"Do you prefer I address you as Commander? Or Steve?" Dr. Yamamoto asked.

Steve was sitting in the chair next to the doctor, declining his invitation to sit on the more comfortable couch. Commander McGarrett was not the first SEAL Dr. Yamamoto had treated and knew to approach with caution. Letting the Commander make the first decisions should lead to a more open relationship.

"I don't know which is considered appropriate," Steve admitted, looking him square in the eye. His resistance to talking with the doctor was in his rigid shoulders, his feet exactly hip width apart flat on the floor. His hands were supposedly folded casually in his lap but Dr. Yamamoto could see the white knuckles from their tight grip.

"Either is appropriate. It's whichever you prefer," the doctor said. Steve shrugged stiffly, glancing out the window over Dr. Yamamoto's shoulder.

"Steve."

"Steve it is. You are welcome to call me Akako if you feel comfortable doing so," the doctor invited.

"Red," Steve said to the doctor's nods.

"Yes. It was sunset when I was born. My father looked out the window and the world was ablaze."

"Your parents hadn't chosen a name?" Steve asked, tilting his head in consideration.

"They had expected a girl," Dr. Yamamoto laughed. "I have three sisters who arrived before me. It didn't occur to my parents that I'd be anything but another daughter."

"Any younger sisters?" Steve asked.

"I have a younger brother. It's quite a celebration when we have the opportunity to all return to the home of our parents."

"I would imagine," Steve agreed.

The doctor nodded, waiting patiently. Even though Steve wasn't in his office voluntarily, he would come around to understanding the reasons for the order. Dr. Yamamoto had enough experience to know the patterns, the mental process that each of his patients, especially the military ones, went through before they were able to open up to him.

"Are you waiting for me?" Steve finally asked into the silence.

"Unless you want to hear more about my family, I thought we could discuss the reasons you are here," Dr. Yamamoto confirmed.

"I was left no choice but to see you," Steve said mechanically.

"Yes," the doctor agreed. "Tell me why you think Command resorted to that particular order."

Steve looked away from the doctor, training his stare to the window. He frankly resented being ordered to see a psychiatrist. The past month or so hadn't been that bad. He'd had worse. Not since he went into the reserves but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He always had before. "It started when I was accidently knifed," he found himself saying, the words leaving his mouth before he could control them.

"That was six weeks ago?" the doctor asked.

"Yes. It would have been a routine bust. We'd been tracking a major drug cartel for three weeks. We had all the warehouse exits covered. One of the messengers slipped through. I took off after him."

"Alone," Dr. Yamamoto said, apparently looking for clarification. But Steve felt like it was a reprimand.

"Yes, alone. Danny tells me all the time I need to wait for back-up."

"Danny's your partner," Dr. Yamamoto said in the same tone. "That's Detective Williams."

"Yes. He was yelling at me as I took off after the suspect. I cut through the alley to intercept him. Danny was chasing him directly into my path."

"That's when he sliced your forearm?"

"There was no weapon visible as I began the pursuit. When I reached to tackle him, he produced it from where it had been hidden."

"How long were you in surgery? How many stitches did it take to close the wound?" Dr. Yamamoto prompted when Steve stopped.

"I don't see the relevance," Steve said, standing abruptly. The doctor thought he might be about to bolt but instead went to stand in front of the window, staring out without seeing the scenery.

"Only in that it was the beginning of your current situation," Dr. Yamamoto said.

"I suppose," Steve said, looking down at the scar that ran from the inside of his wrist up to the inside of his elbow. It was still pink, the indentations from the stitches clear. Dr. Brooks had done an excellent job repairing the damage, both times. Steve was kept in the hospital for 36 hours after the surgery as a precaution, despite his protests. It was after he was released that the real trouble started.

~0~

Danny had taken him home from the hospital, of course. The fact that Danny hadn't left his side the entire 36 hours made it inevitable at any rate. The wound was ugly, indicating the seriousness of the injury. The surgery to repair the muscles, tendons, and vessels had lasted much longer than the team had expected. As they waited, they tried to keep the worst case scenarios from playing out in their heads – the blood loss was too much and he'd died on the table; they weren't able to repair all the damage and now Steve had only one arm; they had lost him in the maze of hospital corridors and didn't know where he was.

