Chapter 4

Hetty picked up the phone and dialed Dr. Mason as Callen and Sam walked into the bullpen with Monty trailing listlessly behind.

"Deeks?" Callen said shocked as he saw the boy fall, he ran to where Nate was holding him. "What happened?" He asked.

"He asked if he was going to have his medicine and then he just fainted." Nate said scared.

Dr Mason came running down the stairs, "I just finished his blood work," She said laying the boy out on the couch, "There is no trace of cocaine in his system, but there was a trace of Methamphetamines, about a few hours old. Someone said the boy was a cocaine addict? Was it since birth?" she asked as she checked his blood pressure and heart rate.

Hetty walked over to the doctor, "You're sure this is a new thing? He wouldn't take drugs voluntarily. Not after…." She walked over to the sleeping boy on the couch.

Marty shivered and groaned in his sleep. "No…daddy…don't…" he pulled the blanket Callen had draped over him over his head and curled into the fetal position.

Callen stood between the boy and everyone else.


Hetty nodded acknowledging what Callen was saying without actually saying anything. "Even though he may be asleep this is not the sort of conversation we want to have in front of the boy." She walked over to her office the doctor, Callen, Sam following. Kensi patted on the end of the couch and Monty jumped up curling at the feet of his master. Kensi pulled the blanket down, tucked Marty in, kissed his forehead and walked over to join them.

"What?!" she said at Sam's grin.

"Nothing…"

Callen grinned, "Sam, give her a break she's stuck…"

"…Smitten, whatever." Sam continued smiling.

Kensi walked over to where Nate was sitting in a chair in the back reading Deeks' file and sat on the arm next to him, resisting the urge to poke her tongue out at her two co-workers.

Dr Mason glanced at the sleeping boy and turned to the others, "Alright, Hetty has filled me in on the fact that Detective Deeks was…until you found him like this. An Adult." She started.

"We think he was infected…" Callen paused to look at the doctor to see if that was the right word, she nodded and he continued, "With whatever caused this during the drug bust with LAPD that he was on. He fell from a balcony according to officers that were on the scene and he brushed himself off, he walked off refusing medical attention," Callen looked over as Marty shifted on the couch. With a small grin he continued. "His change must have started then as his instinct was to return to his childhood home, not the home he has now."

"What do we know of Deeks as a child?" Kensi asked, "It might help us to help him now." She added.

Hetty looked at Nate and nodded.

Nate stood opening his file, "This is confidential, only the people in this room, and you two…" He said looking at the blinking light on the security camera, knowing Eric and Nell were watching, "Need to know this."

Kensi moved into Nate's former seat and they listened.


"According to Deeks' juvenile file, he was ten when his mother was sent to prison for child abuse, neglect and endangerment, she had tried to kill him twice already, however his father had explained his numerous breaks, cuts and bruises as accidents." Nate said.

"Child Services didn't pick up on it?" Sam asked.

Nate shook his head, "Until Deeks was ten and a half, apart from sneaking into a school once or twice he had never been, his parents had kept him out of the system." Nate waited, "Right now in this incarnation…" Nate stopped, he couldn't find a better word so he continued, "Deeks is ten, this is before he shot his father, but after his mother was taken away. Right now, Deeks is the same as he was then."

"So what does that mean?" Callen asked.

"His body thinks that the Meth he was exposed to is the cocaine he was addicted to as a child and is craving more, Dr Mason has given him a light sedative for now, hopefully he'll sleep through the worst of the cravings. He is the same as he was then, which means that forever which one of us that looks after him, he'll be a challenge."

"He's ten years old how much of a challenge can he be?" Sam asked.

"He's smart." Nate said quickly.

The others looked at him, "We know that." Callen snapped.

"No, you don't understand; right now Deeks can't read." Nate said

"So how does that make him smart?" Sam asked.

"He passed the bar at 21," Nate said.

"So?" Sam didn't get it.

Nate sighed, "If you pick any of the comic books in Deeks' collection right now he can tell you what it says word for word, he remembers everything he's told. I have done some rudimentary tests and I think he remembers everything he's ever been told."

"God!" Callen sank onto the edge of Hetty's desk, "Poor kid."

The others looked at him.

"He remembers every dream, every moment, all the abuse, the terror…" Callen stood up and paced the small area, "What can we do to help him?" he asked.

