hello! everyone still with me after that last chapter? haha i hope so!
i don't own anything but a new tablet! (it's a really nice 2 in 1 tablet btw, it's perfect :] )
Chapter 35
Kensi ran through the hospital like nobody's business. After being stuck in traffic for an hour, she was beyond anxious and was currently freaking out. Nell had done her best to try and relax her friend, but with her fiancé unconscious and in the hospital, that was hard to do.
She found a desk with a receptionist in the emergency room at last and ran up to it, panting. "I'm Kensi Blye, I got a call about Marty Deeks? I tried to get here as fast I could, but the traffic…and then I ran and where's Leo? Is he freaking out? Is Marty okay?" She asked rapidly.
The receptionist looked a bit overwhelmed. "Um, that's okay ma'am. Mr. Deeks is still being monitored and Leo's alright. I can have someone take you back if you'd like." She offered.
"Yes ma'am, thank you." Kensi nodded immediately.
"Kensi!" Nell called.
She turned and saw Nell, Eric, Callen, and Sam all rushing towards her.
"What happened?" Callen asked in a serious, take charge tone.
"Is Leo alright?" Sam demanded.
"They were in a car crash. Leo's fine, Deeks is still… he's still back there. They haven't told me much else." Kensi told them.
"Ms. Blye? Right this way." A nurse said, leading them through hallways. They finally reached a mostly empty waiting room, and Kensi saw Leo sitting with some woman in a suit.
"You'll have to wait here until the doctor comes back. Mr. Deeks hasn't been cleared for visitors yet." The nurse explained.
"Who's that? Why is she with Leo?" Kensi demanded.
The woman looked up and said a few words to Leo, before walking up. "Excuse me, but are you all with Mr. Deeks?" She inquired.
"Yes, we are. I'm his fiancée, who are you?" Kensi snapped.
"Mommy!" Leo exclaimed, running over and hugging her legs.
The woman's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Um, I'm social worker Hayley Wright. The hospital called me."
"This isn't good." Sam mumbled.
"Ma'am would it be alright if Leo and I went to the vending machines right down there?" Nell inquired politely.
"Oh dats a good idea, Nelly!" Leo said.
Hayley glanced at the boy before looking at the machines in question; they were well in sight, and not too far away. "I promise I won't take him anywhere else." Nell added.
"I'll have my eyes on you the whole time." Hayley told her.
"I understand." Nell nodded. "Come on Leo."
"Otay." Leo nodded, following the analyst.
Kensi's eyebrows narrowed. "I'm sorry, social worker? Why would the hospital call a social worker?" She demanded.
"Well, seeing as Mr. Deeks is unconscious and there is no other legal guardian, someone has to legally take care of Leo." Hayley explained.
"Legally take care of Leo… what exactly do you mean? I'm here, he's my responsibility too. I'll take care of him." Kensi said lowly.
The social worker shifted on her feet. "Um, I'm sorry I haven't caught your name."
"Kensi Blye, Marty Deeks's fiancée. I'm the closest thing Leo has to a mother, he's been in my care for months. You will not be taking care of him." She snapped.
Hayley glanced at the menacing woman and the team behind her, all with similar expressions on their faces. "Ms. Blye I'm sorry for everything your family is going through, however there is no other legal guardian for Leo Deeks. Marty Deeks is the only one with custody and permission to care for him. Without some sort of consent from Mr. Deeks I can't let you, or anyone for that matter, take him. It's a safety precaution and it's protocol."
"I don't give a damn about protocol right now. Leo's father is unconscious and in serious condition right now. You can't just whisk him away. Where exactly do you think you're taking him?" Kensi snapped.
"Well it's almost one o'clock, I'm not taking him anywhere right now. If by three p.m. there is no positive development with Mr. Deeks's condition I'll have to take him back to where I work; we've got beds for kids in situations similar to this, and play rooms with toys, and he'll be very well cared for." Hayley explained.
"No, when there is a positive development I will be taking my son home and care for him myself." Kensi growled.
