Season of Change
Disclaimer: I own nothing, just borrowing my favorite characters.
Chapter 7
Gibbs watched Ducky and Jimmy go to work on Deeks. Bishop had moved out of the way and was approaching her boss, checking to see how bad his wounds were. Gibbs insisted he was alright even though Bishop could see his shoulder was dislocated. The bullet just grazed his arm, but when he slipped and fell getting to Deeks he landed awkwardly, popping the shoulder he had injured a few years ago out of place yet again. Gibbs was in pain but he was more worried about Detective Deeks. He was afraid they were going to lose him, if they hadn't already. He'd seen a lot of injuries over the course of his career. A knife to the head was a new one for him and he thought if he never saw something like that again it would be too soon. The look on Deeks' face showed no hint of pain or recognition of anything at all. Aside from the handle of a knife poking out of his skull and the resulting blood flow from said injury, Gibbs thought Deeks looked like he was peacefully sleeping. It was that look that made Gibbs think maybe Deeks was gone. If that were the case, he knew that he at least went quickly and painlessly. Deeks had hit the ground hard with his head. He was out cold in the few seconds it took for the weight of the attacker to fall on top of him, driving his knife in to the hilt. Gibbs figured it was a small blessing that the detective never knew what hit him.
An ambulance had just rolled up to the scene and another could be heard approaching not far behind. Gibbs glanced up just in time to see Abby faint. She hit the ground before he could do anything to help her.
"Bishop! Check on Abs!" He barked as he attempted to stand up. Ellie ran to Abby and tried to rouse her. Thankfully, Ellie thought, it didn't appear that their forensic scientist was injured. The same couldn't be said about her phone, however. It was in several pieces, the screen cracked nearly from side to side. In just a few moments Abby's eyes fluttered open and she returned to her animated self. She frantically picked her phone up and tried to put it back together, mumbling something about Marty's partner. When she realized the phone was done for, she focused her attention on Deeks, careful not to look at the wooden handle protruding grotesquely from his temple.
Ducky and Palmer were able to get the detective breathing again. Although he was far from being out of the woods, Gibbs was happy to hear Ducky's claim that the detective was breathing. A slight smile grew on his face as he nodded in their direction. The detective had a chance, however small it was. The paramedics took over. Once they had him stabilized they loaded him on a gurney very gently and wheeled him to the ambulance. As they were loading him up, Ducky checked on Abby while Jimmy dressed Gibbs' bullet wound.
"Tony, McGee, find out who that woman is. Check the dead guy. Call Vance, too," Gibbs directed his two agents.
"On it, boss," they answered simultaneously. They glanced at each other quickly. Under different circumstances they would have joked about their synchronized reply. On this day they went right to work, both with somber looks on their faces. There was nothing funny about what they had just been a part of.
Nell was the first to make a move. Covering her mouth with her hand, she ran for the door to Ops and disappeared when it slid open. Eric glanced at Hetty as if to ask if he should go after her. She held her hand up for a moment.
"Let her be, Mr. Beale," Hetty spoke softly.
She observed each of her team members. Callen stood with his hands clenched into fists, still staring at the macabre scene before them on the screen.
Sam's arms hung at his sides. The look on his face a strange combination of sadness and anger, his eyes glistening with emotion as he struggled to contain them. He shook his head from side to side slowly, pondering why Deeks always seemed to be the one who attracted trouble. He chuckled slightly then, and without realizing he was thinking out loud, answered his own question. "Because that is what Deeks does."
"Mr. Hanna, what are you thinking?" Hetty queried, having heard the big man's proclamation. His boss' voice broke his train of thought. He looked to Hetty, confused at first.
"You were saying something about Mr. Deeks?" She alluded.
"Yeah. I was just thinking... Deeks seems to always find trouble - or maybe it finds him - but it's because he is always looking out for others," Sam explained.
Hearing Sam's opinion of Deeks struck a nerve with Kensi. She finally spoke, and what she said was affirmation for Sam and Callen that something had indeed happened between the younger partners.
"This is all my fault, Hetty," Kensi looked at the operations manager. "How could I do to that to him? Why did I do that?" Kensi glanced at Callen and Sam briefly before returning her gaze to Hetty. "I love him, Hetty."
She looked at the senior agents again, not really wanting them to hear this conversation, but at this point she didn't care what they thought of her feelings for her partner. Truth be told, they probably knew anyway. It seemed like everyone knew - or at the very least, thought - Deeks and Kensi should be together even before they did.
"I love him," she whispered once again as her shoulders began to shake, her emotions getting the best of her. She cried silently as the guys looked on, shocked by her revelation. Not about the fact that she loved him, that was no surprise at all - the fact that she willingly admitted it. Hetty patted her on the shoulder gently.
Eric cleared his throat. There was an incoming call to Ops. He hesitated a moment but then answered. "Yes, sir. Hang on." Eric turned, "Hetty, it's Director Vance," he held the phone out to her.
