Never Look Back – NCIS & NCIS: LA-
Chapter Four: Failing Immune System
Marty Deeks sneezed into his elbow and sniffed.
"Are you feeling alright Marty?" Michelle, an agent in training whom Deeks had befriended in a friend way not in the 'let's get together' kind of way asked.
"Ugh, I really don't like DC weather." Marty blew his nose.
"Ah right you're the LA golden boy." Michelle teased pushing her brown hair behind her shoulder. "The weather must be playing havoc with your immune system."
"That's an understatement, god I hate the snow and cold. I want my beaches back." Marty whined as he peered out the window at a snow bank that was forming.
"Beaches must be nice, I'm from New York so I'm used to all this." Michelle waved her hand at the window.
"Well once you have some time off you are coming up to LA and we are sitting on a beach for days." Marty promised.
"Sounds great, I'm holding you to that Marty." Michelle grinned but frowned as Marty sneezed and his whole body became covered in Goosebumps. "Okay you look really sick, you need to go get some sleep." She said worried.
"Yeah that sounds good, but I can't leave or else Bruno will hang it over my head for the rest of the time I'm here." Marty mumbled, pulling on his jacket.
"Just leave it to me." Michelle grinned as she stood up and walked over to Bruno who was sitting at his desk as the people in the room where doing book work in partners. She leaned on the desk and talked to Bruno in hushed tones, Bruno's eyes darted over to Marty who did his best to look sick which wasn't that hard. He was bundled up in his winter jacket; face pale and shuddering every so often as his body got a chill. Bruno said something to Michelle nodding his head, she shook his hand and sauntered back to Marty and slid into her chair grinning at him.
"What did you say?" He asked clearing his throat that was starting to become sore.
"I just pointed out how sick you where and how horrible it would be if you got him and the rest of the class cold. He's giving you all the time you need to get better, so call someone to get you back to your hotel." Michelle told him sternly.
"I would but I don't have anyone to drive me back, but don't worry I can drive." Deeks said cheerily but stopped when he started to cough, Michelle looked at him worried.
"Oh no I don't think so, I am driving you to your hotel. Don't argue with me Marty, you know it's pointless." Her hazel eyes flashing at him were hardening in a way that reminded him of his Kensi and damn now Marty was starting to miss her a lot.
"Alright, if you don't mind too much Mich." Marty smiled at her.
"I don't, plus it gets me out of here earlier." She grabbed her shoulder bag and they got up and headed out to Michelle's rental car. He slumped in the passenger seat and gazed out at the falling snow.
"Are you going to be alright on your own?" Michelle asked worried as she pulled out in front of the hotel.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. After a good night sleep I'll be right as rain tomorrow." He said cheerily as he opened the side door.
"If you say so… Oh here is your phone, you dropped it in class." She handed him his phone, he nodded his thanks and slid it into his pocket.
"Feel better soon Marty!" She called to him as he shut the door and entered the hotel.
He silently headed up to his room, he dropped his bag and fell face first onto the hotel bed and curled up on his side trying to stop the shivers and head pounding. He stayed like that for a while when a knock on his door shook him out of his trance like state. He moaned and buried his face into his pillow hoping it would go away, he heard the click of the door opening.
"Marty?" Tony's voice filtered through the room.
"Tony?" Marty asked in a scratchy voice, peering up at the agent who entered his room.
"Oh Marty you look horrible." Tony sat beside his curled up friend.
"Thanks for that I hadn't noticed." Marty grumbled.
"How do you feel?" Tony asked worry in his voice.
"Sneezing, coughing, sore throat, cold." Marty told him before he starting to cough; Tony helped him sit up and rubbed his back as he coughed. "Thanks Tony, wait… How did you know I was sick?"
"Didn't you text me?" He asked confused.
"What? Michelle, damn she will be a good agent, I didn't even notice her taking my phone." Marty realized.
"Wow you must be sick, I got the rest of the day off after I told Boss you were sick. Apparently Hetty and Callen gave him a call and told him to make sure nothing happened you while you were out here and this qualifies." Tony explained.
"Huh, wouldn't think I would see the day." Marty sneezed.
"Alright, pack up some clothes. You're staying with me at my place till you get better." Tony decided getting up from the bed and put some comfortable clothes into Marty's messenger bag.
"No, I don't want to be a bother…" Marty grumbled.
"It's no bother Marty, you're my friend and I'm under strict orders from Gibbs but mainly because I don't leave my friends alone when they are sick." Tony told Marty sternly. "So get off that bed and let's go."
"Alright fine… Thanks Tony." Marty pulled himself off the bed.
"It's what friends do Marty." The two left the hotel and headed to Tony's place. Marty let out a whistle at how nice the place was.
"This is a really nice place Tony." Marty said impressed.
"Thanks, okay we will set you up in the master and I'll take the couch." Tony thought aloud.
"No way, I'm the sick one and the guest so I'll take the couch." Marty insisted.
"Marty Deeks, you are sick and you really don't have a say in this." Tony steered Marty towards the master bedroom. It took a few minutes and forcing Marty into some sweatpants and a sweatshirt with a tank top on underneath. Tony then tucked Deeks into the bed and added an extra blanket on the foot of the bed.
"You don't need to do this Tony, I'm not a little kid." Marty whined he could have gone on but Tony stuffed a thermometer in his open mouth.
"Got to make sure you don't have a fever." Tony smirked and chuckled when Deeks shot him a glare. They sat there until it beeped and Tony took it out of Marty's mouth.
