A/N: Thanks to all who continue to read, review and support this story. It's most appreciated. We've still a little way to go I think but let's see what the characters have to say to me.

Chapter 22

Callen did not finish the food he had put on his plate as, half way through the meal, he started to feel nauseous. He glanced at Hetty who was looking at him concernedly. You don't miss anything do you Hetty? he thought as he offered her a weak smile.

"Not finishing your meatloaf, Mr Callen?" she asked.

"I'm leaving space for dessert" he said and he watched her as she gave him an unperceivable nod as she understood what he was saying. "Can you help me clear the table please?" she asked of him. "We can then proceed with dessert."

"Certainly" he answered as he got up and collected the plates, piling them on top of one another with his, containing his unfinished food, on top. Michelle offered to help but both Hetty and Callen declined her offer. "We're fine, Michelle. Thanks anyway" said Callen as he followed Hetty out of the dining room.

In the kitchen, as Callen put the plates on the side ready to go in the dishwasher, Hetty asked "Are you alright, son? You look a bit off colour."

"I'm feeling a bit nauseous. I think I bolted my food" he said by way of explanation.

"Please don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. If you're feeling ill or are in pain, I need to know so I can help you" she said taking his arm gently.

"I'll be fine" he added.

"As long as you're sure then take these bowls out and I'll bring the dessert" she said. She watched him go back into the dining room but was not convinced by what he said. I think I need to keep a close eye on you, my boy. I don't think you're being entirely honest with me or yourself for that matter.

Callen put the bowls by Hetty's place mat and took his seat. Hetty came out and placed the dessert down and announced "Now who wants some banana pudding?"

Kamran almost leapt out of her chair with joy. "Oh yes please. It's my favourite" she announced.

Michelle said, a little embarrassed by her daughter's exuberance. "Kamran! Calm down and stop being so rude! We taught you better manners than this!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Hetty, but it is my favourite" apologised Kamran.

Hetty smiled. "It's quite alright Michelle. I seem to remember how important a favourite dessert is to a young child. Now Kamran, do you want custard or ice cream with it?"

"Oh ice cream please" said Kamran trying to contain herself.

"I'll go and get it" said Callen as he got up and went into the kitchen. He came back and placed the container on the table and put a couple of scoops in Kamran's bowl.

"Thanks Uncle Callen" she said as she tucked into the banana pudding and ice cream.

"Does anyone else want ice cream?" he asked and dollopped scoops into the bowls of those who wanted it including his own.

The rest of the meal went well and Hetty was pleased that Callen managed to eat his small helping of pudding and ice cream. Sam and Gibbs helped Hetty and Callen clear the table. Once everything was cleared away, Hetty brought out drinks for everyone.

Having finished her coffee, Michelle said "Thank you Hetty for such a wonderful day. It was really kind of you to invite us over."

"You're most welcome, my dear" answered Hetty. "I've thoroughly enjoyed it myself and I believe it has done Mr Callen a power of good too. It was good to see him enjoy himself so much. I also thought you'd like to see Gibbs again" she added.

"Yes it was good to see him again" said Michelle and turning to address Gibbs she added "and I can't thank you enough for your kindness to Kamran at the hospital."

Gibbs did not respond but just smiled and hugged Michelle.

Sam came forward and said "I'm sorry to break up the party but if we're to get Aiden back to school, then we should hit the road."

"Of course, Sam, don't let me keep you any longer" said Hetty as one by one the Hanna family said goodbye to her.

Sam hugged Callen and said "It's good to see you looking so well, man. The kids really enjoyed themselves. I hope they didn't tire you out?"

"Naw, I'm good. I feel better than I have for a long time. Thanks for coming over, Sam. Drive safely" answered Callen.

"Will do and I'll see you soon. Enjoy your time with Gibbs" added Sam before he turned and went to his car followed by Michelle. Aiden gave Callen a shoulder hug before joining his parents. Kamran flew at Callen jumping into his arms, almost knocking the breath out of him and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

"I love you, Uncle Callen" she said beaming widely.

