"Are you going to have someone to take you home, Mr Callen?"
"I'm sure I can find someone… I've got… well lets just say I have plenty of options"
"That's fine. So long as you have someone who can take you home and help you while you get used to your condition, until your wife gets home"
….
"You sure this is okay, that I'm not being an imposition?"
"I promise you. It's not a problem. Besides… they still think I'm your wife. So it makes sense"
"Even so, I appreciate this"
….
Nell turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, keeping her other hand firmly on Callen to guide him inside
"Wow. Talk about minimalist"
"Yeah well… I never saw the point of filling the place with furniture for the sake of it. It's only me living here, so I only ever needed the basics"
"Yeah, but still… Watch your step" Nell replied, guiding Callen into the lounge
"If you want to head home, I'm sure I can manage from here"
"You're kidding, right?. You may be doing the minimalist thing, but there's no way I'm going to just leave you to feel your way round, 'till you find your way to your bed" Nell paused for a moment, before continuing "You do have a bed, right? I mean the rumours are just rumours?" She asked, looking at Callen questioningly, forgetting that he couldn't see her facial expressions
"I have a bed. I don't sleep on it though" he replied
….
"Right, are you sure you can make it to the bathroom?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Nell!, You can go home"
"Fine. I'll be back in the morning to check on you"
….
"I'm telling you, Sam. I almost had to throw her out… She just kept asking did I know how to get to the bathroom. Kensi kept going on about was I sure I could make it to the kitchen or front door without any help. I Appreciate their help, I appreciate everyone's help… but I don't need you all to stop round with groceries… Okay I admit I didn't have much in the kitchen, but I'm not an invalid"
"No one's saying you're an invalid, G. We're just trying to help you during this transitional period"
"I've managed before, I'll manage again… Just… please, let me…." Callen paused, trying to select just the right words "come to terms with my 'condition'…"
….
Callen heard someone chapping on his front door… 'Obviously I didn't make myself clear' he thought to himself and he got up and felt his war along the walls till he reached the front door
"Who's there?"
"Open the door, Mr Callen!" he heard in a stern voice that could only belong to one person
"I don't need groceries, Hetty" he replied, making no moves to reach the door lock
"OPEN the door!"
….
"You're looking more than a little scruffy"
"It's designer stubble…"
"mm hmm. Or have you realised you can't shave yourself?"
"What do you want, Hetty?"
"The same as usual… Your wellbeing"
"I'm not some invalid… I'm not a project for you, or Sam, or Kensi, or anyone else to fix. I'm broken… and may never be the same. I've accepted that… maybe it's time that you all did too. I can't work for you any longer. I appreciate all that you've done for me till now… truly. but things aren't going to go back to normal. Not now"
Hetty stared at Callen, knowing full well that what he was saying was true… he wasn't a project. He wasn't able to work for her any longer. He may never be the same. But this didn't matter to her… she wanted the same thing that she had wanted since she first laid eyes upon him
"If you truly believe that my boy, it's you who must accept something. You must accept that you mean a great deal to this team, and a great deal, to me. I didn't protect you all those years simply for you to become an asset. Even had I not known your mother, I would still have done the same. You need to accept that you have friends… Family, that won't give up on you, That you mean no less to today, than you did when you were able to look us in the eye."
….
"It's not just you… he's lost the rag with Sam, Deeks and I. So it's not personal"
"I just…" Nell paused, taking a quick breath before continuing "…want to help him"
"I know… we all do. If it makes you feel any better… he's known Sam a lot longer than he's known me, and he's still pushing him away"
"Not making me feel any better"
"I know" Kensi said, pausing to look Nell over "So… have you come to terms with your feelings, or are you still pretending ?"
"What do you want me to say, kens?"
"… so you're 100% that you don't have, and never have had, anything more than friendship feelings for our fearless leader?"
"I don't think I want to answer"
"Which roughly translated means that you have had, or do have romantic feeling for him"
"Okay. Fine… yes I… have feelings for him. But I know that nothing would ever happen between us"
"Why?"
….
Callen had been managing to function on his own… mostly, anyway.
There were still things that he couldn't do on his own… cooking, mainly. There was also the shaving issue, that Hetty had highlighted… but that could be solved by purchasing an electric razor. Next time Sam came around, that would be something he could help with. The other was managing his money… he obviously couldn't use online banking or ATMs, And any cash that he did still have on his person, could be anything… $5s, $10s, $20s etc… he couldn't tell what was what… so he was having to rely on the honesty of the guy delivering his take out. That was another thing he would need Sam's (or someone's help) sorting his bank notes so that he could identify what notes were 10s and which were 20s.
….
"Yo, G… You here?" Sam called out, as he closed the door behind him
"Where else would I be?" Could be heard from the bedrooms
"You needing anything?"
"There's a few things I could use your…." Callen paused, quietly sighing "… Help, with"
"Whatever you need, buddy"
….
