 34 years as he barreled through the hateful jungle greenery. Curse his small stature! By now, thunder was rumbling around him and lightning flashed somewhere in the distance. The hair on his arms was standing straight up and in front of him, the world looked like it was cast under a green light.
“Come on come on!” Steve had reappeared on the path in front, arms waving to punctuate his words.
“I’m doing just that, Steven,” Danny said curtly. His stomach was cramping now and he regretted draining the bottle of water but he’d be damned if he would let Steve know that the SuperSeal was right about drinking it in gulps.”Fuck.”
Yes, it had started to rain but rain was too mild a word. It was absolutely hoodie soaking pouring! The water ran from Danny’s forehead into his eyes and flattened his hair to his head so that the strands were dripping down his neck and face.
Sheets of cold rain surrounded both men as they tried to ascertain the path; it was all washed out already with tiny streams and rivulets of water running across it. Steve tried to herd Danny but Danny was taking his time, and slower than Steve would have liked. Of course, Steve could tell by the way Danny’s shoulders were hunched tHat Danny was anxious and worried and not used to the primitive powers of the earth. Steve remembered another instance when they were gathered around Kamakona’s shrimp truck—Danny, Chin and Kono plus himself—and it had started to rain and thunder rather loudly. Danny had insisted they go to the car right fucking now and let’s not wait but let’s go now...obviously, Danny disliked big storms.
Steve knew he was going to hear a big scolding once they returned to the truck because their day had not turned into the fun fest that Steve had hoped it would be. Grumpy argumentative accusing Danny would appear as inevitable as the sun above. I’m fact, Steve was shocked that Danny’s mouth had not been put into motion., the way it usually was when Danny disliked something.
Steve skidded a bit off the path and grabbed a tree trunk to steady himself. He looked back to see that Danny was trudging forward, clothes plastered to his body, face as stormy as the weather.
“Whose big idea was it to hike in the rain? Huh? It’s thundering and lightning!” Danny shouted over the din. “Does this hike qualify you for some kind of badge for your Seal sash?”
“You’re being ridiculous, Danny!” Steve motioned for the blonde to follow him. Of course, Danny had just been waiting to tell Steve how he felt. Steve felt irritation rise with Danny’s rant.
With the rain beating down on them, the Navy man led the way by instinct because he was not sure where the path was, it being washed out with the rain. And still there was a lot of localized lightning around them, the fact that worried Steve the most. Could they find shelter? They should find shelter. He didn’t want to be a victim of a sudden tropical storm and he would never forgive himself if something happened to Danny, no matter how much of a pain in the ass Danny could be.
Steve had an idea brewing in his head. He just hoped that he and Danny were in the right area of the forest preserves to find what he knew would help them.
Suddenly there was a huge snap and Danny screamed.
“STEVE! Help please Steve!!”
Steve whirled around and saw Danny sitting down holding his leg. And much to Steve’s horror, there was a steel trap hanging off Danny’s booted foot. Danny writhed around in pain, his face an alarming shade of pale, his eyes squeezed shut as he moaned and rolled on the ground. “Get it off please Steve get it off!”
“Ok ok ok it’s ok, Danny.” Steve knelt beside his friend and examined the trap before trying to open it. Instead of a standard foothold trap, it was the more vicious body grip type trap, one with sharp steel plates capable of killing a small animal on impact. Steve grabbed a fallen small branch from the side of the muddy path and slid the very end of it under the trap’s catch mechanisms. Then, holding each plate in his hands, he pulled it open, willing his shaking hands to be still.
“Ok, Danny move your foot out.” Steve held the jaws of the trap open leaning over it to manage shoulder strength.
Danny grunted but slid his foot away from the open jaws. Steve stuck the branch inside the trap and tossed it, knowing it wouldn’t hurt anything else right now. His attention immediately focused on Danny, Steve pulled Danny’s backpack away from his shoulders and set it aside, and pushed Danny gently down so he could examine his foot. Danny was making little moans in the back of his throat and Steve prayed that nothing was amputated. He didn’t want to take Danny’s boot off only to have some toes fall out.
“Geezus Steve,” Danny choked out. “S’hurts.”
“Shhhh it’s ok it’s ok,” Steve soothed but when he looked at how the boot was cut open and the blood was soaking through and onto Steve’s fingers as he poked, the Seal knew it was serious.
“Danny? You with me?” Steve said, tapping Danny’s face with gentle slaps. Danny swallowed and nodded. He was swallowing hard and gritting his teeth. Danny reached down to clutch Steve’s arm.
“Yeah yeah I’m here,” he stuttered. Steve’s heart was breaking just a bit to see his friend in pain.
“Listen. There’s a line shed not too far away. We have to get you out of the mud and rain and let me take a look at that foot. Understand?”
- [ ] “ Yeah yeah a shed yeah I know ok...” Danny was panting and his knuckles on one hand were white from grabbing and holding the material on his jeans. He kept hold of Steve’s arm with the other.
Steve bent closer to Danny, still holding Danny’s foot up.
“I’m going to carry you ok? But you have to get on your knees. Think you could do that?” Steve stood up and pulled on Danny’s arm. “I’ll help you. Come on.”
Danny took a deep shuddering breath and listened to the words Steve was saying. Get on his knees ok yeah a good trick when all he felt were bursts of white hot pain from his foot. But Steve said a shed which meant shelter and somewhere in Danny’s pain addled brain he knew he had to get up, he knew he had to try. He was tough. Steve wanted him to help. Ok, he was good to go.
Groaning out loud, Danny twisted around until he was on his knees and using his good leg, tried to stand. Steve was pulling him up, Steve’s hands under Danny’s arms, and Danny was upright though balancing on his good leg.