She sighed as she glanced around the room quickly. She took the receiver, "Yes, Leon?"
Everyone waited with bated breath as she spoke with the director, hoping for good news.
"I see. Uh, huh. I'll let her know right away. Thank you, Leon." There were a few seconds of silence as the director shared something else with Hetty. "I'll make a call and get back to you on that."
Hetty handed the phone back to Eric and turned to Kensi after a quick nod to Sam and Callen.
"Ms. Blye, the director wanted me to tell you that Mr. Deeks is on his way to the hospital as we speak. They were able to revive him and, for now, he is stable. They'll know more once they can examine him fully."
Kensi perked up slightly at this, but was still distraught.
Sam asked with surprise, "So this just happened? Today? Like, within the last hour? Why is Deeks in DC and not here ready to come back to work tomorrow?" He demanded to know.
Ever since they had gone through the ordeal with Sidorov Sam had grown fond of the younger man. He became a bit protective of him as well, knowing that Kensi could still be a little harsh with her partner. He still viewed Kensi as a little sister, but that didn't stop him from being upset with her at times, and this was one of them. There was a defiant tone to his voice as he stood there glaring at Hetty and Kensi as he waited for an explanation.
Hetty tried to stave off the conversation she assumed Kensi was not ready for, "Mr. Hanna, do you not recall me saying why he is there is not important earlier?"
"Hetty, it's...it's, it's okay. They're going to find out one way or the other anyway," Kensi sighed heavily as she wiped at her eyes.
She turned to Sam and Callen. "Deeks asked me to go to Mammoth with him for Christmas break. I told him I would...but, but then I chickened out because I was afraid we'd...uh..." she paused, not sure how to continue. "Basically I told him we should just remain partners and nothing more...I backed out of the trip and then I did...almost did something...stupid. I was going to, um... make a mistake... and Deeks called me on it. Instead of agreeing with him, I" she dropped her head, ashamed, "I, uh...I hurt him so bad," she shook her head as her tears threatened to fall again.
Hetty finished for her, "Mr. Deeks was upset and canceled his trip. I made arrangements for him to go to DC to volunteer with Ms. Sciuto. Our Mr. Deeks is quite generous with his time at the homeless shelter here. I thought it might keep his mind off their...current situation," she nodded to Kensi, "if he was able to get away. He and Ms. Sciuto do a lot for their respective shelters, especially around the holidays. She was more than happy to have him visit. Leon invited him to stay and work with Jethro over the long weekend. He helped them close a case. He was due back here today, gentlemen, but the weather is quite nasty in DC right now and his flight was canceled. It appears that they were going to dinner with Jethro's team when Mr. Deeks intervened in that altercation between the pregnant woman and her would-be attacker. Director Vance will update us once they know more." She nodded that she was done. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a call to make."
She left Ops quietly, leaving Kensi and the others to continue without her.
Sam said nothing but continued to stare at Kensi. She still wouldn't look him in the eye, but she was aware he was watching her.
"Do you have something you want to say to me, Sam?" Kensi prodded defensively, finally meeting his glare.
He blew out a breath and slowly turned to the image of Deeks still on the screen before giving her a final look. Without a word he spun and stalked out. Kensi lowered her head once again and stared at the floor. Sam's silence hit her harder than any comment could have.
Callen offered his assurances. "It'll be okay, Kensi. Sam will get over it," Callen glimpsed at the screen quickly. "Deeks is tough, Kens. He'll make it through this." Callen tried to console her but she wasn't having it.
She scoffed at him. "How, Callen? Look at him! How does anyone make it through something like that?" She yelled. "I did that to him, Callen! I stabbed him in the heart on Christmas Eve and then today," she points at the screen "he takes a knife to the brain! Because of me! He shouldn't have been there!" She cried. "Even if he does live, what are the chances he'll ever be the same? What if he can't be a cop anymore? What if he doesn't want..." She stopped, but Callen had a feeling she was going to say 'me'. She continued then, "That's on me...and I...I don't know if I'll ever be able to accept that." She looked at Callen, not sure what more to say.
Callen looked away from her back to the screen. He knew Kensi was right - there was a good chance Deeks would be changed forever if he lived through it. Not only had he suffered a gruesome head injury, but he took a bullet at close range right in the chest. Either one alone would be enough to kill someone, to suffer both at the same time seemed near impossible to survive. Callen shook his head in wonder as he studied the image still lighting the screen in full high definition color. A feeling came over him as he looked at the knife protruding from Deeks' head. He focused on the chest wound and its proximity on Deeks' body and then back to the knife. It was a sickening sight to be sure, but something about the look on Deeks' face made Callen think if anybody could survive it, it would be him. What was it that Deeks always called himself? A jungle cat? A slight grin grew on Callen's face. Deeks may have just used up one of his lives, but Callen had a gut feeling their shaggy jungle cat of a detective would be back to irritate them all in no time. He was sure of it.
TBC
