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Alright, hospital chapter. Prepare for angst.
I don't own NCIS LA.
Enjoy!
Chapter 6
Kensi decided she hated hospitals.
For one, the smell of bleach and antiseptics was overpowering. The main reason though was that, it seemed like whenever she was at a hospital, she was sitting in a plastic chair across from her partner's bed, helpless to do anything but watch over him and listen to the steady beeping of the monitors' at his side. She hated feeling helpless. It was probably her least favorite feeling in the whole wide world. Well, except for the feeling that she got whenever Deeks' life was on the line. Like right now.
They told her that he had slipped into unconsciousness in the ambulance, and he hadn't woken up since she and Callen had arrived at the hospital. Hetty had been waiting for them when they entered the hospital, just minutes after the ambulances carrying their partners had. Hetty had given them a somber 'well done' then taken a seat in the waiting room. Callen had rushed off to Sam's room, and Kensi to Deeks'.
After an hour, with Kensi not moving an inch the entire time, Callen came in. He looked tired, dark circles under his eyes, his face drawn, similar to the way he looked when he hadn't yet had his morning coffee.
"Hey," he said quietly, softly stepping into the room.
"Hi," she replied. "How's Sam?"
Callen took a deep breath, and somehow he seemed to age a couple years in front of her eyes. Kensi couldn't imagine the weight, the stress, on his shoulders of being their team leader and having to put his strong face on when their friends were in critical condition.
"He has burns around his wrists and ankles where the cuffs had been attached to the metal chair. There's some minor internal tissue damage from the electrocution, but it didn't caused any fibrillation to his heart, which is the good news, otherwise he probably would've gone into cardiac arrest. He also had burns on his legs, from some kind of metal instrument. There were bruises and cuts all over his body and a broken finger on his left hand, plus the fact that he nearly drowned." Callen paused, taking another deep breath, running a hand over his short hair.
"They're making sure there's no water left in his lungs. They also found that he's got some cracked ribs from what looks like CPR. Sam was awake for a bit, told me Deeks rescued him." Callen explained. "It sounds bad, but he's actually lucky considering. It's nothing he won't heal from."
Kensi just nodded. She looked up at Callen, and he seemed hesitant to ask the question she knew was coming.
"How's Deeks?" he finally said, breaking the silence.
She looked over at her partner, hooked up to countless machines, the steady beep beep beep of the heart monitor. She took an even deeper breath than Callen before starting.
"Um, he needs pretty extensive mouth surgery to fill in all the teeth they drilled into. His mouth is pretty torn up…they're gonna wait till he wakes up though, to perform the surgery. He has burns on his legs like Sam." Kensi paused, steadying her shaking breathing. She could feel tears burning behind her eyes, but she pushed them back, creating a fist so hard she left nail marks in her palm. "He's got a pretty nasty laceration along his forearm that will require a few stiches. He has several more incised wounds on his arms and one or two on his chest…"
Kensi stood, needing to move around as she stumbled through all her partner's wounds. She needed something to do other than fight back tears.
"He, uh…he has three broken fingers on his left hand, one on his right. He's got a broken rib that luckily missed his lungs. Bruises…everywhere. Scrapes, cuts. Some blood loss. Dehydration…" she cut off again, pretty sure she had started rambling at the end.
Kensi balled her hands into fists, pacing back and forth, clenching her jaw to keep herself from screaming out in anger and frustration and to keep those god-damn tears back. She had to calm down. She was freaking out. She wasn't supposed to freak out. You're Kensi Blye, she told herself. You are kick-ass Kensi Blye and you are not supposed to cry, especially over your partner. Not like this… But was that all he was? Just her partner? No, he was also her best friend…but even that didn't seem like a good enough description for their 'thing'. Did they have a thing? Of course, they had a thing. For goodness sakes, Deeks had made their thing official when he kissed her…when he kissed her.
Those tears she had been trying so hard to keep at bay spilled, just a few sliding down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the sleeve of her jacket, purposely not looking at Callen, who had been silent during her update on Deeks.
"Kens, you okay?" he asked softly, eyeing her worriedly.
"Yeah…I'm fine…" the last part came out as barely a whisper. She started shaking her head slowly, a few more tears slipping down her cheeks as Callen pulled her into his embrace.
The complete brotherliness of his actions stopped those stupid tears and comforted her. They stood in silence for a few minutes, just taking in the fact that they had each other to lean on for support when their partners weren't there to provide it as they usually did. After a few minutes, Callen stepped back.
"I'm sorry," Kensi mumbled.
"Don't be." Callen smiled. "You know, I told you Sam had been awake for a little bit,"
"Yeah?" she prompted.
"He told me something. He told me that, Deeks had been the one they paid the most attention to. And he told me that Deeks didn't give up. Not once. He said that, when Deeks wakes up, you should ask him what thought got him through it." Callen said.
"What thought?" she repeated.
"That's what he said. I'm gonna go fill Hetty in. Do you need anything?" he asked.