"You know you've upset Kensi and Nell" Sam said, as he was driving
"I'm not some project for them… This is my life now, and you all need to accept that. I don't need you fussing about me"
"We're just trying to help you, G. We all just care about you… and want to make this situation the least stressful for you"
"And I appreciate that… I do. But I've got to learn to cope with this. I'm not always going to… to have you all here to help me"
"Don't talk a lot of crap. You actually think you being blind is gonna stop us from being here for you"
"We're only close because we work together. Once you get a new partner… you know as well as I do, that we'll not see each other, or talk"
"You really believe that?. You think that after 9 years of being partners, and friends, that I'll not bother with you… you really think that Kensi or Nell wont have anything to do with you because we don't work with you anymore?. If you really believe that, then you're even further gone than I thought"
Callen gave serious thought to what Sam had said… maybe he wasn't being realistic with his expectations. He could admit that he was closer to Sam, Kensi, Eric, Nell and even Deeks than anyone he had ever known… and that was without thinking about how close he was with Hetty
….
Callen was, once again, feeling his way to his front door… he had gotten better at it… not he didn't need to stick too close to the walls to guide him. He was intimately familiar with the layout of his home
"Who's there?"
Callen knew it wasn't someone delivering take out… largely because he hadn't ordered any today… although it was still early
"Nell"
Callen hadn't been looking forward to Kensi or Nell's next visit, after his conversation with Sam, he realised he would have to apologise to both the younger women.
"Coming"
….
"I'm sorry for being short tempered with you the other week. I just don't want… I want to be independent. I could be this way for the rest of my life… so I need to learn to cope alone"
"I know that… I just…" Nell started before Callen interrupted her
"Cup of tea or coffee?"
"Um… sure. But are you sure it's a good idea for you to…"
"Yes. Didn't you just hear me say I need to learn to be independent"
"Okay, okay. I'll have a cup of tea. Can I use your restroom?"
"Sure. You know where it is"
Callen started making his way through into the kitchen… after a few steps, when he hadn't heard any steps he turned to where Nell's voice had been coming from
"I don't hear any steps… go use the bathroom. I can manage"
….
'At least he seems to be managing… I just wish he would let me help' Nell thought to herself as she washed her hands
'I guess if I'm wishing for things… I should think a bit bigger'
….
Callen was in the kitchen, listening out for the kettle to whistle, indicating the water was boiled
He had managed to get two mugs from the cupboard, and had grabbed a tea bag, and dropped it in one mug, and then managed to scoop out a spoon of coffee into the other mug
The kettle had just started whistling… as Callen was reaching over to grab the kettles handle he heard Nell ask if he needed any help. Being distracted he turned to face the direction that her voice was coming from, but in doing so his right hand came into contact with the kettle… causing him to feel considerable pain. Not as bad as being shot in the chest, but worse than feeling a high velocity round hit him through his bullet proof vest
He let out a scream, which quickly drew Nell to him.
"Are you okay?" She asked, watching him cradle his burnt hand
"Yeah, I'll be fine" he barely managed to hiss
"No, you're not. I'm taking you to the hospital… and before you say anything else… if you don't come with me quietly, I'll call Hetty and let you deal with her"
Having turned the hob off, She grabbed onto his upper arm, dragging him behind her and out to her car
….
A few hours later Nell opened his front door, and guided him inside and over to his chair
"Sit down, and I'll order some takeout"
And that was how the next few weeks panned out… Nell would finish work and go straight to Callen's. Grabbing some food on the way…
After eating, she would check the dressing on his burnt hand and replace it if it needed it.
….
"Come on, Brother… it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel"
"I don't think it's a good idea Mike."
"Come on… What woman could turn you down when you're blind and injured?. I Guarantee that we'll find someone to hook up with you"
"I don't know… Besides, Nell'll be by later with food"
"I can call her and let her know that you don't need her help for one evening. Come on, what d'you say?"
Callen gave it serious consideration… he had been stuck at home more or less constantly since being released from hospital. It would be good to go outside and talk to people other than his colleagues
"Okay. Let's…. go out on the pull"
….
[…]
"Yeah, I understand… It's fine. I have other stuff I can do"
[…]
"Yeah… totally. Just let him know… I'll be by to see him as normal tomorrow"
Nell ended the call and dropped her Cellphone back into her pocket. She hadn't left work yet, and was sure she could find something to do…
The only thing that was bothering her, was that Mike had been quite graphic about his plans for Callen tonight. That he was going to make sure Callen hooked up with some girl tonight.
Why couldn't her company be enough?
"You okay, Nell?" she heard Eric say from behind her
"Yeah, I'm fine" she replied, quickly rubbing the moisture away from her eyes
"You fancy going out for dinner?" Asked Eric
Nell knew that Eric meant well…
"Sure, Why not"
….
Nell woke up, and tried to shield her eyes from the sunlight that was not helping her hangover. Just how much had Eric and her had to drink last night… it was just then that she realised she wasn't wearing anything beneath the cover.
She turned her head and managed to focus her vision till she saw Eric in bed next to her
'Oh god. What've I done' she thought to herself as she started looking about the room for her discarded clothes, desperate to get dressed and out of the room before Eric woke… maybe she would be able to convince him that it had all been a dream. Probably not… 'Damn it'