Chapter 56

A few moments later, the heart monitor started beeping out a normal rhythm and they took comfort from that. When the doctor finally came out, she saw them for the first time and smiled tiredly. "Your friend certainly likes to make things interesting." Craig, coming out behind her, nodded his head in agreement.

"You have no idea Doc." responded Sam. He swallowed hard. "How is he?"

"The same. He apparently has a high tolerance to the sedative we gave him and started to wake up in spite of it. Waking up to find yourself intubated can cause severe panic and that's what happened with him. His heart rate increased and caused the monitor to alert us. We've given him more of the sedative and he's back under. It doesn't appear that he did any additional damage to himself. We'll be monitoring his level of consciousness more carefully from now on."

"But we heard the heart monitor flat line. Did…did his heart stop again?" Kensi asked, not wanting the doctor to gloss over anything.

"I'm so sorry you heard that! Mr. Deeks somehow managed to disconnect the monitor and it registered as a flat line. His heart never stopped."

All three of them sighed in relief. Kensi smiled at the doctor. "I know what Deeks would say. He'd ask you to call him Marty or Deeks. For some reason, the only one he tolerates Mr. Deeks from is our boss."

Moira laughed and held out her hand. "I'll keep that in mind. I'm Moira."

Each of them shook her hand and introduced themselves, taking the opportunity to thank her for her efforts on Deeks's behalf. She raised an eyebrow when Callen gave her his name. He just shrugged and said "Long story."

Introductions over, Moira took her leave, she had other patients to see and told them she would be back to check on him later. The three turned back to the window and watched their friend quietly sleep. When Craig came back and reminded them that others were waiting to see him, they reluctantly followed him back to the elevator, Kensi looking back over her shoulder, wanting to see him for as long as possible. She was now convinced that he was going to make it. He wouldn't dare die on her now.

The next group was impatiently waiting their turn to see Deeks for themselves and was already out the door before Kensi, Sam and Callen made it all the way in, Craig leading them away. The remaining people surrounded the NCIS agents, asking how he looked, how he was. Sam expected Kensi to be the one to tell them what had happened but when she didn't respond, seemingly lost in thought, he filled everyone in on the events that had just happened and how Deeks was. His description of how the detective looked sobered everyone in the room. He warned them that seeing it in person was so much worse than hearing the doctor's descriptions.

On the fifth floor, Stan, Granger and Bates got their first look at the injured man. Stan felt sick to his stomach as he watched the ventilator breathe for his friend. He chanced a look at the stranger who was with them, knowing that he worked with Deeks on a daily basis. The anger on the man's face made him take a step closer to his lieutenant. He was glad the anger was not directed at him. He turned back to the window and kept his thoughts to himself. If he had known the direction Granger's thoughts had taken, he might have increased his distance from the man even further. Granger stood silently and catalogued every bruise, every stitch, and every bandage on the silent man in the hospital bed. This was not a Deeks he was used to seeing. The man was usually a study of constant motion and sound, something that used to drive Granger insane but somewhere along the line he had gotten used to it and now he found he missed it. He would give just about anything to experience that right now. He found himself praying for the first time in a long time. Not only that the man would make it but for forgiveness for what he planned to do to the man who had done this. That they would find McGonagle was not even a question in his mind.

Beside him, Bates was having a hard time breathing. He had seen too many of his men hurt or killed on the job over the years, both in the service and at LAPD, but this? This was vicious and beyond disturbing. He had no idea just how close his thoughts were to that of the silent NCIS Assistant Director standing next to him. Finally able to take a deep breath, he shook his head and voiced what the others were thinking. "Damn, kid. What the hell did that psychopath do to you? I make you this promise. He will pay for this!"

Granger spoke for the first time. "And then some." His naturally low and gravelly voice made Stan shiver a little. When Craig indicated it was time to go, it was a silent and thoughtful group who rode the elevator back down. When Granger walked through the door, he locked eyes with Hetty and shook his head slightly. Hetty closed her eyes and centered herself, preparing to join the next group to visit him. When she opened them, she found Nell and Eric had stepped closer to her. She wasn't sure if they were looking for support from her or were trying to be the ones supporting. She only knew that she felt stronger with them there. Together they followed Craig to the elevator, none of them speaking.