Sam still looked blank and Callen walked over to him, "Sam, during some of the worst moments of my childhood I blanked things out, the only way I could cope was by not remembering, if I had remembered everything I would have gone insane, he's lived through the same things I have, worse even…it was at the hands of his own parents and he remembers it all, every time his mother tried to kill him, every time his father raised his fist, every moment he had to dig through the trash for food."

"How did you know about that?" Nate asked.

Callen shrugged and turned away.

"Callen it would help if we knew," Nate said,

"I asked him if he was hungry, he looked over to the trash to see if there was anything to eat there before saying no." Callen admitted, "I've eaten from that restaurant myself."


The others looked at him but he had his back to them, "It's getting late, I'll take him with me until we know what's going on." Callen said.

Dr. Mason looked at the folder in her hand, "You will need to give him this medication, it is primarily for ADHD it is a low dosage form of Meth, and it'll help him with the cravings. We will lower it until he is off the drug completely."

"Dr. Mason…What about getting our Mr. Deeks back?" Hetty asked,

"I will have to do some more tests on him, but right now…I have no idea." She admitted.

"Mr. Callen are you sure you will be alright with young Marty?" Hetty asked.

"I think Callen is the most appropriate person to take him." Nate said

Callen looked over at Nate suspiciously. Nate smiled, "You'll need to buy furniture." He grinned.

Callen looked over at the sleeping boy, "I guess you're right, Sam you wanna…"

"No." Sam said standing up, "There is no way I'm going furniture shopping with you." He said holding his palms out.

"But?" Callen looked confused, "You're my partner."

"Yeah…A work partner, I go bed shopping with you, they are going to think I'm the 'other' kind of partner," he backed off.

"Good grief." Nell said walking into the office from upstairs, "I'll go with you Callen." She said.

"Kensi and I will paint Marty's room, your spare room is Pink Callen, it'll traumatize the boy if you put him in there and we'll get Monty settled and we will get groceries in." Sam said pulling Kensi up with him.

Nate smiled at Hetty as they split up at their appointed tasks. "This would be interesting from a purely scientific point of view." He said watching as Callen woke Marty up gently. Hetty nodded in agreement.


Callen walked over to the boy asleep and gently placed a hand on his arm, one ready behind his back.

Marty jumped and recoiled quickly from the touch Callen's other hand already in place to stabilize him as he went to fall.

"It's ok Marty, You're safe, I need you to wake up kiddo." Callen said squatting down to his eye level.

Marty sat up and rubbed his eyes, "Daddy?" he flinched and blinked and realized he wasn't at home. "Where am I?"

"You're at OSP…er like a police station, Do you remember me?" he asked.

"You found me…you took me away from…my Daddy…" Marty's eyes got wider with terror, "Is he here…is he gonna take me back?" he asked.

"No…Your daddy has gone away for a long time, he can't hurt you anymore." Callen said softly.

Marty nodded his head; "Ok…like momma…" he looked at his feet, "so…OK…" he got up and picked up his comic…"I have to go then…" he started walking to the door.

"Where are you headed sport?" he asked.

Marty shrugged, "Daddy said if he ever went away I'd be out on the street so I suppose…" he looked longingly at the sofa, "maybe Ray has room?"

Callen walked up to him, "Marty you are coming home with me." He told him.

"Why?" Marty looked suspicious.

"Because I have someone there that misses you and needs your help."

"Someone misses me?" Marty asked confused.

Callen smiled, "Yep, but first, you need a bed and so do I."

"You don't have a bed?" Marty looked confused, "But you're a grownup I know kids don't get beds but Grownups do."

"See that lady over there?" Callen stage whispered pointing to Hetty.

Marty nodded his eyes wide, "She's scary." He whispered back.

"She is and she told me to go and buy both of us new beds and a couch and a TV and movies and you some clothes and toys." He grinned.

"Is she a Santa elf?" Marty asked in awe.

Nate stifled a laugh as he listened in.

"You know I think she is," Callen said, "And she's sending another Elf with us."

Marty grabbed Callen's hand. "We'd better be good Mr. Santa is all knowing…Ray said so."

"Just call me Callen kid." Callen smiled as Nell walked up.

"OK I have Santa's list here, we have a lot to get are you boys ready?"

"Yes Ma'am!" they said in unison.

Nell walked out the door with Callen and Marty following behind.

"Do you think she has reindeer?" Marty asked as the door shut.

Nate dissolved into laughter as Hetty grinned over at him. "Scientific research." She scoffed.