"Ma'am Leo technically isn't yours… you've no claim to him." Hayley said hesitantly.
Kensi's eyes grew wide at that. "I have been helping Deeks raise him for months! I love that little boy with all of my heart and I would do anything for him! You cannot just stand here and tell me that I have no claim to a boy that's as good as mine!" She yelled.
"Kensi.." Sam mumbled.
"No, Sam she's trying to take him to some sort of foster care! Leo is probably scared for Deeks right now, I'm not about to let her take him to somewhere he's never been before to be even more scared!" Kensi exclaimed.
"How has Deeks never appointed a guardian?" Callen asked.
"I don't know, I guess it's not something he thought about. Or me either, for that matter." Kensi sighed, emotions written all over her face. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold herself together.
"G. it's never something you want to think about. I get where Kensi's coming from." Sam sighed.
"I'm sorry about all of this, ma'am. I'm just trying to do my job, I'm not the bad guy here." Hayley shook her head. "If there's a positive development before three I won't have to take him anywhere."
"When." Kensi snapped again, turning to see Nell and Leo walking back up.
"Hey baby, are you okay?" Kensi dropped down to her knees, wrapped her arms around Leo.
"Hi Mommy. Yeah, I'm otay. But Daddy's hurt. A twuck hit us." Leo told her.
Kensi sniffled and held tears back. "Yeah, I know baby. I'm so sorry about all this." She sighed, holding him close.
Finally around two o'clock a doctor walked into the waiting room. "Are you all with Mr. Deeks?" He inquired.
"Yes sir, we are." Kensi picked Leo up off her lap and handed him to Nell before rushing over.
"Mr. Deeks is stable, but still unconscious. It's hard to tell when he could wake up… if he does I'm confident he'll make a full recovery."
"When." Kensi snapped.
"I'm sorry?" the doctor asked.
"You said 'if he wakes up', I'm saying when he wakes up." Kensi told him, softening her voice.
The doctor smiled sadly at her. "I understand. He's stable enough for a few visitors at a time if you'd like to go in and see him." He said, then walked off.
"Kensi you wanna go in?" Sam asked.
Kensi shook her head. "No, I'm gonna stay out here with Leo. You guys go ahead if you want." She said softly.
Sam nodded understandingly, and took Callen with him to go into Deeks's room. Kensi's eyes filled with tears as she walked over to Nell and took Leo from her.
"Is Daddy otay?" He asked quietly.
"He will be." Kensi replied, kissing the top of his head. "He'll be fine."
She wasn't sure if she was comforting Leo, or herself.
Three o'clock approached and Deeks had made no improvements, he was still unconscious. Kensi hadn't been in to see him, wanting to give Leo as much comfort as she could. She didn't want him to see his father in the state he was in.
"Ms. Blye? May I speak with you for a moment?" Hayley inquired softly.
Kensi's eyes hardened, and Nell once again took Leo. The two women stepped away and turned to each other, both determined.
"You can't just take him." Kensi growled.
"Ms. Blye, you are not his legal guardian. If Mr. Deeks awakes-" Hayley started.
"When! I do not have time to hear your negativity around here. My future husband is lying unconscious while his son is out here scared as hell. Show a bit of respect." Kensi snapped.
"Ma'am I'm sure you don't know what I'm going through. It's hard dealing with families in situations like this, you wouldn't understand." Hayley replied.
"Wrong again. I'm an NCIS agent, and part of my job is going to families and telling them that their mother, their father, sister, brother, daughter, son, that their loved one is dead. Gone. Forever. I know what that's like. I also know how it feels to see them wait anxiously in the hospital to see if their loved one will be okay. So don't tell me I don't know where you come from because I do. I also know where I come from and how Leo will feel if you just take him away. He's gonna feel abandoned, scared, and alone. I do not want that for him." Kensi explained emotionally.
Hayley seemed surprised, but when she checked her watch she frowned. "Ms. Blye it's three o'clock. I have to take him now. If it were a weekday it'd be five, but I'm afraid this has to happen now. I promise you the second he's awake and can assign a guardian Leo will be back in your care. Until then he has to go with me." Hayley said firmly, turning and walking towards Nell.