Those thoughts finally stopped chasing around their heads when Dr. Brooks emerged, tired and relieved. "He lost a lot of blood, as you are all too aware," he told Steve's team. "There was a lot of damage, but we were able to repair it. We need to keep him for observation for the next 36 hours at a minimum."

"Thank you," Chin said. Kono was silently crying in relief. Danny was staring at the doctor as though he was certain they'd been some mistake and Steve truly had died.

"He'll be fine after treatment and physical therapy," Dr. Brooks emphasized, mostly speaking to Danny and the lost look on his face.

"Yes, of course," Danny said, finally emerging from the haze and seeing the relief on the doctor's face. "Thank you. When can we see him?"

"Once he's settled in a room, the nurse will let you know," Dr. Brooks assured them.

Danny sank back in his chair, grateful and exhausted. Steve was going to be okay.

The nurse came and got them shortly after midnight, escorting them to Steve's room. He was still under the effects of the anesthesia, muttering words they could not make out. He was restless, twitching and shifting.

The nurse, Hanalei Māhoe, had not previously had a member of Five-0 as a patient and attempted to argue with Danny about staying overnight. "Commander McGarrett will be fine, Detective. There's no reason for you to remain."

"You've never been his nurse before," Kono said softly. It wasn't a question for all it sounded like it could have been.

"He'll leave as soon as he wakes up if Danny's not here," Chin added.

"He's too weak to do anything more strenuous than sleep," Hanalei responded, looking at them in turn, her expression that of someone about to call for back-up to deal with the crazy that exuded from these three people.

"If he's staying overnight, so am I," Danny said in finality. "If you don't believe it's necessary, I recommend you contact Dr. Brooks. You can be certain he'll voice no objection. In fact, I'm willing to wager he'll encourage you to allow me to stay."

"Perhaps I will contact Dr. Brooks," Hanalei said, thinking she was calling their bluff.

"I recommend it," Chin said. When she looked at him, her tension ebbed ever so slightly. He seemed far less volatile than did the short blond haole who was wound far too tight for her comfort.

She gave a curt nod and left the room. Only a few minutes passed before she returned, her expression completely blank. "Dr. Brooks confirms that your presence may be all the ensures that the Commander remains."

"Thank you," Danny said, refusing to gloat. He was too tired to feel any victory, especially with Steve too pale and too restless in the bed. The too pale was in contrast to the dark red stains covering Danny's shirt and pants – Steve's blood that should have still been inside of him. If only he'd been able to stop the bleeding sooner.

"I'll get you some scrubs," Hanalei said softly, an unspoken apology in her tone. She'd seen Danny look down at his clothes and knew how the sight of the blood must make him feel.

"Thank you," Chin responded. He was pretty sure Danny hadn't heard. All of his focus was on Steve.

Danny had pulled the chair up next to the bed to take hold of Steve's left hand. "It's okay, babe. We're here."

The words and the contact settled Steve. His anxious muttering turned into a sigh, his body and face relaxing into true, unfettered sleep.

"You're being ridiculous," Steve told him the next evening from the hated hospital bed. If it weren't for the IV and the heart monitor, Steve would have slipped out the first chance he saw.

"I am not. You would have left already if I weren't here," Danny said. Accurate to a fault but Steve wasn't going to confirm it. "Stop fighting the meds and go to sleep."

"Don't tell me what to do," Steve retorted. It would have been far more effective if he weren't struggling to keep his eyes open.

"If you listened when I told you what to do, you wouldn't be in the hospital, again. Why? Why won't you ever listen to me?" Danny demanded. "I was one minute away. One minute, Steven. But you couldn't wait. No. Not you. Run full steam after the suspect. Get in his way. Get your arm nearly sliced off."

Danny continued with his lecture complete with much hand waving. Steve watched but didn't really listen. He let the sounds wash over him, soothing the last of the anxiety he'd never admit to feeling since the blood had started spurting out of his arm with each heart beat. He'd been hurt worse but there was something especially distressing about watching your own blood coat your shirt and your pants, pooling on the sidewalk next to you. Only Danny's quick arrival and quick thinking prevented Steve from bleeding to death. He'd used his belt as a tourniquet, slowing the blood flow until the EMTs had arrived to transport him to the hospital.

