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Chapter 3 - Unexpected Friends In Time Of Need
Sam drove G to the hospital. On no account he would let alone his friend in this situation. Gradually, the whole team had arrived in the waiting room. They refrained from the usual clichés. Kensi had just clasped him in her arms, Nate and Deeks squeezed him his shoulder without a word. They all waited with him, an eternity, it seemed to G. Finally, even Hetty arrived. She questioningly looked at Sam. He just shook his head. "They still operate."
Silently she sat next to G and took his hand. "She's a fighter, Mr. Callen, no one who gives up easily. You can trust her."
G looked up. "How do you know that, Hetty. You don't know Jo at all."
"No, but I know her record."
"You have seen the sealed file?"
"Yes, of course, Mr. Callen." She briefly squeezed his hand. "And I told you before, that you should trust her, okay?"
G nodded. "Yes, Hetty, and you were right."
"So believe me, Mr. Callen, if I tell you, Miss MacKenzie will not give up easily."
Kensi stood up. "I go get coffee. Who wants some?" Everyone announced but G. "Callen?" He did not respond.
Sam stood up. "We'll bring him one along, Kens. I'll help you carrying." Silently they both went to the vending machine.
"Why is none of the FBI still here? She's one of them!" In Kensi's voice resonated incomprehension as well as fury. "She may work for the FBI, however, but by the today's assignment, she was more like one of us." Embarrassedly Kensi shrugged her shoulders. "Sounds kind of strange, we know her just two days, but thus it seems to me."
Sam nodded. "I know what you mean. She thinks like us and she acts like us."
"Not exactly." A faint smile played on her lips. "Not necessarily like us, but in any case such as Callen." In addition there was nothing more to say.
When the two came back with the coffee, Agent Foster was in the waiting room and was up against a wall from anything but friendly NCIS agents. "It's great that you could find the time to inquire after your colleague, Miss Foster." Hetty's voice sounded as if she was talking about an invitation to a tea party. However, her posture expressed something completely different. Dana Foster had the decency to blush easily.
"Because it is an FBI operation, I just had to complete some tasks on site. We have identified three other bombers and ensured the safe evacuation of guests." She threw a cold look at Hetty and her team. "We are grateful to the NCIS for its support." Dana had gained her composure. "Furthermore, operation manager Cumming had already enquired by telephone after the condition of Agent MacKenzie."
"May I smash her teeth?" Kensi made no secret of her dislike.
"No, Kens, behave yourself." Sam took a step to the FBI agent. "I'm older service, so I go first." Because of his icy glance at these words, Agent Foster retreat a step.
"Mr. Hanna, please." Hetty's voice was enough to stop him.
"Miss Lange?" A man in black riot gear approached the group. Hetty turned around.
"Yes?"
"Ma'am, I'm Pratt. Agent Quinlan is sending me. I should ask about the status of Agent MacKenzie."
"She is still in surgery. It probably takes a while."
"Thank you, ma'am." He withdrew and spoke into his headset.
Hetty indulged Agent Foster only a brief look, then turned back to her team.
"And I still will smash her teeth!" Despite was in Kensi's sight. Hetty gave her an understanding smile.
"Hetty, actually, who are Agent Quinlan and his men? From which hat did you conjure them?" Marty looked questioningly at his superior.
A slight smile appeared on Hetty's face. "Oh, Mr. Deeks, Agent Quinlan is merely an old friend, who kindly came to help us in a difficult situation." It was clear that she wouldn't say any more in addition.
Sam sat down to Marty. "Clearly any special unit, certainly not from the FBI. Maybe CIA or Secret Service. Hetty has more connections than anyone else. None of us has seen the complete list of guests at the reception, so that we cannot know which security agencies were represented. We definitely won't even know, our security clearance isn't high enough."
Marty nodded. "Well, it's not so important. Hetty trusted them that is all that matters. Nevertheless, really amazing that they ordered off someone to ask about MacKenzie."
"Not really if one thinks of her achievement from tonight." Nate intervened in the conversation. "She has identified as the first one of the suspects, discovered the bombs, co-developed the plan for evacuation, provided the offender and has been seriously injured as the only one of the security forces. If this is not enough to inquire after her, what has one to do then?"
The others nodded. But for them there was even more. They cast a glance at Callen, who had kept out of the whole discussion. The fact that he had fallen in love head over heels, was clear to all. With it Joann MacKenzie became one of them.
When the doctor entered the waiting room, Hetty looked up. "Doctor?"
Immediately all heads turned in the direction of the doctor. Marty bent over Kensi, who was asleep on the floor. "Kens, wake up!" He shook her gently on the shoulder. Immediately, she was wide-awake, looking perplexed at the dinner jackets, with which she had been covered.
"Is any of the family here?" Questioningly the doctor looked around.
"Miss MacKenzie has no family. There are only us, their colleagues. How is she?" Hetty waited.
Halting the doctor threw one more look at the strange group. "We have done everything that was in our power. The internal injuries are very difficult, in addition the high blood loss ..." A groan escaped from G and Sam grabbed his friend firmly by the arm. "Her condition is very critical, we can't say whether she will survive."
"But she's still alive?" Sam hardly dared to ask this question.
