Chapter 3

Since his shower had been interrupted earlier that morning, Callen decided he'd go for another run. He needed to clear his mind after his conversation with Sam. After running about two miles, Callen stopped and started walking; the doctor had told him to alternate between running and walking and so far, Callen couldn't complain about his progress. At this rate, he had no doubt that he'd be back at work next week. But that didn't help him with Anna and their "relationship."

Say Sam was right about Callen's feelings for Anna. It was true that he hadn't seen anyone else for several months. But was Sam right about Anna's feelings for him? Callen didn't think Anna had seen anyone else for several months, either, and ever since they'd returned from Belarus three weeks ago, she had been especially attentive. Callen wasn't complaining. He was sure that she was spending a lot of time with him because of his injuries. But after his recuperation, Callen wondered if Anna would still come by as often and spend as much time with him. Maybe she was just spending time with him until he had recovered enough to return to work, and when his injuries had healed, her visits would become less frequent or maybe stop completely. What if Anna didn't love him but was just being kind? After all, looking after Callen was one way to curry favor with Hetty, and getting on Hetty's good side never hurt. Crap, Callen thought, that was cynical even for him. But he couldn't shake the thought that he and Anna looked at this "thing" between them differently. After the mission to rescue Arkady, Callen had thought there was something between them, but he'd been wrong then. Anna had made it clear then that her view of their "relationship" was very different from his. But if Sam was right about how Anna felt now, Callen didn't want to not act on it. He needed to decide if it was time to take that leap. In his life, Callen hadn't had many relationships that ever lasted longer than a few months, but he was starting to want something more than waking up alone every morning and coming home alone every night. Callen began running again. He ran until where Sam had cut him in his side began throbbing. He stopped and leaned over to catch his breath. His sweat dripped onto the concrete. Callen didn't have premonitions, but now he couldn't shake the sense that something was happening, something in his life was being taken away—and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.

-scene break-

One moment the drive to Glendale was filled with Kensi venting about men and their dishonesty, the difficulty trusting them, and their inability to keep it in their pants, and the next moment it was filled with burning tires, shattered glass, and crushed metal. As Kensi struggled to make sense of what had just happened, she became aware of voices nearby and people standing just beyond the wreck that used to be her SUV.

"Call 911."

"Oh, my god."

"Did you see what happened?"

"Are they okay?"

"It looks bad."

"Did anyone call 911?"

Kensi was able to focus as her head cleared. The airbags had deployed, and when she reached down, she found that she was able to unloose her seatbelt. After she freed herself, she turned to Anna. "Anna. Anna."

The other car had struck the SUV on the front passenger side and door, and that side of the car was completely crumpled around Anna's unconscious body. Kensi felt a slow trickle of blood near her hairline; the red drops fell onto her jeans and disappeared. Suddenly, a man's face appeared at the shattered driver side window.

"Are you okay?"

Although not completely confident in her hurried self-assessment, Kensi replied, "Other than a few cuts and bruises, I seem to be."

The face looked past her to Anna. "Your passenger looks like she might be seriously injured. Is she conscious?"

Kensi answered his question with her own, "Has anyone called 911?"

"Yes."

"Good. Thank you." She struggled to get out from behind the wheel and the airbag because even though the door wouldn't open, she was sure she could get out of the window. The man realized what she was trying to do, and told Kensi to turn her head and cover her eyes.

"Anybody have a towel or a tarp?"

When someone brought him one, he wrapped his hand and arm completely and then cleared the broken glass from the window with a wrench so that no shards remained. Kensi began maneuvering herself through the opening, and he gently helped her get clear of the tangled wreck.

"Thank you," she said as the sound of sirens filled the street and fire engines and ambulances turned the corner. As they approached, Kensi went over to the passenger side. She reached inside and felt Anna's pulse; it was there, but it was weak. It was then that Kensi noticed the blood on the seat and the car mats. She needed to stop the bleeding, but she couldn't see where Anna was injured. She was just going to poke her head further through the window when two hands grabbed her by the shoulders and firmly pulled her back.

"You need to let us take it from here," the firefighter told Kensi as he handed her off to one of the paramedics.

"I'm alright," Kensi told him, but he moved her toward an ambulance for a checkup.

"Let me satisfy myself, then," he said as he guided her to the ambulance bed so that she could take a seat. While the paramedic ran through some basic tests and cleaned and bandaged Kensi's cut, a middle-aged man approached, obviously shaken.

"I'm so glad you're alright."

"What happened?" Kensi asked as she watched the firefighters clear the front and rear windows and begin to remove the SUV top with the Jaws-of-Life while a paramedic protected Anna's head from bits or pieces that might fall.

"You ran the red light. I guess you didn't notice it. I couldn't stop. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, but I'm glad you're alright."

The man who had helped Kensi through the window was nearby and spoke up, looking from Kensi to the other man, "She didn't run the red light. You did."

As the paramedic finished bandaging her head, an officer walked over and spoke with Kensi, the other driver, and the witness who'd spoken. In a few moments the top of the car had been removed and Anna was moved onto a gurney. She was still unconscious as they wheeled her to the ambulance. Kensi walked over and looked at the paramedic, "I'm going to ride with her." The paramedic made room in the back of the ambulance and Kensi climbed in. When they were settled, the paramedic slapped the wall of the cab, and the ambulance pulled away, sirens blaring. The paramedic turned to Kensi.

"Do you know how to contact her next of kin?"

"I know someone who does," Kensi said and took out her phone and called Hetty.