“Good good yeah that’s so good, Danny. You did really good!”Steve shouted above the din of the rain and storm. “Now listen. I want you to just let me pick you up so I can throw you over my shoulder. Can you help if I bend down? Will you at least start bending for me?” When Danny nodded, Steve grinned. “Ok, let’s do it. I promise you In ten minutes we’re gonna be dry and warm.”
Danny waited until Steve was bent over as iif he was bowing. Draping his body over Steve’s shoulder, Danny was surprised when Steve stood up and wrapped an arm around Danny’s legs, holding him into place.
“Grab the packs. You can hold them for me.”
Danny reached down and snagged the handles of each back pack and pulled them up so they were off the ground. Once he knew Danny had the packs, Steve suddenly took off, feet nimble and sure on the muddy rain soaked path.
Danny closed his eyes fighting the nausea from the bouncing of bring carried to the pain in his foot which threatened to envelope him completely. Steve was panting with exertion and Danny thought again that this trip had been doomed from the beginning. This was the perfect topper. He felt Steve slowing down, then stopping, still holding on to Danny with an arm looped over Danny’s legs. Danny closed his eyes fighting his treacherous stomach.
“Let go of the packs, Danny. Gotta put you down for a second.” Steve panted.
Danny tossed the packs as far as he could towards the door of the shed and allowed Steve to bend and slide him off and down on the ground. His back was against a pre fab shed wall and he was protected from the rain from an overhang off the roof. Quickly, Danny resumed holding on to the leg that harbored his cut foot, rocking back and forth as the sharp pains began again. He wasn’t sure if he still had toes though he hoped to God nothing got cut off!
“Gotta get this lock open, Danny,” Steve muttered, looking around the clearing where the shed stood. He picked up a nice sized rock, weighing it in his hands before he slammed it against the padlock keeping the door locked. The lock broke in two and fell off and Steve triumphantly threw the door open and grabbed the packs and tossed them in before either man could enter the structure.
“Ok, see if you can stand, Danny,” Steve shouted. The thunder and lightning seemed to be right over them now. “I’ll come get you after you get up!”
With a grunt of pain and effort, Danny used the side of the shed to help himself rise, still trying to keep his injured foot up away from the ground. Steve waited until Danny was mostly erect and then just picked up the smaller man under his arms and carried him into the house as Danny clung to Steve around Steve’s neck in true Princess Carry style.
“Sit here,” Steve said pulling a wooden chair out with his foot and depositing Danny onto it, making sure not to bump Danny’s foot. When he was sure Danny was sitting on in the chair, Steve assessed their situation. Steve’s military skills kicked in and Steve set about in a methodical manner to make sure that the important tasks got done first, categorizing each task in his head as he began.
A cursory look around told him several things.
One: The line shed had a working fireplace that had been used not too long ago. Steve pounced on the kindling and struck a match, blowing on the kindling until it sparked and caught flame, then added some smaller logs until there was a good source of heat inside the cabin. It actually felt good to have heat. Both of them were soaking wet.
Two. There was a panel with a built in lock that had to house the control for the gas propane and for the water. Steve looked around and spied a jar on the lone windowsill. He quickly picked it up and turned it upside down holding his palm underneath it. A small key fell out and when Steve inserted it into the lock, the door sprung open. He reached inside the narrow space and flipped the switch for the propane and turned the handle for the water.
Heat source check; water turned on check; time to find some medical supplies for Danny since Steve knew the injury was too much for the small first aid kit he carried in his pack.
Aha! Good!
Three. There was a small bathroom with a sink and chemical toilet and on the shelf on the wall was a First Aid Kit. Steve grabbed it and brought it back to the table, opening the metal box and taking stock of the contents.
Steve now turned his attention towards Danny, who was slumped in the chair and moaning
softly. Danny’s eyes were half closed and there was a sheen of sweat on his pale face. Steve brought the other chair over close to Danny and grabbed the blond’s shoulder.
“Hey, Buddy, hang in there ok? I’ll be right back. Gonna grab some water for the first aid kit.” Steve turned to go but Danny had other ideas.
“No no Steve wait please wait...” Danny grabbed Steve’s hand and held on tightly. “Just don’t go ok? Please just wait.”
“Danny, listen,” Steve kept his voice calm even though he saw that Danny’s foot was wet with blood. “I just have to go get some water. I will come back and check on your foot and try to fix you up. Then I’m gonna get us into warm dry clothes and we’re gonna just rest. Ok?”
Steve cupped Danny’s chin and raised the man’s head so their eyes met.
“Call someone.., call Lou or Chin. Hell, call the pizza man.” Danny started to giggle. He pushed Steve’s hand away and giggled again, though it was a nervous high pitched giggle indicating Danny was far from being in his right mind.
“You’re going into shock, Danny. Please Let go. I promise I’ll be right back. Ok, buddy?” Steve pushed back a stray wet strand of hair from Danny’s forehead. “Come on now,” Steve said gently, tugging his hand away. Danny let his head fall back against the chair and listed to one side. “Hey Danny! Hey buddy! Wake up now!” But Danny just grunted in reply.
Steve rushed back to the sink and turned on the faucet. At first there was nothing but sounds of air; seconds later, water came gushing out of the faucet. Steve adjusted the temperature, grabbed a pan from one of the open shelves above the sink and filled it with hot water.
“Ok, Danny, I’m gonna look at your foot.” Steve said bringing the bowl over to the table and setting it down. Danny didn’t respond so Steve opened the kit and put on gloves then assembled what he needed on the table beside the metal box.
“Yeah ok.” Came Danny’s delayed response. Danny’s breaths were shallow and light and still a dangerous looking grey pallor clung to his skin.
