I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Notes: look a whole story not only under 20 chapters, but nicely completed under 10! Yay! And TheDogo said it couldn't be done - ha! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews - Happy New Year!

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

Chapter Six

Their count was timed perfectly to Danny's stubbornly determined motions to force the heavy Marquis skywards the few inches needed to free its captive. The old car squealed and groaned in protest despite its short journey and Steve gasped, his eyes closing to blink back a flood of reactive tears as the two medics simply spun him out from where he'd been trapped. The movement of the creeper combined with the rapid freeing of his leg left him dizzy, forcing his eyes closed as his hearing momentarily fizzled into a disconcerting whiteout.

"Commander?" The medic. But the buzzing in his head increased, rendering him helpless to answer in lieu of a distressing wave of dizziness which conjured up old remembered late nights resulting in disastrous alchohol-induced bed spins. Except for the fact that this time, he lacked the fun of the previous night's antics. Plus, having even a combination of water and sports drink rattling in his stomach - no matter how small the amount - was suddenly feeling less than pleasant.

"Steven?" Of course, Danny would be right there after easing the car back down. Steve was breathing hard and unable to answer either the medic or Danny in order to force the nausea down as his right leg was palpitated. Now that he was free, the medics were focused intently on investigating the soundness and general health of the damaged limb.

"Yeah, Danny," Steve finally started to talk and was just about to win the battle against the nausea when his boot was unlaced for gentle fingers to begin assessing whatever unnamed damage might suddenly be found. Prickly spikes of heated pain made him slam his mouth closed to focus on controlling his desire to jerk his leg away.

"Steve? How are you doing?" Danny was crouched down behind Steve's head, a hand glued to each of his shoulders as he watched the two medics pour their attention over his friend's right lower leg and ankle. "Guys? How is he?"

From Danny's vantage, and other than being covered in oily grime, there was no blood or obvious signs of an injury except for the medics' combined attention. But no one was talking and so, his stress level began to skyrocket enough for his fingers to grip Steve's shoulders more tightly than intended.

"It's still there," Danny murmured faintly.

"Thanks for that, Danno. I can tell," Steve eventually ground out through gritted teeth as the gentle fingers probed a bit more deeply and he grimaced in reaction. He reached up with his left hand to reassuringly tap one of Danny's in kind, then he wiggled his toes when asked and duly answered each question to the EMT's satisfaction. Though his head throbbed in synch to his heartbeat, the world had righted to its normal self and even his resentful stomach was happily cooperating. "Hurts … but I'm good … it's okay."

"You're right. It looks good, Commander, and the digital pulse seems decent," the first medic stated his initial approval before adding a wise caveat. Before voicing it though, he glanced up when shadows blocked the light from the doorway. The fire department had arrived, along with reinforcements from the police department who had recognized the Commander's personal home address from Grace's frantic call for help.

"What do you need?" A fireman asked, squinting in the dim light to, at minimum, see that the injured man had been freed.

"He's out ... we're about to move him and get him out of this hot-box. Overall, things are looking fairly good," the EMT replied, easily. "Well, good enough for a tentative diagnosis that nothing seems to be outwardly broken."

He turned his attention back towards Steve with a satisfied smile. "You've sustained bruising, a decent amount of swelling and just about anything can be lurking underneath that I can't necessarily feel. We'll take you in so the docs in the ER can do their thing; count on an x-ray or two to be sure. Plus, you need to cater to your body's need for hydration."

"Lucky," Danny drilled his fingers into Steve's shoulders as relief flooded his entire body. His partner looked terrible from the filthy face to the exhaustion which creased both of his eyes. Steve was overheated under his hands and sticky with sweat. The thick smells of a well-used and aged workshop only made the entire situation worse than it seemed to be; and for that, Danny was happily relieved because Steve would be fine.

"Damned lucky; I thought your ankle was cut in half under this behemoth of yours," Danny said, moving aside now for the medics to take over.

"Told you ... just stuck," Steve gave him an upside-down half grin, pleased that the medics were optimistic about what he first thought had happened. "It would have been much worse if you hadn't decided to come. I'm so glad you two showed up when you did."

