Before Kensi could completely fall apart, there was a knock on the door, and a familiar voice asked, "Hey, you mind some company?"
"Nell, Callen," Kensi said, rushing to greet them. She hastily wiped at her eyes as she embraced Nell, and then took a step back. "You didn't have to come."
"Like we'd be anywhere else," Nell scoffed gently. "Eric would have come, but he had a business call he couldn't reschedule.
"And I always love seeing Sam on pain meds," Callen added, patting Kensi's back. "He gets very, very laid back."
"I thought he said he didn't want anyone visiting."
Callen nodded enthusiastically at Kensi's comment. "Exactly. Coming for Deeks is the perfect excuse."
Smiling at both of them, Kensi leaned in to hug Nell again. She didn't know what she would have done without the entire team supporting them, but having Nell back had been the confident and shoulder to cry on she needed.
"Thanks, guy." Heaving a sigh, she gestured at the single chair in the room. "The accommodations and they just took Deeks down, so it's going to be a while."
"Well, then let's grab some coffee, take a walk, antagonize the nurses," Callen shrugged. "I think I saw some unattended wheelchairs in the hallway."
"Grisha, we talked about this: we don't want to get kicked out," Nell reminded him.
"Hey, I don't play on getting caught."
As much as Kensi appreciated the banter, she didn't have the energy to join in. Or socialize. "I'm not sure I should leave. Just in case they have any updates, you know."
"They'll send you texts, right?" Nell asked, and Kensi nodded. "Then it'll be good for you to get out for a little bit."
She almost declined, but then she pictured spending the next 4 or 5 hours in this room. Constantly reminded of Deeks' absence, worrying.
"Ok," she sighed. "But I get the first ride on the wheelchair."
They ended up in the hospital's poor excuse for a cafe with watery, bitter cups of coffee. What had started out as an attempt to distract Kensi, had devolved into rehashing every ridiculous and fantastical story involving Sam or Deeks they could think of.
"I thought for sure Sam wasn't going to make it, but at the very last moment, he disarmed that bomb," Callen recalled, shaking his head.
"A good thing since I was inside and Callen fighting off the driver," Kensi commented.
"Sometimes I swear he takes his time just so he can show off his bomb expertise."
"Yeah, he does love his bombs," Nell agreed. She smiled, nudging Callen's shoulder. "Hey, what about the first time Deeks brought Monty in to help find an explosive device?"
"We never knew thought it would actually work. When it did, Sam was furious to be shown up by a dog. And Deeks' dog at that," Kensi said, shaking her head.
"Things sure have changed," Nell mused.
Callen made a soft sound, his gaze a little distant. "I don't think any of us could have predicted that ten years later, one of them would be giving the other an organ."
"A lot has changed since then."
Nell drummed on the table with her knuckles, disrupting the solemn quiet that had fallen with the shift in conversation. "Ok, who wants more stale muffins?"
"Ooh, grab me a chocolate—"
"Mrs. Blye?" One of the nurses who'd taken Deeks to operating room approached the table.
Kensi stood up, the coffee in her stomach instantly souring and any levity of the last few hours evaporating. "Yes. Is everything ok? I didn't get any texts. She fumbled for her phone, even though she'd just checked it a minute ago.
"Your husband and Mr. Hanna are both out of surgery. It went very well," the nurse assured her, and Kensi stumbled back a step. Fortunately, Nell and Sam were there to brace her.
"Can we see them?"
"Mr. Deeks should be in recovery in about 20 minutes. You'll have to wait until Mr. Hanna is awake since he requested no visitors earlier."
"Thank you," Kensi murmured. The nurse reached out and squeezed her hand, her smile comforting.
"You're very welcome. Come up when you're ready."
With a final smile, she left.
Kensi pressed her hand to her mouth. She didn't have words to express the dizzying relief she felt. Nell seemed to understand this, pulling Kensi down for a hug, her arms wrapping tightly around her waist.
"It's over," Nell whispered.
A/N: Yay, Deeks finally has his new kidney! I anticipate a couple more chapters for this one.