“Ok, Danny? I’m gonna take your boot off, ok Babe? Deep breath.” When Steve slid the boot off his foot, Danny screamed, sitting up, leg rigid. Steve bit his lip but forced himself to go on.
“Sorry Danny so sorry so sorry,” Steve chanted. Steve pushed Danny down into the chair again and cut off the sock hanging bloody and in tatters around the wound. Luckily, Danny didn’t have any loose toes so no signs of amputation (thanks to the boot) but the cut was deep on the top of his foot where his toes began. Steve looked at it then took a big breath and began to gently clean the laceration using warm water and antiseptic.
“Steve ow ow ow Steve ow!!” Danny screamed but at the same time Danny seemed to understand that he should sit still and let Steve do what he needed.
“Shh it’s ok I got ya I’m taking care of you,” Steve prattled. He pressed gently on the gash as fresh blood pooled around the gauze he was using.
Steve took out the quick stitch kit and looked it over. He had used these kinds of fix it upper appliances in the field but never on anything this involved. Usually they were meant for smaller cuts, not deep gashes. Steve took another deep breath to steel himself and looked up at Danny’s face. “This is going to hurt, Danny. Not going to lie. But you’re gonna bleed out if I don’t do this and I can’t and won’t let that happen. Are we good?”
“Listen you Animal,” Danny said with gritted teeth,”just take care of it. Do what ya gotta do. But you owe me wings and beers at Sidestreets when this is all over!”
“Yeah of course, Danny.” Steve smiled in spite of himself. There was his brave partner. Steve squared his shoulders and reached down to Danny’s foot, peeled off the gauze and squeezed the flaps of flesh together. Steve inserted what looked like a stapler over the gathered flaps and pressed the trigger. Danny jerked and cried out; Steve paused but Danny waved a hand as if to say go on.
Steve took a deep breath, swallowing the air as if it was some magic potion that would help him complete this task then repeated the process, inserting another staple, and moving on to the middle of the laceration. Steve knew this was just a temporary fix but it was a good way to stop the bleeding.
It took ten more minutes and running the little machine out of staples before Steve was done. Danny had passed out from the pain along about the fifth time Steve stapled. He was limp in the chair, arms hanging down so his fingers touched the floor and head lolling backwards. Steve stroked one of Danny’s cheeks and propped his limp body up so he wasn’t hanging off the chair then muttered a silent prayer that his efforts were enough to hold off any more bleeding.
Time to clean up his mess though. The small shed smelled like blood and Steve could almost taste it on his tongue. He moved away from the table and threw the stapler into the sink then applied the antiseptic and used the gauze to completely wrap around the pads he placed against the wound. Using his own t shirt, Steve cleaned the blood off Danny’s foot as best he could and then sat back on his haunches to examine his handiwork. Danny was twitching and jerking a bit so Steve decided he’d best get him into a horizontal position as soon as possible.
“Hang in there, Buddy!” Steve said already planning the next part of this Op. and there was absolutely no time to rest, his military instincts told him.
Next up? They needed dry clothing which meant digging in the backpacks. Steve changed his rain soaked pants quickly, washing off any mud on his arms and face, along with Danny’s blood, with liquid soap he always carried and dried himself with a towel from his pack. He quickly strung a makeshift clothesline in the back part of the room using his rappelling rope and some clips he always carried. On this he hung his wet cargo pants and bloody t shirt. Then, he started on Danny, using scissors to cut off his jeans, feeling really bad because oh Geezus he loved Danny in these jeans, and wiping away any mud on his legs with the soap and water. Boosting him off the chair and holding him up, Steve slid Danny’s spare sweat pants over Danny’s butt and then carefully pulled the elastic cuffs over his feet. Danny was stirring so Steve paused, holding Danny’s clean tee shirt.
“You there, Danny?” Steve bent down until he was eye level with his partner and stroked Danny’s cheek, the stubble scratchy under Steve’s finger.
“Did you cut my pants off?” Danny mumbled, making no effort to move.
“That’s your only take away from all of this?” Steve chuckled. “Yeah I did. I’ll buy you another pair at Target or wherever you buy your pants.”
“Uncultured. I tell ya, can’t find good help these days.” Danny groaned and sat up, looking down at his foot. “What happened? My toes ok?” He juked his head around to try to see but Steve had tucked Danny’s leg closer to the chair so his foot wasn’t out.
“Your toes are ok, Buddy. The boot stopped most of the damage but you have a nasty laceration across the top. So I uh stitched it to stop the bleeding. Now,” Steve continued,
“Let’s get your wet shirt off so you can lay down on the cot. You’re going into shock.”
“So says SuperSeal always telling me what to do,” Danny sighed but started to pull off his wet shirt with some effort. Steve helped him, and used the cloth to wash away the streaks of mud on Danny’s arms.
“There. That’s better.” Steve nodded to himself and slipped Danny’s tee shirt on over the blond’s head, trying not to mess up Danny’s hair. Danny muttered a thanks but balked when Steve wanted him to move out of the chair.
“Come on. Stand up, Baby, I’m right here.” Steve reached for Danny’s hand but Danny pulled it back and to his side.
“No no no I’ll be good. Please just let me sit here, sit right here, Steve..”
Danny moaned and twisted away from Steve. Honestly it broke Steve’s heart to see Danny like this. He was usually so brave but the trap mishap seemed to have taken all of the fight from him. His teeth were chattering and goosebumps stood up on his scratched up arms.