"No kidding." The loud snort of acknowledgment from the older medic clearly concurred as he and his partner carefully propped Steve up between them while still seated on the creeper. The rescuers were not enjoying the stifling heat inside the old shed and they'd only been suffering it for less than twenty minutes.

"If sitting isn't too bad, do you think you can stand and then hop out to the gurney without putting any weight on your foot?" The first asked as Steve raised his arms willingly to be helped at least to one foot.

"Absolutely," Steve was rallying despite the sway to his body and the way each of his joints protested, or the way his back and legs seized as muscles remembered how to work. He was more sore than he anticipated though, with pins and needles shooting up and down his spine and into the backs of his thighs.

"Wait," he murmured as the real change to a standing position prompted a severe bout of unsteadiness. "Wait ... wow." He stood for a long moment, anchored by two sets of strong arms as his body combatted another surprising flush of vertigo. He vaguely heard Danny's voice and then the two EMT's speaking, but he failed to utter a word. Moments later, he wasn't given an opportunity to reply as his head sagged forward and he felt himself literally lifted off the ground.

More hands supported those of the EMT's as he left the heat of the shed and entered the bright sunshine, then was touted on to a shady area where a gurney awaited. He moaned as the light pierced even his closed eyelids and worsened the migraine to previously unknown levels. He gagged and coughed, brow furrowed and yet still arguing as he was laid flat and an oxygen mask was held firmly held in place over his nose and mouth.

He came to himself just outside the ambulance with Danny anxiously pacing a scuffed hole in the pavement. He had Grace by the hand and frightened tears were now officially streaming down her face. He was once more in the shade and the EMT's were anxiously catering to his needs, but the bright sunlight continually made him wince as his headache drilled the base of his skull.

"Grace, it's okay," Steve's whisper was hoarse, but he was wholly remorseful at having caused her fear to escalate. "I'm okay, sweetie."

"No, you're a mess." Danny noted, not too unkindly. He let a long shallow breath of air pass over his lips as he watched Steve regain his composure. Worsened by the brightness of the day, Steve's eyes glittered from the tell-tale ache in his head. His friend was filthy, haggard, out of sorts; acting far too compliant and Danny suspected that a true sense of thanks at being found - and even humbled by the accident - was directly to blame.

Steve didn't argue as he was dutifully strapped to the gurney for transport. That lack of attitude earned him another studious look from Danny, but frankly Steve was exhausted and willing to do anything to be away from the dour depths of his own shed. He had faith that his ankle would prove to be fine and so, he could only sigh in relief as a breeze ruffled his damp hair and lifted the neckline of his ruined t-shirt as the gurney was positioned in order to be loaded into the ambulance. His only ongoing concern was Grace as she sniffled, eyes-wide with uncertainty and sporting a face that was continually damp with tears.

"Danny," he tried to speak but was cut-off mid-sentence. Their shared look caused Steve to dare smile one last time, crinkling the smudged dirt by his eyes. Danny shook his head, but his emotions were coming back down into check as he returned the weary grin.

"Of all things, Steven," Danny's voice was lower now. Still, he lightly tossed one hand up in the air as the other cuddled his daughter comfortingly to his side. He thumbed back over his shoulder with a final weak glare lobbed towards the stifling shed where Steve might have suffered some very real trouble. "Stuck in your own damned shed … and under … under … your own car? I had no idea … none."

"Like I said before, I'm beyond glad that you two swung by." His expression stayed further movement of the gurney and it communicated enough for Danny to nod in relieved agreement as he pushed Grace forward. She lurched towards the gurney to take Steve's hand, standing close enough for him to gently stroke her dark hair.

"Thank you, Grace. How about a barbecue later tonight and then a rain check on the hike?" He whispered the offer covertly with a gleam in his eye which still found its aim directly to her father.

"Yes, okay," Grace agreed softly, a tentative smile slowly breaking free. She used one hand to wipe the tears from her face, reluctant to loosen the tight hold she had on his hand with the other. He had scared her as much as he had been bordering so long on the very same feelings. A glance towards her father substantiated the same, though only the lack of diatribe proved he too was finally calming.

"We'll follow in the car," Danny promised, when the EMT's gave him a subtle signal. He walked forward to loop an arm more casually around Grace's shoulders when she was forced to separate from Steve. Though decidedly more subdued, Danny was still worried and would remain so until those he considered qualified experts looked at his friend's leg adequately enough to meet his satisfaction.

