[7]
Awaken
A/N: So I'm updating again tonight because there is an accompanying one-shot I wanted to get out. So Enjoy!
When I wake up the next time I knew I was in the hospital, the familiar beep of the heart monitor was almost comforting as I knew I was safe once more. I was sore everywhere, I could feel how heavy my limbs were and almost didn't want to open my eyes. My last bit of energy had been used to diffuse what could have been an impossible situation and I was glad it was over, well it better have been over I wasn't doing anymore undercover work with LAPD for awhile. I was defiantly putting a rush on my application after this, no more drug ops without my regular team.
"If you stop pretending to be asleep, I have food." A joking voice says on my right. I crack open an eye, rolling over to that side to see my best friend sitting on the chair by my bed his smile wide, eyes shining behind his glasses and a McDonalds dangling from his hand.
"Eric, have I told you how much I love you lately?" I ask him, wanting nothing more then to grab the food out of his hand. I wasn't sure I could move my arm though and when I do try I find it in a sling. Right, dislocated shoulder... at least they popped it back in when I was out cold.
"No, it's usually implied though. You scared me, all of us." He says quietly setting the bag down on the table and pulling out a box of chicken nuggets. I watch him for a moment as he digs through the bag and pulls the tab off of some honey before hitting the side of the bed rising me up into a sitting position. "I think our friendship was a lot easier when you were just LAPD, then at least I didn't know you'd been kidnapped until after you were safe. Do you know how hard it is to try and find your best friend? My fingers have never moved so fast in my life, I thought you told me you weren't going to get kidnapped anymore?" he asks feeding me a chicken nugget which a savor for a moment before answering him.
"Sorry, only so much I can do. I knew you'd find me, you always do."
Eric shakes his head, taking a soft drink cup off the table and holding the straw to my mouth, letting me take a long drink.
"I didn't do much, it was Deeks. When he came home and found you gone he started calling around right away, Vanderslew was waiting for him though and it wasn't till LAPD called us that we knew about it. We got Deeks from Vanderslew's when LAPD took him down and then they all headed over to get you. I didn't do much but bring up his addition plans when they didn't find you in the house after storming in."
"Is Deeks okay?" I ask almost spitting my drink out. Eric laughs at this practically shoving a nugget in my mouth, as his answer.
"Calm down, he's fine obviously. You saw him remember?"
I nod now remembering my interaction with the team before whacking Brad in the gonads more then once.
"He didn't leave much you know, only took one bathroom break, when I left to go get you some food, Hetty came and forced him to go home and change and shower. Something about how you wouldn't like it if you saw him wearing the same thing he was three days ago."
Three days. It had been three days?
"No, I wouldn't have. He worries too much," I tell Eric before accepting another nugget. "The nurse would kill me if she saw me giving you this stuff you know," Eric tells me before dipping another nugget in some honey once again shoving it in my mouth. He was lucky I chewed fast, as I was starving.
"That's why we're best friends, you and I. You face a nurses raft for me, and I buy you expensive video games for your birthday."
Eric laughs, taking some fries out of the bag. Munching on them himself. "Hardly evens out, oh!" he exclaims suddenly, diving under the bed and pulling out a small bag. "Kensi brought this in last night, I think it's a stuffed animal of some sort. If Sam had anything to do with it though I'd gather it has some sort of tracking device or teddy cam in it."
I laugh, rolling onto my back I open the bag with my good hand and pull out an offensively pink rabbit, with heart shaped eyes.
"Did they actually think I would keep this?" I ask slightly disgusted.
"No," a voice says from the door forcing me to look up. I grin watching Deeks walk over dressed in a grey hoodie and a pain of jeans.
"They actually have a bet with how long it will take you to throw it out," he explains before stopping at the foot of the bed, "You're awake, I though I made a deal with someone to call me when you woke up." Deeks says throwing a look over at Eric who was looking around innocently throwing fries into his mouth. I smile watching the two of them as Eric dives for the McDonalds bag holding up a cheeseburger as a peace offering only to snatch it back as Deeks makes a grab for it and throwing it onto my lap.
"Hey! I told you about her wanting cheeseburgers!"
"Did you see me taking credit for that? She always wants cheeseburgers."
"Well, I-"
"Best friend here, I bought 6, just like you told me she wanted."
My eyes widen eagerly, six cheeseburgers. Oh momma. I knew Eric was my best friend for a reason. I knew the day we met that we'd be best friends, but even right now watching him interact with Deeks, being the one here when I woke up solidified the fact that he was my best friend, my brother, part of my little family.
"Can someone open this for me?" I ask innocently pulling them from their little argument as Deeks was now trying to steal one of the nuggets which Eric was now guarding with his life, staking claim as his own. I should have known he would only share them for so long.
"I'll get it!" Deeks offers loudly, pushing Eric back into his chair by his face. Eric rolls his eyes while readjusting his glasses before leaning back in his chair and shaking his head at me, clearly amused.
"Need me to feed it to you, too? Wifey?" I smile back at Deeks as he hands the burger back to me, brushing my hair out of my face. I shake my head, taking the burger in my free hand and taking a big bite.
"I'm good for now, I'll let you know though." I tell him, nodding he sits on the end of the bed and only a moment passes before he snags the cheeseburger out of my hand taking a big bite himself.
"Oy! You can't steal cheeseburgers from people in the hospital!"
"I'm so hungry! I've hardly ate or slept since you've been gone!"
"Well, I sure as hell didn't tell you to do that!"
"-sat in that uncomfortable chair for hours on end! Hetty came and dragged me out! Do you know how demeaning that is?"
"Stealing cheeseburgers from a girl in a sling, I can assure you my stomach is probably one big bruise! This one thing I asked for, with a gun held at my head"
Deeks takes another bite, finishing the burger making me glare.
"ERIC! HE ATE MY CHEESEBURGER!"
Eric shakes his head, pulling my iPod out of his pocket, putting the earbuds into his ear, "Can't say I missed having you two around, glad you're alive though..."
And with that my best friend of 7 years turns the music on, loudly and throws a full McDonalds bag between Deeks and I.
It was good to be awake.
"Is there a reason you're sitting behind a newspaper, pretending I don't know who you are?" I question my partner almost laughing as Sam lowers the paper his eyes narrowed in fake annoyance.
"You just blew the whole op," he jokes, before setting the paper down and walking over, to pick me up, I back away holding my hands up. With distinct points to my still semi bruised stomach and still twanging arm I shake my head.
"I'll absorb the love from over here, missed you too." I tell him, as Deeks comes out of the hospital doors carrying my bag over his shoulder.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road. Sam, you take her home and I'll meet you back at her apartment. There's something I have to pick up first." He says handing my bag over to Sam who takes it, leading me over to his car, making me wish I had my Jeep back which I knew was still in the LAPD garage.
"Deeks where are you-"
"I'll meet you there," he cuts me off, patting my shoulder gently, and shooting me his smile. I nod after a moment watching as he crosses the parking lot quickly going towards his car.
Sam snorts behind me, and I turn towards the car, getting in choosing to ignore him as he shakes his head before closing the door as I attempt to buckle up.
"What?" I question when he gets in the drivers seat, leaning over and clicking my seat belt in place for me.
"Well you sure didn't kill each other, aside from the cheeseburger incident Eric told us about today it looks like you two are getting pretty cosy?"
I think back to the last few weeks and that was true, aside from a few arguments here and there we had things had been fine. More then fine.
"Sam?"
"Yeah, Claire?"
"I think I missed you," I tell him honestly, enjoying the fact I could make him laugh when he chuckles, patting my knee.
"Missed you too, partner."
