Falling Through the Cracks
Chapter 7
Eric and Nell indeed found something… a connection to an ancient property in the area of Mount Hood belonging to a cousin twice removed from Anthony Dorsten's father. Said cousin also held a law firm on Portland through which phone calls from their L.A. lawyers had been routed. It was the connection needed to make a break in the case.
While each of the team had wanted to take part in it, Hetty had stood them down from the raid at the Mount Hood property and the law firm. They had argued, but eventually Hetty had won. A subtle hint that as long as they didn't have everyone in custody, Callen might still be in danger if the lawyers had the right contacts had given them pause.
As such, the small ICU cubicle was crowded while they continued their protection detail on their team leader.
All the time, G remained the same.
Xxxxxxx
The drones had been found on the property and various federal agencies were dismantling the whole group, digging deep to ensure they got everything when some things - like that cousin twice removed and the law firm in Portland - had been missed before.
Each person in the family trees of the two leaders Dean McAllister and Anthony Dorsten were given a good shake to see if anyone else fell out of the proverbial branches.
Nell and Eric were digging deeper still, satisfying their own need to see their team leader safe when they couldn't be in Portland and help in any other way.
Three days after coming to Portland, seven days since G had been found and brought to hospital without their knowledge, the case was well on its way to being closed.
Sam glanced up when Dr. Riverdale stuck his head into the cubicle and beckoned him outside. Kensi and Deeks were sleeping at the hotel, having been with G previously, leaving Sam to take the night shift.
Standing, Sam followed the physician outside, somewhat worried even though there had been nothing suggesting G taking a turn for the worse. On the contrary, his stats had improved and his condition stabilized.
Dr. Riverdale gave him a small smile when they met up outside of the room. "No worries, Sam," he said before Sam could inquire as to the reason of their talk, "your partner is doing well. In fact, we've discussed his condition with the ICU team and we'd like to try and wake him up."
Sam relaxed but didn't speak up, seeing the physician had something to add.
Dr. Riverdale leaned against the wall, "while a medically induced coma gives the body time to recover in a deep sleep, usually it's encouraged to keep the length of time a patient spends sedated as short as possible. His condition has improved to a point where waking him up is possible."
He noticed that Dr. Riverdale was carefully enquiring about his input, knowing Sam had been around during previous hospitalizations of his partner. "G doesn't do well being laid up and essentially helpless. He hates being unaware of what is happening. He would prefer being awake as quickly as possible," Sam stated mildly. He knew his partner wouldn't like having been kept in a coma for a week already. He had groused about that same fact after his shooting all those years ago. The sedation he was under was stronger than recommended for most patients because otherwise he would be trying to fight it. Sam suspected that in some way he was fighting it even now, but the medication simply didn't give him any ground to gain and eventually it might start draining his resources if he continued to struggle without getting anywhere.
Dr. Riverdale nodded, "then we'll go ahead and start lightening the sedation. It might still take a while before he regains consciousness as you probably know from previous experiences."
Sam returned the nod and glanced back into the room, "if I may suggest something," he stated slowly, his eyes traveling over his partner's body.
"Certainly," the man beside him said.
"I know the strapping of his right arm is beneficial for his collarbone, but G doesn't do well with restrictions. He's been detained before and feeling his arm restricted might not go over well - especially since he will be disoriented from the medication. I don't know how aware he was of what happened to him, but the rescue workers said that he was somewhat conscious when they got to him, so I think it's fair to say that he knows he was in danger. The restriction of the external fixator and his broken leg will already tax him. He might not handle it well if his arm is strapped down on top of everything else," Sam explained carefully.
"He might hurt himself if he moves that arm. The collarbone is just healing and any movement might set that back," the physician hedged and Sam turned towards the man.
"The risk of that is lower compared to him reacting in a full blown defensive mode and putting strain on the rest of his body," he noted and watched Dr. Riverdale mull over those words.
