Thanks so much for all the reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate them. Also, I'm pretty sure I missed people in responding to reviews. I haven't been getting many email notifications and wasn't sure who I responded to so if I missed you, I'm really sorry. Thanks for reading.

xxxxx

His body tense with suppressed rage, Sam walked rapidly down the hallway until he reached a relatively deserted area, away from the patient rooms. He then pounded the wall with his fist.

"Feel better?" Hetty asked, her eyes narrowed as she watched him.

"No, no I don't," Sam said, turning to face the diminutive operations manager. "What is there to feel better about? We've got nothing. NOTHING, Hetty. G…G's going to…" He couldn't finish the sentence as tears filled his eyes.

Hetty walked over to him and gently patted his arm. "Go to your partner, Sam. Go and sit with him. I don't think we should leave him alone for too long."

Sam shook his head. "I need to do something, Hetty. There…there has to be something…"

"I told you I have an idea, Mr. Hanna and as soon as Mr. Beale gets here, I will talk to him about it."

"Eric?" Sam asked, his eyes filled with confusion. "What can Eric do, Hetty? Let me help."

"This isn't something you can help me with," Hetty said soothingly. "Trust me, Mr. Hanna. Go be with your partner and I will be there too just as soon as I can."

Sam stared back at Hetty for a long moment and then nodded. Without another word, he then turned and headed off, his shoulders slumped and his head hanging dejectedly.

xxxxx

"Mr. Beale. Ms. Jones." Hetty called out as she walked along the east wing corridor and spied her two operations specialists, who were just coming out of an elevator.

"Hi Hetty." Eric greeted her solemnly. "We just dropped the vials off at the lab. I'm not sure how much help they'll be, but at least it's a chance."

"Very good, Eric," Hetty said, "But right now, there's something else I need your help with. I think it could very well be the key to helping Mr. Callen."

"Of course, Hetty," Eric said. "I'll do anything I can to help Callen. What is it you want me to do?"

"I want you to pay a visit to Michael Shaughnessy."

Eric shook his head, looking confused. "But…I don't think he has any medical knowledge, Hetty… Explosives and bombs are an entirely different thing."

"Yes, yes, I understand that," Hetty said impatiently. "However he worked in a lab and there were other laboratories in the building, as well. "I'm hoping that the scientist who formulated the poison also worked there and Mr. Shaughnessy may know who he is. Perhaps we can gain access to the antidote that way. Unless this formulation is a very common one, I don't have the highest hopes that the lab here will be able to develop anything soon enough to help. In any case, I think we can get some kind of a deal for Mr. Shaughnessy which may make him more compelled to help us. Come along. Time is of the essence."

xxxxx

Callen felt a hand on his shoulder and he groaned softly. "Sam?"

"No, it's not Sam," Bart's familiar voice caused Callen's eyes to open in a panic. "It's your good old friend, Bart. I wanted to visit you and see how you were doing after your ordeal. I'm very concerned about you."

"Get…get out of here," Callen said weakly. "I…I don't want you here. Where's Sam?"

"Well, confidentially speaking," Bart began in an exaggerated whisper. "I think he's rather disgusted with you at the moment. He didn't particularly like the way you played the last segment of our little game."

"The poison?" Callen asked him, shaking his head. "You made me drink it…doesn't he understand?"

Bart laughed once again. "Not that segment, Agent Callen. The segment which came after it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Callen said. "There was no more. That was it…you were arrested. Speaking of which…how are you even here? Why aren't you in custody?"

"Friends in high places," Bart said with a smile. "I was given the privilege of visiting you."

"Well I don't want you here," Callen snapped. "Get out."

Bart sighed. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but, I suppose it's understandable. I think you must blame me for your teammates' fate, but in fact, you have only yourself to blame."

"What fate? What are you talking about?"

Bart shook his head sadly and spoke in a voice oozing false sympathy. "Oh Agent Callen...I sincerely hope you're joking, aren't you? Unless…Oh dear…was what happened so traumatic that you've blocked it out of your memory?"

"I told you to go…" Callen said. "Just get out of here before I call security and have them take you out of here."

Bart shook his head sadly. "Security isn't going to be taking me anywhere I'm afraid. Have you even noticed your left wrist?"

