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Chapter Six

"Get out Steve. Get the hell out."

Steve needed air. Time seemed suspended in place as the white, stagnant hospital walls slowly caved in on him. His stomach lurched, and he had to brace one shaking hand on the bed handles to keep from tumbling to the floor.

His partner's blonde head was now turned away from him, the crumpled bandage on his neck serving as another stinging reminder of Steve's failure. His failure to keep his team safe. To keep Danny safe.

The lump in his throat made it impossible to speak, but when he finally could, the words came out natural and confident. "I can't do that. I'm not leaving you Danny."

"Just go Steven." Danny's words were muffled this time, but Steve could sense the slight waver in his partners voice.

"Nope, not gonna happen Danno."

"Dang it Steve, can you not be Super Seal for once in your life and just go?" Danny grunted as he turned back toward his partner. "I don't need you to see me like this."

Though the words were sarcastic, much more like the Danny Williams that Steve knew and loved, the pain that underlied them was enough to break the Seal's heart.

"See you like what Danno? All I can see is my stubborn goof of a partner who's kept me worried sick for the past week."

"You can't see it, Steve? I'm so weak, so dependent. How am I supposed to do my job, or be a father to Grace? I can't walk on my own or even stand up. How am I supposed to do anything when I can't even freaking see?" Danny's voice dropped to a raspy whisper as he opened and closed his mouth, barely able to form the words. "I'm half a man now."

"Whoa." Steve dropped to one knee, hunched over so his face was just inches from Danny's. "You are more of a man than anyone I know. You are the strongest, bravest, very best person that I have ever met." He could feel Danny's short breaths on his cheek. "Is this why you haven't wanted to see Grace?"

"I just can't" Danny's voice broke as he blinked back a tear. "I can't let my baby girl see my like this. How on earth do you tell your daughter that you can't run with her, and scoop her up as she jumps into your arms? That you won't be able to attend that father-daughter dance the school has planned for next week because you're blind?" A violent sob escaped his throat. "That kid has been through so much, and I've tried so hard to protect her from all the crappy things that go on in this world. But this..." Danny broke off again, unsure that he would be able to continue. "There's no way I can protect her from this."

"You don't need to protect her from this, babe! Yes, it's going to be tough on her; it's tough on all of us. But you're hurting Grace more by pushing her away."

Danny closed his eyes. "I just can't bear the thought of never being able to look into her beautiful face again."

"You will see Gracie's face again." Steve was quick to answer. "I don't care how long it takes, we are going to get through this. Together. That's what family does. Okay?"

Danny nodded, fumbling to find Steve's hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. "Okay."

"Good." Steve grinned and squeezed his partner's hand back, knowing that Danny was trying to express what words simply couldn't convey. It was simply reassuring to know that they could face whatever came their way, simply because they would face it together.

"Hey Steve." Danny voice regained some of it's playful bounce. " I just thought of something. Being blind does have its perks."

The Seal smirked. "And what would that be, dearest Daniel?"

"I don't have to stare at your ugly face everyday. It's quite a relief actually."

Steve attempted to keep a straight face as his partner burst into laughter, but then joined in when he remembered that Danny couldn't see him anyway. A few minutes of laughter, even though at his expense, were a welcome respite from the trauma of the past week.

The two were still chuckling when Doctor Miller arrived, and Danny took the opportunity to repeat the joke, getting even more of a kick out of it when the doctor guffawed with laughter.

"It's nice to see you in such good spirits, Detective." Miller kept up the stream of conversation as he examined both of Danny's eyes and poked at the cut on his forehead. "We were pretty worried about you there for awhile." The examination worked its way down to the wound on Danny's neck, causing the blond to flinch in surprise when the doctor pulled back the bandage unexpectedly. "Commander McGarrett was the worst of us all, keeping watch on you like a nervous mother hen."

"Is that so?"

Steve had to bite back a chuckle when Danny looked the wrong direction, obviously not realizing that he had stepped away from the bed and crossed to the other side of the room in order to give the doctor space.

"I never thought of you as the mother hen type, Steven." Danny kept up his conversation toward the wall where Steve had been standing. "Did you learn that in the Army too?"

"It's the Navy, Danno." Steve didn't bother to hold back his laughter as Danny's eyes blinked in confusion before his head flashed toward the sound of his voice.

"You...You."

"Is stuttering another side effect of the concussion, Doc?"

Miller smirked and shrugged, signaling that he was going to stay out of this episode of lively banter.

"Neanderthal!" Danny finally managed to sputter. "You evil Neanderthal!"

"Now, now boys." The nurse came sailing back in just before Danny grew excited enough pull out his IV line, breakfast tray in her hands. "Let's not upset our patient."

"That's right." Danny looked smug. "Keep this wild man away from me."

Steve started with a witty comeback, but was quieted by the nurse's disproving glare.

"Why don't you put all of your seemingly abundant energy to good use, Commander." A yogurt container and plastic spoon were shoved into his hands. "And feed our patient some breakfast."

"Yes Ma'am."

"No, no! Don't leave me with him!" Danny called after the nurse as her footsteps faded away. They could both clearly hear her half-hearted grumbles about those "over-grown children."

"Open up, Danno! You want me to do airplane?" Steve loaded up the spoon with strawberry yogurt, swinging it through the air as he "zoomed" it toward the detective's mouth.

"Don't you dare, Steven!" Danny flung up his arm in response, but only succeeded in knocking the spoon mid-descent, causing the pink contents to fling across his face and gown. "You animal!"

"Before all havoc breaks loose in here, may I speak my piece? I'd like to get out of the firing zone as quickly as possible." Doctor Miller interrupted, a clear twinkle in his eye. "Detective Williams, based upon my examination and your vast improvement in the last twenty-four hours, I do believe that you have spent all the time here that is necessary. I would like to keep you here for at least one more night so I can monitor that head injury, but barring any complications I can say that we should release you tomorrow."

"Hear that, Danno?" Steve swung to face his partner, yogurt-spattered face and all. "You're going home!"