"Alright, I see your point," the physician eventually gave back, "as soon as we're getting to a point where the dose of medication in his body is low enough for him to start breaking the sedation, we'll unstrap his arm. Try to keep him calm and have him not move it. I'd hate for him to undo all our work."
The small smile took the sting out of the words and Sam returned it, glad that he had been able to get the doctor to agree and win that small battle for his partner. He did indeed doubt that G would react well to being restricted and Sam would probably have his hands full already without adding the restrained arm into the equation.
Xxxxxxx
"That's great news, Sam," Kensi smiled when he filled them in once they had settled in their customary places around their team leader's bedside.
"What can we do?" Deeks asked, his eyes firmly on Callen.
And this was what would have the potential to get ugly and be difficult. Sam sighed, "you two will go back to the hotel and stay there until I call you."
Deeks jerked his head upwards and glanced incredulously at Sam. "You're kidding, right?"
Sam remained silent and merely held Deeks' gaze, letting him know he was serious without repeating his order.
"No!" the Detective hissed, "no way, Sam." He glanced away before returning his gaze to the former SEAL, "that's… no…" There was a brief pause, before he seemed to deflate and curl in on himself, his arms crossed defensively over his chest. "Why?" he added in a whisper.
Kensi had stayed out of the conversation so far, instead watching Sam intently as he leaned forward, his voice calm and soothing. "Several reasons: I've been through this with him before. I know the dos and don'ts that come with G. Secondly, he wouldn't want you guys to see him like that and third: he never before reacted well to being crowded. I've discussed it with Dr. Riverdale and they will stay back as far as possible so as not to trigger him."
Sam let the other two digest that.
They all knew that Callen could be dodgy about physical contact and being crowded, but neither of their younger team mates had been present when Callen had come out of previous sedations… it wasn't pretty. He could switch from unresponsive to combative within a fraction of a second and the more people around, the more threatened he felt, the more viciously he tried to get away.
"I'm not doing this out of spite, Deeks," Sam added gently, waiting for Deeks to glance over, "you'll get to see him as soon as possible so you can finally stop senselessly beating yourself up over this, but until then, G's needs have to rank above yours." Sam didn't add that he feared if G struggled during his waking up phase it might impact negatively with their already unbalanced Detective and send him further down his guilt trip.
Deeks' eyes slid from Callen to Sam and back. "I know," he murmured eventually, his frame slowly relaxing out of the defensive curl it had been in before.
None of them knew why Deeks was reacting so strongly to what had happened to G, why he was so adamant it was his fault. From all accounts of what he had told them, it had been an operational decision both undercover agents had made together and it was one they had made before. There was the matter of survivor's guilt, but for some reason Sam didn't think that was all. He wondered if there was more to the story than they knew or if Deeks himself wasn't even able to understand why this impacted so heavily. Maybe they should consider recalling Nate to help Deeks.
Xxxxxxx
It had taken fourteen hours for G to show first signs of awakening, withdrawing from painful stimulus and at that point, Sam had sent Kensi and Deeks away, knowing that things might be happening more quickly from then on - as had been the case in the past. With G, you never knew.
The tracheal tube had been pulled a little while ago and G was breathing regularly on his own. The team of doctors and nurses were indeed keeping their distance, monitoring G's vitals from afar and only checking in with Sam every now and then.
Sam kept a sharp eye on his partner so as not to miss the crucial moment he knew would come eventually. He talked quietly to the other man, hoping to give him something to focus on and to let him know that he was safe.
He watched over his partner as he displayed the first indistinct and uncoordinated movements. When G started moving his right arm sluggishly, Sam reached out and gently stayed his hand, knowing he might provoke a negative reaction.
Indeed, G grew more restless, trying to shift his arm away and out of Sam's touch. The panic was missing, but there was a restless urgency in his partner's movements and Sam leaned closer.
"Open your eyes, G," he ordered softly, "you're safe."
Xxxxxxx
Consciousness returned in waves, leaving him floundering. The pain he remembered was mostly absent, just a dull throb all over.
