"Kensi, I need you to let me in," Nate said softly as he waited at the door to the base camp's critical care room.

Nate was in Afghanistan, having been asked by Granger to try and get through to Kensi, to try and help her see that she could let herself feel safe again. It had been a long time since Nate, or anyone else for that matter, had seen her, and everyone missed her. The team back in LA and the Marine unit Kensi had been assigned to during the White Ghost operation had been working together non-stop for the last two years, trying to find Kensi after she had gone missing while out with Sabatino one night. No-one knew where she was, especially when Sabatino had returned alone. Granger had spent days interrogating the smug CIA agent, hoping to get something out of him about Kensi's whereabouts, but he hadn't had any luck. Sabatino didn't say a thing, and eventually, Granger had had to give up and let him go.

"I promise not to hurt you," tried Nate.

Kensi finally looked up, tears in her eyes. She wanted to jump up and hug her old friend. She wanted to make him take her home, but she was just too scared. She had had several dreams while being held captive about one of her friends saving her, and this really felt like just another dream to her. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep going if it was.

Nate took a small step into the room and stopped, still giving Kensi the option of letting him near her or kicking him out. It had been this way for the last two days, and each time, Kensi had curled herself up into a ball on her bed until he had left her alone again. He had spoken to her doctor and the nurses, and it seemed like Kensi couldn't tell reality from a dream anymore, but Nate knew he could get through to her, and he wasn't going to give up.

"Kens? Can you at least tell me if you want me gone?" he asked her gently.

Kensi opened her mouth, something that gave Nate hope since she hadn't done that before. No words came out, and she kept trying, so Nate waited her out. He knew he couldn't force her to talk and he knew not to interrupt when someone was finding their voice, or they would stop talking altogether.

"Are you real?" It was barely a whisper, but Nate was ready for it.

"I am."

Kensi nodded, but didn't say anything else.

"The nurses tell me that you don't talk much. They think you're having trouble telling what's real and what isn't." There was no reply, so after a minute, Nate spoke again. "They also said that you seem to have made friends with a nurse. That she's the only one you really talk to. Is that true?"

Kensi looked at Nate again, a little confused. "What nurse?"

"I don't know. Her name is Samantha. Does that ring a bell?"

Kensi frowned, and it was clear she was trying to remember who Samantha was. Slowly, she shook her head, still frowning. "I haven't met anyone named Samantha."

"Are you sure? Maybe you met her while you were sleepy or something?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

"Okay. Is there anyone you talk to here? Another patient, maybe?"

"There's Sammy. She's nice, friendly. I like her."

"Is Sammy here still?"

"They moved her yesterday I think. To another part of the camp hospital. Now, I'm the only one here, and it gets lonely."

"Are you sure it was yesterday? No-one has been in here except for you since I've been here."

Kensi shrugged. "It could have been longer. I don't really know. It's hard to keep track of the days in here. There aren't any windows or anything to tell the time."

Nate looked around the room, noticing for the first time how dark and uninviting the place was. He was beginning to see why Kensi kept retreating into her mind, and why she preferred to believe her dreams were real.

"May I sit on the other bed? I'm getting a little tired standing up," said Nate, hoping that he had made progress with her.

"I guess so," whispered Kensi. She pulled herself into a seated position, but drew her legs up to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs, making herself smaller on the bed. But she didn't curl up this time, and it gave Nate a good feeling that she was starting to feel a little better about him being there.

Nate gave her a smile once he was seated on the empty bed. "This isn't very comfortable. Is yours better?"

"Not really," said Kensi with a little hint of a smile. "But it's okay. I like it more than the ground."

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

"Where?"

"Just around the base. Maybe we can look for Sammy?"

"That would be nice. I miss Sammy. And I wouldn't mind some fresh air."

Nate nodded. He stood, but didn't dare reach out for her. He wanted her to reach out to him when she felt ready.

"I don't know where to go. I haven't left this room," Kensi told him.

"That's okay. We can go slowly and find our way."

Kensi climbed off the bed, wincing when her feet hit the floor. Nate noticed that they were bruised just like the rest of her body. They were also cut up and red, covered in dry blood. It seemed like the medical staff didn't really clean her up properly, or Kensi didn't let them check her. He didn't say anything though.

"Do you have some socks or slippers to wear?" Nate asked instead.

"Under the bed. And my jacket should be there too." Kensi drew her feet up to allow him some space.

Nate bent down and stuck his head under the bed. He came back up a minute later, holding a jacket that he knew belonged to Kensi and some slippers. He handed them over.

"Thank you." She put the jacket on, which hung from her body like it was three sizes too big, and slipped her feet into the slippers.

"Ready to go?"

Kensi got up, wincing again, and slowly made her way to the door. She grabbed the wall when she reached the door, holding on tightly as she tried to regain her balance.

"Need some help?" Nate called, having stopped a few steps behind.

Kensi almost shook her head, but then she surprised him and said yes. She looked embarrassed as she clung to Nate.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she began sobbing into his shoulder.

"You don't need to be sorry Kens. You haven't done anything wrong." Nate guided her back to the bed, this time sitting with her while she calmed herself down.

"I just want to go home," she wailed. "Please?"