"Love you too, sweetie" he answered as he put her down and kissed her on the top of her head. "You'd better hurry or you'll be left behind" he added as he watched her race out to her father's car.

Hetty, Callen and Gibbs stood on the steps as they watched Sam drive away. "I think that went well" said Hetty to the two men as they went back indoors.

"It was a wonderful day" agreed Gibbs. "Thank you for arranging it. It was good to see Sam and his family again. They certainly care for you, G" said Gibbs to Callen, as he put him arm round his shoulder and pulled him into a hug as they walked back to the lounge.

"Yeah, they've been good to me" answered Callen. "They invite me over for meals and I get to spend time with the kids. Not Aiden so much, now he's at military academy but I see a lot of Kam. She's a great kid and growing up real fast." Callen paused before adding "I guess they're family."

"Indeed they are, Mr Callen" agreed Hetty as they settled down in the lounge and chatted.

"I'm going to get a drink" said Callen. "Does anyone want anything? I can put on some coffee, real strong like you have it Gibbs and I can make a pot of tea for you Hetty."

"That would be nice" said Hetty.

"Can I give you a hand?" asked Gibbs.

"No, I'm good, thanks" answered Callen and as he turned to go to the kitchen, added "Won't be long."

Hetty and Gibbs chatted while they waited for Callen's return. They could hear him moving about in the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards as he got together everything he needed. Callen thought carefully about which blend of tea to make and settled on Yellow Mountain Tribute Chrysanthemum tea, which he knew to be a particular favourite of Hetty's. It was a trifle too flowery tasting for Callen's less concerning palette but he would drink it to please her. He opened the caddy and smelt it. Good, it doesn't smell mouldy. Not like the time Sam made it for her. Callen smiled at the memory of Hetty trying to teach Sam to make a pot of tea.

Callen turned his attention to Gibbs' preference. He drank nothing but black coffee, the stronger the better. Typical marine! thought Callen and was reminded of one of Gibbs' Rules: rule # 23 never mess with a marine's coffee if you want to live. Callen chuckled to himself.

Callen put a jug of coffee, the pot of tea, a mug and two cups and saucers on a tray in readiness to take them out to his friends. Callen felt thirsty so he got a glass from the cupboard and filled it from the chilled water dispenser in the fridge. As he was approaching the kitchen island where he had put the tray, he felt light headed. He reached for the edge of the island with this left hand to steady himself but felt his knees give way.

Hetty and Gibbs were roused into action when they heard an almighty crash come from the kitchen. Jumping to their feet they rushed through the kitchen door to see Callen lying on the floor amidst a mess of broken crockery and glass.

"Oh my, G, are you alright?" she all but screamed as she rushed to him.

Gibbs had reached him first and was grateful to see that Callen was conscious and was trying to get up. He helped Callen to a seated position with his back against a cupboard and noticed for the first time that there was blood on Callen's cheek and all over his right hand. On closer inspection, Gibbs saw a deep gash on his cheek and a shard of glass sticking out of his palm.

"Geez, G? What happened?" asked Gibbs.

Callen looked and sounded disorientated and muttered "I don't know. I was getting a glass of water and next thing I know, you're picking me up off the floor." Callen looked at the mess around him and then at the worried face of Hetty. "Hetty, I'm sorry" he said.

"Whatever for?" she asked confused.

"I broke your favourite tea pot and cups" he said. "I'll get replacements for you I promise."

"Oh my dear boy, they aren't important but you are. Now let me have a look at your injuries, especially your hand" she said as she gently took Callen's hand in hers. "Jethro, the first aid kit is in that cupboard and from my study, can you please get the magnifying glass that's on the desk. I think I may need it to see whether I can safely remove that shard of glass."

