16Los Angeles, Ops-
Hetty was sitting at her desk when the phone rang.
"Yes, Miss Blye." Hetty said answering the phone.
"Today the staff starts pushing meds to repair Deeks immune system." Kensi said.
"And what is the prognosis after his immune system has been repaired?" Hetty asked.
"They didn't say how long it will take after they repair Deeks' immune system, but they also had an experimental treatment ready to go. The doctors said that the treatment would take about two weeks if it was successful." Kensi said.
"Keep me apprised of the situation." Hetty said.
"Will do, Hetty." Kensi said and ended the call.
"Who was that?" Sam asks as he and Callen entered Hetty's office.
"That was Miss Blye calling to give an update on the situation with Mr. Deeks." Hetty said.
"And?" Callen asked.
"She said that, starting today, the med staff is going to start pushing medicine to repair Mr. Deeks immune system. They didn't say how long it will take for him to recover, but if they have to use an experimental treatment it should take two weeks to eradicate the virus if the treatment is successful. But personally, I hoping his immune system kicks in." Hetty said.
"I second that." Callen said.
Sam and Callen heard Eric whistle from the top of the step. Sam and Callen climbed the stairs pretty quickly. "What's up Eric?" Callen asked.
"It's a weird one." Eric said.
"How weird?" Sam asked as the three of them were entering ops.
"A couple of dead marines found in a medical clinic, but cause of death is unknown." Nell said.
"Sounds like that case we had about five years ago." Callen said.
"Maybe." Sam said. "What's the address to the clinic?"
"Address is on your phones." Eric said tapping a few buttons on his tablet.
Sam and Callen exit ops, and then head down to the garage to begin the case. After Sam and Callen entered the hall to the garage, Granger was coming into the main hall. "Owen, what a pleasure it is to see you this morning." Hetty said.
"Director Vance wants an update on Detective Deeks." Granger said as he took a seat across from her desk.
"Miss Blye just called a few minutes ago. The staff said that it would take two weeks, tops, if they have to use the experimental treatment. Today the med staff was supposed to start working on repairing Mr. Deeks immune system." Hetty said.
"Keep me in the loop." Granger said and got up to leave. Hetty rolls her eyes at Granger, and then gets up to make a pot of water for tea.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Med clinic-
Sam and Callen were at the med clinic for all of two minutes when they noticed a few problems. "Robbery gone wrong?" Callen asked.
"Maybe." Sam said as he was approaching a locker, but what caught his attention was that it wasn't properly aligned. Callen had been watching Sam because his answer wasn't to convincing, but didn't miss the hand signal or Sam drawing his gun. Callen drew his gun and made his way quickly, and silently over to the locker. Sam count three and then pulled the door open.
Sam and Callen almost jumped out of their skin when they heard the shriek from the young boy who was trapped in the locker. Sam and Callen hurriedly put their guns away to calm the boy down. Sam worked on gaining the boys trust, as Callen moved away to call Ops.
"Hello." Nell said answering the call.
"Nell is Hetty anywhere nearby?" Callen asked.
"What's the problem, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked.
"Hetty I'm not sure how the marines are connected, but we found young boy on sight who might need a few session of therapy." Callen says.
"What are the boy's injures?" Hetty asked.
"Mostly minors bruises, and abrasions. If there is any physiological trauma beyond what Sam and I caused, it has yet to be seen." Callen said.
"Bring the child to the boat shed. I will get in touch with somebody from—" Hetty said but was cut off when the firefight started.
"I'm going to have to call you back Hetty." Callen said. Callen hung up the phone, pocketed it, and then drew his gun and returned fire. "Sam! Hetty wants us to bring the boy to the boat shed!"
"Roger that." Sam said.
The partners returned fire, and with the boy in tow they looked for an exit out the back.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Atlanta, Georgia-
Kensi was on edge after the staff had started pushing meds. My heart had stopped beating, and it took them three minutes to get my heart restarted. As they had finished pumping the meds into my system I went into respiratory failure, and the team had to put me on a ventilator until my body could breathe for itself. The staff left me hooked up to the ventilator for twenty-four hours. After I was taken off the ventilator, Kensi went to get some coffee.
"Kensi." Julia called out.
"I'm going to get some coffee. I'll be back in a moment." Kensi says.
Julia didn't miss the shiver that went down her daughter's spine, and then looked over at me. She finally understood the depth of our relationship. Were we dating? No, but she realized that Kensi would be crushed if I died. To the point where she might give up living if I died. Julia felt a shiver go down her spine too, but returned to the magazine that was in her hands.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Los Angeles, boat shed-
Twenty-four hours have passed since the shootout at the med clinic. Sam, Callen and the boy were waiting at the boat shed for the representative from Child Services to arrive. Sam and the child were getting along like peas in a pod, while Callen was staring out a window waiting for an update from Hetty. Callen is on edge about their chances of getting away clean.