"No." Kensi said firmly.
Sam immediately jumped up and went over to Kensi. "Kens, don't fight this. Deeks is gonna be fine, and then you'll get Leo back. He can't see you lose it like this, it'll just make him scared." Sam told her.
Nell frowned, glancing and Kensi before she put Leo on the floor. Hayley took his hand and led him towards the exit.
"No! Don't take him!" Kensi yelled, starting towards the woman.
Sam wrapped his arms around Kensi, holding her back. "Kensi…" He sighed.
"I don't wanna leabe Mommy!" Leo exclaimed, trying to tug away from Hayley's grip.
"NO! Please no!" Kensi cried, trying to tear herself away from Sam.
Callen ran over and stood in front of Kensi, blocking her from Leo's view; they knew Leo didn't need to see Kensi like this. "Calm down." Callen told her softly.
"No Callen! I can't just calm down! That's my son she's taking! He is going to be so scared and alone and I know what that's like! I can't just let her take him!" Kensi said, still struggling in vain as tears ran down her face.
Sam turned her in his arms and smoothed her hair down. "Shh, it's gonna be okay. You'll get him back." He told her.
"They're all I've got, Sam." She whispered, before sobbing again.
"And you'll get them back. They're gonna be fine." Sam assured her.
Kensi had stayed in Sam's embrace for ten minutes, then had moved herself into a waiting room chair. She'd folded herself up and stayed silent for hours. Kensi couldn't even bring herself to go visit Deeks.
"Kens, I think you'd feel better if you go see him." Nell told her.
"I let a social worker take his son away. He's not gonna wanna see me, even if he's unconscious." Kensi sighed.
"You know that's not true, Kens." Callen shook his head adamantly.
"I can't bring myself to go in there yet..." The woman sighed.
The two senior agents looked at each other, looking for something, anything, they could say that would make the situation better. Unfortunately, neither had any ideas, and merely shrugged at one another. Suddenly, Sam's phone beeped with an incoming text message, breaking the silence.
"Hey Kens, I'm gonna head home for a bit. I'll be back." Sam told her gently.
She nodded immediately. "Yeah, I understand. Thank you for being here." She replied.
"Go see him. Shaggy needs to know you're waiting for him." He teased.
A small smile appeared on her face, but didn't reach her eyes. "Bye Sam."
"I rode here with him, and Michelle is expecting me..." Callen said hesitantly.
"Callen it's alright, I understand." Kensi replied.
He walked over and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before nodding to the rest of the team and walking off. Kensi sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"You guys should get home too. It's six o'clock." She told the Wonder Twins.
"What kind of best man would I be if I left now?" Eric smiled, looking up from his tablet. He'd retrieved it from his car an hour ago.
"And I won't leave you here alone." Nell smiled.
Kensi couldn't help but smile, though it was only a small one given the circumstances. "Thanks guys. I know it'll mean a lot to Deeks when he wakes up." She told them sincerely.
"Are you sure you don't wanna go in and see him?" Eric asked gently.
Kensi shook her head, trying to keep the threatening tears at bay. "I can't. I'm pretty sure if I go in there and see him just lying there, I'm going to fall apart... that woman took Leo away and I couldn't stop her. Deeks is going to hate me." She said miserably.
"I don't think Marty Deeks has ever had the ability to hate you, Kensi. He's always loved you, and he will always love you. There was nothing you could've done." Nell told the distressed woman reassuringly.
"Let's hope so." Kensi let out a deep breath.
The two smiled back at her, then the silence returned as the three returned to waiting.
Kensi must have zone out, because the next thing she knew, a nurse was waving a hand in her face. "Ms. Blye? Can you hear me?" The woman asked nervously.
Kensi gasped and shook her head, focusing again on the present. "I'm sorry. I was thinking and I guess I kinda zone out for a while." She told the nurse, who was looking at her strangely.
