A/N: Apologies for the long delay in updating this story. We're currently living in crazy times with most countries enforcing some form of lock-down. Unfortunately this doesn't necessarily mean there's more time to write. The next chapter is being worked on and I'll try and update as quickly as possible. Thanks for all those who are still following this story and leaving reviews. I appreciate your support and patience. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave a review – I'd love to hear from you.
Chapter 24
Nate ushered Jake out of the room, holding his head against his body, shielding his eyes from the nurses working on Callen as he lay on the floor. The boy was crying, clearly distressed at what he'd witnessed.
"Was it my fault? Did I hurt him when I hugged him?" he sobbed.
"What? No, of course not, Jake" reassured Nate.
"But what happened?"
"I don't know" admitted Nate as he stepped outside the room and looked into the concerned faces of his colleagues.
"Mr Callen has been complaining of abdominal pains" explained Hetty, pointing to her stomach in case the boy didn't fully understand. He nodded. "The doctor arranged for a scan and we're waiting for the results." She paused before adding "It's certainly not your fault, Jake."
Jake looked a little comforted by her words but stood at the window with the others watching intently as the nurses lifted Callen onto the bed as the doctor hurried past them into the room.
Alex stepped forward and grabbed her son, trying to comfort him but he struggled from her embrace to face the room once again. "I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this" she snapped. "It's only upset Jake more."
Faces turned towards Alex, confused, not sure whether they'd heard her correctly but their focus was dragged away as Callen was wheeled out. As he passed, Jake reached out and grabbed his uncle's hand, muttering words no-one but Callen heard. Callen turned his head in the boy's direction, managing a weak smile before their grip was torn apart.
Hetty stopped the doctor by putting her hand on his arm as he hurried after his patient. She didn't have to say anything for the worry was etched on her face.
"He needs emergency surgery. I can't tell you anything else until I investigate further. I'll let you know as soon as I can. For now, it would be best to wait in the family room" explained the doctor, indicating a room down the corridor. Hetty nodded her understanding and the doctor left.
"The doctor wants us to wait over there. I suggest we go there now" said Hetty, indicating the room. The others nodded and followed her.
Jake had heard what the doctor had said and looked to Hetty for clarification. "The doctor doesn't know what caused your uncle to collapse which is why he needs to operate and to fix whatever's wrong" explained Hetty.
"Will he be okay? Jake asked in a frightened voice.
"I really don't know Jake" answered Hetty honestly "but he's in good hands. The doctor's the best in his field. I made sure of that. All we can do is wait and pray."
"Well he's not going to do it here," intervened Alex, reaching for her son's hand. "He's been through enough recently and this isn't helping. I should never have let you talk me into letting him come."
"Mom!" protested Jake as he jerked away from his mother's grasp, upset by her outburst.
"The boy needs to stay and see that his uncle is alright" said Hetty.
"And what if he isn't?" demanded Alex. "What then? Will you be around to pick up the pieces?" She paused, fighting back tears which Hetty doubted were for Callen. "And where were you all after his grandfather was sent back? When Jake was inconsolable, not talking nor eating?"
"Doing all we could to find him whilst Callen sat in his car every night watching over you" intervened Sam angrily, who'd stepped forward to stand beside Hetty. "And yes, we'll be around should the worse happen. Like it or not, you're Callen's family, so you're ours too."
As the adults argued, Jake got more distressed so Kensi stepped forward, took his hand and led him away. He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes and she placed an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug but remained silent. She wanted desperately to tell him everything would be okay but knew that Callen wasn't out of the woods yet.
Nate, who'd been listening intently, stepped forward and touched Alex's arm but she jerked it away. "Alex, I admit this isn't what I'd intended but now isn't the time or place to discuss the merits of whether or not it was the right decision. Believe me, taking Jake away now won't help him… or you. It'll only do more damage." Nate paused to let his words sink in before adding. "Let him stay… at least until we know how Callen is. If you still feel the same way, I'll take you both back to the safe house."
Sam's words echoed through her head as Alex considered what Nate had said. She had no idea that Callen had kept guard outside their home night after night despite her demands for him to stay away. She nodded. They waited in silence, each along with their thoughts and an hour passed before the doctor came to see them.
"The surgery was a success and Mr Callen's in recovery. He's doing well" he announced.
"What happened?" asked Hetty, relieved at the news but curious to know what had occurred.
"He had a hepatic hematoma, a hematoma on the liver, which ruptured" explained the doctor.
"Why wasn't it detected before?" asked Hetty. Her tone was not accusing because she had enough knowledge of trauma to know there were often complications which could not be predicted.
"Delayed consequences of abdominal injuries include hematomas, which may rupture, typically in the first few days after injury, sometimes causing significant delayed haemorrhage. Hepatic injury can result from penetrating trauma like a gunshot such as Mr Callen sustained. When patients experience abdominal pain and tenderness, it's generally investigated with an ultrasound or CT scan, which we did. Unfortunately, in his case, the hematoma ruptured before we'd gotten the results. The immediate concern was the extensive internal bleeding and he needed several units of blood until we were able to control it. We sutured the rupture without the need to remove any of the liver. Now we have to ensure there are no post-op complications such as infection."
"Will he make a full recovery?" asked Sam.