"No, I'm good. Thanks, G."
Callen nodded, then left the room. Kensi slumped back into the chair she had been sitting in, her legs suddenly turning to jello. At least—in the private room's that Sam and Callen had gotten—the chairs weren't hard plastic like usual. And there was a couch in one corner of Deeks' room. Kensi had a feeling that couch would be her bed for a while.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Callen slumped down in the chair beside Hetty, in the hallway outside of Deeks' and Sam's adjacent rooms in the hospital. Hetty regarded him silently. Callen knew he needed to update her on Sam and Deeks' conditions, but talking about what bad shape his colleagues were in was the last thing he wanted to talk about. So he wasn't really sure why he came to talk to Hetty. Maybe because she could sense everything he was feeling, could know everything he wanted to tell her just by looking at him.
"How is Kensi doing?" Hetty asked quietly, folding her small hands across her lap.
Callen almost smiled because her feet barely touched the ground, just the toes of her shoes grazing the pristine white tiles.
"Trying to keep it together," he responded. "You know Kensi; she hates to admit when she's struggling."
"Yes, she is stubborn that way." Hetty smiled a little; a fond smile like that of a mother talking about her children. And in a way, they were her children. She never had any of her own, but she had adopted them all.
"I'm just worried about what she'll do when we confront Sidorov," Callen said, voicing his thoughts.
"Yes, that is a concern of mine also, but I don't doubt her ability, Mr. Callen. I don't doubt that she will always do the right thing," Hetty said. "Kensi is strong."
"Yeah, she is," Callen agreed. "I just…when it comes to Deeks…"
"Is it not the same for you and Sam? Would you not do anything for your partner?" Hetty asked.
"Of course I would. But you saw what happened, Hetty," Callen argued, knowing full well that Hetty knew what he was talking about.
"Yes, I did."
"So…" Callen trailed off, suppressing a frustrated groan. "You're being cryptic again."
Hetty smirked. The smile fade and she pursed her lips, thoughtful, planning what she was going to say next.
"I did, indeed, witness the moment that passed between Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks. I'm sure you're wondering if I plan to do anything about it," Hetty looked at him, confirming her theory. "the truth is, I don't. Plan on doing anything about it, that is."
Callen blinked, confused. "You don't?"
"No. They are consenting adults, for one, Mr. Callen. And though policy advises against dating amongst co-workers, you cannot tell me that Kensi has not been better since Mr. Deeks joined us." Hetty explained.
"She has, yeah, I guess." Callen agreed.
Hetty took a deep breath and Callen knew she was about to plunge into a story. "Since Kensi has worked for NCIS, she has always been distant, closed up. Most of that, of course, had to do with the death of her father. And then, with the disappearance and then death of Mr. Vail, that made her all the more determined to build a wall around herself, to protect herself. And then Mr. Deeks came along. I have never seen Kensi so open and happy with anyone else, Mr. Callen. And though she trusts you and Mr. Hanna, it is not the same trust, not the same bond she shares with Deeks. He is good for her."
"So you're going to turn a blind eye?" Callen asked, and seeing her point, Callen kind of hoped the answer would be yes. Kensi was like a sister to him, and even he had to admit that Kensi was so much more herself when Deeks was around.
"Yes. Personally I don't think it will affect their work, seeing as they are already so close and able to perform perfectly fine in the field. If it does affect their work, I will, of course, act on it, but it was one little kiss, Mr. Callen. Do I believe it will become something more? Yes, but Kensi is strong. They both are. And they both know the job comes first." Hetty gave him another knowing look. "Besides, it's not really any of your business, now is it?"
Callen gave a little chuckle. "No, I guess it's not. Like you said, not until their work is affected. And I don't think it will be,"
"Good. I think we can both agree that this conversation is over." Hetty said.
"Yes." Callen sighed, looking towards Sam's room. "I'm gonna go see how Sam's doing. Do you need anything."
"I am quite alright, Mr. Callen." Hetty smiled. "Go. Be with your partner."
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Kensi didn't know how long she sat in that chair by Deeks' bed. Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like hours. Finally, after an eternity of watching him sleep, she moved to the couch to get some sleep of her own. Sleep came quicker than she thought it would. She wished it hadn't, though, because her dreams turned into nightmares. Nightmares that all revolved around Deeks, bloody, bruised, clothes torn, mouth and chin red with blood. And there was Sidorov, laughing, taunting her Russian. And though it was just a dream, when Deeks screamed, Kensi knew she would never forget that sound.
When she woke up, sunlight was streaming through the blinds on the window and Hetty was beside her, a cup of tea in hand. Kensi looked down to see that someone had removed her shoes and covered her with a blanket.
"How long was I asleep?" Kensi asked, her voice rough.
"About fourteen hours," Hetty replied simply, handing Kensi a cup of coffee.
"Fourteen hours?" Kensi muttered. She glanced down at her watch. 10:04 A.M.