He distantly recognized the voice he heard, couldn't place it though. Whenever he thought he might be close to puzzling it out, he sank back into nothingness.
He was feeling heavy and his body was being uncooperative about moving while his mind was being uncooperative about making sense out of anything.
Frustration rolled through him and he intensified his efforts, cursing his body and mind for being stroppy. Finally, there was some movement, sluggish and exhausting.
He let the cloud of darkness envelop him once more, unable to keep it at bay.
The next time he escaped the oblivion, he felt a tiny bit more in control and returned to his task of moving and getting back on top of things. A hand on his arm sharpened his focus. Was he being restrained? Why?
He tried moving his arm again, encountering a slight resistance, not strong enough to send his still dulled instincts into DEFCON mode, but prompting him to struggle further for focus and clarity.
He noticed the voice above him. Sounds, indistinct words and murmurs had accompanied him for a while, registering without being made sense of.
It took effort to open his eyes, but it would be necessary to take in his surroundings and decide on what to do. The shape was indistinct, blurry and he had a memory of indistinct green and grey blobs that stirred up a feeling of dread. He tried moving his arm again, but it was still held carefully against his chest. The hold was gentle and didn't feel threatening.
"-asy." Movement above him, more indistinct sounds, "- safe." He could make out rhythmic beeping and upon inhaling, he noticed the smell of disinfectant.
He tried blinking his eyes - or eye? His right one felt strange - to sharpen his vision and slowly the blob began to take shape. The voice was also beginning to make sense. He knew that voice, the cadence and rhythm.
He opened his mouth to form the name "-am?"
"Yeah, I'm here, partner. Relax and lie still."
It was then that the barrier keeping him from the real world seemed to shatter and his brain started working again. He was in hospital and his partner was there to back him up. Why was he in hospital? Had he been shot again?
He hurt, though it was dull, but it was still there and a whine of pain escaped before he could reign it in.
"Easy, G," Sam murmured and Callen blinked his eye open once more, unsure when it had fallen shut. He waited for his vision to focus on Sam and was relieved to find his mind didn't play tricks on him when eventually his senses returned enough to visually identify his partner.
"There you are," Sam murmured and gave him a smile.
He let his focus hang on Sam for some moments longer before age old restlessness returned and the need to know his surroundings grew more pressing. His focus slid away from Sam and he tried glancing around.
"You're in ICU, G. It's Friday and you've been here for a week," Sam supplied the necessary information and he was trying to make sense of the words. A week meant he had missed some time. ICU meant he was badly injured. Callen started moving slowly, still sluggish, trying to find the reasons for his stay in ICU.
Sam sighed softly and put his hand on his shoulder, staying his movements. "Don't move, G." Despite the words being said in a gentle tone, he could feel himself responding to the order, conditioned after years of working with his partner. "I'll get one of your doctors and we'll talk you through, ok?"
He gave a slow nod, drowsy but determined to remain awake. It felt like just a second ticked away before a door opened on his right side and he could sense someone else approaching.
Xxxxxxx
That had gone way better than he had expected. G waking up from a deep sedation had been smooth and easy for once and Sam sarcastically wondered in the privacy of his mind if they were getting the hang on how to do this by now.
He watched over his partner as he slept once more, exhausted and in need of time to recuperate. The talk with Dr. Riverdale had gone about as smoothly as Sam had expected, his partner wary of the man but taking his cues from Sam. The impact of the physician's words had been easily visible in his usually reserved and controlled friend. Sam had seen the frustration when his partner had noticed the external fixator and his mind had caught up with the restrictions it would pose for the foreseeable future.
Another sarcastic thought was that at least the external fixator ensured that G would remain in bed for a while as opposed to his usual modus operandi of sneaking out when it came to being laid up in hospital. Sam allowed himself a tired smile, certain they had some battles ahead of them but equally certain that G would make it through just as he had done so many times in the past before.
He glanced up when the door opened and Kensi and Deeks quietly slipped inside. He put a finger to his lips, knowing that G was much more prone to waking up now. His partner usually didn't sleep much and without the sedation, he would unconsciously return to his old habits even if his body needed the rest.