Nell grabbed Eric's hand as they approached the window, he squeezed it and didn't let go, neither one caring what Hetty might think. Both of them had seen some of what had been done to Deeks on that video but it still didn't prepare them for the sight in front of them. Nell let out a small moan and began to cry, turning into Eric's chest, his arms going around her. She could feel him shaking and knew that he was just as affected by the sight of what had been done to their friend. Beside them, Hetty felt all her hard won calm desert her and her chin quivered. They had almost lost the detective she had become so fond of. They still could. The next hours would tell the tale. She used every trick she had ever learned to stop herself from bolting. She was Hetty Lange. Hetty Lange did not run away from anything. She heard someone say "Oh Marty." in a sad voice and was surprised when she realized the voice was her own. She turned to the two with her and took in the sight of them in each other's arms, looking so natural that way. For some reason, that sight brought back her calm. She turned back to the window. He would make it; she refused to entertain the thought of any other outcome. They stayed that way until Craig gently led them away.

When John saw the tear tracks on Nell's face, the shell shocked look on Eric's and the sadness on Hetty's, he made one last effort to talk Meaghan, and even Laura, out of going up. Neither one of the strong willed women in his life would listen; both determined to see him in spite of what they'd been told. He sighed and realized he was fighting a losing battle. All he could do was follow them from the room and be there for them. They stood as a unit in front of the glass. He felt Meaghan's hand slip into his and looking down, saw that she was also holding Laura's, connecting the three of them. His daughter was staring through the glass but appeared to be holding up better than he'd expected. He found himself impressed at her strength and now knew it had been the right decision for her to come up here with them. His teenage daughter had a vivid imagination and would have imagined things even worse that what they were seeing, not that he, himself, could imagine much worse. He looked over at his wife and saw one lone tear slide down her face. Speaking softly he said "He isn't Perry, Laura. He'll fight with everything in him to stay with us. He's strong and he's determined. We've seen it before."

Laura looked at him and smiled. "I know. As much as I loved Perry, he was nowhere near as strong as Marty. I refuse to believe I will lose another brother." John reached across Meaghan and stroked his wife's face. She leaned into his hand and sighed softly. "It's going to be a long fight but he will make it, I really do believe that."

"He wouldn't dare to not fight! Kensi would kick his ass!" added Meaghan, her voice calm and sure. Her parents looked at her in surprise and John huffed out a soft laugh at her words. While he worried that she was setting herself up for a huge fall, he was proud of the woman his daughter was turning into. Turning back to the glass, the family held onto each other and their belief in the man in the bed. When Craig told them it was time to go, each reached out and placed a hand on the glass, silently saying their goodbyes and well wishes.

The sight of the three returning to the waiting room, none of them in distress, gave Cindy the courage to go with Chris and Craig for their turn. Before leaving, she turned back and watched her young son, held in the arms of Michelle, Sam standing beside her. She had almost decided against going to see the man who meant so much to them, the man her son was named after. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to see him like this but now she was determined to give him her love and support. She took Chris's hand and followed Craig out the door. The elevator ride seemed to take forever and she found herself starting to lose her belief that she could do this. Ever in tune with her, Chris squeezed her hand and said "You can do this Cin. You know he would do it for either of us." She nodded and held onto his hand like it was a lifeline. Exiting the elevator, her feet led her to the glass, seemingly of their own volition. She knew her mind was not directing them; it was too focused on what she was seeing through the glass. She was stunned at how he looked even though she had been warned. She just hadn't been capable of believing one human being could do that to another. She chanced a look at Chris's face and was surprised to see it was completely blank. She knew Marty and he had a strong connection through their music, something she couldn't share. She had expected him to rage or cry, but this blankness scared her.

"Chris?" When he didn't respond, she reached up and turned his head to face her. "Chris? Where are you?"

He blinked a couple times and came back to her. Whispering he said "I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe that they were exaggerating. I've never seen anyone in such bad shape. I don't want to lose him. He means so much to me, to us!"

She now found herself being the strong one. "We aren't going to lose him. You have to believe that and hold onto it! We'll be there for him every step of the way. He has a lot to live for. He'll get to have his happy ending, just like us."

He smiled at her, thinking of how their roles had reversed. He had been the strong one when they had started making their way up here, now she was being the strong one. Something he could never convince her she was capable of. Together they stood and watched their friend fight for his life. Neither argued when Craig told them it was time to go. Cindy turned back just before entering the elevator and threw him a kiss.