As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. Hope you all have a great rest of the week.

xxxxx

"Sam, can we take a break?" Callen didn't like asking, nor did he like the slight tremor that was in his voice, but he thought if he took one more step he was going to face plant right onto the ground.

"Of course," Sam looked at his partner and saw that his complexion was very pale and his face was covered with perspiration. "I'm sorry, G," he said, realizing his friend was by no means up for hiking through the woods at the moment. He should have recognized it sooner.

"It's okay, Sam," Callen said somewhat breathlessly. "I'm all right." Exhausted, he sat down heavily on the ground.

Grateful for the break, Deeks immediately did the same. His shoulder felt like it was being burned with a red hot poker. He was pretty sure whatever infection was festering in there was getting worse.

"I wish we could find something to eat." Kensi voiced the thought that all of them had had at one time or another over the past day.

"So do I," said Sam. He was unhappy that they hadn't found anything to eat in the woods. He had thought they would have come across something by now, but luck didn't seem to be with them in that regard. Actually, luck wasn't with them in any regard except for the fact that they had water. He didn't even want to think about where they would be if they didn't have that. "G? Here drink this." Sam passed his canteen over to Callen and watched as he gulped down some of the cool liquid. "Slow down," he said quietly. "There's plenty there."

"So what's our next move, Sam?" Kensi asked.

Sam shrugged. "I don't really know, just keep walking, I guess." He cast a thoughtful look at his partner and Deeks and realized neither man was in particularly good shape for whatever travels laid ahead. "But for now, I think we should just stay here for the night."

Kensi nodded and Deeks breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He knew they really ought to keep moving, but he also knew that he wasn't capable of walking much further and from the looks of Callen, he was even less capable.

"Hey Deeks?" Sam said. "While we're here, I'd like to take a look at your shoulder."

"Yeah…okay…" Deeks said reluctantly. He hated having Sam poke and prod at him, but knew if he kicked up a fuss that he would only serve to draw more attention to himself and his bullet wound. He didn't want to worry his teammates, especially Kensi, any more than he had to.

Sam went over to him and gently removed the bandage and then the dressing. He didn't change his expression as he silently rinsed the wound and then redressed and bandaged it.

"Well?" Deeks asked as both he and Kensi watched Sam carefully. "Come on, man, saying nothing makes me more nervous than if you had a horrified look on your face."

"It's infected," Sam stated, "but it doesn't look too bad…"

"Yet," Deeks finished for him.

"Don't put words in my mouth, Deeks," Sam said as he felt Deeks' forehead. Deeks rolled his eyes when Sam remained quiet once again. "I'm assuming if I didn't have a fever you'd say so."

"It's hard to tell," Sam fibbed.

"Well, I don't feel like I'm burning up or anything so it can't be that bad," Deeks said. The worst thing was just the incessant pain of his shoulder. He wished the bullet had gone right through. It would have been easier to deal with.

Sam sighed as he glanced over at his partner who had somehow managed to fall asleep sitting up. That was definitely not an ordinary occurrence for G. He went over to him and gently lowered him to the ground so that he was lying in a more comfortable position. He then covered him with a blanket. "Get some sleep, buddy," he said softly.

xxxxx

Sam silently sat, with his back resting against a tree, as he watched his partner sleep. Every so often, Callen would moan or whimper, telling Sam that he was in pain, even in his sleep. He sighed in frustration, wishing he had some kind of a pain killer he could give him so he could have rest more peacefully. He had told G he'd wake him to take a night watch shift, but he had no intention of doing so. He and Kensi had already privately discussed that they would split the night between the two of them.

"I don't think he's going anywhere," Deeks said quietly as he came up to Sam and sat down on the ground next to him. "Does he know you watch him sleep?"

"Come on, Deeks. It's not a regular occurrence. I just…"

"You're making sure that he's okay," Deeks stated. "I get it." He'd watched Kensi sleep plenty of times in his life as well.

Sam shook his head, his eyes filled with emotion as he turned away from his partner to look at Deeks. "I don't think you do get it, Deeks…not really…" he began. "When Michelle was killed, I used to wish and hope and pray every day that she would miraculously return, that I would just wake up and it would have all been just a bad dream…but that never happened."