“I’ll help you stand up. Lean on me while I help you to the cot. Come on.” Steve pulled Danny up by his arms and tried to ignore Danny’s whimpers of pain as they hopped /walked over to the cot. Steve let Danny lean heavily on him until they reached the 2 person cot. Danny slid down on to it and Steve helped raise Danny’s legs with one of the backpacks, now fairly dry due to its’ mesh material cover, under Danny’s knees so his legs were higher than his heart. Steve spied 2 blankets wrapped up in dry cleaning bags on the shelf above the cot so Steve retrieved the blankets and wrapped Danny up in them, tucking the rough fabric around Danny’s shoulders and sides.
God, that was ... something... Steve thought, inhaling deeply and exhaling just as deeply. He tried to keep his breathing regular and even lest he let the light headedness come creeping in and he become incapable of taking care of Danny. For a long moment, Steve stood there breathing in and out until he was grounded and he could continue with his op.
Back to Danny then. Steve set his watch for an alarm of every 15 minutes so he could check on Danny and then cleaned up his mess, throwing away their tee shirts and the remains of Danny’s pants and socks. He wiped the table and the counters and then washed the pan. When he was done and satisfied, Steve put more wood on the fire and opened up his own pack to get some water. He collapsed on the chair and noticed his hands were shaking as he drank deeply from the bottle.
The rain was still coming down, thudding hard on the metal roof, but inside the shed they were warm and dry. Steve opened his eyes awakened by the alarm on his watch. He’d fallen asleep at the table, head buried on his arms, body bent forward in the chair. He checked again for cell service but neither his or Danny’s phone had any bars. Well at least they were safe from the storm even though Steve was smart enough to know that Danny’s foot needed medical attention. But for now it was ok. Steve would go out later and run down the mountain until he found service and call for help.
He rose, his muscles protesting, and bent down to check Danny’s breathing and heart rate. Danny’s skin was cool though not overly so. His eyes were closed and he was making little noises as he slept. A crushing wave of something so tangible that Steve could almost touch it washed over him and he stared for a long moment at his friend. Steve told himself that if they got out of this then he would definitely at least try to show Danny what his true intentions were because Steve was pretty
Sure that Danny was on the same page as he was.
Crisis averted, Steve thought, as Danny seemed stable and sleeping. Steve very carefully climbed onto the cot with him, wrapped an arm around Danny’s waist and he laid his head against Danny’s muscular shoulder. Steve was careful not to touch Danny’s foot and the cot was seriously big
enough for two. And Steve was exhausted.
“You could at least take me out to dinner before sleeping with me,” Danny whispered, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Steve gazed upon that face he had known for the last 8 months, 6 days, whatever hours. He was in love with that face, with this small bossy and short tempered man. He didn’t ever want to think of what he would do without him.
“Always about food with you,” Steve groused with good humor.
“Hey Babe, you wanna bed me ya gotta feed me first.” Danny raised his arm closest to Steve as if an invitation and Steve settled down with his head on that magnificently sculpted chest. Despite everything that had happened that day, Danny smelled like the soap from the soft tee and that unique scent that was just Danny—American Crew hair gel, Adidas soap, Dove deodorant and today an under layer of sweat though not unpleasant.
“Get some rest. It’s still raining and we have no service.”
“Take a hike he said. It’ll be fun he said.” Danny stroked Steve’s back with lazy fingers. Danny’s movements were languid and loose. “Yeah yeah I’ll go to sleep but when I wake up we better be having a three course meal.”
“We’ll eat the lunch we brought though I think that’s toast with the heat and humidity. Meat doesn’t keep..” Steve waited for Danny to answer him but there was no response. The smaller man had fallen asleep hand now still and mouth lax. Steve closed his eyes, turned off his watch alarm and sighed, surrounded in Danny’s scent.
Steve woke with a start. He hadn’t meant to fall so deeply asleep but now he saw why he had woke up. Danny was on the move and trying to stand.
“Hey what are you doing?” Steve scrambled off the cot and pushed Danny gently down again so he was sitting.
“Is that a bathroom?” Danny waved one hand towards the small room off the kitchenette. “If so, I gotta go. If not I gotta venture outside.”
“No yeah it’s a bathroom. It’s good actually. Chemical toilet and nice vanity. Here let me help you.” Steve took Danny’s hands and pulled him up, then put an arm under him to support him as they walked across the floor, Danny keeping his foot up grunting in exertion and pain as the blood flowed to his foot.
“Fucking hurts, McGarrett. Did you use a fucking needle and thread to sew it up?”
“Yeah. My embroidery badge is coming up so I made X’s and O’s on your toes.” Steve pulled down Danny’s sweats, pivoted him around and set him down on the toilet. Danny pushed Steve away and flailed his hands around.
“Ok ok ok go away now! Geez! Shut the door!”
Steve chuckled and left the room, pulling the folding door closed, and checked the fire. It gave off heat but wasn’t built up any longer. It was ok for now, the SEAL thought.
Curious, because Earlier he hadn’t explored the cupboards in the small kitchenette, Steve opened the bottom doors of the large cupboard to the right of the sink. Inside were cans of Spam, beef stew, soups and puddings. He pulled out two cans of stew and a pudding then found a small basin to dump the stew into. This he put on the one burner of the two burner hot plate and turned the heat on low.
“Steve? Wanna help me for a sec?”
Danny was calling him so Steve pushed back the door and peeked around the corner. Danny was trying to stand but wasn’t having too much success as he was trying to keep the weight off his injured foot. Steve hurried in and held Danny up under his arms.
“Get your pants up,” Steve said, sneaking a peek at Danny’s cock. Impressive even limp. Immediately, Steve felt his face burn and he cleared his throat and concentrated on taking Danny’s weight.
“Yeah I’m doing that ok ...I’m good.” Danny fumbled around but his sweats were indeed up. “Wanna wash my hands.”
