I always try to give warnings with particularly bad cliffhanger chapters and this is one of those. If you don't like this kind of thing, you know the drill. Stay away until the next chapter. I don't think I replied to reviews for the last chapter which I'm really, really sorry about. I really do appreciate all your reviews and comments though and the fact that you're still reading even with the delays I've had in posting. As always, thanks so much for your support.

xxxxx

Hetty sat with Sam as they quietly watched Callen sleep, waiting and hoping for some small change, any little telltale sign that would tell them that he was improving, that the makeshift antidote, such as it was, was helping him. It had been several hours since the drug cocktail had been administered and so far there was nothing except for the fact that Callen's temperature had been steadily climbing. Hetty looked over at Sam who appeared positively exhausted. However, she knew it was useless to try to get him to go home. He refused to leave Callen's side except for only very short periods. She did understand his refusal though. She knew that Sam was closer to Callen than anyone else, except for his family, and after what had happened to Michelle, she understood his strong desire to stay with Callen.

As much as she herself didn't want to leave Callen either, she was feeling very guilty about having neglected her two younger team members. She knew that she needed to visit with them and see how they were doing. "Mr. Hanna?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Hetty?" Sam asked, glancing over at her.

"I'm going to go pay a short visit to Mr. Deeks and Ms. Blye and see how they're doing. Can I bring you back anything?"

Sam slowly shook his head. "No thanks, Hetty. I'm good."

"Let me rephrase then," Hetty said patiently. "I'm going to get you something to eat. What is it that you would like?"

Sam sighed softly as he glanced at his partner. He couldn't help but wonder if Callen would ever get to eat another meal. He hated to think his last meal had been Bart's fiasco of a meal which he had given them before his damned hunt.

"Mr. Hanna? I'm waiting."

"I don't know...just get me a turkey club sandwich," Sam finally said. He didn't particularly want it, but he knew he needed to eat. In any case, he knew Hetty was unlikely to let it go.

Hetty nodded, glad that she had gotten some kind of an answer out of him. She would supplement his choice with some other items and hopefully get him to eat enough to keep up his strength. "I won't be long," she said softly, her eyes lingering on Callen once again. "Let me know if there is any change."

"I will," said said Sam. "Tell Kensi and Deeks I said hello and I'll be there to see them as soon as I can." He watched as Hetty headed out of the room and then focused his gaze back on his partner.

xxxxx

When Hetty arrived at Deeks' room, she paused in the doorway to observe Kensi who was reaching for her back underneath her shirt. Deeks was not presently in the room.

"Problem, Ms. Blye?" Hetty asked as she approached.

Kensi quickly pulled her hand out from underneath the back of her shirt and looked back at Hetty, with an almost guilty appearing expression on her face.

"Whatever is the matter?" Hetty asked. "Are you injured?"

"I…" appearing flustered, Kensi momentarily stumbled over her words, unsure of what to say. However, she was tired of trying to hide everything from everyone. She knew she could trust Hetty to keep what she was going to say confidential. "Yes...my back…"

"May I?" Hetty asked as she reached for Kensi's shirt. Kensi nodded and Hetty lifted the shirt and shook her head when she saw the damage which had been done to the previously unmarred skin on Kensi's back. "I suppose Bart did this?"

"In a manner of speaking…" Kensi said, hesitating. She then took a deep breath and finally forced the words out. "He...he forced Deeks to do it…"

"Oh dear," Hetty said, immediately concerned for Deeks' state of mind over being forced to do such a thing. She knew his history and had a good idea of some of the torturous thoughts he kept buried deep inside. "I can't imagine that Mr. Deeks has reacted well to this."

"No...no he hasn't," Kensi said, shaking her head.

"And where is he now?" Hetty asked.

"They had to run some tests. I don't think he'll be long."

Hetty nodded. "And has any treatment been prescribed for your back?"

"I have a prescription cream," Kensi said, staring down at the top of Deeks' empty bed.

"And have you been using it?"

Kensi was silent for a few long moments before shaking her head. "No...it isn't anything I can really do myself."

"Really, Ms. Blye?" Hetty asked. "I thought you would have had more sense. This is the kind of behavior I've come to expect of Mr. Callen, but I didn't think I would need to worry about you."

"I just...I've been so worried about Deeks...I guess it just slipped my mind…" Kensi knew it wasn't much of an excuse, but it was all she had. "Speaking of Callen, how is he?"

"The lab came up with some form of an antidote, but apparently there are a lot of risks associated with it and it's uncertain if it will even be of any help…"

"I really hope he'll be able to pull through this," Kensi said softly.

"As do I, Ms. Blye...as do I…" Hetty regarded Kensi thoughtfully. "Do you have this medicated cream with you? I'd be more than happy to treat your wounds."

