PARTNERS
/Chapter 10/
Sam and Kensi were already at the boathouse when Deeks and Callen showed up later that afternoon.
"What are you doing here," Kensi asked in surprise, shooting Callen a questioning look, "shouldn't he be home resting?"
"I'm fine...we got a case to finish," Deeks replied off-handedly.
"You really think you should be doing this," Sam asked the detective, though his eyes were on his partner.
"I'm good...just can't handle the stuff..." Deeks explained, a little perturbed by the attitude that he needed a keeper.
"It's more than that...you have sensitivity to this stuff—if you touch it, if you breathe it in..." Sam grumbled, turning to Callen he continued his tirade, "I can't believe you of all people would think it was a good idea to let him continue with this case..."
"Let me..." Deeks exclaimed angrily, "let me...this is my case—this is LAPD...I don't need you or...or...I don't..."
The agents looked at Deeks in alarm when his angry tirade was cut off by a sudden choking gasp and they saw the detective's hand suddenly grab for his chest and he began struggling to take in a breath.
"Deeks..." Callen exclaimed jumping forward to steady the man as Deeks stumbled the few steps to the table to lean heavily against it, "Deeks, what's wrong...Marty..."
"G, help me get him to the couch..." Sam ordered, stepping in to help; while in the background Callen vaguely made out Kensi informing Ops and calling an ambulance.
Easing the detective on the couch, Callen immediately stooped in front of him; his hands on Deeks shoulder as he tried to catch the panicking man's eyes, "come on, man...Deeks, look at me...you got to slow down your breathing..."
"Thought he was well enough to be discharged..." Sam accused lightly.
Giving Sam a sharp look, Callen replied, "Doctor gave him a clean bill of health, just told him he needed to take it slow for a day or so..."
"And you two took that to mean he was well enough to work this case..." Sam shot back.
Looking between the two arguing agents, Deeks gasped out tightly, "S...sst...o..pp; j...j'st...st...op...pl...ssse..."
Shooting Sam one more glare he turned back to the struggling man, "it's alright, don't worry about it..."
Sam nodded, "Deeks, you just concentrate on breathing man...we'll work it out..."
Seemingly satisfied for the moment, Deeks nodded slowly before closing his eyes tightly and resting his head heavily against the back or the couch. In the ensuing minutes the detectives breathing became less ragged, though he was still finding it difficult to pull in a full breath.
...NCIS LA...
From Ops, Hetty and the two techs could see the paramedics tending Deeks in the background.
"Stress induced asthma," Callen reported to the operations manager.
"His lungs and other organs are likely to be in a compromised and weakened for the next several days while his body slowly flushes all the toxin from his system," Sam reported, casting a glance at his partner before adding, "which is why the doctor told him to take it easy...not get over excited...so as not to trigger something like this reaction..."
Eying her SFA critically, Hetty asked pointedly, "Mr. Callen did or did not the doctor clear Mr. Deeks for duty?"
"Light duty," Callen said.
"And you took that two mean he was healthy enough to continue working a case that exposes him to the very thing that put him in the hospital to begin with," Hetty asked purposely.
Callen glanced behind him to Deeks still being tended by the EMT's, Kensi at his side, and sighed heavily. Turning back to his boss he said quietly, "Look, we never expected this...you know I would never put anyone on this team in danger..."
"But you are insisting Mr. Deeks continue this case, Mr. Callen; and I have to ask why," Hetty pressed.
Sam too was waiting expectantly for an answer. It was very unlike the detective to callously disregard the well-being of any under him, and of late, especially one Marty Deeks.
"Listen Hetty, I had a good reason for it. Let me get Deeks settled at home and I'll explain everything...," Callen said.
Hetty nodded. "Once he is cleared by the paramedics, take him home; get him settled...have Ms. Blye stay with him; then I want you back here at ops with a very good explanation."
...NCIS LA...
He was bone tired, achingly so...his head pounded and despite the breathing treatment he was given on scene he still felt some difficulty in pulling in a deep enough breath and his chest felt tight and sore.
