Prompt 72: "You need sleep." A/N: More post-Mexico angst.
"I can help you unpack," Deeks said, making a move to get up. Kensi turned from the mess of clothes and other belongings she had removed from their duffel bags. She was sorting them into piles to be washed, put away, and trashed. The trash pile was winning at the moment.
"Don't even think about getting off that bed, Deeks," Kensi warned him. Between his head injury, which made him dizzy and nauseous every time he sat up, lingering dehydration, and his strained ribs, she was fairly certain he wouldn't make it very far. Still, in the two days since being released from the hospital, he'd proved to be more stubborn about taking it easy than she'd imagined.
Reluctantly, he laid back down, wincing at the sudden change in position.
"You shouldn't have to do all the work," he murmured, his voice hoarse and weary. "I know you're in pain too." Kensi sighed and set down a bag full of leaking toiletries, coming to kneel on the bed beside Deeks.
"I wasn't hurt nearly as badly as you." She ran her fingers through his hair, brushing back the soft strands. She'd helped him wash it the night before and even that simple task had sapped all his energy. It was yet another reminder of what she had come so close to losing.
Despite his exhaustion, he hadn't slept well; all night long Deeks had shifted restlessly, murmuring to himself when he did nod off for a few minutes.
"You need sleep," she told him, taking in his drawn features. There were dark circles under his eyes and he still looked washed out.
"Every time I close my eyes, I dream about horrible things," he told her, eyes distant as he spoke. "I hear you screaming for help, but I can't…I'd just rather stay awake." He shuddered. Kensi felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes at the pain and despair in his voice.
Shifting to lay down beside him, she carefully wrapped her arms around his torso, resting a hand on his stomach. His skin was warm and familiar and helped to center her.
"What if I promise to hold you the entire time?" she offered, drawing a finger down his cheek.
"It might help," he said, sounding uncertain.
"Then I won't leave your side," Kensi promised, burrowing her nose in the hollow of his neck. It took much longer than normal, but eventually his breathing deepened and he slept.