Chapter 43: Exhausted

Callen's emotional outburst left him absolutely drained of what little energy he might have had left. He sat in the chair, shoulders drooping, head down, while Deeks distributed the takeout food.

"And gourmet fries for the gentleman at table six," Deeks announced in an exaggerated French accent, as he dramatically placed a package of french-fries on the portable table in front of Callen.

Sam was studying his partner from a distance, wondering how G was going to react to being presented with food - being expected to eat. He was hoping they weren't about to have a repeat of the 'food fight' incident. Another meltdown would not be good for G's recovery – He was just too tired.

Without lifting his head, Callen looked up at Deeks through his eyebrows, and then glanced down at the fries. He immediately closed his eyes and swallowed thickly.

And there it is. Sam recognized that look; the same 'carsick face' G would make after riding shotgun in Kensi's SUV. Apparently, just looking at food was making him feel nauseous.

"Oh! Drinks," Marty said suddenly, and then dashed from the room.

Kensi picked up the thermos she had brought in with her. "Callen? Hetty sent some more tea. I can't remember what blend she said it was, and I'm not even sure I could pronounce it anyway. But she said it's one you like. You want some?"

Callen raised his head, thankfully showing some interest in the container of hot liquid. He gave Kensi a slight nod.

Kensi pulled a dark blue coffee mug from the tote bag she had laid on the couch earlier. "I brought your cup from the office," she said while filling it halfway with tea. "It's not Hetty-approved fine china, but it has to be better than those flimsy, little Styrofoam cups."

"Thanks," G said softly when she sat the mug in front of him.

Kensi was putting the tote in the closet when Deeks returned with the soft drinks and water. With their food and drinks in hand, Deeks and Kensi sat down on the couch, and Sam took a seat in the extra chair.

Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, they engaged in trivial conversation, and consumed their meals, while inconspicuously keeping an eye on Callen.

G absently rearranged his french-fries for a while. Then he carefully wrapped both hands around the coffee cup and brought it slowly to his mouth, with noticeably less tremor than when drinking from a Styrofoam cup.

Sam gave Kensi a nod of approval. Her coffee mug idea was a good one.

Sam collected their trash when they were finished, including G's uneaten fries, and took the bags to a trash bin down the hall.

When he returned, Nurse Olivia followed right behind him, with a small medicine cup in her hand.

"It's that time, Mr. Callen," she said, feigning cheerfulness.

Callen's eyes slid shut and he let out a quick breath.

"I can see you're really thrilled about the Florozine," the nurse said with a half-smile. She placed the medicine cup on the small table beside the bed. "I've taken care of a several patients on this medication – believe me, they all hated it."

Olivia turned and began skillfully smoothing the bedsheets with the palms of her hands. "I need to get you back to bed before you take these pills, though… before you completely wilt on us."

Deeks snorted. "It's a little late for… umph…" he was suddenly interrupted by a jab to his ribs from Kensi's elbow. "What?" he whined.

"You're not helping," Kensi warned under her breath.

But neither of the younger team members did a very good job hiding their amusement when they turned and noticed Callen was now staring at Deeks, in what might have been a threatening glare, if he weren't so worn out.

When the nurse had finished tidying up the sheets and covers, she fluffed the pillows and then came over to where Callen was seated. "Would you like to go to the restroom before you lie down?"

Callen's weary eyes met those of the nurse and he nodded once.

With the nurse on Callen's left side, and Sam on his right, they helped him stand and then immediately caught him by both arms before he toppled forward and to the right.

It took a moment, but G was able to steady himself.

"Did you get dizzy?" the nurse asked.

With his head still lowered, Callen shook his head 'no.'

"Just tired?"

Callen slowly lifted his head. "I'm good," he answered hoarsely.

Sam chuckled. "Yeah. We know."

Several seconds later, G stood up straighter and then began making his way across the room; his partner holding on to his right arm (just in case), and the nurse pushing the IV machine.

