A/N: Disclaimers as usual, thanks for reviewing and to my beta as usual :)
Enjoy!
Kensi, who drove behind her colleagues, had to make sure that no one followed them and although she was sure by now that no one did, she kept glancing at her rear-view mirror. After another two kilometres she decided that no suspicious car was anywhere near them and searched with one hand for her cell as she had no comms. When her fingers finally closed around the cold device, she almost dropped it again, because the SUV in front of her suddenly accelerated and she had to hurry to keep up. A really bad feeling started to grow in her stomach. If Sam and Callen drove faster, without any obvious reason and by that risked to be noticed, something had to be wrong with Deeks. Kensi cursed herself for not riding with him. Whenever her partner wasn't well, she had to be with him or at least be able to communicate with someone who was with him.
She dialled the number of Ops in a very determent manner while stepping on the gas to keep up with the SUV.
"Nell, I want a conference with Sam and Callen – now!"
Not even three seconds later she could hear every word that was said and Kensi broke in on the conversation.
"Guys, what is it?"
Sam glanced at the mirror and saw how Callen supported Deeks' head with one hand and monitored his pulse with the other hand.
"Deeks is unconscious, Kensi, his pulse is quite weak," Callen answered and looked at his colleague's closed eyes.
"What do we do now? He should be brought back to the hospital!"
"We can't risk that he is recognized by some member of the cartel, Kens. We know that it's just the concussion and the stress that knocked him out. We get as quickly as possible to the safe house and lie him down. That's the best for him, trust me," Sam reassured her and cut a corner so suddenly that Deeks' hurt knee slammed against the door.
The detective moaned but stayed unconscious.
"Damn it!" Callen cursed and took his fingers off of Deeks' carotid artery so he could pull the right leg to him and hold it in a fixed position.
The hit had come sideways against the kneecap and right in that moment it was a little catastrophe for the doctors not deciding for an actual cast, which would have provided protection. Callen could just hope that the fractured patella would stay the way it was supposed to be. Sam turned into the street the safe house was located in, as Deeks' lids started to flutter.
"Deeks, you with me?" Callen asked as loudly and clearly as he could manage, his hand still at Deeks' chin. It took some seconds before Deeks had gathered himself enough to answer.
"Callen? What…?"
"Everything is alright, Deeks. We'll be at the safe house any minute," Callen said and carefully removed his hands from the detective's body.
Deeks took a deep breath and tried not to be overwhelmed by pain. His knee felt like hell and his head was even worse than before. Not to mention the crazy ride, caused by Sam, he was experiencing and not taking too well. Callen glanced at his colleague and reached for the emesis basin Kensi had given him.
"Deeks are you going to be sick?" he asked in a concerned tone, a frown forming on his face.
Deeks just nodded and breathed even deeper to get rid of the nausea. It had been embarrassing enough to throw up in front of Kensi; no way was he going to repeat it in front of Callen and Sam – that was ten times more embarrassing. His shame was gone the moment Callen laid a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, Deeks. I know that concussions suck, trust me. If you're going to be sick, you're going to be sick. Can't do anything about it," Callen told him firmly with no room for protest and felt Deeks relaxing at least a bit.
Normally, it was a constant bickering between the team members, sometimes bickering below the belt, but in the end no one was going to be teased if he or she wasn't feeling well.
Kensi breathed deeply as she noticed that Deeks was with them again and was touched the next moment as she heard how Callen comforted Deeks. She knew that the agent had a soft side, although he didn't show it often. Kensi did not hear one single comment as Deeks, judging by the noises coming through her comm, threw up his breakfast. Actually, it was exactly the opposite; she could swear Callen murmured calming words. After some more minutes she stopped her car behind the SUV transporting Sam, Callen and Deeks, that parked on the small driveway to the apartment, almost hidden between the other houses. She hastily pulled out the key and got out of the car, just to be mere seconds later at the door she knew her partner was sitting behind. Kensi tore the door open and looked at Deeks, who was sitting slumped and white as a sheet on his seat, his forehead wet with sweat. Kensi reached for his hand and stroked it with her thumb.
"Hey. We're here. How's your head?"
Deeks breathed with his lips pressed together and Kensi could see how his hands started to clench into fists.
"Deeks? What is it?" she heard how panic crept into her voice, not unnoticed by Sam and Callen who were at an instant by her side.
"My knee…," he panted and felt his fingernails dig into his palms as he tightened his grip even more. Callen cursed, shooed Kensi from her position and gave her the crutches he had taken from the back seats.
"As Sam turned into this street, Deeks' knee hit the doorframe. It looked like it was exactly sideways to the kneecap," he informed the others and unbuckled Deeks, before he pulled the right arm of his colleague around his neck while heaving Deeks' legs with his free arm out of the car.
"Sam, you go on his other side, Kensi, open the door," Callen instructed and bore some seconds later half of Deeks' weight on his shoulders.
A/N: I'm on holiday in Spain right now, so it is possible that it'll take longer for me to update :)
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