"I..." Callen's eyes traveled to his wrist and widened in shock. He was handcuffed to the bedrail. "I don't understand…"

"You also have an ankle monitor, just in case you try to escape. They don't want a criminal such as yourself getting away. How the mighty have fallen. It really is a shame. Even Henrietta has turned her back on you. She was very fond of Detective Deeks and Agent Blye."

"Wh…what are you talking about? Kensi and Deeks are fine…they flew back with us."

"You have a very active imagination, Agent Callen. Don't you remember the final question? Who should live? You and your partner or Agent Blye and Detective Deeks. Perhaps you had a grudge against the lovely agent Blye for her withholding water from you."

"That wasn't Kensi. It was YOU!" Callen growled.

"Well, be that as it may, you decided your own life and your partner's were more important and alas…" Bart put his hand into his shirt pocket and pulled out a photograph which he handed to Callen. Rather a lovely picture, don't you think? They held each other's hands and were very brave as you proceeded to shoot them each in the head. I thought it was most thoughtful of you to shoot Detective Deeks first. He was already so distraught over having to whip his girlfriend. At least he didn't have to see her lying dead on the ground."

"No…" Callen whispered as he shook his head. "I…I didn't…I couldn't…"

"YOU DID!" Bart said loudly. "Even your own partner begged you not to. You killed two people in love who had their whole lives ahead of them. You had the gun in your hand. Did you even think to try to shoot me, you fool? I half expected you to do it. In fact, I would have welcomed the sweet release of death, better than returning to prison, but you were inept and you killed them."

"I…I would never. I didn't kill them."

"You did," Bart said.

"I did?" Callen asked, finally accepting the unbearable truth of what he'd done. "No…no. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

xxxxx

"No, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I'm so sorry."

Sam stared at his suddenly hysterical partner and immediately tried to wake him. "G! Come on buddy, wake up. It's okay. You're okay."

Callen's eyes opened and he stared up at Sam, pale and trembling, his blue eyes filled with tears. "Go away, Sam. Please leave. You know you don't want to be here."

"Of course I want to be here, G," Sam spoke gently, trying to comfort his partner. "I wasn't gone for long. I just…" He decided not to talk about Bart, not wanting to upset Callen any further. "I'm sorry."

Callen stared at Sam, looking more and more distraught. "You're sorry?! What are you sorry for, Sam?" he asked tremulously. "I'm the one who did it. I'm the one who killed them. They're dead, DEAD! and I did it!"

"Whoa, buddy," Sam said, totally confused by Calen's words. "Who's dead, G? Who are you talking about?"

"Just go," Callen said mournfully, trying to turn away from his partner, but Sam held onto him and wouldn't let him go. Not that it took much effort on his part to hold Callen in place as he was noticeably weak. "Please Sam, leave me alone."

"Come on, buddy. Let me help you," Sam pleaded. "What has you so upset? I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong."

"All I can say is I hope this poison works quickly," Callen said, appearing to be in total despair, trying once again, unsuccessfully, to move away from Sam. "I don't deserve to live after what I've done and I don't want to…"

"Don't talk like that," Sam said sharply, shaken by his friend's words, not knowing where they were coming from.

"Why not? I'm only telling the truth, and don't tell me you're not thinking the same thing after what I did."

"Damn it, G, what the hell are you talking about?" Sam yelled. "What is it that you did? Tell me!"

"I KILLED KENSI AND DEEKS!"

Sam stared at Callen in silent shock as he tried to digest what he had said. "G…buddy…you didn't do that. Kensi and Deeks are fine. I promise you they are."

Callen shook his head, the tears freely flowing now. "Don't even say that, Sam. I…I know they're dead. Bart was here…he showed me the picture. He told me what happened…what I did…"

"G…" Sam reached for his partner and gently rubbed his shoulder. "You didn't do anything. Kensi and Deeks are alive. I swear to you they are. You just had a nightmare, granted a very bad and real nightmare, but that's all. It wasn't real."

"I'm really tired, Sam…just…just leave me alone, please?"

Sam sighed. It was obvious his partner wasn't capable of listening to reason at the moment. "All right, but I'll be back soon and I'll prove to you that they're fine. You just rest, G." Sam watched as Callen closed his eyes, the tears still present on his cheeks. When Callen's breathing had evened off into a steady rhythm, Sam left him to go find Kensi and Deeks and prove to his friend that they were fine.

xxxxx

Kensi sat by Deeks' bedside, grateful that her fiancé was peacefully sleeping, at last. She hoped that the rest would do him good and that he'd start to heal soon, both physically as well as emotionally. She had a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy though. She looked up in surprise when Sam came into the room, pushing a wheelchair. "Hi Sam…What's going on?"

