CAllen ran back to the charge nurse he remembered in a panic. He couldn't watch another friend lose the love of their life. Watching Sam bury his wife was hard enough. An unforgettable time of sadness. He couldn't stand it if he had to watch Kensi do the same, while waiting for their child to be born.
The nurse saw him and headed him off, "It wasn't him, he's coming out of surgery now. You'll be able to see him in about an hour."
Callen breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Is it possible his wife can be by his side when he wakes up?"
"I'm sure we can arrange something. He needs to be monitored for a bit, then he'll be moved to a cubicle room like you were in before. I'll send the doctor to Mrs. Deeks room to talk to you all."
"Thank you. Thank you, Very much."
Knowing Kensi was probably a deranged lunatic by now, he sprinted back to her room. Her tears still flowing like streams down her face.
"He's ok, Kens. He's out of surgery. It wasn't him."
Her heart flipped and flopped. "I'm so scared, Callen. I don't know what I would have done."
"You would have had us, but he's alright. The doctor will be down here shortly to go over everything."
"Geez, you think I'd have visitors like this after I saved your life in Mexico. Last time we ended up here. Remember that Callen, how I saved your life."
"Shut up, Turk" Callen grinned. "Glad you survived a hit to the vest."
"Doctors say I'll live, unless this pretty mama to be decides to kill me for letting her down."
"You didn't let me down. You flew in front of a bullet for him, for us, without even thinking twice," Kensi had seen back in OPS.
"Oh, you saw that huh, trying to keep my promise. I didn't do such a hot job."
"One thing I know about my husband, is that he's a very stubborn man. He doesn't listen or better said he doesn't usually shut up long enough to listen."
"I tried to make him let me go after the boy."
"That wasn't going to happen. It was never an option for him."
"Have you heard anything?" Turk questioned with concern.
"The Doctor should be coming soon, he's out of surgery," Callen stated. Right on cue, a tall grey haired man appeared in surgical clothing.
"I'm Doctor Hamlin. Mrs Deeks, I presume."
Kensi confirmed with her head.
"It was a long surgery. Touch and go at times, but your husband has a will to live, now I can see why." He began. "Part of the fragments landed into surrounding muscle and soft tissue. The bullet seemed to hit the edge of his left scapula. We removed the fragments and repaired the damage. He should be coming out of recovery in about an hour. I'll have one of the nurses wheel you down to see him as soon as I can. He'll need some physical therapy when you return home, but all in all the prognosis is good."
"I told you," Sam put his hand on Kensi's shoulder. "No way he was leaving you alone to raise this baby."
Kensi smiled as tears of relief fell. She wasn't sure how she could still have tears left, but they came as quick as the others. "Thank you Doctor."
A little while later, after a few more helpings of green jello, the nurse came in with a wheel chair.
"Mrs. Deeks, I'm here to take you to your husband."
"Is he awake?"
"Not yet, but I'm guessing he will want you to be the first thing he sees when he does."
Kensi got into the chair as the nurse positioned her IV bag.
"We'll check on you guys in a bit," Sam told her.
"The Doctor will probably release you tomorrow, but I'm assuming you'll be staying a few extra days along with your husband. Like last time." The nurse said rolling her along.
"If they let me," she smiled.
"You don't look like much of a lady that would give them a choice."
"You're probably very right," Kensi winked.
"If you need anything, just push his call button. Everyone knows you're here."
"Thank you."
Kensi sat by his side holding his hand. "I love you so much baby." She whispered.
"Is this some sort of wicked deja vou?" Deeks asked as he groggily woke up. "I don't recall being in Mexico again. I could have another traumatic brain injury that I don't know about."
"Still the funny guy, huh? I'm gonna punch you in your new bullet hole."
"Always so abusive with me Kensilina," he said wiping his eyes attempting to focus. "Although, you know I kinda like it when you are."
"Don't be an idiot. You could have died."
"I told you, I have an aversion to death."
"Not funny," tears began falling again.
"Hey, I'm ok, I'm good," he said waking more.
"This is my fault."
"I'm thinking it's Turks. That guy Can't keep a promise at all, what's that about?"
"I saw the whole thing remember mister. I saw Turk jump in front of one bullet for you, after he offered to go get the boy."
"Is he alright?"
"Hit center mass of the vest. A small chest contusion. He's alive."
"And you didn't kill him, so that's a good sign. How's the boy?"
"Unscathed. He may have even told Sam you were a superhero." Her eyes still teary.
"Just doing my job in my Superman underwear."
"I should have listened when you wanted to get out. It's not gonna end well if we don't."
"Kens? What are you saying?"
"I'm ready. I can't do this anymore."
Deeks shuffled a bit and pushed through the pain to sit up, while running his uninjured arm up to run his hands through his hair. "You May have to give me a few sponge baths for a while," he said as he winced.