True to his internal musings, Sam saw his partner once more beginning to wake just a few moments after the rest of the team had entered the room. It was some kind of inherent internal warning system that alerted G to the change in his environment and had him fighting to wake up once more.
Sam sighed and leaned closer to the bed. "Take it slowly, G. You're safe," he reiterated, knowing with the medication still running through his friend he needed to remind him of his safety for it to sink in eventually.
One eye blinked open only moments later. G's right one was still swollen and wouldn't open more than a tiny slit.
When G focused on him, he instantly saw him relax, obviously reassured by his partner's presence. Another blink later, and his senses seemed to inform him of the other presences in the room and he tensed back up slightly before letting his gaze move around the room, trying to make out the identities of the other people.
Sam was glad when G reacted to Kensi and Deeks by relaxing once more. He knew his partner trusted their junior team members, but G in hospital was a different person and he hated being perceived as weak.
Xxxxxxx
"Hey," G croaked, his eyes lingering on Kensi and Deeks, taking in their appearances. He focused on Deeks, his mind trying to puzzle something out.
Sam had been tightlipped about just how he had come to be here. Seeing Deeks, Callen thought it had something to do with the younger man, some operation they had been on… together?
He frowned and then mentally shook his head, not sure if it was worth stressing over right now, equally unsure if he would be able to concentrate on the thought long enough to puzzle it out.
"Hey Callen," Kensi smiled before coming closer and leaning over him, brushing a kiss against his cheek.
"Favorite agent," he murmured, giving her what would usually pass for a charming smile… if his face weren't black and blue, his right eye swollen shut.
Kensi laugh softly before Deeks huffed and drew her back, "hands off. Get your own girl, bro," he sniped with a smile.
Bro.
The word reverberated in his head, bringing with it some snippets of information.
Deeks walking towards him with a teasing smirk.
Bro.
His arm slung over Deeks' shoulder as they bantered, following after some men.
Bro.
Callen tilted his head slightly to the side, trying to hang onto the brief flashbacks to give him more information. These things had happened, and they had happened recently; a kinship with their Detective that had not been there before, despite all the years of working together. Something that had felt easy and had given him contentment.
Bro.
Words of anger between them.
Bro.
Withdrawing from each other, something that had felt right in regards to the undercover job but wrong in regards to them.
Feeling the brief snatches of memories peter off, he let them go, deciding to consider them later on when he had more than a few - still heavily medicated - brain cells to rub together.
When he returned his focus back onto the here and now, he noticed Deeks watching him closely and gave him a smirk, "I get sympathy points right now with the girls."
There was a somewhat choked sound coming from their Detective, but Deeks didn't elaborate and Callen found his attention snagged by his partner when he mentioned pretty nurses and doctors. It felt like a diversion, but he couldn't properly concentrate, felt his attention waning again, knowing it was the blasted medication that would impair him for longer than he would like. At the same time he was glad for the medication since the dull throbbing all over let him know he would be in quite substantial pain if he didn't have those drugs in his system.
Feeling his focus spiral away, his eyelid growing heavier, he let sleep overtake him just a few minutes after waking in the first place, reassured in the knowledge that his team had his back.
A soft murmur of well known voices accompanied him into sleep.
Xxxxxxx
Seeing G awake had seemed to help Deeks somewhat. The downward curl of his shoulders had lessened though it wasn't gone yet.
Kensi and Sam had carried the conversation after G had drifted off once more, while Deeks' focus hung on their injured team mate, his eyes never leaving his figure. Yet again, Sam wondered just what had happened between the two men and during the investigation to result in this insecure and guilt-ridden Detective.
Sam glanced over to Kensi to find her gaze also on her partner, worry blatantly visible in her eyes.
Sam sighed inaudibly and then stretched before getting up. "Kens," he called and tilted his head to the door, "let's get something to eat." He got the feeling that their Detective needed some alone time with G once more.