"…so once you're back to work, we're discussing, again, proper chase procedure," Danny was saying when Steve tuned back in.

"I'll be at work tomorrow," Steve informed him.

"No. No you won't. The doctor said you need to stay out until Monday. I'll be going to work tomorrow. Then I'll be spending the weekend at your house, making sure you don't do anything especially stupid."

"You don't have to babysit me, Danno. I know I have to take it easy," Steve said, watching Danny's blue eyes flash.

"'Take it easy' he says. Like he has any idea what that means. 'Take it easy.' What's your definition of that, huh? Swim 5 miles instead of 10? Run a marathon instead of a triathlon?" Danny demanded. Steve carefully schooled his expression to prevent Danny from seeing how amused he really was by this rant.

"I do not swim 5 miles," Steve finally responded.

"You may as well," Danny said.

"And I've never participated in a triathlon," Steve said. "I have considered it."

"Well, that training will have to wait for at least a month. So will swimming your not-five miles."

"I'm not waiting a month to swim," Steve protested.

"Yes you are. Doctor's orders. You'll destroy the stitches if you swim sooner. Or reopen the wound. Or it will become infected. You have been seriously injured. Seriously injured. You have to heal, like a normal human being. Not that you have any idea what that means."

"Please stop," Steve said, closing his eyes. "You are giving me a headache."

Danny's demeanor changed immediately with those words. He was standing next to the bed, holding tight to Steve's left hand. "Hey, babe. Are you okay? The truth."

Steve squinted up at him, sorry he had put that worried expression on his friend's face. It hadn't been his intention. "I'm fine, Danno. I do have a headache but you didn't give it to me."

"How's your arm? Do you need more pain meds?" Danny asked, soothing the line between Steve's eyes. That always meant he was hiding something.

Steve took a spare second to wonder when Danny had gotten so good at reading all of his secrets then dismissed the stray thought. It was only because they were partners and friends that Danny knew him so well. It was normal. Right?

"Hey," Danny said, a hand warming Steve's chest. "You with me?"

"Yeah. I'm here," Steve said, seeing even more concern in the lines around Danny's eyes and mouth. "I don't need more pain meds."

"Okay," Danny said, sitting back in the chair but not releasing Steve's hand.

That was normal too, right? For friends and partners? Not for the first time, Steve wished he was better at mammal-to-mammal communication, as Danny put it. Words he was good with. But sometimes the more subtle forms of communication eluded him. Maybe Danny would help clue him in. But then he'd have to admit why he wanted to learn. And that would lead to disaster, he was pretty sure.

The thoughts chasing around his head eventually wore him out and he fell asleep, aware that he wasn't home. But Danny was there and that made it safe for him to sleep.

As promised, Danny had taken him home the next morning. After fussing over him, making sure he had everything he needed in his bedroom, and that he would take his pain medication, Danny went to work. Of course he only left after he had extracted Steve's solemn promise to leave the bed only to go to the bathroom or downstairs long enough to get something to eat.

"I was knifed in the arm, Danny. I didn't lose a kidney," Steve finally said in exasperation as Danny continued to lecture him on taking care of himself.

"You don't listen. You don't do as you're told. How can I help but worry?" Danny asked, fists on his hips as he frowned down at Steve.

"I will do exactly as I'm told. Go home. Take a shower. Go to work. I'll see you tonight," Steve said from where he lay in his bed, trying to look as innocent and obedient as possible. Danny was being ridiculous. Steve was fine. Yes, his arm was throbbing but several hours of surgery and 42 stitches would do that to a person. He'd take the pain medication as soon as Danny left. He was only refusing to do it in front of him as a matter of principle. Stupid, sure. But he didn't want it to look like Danny had completely cowed him.

"Fine. I'm calling you in a couple of hours. If you answer the phone, you will be in serious trouble."

"That makes no sense," Steve informed him.

"Neither do you," Danny said with a sigh. "Seriously, babe. Call me if you need anything."

"I will. I promise," Steve said sincerely, Danny's warm, worried tone making him need to reassure him.

"All right. I'll see you tonight. You want me to stop and pick up some shrimp from Kamekona?"

"That'd be perfect," Steve agreed.

With a nod and a backward glance, Danny left.