A few minutes later, Sam was waiting outside the bathroom when the nurse opened the door and leaned out into the room. "He wants to brush his teeth while he's in here. By chance, does anyone know where his toothbrush might be?"

Deeks opened the drawer to the small table beside the bed. "Not in here," he announced.

Sam huffed. "He's worse than my kids at bedtime. Any excuse to avoid going to bed."

Kensi began looking around inside the closet. "Maybe in one of these bags?"

Sam shook his head and then joined Kensi in the closet search. "There should be a black shaving kit in here, Kenz. I've seen it when Hetty's here getting him ready in the mornings."

"Ah Ha!" Kensi pulled the shaving kit from beneath one of the bags of clothes. She unzipped the case and dug around inside. "Razor… deodorant… soap… got it," she said, and handed the toothbrush case and a tube of toothpaste to the nurse.

The next time the door opened, Olivia gave the oral hygiene items back to Kensi and then escorted her patient, and his rolling IV machine, toward the bed.

Before G had time to protest, Sam and Deeks were lifting him up onto the bed. Even with their careful handling, Callen gasped and his eyes screwed shut, as he held his breath against the pain the movement caused.

Exhaustion was definitely interfering with Callen's ability to conceal how badly he was hurting. In the time it took for him to catch his breath, the nurse had repositioned and plugged in the IV machine, they had covered him with several blankets, the side rails were raised, and the head of the bed had been elevated.

When Callen was finally able relax enough to open his eyes, Nurse Olivia was standing to his right with a container of apple juice in one hand, and the medicine cup in the other. He just kept lying there, blinking tiredly at the pink capsules.

"Stop stalling, G," Sam ordered, a tone much sterner than he intended.

Callen flinched and his eyes flickered from the medicine cup up to Sam.

"It's past seven," Sam said with a much gentler tone than before. "You need to take your pills."

G blinked lazily at Sam a few times. Then his gaze drifted from Sam, to the nurse's face, and then slowly down to the medicine she was holding. His frown left no doubt as to how much he dreaded what came next.

Callen took the cup from the nurse and sat staring at the purple pills for a moment, wishing he could just get up and walk out the door; no more poking and prodding, no more being forced to eat when he wasn't hungry, no more pills that made him unbearably cold. He just wanted to be left alone.

But realizing he was surrounded by four individuals (three of the four having Henrietta Lange on speed dial) who would stop at nothing to make sure he followed the doctor's orders, and being just too tired to fight, refusing the medicine was not an option.

Olivia smiled down at her droopy-eyed patient as she took the empty medicine cup from his trembling hand. "I'll do my best to snag another heated blanket from the O.R. before the next bad cold-wave hits you."

It was no surprise that Callen's eyes were closed before the nurse was even out the door.

The room was relatively quiet for the next forty minutes, until Kensi received an alert on her phone.

"It's Eric," she announced while texting a response. "He has some information for us… on the case." Kensi got up from the couch and pulled her IPad out of its case. She connected with Ops and then held up her tablet. "Hey, guys," she greeted when Eric and Nell's faces appeared on the screen. "Gang's all here."

Sam and Deeks huddled behind her where they could also see the screen.

"Are we secure?" Eric asked.

"Yes. It's just us," Kensi assured. "What's up?"

"Bad news, guys," Eric began. "We still haven't been able to locate Zamora."

"So, we really did lose him?!" Sam asked with alarm. "I can't believe this!"

Nell and Eric both turned their heads to the left, as if someone had entered Ops, and then returned their focus to their computer screen.

"Sorry, Sam," Eric apologized. "Wish we had better news. Kensi and Deeks checked out the hotel, earlier today. All the bugs and cameras are still in place. Zamora's rentals are still in the parking garage. He just… disappeared."

Sam shook his head in disbelief. "That's what happened the case I worked with G. We were ready to shut him down, and he vanished."

"That's what he always does," Nell added. "He keeps a safe distance. And then when enough intel has been gathered to shut down one of his operations, he becomes a ghost."

"So how close were we?" Sam asked, with as much tension in his voice as before. "To making an arrest?"