Danny glanced at the taller man as they hobbled over to the sink. “What? What are you smirking about? I know that look. What are you up to?”
“Not smirking,” Steve said, still holding Danny under his arms while the blonde washed his hands.
Their eyes met in the mirror and Steve grinned that lopsided smile that melted Danny’s heart. The man was so gorgeous but if Danny didn’t know better there was a hint of devilment in those dark blue eyes.
“What? Why are you smiling like that you lunatic?” And then it dawned on Danny. “Oh my God did you... did you LOOK, Steven????”
“Impressive.” Steve grinned a dopey kind of smile that lit up his face.
“Fucker,” Danny mumbled but there was no malice in his tone. The very fact that Steve had looked validated some of Danny’s own thoughts.
“Gonna take you to the table. I found dinner.”
“Oh yeah? I suppose our sandwiches aren’t any good after rotting in this heat. What did you find?” Danny sat down heavily in the chair and winced. His foot throbbed with every beat of his heart and he seriously wished he had some whiskey or rum or scotch or a saw so he could cut the damn thing off! Stupid effed up hike.
“Dinty Moore, man. And pudding for dessert!” Steve said proudly. He brought the pan over and dug through his pack to find spoons from his mess kit. “Not gonna lie man. There’s no bowls so we eat al fresco.”
“That isn’t... what that means... “ Danny rolled his eyes. Danny looked dubiously at the brown chunky stew in the pan and found just the smell made him nauseas. It reminded Danny of dog food.
“Ok Chef Daniel come on. Eat up!” Steve dug his spoon into the brown mixture enthusiastically and began shoveling the food into his mouth. It was hearty and good and Steve had not realized how hungry he was.
Danny shook his head and pushed the spoon away. His stomach was upset and his foot hurt so badly that he was sure he couldn’t eat and he wasn’t going to try even though he knew Steve was watching him.
“You should try to eat,” Steve said, tapping his spoon against the pan.
“I can’t. I just can’t,” Danny answered. He took a deep breath and sat back in the chair. With every beat of his heart, his foot throbbed. “But hey, enjoy!”
Steve continued to eat but his unwavering gaze was on Danny, watching him closely. When the stew was gone, Steve got up, washed and rinsed the pan then returned and sat down again eyes on Danny.
“Stop it.”
“You’re sweating again. You have a fever. That’s not good.” Steve came around the table and held his hand to Danny’s forehead. It was clammy and warm.
“Tell me we have cell service,” Danny said. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake. All he wanted to do was close his eyes and slip away.
“No but since it’s let up raining I’m going out to find a place to call Chin to tell him to send up a couple ATVs for us. Get you to a hospital.” Steve pulled out a windbreaker from his pack and slipped it over his head. “Just wait here for me—“
“No I thought I’d head to Maui and play some tennis,” Danny groused.
“There you go.. hey... don’t try to get up. Just sit there and wait for me,” Steve said. Without thinking, Steve kissed the top of Danny’s head and then stepped out into the waning storm.
The path was muddy and full of leaves and small sticks that had been brought down by the winds and pummeling rain. It was just drizzling now but the dusky light made everything grey and bleak looking. Steve trotted up the trail going opposite the direction he and Danny had come from while constantly checking the phone he held in his hand. After ten minutes, he hit a bar so he stopped and called Chin’s number hoping his friend would answer.
“Steve? Where are you guys? There was a helluva storm up your way—“
“Yeah Chin it was awful but I found a line shack to hole up in. That’s where we’re at. Can you ping my phone. I know we’re off the Pineapple Trail but I’m not sure how far!”
“Yeah hang on.”
“And Chin, send a medic with the ATVs. Danny is hurt. Stepped in a trap. I did what I could but he’s not well.” Steve paused feeling his heart lurch at those words. Danny looked awful in fact. He shouldn’t have slept this afternoon. He should have tried to get a signal. What if Danny —
“Gotcha! Hang on ok? I’ll tell them to go to the shack and pick you guys up.”
“Thanks, brother,” Steve said and meant it. The sooner help showed up the better!
Steve returned to the cabin, the jog easier now that he knew help was coming, and pushed open the door. He mentally checked off what he needed to do— clean up his trash, put out the fire, retrieve their clothes, take down his rope. He’d send some money to the Utility Company to replace the first aid supplies and food.
Danny was still at the table. He was panting slightly, trying to rub his leg while he rocked on the chair. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead and he had no colour in his face except a grey pallor.
“Hey buddy, help is coming! Got a hold of Chin who is sending the troops.” Steve squeezed Danny’s hand and Danny nodded.
“Good old Chin.”
“Yeah he’s always reliable, right?” Steve crouched in front of Danny and touched Danny’s face, long fingers gracing Danny’s cheekbones and petting the stubble on his chin. “Gotta just hang in there.”
“ Yeah I’m good. I really can’t get over one thing though,” Danny mumbled leaning into Steve’s touch.
“What’s that?” Steve caressed Danny’s jaw and neck, fingertips feeling the warmth, the life there. His hand found Danny’s pulse. It was rapid but steady.
“I cannot believe... in my heart of hearts... that you ate that horrible awful stew from a can..” Danny began giggling and Steve shook his head.
“You’re something else.”
“Is Chin... he’s coming here?” Danny reached out and took a hold of one of Steve’s hands and held it reverently against his clammy cheek.
“I don’t think so. I think he’s just sending the Rangers and an EMT.” Steve squeezed Danny’s hand and wondered if his partner was slipping back into shock. “Come on. Why don’t you lie down again and rest til they get here,” Steve suggested. Danny just made a little noise in his throat in response and made no move to get up. “Danny,” Steve said a bit louder. “Come on.”
