"Morning, partner."
Sam watches Deeks' gaze travel from the door over to Sam, who's leaning back against a pillow in his bed. It's early the next morning and Sam's ready to spend the day doing three things- somehow sneak his way back onto the case, get in contact with Michelle, and make some gains with Deeks.
"The nurses last night told me that your orthodontic surgeon is coming in today and that you might even get your wires out," Sam continues. He swings his legs over the side of the bed and suddenly feels a sharp pain in his chest. It hurts like hell to him, enough that he winces and starts rubbing his chest.
"Just a little pain," Sam assures, "I'll be alright. What about you- you ok?"
One blink in response followed by a glare.
I'll take that as a very pissed off resounding yes. "Hey, don't be pissed at me- just checking on you."
Deeks gives him a much darker and still failed attempt at a glare and it makes Sam burst into laughter. He rubs the back of his neck and stifles the laugh almost immediately. "If this is related to me calling you partner, get over it. Until our respective partners come back, you and I are partners."
Deeks shakes his head in disbelief and settles back onto his pillow. It takes Sam a minute to realize the error in his words. "No, not like last time where it was not by choice- I guess it technically is still not by choice. You know what I mean….right?"
Deeks shifts his position in the bed once more and begins a cold stare out the doorway. Sam sighs in defeat, thinking, I'll take that as a no. Damn it.
"Detective Deeks, Agent Hanna, good morning," both men suddenly hear as the orthodontic surgeon enters the room. Sam feels his muscle tense at the sight of the arrogant surgeon who he had to yell at to stop him from badgering Deeks in the emergency room. Deeks immediately freezes and grabs onto the sheets of the bed anxiously.
"It's ok, Deeks. You're safe," Sam calls out with his hand towards the detective out of protection. Never in the three years that Deeks has been on the team did Sam ever expect to have to reassure the man's safety. The surgeon catches Deeks' anxiousness and stops dead in his tracks a few inches away from the doorway.
Sam smirks at the surgeon and greets, "Morning, doctor…"
"Doctor Yentz," the surgeon replies with a hint of annoyance. Sam's pretty sure the surgeon had said his name to both Deeks and him multiple times already. Yentz resumes his walk towards Deeks' bedside, this time much slower.
"I'm just here to check on you, Detective. I know that you and I got off on the wrong foot," Yentz states. There's a slight sparkle of accomplishment when he finally makes it Deeks' bedside without his patient going ballistic. "I'm early because we had a cancellation earlier in the schedule. I need to take a look inside your mouth, ok?"
Deeks holds an irritable gaze at the doctor and slowly opens his mouth as wide as he can. Yentz, who's blocking Sam's view of Deeks, makes a curious noise that prompts Sam to ask, "What's wrong?"
"Hmmmm…."
Sam slides off the bed and steps around Yentz. The surgeon quickly glances between Sam and Deeks' wide mouth before saying, "His gums are enflamed and I see some bleeding….Detective, I'm going to keep the wires and arch bar in for another day. In the meantime, I'll give you more morphine for the pain." Yentz ends his statement with a nod to Sam as if he needed his approval.
"What about-"
"There's one more thing," Yentz adds. He moves back towards the doorway and says, " It's hospital policy that any patients coming through with any traumatic behavior speak with our psychiatrist-"
"You want to make sure Detective Deeks hasn't completely lost it," Sam translates. Yentz nods and replies, "This would be for you as well, if you want it."
"Thanks, but we have our own guy coming in," Sam lies, trying desperately to remember where he last heard where Nate was, " He should be here within a few days."
"Good….good," Yentz gives Sam a nod before leaving the room. The surgeon's lighter bedside manner makes no difference on Sam and Deeks' dislike towards the man. I know that I've been through a traumatic event, Sam thinks as he makes his way back to his bed, but I don't need to sit down with anyone. He climbs into his bed and remembers freezing up at Deeks' panic attack.
That was a one-time thing. I'm ok now and I can even help Deeks.
He begins to nod his head more so than needed to reassure himself the truth- he was completely fine. His wife was on her way to Washington D.C, back in danger- possibly more so- again and his partner was off in the Middle East with a terrorist who had nuclear weapons in his possession. He also was worried beyond his belief about the detective to where it had induced a panic attack.
Sam swallows hard as he lays on his side on the bed away from Deeks. The doctor may have a point…..