Thank you for all the reviews, here is the next chapter.
Callen reached the spot that Kensi had disappeared moments after she slipped beneath the surface. Desperately he scanned the surrounding area, waiting for her to reappear. Seconds passed and he saw nothing. He did not hesitate as he filled his lungs with air and dove down into the icy depths. He swam along with the current, squinting at the murky shapes that filled the river, trying to distinguish Kensi among all the debris. It was impossible.
He broke for the surface, his air depleted, but spent barely a second refilling his lungs before he dove again. This time he saw her just below him. She was totally still, hair drifting about her face, one arm trailing above her, as if she was reaching for the surface. He grabbed her hand, her body floating up to him as easily as pulling a balloon. Callen dragged her to the surface, willing himself to swim as fast as possible.
As they broke through the water he lifted her up, keeping her pale face above the water and out of the waves. Her eyes were closed, the blood washed from her face. If she wasn't so pale she would look peaceful.
"Kensi, Kensi wake up." Callen's voice cracked as he spoke, the cold reducing his voice to a whisper. She didn't respond to his pleas as he dragged her to the bank. The swim seemed to take an age. The cold was affecting his muscles, and he cursed himself as the short distance turned into a marathon.
Finally however he felt the rough stones of the river bottom and finally able to stand he heaved Kensi to the edge. Out of the water he could see her injuries much more clearly. Blood had already started to trickle back down her forehead, and where the bullet had entered her shoulder blood was staining the material.
"Kensi?" he pleaded with her again, more desperately this time, gently slapping her face in a desperate attempt to revive her. She remained lifeless.
He began compressions, his mind numb to any possibility that it may be too late.
….
Sam had watched as Callen threw himself into the river. He trusted his partner to find and save Kensi. Instead he waited for the chopper to hover over land and the second it was close enough he leapt through the open door, racing across the frozen landscape to the wrecked car.
Deeks lay exactly as Kensi had left him, head slumped on the steering wheel, one hand cradled in his lap. The only difference was that the pool of blood had grown. Time seemed to stand still as Sam checked for a pulse, praying for the tiny flicker that meant life.
Relief crashed down on him as he felt it, weak and slow, but definitely there. He took a breath that he had not realised he was holding. Ever so gently he leant around Deeks, unclipping the seat belt that was still holding him to the chair. As he did so he felt the young detective move.
"Deeks? Can you hear me? It's me, Sam." He knelt down beside the blonde man.
"Sam." Deeks' voice cracked as he forced out the single word. "I don't under… Kensi." The last word was spoken with panic.
"She's with Callen Deeks. She's okay." He spoke the last part through gritted teeth, praying he wouldn't have to ever tell Deeks anything otherwise. "How do you feel Deeks? Does your neck hurt or anything?"
"No…" Deeks broke off, coughing. "… It's just my head that hurts." He hesitated "And its freezing. Has anyone tried the heating?" He let out a dry chuckle.
Sam tried to laugh but it felt too forced. "Do you think you can walk?" he said instead.
Deeks slowly sat up, wincing as he lifted his head. He gently placed his head on the headrest and let out a deep breath. "I think I'll be alright to move."
Sam nodded, relieved. "That's great. The chopper is going to lower a line, we'll get you up quickly okay? Get you warm." As Deeks leaned forward to step out the car he placed an arm around his shoulder, supporting him.
"Is Kensi already up there?" Deeks looked at Sam as he spoke, defying him to lie.
"Not yet Deeks. Callen is looking after her."
"Looking after her? But you said she was okay. Where is she?" The panic in his voice was clear. He lunged forwards, trying to push Sam out of the way and see her for himself. He made it one step before his legs gave out on him and Sam grabbed him before he fell.
"Deeks stop it. She… she ended up in the river." He hesitated, deciding to leave out the gunshot wound. "But Callen is with her, and you aren't going to help her in your state. The sooner you get in the chopper, the sooner she gets in." as he spoke he silently prayed that Callen had found her.
Deeks' didn't speak for a moment, and Sam gripped him tighter as he saw the colour leave the young man's face entirely.
"She's going to make it though, Sam. Isn't she?" He sounded like a child, still believing that adults had all the answers.
"You know Kensi, Deeks. She's the last one to stop fighting." It was the only honest reply he had. In truth he had no idea. "Now we need to go."
Deeks nodded, to weak to fight, and the large man slowly guided him to the line that hung from the chopper, still hovering four metres above. He blocked the young man's view from the riverside, where he could now see Kensi and Callen. His heart sunk as he clearly saw Callen performing CPR.
…..
Deeks was just about to let himself be clipped into the harness when he looked around. His brain, numbed by the cold, processed the scene painfully slowly. Then he realised what he was seeing.
"No" he whispered "Kensi… KENSI." His body reacted as he saw her unconscious form, adrenaline powering through him. This time he pushed past Sam and kept going, dimly aware of Sam following him but not trying to stop him.
He fell to his knees beside her head, his heart breaking as he watched Callen push down on her chest.
She looked so beautiful, her flawless skin porcelain pale, her hair fanned around her head. "Oh God Kensi. Please wake up. Please…" he tailed off as he moved to her side, gently lifting her hand and cradling it in his own. He could hardly breathe as he watched Callen work. This couldn't be happening. Not now, not when everything had just begun between them.
Then Callen stopped his compressions.
Deeks' heart exploded. "NO. What are you doing?" he asked with a voice of pure fury. "You've stopped. You haven't… She…" his brain was white with anger. He shot Callen a look of hatred as he threw his entire existence into continuing the resuscitation. With each compression he whispered her name, begging her, pleading with her to come back to him. "It doesn't end like this Kensi. Please stop it, please, I'll do anything. All you have to do is wake up." His entire world shrunk to the size of the woman in front of him. the cold meant nothing, the pain blazing in his head was forgotten. All that mattered was the love of his life. He had to save her.
…
Callen fell back as he stopped his compressions. The look in Deek's eyes had killed him. He knew he had irreparably broken the trust between them. He looked up as he felt Sam's hand on his shoulder.
"Sam. She was under for too long… I couldn't… I tried." He could hardly speak, unable to find the right words to apologise for being unable to save the girl who held them together. He pressed his head into his hands, unable to look at Kensi. He had promised her that they would be there. He said he had her back. He had failed her.
Deeks' pleading filled his ears, flooding his heart with the blackest pain. His suffering was nothing compared to Deeks. He forced himself to watch Deeks, willing him to have success where he had not. He shuddered at the horror of loosing one of his team, at being responsible for the loss. The guilt he already felt was overwhelming. He could feel the cold from the water flood his bones but made no effort to take the blanket that Sam had offered him. His penance could start here. The physical suffering was so much easier to bear.
G had no idea how much time passed as he watched Deeks agony, and then… suddenly, with no warning, she coughed.
The three men froze, and then Deeks leapt to action, renewing compressions in a desperate frenzy.
She coughed again, and then she suddenly took a breath, one ragged gasp before expelling the water from her lungs.
Her eyes opened.
Of course I couldn't kill Kensi…. Yet ;)
Hope that you all enjoyed, and there is more to follow.
Please please review, it is so nice to read them. X