"He did what?!"

Brody was certain that the entire floor of the hospital could hear Pride's voice booming out of her phone as she started down the corridor to her car. After explaining the situation, Pride had ordered her to keep him posted and stay with LaSalle if and when she found him.

"Abigail and I can handle the case," Pride said in a calmer tone as Brody reached her car. " Chris can be stubborn when it comes to his family. So, I don't care what it takes. Kick his ass if you have to. Just get him to listen to you."

"Got it" Brody slid into the front of seat of her Ford Fusion and peeled out of the parking garage. LaSalle wouldn't be able to go very far without a vehicle so with any luck she hoped that he had just gone home before deciding to go off half-cocked looking for Cade.

Arriving at the loft, she pulled into the spot where Chris normally parked his truck and anxiously went inside. For several seconds she stood dumbfounded. LaSalle's place was a wreck. Dirty dishes were piled in the sink, along with leftovers that had been left out on the counter, trash in the living room. It looked like he hadn't cleaned in over a week. Then it hit her. He'd been in the hospital for almost a week.

Hurricane Cade must have blown through. She thought as she started for the master bedroom.

"Chris!"

"Can you hold it down a bit?" Lt. Addy Watkins snipped coming out the bedroom . "He's running a low grade fever. The doctor said he needs to rest."

Brody's face flooded with a mixture of anger and concern. Chris hadn't been running a temperature when she left. Now she was really going to murder him for leaving the hospital.

"Where's Cade?" Brody asked as she reached to bedroom door.

Addy turned to acknowledge Brody's comment, but leveled her with superior look. "I don't know, Chris was hoping he'd be here."

Brody scanned the room before turning the door handle. "From the looks of things he hasn't been here in a couple of days." Leaving Addy to see herself out, Brody went into the bedroom where she found LaSalle sitting on the edge of the bed.

"C'mon, you're going to back to the hospital right now." Circling the bed, she reached for his arm.

"No can do. I have to find Cade," Chris shot back, retracting his arm.

"Newsflash! You're in no condition to be finding anybody!" He could barely move Brody conceded watching him grimace as he tried to use the nightstand as anchor to pull himself up.

"I just need a minute," he groaned.

"A minute? Chris, you need a week!"

"Cade may not have a week," he argued stubbornly.

"Lean on me," Brody wrapped her arm around his waist for support before gazing into his fever filled blue eyes.

"I can't lose him again, Brody."

Brody sighed in defeat knowing that no matter how hard she tried she was not going to be able to sway him to see things her way. Craning her neck, she planted a soft but purposeful kiss onto his feverish lips. She better than anyone knew what it was like to lose a sibling.

Chris melted into her meeting her kiss with a slip of his tongue. Even as banged up as he was it would be so easy just slip into bed and finish what they had started last night if it weren't for Cade.

Eight hours later, they were in sitting in Brody's car outside the 9th ward homeless shelter. A tip from one Chris's vice squad friends lead them to believe that a man fitting Cade's description had been spotted near the shelter.

The alarm on Brody's phone went off prompting her to look over at Chris. He was sound asleep in the passenger's seat his head resting up against the door. Smiling she touched the side of his face with the back of her hand, noting that his cheek felt cool.

"Chris, it's time to wake up." She hated to wake him, but it was time for him to take his pain meds without the aid of morphine he needed them more regularly now. Not to mention, the Iburprophin was helping to keep his fever at bay.

LaSalle groaned softy, peeling one eye open. "How long have I been out?"

"Not long," Brody handed him a bottle of water followed by a handful of pills.

LaSalle chased down the pills when a swallow of water and handed it back it her. He was just about to say something when suddenly a familiar figure appeared from across street.

"There!" He started to move only to be betrayed with a wave of pain.

Brody's arm came sailing across his chest. "Stay here. I got this"

He started to protest, but Brody silenced any him. There was no way she could look after him and go after Cade. "If you move from this vehicle, I will take you back to the hospital in a coma!"

Without waiting for a reply she threw the door open and started across the street. "Cade LaSalle! NCIS!"

Cade looked at her briefly and took off in a dead heat.

Why do they always run? Brody hissed under her breath as she gave chase.

A former college quarterback, Cade could run with the best of them. He lead Brody on a chase that took them both several blocks until he turned into ally way and met with an eventual dead end.

Wide eyed he stared at Brody.

"No one wants to hurt you." Brody panted as she put up her hands in a show of good faith. "I'm only here because of Chris. He needs you."

Cade shook his head. "I've done too many bad things."

Keeping her hands up, Brody spoke calmly. "That doesn't matter right now. Chris needs his big brother."

Cade looked over his shoulder debating.

"He left the hospital, to look for you."

Pregnant pause

"He could still die." Brody added, dramatically. "Is that what you want?"

Brody sighed inwardly as Cade shook his head.

"C'mon," Brody smiled reaching for his arm, I'll take you to him."

"I don't believe you," Cade returned moving from her reach.

Brody was about to respond when she saw Cade look past her at something familiar. A familiar something with a very distinct accent.

Chris stood with his hands on his knees, out of breath and looking like death warm over. "Trust me, big brother, she's worth believing in."

Brody offered him a small smile before moving to his side. Gently, she slid her arm around him, "I thought I told you to stay in the car," she murmured as he threw his hand around her shoulder. It was then Brody noticed the crimson stain that had started to form on his shirt. The incision in his abdomen had started to weep.

"He needs to go back right now, Cade." Brody held her breath fearing what would happen to Chris is Cade decided not to comply.

"So do I," Cade said lowly as Brody let out a rush of relief.

Crescent City Hospital

"I called Doug, he said he would admit Cade for the night and run some tests in the morning."

"Good Ol' Doc McStuffin," Chris quipped

A woman entered the room with an ultrasound machine trailing behind her. "Excuse me, I need to get a peek at Mr. LaSalle's abdomen, if you don't mind."

She then turned her attention back to her partner and noted the pinched expression on his face. Concerned, she pressed the back of her hand to Chris's cheek. He was burning up. Obviously, his little jaunt after Cade had done more harm than good.

"I don't think this part is supposed to hurt," she noted as he started to tremble as the cold metal Doppler was placed on his stomach near the incision site.

Brody watched intently as the technician ran the Doppler up and down Chris's abdominal cavity. Even as sick as he was his abs appeared to be near washboard board perfect. Definitely, Instagram or twitter worthy, Brody thought as she laced their fingers.

"Everything looks good. You probably just have a post-surgical infection of some sort," the technician sighed as she stopped to turn off the machine. "Lots of fluid and no hanky panky for a while."

Brody waited for the tech to leave the room before voicing a snarky comment. "Darn, and I was planning to take advantage of you tonight."

LaSalle spoke to her through chattering teeth. "You are an incorrigible woman, Meredith Brody."

Brody dropped a finger to his bottom lip, tracing it as she spoke, "And you are very sexy when you are sick."