Sam had a faraway look in his eyes as he went on. "There are so many little things I miss…a certain look, her laugh, how she was with the kids… She was so loving…so…" He sighed, lost in the moment and his memories before going on. "She was everything to me… There are so many everyday things you don't really think about, until they're gone and you realize you won't ever get to experience them again. And then, to have thought I lost G too… It was just too much. He's my best friend…my brother… I'm not sure how I would have gotten through it…I don't think I could have. Getting him back, when I was certain he was dead. It's my miracle, Deeks. I just…I can't let anything happen to him. He has to be okay."

"He will be okay, Sam," Deeks said earnestly. "We'll do everything we can to make sure we all get out of this."

Sam nodded and the two men sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Deeks now found his own eyes on Callen too. He smiled to himself, knowing how much Callen would hate this if he knew.

"And how are you doing?" Sam asked turning his eyes towards the younger detective. "Why aren't you asleep over there with Kensi?"

Deeks shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

"Because?"

"There really doesn't have to be a reason, Sam, does there?" he asked. "Sometimes you just aren't able to sleep. You've got to admit, it was a pretty stressful day…it could have ended so badly…" Deeks looked over at Kensi and thanked God that it had ended as it had. Kensi had put her life on the line and saved Callen.

"You're right…" Sam looked over at Kensi too, glad that she seemed to be peacefully asleep. It was the least she deserved for what she had done earlier that day. "She's a brave, strong woman, Deeks," he said. "You're a lucky man."

"Don't I know it," Deeks said gruffly, a fond smile on his lips.

"I owe her…" Sam said. "I owe her big time for what she did for G."

"You don't owe anyone, Sam. She'd kick your butt if she heard you talking like that," Deeks said softly. "You know how she feels about Callen. He's like a big brother to her. Both of you are. You know she'd risk her life a hundred times over for either of you, any time, any place, the same as you would for her."

Sam nodded. "I do know that."

"I guess I'm going to try again to get some sleep," Deeks said. He really wasn't feeling all that great, but there was nothing Sam could do about it anyway. "Wake me when you want to get some rest."

"I will," Sam said with a nod, even though he had no intention of doing so. Deeks needed to sleep, whether or not he believed it. He just hoped he'd be able to find the sleep that had been eluding him so far. "And Deeks?"

"Yeah?"

"Just…don't tell him about this, okay?" Sam said, a touch of pleading in his voice. "It would just weird him out and…"

"He'll never hear it from me, man, I promise," Deeks replied solemnly. "Good night, Sam."

"Good night, Deeks…"

xxxxx

Kensi's eyes kept moving back and forth from Callen to Deeks. Sam had never tried to wake her, but she had awoken on her own at around 3 a.m. and insisted he get some sleep. Deeks finally seemed to be sleeping somewhat peacefully, at least. Callen, on the other hand, appeared to be anything but peaceful. He was tossing and turning and then he started periodically coughing which alarmed Kensi. Finally he awoke and sat up, his eyes looking a little bit dazed. "Callen?" Kensi said, watching him closely. "Are you okay?"

He turned towards her a little bit sluggishly. "Where's Sam?" he asked.

"He's right there," Kensi said, pointing to where Sam lay sleeping. "Do you need him?"

Callen shook his head as he pulled the ends of the blanket tighter against his body. "No…I…" He buried his mouth into his sleeve as he started to cough. "I don't need him." He reached for his canteen and thirstily began to drink. "How's Deeks?" he asked.

"He's hanging in there…How are you?" Kensi asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"I'll be all right," he answered.

"You really ought to try to rest," Kensi said. "Tomorrow's going to be a long day…"

"All the days are long out here," Callen said dejectedly. He knew he sounded like a child, but he couldn't seem to help it. He didn't feel well at all and the dark shadows surrounding them only served to contribute to his feeling of foreboding.

"Callen just lie down, okay?" Kensi pleaded softly. "You really need to sleep."

"It's just going to make the morning come faster," Callen said, sounding drained, but he finally did what Kensi asked and laid back down on the ground, trying to make himself at least semi-comfortable. Kensi kept a close eye on him until he fell back to sleep and then she continued watching over him and Deeks as she tried to think of some possible way for them to get out of the mess they were in, before the consequences became even more dire…