"I'm fine, Danny," Steve grinned as Danny pawed his face for the thousandth time. He smirked when he got the reaction he wanted and Danny's voice rose along to sing a tune with his right hand.

"Almost. You are almost fine, Steve," Danny snarked back with a finger slammed in the air between them. However, an answering smile lurked devilishly below the surface based on the tone of his voice. "X-rays and whatever the ER docs deem necessary. But yeah, a barbecue sounds perfect if … and only if … you're allowed out. Afterwards, we can discuss that generous offer of a raincheck."

Steve's eyebrows raised in mock horror as his eyes met Grace's before the ambulance doors were slammed shut. She bit her lip as Steve's face disappeared from view and against her amazed giggle which spontaneously bubbled up because Danno had heard after all.

H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O* H5O*

Hours later and with his badly bruised ankle elevated on a pillow and surrounded by strategically placed ice packs, Steve sat on a lounge chair on his lanai. The sun had set long ago and Grace was comfortably cradled in his arms. He was surprised that she had decided to tuck herself onto his lap. Without a doubt, he was distinctly unable to hide his pleased smile.

As he had suspected, the doctors in the emergency room had confirmed that his ankle was merely bruised. His over-heated body was cooled and his budding issues related to dehydration were corrected with a round of fluids. Once his headache had eased, he'd even slept through part of the process, opening his eyes to find both Danny and Grace patiently waiting; and in much better mutual frames of mind. Stabilized and approved for discharge, Steve had been released with orders to rest, continue to hydrate, and take over the counter pain medications as required.

Nothing else was needed, because he was essentially fine. But in reality, he knew how very lucky he'd been.

Danny and Grace had carted him home and then gone shopping to kick off a barbecue that easily would have fed a small starving army. He would have been okay with their picnic lunch, packed with care by Grace. However, after he'd been shoe-horned into a shower and made to take a nap, father and daughter wouldn't settle for that idea. Instead, they had a full course meal after which, the three had enjoyed their time together, relaxing and joking until the stars had begun to sparkle. Even then and with eyes burning from fatigue, they were loathe to leave each other.

Steve softly sighed to acknowledge his sense of relief: there was no rust-encrusted aluminum roof that night. To his right, Danny occupied another lounge chair where he was soundly sleeping much like his daughter. Curled almost on his side, his head slumped down towards Steve as he softly snored in a content sleep.

Steve smiled, staring at Danny as his chest rose and fell almost in time to the waves he could hear lapping the shoreline. He'd ransacked Steve's drawers for a cleaner shirt to replace what he'd ruined during his crawl under the Marquis. Danny likely didn't even know what he'd selected and Steve chuffed an amused sound at the sight of the ancient Kukui High School varsity t-shirt. In his arms, Grace briefly fidgeted at his subtle movement before tucking her head under his chin. He was stuck again, but this time it was around an incredible feeling of rightness.

"Shhh," Steve whispered, happily content as he wrapped his arms around Grace's small body. He gently caressed her bare arm, smiling when she snuggled even closer.

With another measured glance towards Danny, Steve eventually allowed his own eyes to close. He was exhausted, yet continued to be reluctant to sleep. Nonetheless, the murmur of the waves was tranquil and the warm night soothing as a soft breeze came in off the water. Other than Grace's hair, he could only smell the freshness of the ocean. Without a hint of decrepit age and the sickly scent of chemicals, he was already forgetting what had happened in the shed. At least that's what he told himself as he forced his mind away from the raw memory of an unlikely accident to simply listen. Just to be sure though, he peeked up through his lashes to check on Danny one more time, before ensuring the stars were still overhead and that things were as they should be.

He inhaled deeply, gently shushing Grace again when another fidget made her fingers clench his shirt sleeve. Being fine was relative to the acceptable limits of the predicament he was in or place he was at during any given time.

However, at that moment, he was so much better than fine, his heart clenched at the feeling.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he whispered, eyes still closed. "Really, really fine." Minutes later, he too had fallen asleep with a warmly content smile curving his lips in utter peace.

~ END ~