Gibbs gave the first aid kit to Hetty before rushing to the study. When he returned with the magnifying glass, Hetty had started to clean the gash on Callen's cheek and he was wincing as she gently dabbed at it with antiseptic wipes. "It'll need stitches" and when she saw the concern on Callen's face she added "but I think we can get away with butterfly stitches." Hetty smiled as he visibly relaxed. You may be a tough cookie but you're a wimp when it comes to needles!

Taking the magnifying glass, Hetty carefully examined the wound. She pursed her lips in concentration and frowned. She looked up as she felt two pairs of eyes on her. "Is it bad?" asked Callen.

She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I don't think so but I believe it's beyond my expertise to remove the shard safely."

"Don't make me go to hospital, please Hetty. I've had enough of them lately" Callen pleaded. Hetty gazed into the deep blue eyes of her boy and saw a mixture of pain and apprehension. She smiled at him reassuredly and saw his expression relax somewhat.

"Let me call Michael. If he's satisfied that he can attend to it here then I won't make you go. However, if he says otherwise, I'm afraid you'll have to. Fair enough?" she asked. Reluctantly Callen nodded his consent. "Now let me clean it as best I can. I'll pack it with pads and then bandage it so it's cushioned and you can't do further damage to it."

Once it was bandaged and Callen's hand and arm was placed into sling to keep it immobilised, Hetty got her phone and called Michael.

"Hello Michael. I know you weren't due to come here till tomorrow but Callen's had an accident and we need your expertise" said Hetty. She explained to Michael what had happened and the nature of the injury and he said he would be right over.

Gibbs had got Callen to his feet and had supported him when he swayed a little. Taking his good arm, Gibbs slowly walked Callen to the lounge and sat him down. Hetty brought Callen a cup of tea which she knew would soothe him and placed it on the coffee table in easy reach of his left hand. She sat with him while Gibbs went out to the kitchen to clean up the mess. They did not have to wait long before Michael arrived, letting himself in.

"Hello, Callen" said Michael. "What have you done this time?" he asked trying to keep his tone light.

He knew from what Hetty had told him that the injury to the hand might be nasty. If the glass had gone deep enough to damage the deep muscle or flexor tendons it could make it impossible for Callen to bend his fingers or thumb and as he was right handed then the consequences could be catastrophic, not just in his line of work but in his everyday life. Michael would have to hope for the best once he had a chance to examine the injury properly but all was not lost because tendon damage could be treated by undergoing surgery.

"Before I look at your hand, let me stitch the gash on your cheek" said Michael.

Callen looked beseechingly at Hetty who asked on his behalf "Will butterfly stitches be sufficient?"

Looking into Callen's worried face, Michael smiled and said "I've got some glue that should do the trick but I'll put a butterfly stitch on as well. We don't want it to leave an ugly scar, do we?" Callen smiled gratefully at him, more for the fact that he did not have to suffer any needles as opposed to it leaving a scar.

After the gash on the cheek was glued and a butterfly plaster put on for good measure, Michael turned his attention to Callen's hand. He gently removed the bandage and padding that Hetty had put on so that he could get a good look at the injury.

"You did a good job bandaging it Hetty" said Michael. "Can you get me a bowl of warm water please?" and Gibbs went to get it bringing it back and placing it on the table.

"Try to relax, Callen" said Michael as he dipped his hand into the warm water to wash away any dried blood. Taking his hand out, Michael placed it on a clean towel that Hetty had given him and gently dried it, paying careful attention to the wound itself. Michael reached into his medical bag and pulled out his surgeon's head-mounted binocular magnifiers with lights so that he could see exactly what he was dealing with. Michael gently moved Callen's hand so that he could see the injury from every angle before he made his decision.

"This will hurt, Callen. I should probably give you a local anaesthetic but I know how you feel about needles. What do you want?" asked Michael.

"Just do it, Mike" said Callen. "I'll be okay."

"If you're sure?" said Michael and Callen nodded to confirm his intention. Taking some tweezers, Michael said "Here we go" as he grabbed hold of the shard of glass and swiftly pulled, ensuring that he did not twist it at all.