"Thank you, Hetty… I'd appreciate that," Kensi said as she fumbled through the plastic bag of her belongings and pulled it out. "Let's go into the bathroom, just in case Deeks gets back. I don't really want him to see this yet."

xxxxx

Callen was writhing about fretfully on the bed as Sam watched him helplessly. "Get him away from me," Callen moaned. "Somebody...somebody help me…"

"Shhh...It's okay G," Sam said, placing a cold pack on his forehead. The nurse had brought some in earlier when Callen's temperature had started to elevate. "I'm right here. No one's going to hurt you, I promise."

Suddenly, Callen's eyes shot open and he looked first at Sam and then at an empty corner of the room. He struggled to sit up in bed, then moved closer to Sam. "S...Sam?" he said tremulously as his breathing became harsher and seemingly more labored. "Sam...get it out of here...please….kill it…"

Sam could see that his friend's heart rate was escalating from the monitor and he once more looked over at the corner of the room that Callen was focused on, even though he was relatively sure nothing was there. "What is it G?" he asked. "What are you looking at?"

"What am I looking at?" Callen asked, looking at his friend incredulously before he fixed his eyes back on the corner and whatever horror he was seeing there. "How could you possibly miss it Sam? It's three friggen feet tall. I've only seen spiders like that in horror movies. Do you have your weapon? You need to shoot it before it gets any closer. It's coming right at us!"

"G...G… there's nothing there," Sam said soothingly. "I promise you… it's just me and you here. This giant spider or whatever it is you're seeing, it's just a hallucination. It's not real."

Callen shook his head, his blue eyes filled with panic. "It is real. It's right there, clear as day. Please Sam...Please do something. I don't...I don't have my gun…"

Sam reached for his partner and attempted to pull him into his arms to try to calm him down, but Callen wanted no part of that. "What the hell are you doing, Sam?" he asked, pulling away. "A spider from hell is coming at us and you want to hug it out?"

"G, I told you, there's nothing there," Sam said, trying to keep his voice as steady and even as he could. "You know I wouldn't lie to you buddy. I'm telling you the truth. There's no spider there. It's all in your head."

"No, it's not," Callen said, shaking his head. Sam could see that his friend was weakening though and he once more attempted to pull him into his arms. "You're okay, G…" he said gently. "I'll keep you safe. I'm not going to let anything hurt you. I promise."

Callen made one more attempt to escape Sam's grasp, but it was a weak effort and he finally gave in and relaxed into his friend's embrace, as he allowed his eyes to close. "I trust you, Sam," he whispered. "I know you'll keep me safe…"

xxxxx

Deeks was slowly wheeled back into his room by a member of the transport team. "Do you need me to help you into bed?" the young man asked.

Deeks quickly shook his head. "No thanks, I'm good."

"Okay then, take it easy." The young man then left the room. Once he was left alone, Deeks couldn't help wondering where Kensi had gone off to. He knew she was much more tired than she was letting on, but he couldn't' imagine she would have gone home without telling him first. Maybe she had gone to get something to eat. After a couple of minutes, Deeks realized that nature was calling. He got up from the wheelchair and walked over to the bathroom, and opened the door. Not expecting anyone to be inside, he was totally shocked to see Hetty applying ointment to Kensi's back, which in his eyes, appeared horribly disfigured and he knew it was all because of him.

"Deeks!" Kensi turned and saw him as he backed out of the bathroom entrance, his face deathly pale. He then turned and headed out of the room. "Deeks! Come back here!" Kensi headed after him as Hetty watched in dismay. This day just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

xxxxx

Callen's brief bout of consciousness had given Sam a tiny burst of hope, even if his friend had been delirious with fever. At least his eyes had been open and he'd been talking. He explained what had happened to Dr. Carlisle who had been keeping a close watch over Callen. The doctor performed yet another exam and then turned to Sam with a grim expression on his face. "I'm afraid he's weakening," the doctor said in answer to Sam's unspoken question. "The antidote doesn't seem to be helping him. If there's anyone who should be here…"

Sam stared at the doctor as he tried to make sense out of what he was saying… "You're saying there's no hope? You...you mean to...to say goodbye?"

"I'm not saying there's no hope, Sam," Dr. Carlisle said gently. "But...things aren't looking good for him at the moment so…" He trailed off. This was the worst part of his job, the part of his job that he hated more than any other. He hated seeing the grief-stricken looks of friends and family members when they were being stripped of their last tiny bits of hope. He couldn't lie though. As hard as it was, he needed to be as honest as he could.

"I'll let everyone know," Sam said, his eyes filling with tears as he turned back to his partner, feeling totally unable to cope with what the doctor had just told him. He couldn't lose G, he just couldn't. He didn't know what he would do without him.