"We'll need to establish a baseline haematocrit by doing a complete blood count and this will be followed by frequent blood tests, which will alert us to any change for the worse. However, to answer your question, yes I expect him to make a full recovery in time" said the doctor. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check Mr Callen's okay to be moved back to his room."
Sam breathed a sigh of relief and he glanced at Hetty who had momentarily closed her eyes, no doubt thanking whatever powers she'd been praying to.
"Thank you, Doctor" said Hetty and the others, who had also been listening, murmured their thanks too as the doctor left.
"What did the doctor say?" asked Jake, who hadn't understood much of the conversation.
"He said your uncle's going to be fine" replied Hetty, smiling at the boy.
"Can I see him?" Jake asked.
"Not just yet. He's not back in his room and we need to get the doctor's permission" she said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. He looked disappointed but Hetty added "I'll make sure you're the first one to see him though."
Just then a nurse stuck her head round the door and said "The doctor says you can see Mr Callen. He's awake but a little groggy. He's likely to tire quickly so please limit the number of people to no more than two at a time and it would be best to keep the visits short." Not waiting for a response, she left.
"Come on Jake, let's go and see him" said Hetty, as she took the boy's hand and headed back to Callen's room.
At the door she paused and looked at her boy through the glass partition. The head of the bed was raised so Callen was not lying flat. He looked pale and vulnerable as he laid motionless with his eyes closed. She took a deep breath and tapped on the door to announce their presence.
Callen opened his eyes and turned his head in their direction. He managed a weak smiled when he saw it was Hetty with Jake. "Hey" he croaked, his throat dry from the effects of the anaesthetic and being intubated during surgery. Hetty stepped forward quickly and picked up the cup of ice chips, offering them to Callen. He took a couple gratefully and sucked on them.
"You gave us quite a scare, Mr Callen" said Hetty. "We were all extremely worried."
"Yeah, sorry about that" apologised Callen.
"The doctor says the surgery went well. How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Sore but better, I guess" he replied.
His attention was pulled away from Hetty by a small voice saying "This is my fault."
Hetty and Callen looked at Jake. "We've all told you none of this is your fault, Jake" said Hetty softly, concerned that he was still blaming himself.
"Uncle Callen got shot saving me from those men" said Jake.
"Come here" said Callen holding out his hand, beckoning Jake forward. When Jake was closer, Callen took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Listen to me. This was not your fault, Jake. None of it" Callen emphasised. "If anything, it's mine. Y'see because of my job, I've made a lot of enemies and these bad men used you to get to me." Callen paused as he was seized by a coughing fit, causing Hetty to step forward and assist. He smiled his thanks before turning his attention back to his nephew. "I put you in danger and for that I apologise. You have nothing to feel guilty about, you understand?"
After a moment's thought, Jake nodded. "I guess so" he muttered. Callen smiled and pulled him into a hug. Hetty smiled at the sight but noticed Callen was tiring.
"Jake, I think we'd better let your uncle get some rest" she said.
"Okay. I love you Uncle Callen" said Jake as he moved away from Callen's embrace.
"Love you too" murmured Callen as he watched the boy leave the room. As Hetty turned to leave, Callen asked "How's Alex?"
Checking that Jake was gone, Hetty sighed. "Well that's a hard one to answer, Mr Callen. One minute she appears fine and the next she's ranting and raving, but don't worry, Nate's working with them and Miss Blye and Mr Deeks are protecting them." She stepped forward and laid her hand on top of his. "Get some rest. We can talk later when you're feeling better." Callen began to protest but thought better of it. He nodded and watched Hetty leave. He would have liked to talk more and to see the others, especially Sam, but he had to admit he was tired. As the door closed behind her, Hetty turned and smiled, pleased to see he was already sleeping peacefully.
Faces turned in her direction. "Mr Callen is feeling better but he needs rest. I suggest we go home" she said. "Miss Blye, Mr Deeks, please take Alexandra and Jake back to the safe house." Jake went to protest but Hetty cut him off. "I'm sure your mother will allow you to come back and visit another time."
Alex clenched her teeth but said "Yes, of course you can visit again but right now, Callen needs to rest and so do you."
"As I brought them in my car, I'll drive them back" offered Nate.
Kensi nodded. "Okay, I'll phone the team to let them know we're on our way then we'll follow you."
As they left, Jake turned and ran to Hetty, hugging her. Surprised, Hetty smiled and returned the gesture. "Get some rest, Jake. Mr Callen will be alright."
When the others had gone, Hetty turned to Sam who said "I'll stay. We know how he feels about hospitals."
"I don't think he's in any condition to escape, Mr Hanna" she replied.
"When has that ever stopped him?" said Sam, seriously.
Hetty chuckled. "Point taken. I've got some work to do at the office and then I'll return. Contact me should there be any change."
"I will" promised Sam. He turned and looked at his friend, before quietly entering the room and taking a seat by the bed. Years ago, he had vowed never to let Callen wake up alone. So far, he hadn't broken that promise and wasn't about to start now, even though, hopefully, Callen was now on the road to recovery. He settled down as best he could and wondered what the following day would bring.
A/N: References to the cause of Callen's collapse and reason for the emergency surgery was taken from Hepatic Injury by Philbert Yuan Van MD, Oregon Health and Science University
Last full review/revision Dec 2019| Content last modified Dec 2019