“Give me a minute just give me a minute...” Danny pushed Steve’s hands away and closed his eyes as if he was summoning strength. “Yeah ok sure just... a minute...” Danny sighed and took both of Steve’s hands to pull himself up, keeping his foot off the floor. “Fuck!”
“I’m sorry, Danny but I think it would be better if you lie down here until help comes. There, that’s it.” Steve put the backpacks under Danny’s legs to elevate them and covered him up with both blankets. Steve then collapsed to a sitting position beside the blonde, one hand on Danny’s arm.
If only... Steve shook his head as he thought about what he should have done better, what he could have done to avoid this. Rationally, he knew there was nothing he could have done but emotionally he was all over the place in his head. They should have left the peak sooner... or waited it out up there... but then there was the lightning and the torrential rain... Danny could have been beside him instead of in back of him on the path... oh God, he never wanted this to happen! Steve ran a hand through his dark hair and drew his knees up to rest his arms on them, all of his emotions playing in his head. When had he realized that he was in love with the short mouthy Jersey cop?
Something sparked when they had met in his Dad’s garage; he felt the tug even then though he had pushed it away ever since. Danny was his partner. Danny had been married to a woman. Danny touched everyone like he did Steve except he didn’t...
Steve had been in love with a man only once before, not counting the quick encounters he occasionally had on shore leave or when he was able to have a night off in a big city port. That man he’d first loved was his SEAL partner; Freddie Hart was going to be a father, was going to be married to a lovely girl, could not ever return the intense feelings that Steve harbored for him. Those feelings and emotions had been buried when Steve had left Freddie behind on the battleground. Steve still dreamed about it even though in his dreams the outcome was always the same— Freddie telling him to go on and Freddie never coming home to that wife and little girl.
So the big question...Was Danny interested? Did Danny share the emotional and physical attraction that Steve felt or was it just friendship? Steve wasn’t sure. Sometimes, it seemed that Danny was checking Steve out, those brilliant aqua eyes flitting up and down Steve’s body like Steve was the dessert menu. Other times, there was just an affection that bordered on their friendship, nothing deeper. And for sure, the Detective had wormed his way under Steve’s skin until Steve was compelled to notice every little nuance of lip licking, tongue jutting, sarcastic retorting that Danny displayed. Steve couldn’t tell if Danny was interested in going down that path and that, ladies and gentlemen, was the puzzling part. Danny had after all been married to a woman, a woman who had lost her life through a drunk driver who had plowed into the car and killed her instantly.
Steve knew the story. Danny had confided in him. When Rachel had died in that car accident,
Danny had gone off the deep end with grief. He’d started to drink and show up for work late at the precinct where he once had a stellar reputation. Danny’s younger brother, Matty, had been able to talk some sense into Danny, and Danny had seen a therapist, and part of that therapy was to choose someplace far away from Jersey where Danny would be able to heal. Danny put in for a transfer to Hawaii of all places and his request was approved, possibly because he was not a native and the police department had a ratio to keep. Danny had arrived in Hawaii ready to work with HPD but when Steve had run into him in the garage, Steve had plucked him from HPD to H50. That seemed like so long ago.
Steve shook himself out of his reverie and checked his watch. It had been 45 minutes since he’d called Chin. He stood up and stretched then checked Danny, categorizing his pulse and respiration. Steve didn’t like how clammy Danny’s skin felt under Steve’s hand and he wished for the millionth time that the EMTs would arrive soon. How long did it take to organize a S&R party?
And as if his Fairy Godmother was granting that wish, Steve heard a buzzing noise! He listened intently, his head cocked, and yes there it was, the sounds of motors. He raced to the door and stepped outside to find 3 ATVs approaching on the path, wheels making short order of the mud and debris. Thank Christ! To Steve’s surprise, Chin was on one of the off road vehicles!
“Steve!” Chin jumped off the seat and ran over followed by 3 EMTs in their blue and grey uniforms.
“Good to see you!” Steve clasped his hand in Chin’s then indicated that the medics should follow him. Danny was sitting up on the cot looking quite owly, his blonde hair spiky and unkept.
“Hey Chin,” the blonde muttered. “Steve didn’t think you’d come.” The medics had descended with kits in hands and muttered among themselves while they checked Danny’s vitals and the laceration on his foot. One of the 3 turned to Steve.
“Did you do first aid to this foot , Commander?” He asked indicating The line of stitches on Danny’s skin. Steve was alarmed to see the foot was so swollen and red, looking a lot worse than it had.
“I did using a kit I found among the first aid supplies. It wouldn’t stop bleeding... I just needed it to stop bleeding...” Steve felt Chin’s steadying hand on his arm. Oh God, what was wrong with his own head? Why was he feeling like this? Why were there dark spots dancing in front of his eyes?
“Steve? Steve?”
Chin’s voice so far away so far—
Steve felt the chair beneath his butt as Chin propelled him into it. Was he fainting? He’d never fainted before. His head felt wonky and his eyelids heavy.
Suddenly there was a sharp snap and the smell of ammonia pervaded his senses. Steve sat upright, shaking his head and snuffling.
“Commander? Are you with us?”
Steve focused on the concerned face of the medic in front of him. Slowly his sense of reality returned.
“Oh man... sorry...” Steve took a deep breath and looked up at Chin who was also hovering. The good looking native smiled and his eyes were kind. Steve swallowed the lump in his throat. What the hell was wrong with him, first fainting then trying to cry??
“Steve, you’ve been through a lot too.” Chin said softly, one hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Ready to go home?”
“Absolutely.” Steve stood up shaking off the medic’s hand. “I’m good.” He looked over at the cot but it was empty. They had taken Danny away while he was experiencing his dizzy spell.
