Chapter 41: Snoozeville
Callen was awake, but somewhat lethargic when the nurse came by to give him his one o'clock medication. Sam made sure the covers stayed over his shivering partner, while Callen maneuvered onto his back.
Nurse C. J. placed the two pink capsules in the patient's shaky hand, and the pills were washed down with a couple of sips of water… thankfully, without a fuss. The nurse checked vital signs, and before he had finished changing out the bag of IV solution, Callen's eyes had slid shut.
"Well, he skipped the loopy stage," Kensi said softly from the couch.
"And went straight to 'Snoozeville'," Deeks added, also keeping his voice low.
"That's actually a good thing," C. J. said while rounding the foot of the bed. "He needs some rest. We really let him stay up too long today."
"He must be worn out," Sam said, quirking an eyebrow down at Callen. "He never goes to sleep that fast… unless he's sedated… or been knocked in the head."
"Uhm, Sam?" Deeks began pointing out hesitantly. "He was knocked in the head."
"You know what I mean," Sam huffed.
C. J. disposed of the empty IV bag and wheeled the mobile vital signs stand to the door. "Hopefully he'll get a little sleep before his afternoon Physical Therapy session."
As soon as the nurse had left, Deeks and Kensi got simultaneous texts.
"It's Nell," Kensi said as she opened the message on her phone.
Deeks read Nell's text and then heaved himself up off the couch and onto his feet. "Well, Kenzalina?" he groaned while stretching his arms above his head. "Looks like we're on duty."
Still looking at her phone, Kensi stood and reported to Sam, "They want me and Deeks to go back and do some snooping at the Elegante Hotel. The surveillance team is still not picking up any activity from Zamora or his men. It's been more than twenty-four hours."
Sam's eyes narrowed. "That's not good."
"Not. Good. At. All," Deeks said, emphasizing each word.
"You guys be careful out there," Sam said with a hint of worry in his tone.
Kensi placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "We will."
"We'll be fine, Sam," Deeks reassured while pocketing his phone. "Hey. You want us to bring you back something to eat when we're done with everything this evening?"
"Sure. But don't make a special trip just for me."
Kensi finished replying to Nell's text. "We'll be back up here anyway, to check on Callen." She pushed her phone back into the pocket of her jeans. "What kind of food are you in the mood for?"
"Doesn't matter. As long as it doesn't come from one of those disgusting food trucks Deeks always goes to," Sam stipulated as the pair exited the room.
"Food truck burritos it is!" Deeks called back to Sam from the hall.
Sam chuckled to himself. After a quick glance at his partner, he took a seat on the small vinyl couch, taking this opportunity of peace and quiet to finally relax a minute.
Sam began thinking about the case they were working… how, all these years, this Zamora guy had gotten away with so much evil… the terrible things he did to G. Sam took a slow, deep breath, forcing down the sudden surge of anger. Concentrating on slowing his heartrate, he allowed his mind to drift to past cases he and Callen had worked together… the banter that he knew kept his friend from going stir-crazy during stakeouts… all the times they had gotten themselves into tough spots while in the field… how they had always managed, somehow, to make it out alive. Then Sam felt a twinge of irritation toward his partner, at how casually he tends to approach these life-or-death situations… Sam's mind began to calm. His annoyance subsided… he just couldn't stay mad at G for long…
Sam's eyes startled open. Did I hear something? Wait. Was I asleep?
He waited.
There it was again; barely audible, but G had definitely made a moaning sound.
Sam went to the side of the bed and looked down at his friend. G was shivering a little. He was awake, but his eyes were screwed shut with pain.
Sensing the tall, shadowing form standing over him, Callen gritted his teeth and took a moment to regulate his breathing. After forcing his features to relax, he opened his eyes and squinted up at Sam.
"Where are you hurting?" Sam asked with a scrutinizing stare.
Looking a bit embarrassed, G's tongue quickly swiped his dry lips. "I thought you were asleep," he rasped.