"This is not the time to be funny, Deeks."
"No I guess not. I need you to Look at me. This is who we are. This is who I'm meant to be. I'm meant to protect people. You wanted me to talk to Nate, I did. What I realized, is everything I've been through, with and without you, has always been about protecting people. My mom, Tiffany, you, being your partner and having your back."
"What are you saying?" She looked at him.
"I'm saying, I saved that little boy today. All I could think about was what if that was our son, scared, alone, in the middle of gunfire. I had to save. It's more than just our jobs. It's part of me."
"Someone else could have, Turk could have." Kensi fighting the oppositions he gave her a year and a half ago.
"Ya Kens, you're right, maybe someone else could have, but this is what we do. This is how we roll. How we make the world a better place for our son. I know I put myself on the line and you would have probably found a way to bring me back from the dead, just to kill me again if I died, but I had to. All I could think about was you and our little boy. I would have let you both down if something would have happened to that child."
"I know I've told you before, but you're a good man Martin Deeks."
"Because I have a good woman by my side, Kensi Marie Deeks."
"So, you want to stay in?"
"For now, until I can find something else that protects people in a way I'm satisfied with. Then, we will figure it out; we always do. This team we are apart of, it's more than a team, baby. It's our family. We have an amazing unit. How do you think we've survived this long? Most teams are disbanded or people move on, we've been going on eleven years. That's amazing."
"It is pretty amazing, but, It's just the complete opposite of what I thought you wanted. What you said you wanted. Now I'm the one that doesn't want to wonder if your gonna come home at night."
"I'll always come home to you princess. Truth be told, Seeing Nate, has made me dissect things, like I never had before. I have a lot more to deal with. I want to talk about it with you. My past, the things I did, right or wrong and why. Not today, But soon."
Kensi knew what he was going through. She was now feeling what he had gone through over and over with her injuries and dangerous missions. The tides had turned, but she respected her husband. "Just don't die on me."
"Remember, I'm a man of my word."
"Except when I beg," she referenced her recovery. Deeks promised not to show her the engagement ring he bought her again until she could walk, but failed to keep that promise when she begged him again before he put it away.
"I'll do better," he winked, then realized she was in a wheel chair with IV lines coming out of her hand into a bag of fluid. "Kensi are you ok? The baby?"
"Oh, um, ya I'm good. We're good."
"Then why are you in a wheel chair with an IV attached to you?"
"I may or may not have let myself get a tad bit dehydrated. I'm good now. The baby is healthy and he loves green jello like his daddy." Trying to change the subject, "The guys got to see him on the ultrasound."
"That's my boy! Green jello rocks, please don't eat all mine. They really got a glimpse of our little ninja assassin?"
"Ya, Callen May have been a little freaked out, but didn't let it show."
"Honestly Baby, you have to take care of yourself. Promise me."
"I know. But he's good, we're good."
"Promise me."
"I promise."
"Ok, cause you're better at keeping promises then me," he winked. "I love you."
"I love you too. You're an amazing man Martin Deeks, don't you ever leave me."
"Never Princess. Never."
"I should probably call your mom. I haven't responded to her calls in two days. You know she checks up on me and the baby several times a day."
"No, baby, she'll wanna fly down here and I don't want to deal with that right now."
"Deeks, She's Probably got an APB on me already."
"Later, when I'm asleep."
Kensi rolled her eyes as the three other men appeared at the door.
"Hey partner, your wife hasn't killed me yet."
"She hasn't killed me yet either, we might be safe."
"You're both idiots."
"Better be careful Turk, Deeks is rubbing off on you." Sam commented.
"The Deeksness is irresistible, what can I say."
"Oh Lord."
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm obviously still the smartest. I'm the only one who hasn't been shot."
"You were shot. I had to examine your wound." Deeks proclaimed.
"I was shot in the vest. You examined my bruise, it doesn't count."
"Hey So was I," Turk pointed out.
"Yes, but you haven't been with us but a few months. You still have time." Kensi informed.
"You're all too much," Sam threw in.
"I don't know big guy, she's right. Although I haven't been shot in some time, you were the last one to take a bullet before Deeks."
"I also helped save your life in Mexico, G," Sam reminded.
"I love this. This team. We've been through a lot guys, and my beautiful wife. Bullets, weddings, funerals, soon to be births, building a bar, Hetty, you guys are truly are family. Thank you for watching over Kensi." Deeks was content even through pain.
"Alright, too much love for me for one day. We better let this knucklehead get some rest. We're heading back to LA tomorrow. We'll see you when you get home. And Kensi, take care of yourself and that baby." Sam instructed.
"He means the one in your belly," Callen added.
"O, Touché!" Deeks showed his pearly veneer.