A/N: Sorry about the long time between uploading this chapter. I struggled a bit with describing his injuries to my satisfaction, and hopefully I ended up with it being realistic. Again, no real action in this chapter, and even less tension than the previous one, but we couldn't just skip over the hospital visit, right? Anywho, as always, I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!
Nurse Natalie looked at the anxious woman in front of her. She knew that she had promised to come with any information as soon as she received it, and now she was keeping that promise. Considering the circumstances, the prognosis was actually pretty decent, nevertheless the nurse knew, that she was about to mention a whole plethora of different injuries, and that was never easy for anyone, especially not someone who seemed as close to the victim as the beautiful brunette seemed to be with the injured man.
"Mr. Deeks has-" Nurse Natalie started before she was interrupted.
"Agent Deeks," she was corrected somewhat rudely.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Nurse Natalie truthfully told the distraught woman. Years of working in the emergency ward had hardened her skin, and she knew that most all of the harsh tones and words were not directed at her, but the situation in general. She continued again, this time using the correct title. "Agent Deeks has suffered numerous injuries, which he is currently being treated for. He suffered a minor splenic rupture that was causing some internal bleeding, which is the reason why he was rushed into emergency surgery. Chief surgeon Bernier and his team were able to repair the damage caused to his spleen."
Kensi was standing mute, she had known that Deeks bleeding internally was a very real possibility, but hearing it said out loud made it feel so much worse. Nurse Natalie sympathetically looked at the woman, and upon receiving a slight nod, she continued.
"We believe his loss of consciousness was caused by a combination of blood loss caused by the internal bleeding and the head injury he sustained. Mr. Dee-, sorry, Agent Deeks is currently having a MRI taken to determine the level of injury, but we are hopefully optimistic."
Receiving another nod from Kensi, silently telling the nurse that she understood, Natalie continued.
"He seems to have a broken fibula on his left leg, as well as extensive damage to his left shoulder and arm. We will be taking Agent Deeks to have x-rays taken of both, once we have established his level of head trauma. He also seemed to have at least two cracked ribs and a number of bruised ones, but once again, we will need to wait for the x-rays to confirm. Alongside that, he sustained a number of superficial injuries, the most significant a gash on his head and a few on his torso, which will be needing stiches."
Kensi logically knew that there would have been many different injuries varying in severity, but right now, she started feeling somewhat overwhelmed. She let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding, forcing herself to focus on the positive things. He was alive and they had fixed his internal bleeding, but she doubted she would feel very calm before knowing the exact extent of the injury to his head.
She was pulled out of her thoughts when Natalie continued.
"But right now our priority is ensuring that Agent Deeks' head injury is examined. The repair done to his spleen will be monitored closely to ensure he no longer has any bleedings internally."
"When will I be able to see him?" Kensi asked, finally finding her voice again after pushing past the lump that had formed in her throat
"We first need to determine the extent of his head trauma. As I said before, we are hopefully optimistic, and hope that there is no swelling, and we are looking at a concussion and nothing more severe. If that's the case, Agent Deeks will be transported to radiology to have x-rays taken of his injuries. After that, he should be transported to a private room, where his condition will be monitored. You will be able to stay with him in there."
Natalie was watching the emotionally exhausted woman in front of her, giving her time to work through all the information she had just been given.
Kensi finally asked once more, "You said the damage to his arm and shoulder was extensive."
"I did," Natalie nodded, confirming what the woman asked, but unsure where this line of questioning was going.
"Won't he need surgery for that as well?"
"He will most likely have to undergo orthopedic surgery, yes, but that won't be until a little later," the nurse calmly explained, somewhat impressed that the woman was thinking that clearly and that far ahead in her current state. When the brunette continued to look quizzically at her, she further explained, "He needs to wait at the very least until he has fully recovered from the anesthesia from his emergency surgery. And then we need to wait for the orthopedic team, which needs to be available."
"Okay," Kensi finally answered after a minute of silence, "Will you-"
"I'll personally come down as soon as you are able to see him," Natalie promisingly smiled at the brown-haired woman.
"Thank you," Kensi attempted a smile at the older woman.
Natalie left the same way she entered, once again leaving Kensi to wait alone with her thoughts. At least this time she knew the extent of the injuries, which the most important man in her life had sustained. Even though her nerves and fear was clouding her rational mind, she had cataloged all the information she had been given in the back of her head.
She took a deep breath before slowly starting to pace once more, she always felt like she was thinking clearer when she was moving, and she needed to figure out how to tell Hetty what the kind nurse had just told her.
Her thoughts went back to the previous conversation she had had with their operations manager, and remembered how her superior was hinting at already knowing the relationship between her and Deeks. She was somewhat thankful about the tiny woman's knowledge about their relationship, since that would make the phone call a lot easier, as it meant not having to fully hide her emotions from her boss.
