callen sick

She nodded, although nothing about this felt okay. When they got to the airport, a plane was waiting, Sam and Hetty there too.

"Thank you," she softly said, but looked for Deeks to sit beside her. She knew Hetty didn't like her and her relationship with Sam, although both were finally trying, was on rocky ground, especially in this case.

Deeks took a seat next to KC, trying to reassure her. In the middle of the flight, Sam moved from beside Hetty to sit with them.

"Is there a problem?" asked Deeks.

"I...What did they tell you?" He asked, deferring to her.

"Just that he was sick, but he's going to get better."

Deeks nodded. "He will get better Sam, Callen is strong, and he has a daughter to look after."

"I want...I want to tell you what happened. You deserve that." He paused. "There was a hostage crisis. Callen helped take care of the hostages, including one, from what I understand, that helped Kensi and Deeks save the others. Then he tried to get information out, looked for something that would help end the standoff. He thought a woman was in trouble and he spoke up for her, saved her. We didn't...we didn't know she was one of the suspects, not until later. There was a disease, a virus that would have made everyone in the building sick. Everyone in the building die, we thought at the time. I was holding a gun on her, trying to stop her from getting away." He stopped, the words getting harder.

"What happened after that?" KC asked.

"She broke the vial, in the room with Callen. Before I could get to him, he sealed himself inside so that no one else would get sick. He's a hero." He already knew that about his partner, but he wanted her to hear the words.

KC nodded, tears streaming down her face.
**********************
KC didn't speak another word until she saw Kensi waiting at the clinic.

Kensi was out of her seat and by her friend's side immediately. "Are you doing okay?"

KC held her as if she would never let go. "I want to see him."

"Okay. Come on." Kensi led KC to Callen's room. "I'm right here if you need me."

Callen looked as if he were dead. "Don't leave. Not yet."

"Alright."

She ran her fingers on Callen's forehead, whispering to him. Callen didn't stir. He just lay there, unconscious and sick.

"Sam told me what happened."

"I wanted to tell you, but I knew you were already hurting. I couldn't make it worse for you."

"I don't know if it's worse, I don't know if it's better, I...I don't know."

"It's okay KC, he's going to be okay. The doctors told me that the antidote is working very well, and they expect him to make a full recovery within the next week or two."

She nodded, but some part of her was missing. She had enough to function, to make the right answers at the right times, but something was gone.

"I'm gonna go, I'll give you some privacy."

She nodded. Kensi walked away.

Deeks looked up. "She okay?"

"No. She's not going to be until he's better."

"She cried once, on the plane, after Sam told her what happened. I think she's on autopilot. She didn't even cry when she left the baby with Michelle."

"I want to make things better for her Deeks."

"I don't know if you can this time, darlin'."

"I have to. She's so hurt."

"Okay, then, what are you going to do to make it better? You can't cure him."

"I know. I wish I could do something though."

"I know you do. We all do."

"What if the antidote stops working?"

"I don't know."

"She'll be devastated."

He nodded. "I know."
************************8
A week passed and KC had barely moved from her chair. She'd bathed him each day, worked his muscles to keep them active, anything that she could to take care of him. She took catnaps, thirty minutes at the longest, and had circles under her blue eyes. Kensi walked into the room with some food for KC. She had done this every day for her friend, trying to keep her from getting sick.

Every day she was not hungry, but ate a few bites here and there, mostly so Kensi wouldn't worry so much. "He looks better today, doesn't he?" Her voice was soft.

"Yes. The doctors said that he's definitely getting better. They think he might be waking up soon."

"They've been saying that for a week, Kens."

"They seem a lot more sure today."

She smiled for her friend. "Deeks tells me Hetty and Sam are going back today. He's not sure if he is. I think...I think he doesn't want to leave you."

"He isn't going anywhere. I just asked and he said that he'll stay in cas we need him."

"There's no changing your minds?"

"Nope."

She nodded. "I don't know whether to be upset or grateful."

"Grateful."

She smiled, or as close as she got to a smile these days.

"Want me to sit a while?"

"You can sit with me." She answered.

"Thank you." Kensi sat next to her friend. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"Yeah, but I'm afraid to."

"What is it?"

"If he's getting better. If he's going to wake up any moment. Then why would Sam and Hetty be going home?"

"I assume Michelle or Kam need Sam. And Hetty never stays when we need her the most."

"Or they don't think he'll wake up."

"Sam thinks the doctors are right. I saw the look on his face. He doesn't want to leave."

She looked at the picture she'd put by Callen's bed, of her, Alina, and Callen taken only weeks before. "What if the antidote stops working? What if he's..." A tear fell, followed by another. She hadn't cried since that moment on the plane.

Kensi pulled her into a hug. "Don't think like that. It's not going to happen. He's going to be okay."

"But he's not. He's not right now. He's hurting and I can do all these little things for him but the one thing I want to do I can't."

"KC, listen to me. Callen will be okay, I promise you he will."

She nodded.

"I promise." Kensi hugged her again.

She looked exhausted and, this time, hadn't touched a bit of the food Kensi had brought her.

"I think you need to lie down. I'll stay here and watch him."

"I can't leave him, Kens."

"You don't have to. The doctors put the second bed here for this exact reason."

She finally agreed, not sure why. She took a shower in the bathroom, changed into fresh clothes, and climbed into the other bed. Kensi sat in the chair KC had vacated and stared at Callen, willing him to wake up for KC.

"Nothing today?" Deeks asked in a whisper, looking at the still full plate.

"No. I'm really worried."

"Why won't he wake up already?"

She knew he was right, but couldn't help the pain she felt for her friend.

She shook her head. "Not without you. I can wait."

She leaned into him and felt her eyes start to close.

(Skip?)

Kensi jolted awake when she heard KC shouting. She was surprised to see happiness on her friend's face though, at least until she saw Callen.