"How's Deeks?"

"He's having his ups and downs, but he's finally resting which is what he needs. Why do you have a wheelchair?"

"I hate to do this, Kensi, but I really need you and Deeks to come with me to see Callen."

Kensi's eyes began to brim over. "Is…is it time?" she asked, her thoughts immediately going to the worse possibility, that Callen was about to die.

Sam shook his head. "No... not yet anyway." At least he hoped it wasn't yet. He had no real way of knowing.

"Deeks really needs his rest," Kensi told him, speaking very softly. "He's been so upset and he's finally asleep. I don't think this is the best time. Maybe when he wakes up."

Sam shook his head adamantly. "No, Kensi. It has to be now. It's important."

"Why, Sam?" Kensi looked back at him wearily. All she wanted at the moment was to curl up with Deeks in bed and sleep. She was exhausted, but she wasn't allowing herself to close her eyes, at least not yet.

"Because…because G thinks the two of you are dead. He thinks he killed you."

"What?" Deeks broke into the conversation as he awoke and he looked at Sam through half open eyes. "Callen thinks we're dead? Why?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know, Deeks. He's kind of out of it and he had a bad nightmare and woke up really overwrought. He insisted that he killed the two of you."

"What can we do?" Deeks asked.

"I just need you both to come to see him so he knows you're okay. He's just so upset. It can't be good for him. He has to put all his strength into fighting the effects of this poison, not losing his will to live because he thinks he killed you."

Deeks nodded. "Whatever it takes, Sam."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief as he smiled at the detective. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem, Sam," Deeks said. "We all have to do whatever we can to help each other through this."

Kensi pulled the covers aside and Sam carefully helped Deeks off the bed and into the wheelchair. "You okay?" he asked. "Do you need a pillow or a blanket or anything?"

Deeks shook his head. "I'm good, Sam. Let's get this show on the road."

xxxxx

The trio arrived in Callen's room a short time later. Sam wheeled Deeks right up next to Callen's bed and then gently shook Callen's shoulder. "G? Hey buddy, wake up."

"Go away Sam," Callen mumbled with his eyes closed. "I don't want to talk anymore." Sam directed his gaze to Deeks who nodded understandingly.

"What about me, Callen?" Deeks asked. "Do you want to talk to me?" Callen visibly tensed when he heard Deeks' voice and his breathing quickened. The readings on his heart monitor increased and Sam proceeded to rub his partner's shoulder, attempting to keep him calm.

"Come on, Callen," Kensi urged gently. "I'm here too. Can't you open your eyes and talk to us?"

Finally, Callen did as Kensi had requested. He forced his eyes open then stared at Kensi and Deeks as if they were ghosts, which in his eyes, they were. "It can't be true," he said shakily. "I…I shot you…both of you…You…You're dead. I saw the picture…"

"Hey man, we're fine," Deeks said quietly. "You didn't shoot us."

"But…Bart said…"

"Callen, please," Kensi said soothingly as she took his hand in her own. "Bart's nothing but a psychopathic liar…and nightmare Bart is even worse. You were dreaming. You didn't shoot us."

"Kensi's right," Deeks said softly. "Through this whole thing, you didn't really hurt any of us…only yourself when you drank the poison. You need to concentrate on fighting that. Don't waste your energy worrying about something that didn't even happen."

"Listen to them, G," Sam said. "You know we wouldn't lie to you."

"We're right here," Kensi said, squeezing Callen's hand gently. "Flesh and blood. I promise you."

Callen finally seemed to believe what his teammates were telling him. "I…I really thought…"

"Well, it wasn't true," Kensi said as she leaned down to hug him. "You just need to concentrate on trying to get well, Callen okay? That's the best thing you can do for us."

Callen nodded then focused his eyes on Deeks. "How are you?" he asked him. "Are you doing okay?"

Deeks nodded. "I'm going to be fine, Callen. You need to be fine too, okay? We don't want to give Bart the satisfaction of getting any of us down. You need to fight, Callen. Fight hard to get past this."

"Okay, Deeks…I'll try…" Callen said with a wan smile. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if that was going to be possible, but he would do the best he could to make it happen.