“I’d ask you if you want to drive,” Chin said with an amused look on his face, “but I’m afraid you’re going to have to sit this one out.”
Chin let Steve lead the way to the one remaining off road vehicles and hovered as Steve climbed into the passenger seat of the machine. They were 2 passenger ATVs with a long chassis vehicle bed and especially equipped for mountain and jungle rescue. Steve could have kissed the dashboard he was so glad to get out of there.
Chin tapped the ignition and put it into gear and they were off down the muddy trail following the path that the other ATVs had created. Steve held on to the dash as the vehicle jettisoned down the trail.
“Oh wait backpacks?” Steve said over the din of the motor.
“Don’t worry. The medics have them.”
“What a fucked up Saturday,” Steve muttered.
“Danny’s a tough guy. He’ll be chirping you soon enough. Just give him a few days.”
“I should have done something more,” Steve said. He grabbed a hold of the handle next to his seat as they were traversing down a hill and Chin was not letting up on the gas.
“You did great. Stopped the bleeding. Mac, the head EMT said he never saw stitches that even!”
Steve was quiet, thinking about how different it would have been if they had not encountered misfortune on this hike. Maybe Danny and him would have kissed a little after eating their lunches. ( or maybe Danny would have pushed Steve down a hill if Danny had been offended!)
“Life, brah, is funny. You might think that it’s the worst that could happen or you might think you got off lucky. You’re both going to be fine, even Danny after he sees a doctor.”
“I think I’ll stick with dates at the sports park from now on,” Steve said.
“So this was a date?” Chin asked a bit too eagerly for a zen guy like Chin.
“Not a date really... just... I dunno...” and suddenly Steve had the communication prowess of a snail. He shut his mouth and looked at the approaching parking lot where his truck stood. The EMT’s were loading Danny into an ambulance while S&R were standing by with their truck and ramp to take the off road vehicles back.
“Hey Steve!? I know it’s not my business, but Danny likes you. You guys have to stop pretending there’s not magic between you or you’re going to regret all of the wasted time.” Chin looked at Steve and saw the stubborn set of the handsome man’s jaw. “Ok, I’m shutting up. Just saying.”
He pulled the vehicle up to Steve’s truck and threw the keys at the truck driver who nodded at them when he caught them.
“I need a ride. I came with Jeff that big medic there,” Chin pointed at one of the EMTs who was closing the ambulance doors.
“I gotta find out where they’re taking him,” Steve said as he looked over to where Jeff stood.”hey! What hospital you taking him to?”
“Queens. I highly recommend you get checked out too Commander,” Jeff said, clapping Steve on the shoulder.
“Naw I’m ok. Just want to be there for Danny.”
Steve walked back to the truck ignoring the way his head felt. He had a major headache and it was to the point where the pain was timed with the beat of his heart.
“Want me to drive, Steve?” Chin asked amiably but the Seal was already headed to the driver side of the truck and pulling himself in to the seat. Chin shrugged, sighed and climbed into the passenger side.
Danny was drifting. The medic had given him an injection of something at the shed and it had taken away any of the throbbing in his foot. The stretcher felt like heaven even though the ambulance was lurching and jostled him with every bump it hit. The nice paramedics were leaving his foot alone as they rode but had placed a heart monitor on him as well as given him an oxygen candela that made him breathe a lot easier. When they arrived at the hospital, Danny heard them talking about surgery and an IV but he was still floating so he didn’t give a shit. It was nice to just float.
He wondered where Steve was. He missed the physical presence of the long limbed putz of a partner; Steve was so handsome with that dark hair sticking up in cowlicks and those eyes that turned from dark blue to green depending on his mood but it was if the man had no clue the effect he had on people. Danny tried to ask about Steve but a nice nurse with very gentle hands was cutting off Danny’s shirt and sweatpants and somewhere in Danny’s foggy memory was the sensation of Steve cutting his jeans from him. 2 pair of pants, he thought. Done in by scissors. It was kind of funny and he giggled.
Suddenly Danny was lifted by the blanket and put into a bed of sorts. The nice nurse was sliding a needle under his skin on the back of his hand and he grimaced but didn’t cry out. She patted his head and Danny thought that a nice hair pet would feel so good. Maybe Steve could do it. Where was Steve? Danny closed his eyes and felt nothing more.
“Williams. Danny Williams. He was brought in with a foot laceration.” Steve drummed his fingers on the metal tray outside of the hospital information window.
The nurse glared at him for his tone then entered the name in the computer.
“He’s being treated, Commander McGarrett. Just take a seat and wait.”
“Oh you know my name,” Steve said with surprise. He didn’t recognize her but he’d been here enough that he knew he was kind of a regular.
“Yes, Commander. We all know who you are. Now take a seat.”
Steve resisted the urge to salute her and instead walked over to where Chin was sitting and sat heavily down beside him.
“Anything?” Chin asked.
“He’s being treated.” Steve sighed. For the first time he was hungry and his stomach was making noises. He tried to ignore it but Chin had heard and was already on the move.
“Listen, Steve, while we wait how about I go get some burgers from the stand across the lot there? I’m starving.”
Steve nodded and went for his cargo pants pocket to pull his wallet out before he realized he had locked it in the truck and hadn’t retrieved it.
“No, man, I’ll get,” Chin laughed. It seemed like Steve was keeping his reputation of being cheap alive even in the midst of a crisis. Chin walked away to the entrance and pushed out the doors while Steve watched his retreating figure. Nothing to do but wait. At least his head wasn’t so fuzzy any longer.