Neither Eric or Nell answered Sam's question. They appeared to be distracted by something they were seeing on their screen.

"Uh… guys?" Nell finally said while tilting her head forward and looking past them.

Kensi, Deeks and Sam simultaneously turned their heads toward the bed.

Callen was awake, listening, and definitely worried. Even from across the room, they could see his breathing was labored and his tired eyes were full of distress.

Sam left the other two to check on his partner. "Hey, G," he said calmly when he approached the bed. "We got this. Okay buddy?"

When Callen's heavy eyelids began blinking more slowly, Sam placed a hand on his shoulder and applied just enough pressure so that G's head settled back into the pillow.

"It's gonna be okay," Sam reassured. "Go back to sleep."

Callen let his eyes close, but the worry lines did not leave his brow.

The SEAL returned to where Kensi was standing with the IPad and Nell continued with her explanation of where they were with the case.

"We've linked Zamora to some recent criminal activity in Cuba. And we know he ordered hits on two of his competitors in Honduras. But closer to home, and the reason we believe he has been in LA this past week, we've uncovered a smuggling ring in San Diego. A big exchange is scheduled for some time tomorrow night."

"Drugs?" Deeks asked.

"Humans," Eric explained. "Underage girls, to be more specific. We don't have an exact count, but we believe there are at least twenty-five girls, all abducted from Mexico. The girls are to be exchanged for high-power military weapons."

Sam glanced toward the bed when he thought he heard his partner say something. G looked to be barely awake, so Sam turned his attention back to the IPad.

Nell nervously chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "Our San Diego team is prepared to intercept the girls, retrieve the weapons, and make the arrests. But, once again, Zamora is in the wind."

"Sorry," Eric added. "We've hit a dead end."

Sam let out a long breath. "So, he's going to slip through our fingers. Again."

"And who knows when he'll resurface," Eric said, looking dejected. "He disappears for months, even years at a time."

Deeks, Sam, and Kensi all startled when a close up Hetty's face suddenly appeared on the screen.

"What is Mr. Callen saying?" she asked.

Kensi and Deeks exchanged looks of confusion.

Sam glanced back at G, once again. "I think he's pretty out-of-it, Hetty."

"Mr. Hanna, please go see what your partner has been mumbling about over there."

Sam fought back an eye-roll and obediently walked over to the bedside. "G."

Callen barely opened his eyes.

"Hetty wants to know what you said."

Callen blearily looked up at Sam. "Mohing…" he slurred, and then closed his eyes.

Sam shook his head. He was about to tell Hetty that his partner was too sleepy to communicate, when G spoke again.

"Mohinga," he said, only slightly more clearly than before.

"What is Mohinga?" Kensi asked, as she and Deeks joined Sam at the bedside.

"It is a Burmese dish," Hetty explained.

Kensi appeared to be even more confused. "Callen? Are you wanting us to get you some Burmese food?"

G forced one eye open. He looked at Kensi for a moment and then let his eye close. "Zamora," he whispered, barely having the energy to talk. "He has a thin'… for Mohinga… If… he's in a place… tha' has… a Burmese rest…" he trailed off.

"G!" Sam said forcefully.

Callen's eyes opened slightly.

"What about Zamora and Burmese food?"

G swallowed hard. "Sorr'… Mohinga… several times a wee'… sometimes sends fo' it… someti' goes…" this time, when Callen's eyes slid shut, he began snoring softly.

Sam, Deeks, and Kensi moved away from their Lead Agent, back to the middle of the room.

Nell and Eric sat silently for a moment, staring at each other with matching excitement.

Nell shook her head and then turned back toward the screen with wide eyes. "We've gone over the files, like a thousand times. There was no mention of his Mohinga obsession, anywhere… Guys… It might be a long shot. But this could be the lead we needed."

Eric began tapping on his computer keys. "We'll start searching security footage," he said, without looking up from his keyboard. "See if anything turns up at any of the area restaurants."

"We'll get back to you if we find anything," Nell said, and then the tablet screen went dark.