"Mr. Callen said he didn't want to wake you. He figured it was probably the best you'd slept in days. He's the one who gave you the blanket." Hetty explained.
"Deeks?" Kensi asked, looking at her partner who didn't appear to have moved over the course of her rest.
"He hasn't woken up yet. He's still stable." Hetty said, taking a sip of her tea.
"Sam?" Kensi asked next, knowing fourteen hours was a long time.
"He's awake right now. You can go see him if you like." Hetty said, and Kensi noticed she looked relieved at the fact that at least one of her agents had woken up.
Kensi looked over at Deeks, biting her bottom lip. She knew she should go see Sam, she wanted to go see him, but she didn't want to leave her partner.
"Go see Sam, Kensi. I will stay here with Mr. Deeks." Hetty said, a kind smile gracing her lips.
Kensi nodded. She got up, and with one last look at Deeks, left and went next door to Sam's room. Callen and Michelle were both there, coffee in hand, laughing. The sight brought a smile to her face. When they saw her, Callen and Michelle greeted her with smiles. But the biggest smile was worn by Sam.
"Hey, Sam. Good to see you," she said, taking a seat next to Michelle by his bed.
"Good to see you, too, Kens. I was beginning to think you were gonna spend all your time with Shaggy," Sam joked, and they all laughed.
"He hasn't even woken up yet, so you're a little bit more fun," she replied.
"Probably hasn't woken up 'cause he's afraid of what you'll do," Callen replied.
"Yeah, he's probably afraid you'll kick his ass for getting himself kidnaped by Russians." Sam added.
Kensi was glad they were joking about the situation. It made it seem not quite so bad, and she needed to smile.
"Yeah, well he saved your ass only to get kidnapped by Russians," Kensi said, eyeing Sam, who looked a little embarrassed.
"Yeah, you're never gonna live that one down, partner," Callen added, smirking.
"Shut up," Sam said, and they laughed some more.
They spent another good half hour talking, laughing, joking, and trying to decide where Sam should take Michelle out to eat as a sorry for scaring the hell out of her, after he was released from the hospital. Soon enough though, Sam looked like he was going to pass out from exhaustion, so Kensi left, Callen following, shutting the door to Sam's room quietly behind him. As Kensi approached Deeks' room, Callen stopped her.
"Hey, Kensi, why don't you take a break. You should go home, shower, change, eat something other than hospital cafeteria food," Callen suggested with a smile.
"Callen, I don't want to. I'll be fine," she insisted, but Callen was just as stubborn as she was.
"I'll stay with Deeks, okay? Besides, I doubt he'll wake up without you around anyway. And if he does, I'll knock him out again just to be sure you're there when he wakes up." Callen said.
Kensi scoffed, but couldn't keep the smile off her face. A shower didn't sound too bad. And neither did ice cream for breakfast. Plus, she had to feed Monty.
"Okay, fine. I'll be back in two hours at the latest." She promised.
Callen nodded, then went to go sit with Hetty in Deeks' room.
Kensi drove home, and was greeted by Monty. She smiled, laughing as the shaggy dog got all excited. She let him out to go to the bathroom, then fed and watered him. She made herself some toast and prepped another cup of coffee for herself, the caffeine buzzing through her veins making her feel better. When she finished eating, she took a quick shower, simply letting her damp hair fall down around her shoulders. She changed into a fresh pair of jeans, a tank top, and a sweatshirt. By the time she got back to the hospital, she had only been gone for 57 minutes.
When Kensi sat back down by Deeks' bedside, Hetty and Callen left, Hetty ordering Callen to go home and freshen up, too. Hetty went to Sam's room to take Michelle's spot so Michelle could go home for a bit too. Kensi settled into the chair, watching the beams of sunlight dance across the ceiling. She thought about that, if he wasn't here in the hospital, Deeks would probably be out surfing right now, it being a Saturday and all. It was a great day for surfing. She smiled, remembering when Deeks had taken her surfing. She was okay at surfing, but Deeks was great. It was so much fun to watch him surf, slicing over waves, watching as he controlled the board under his feet, perfectly balanced.
The rustle of sheets snapped Kensi out of her thoughts and drew her eyes to Deeks bed. She watched as his eyes slowly fluttered open and he gave her a cheeky grin, that must've hurt with the damage to his mouth and the bruises on his face. But he smiled anyway, and her heart melted as she was washed with unbelievable relief at the sight of his baby blues.
"Hey, Fern." He whispered gruffly. "Now be honest, how bad do I look?"
And there's chapter 6 for you guys! Hope you liked it =)
Don't forget to REVIEW! I wanna know what you guys think, what parts you liked best, what you think I should change, etc.
You guys are absolutely amazing, so I just want to thank you for reading!
I will try to update in the next week, if it's a little late, I apologize, but stay tuned, there will be more! Next chapter, some more hospital stuff, what Sidorov's up to, and the start of the road to recovery! So prepare yourselves for some angst!
Thanks again for reading!
-DaughterOfPoseidon333