Callen gritted his teeth against the pain but relaxed as soon as the glass had been removed. Hetty applied a pressure pad as previous instructed by her god son when blood started to flow from the exposed wound. As soon as Michael had put the glass segment down, he took over from Hetty and continued to apply gentle pressure on the wound until it had stopped bleeding. Still wearing his binocular magnifiers, Michael removed the pressure pad so that he could get a good look inside the wound.

"It may hurt but can you wiggle your fingers and thumb?" asked Michael of Callen and was pleased to see movement albeit a trifle stiff and a little restricted. Michael could tell that Callen was worried at how hard it was to move them. "That's normal as the tendons are likely to be bruised; movement will improve. You're extremely lucky, Callen. I believe the glass has missed all major tendons. That's the good news." Hetty, Gibbs and Callen all breathed a collective sigh of relief at the news. "But the bad news is I will have to stitch it. Neither medical glue nor butterfly stitches are suitable. I'm afraid you'll have to put up with a needle" announced Michael.

Callen sighed. "That's okay, Mike. I guess I'm just not that lucky."

Hetty and Gibbs chuckled and were proud that Callen was able to joke after all he had been through. Michael rinsed the wound out with saline and then proceeded to put four stitches in Callen's hand, all without anaesthetic which he had declined yet again. He then put a pressure pad on it and bandaged it up so that it was protected against infection and knocks. "Take these tablets, starting right now" Michael said, handling Callen a course of antibiotics. "You know the drill; don't stop until the course is complete. You can take pain killers if the pain gets too bad. I certainly suggest you take some tonight before you go to bed; it'll help you sleep" added Michael.

Callen nodded and uttered his thanks to Michael, who went into the kitchen with Hetty, leaving Gibbs with Callen. Callen laid down on the couch with his right arm still in the sling resting on his chest. Gibbs sat down on the other couch and watched over him. The two friends were comfortable together in the silence, feeling no need to talk. The fact that Gibbs was there with Callen spoke volumes.

In the kitchen, on the pretence of getting a drink, Michael asked "Hetty, what happened exactly?"

Hetty sighed and sat down on a kitchen stool. "I don't know. He went into the kitchen to get us some drinks. We heard a crash and found him on the floor, just there" indicating the area by the kitchen island where they found him.

"Well I guess he hit the edge of the island when he fell which would account for the gash on his cheek. It'll leave a nasty bruise as well" he added. "But why did he fall? Has he said he's feeling under the weather?"

"This is Callen we're talking about, Michael. He never admits that anything's wrong" said Hetty.

"That's true" chuckled Michael. "But on a serious note, it makes it darn hard to make any diagnosis if he's not telling us the truth."

"Don't I know it?" said Hetty. She paused and thought for a moment before continuing. "He was looking a bit off colour at lunch and he didn't finish his food, which in itself isn't surprising considering what he's been through recently. He said he'd bolted his food but then he ate his dessert."

"Okay. What's he been doing today?" asked Michael.

"He did some exercises this morning and then swam. When Sam and his family came, he got back into the pool when the kids wanted to go in and play. Do you think he's overdone it? He's been conservative with his exercises up until now" asked Hetty.

"Perhaps; let him rest and I'll be back tomorrow around noon to check him over and run some tests. He obviously can't start his rehabilitation tomorrow as planned so he's likely to be frustrated. Allow him to do what he's able but he can't swim. I don't the wound getting wet. Get him to keep moving his fingers; it's important that they don't seize up. In the meantime, if you're worried at all, phone me at any time" said Michael.

"Thank you so much for coming over. I didn't mean to ruin your Sunday" said Hetty.

"You didn't and anyway he's my patient" answered Michael. "He's also family. You know I'll do anything for you and your family."

Hetty kissed Michael on the cheek and went to the door to see him out. When she came back into the lounge, she stood and shook her head, for both men were lying on their individual couches fast asleep. Hetty sighed and smiled warmly. What is it about these two men and their obsession for sleeping on couches?