After a few more deep breaths, the female agent pulled out her phone and pressed the speed call for Hetty, keeping her promise to keep the team updated. Before the line was picked up she thought about the case and was hopeful, that the team would have gotten a lead from the ex-Al-Qaeda member, Abdul-Shahid Tahan.
The call was short and to the point. Kensi gave the operations manager the bullet points on the status of her agent, but she received no updates in return, as there were none for the tiny woman to give. Callen and Sam were still interrogating the former Al-Qaeda member, and neither LAPD nor the FBI had found any further leads.
She slumped back into one of the uncomfortable waiting chairs, and attempted the impossible task of trying to relax, knowing it would be a while until they had finished examining the extent of Deeks' head trauma, and she would be able to see him.
...
After what seemed like hours, but more accurately was only about forty-five minutes, Natalie reappeared in the waiting room. This time she did not call out aloud, as she knew the only one who was currently there for the unfortunate agent was the brown-haired woman who quickly rose to her feet.
A feeling of déjà vu encompassed the scenario, as the female agent nervously walked to stand in front of the older nurse in search of information.
"How is he?" Kensi asked before Natalie had a time to speak up.
"We've been able to assess Agent Deeks' head injury, and there does not appear to be any swelling or bleedings, our neurologist determined that it is a concussion."
The relief upon hearing that the head trauma he had sustained was 'only' a concussion was easy to see on her face. Her lips, which had been in a tight line, bent upwards slightly at the news, her brown, mismatched eyes a tinge brighter and the lines on her forehead slowly dissipated.
"And the x-rays?" She inquired hopefully.
"Two cracked ribs and a few bruised ones," Natalie decided to ease in the injuries. "As expected the fibula on his left leg was fractured, luckily it is a clean break, and the recovery time is expected to be around six weeks, not counting physical therapy."
Kensi nodded slowly, memorizing the information she was given. "And his arm?"
The nurse took a deep breath before going into the explanation. "His elbow was broken in two places, the humerus and ulna, unfortunately it's a displaced fracture, which means that he will have to undergo corrective surgery, but a surgeon will talk with you and Agent Deeks about it in more detail once he is fully awake." Natalie took a break, looking at the brunette to ensure that she was following what was being said. "His shoulder was dislocated quite badly, which will most likely have caused a rotator cuff tear and possibly a small fracture, however, we will need a CT-scan for a more detailed picture before an orthopedist to be able to correctly diagnose the exact damage."
The relief Kensi had previously felt had slowly disappeared, and another wave of dread flushed over her as Nurse Natalie continuously talked about the extensive damage to his arm.
Natalie had noticed the woman's change in demeanor once more, "An orderly should have moved him into his room by now, if you'd like to see him." She told her with a smile. She knew, that one of the worst parts about having loved ones go through severe physical trauma was usually the time you were unable to see or feel them, especially just after having been told the extensiveness of the injuries of said loved one.
Kensi allowed herself a sad smile at the offer, just as Natalie had expected. "Okay," she said, barely nodding her head. "Let's go," she told the nurse, now more determined to see the injured form of her Marty Deeks.
A few minutes later, after Nurse Natalie had left down the same hallway they had just walked down, Kensi found that she was alone once more, her hand hovering just above the door handle to the room, which Natalie had assured her that the man whom she cared the most about in the World was currently lying asleep in.
Unsure why she was hesitating to open the door, a few minutes ago, she could hardly see him fast enough and yet now that she just had to push the door open, it seemed like an enormous task. Somehow, opening the door and seeing the man would make all the injuries, which Nurse Natalie had mentioned, 'real.'
A few slow, deep breaths later, she was able to suppress the irrational voice telling her not to enter. She slowly pulled on the handle and stepped into the room, eyes trained on the floor to prolong the time she had before seeing his injured form with a few seconds. She could hear the comfortable rhythmic beeping of the equipment reminding her that although he was not awake, he was alive.
Once she finally looked up upon his pale, injured body, she rushed to his side, the need to touch him overwhelming her. She tenderly held his hand in hers before placing her other hand on top of his, sandwiching it between hers. Even though he was currently sleeping off the anesthetics, she felt like he would know that she was near him, and as such, wanted to give him the most amount of comfort as possible.
Wrapping her hands around his, she took notice of the coldness of his skin. The usual warmth that his hands would give her was gone from the frail and bruised man lying on the hospital bed.
She studied his face closely. Now that they were no longer in the ambulance and she knew, that his life was no longer in danger, she could allow herself time to thoroughly examine his injuries.
Letting go with one of her hands, she gently pushed a blonde tendril of hair out of his eyes, giving her an unobstructed view of his face. The rather large gash on his forehead now had butterfly stitches over it, holding it closed. A nasal cannula was helping with supplemental oxygen, she guessed it had been deemed necessary since he had just undergone surgery and had damaged ribs, which would certainly also hinder his breathing. There were a few minor scrapes and a dark bruise was already forming the scruff on his chin, but everything considered, he had gotten off lightly, and for that, Kensi was grateful.