"Yes. Unfortunately, she had a cardiac arrest of some minutes during the surgery. Thus, there was a lack of oxygen. This could mean additional complications. We have put her in an induced coma and now have to wait." The serious look of the doctor spoke volumes.
"Can we go to her?" As a precaution Marty had positioned himself also beside Callen.
"She is just brought to the ICU. One of the nurses will come to get you." She made a helpless gesture with her hands. "I'm really sorry. You should inform all those who still want to see Agent MacKenzie. And you should hurry up with it."
Silence spread through the room. Pratt spoke again silently into his headset.
"Excuse me, I will inform Mr. Cummings." No one noticed Agent Foster.
Sam spoke energetically on G. "You have heard what Hetty said. She is a fighter. She will make it for sure."
"Sam, you've heard the doctor but ..."
"So, what the heck! What do you think what we were told when you were shot? And today you are standing here! You have survived and Joann will, too."
"Sam ..."
"Mr. Callen, listen to Mr. Hanna. You must think positively. Now Miss MacKenzie needs all the support she can get. Pull yourself together."
G took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay, okay, folks, I've got it. This time the glass is half-filled."
Pratt stepped up to Hetty. "I have to go now. Agent Quinlan asks you to keep him informed about the status of Agent MacKenzie."
"Of course. Please pass him my thanks for your support, and for your presence here."
"Certainly, ma'am." Pratt nodded slightly to the other and went.
While they waited to be picked up, Kensi distributed tuxedo jackets with an affectionate smile. "Thank you, guys, you are really sweet." Marty rolled his eyes a bit, but Sam squeezed her briefly and kissed her gently on the head. In spite of the fact that Kensi was an experienced agent, her colleagues like to look at her like a small sister to whom one had to pay attention. Although it was not necessary, as Kensi them proved time and again, she sometimes admitted such gestures. It was a nice feeling to know that someone cared for her and her friends thereby felt better.
It seemed to last an eternity, until the nurse came and took them to the intensive care unit. Sam had to swallow hard at that sight. Thus had also lain there G and had fought for his life. He had won his fight, Joann had to do that, too.
"Can we go in to her?" Hetty looked inquiringly at the nurse.
"Actually, only the family ..." She couldn't finish.
"WE are her family, nurse, we have already explained that to the doctor." This time even Hetty lost her patience.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I have to ask first. As long as you have to stay here." The nurse was not intimidated.
"Well, go ahead, hurry!" She also did not rush, how Hetty had to determine. Soon after, she came back.
"You are allowed individually to the patient purely, but always only briefly. Over there you can change clothes. My colleague will help you."
G looked at Joann. She was very pale, looked small and lost in the bed, which was surrounded by machines and monitors. Everywhere, cables and hoses. "Mr. Callen." He turned to Hetty. "Now you can go to her. We will wait here."
"Yes, thank you."
Using sterile surgical clothing G went to Joann's bed. "Hello, Little One." Helplessness came over him. What should he say anyway? Then he simply sat down and took her hand. "The bombers were caught and no one was seriously hurt. Your colleagues at the FBI take everything for themselves, but we didn't expect otherwise. It is not bad, we don't like to appear in public anyway." G broke off. He realized that he was talking nonsense. Lost in thought, he stroked a strand of hair from Joann's face. "Little One, don't do something stupid and die, do you hear? We barely just met. I wanna get to know you right, Jo, get to know everything about you. The things you like to eat with pleasure, the music you play, your favorite color, how did you end up with the FBI, nothing but such things. And I want to see you smiling. Jo, if you smile, the sun rises for me. I would like to know what makes you smile. Then I can be on the safe side that you never cease smiling again." G felt foolish. But what he felt for Joann, he had previously never felt for a woman. Not even for Tracy. Someone knocked on the window. He turned around. A nurse meant him to come out. "Whatever happens, do not stop to fighting, Little One. Do not surrender. I am there for you. Always." G gave her a kiss on the forehead and left.
"We can't do anymore, so we should go home." Hetty looked at her team. "Sleep in, I'll see you at the headquarter."
Nate stepped on to Callen, who looked at Joann through the window. "If you want to talk, I'm here, any time."
G nodded. "Yes, quite clearly, but not now."
"Whenever you're ready."
Marty put his arm around Kensi. "I'll bring you home, Kens."
"Thanks." She was too tired and wiped out for any discussions.
Hetty threw a look at Sam and he nodded in response. "Mr. Getz, we go."
Sam waited until everyone was gone. Then he stepped to his friend. "Let's go, G. You have done everything possible for her."
"Sam..."
"Don't discuss with me, G. Tomorrow you can come again. The nurses won't let you to her before."
Callen turned to his friend. "I can't leave Jo alone. Nevertheless, she has nobody else."
"She has us. All of us will be there for Joann, trying to persuade her, motivate her, we will do everything what is necessary. We won't let her down. Just as you, G. But when you're not rested and refreshed, you don't have the power and energy you need to take care of Joann. Any questions?"
G shook his head. "No, Sam, got that. Well, then take me home." Suddenly his voice sounded tired and exhausted.
"Definitely not, G. I won't leave you alone, in no way. Tonight you will sleep at my place."
Callen looked at his friend and nodded only. He simply had no strength to argue. Moreover, he wouldn't have reacted differently in the reverse situation.