"You really think those guys are going to bust through that door at any time?" Sam asked.
"This place has already been found at least once, if not twice. What's stopping these people from finding us?" Callen asked.
"A fair point." Sam said.
At that point, the back door opened. Callen and Sam saw Hetty walk in followed by a woman in a black pant suit. "Where is the child?" the woman asked.
"Over here." Sam said.
When Hetty and the woman entered the main room of the boat shed, they women turned to see Sam interacting with the child. Sam excused himself, got up off the floor, and approached the pair as Callen was stopping in front of the women. "What was the welfare of the boy when you picked him up?" the woman from C.S.B. asked.
"We cleaned him up a little because he had a few abrasions and bruises, otherwise, unharmed." Callen said.
"At first glance, the boy look unharmed, but that could change when you give him a proper checkup." Sam interjected.
"I'll take the boy, and get that all started. I'll check to see who his relatives are in the process." the woman said.
"The child's name is Dominic." Sam said.
"Thank you." the woman said, and then went to collect the child and leave the boast shed.
"Any word on the use of that med clinic?" Hetty asked.
"At a first glance it looked like a botched robbery, but we didn't get that far because of the child. Do we have an id on the child?" Sam asked.
"At the moment, no. The child might not have been a victim." Hetty said.
"You want to tag along and see what we can find?" Sam asked.
"Any information that we could have found, might have been destroyed after we left." Callen said.
"Well get to it." Hetty said.
"Yes, Hetty." both Callen and Sam said.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Atlanta, Georgia-
Kensi was waking up to the smell of coffee. Upon opening her eyes Kensi smiled.
"Thanks for the coffee." Kensi said giving Nate a hug, and then accepted the coffee. "Where's my mom?"
"She took a walk, so I could have a moment with you." he said.
Kensi stopped and thought on Nate's words. "With me? Deeks is the one that has been on assignment for five months. Let alone having a virus ravage his body for four of those months."
"Deeks is your partner, is he not?" he asked. Kensi rolled her eyes at Nate. "This affected you just as much as if you had been the one to go through the whole ordeal."
Kensi begins to tear up. Nate grabbed the coffee, set it on the table, and then Kensi pulled into a hug. They sat there for a moment. "I don't know what I would do with myself if Deeks dies." she whispered.
"I know. I know. That's why Hetty sent me." he said.
At this time both Kensi and Nate heard me groaning loudly, and they came over to check on me. A nurse was walking by, so she stopped in to check in on me. "What's the matter?" Kensi asked.
"Mr. Deeks immune system has been restored, but fighting off the virus is still a painful process. This is only natural, if not frightening." the nurse said. Kensi was still shaken by the whole ordeal. "Cheer up. I've seen people in worse fights than your friend who pulled through, and made a full recovery."
The nurse smiled at Kensi, gave her shoulder a gently pat, and then walked away. Kensi was still a loss for words. "Do you really think Deeks is going to let a virus kill him?" Nate asked.
"No." Kensi said.
"Come, sit for a while." Nate said as they took a seat. Kensi leaned her head on his shoulder, and Nate wrapped an arm around her shoulder and they lapsed into a comfortable silence, the coffee forgotten.
N.C.I.S. L. A.
Los Angeles-
The med clinic was a bust. The marines weren't developing illegal materials, or selling guns. Whatever information they could have gleamed from the operation here was destroyed when they left earlier. They found a couple of wiped hard drives, which they would take back for Eric and Nell to scour, but nothing else of interest.
The partners get into to the challenger and head back to Ops. "Now what were they doing there?" Callen asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Then again, I'm not exactly sure if they were even legitimate marines." Sam said.
"You think like last time, these were people posing as marines, but they're not out to sell some disease that could kill millions in a matter of hours. Instead they get roped into doing… what?" Callen asked.
"Let's get an id on the two stiffs in morgue so we make an accurate assessment of the situation." Sam said.
"Let's go get an update." Callen said.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Atlanta, Georgia-
Three days after the med staff had repaired my immune system the virus had be eradicated from my body. It was a painful three days, too. At the time the doctors were entirely sure that the virus had been removed from my system, did they finally ween me off the meds that kept me in the coma for the month, or so. A few days later I started to come around.
"Uh. Ow." I say.
"Deeks." Kensi says but for some reason her voice seemed distant.
I open my eyes, and I have to shut them again because the light is too bright. When I open them a second time I can see shapes, but they have no definition. I haven't used my eyes in a while, so they're going to have to readjust. I think. And as they started to readjust the first thing I see is the most beautiful person I have seen ever.
"Deeks. Hi." Kensi said with a huge smile.
"Hey." I said.
And the first thing I felt, beside the hospital bed I'm resting in, is Kensi reaching out with her hand and caressing my cheek. "I've missed you." I said. More appropriately, it was a croak, but it didn't matter. Kensi laughed. That's all that mattered because knowing Kensi she has been upset and worried about me. Kensi gets a cup, fills it with ice chips, and feeds a few to me. A few minutes later a nurse came to check on me.
