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Chapter 38

G bore with patience the X-rays and with stoicism the treatment of the wound on his eyebrow, the burn of his shoulder which started to hurt again, and the invasive poke and prod in his ear, but when I took more than fifteen minutes and two persons to draw blood from his sore veins he was ready to kill someone. After last night episode Hetty scheduled an appointment in a private medical facility with Reyes Costa who was visiting L.A. again. G was angry when he learned it, too much work to do, but he recognized that he needed help to get better. He couldn't afford to get dizzy anymore; nevertheless he hated doctors, hospitals and needles, he hadn't decided in which order yet. After the torture session Dr. Costa told him that everything was healing nicely.

- "So if I'm good why I'm feeling so low?"- asked Callen.

- "Because you had subjected your body to an incredible stress. The infection you got put you on the verge of a septicemia, you've been on antibiotics for three weeks and you have a broken bone and open wounds. Another person in your circumstances would have been on complete bed rest for a week and taking it very easy for two months. You, on the contrary didn't take time to recuperate. You'd lost more than 13 pounds; you have been moving and even travelling by plane. The pressure didn't cause extra damage, but I guess it wasn't a pleasant trip. Your eardrum is healing well and if you avoid loud noises, headphones, planes, of course, sudden head movements and blows, I'm pretty confident you'll have a complete recovery which is just a miracle."

- "When?"

- "If you rest enough probably in around a month, but this are not mathematics."

- "And the dizziness?"

- "One of the consequences of the infection was the low blood pressure, as your normal one is already low, which on the other hand is a good thing, is perfectly logical that you're feeling tired, dizzy and even sick."

- "How can I know if I'm feeling dizzy because of the ear of because of the blood pressure?"

- "Well, usually your ear will make a ringing before you feel dizzy, you'll need to lay down and wait until it stops. If you have nauseas it would be difficult to control them without medication and your blood pressure can get down very quickly putting even your life at risk. That's what happened to you in Washington according to the medical record. On the contrary if you feel dizzy because of your blood pressure, the buzzing in your ears will occur after you start to feel bad. Just eating salty or getting some sugar quickly can prevent a faint."

- "So no solution for now." - Callen was pissed off.

- "My recommendation is lots of rest and good food at regular hours; to restore your levels it would be a good idea a vitamin complex, but never as a substitute of a meal. We had to wait the analysis results to know your real needs."

- "Can I drive?"

- "What I've just told you about resting?"

- "It would be worse if I walk, believe me."

- "I guess you can if you're very careful."

- "What about training?"

- "You didn't get it, do you?"

- "I need to know when I would be able to be in the field."

- "The limit is the pain. Don't force your body, if it hurts and you don't stop you'll be worse."

- "Could you write it down?"

- "What exactly?"

- "That I can drive and train."

- "I don't know how Hetty put up with you!"

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The team was already at the mission when G arrived in a hurry. The teleconference with the operative units started in half an hour and he wasn't ready. Like the previous day Eric was working to place the screens and testing the connections with the agencies. The others were drinking coffee and chatting with Murphy's team, they seemed closer than ever, the easy banter, the laughs, the touching, more than a family. G went directly at the coffee machine and he smiled when he saw a big basket of fruits, nuts, cereal bars and bottles of water. Hetty's way to remind him to eat. He rolled the sleeves of his shirt down to hide the needle marks, took a banana and a bottle of water and went to meet Eric.

- "Hi guys! Everything ready Eric?"

- "Nearly, give me two minutes"- he said, tapping on his tablet.

- "Thanks"

- "A banana, G, really?"- asked Sam approaching.

- "I'm hungry. Besides I'm not the only one you know who eat bananas anytime."

- "The little one. I don't know if she could do it at the Academy. It will be hard to her to adjust."

- "She's fine, Sam"- said Callen nonchalantly.

- "And you?"

- "What do you mean?"

- "You didn't answer the phone last night."- Sam tried to control the rage in his voice. First G talked about his daughter without having seen her for weeks and now he answered his question with another one.

- "Sorry about that. I…"- he doubted about what to say, but finally decided to be sincere –"…I was exhausted and fell asleep on the couch."

Sam knew it was true and he couldn't be mad for the missing call. At least not for that one.

- "You didn't look good yesterday."

- "Big headache. I guess I overdid with the preparation of the teleconference."

- "What is going on G?"

- "Exactly what I explained. It's time to finish the Molina cartel"

- "Calleeeen! One minuteee!" – informed Eric.

- "I've to go."- said G going to the center of the space he asked everyone to take their seats. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hetty at her desk, he hadn't notice when she had arrived. How the hell she does that?- he thought.

In seconds the screen lighted up and Callen saw the expectant faces of the teams from the C.I.A., D.E.A. and L.A.P.D. Without the presence of the big bosses from the previous day the ambience was somehow more relaxed. Everyone seemed pleased at seeing Callen dressed with his usual jeans and a plaid blue shirt, but the people from the C.I.A..

- "Good morning everyone. I know that you sent me your C.V. and I appreciate it, I didn't have time to know you yet, but I promise I'll do. If you are here it is because you've been selected for being part of one the biggest operations against a cartel implanted in our country.

- "Why now, Callen? The Molina cartel exists since I was in school."- asked a Tom Jones from the D.E.A.

- "I'm not the one who should answer that question. I'm following orders as well as you. We are merely the executors. Please let me expound the plan and I'll answer your questions at the end."

Right after, Callen showed on the other screen the map divided with the grid and explained again the division and how he wanted the teams moving. He summoned the coordinators for a reunion in the boatshed the next morning in order to set the parameters and continued with the polemic points:

- "The teams in the field must avoid communicating in English. When this operation started we let the cartel believe that the Russians were behind just because we were operating under very special circumstances. If you don't speak Russian, do it in Spanish. That would be confusing for the cartel; usually they have certain feeling of impunity because they think we aren't able to understand them." – he paused for a second and continued:

- "Clothing is important. Nothing remarkable. Nothing remotely military. The key word is "camouflage". Financial district I want you wearing suits. Hollywood Boulevard shorts, sunglasses and cameras and so on. Jeans and a black sweater will do it. You have to become invisible."- so far Callen just described the basics of the undercover work, and everyone seemed to agree with the premises.

- "About the weapons, feel free to use whatever you need even if your weapon overpowers the one of your opponent. Needless to say that you can't use nor your service weapon nor a registered one. As I told you yesterday the only rule to follow is to protect the civil population. No collateral damage and no undesired casualties. It's that clear?" – Callen paused and looked in the eye at each one of the people in front of him. Once he was sure the message had passed he continued– "The same way there's no law, there won't be detentions."- a wave of protests and comments went out of the screens, and even the N.C.I.S. members were more than surprised. – "We have to act like criminals, remember? We need to force the head of the cartel out and we won't if they sensed we're behind. If we cut the head of the snake, the snake will be death anyway. We'll get the information to act in the future, but not until the main responsible of the cartel fall. If I consider one of you is risking the operation, this person will be out, without protests or questions."

- "At the end of each day I want a report from each coordinator and I'll be the one giving the orders."

Callen continued with the little details for another half an hour and then cut the communication with the agencies. He felt more confident each time he had to speak in public, but he didn't like at all being the center of attention. Now he needed to do the most difficult task: to speak with his team. He had made a decision and he knew that it won't be a popular one, in fact it could tear the team apart.