It's been awhile, but been busy with work and other stuff.
Anway, number four in the row.

Still a bit thank you to the followers/favourites and reviews. They do warm my heart every day. :)


Four

He leaves them in agony for another 3 days. It's only then he manages to finally break through the fog inside his mind. Once again he's aware of the softness he's lying on and the fact that he's nice and warm. Slowly other senses are coming back to him and even his mind starts to work again.

It takes a long time, but finally he's coherent enough to connect the dots, he's not dead. No he's in hospital and people are taking care of him. He can hear one of them moving around him, hooking stuff up, changing something. What is surprising is the fact that he can't hear someone talking. Whoever is standing next to his bed is alone in this room. It does worry him a bit. What if the team didn't find him, but someone else did? Chances are they have no clue who he is, and just brought him to hospital. He has no idea how long he's been here, and if there is something of a missing person thing going on. For all he knows, he might be here utterly alone.

Suddenly the need to know, to see is overwhelming and he wills himself to open his eyes. It hurts like hell, the effort he needs to put in it and when he finally manages to crack them open, the harsh light. But by the second time he only opens them a little bit and is capable of focusing.

'welcome back, Detective' he can hear and he automatically looks towards the noise. A little focusing later and the blurry mess becomes a human person, a nurse standing next to his bed.

She continues by telling what is wrong with him. He doesn't remember, what scares the shit out of him is the list. It keeps on going. He focuses on the ceiling, wondering what will be next. It seems to be he's here alone and he just doesn't know what to do about it, how to breach the subject of contacting someone. It just doesn't seem to register with him that she used his title and therefore knows who he is. The only thing he can really think, that is really on his mind is the fact that he's alone inside this room. Well not entirely alone, the nurse is standing next to him but she will leave in a couple of minutes and he would be alone until it is time to check up on him again.

Well to say he's not used to be alone is a lie, but it doesn't mean he likes it. The past years have proven to him that if given the choice, he would like to spend his time with people, with friends.
'Detective?' the nurse asks again and he focuses on her again. He's pretty sure she's been talking to him but he doesn't know what she has been saying, too caught up in his misery.
She doesn't say anything else, but does look away from him with something of a knowing look. Wondering what it is, he slowly turns his head in the same direction. The first he sees is an entire blurry of colors. Closing his eyes eases a little of the blurry, but blinking does seem to bring clarity to his vision. It takes several blinks, but then he can see them. And perhaps he's not as alone as he believes himself to be.

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She's not at all surprised by the phone call she received from the hospital. To be truthful she expected it way sooner, but it seems like the doctors wanted to give it a few more days. It's been nearly a week since he woke up and came back to them. Well sort of, he's still in hospital, will be for awhile longer and she can tell he's already bored out of his mind. But there is something else going on and it seems like the doctors have finally noticed it as well. While he's awake and talking, helping then getting the case to a close, he's not really there. He's silent unless someone asks him something but even then you really have to pull the words out of him. They are so used to him being a waterfall of words and this silence is taking a hold over them. Actually it begins to scare the team and quite frankly her too. She doesn't know him like the others do, at least not as close as his partner does but even she can tell this is not good and it's certainly not going in the right direction. The phone call from hospital sealed the deal for her and before heading down there she made a few arrangements. He wouldn't like it, neither of them, but it's something that needs to be done and if she wants her team to be complete again she's prepared to go the extra mile.

The doctor finds her easily enough when she arrives at the hospital and she's whisked away into an office.
'Miss Lange, I'm sure I don't need you to remind you of the serious nature of his injuries.' The doctor asks.

No she doesn't need to be reminded, just looking at him or even thinking back to how he looked when he was brought in is enough to tell her how serious this all is.

'And while his physical condition is improving, I'm worried about his mental state. That's why I called you. I have made arrangement for the detective to undergo a full psychological evaluation.

It sounds worse than it is, but she had that in mind as well. Her liaison officer might claim he's alright or on his way but he's not fooling anyone. And the doctor is right. Physically everything is on the mend, everything is moving forwards but mentally he's moving backwards and if they don't want to lose him to whatever is hiding inside of him they need to do this.

'I am aware of his mental state doctor, but I do have to ask you to cancel those plans.'

'Miss Lange, I'm not sure you fully…..' but she cuts the doctor off, she understands all too well, it's just she has plans of her own.

'I understand just fine, but by now you'll have learned that we are not your average law enforcers. And while Mister Deeks needs someone to help him, I'm afraid he'll not talk to your specialist. The agency we all work for has its psychologists, people who know what my agents do for a living, they are people were the need for secrecy doesn't exist. I believe it would be easier for Mr. Deeks to talk to one of them. As a matter of fact I have already made the necessary arrangements. '

She explains and realizes these will be the easy part. Convincing the doctor wouldn't be difficult, especially when the proof of her intentions is destined to walk through the hospital doors in a couple of days. No it's the cop that will prove to be most difficult. He's a nice laid back man or at least wants people to believe that. And on occasions can be easily persuaded into things. The trouble of it all? He decides the mood he's in and when he sets his mind, and she's pretty sure he'll on this one, he is by far the most stubborn man she ever met. But he'll have no choice what so ever. This is not a decision he can make, it's been made for him.

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Saying goodbye to the doctor she walks towards his room and finds him alone. Not too difficult since she told the other to go home and have some rest. He sleeps most of the time anyway. This time she finds him away, writing something down.

'I hope that's not what I think it is.' it announces her presence and he has the decency to look caught.

'because if it is, I'll not accept it.'

He drops the pen and gazes past her. She lets him, no need to push him even further.

'I propose a deal. Let's get you on the road again, both physically and mentally. If you still feel the same after that, I'll not stand in your way.' She says. His eyes shift a little and land on her.

'But I need you to cooperate and go to those meetings and evaluations.' It's probably the softest order she has ever given but she needs to be soft around him. No need to heighten the negativity in him.

He surrenders his hold on the paper, allowing her to pick it up and put it in her pocket. It's the closest she'll get to a yes from him and she takes it. It's also a confirmation of how badly he needs that help. He gave up from the start, no fight left in him. It's only to show how deep he has sunken and how he needs the help.

'Good. Nate will be here in a couple of days.'


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