"Just resting my eyes. Now stop avoiding my question."
Callen looked away nervously. "I'm good."
Sam shook his head. "Yeah, right… You want me to get you another blanket?"
Callen gave Sam a brief look and then affirmed with a single nod. "Thanks," he said hoarsely when Sam had unfolded another blue blanket and spread it out over him.
Sam raised the head of the hospital bed a little more. "Water, juice, or hot tea?"
"Tea," he answered softly.
While Sam was pouring from Hetty's oversized thermos, he noticed G was scanning the room to his right.
"Kenz and Deeks got called into work," Sam explained. "They're stopping to get some take-out on their way back up here tonight." He handed Callen the Styrofoam cup. "Is there anything you think you might eat?"
After taking a sip of the hot tea, Callen looked up at Sam. "Not really."
"How 'bout one of those Double-Doubles you're always talking about?" he asked, smiling down at G.
Callen's lips parted, forming a small amused grin. "Sam Hanna is actually promoting In-N-Out Burger?" G paused to let a small shiver pass. "What about all those 'I can't believe you're putting that junk into your body' lectures?"
Sam tensed a little. "Special circumstances," he claimed, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
"Uh-huh."
Sam's expression turned more serious. "You've got to start eating, G. I need my partner back. And that's not going to happen as long as you refuse to eat."
Callen turned his gaze toward the window and Sam noticed that his shaking was becoming more intense by the minute.
"Please, G. Name one thing you'd eat. Anything."
Knowing his partner was not going to drop this, and suddenly becoming too uncomfortable to focus, Callen looked up at Sam and just chose something at random. "Fries?" he said hesitantly.
"Okay. I'll let Deeks and Kensi know." Sam raised the portable table and positioned it next to Callen. "In the meantime, drink your tea and try to get warm."
Over the next half hour, Callen consumed his hot tea. Unfortunately, the warmth it provided was temporary. Minutes after finishing, he became so cold and restless, Sam thought G might attempt to fight his way out of the bed – out of the hospital.
"What do you need me to do, G? You want another blanket?"
"It's… too cold… I can't… breathe," Callen said through gritted teeth. "Please get me… out of here."
C. J. entered the room in time to hear the patient's frantic appeal. He joined Sam at the side of the bed.
"He's been cold a while," Sam reported. "But it got really bad, fast."
Callen stilled and his eyes tightened. It felt as if his stomach and chest muscles were in knots.
"Mr. Callen." The nurse placed the palm of his hand on the patient's chest. "I know it's hard to get a breath. But I need you to try to relax… take slow, deep breaths."
Callen stilled. A look of concentration came across his face as he attempted to get some air into his lungs.
"That's it. Deep breaths."
A familiar female nurse came in through the partially open door and walked around to the other side of the bed. She looked across at C. J., who still had his hand on the patient's chest, and the nurses exchanged concerned looks.
"Cold?" she asked softly, looking across at C. J.
"Miserably," the male nurse responded. "Pretty sure the intense chills are causing the muscles surrounding his chest cavity to constrict."
Callen's pained expression dissipated just a little, but his eyes remained unfocused. A few seconds passed and the restlessness resumed.
"Oh, baby," Olivia said, now looking down at the patent with compassion in her eyes. "I bet that's doing a number on those broken ribs."
Seeing that Callen was preoccupied at the moment, C. J. looked to his right and addressed Sam. "I came by to let him know my shift has ended. I've already given report to Olivia. She'll be taking care of Mr. Callen until eleven tonight."
Studying the patient with narrowed eyes, Nurse Olivia asked, "C. J., do you think we could pull some strings and get a blanket from the warmer in O.R.?"
C. J. removed his hand from Callen's chest. "I hadn't thought of that," the male nurse admitted. "It's worth a try."
"I need to look in on a couple of patients and then I'll go make some calls." Olivia took a look at her watch. "It's ten after three. P.T. will be up in a little while. Maybe I could have one by the time he finishes his session."