"How are you feeling Mr. Deeks?" he asked.
"Like crap, but I'll survive." I said.
The nurse nodded at my statement, while continuing my assessment. "Well you will be happy to know that you partner missed you dearly." he said.
Kensi was attempting to come up with a denial, but I cut her off. "I've missed her, too." I said shaking my head at Kensi.
At this time a doctor came walking into my room, and the nurse walked out. "Ah. Glad to see you up and talking." she said.
"Glad to be conscious." I said. "How long until we can go home?"
"It'll take a few weeks. You've been in that bed close two month. First we have to get you muscles used to bearing weight again." she said.
"Well, I'm ready whenever you guys are." I say.
"Deeks! You just woke up." Kensi said.
"I'm not talking about moving." I say.
"Oh." Kensi.
"We start with some basic fine motor skills tonight. And if you need anything my name is Dr. Wilson." she said, and then left the room.
"You don't have to pretend to have missed me. I know you did." I said turning my head to face Kensi.
"Nate was here a couple of days ago." Kensi said.
"I'm guessing he was here to talk to you, but he didn't tell you to say hi for him. Jerk." I say flippantly.
Kensi snickered. "Yeah he did forget, but it was nice to see him again." Kensi said.
"Ah. It seems that you've finally woken up." a familiar voice says.
"Miss Feldman, I didn't know you were here." I say as Julia entered the room.
"Kensi called me after you guys arrived." Julia said.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to go update Hetty." Kensi said.
"Hurry back." I say.
I let Kensi see my smile, and she playfully glared back at me.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Los Angeles-
It was two o'clock in the morning when Hetty answered her phone. "What's the good word Miss Blye?" Hetty asked.
"Deeks is conscious and ready to return home." Kensi said.
"I bet he's chomping at the bit to return." Hetty said.
"Hetty, I think Deeks just wants to be home. Will he leave the group? No, but it has been a long time since he's been able to relax and take it easy." Kensi said.
"I'll make sure Mr. Getz is on standing by when Mr. Deeks is ready." Hetty said.
Kensi laughed. "Deeks called Nate a jerk for not saying hi."
"Yeah, that definitely would qualify as a jerk move. I'll inform the rest of the team in the morning." Hetty said and then hung up the phone.
Come morning Sam and Callen were being update by Nell and Eric when Hetty walked into ops. "Miss Blye contacted me earlier this morning."
"What's the word?" Nell asked.
"Deeks woke up this morning and is ready to return home." Hetty said. "What's the word on the case?"
"Nothing. It's gone cold. Whatever that group was doing there we won't ever know. We had a team sweep it for biological agents, and didn't get a hit." Sam said.
"It probably won't get hot for some time." Callen said.
"Fill out the paperwork, but be ready in case it does." Hetty said and then left ops.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Two weeks later, Los Angeles-
The night both Kensi and I returned to L.A. we went to our favorite bar to meet up with the team. "As much I was want to be out here with everybody, I'm not staying long." I warned.
"Were shocked that you came out as soon as you got back." Sam said.
"Your home, and that's all that matters." Hetty said walking up to the table.
I stood to give Hetty a hug. The magnificent seven was out tonight, but Kensi and I left an hour later.
N.C.I.S. L.A.
Three months later-
It's been an easy three months. Last night Kensi and I had dinner with her mom, and that was eventful. I let Monty out to go to the bathroom, and then lock up to head into work. By the time I get to work its nine thirty, and the shift is starting for the day. The group is up in Ops when I blow through. I see a little welcome back gift waiting for me. I open it and see a model train engine. I place it next to my name tag, and then head up to ops.
"Sheesh. It's my first day back and you didn't even have the decency to wait for me." I say, but I eat my words because Director Vance was on the big screen.
"And let me be the first to welcome you back." Vance said.
"Thank you, sir." I say and then take my place next to Kensi. Kensi punches my arm for the cheeky entrance.
"OW!" I whisper.
Director Vance finished updating the team on the state of affairs within the company, and in turn Sam and Callen updated the director on their cold case. "I'll see if there's anything I can did up on my end." the director said and then the feed went blank.
Nell placed her tablet on the center console and gave me a hug, whereas, Eric and I shook hands. "We have another case for the four of you. It's a standard case, dead marine. The crime scene is at Camp Pendleton." Eric said.
"Standard. Isn't that what you said about our last case?" Callen asked.
"After my last assignment I could use a little bit of standard." I say.
We exit ops, and head down to the garage. Before we get into the suv, Kensi gives me a kiss. I smile after we beak the kiss, and then we get in. Kensi starts up the vehicle, and then pulls out of the garage heading towards Camp Pendleton.
A/N: Thank you to my readers for hanging in there waiting for me to finish my story. I have another story, but I haven't started writing it yet. The story is not a continuation of The Enemy Within. It's a standalone story.