Done examining his face, she let her gaze drift over his injured form. His midsection was heavily bruised, dark marks already starting to form around the ribs, and she was sure that bruises would cover his entire torso before long. A bunch of different scratches and sores littered the otherwise toned body, with a few of the larger lacerations covered with the same type of butterfly stiches as on his forehead. On top of his stomach rested his left arm, a temporary cast was around his left elbow holding it in place, a sling was around it, no doubt to continue to help hold his shoulder and elbow still once he was awake.
She could not see it because of the sheets, but she was certain that he also had a cast on his left leg, since he had broken the smaller of the two bones in his shin as well.
She looked around the room and upon finding the chair she was searching for, she dragged it over next to the hospital bed in order to be able to sit close and hold his hand, as much for her own comfort as his. She sat like that for a little while, interchanging between looking at his face and resting her head on their intertwined hands, before she remembered that she would have to call the operations manager once more to update her on Deeks' injuries.
As if on cue, a nurse walked into the room to check on the sleeping man's vitals, giving Kensi the opportunity to leave the room shortly to call Hetty, since she really did not want him to be alone in case he would wake up.
"Ms. Blye, I hope you have some good news for me," the operations manager answered her phone.
"Well, yes and no." She answered before going into a detailed account of all Deeks' injuries. She started by telling Hetty, how the internal bleeding had been fixed in the emergency surgery and that there were no signs of further bleeds. Even though the woman was usually impossible to read, the relief had been easily recognizable in Hetty's voice, after her female agent had mentioned the concussion and no further head trauma. Her worries and fears for the man had luckily been much worse than reality. Kensi continued to tell her boss about the two cracked ribs, as well as how his arm would need at least one corrective surgery, pending the CT-scan needed of his shoulder.
Throughout the mostly one-sided conversation, Kensi felt her anxiety rising once again, as she slumped against the wall, where she sat on the floor and continued to tell the operations manager about the numerous injuries of the man, whom she cared the most about.
Finally done with the update, Hetty took over the conversation, and started telling Kensi about what had happened with the case in the last hour and a half.
The operations manager told her about, how Sam and Callen had finally been able to trick Mr. Tahan into giving them a location, which they were now headed towards alongside the FBI tactical team. She was carefully optimistic, that the location was where the last few members of the terror cell was, since there was now only an hour and fifteen minutes until, according to the audio file containing the threat, another recruitment center would get blown up.
After finishing her conversation, Kensi walked back into the private hospital room, where the nurse was just finishing off charting his information.
"How is he doing?" Kensi asked, careful not to startle the young woman, who could not have been more than in her mid-twenties.
"He's doing really well," the nurse, whose nametag identified her as 'Heather,' answered smilingly. "His blood pressure is increasing to where we want it to be, which is a great sign that his internal bleedings are fully fixed."
Kensi now smiled back at the young, fair-haired woman, "Do you have any idea when he might wake up?" She asked. Touching Deeks was one things, but what she really needed before she would allow herself to calm completely was to talk to him. To hear his voice and see those wonderful blue orbs of his.
"He should wake up within the hour," Nurse Heather told her. "But you need to be aware, that he will be groggy at best, given that he's coming out of anesthesia as well as his head injury."
"Okay, thank you." She already knew that he would be groggy, after all, she, too, had had her fair share of concussions, both as an active child, but also from working in the line of business that she did.
The nurse walked out the room, as Kensi retook her place next to the sleeping man. She sat and watched his face for a few minutes, as she had previously, before she leaned over and put her forehead against their intertwined hands. She slowly fell into a slumber, the raids and emotional exhaustion showing its toll on her.
She roused from her doze, when a faint groan sounded. She immediately stood up, when she realized who had made the sound, and she tenderly moved to cup his cheek with her hand.
"Hey Marty, I'm right here. I'm right here." she soothingly told him as she caressed his cheek with her thumb in a calming manner, wanting to ensure that he knew he was safe and no longer trapped in a concrete and wooden tomb beneath a crumbled house.
She saw his eyes move beneath his eyelids, as creases started to form on his forehead in a pained expression. Kensi quickly reached for the call button with the hand not caressing his face, notifying the nurses that he was awake. Before any nurse arrived, Deeks managed to slowly force his eyes open, relief filling Kensi at the sight of his ocean blue eyes.
He looked bewildered around the room, clearly still confused and dazed from the sedative anesthetic he had previously been given. As his eyes turned to the beautiful brunette hovering above him, his eyes stopped moving and as he fixated on her brown and hazel mismatched eyes, recognition was evident in his blue orbs.
She placed a light kiss on his lips. "Good morning handsome," she lovingly greeted him.