Olivia checked the settings on the IV machine and then she and C. J. left the room.
Sam looked down at his shaky partner for a few moments. Noting his blue-tinged lips and the purple markings under his eyes, Sam went to work tucking the covers around and under G to eliminate any draft. He didn't know what else to do, so he just stood helplessly beside his friend.
Sam was still standing beside the bed when H, the Physical Therapist arrived at three-thirty.
The therapist had a worried expression on his face when he approached the bed and looked at Callen. "They told me at the nurses' station that you've been extremely cold this afternoon. I hate to disturb you now that you've gotten comfortable."
"Oh, he's not comfortable," Sam corrected with a grin. "I have him wrapped in those blankets so tight, he can't wiggle."
Callen quirked an eyebrow up at his partner.
H gave Sam a small smile and then looked down at the patient. "Do you want to get up and wa…?
"Yes," Callen answered, before H had finished his question.
The therapist's smile grew bigger. "Do you want to think about it a…?
"No," G quickly answered.
"Well then, let's get you up."
H assisted Callen in getting into a sitting position on the side of the bed, while Sam took care of making sure there was enough slack in the IV tubing. After the therapist had fastened the gait belt around G, and Sam had rolled the IV machine around and rehung the bag of solution, they assisted Callen off the bed and onto his feet.
When G attempted his first step - of course, not allowing himself enough time to get his bearings – his right leg wobbled and he began to sway.
The Therapist put out a hand to steady him. "Remember? Stand there a minute before you take off."
Sam smiled. "Yeah, G. You don't wanna walk out of here looking like Bambi," he teased, while reaching down and pulling up Callen's loose, navy sweatpants that were about to slip off his hips.
Callen focused long enough to turn his head and give his partner a 'look.'
When Callen had regained his balance, he let out a quick breath and began taking steps toward the door. And, at the suggestion of the Therapist, they made a 'pitstop' at the bathroom before exiting the room.
With Callen on a walk with the therapist, Sam took a break and sent Kensi a three-word text: Fries for G.
Callen returned twenty-five minutes later, and Sam was pleasantly surprised to see that he was walking with more control than when he had left; not giving in to the right side as much, and with less dependence on the cane.
"Did he try to make a run for it?" Sam asked, his cheek adorned with a dimple.
"No," H answered. "But he did ask if he could go outside where it's warmer."
The Therapist and Sam eased Callen down into the high-back chair beside the bed.
"Outside? Really?" Sam asked.
"Yeah. He was rather insistent," H added, grinning down at the patient while removing the white gait belt from Callen's waist.
"I knew it!" Sam said, feigning gruffness. "I knew, as soon as you started getting your strength back, you'd try to bust out-a here. Or should I say, hobble out of here. Hetty's going to have to put one of those ankle bracelets on you."
Callen didn't even bother responding verbally. With his lips pressed together in a straight line, he simply let out a small breath through his nose and looked away.
Sam chucked at seeing his partner's signature version of an eye-roll.
When the therapist had gone, Sam covered G with a blanket and poured another cup of Hetty's famous tea.
Callen was halfway done with his tea when Olivia entered the room carrying a silver foil-like tote bag. "I have something here that may help," she said. "At least temporarily." She opened the insulated bag and slipped out a white blanket. "I know someone, who knows someone, who let me sneak this out of the warmer in the Operating Room." She draped the cotton blanket over the blue one that was already covering the patient.
In less than a minute, Callen's shoulders visibly relaxed. His body eased down a little lower in the chair and his eyelids became heavy. "Than' you," he slurred.
Sam smiled down at his partner – No doubt G was headed for another nap.
Soaking in the welcomed comfort from the heated blanket, Callen blinked slowly a few more times and then, as Deeks would say, went straight to 'Snoozeville.'