Steve slumped in the hard plastic hospital chair and scrubbed a hand over his face. He knew Danny wasn’t on death’s door but the fact that he was in surgery was disconcerting. Should they have tried to brave the rain and just walked to the truck? Would Danny have bled out too much that way? Steve was second guessing himself and it wasn’t in a comfortable place to be.
Danny in surgery. Danny holding his foot writhing in pain. Danny being sassy and standing toe to toe with Steve arguing about grenades and risk taking. Danny in the summer sun, streaky blond hair coiffed just so, muscles moving under those ridiculously fitted dress shirts. Danny looking at him in such a manner as to whether or not malasadas were actually good for a human being. Danny smiling. Frowning. Laughing. Drinking a beer, throat muscles moving as he swallowed. Danny with eyes like aqua crystals.
Steve tried to ramp down his feelings but they festered right under the surface and threatened to spill over in a flood of emotions. Steve bent his head and rubbed his hands through his hair trying to calm down his rapid breathing.
“Steve? Hey, brah, I’m right here.”
Chin. A steady hand on Steve’s shoulder grounded the brunette. Steve looked up into the gentle concerned face of the Hawaiian.
“Yeah sorry I was just...” Steve waved a hand in the air then accepted the bag from Panera that Chin held out for him. How much longer would this day go, Steve wondered but instead told Chin thanks and tried to eat a sandwich.
Danny heard what sounded like a steady beeping noise. He tried to place that noise as he had heard it before. But where and most importantly, where was he now? His eyelids felt sluggish as did his whole body. It was as if he was a loaf of dough left on the counter.
He looked around the room. Hospital. The beeping was from his IV. He was additionally hooked up to a monitor.
“Hello?” He called put, his voice extra gravelly from anesthesia and sleep. Maybe he had a call bell so he fumbled around on the bed and then took a look at the rails of his bed.
“You’re awake! That’s good, Detective Williams.”
Danny groaned as he recognized the Charge Nurse of Floor C, the surgical floor which was familiar to Danny because of the injuries Steve had accumulated over the course of the last 8 months.
Hi Nora.” Danny waved one hand and shook his head. “Sorry about this. My day off wasn’t supposed to include a trip to surgery.”
“You and McGarrett need to stick to non life threatening activities on those days.” Nora bustled around the room, closing the blinds and coming over to the side of Danny’s bed to check his IV. He watched her in silence but her eyes soon made contact with his and he raised his eyebrows.
“I just have a cut on my foot. Hardly seemed necessary for surgery.”
“You lost a fair amount of blood from that ‘cut.’ You needed to have the wound debraided, cleaned and stitched.as the laceration cut to the bone. You’re going to be walking on crutches for a while, Detective Williams.” She smiled an enigmatic smile at him and adjusted the port on his hand. “Are you nauseous?”
“Not really,” Danny shrugged.
“Good. We’ll get you some dinner.”
“Hey uh is Steve here?” Danny asked hesitantly. Did the SEAL stay or did he go home? Danny hoped Steve stayed but if not he could accept that too.
“Yes I do believe he’s harassing the admissions nurse. Hang tight. I’ll get him.”
Danny watched her leave then lay back in bed, huffing an exhausted sigh. The day felt like a week and he wondered what time it was. He hoped Steve had his cell and watch.
“Danny!”
Steve loped Into the hospital room looking frantic. His face was a combination of excitement, worry and pain.
“Hey. Come here.” Danny opened his arms in an invitation and Steve threw himself into the hug with a grunt. He almost hit Danny in the face with his head but as he settled his long self on the bed, he cuddled his head against Danny’s chest and Danny petted Steve’s hair. Steve smelled like stale sweat and motor oil but those had never smelled so good.
“I’m sorry Danny. I should have just brought you down the damn mountain instead of doing the first aid thing..”
Danny held Steve and kept petting him reassuring him. “You know if you hadn’t used that thing to stitch me up I might have bled to death before you brought me down.” Steve increased his hold around Danny’s waist and Danny felt Steve take a shuddery breath.
“ I’m sorry. I’m sorry...”
“Steve? Steven. Look at me.” Danny pulled away and sat back in his bed so Steve would have to sit up. “Stop blaming yourself, Babe. You saved my life by taking care of me and calling S&R. You couldn’t help that I stepped on that damn trap.” Danny’s hands, those tanned expressive hands with the strong fingers, brushed the tears away from Steve’s face. “No tears, buddy. You’re ok. I’m ok.”
“Yeah... yeah you’re ok.” Steve sniffled and swallowed hard then gently took Danny’s hand in his and kissed Danny’s palm and fingers.
“You adorable goof,” Danny whispered. He felt Steve burrow into him even more so he just petted Steve’s soft hair. “It all seems like a bad dream.”
“Yeah, man, I’m sorry. I thought it would be a good day but instead it was so fucked up.” Steve kissed Danny’s neck then squirmed so he was propped up by an elbow as he looked directly into Danny’s eyes. “Next time it’s a sports park or a mall or something.”
“No sports parks. I hate the Mall. How about beer and pizza and tv?” Danny chuckled softly.
“That’s certainly a plan.” Steve grinned. Danny answered the look with a smile of his own, the very act telling Steve that perhaps, just perhaps, he had some kind of future with the Jersey cop.
“Seal it with a kiss then,” Danny whispered and as Steve bent his head to do just that, Chin and Lou and Kono wandered in, heralding their arrival with noisy conversation.
“Rain check?” Steve laughed and sat up on the bed, careful not to jostle Danny’s foot which was propped up on a pillow.
“Please. I think I’ll skip the rain thing,” Danny laughed. But his heart was full and he knew that no matter what they both faced in the future they’d do so together, rain or shine.
- [ ]