"Oh, that's alright Ms. Blye. With your friends asleep and it being pretty calm and quiet in here tonight, I understand." The nurse said, her voice soft and kind.
"Asleep?" Kensi asked, looking over and immediately smiling at the sight.
At some point, Eric had moved to sit next to Nell and the two had apparently fallen asleep; Nell's head was lying on Eric's shoulder, and his was resting gently against hers. He was still holding his tablet, angled for both of them to be able to see it perfectly. Way to go, Eric! Kensi thought to herself.
"Is Deeks okay? Is that why you're out here? He's okay, right?" Kensi asked immediately, remembering where she was and why she was there.
The nurse smiled. "He's awake now."
Kensi's entire body immediately relaxed, releasing all the worry and tension that had been there before. "Oh thank God. So he's gonna be fine now?" She asked.
The nurse nodded. "Yes ma'am. He should take it easy for a while, but with some rest the doctor said he should be fine."
"Does he need anything? Do I need to go get prescriptions filled or anything?" Kensi inquired.
This time, the other woman laughed. "Actually the only thing he seems to need is you. The second he woke up he immediately started badgering me to go find you."
"Wasn't hard, I assume." The agent laughed lightly.
"He gave me a good description. The most beautiful dark haired woman you've ever laid eyes on. She's gonna be worried out of her mind, and it'll be easy to see on her face. She stands out in a crowded room, she's so beautiful." The nurse explained.
A smile grew across Kensi's face. "He's sweet like that."
"If you'll follow me, I'll show you to his room." The other woman told her.
"Yeah, of course." Kensi nodded. "Just one second."
The agent walked over to Nell and Eric and gently shook them both awake. The two techies immediately looked at each other and blushed.
"Umm..." Nell looked around.
"I uh..." Eric mumbled.
"Deeks is okay, I'm gonna go see him now. You two should go get some rest. Or you know, some dinner. Together. Whatever you'd prefer." Kensi teased them.
"That's great that he's okay. What time is it?" Eric yawned, stretching.
Kensi glanced at her phone and her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Oh wow, it's almost ten o'clock. I can't believe it's been so long." She shook her head.
"Call us if you need anything, okay? I'm glad he's okay." Nell told the woman, giving her a quick hug. "Eric I rode with Kensi here, would you mind driving me home?" she asked.
Eric perked up immediately. "Uh, yeah. Yeah that's fine! I don't mind at all."
Kensi chuckled lightly. "Thank you guys." She said, and turned to follow the nurse.
As they walked down the hall and approached Deeks's room, Kensi was filled with nerves. What if he didn't want to see her when he found out about Leo? Would this change how he feels about her?
Suddenly the sound of Deeks's loud voice filled the hallway. "I don't need any pain medicine, I just need my Lady Bird!" He whined.
Kensi burst out laughing, and the nurse smiled. "He's been like this since he woke up. He's only asked for you and his son."
Her laughter stopped. She couldn't give him Leo. She could be there for him though. "Well, let's see what I can do about that whining." Kensi joked.
The nurse laugh and opened the door. "Mr. Deeks? Look who I found." She announced.
Deeks's head snapped towards the door, and he immediately beamed. "Fern, baby! There you are." Kensi smiled, tears filling her eyes. "Don't be mad, I swear this wasn't my fault Kensi." He said apologetically.
"Mr. Deeks call us if you need anything." One of the nurses said, before they took their leave.
Kensi snorted. "I'm not mad. How could I be mad that you got hurt?" She asked, walking over to him.
Deeks's head turned to look at her. "Is Leo okay? I tried to stay awake long enough to stay with him until the ambulance got there." He said worriedly.
Kensi's heart dropped. "Um... he, he's fine." She said quickly.
The shaggy man's butterfly bandaged eyebrow rose. "What's the matter? You seem on edge." He asked, looking her up and down. "Where is Leo? Nell got him?" Deeks inquired.
"Um, actually no. Please don't hate me..." Kensi whispered, tears falling down her face.
Deeks's face scrunched up in concern.
lemme know what ya think!
xox