"101. Kind of high, we'll keep you on liquids and keep you warm or cold or whatever you need…" Tony mumbled. "I'll get you some orange juice and some medicine or something."
"That sounds good, Tony are you alright? You look a bit overwhelmed, I can take care of myself." Marty trailed off at the look on Tony's face.
"Well… Can I be honest with you?" Tony looked down at his hands.
"Of course you can, hey we are friends and remember no masks Tony." Marty reminded his friend.
"Right, alright… So my father wasn't the best dad out there, I never really saw him and when I did he acted like I was the biggest disappointment out there. He disowned me when I was 12 and sent me off to military school. My mom was a drunk and died when I was 8. I was mostly taken care of by foreign nannies and I had to suffer it out alone when I was sick so I don't really know what to do…" Tony admitted.
"Hey, hey you're doing fine. I trust you Tony and don't worry about having a crappy childhood, I'm right up there with you." Marty admitted a few moments later.
"What happened? If you're up to talking about it." Tony looked at his bedridden friend worried.
"Nothing major; just him being a bastard and beating the crap out of my mom and me. When I was 11 he aimed a shotgun at my mom and me, I thought he was going to kill us so I shot him with a gun my friend Ray gave me and I kind of went from there." Marty gave a short version and Tony patted his leg.
"I'm sorry Marty." Tony said softly.
"Seems we are both from broken homes, maybe that's why we are such good undercover agents?" Marty suggested before breaking out in a coughing fit.
"Alright enough talking, I'm going to get you the juice and meds and then you're sleeping." Tony ordered as he left for the kitchen. Moments later he returned with a glass of juice and a bottle of pills. "Take three of these and you'll be out in a few minutes." Tony instructed.
"Tony…" Marty warned and Tony gave him a warning look. "Fine, I'll take the damn pills." He huffed and swallowed the pills and drank half of the juice.
"That's a good boy." Tony ruffled Tony's hair.
"Why does everyone think I'm a dog?" He asked yawning already feeling the pills kicking in or he was just that tried.
"It's the hair." Tony grinned.
"So I've heard… Hey… Thanks Tony." Marty's eyes fluttered closed and his head lolled to the side.
"You're welcome Marty." Tony smiled softly before silently leaving the room after grabbing some sweats and a hoodie. He got changed in the bathroom before falling onto the couch putting in a silent white and black movie. He watched it and made up his own dub in his mind and had a good few chuckles. Someone knocked on his door; he leapt over the back of the couch and opened it to find Abby holding a Tupperware bowl of soup.
"Hey Abbs, what you got there?" Tony moved to let her in.
"Some chicken noodle soup for Marty, the sisters helped me make it. How is he feeling?" Abby asked settling it down on the kitchen counter.
"Just took some meds and passed out. I had a hell of a time getting him to crash here, he is one stubborn of guy." Tony chuckled.
"Can I look in on him? He must look SO cute asleep." Abby grinned.
"Alright, just be quiet." Tony warned and silently opened the door and the two poked their heads into the room and Abby cooed quietly. Marty was curled up on his side under the blankets of the bed, mouth slightly open, face totally relaxed and blonde hair sticking up every which way. Abby snuck her camera out of her bag and turned off the flash and took a few photos of the sleeping blonde. Tony gently closed the door and they went back into the kitchen.
"He is SO cute! I should send his 'girlfriend' these pictures." Abby grinned.
"I think he would kill us when he got better." Tony laughed.
"Most likely, so how you holding up?" Abby asked as they settled on the couch.
"What do you mean?" Tony asked confused.
"I mean, you can barely take care of yourself when your sick, no offence." Abby stated.
"Gee thanks, but I think I can handle this… Well I will try my best and I might call you for some help." Tony admitted to the girl he thought as his sister.
"That's totally fine Tony, that's what family does." Abby said.
"Think Marty has a part of our family?" Tony asked quietly.
"Oh yeah, he is our younger brother." Abby said in a 'duh' tone of voice.
"He is isn't he?" Tony smiled happy that Abby had the same feelings as him.
"I would still like to see you two hook up but." Abby sighed in defeat.
"Only in your dreams." Tony rolled his eyes.
"Oh all the time babe." Abby nudged his shoulder. "Or we could just go clubbing and get you both drunk."
"You're not going to let this go are you?" Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Nope, it's way too much fun and I stand by my opinion." Abby smirked. "What do you think he has?"
"Maybe the flu? He did come from LA weather to the start of winter in DC. His immune system must be failing." Tony assumed.
"Sounds about right, we should call Ducky up if it gets worse." Abby suggested.
"I will, but I'm hoping keeping him hydrated and getting some good solid sleep will help him get back to normal." Tony said.
"That sounds like a good plan." Abby nodded. The two then talked quietly while watching the black and white movie. Finally it ended and Abby had to leave.
"Can I look in on Marty one more time?" She asked worried.
"Sure." Tony agreed and they silently entered the master room to see Marty had shifted onto his back, one arm out from under the blankets. Abby grinned at the sight and sat down by Marty's head while Tony gently tucked Marty's arm back under the blankets. Abby smiled softly and ran her fingers through Marty's blonde hair and he shifted towards her touch and she grinned wider.
"Get better soon Marty." Abby whispered before leaving the master room.
"See you later Tony, keep me updated on Marty's condition."
"Will do, thanks for stopping by Abbs." Tony gave her a hug and she left the apartment.
"Tony?" Marty's voice called out sleepily.