The detective sat in the back of the SUV, as Callen drove him home. He could feel the worried eyes of the two agents on him occasionally throughout the trip but chose not to acknowledge them, instead giving the appearance he was dozing.
"Really, I swear, Kensi, I never would have taken him to the boathouse if I even suspected something like this would happen," Callen pleaded his case to one very pissed off agent.
"He just got out of the hospital for god's sake...and you thought he could just jump right back into the case," Kensi shot back angrily.
Some part of Deeks felt he should be offended by the apparent lack of faith in his abilities but was smart enough to acknowledge (though grudgingly) that they were just worried: and rightly so, supposed. If he saw Kensi or Callen experience what he had just gone through the last 24 hours he would no doubt be insisting they sit out the rest of the op.
He also knew that Callen felt guilty, that he somehow owed the detective this case after Deeks drug induced melt down. Callen shouldn't be taking the heat for his insecurities. Taking in as deep of a breath his battered lungs would allow, Deeks opened his eyes and lifted his head from the back of the seat, saying, "Ease up Kens...it's not all Callen's doing...it just makes sense I stay in, I've already make contact..."
Turning to pin her partner with an angry stare, Kensi said tightly, "It's not worth your life..."
Meeting her angry gaze with a neutral expression, "...then whose life is it worth? If we don't follow this through who dies next? If we lose this shot we may not get another one."
She stared at him a moment longer, searching for a suitable counter-argument and found none: at least none that he would accept. Huffing out angrily, she turned away from him, settling heavily into her seat.
Shaking his head, Callen caught Deeks eyes in the rear view mirror and saw a gentle smile cross his tired face, as the detective said quietly, "yeah, Fern, hard to argue with the Deeks perfect logic."
"I'm not talking to you," Kensi shot back petulantly, folding her arms across her chest and looking pointedly out the front window: trying to ignore her partner.
Deeks just huffed out a breathy laugh, his grin growing wider, he said, "But you still love me right, sunshine."
Having a strong sense of self preservation, Callen, stayed out of the 'argument' between the partners.
...NCIS LA...
Callen helped Deeks settle on the couch while Kensi insisted on changing the sheets on his bed...
"Always trying to get me in bed..." Deeks said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Feeling more at ease at seeing Deeks snarky side, Kensi played her part in their banter and rolled her eyes, "Shut up Deeks..."
Both agents followed Kensi with their eyes as she went to the back of the apartment, before Deeks brought his gaze to rest on the senior agent.
"Maybe they're right..." Deeks started; only to be cut off by a wave of Callen's hand.
"It's your case..."
"Yeah, it is...but, we both know I'm not at a 100%-that there is a good chance that it could happen again...that I could put one of you in danger..." neither man needed to be reminded what "it" was. "I'll admit it...it sucks and I hate it...I don't want to lose the chance to nail these bastards: but, I don't want to put anyone of you in danger 'cause I'm not willing to accept my obvious liability to this case..."
Meeting Deeks gaze, Callen said, "It was never our intention to 'steal' your case."
"I know..." Deeks said, giving a heavy sigh, "tell Hetty I'll sit this one out...I should be able to set up your meet with the supplier by phone...you can take your muscle with you," the detective then chuckled mirthlessly, adding, "hell, work it in to the buy...a first-hand look at the effects of the drug on your lackey."
Callen frowned at Deeks final sentiment, but chose to not address the issue, "again", with the tired man: instead he hoisted Deeks off the couch with the simple order, "bed."
He's in there somewhere, Callen thought with a roll of his eyes when Deeks eyebrows shot up and he commented cheekily, "really, thanks for the offer but I don't swing that way..."
...NCIS LA...
a/n: damn, this is not going in the direction I wanted it to go...I want Deeks to have to "rescue" Callen...still trying to figure out how to do that...
a/n: I know that there is no way the team would be on-line/on screen with ops while civilians were in the boathouse, but the scene just played better that way: so, since the whole story line is AU anyway I am taking creative license with protocol.