Boulevard of Broken Dreams

chapter 4

Los Angeles || AlhambraHospital

The call between Eric and Callen learned the latter a lot and he was back into the quick thinking and conclusions.

"I may need some back-up in here, Beale. Seems like things may turn out wrong after all."

His gaze was locked on her during his call.

-"Callen, what's going on?"

"I don't really know Beale. But Poliakoff is the one who shot Sharden. Just warn the others."

-"Already on that."

"See if you can intercept her, call her back, delay her. Just use whatever possibilities you have. Invite her to the boatshed if you can. Still got the feeling I could use some extra power in here," Callen suggested.

-"Will work that out. Be right back."

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

"So in fact our work in here is done," Deeks concluded. His words were shared with Sam, Roundtree, Eric, Fatima and of course with Kensi, who walked next to him and back to their bright red Ram.

-"If you hurry a little more, I'll guide you and you'll be able to invite Poliakoff politely to follow you." Fatima instructed.

"You think you can handle that?" Sam asked Deeks and Kensi.

"We may need LAPD too as a back-up, just like Callen. Because what if we miss her and you will do too? Or what if she has a team of her own? Same goes, what if we miss her and you'll meet her near the hospital? So, if you can arrange one police car for us, one for Callen?" Kensi said.

-"I'll have LAPD instructed then," Fatima said and she left the conversation.

"Poliakoff drives a bright blue Porsche Macan. It stands out in LA traffic anyway," Eric mentioned. "Its numberplate and expected traject are on your phones already," he added.

Sam said "Call her, call Poliakoff, Eric. See if she's willing to cooperate anyway. If necessary make up a story. I'm gonna contact G, hear his side of the story."

"Whatever info we have guys, just try and share all we have to work with," Kensi asked the others.

Sam's and Eric's 'okay' sounded nearly simultaneously.

o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)o)

For a moment, Callen was silent, his mind racing though.
The fact that the woman in here, in a hospital bed, now had a name, a career and a story within only a couple minutes was special enough. Her fear when hearing that her superior was on her way was genuine. It made the story extraordinary and he wanted to know more.

"My team will stop her, so don't worry too much," he said, keeping his gaze fixed at her. His gut feel was she told the truth, no matter how awkward that truth was.

She'd closed her eyes and he noticed she looked exhausted. "Who says — why should I trust you?"

Callen slowly exhaled. He'd wondered many times in the past about that same question, why to trust a stranger. However he'd learned to do so, but so many people he thought he could trust had betrayed him or lied to him as well. So how to persuade a stranger? All he could do was to stay calm and try to explain.
He nodded and understood. "You don't know me, and I don't know you. But then, there's my gut feel says that the emotions I read in your eyes is sincere. So... I believe you."

It was an invitation which mostly worked with strangers, to start talking.

"Okay."
Her reply was shorter than he hoped.

Again, Callen got on his feet. At least her head was clear, and with the few sentences she'd spoken, many radars were put to work already. It reminded him that the physician asked to warn her the moment she woke up.
"Your doctor and nurse told me they would want to do a check-up. Perhaps you can call them. And after that, go through whatever it was that happened."

"Okay."

Again, a very short reply but he noticed she pressed the alarm button like he hoped.

"Can I see your badge?" Elizabeth then asked.

Maybe it had all gone in fast forward to her. Then again, maybe she had enough reason to distrust strangers. Waking up after surgery, seeing him sitting there —a complete stranger indeed and hearing how he was planning to have someone you wouldn't want to see at all visiting.
Callen did understand it. He took his badge and ID and showed her. "Like I already said, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS," Callen said.

"Okay, agent Callen."

"You're okay with telling what happened?"

Before she could answer that, the doors slid open and Geer entered. The doctor smiled an encouraging smile that seemed so standard for the medical staff. "Well then, miss Doe, you're awake."

"Yes."

"So... can you tell me your name?"

"Yes, I can."

There was reluctance in her voice, in her eyes. There was more in her story than she was willing to share, that much was clear.
"Elizabeth. And today's April 2, in Los Angeles. I'm 34 years old. I don't think there's anything wrong with my memory."

"Good, Good." There was a small light in the doctor's hand now, shining in the eyes in front of her and it was clearly irritating the patient. After a hum from the doctor there was another request.
"I'd like to check the wound on the back of your head now. Could you get up as far as possible, after I raise the upper part of the bed?"

She tried indeed. Callen experienced situations like this in his life too and noticed the way her breathing changed to shorter puffs until she muttered a low "no."

The doctor let her gaze come his way and stated "If you'd give us a hand, agent Callen?"

He just nodded and the doctor said "Tell me how."

"Elizabeth, hook your good arm around the agent's neck. Agent Callen, please support her back with your other arm."

Somehow both of them agreed. He immediately swallowed away a feeling that he crossed a line with this simple action.
These stupid hospital gowns. There was bare skin on the back where his right arm was and the thin cotton that was between him and her on the front hardly hid what needed to be hidden. It wasn't that he never felt a woman's body before and touched skin. But there was something uncomfortable at his comfort in the way he held her right now.
The way her breath hitched could mean she was feeling just like him.
"Relax," he gently said. "We're in control, remember."

The hum of his voice vibrated in her head and it took away some of her worry and fear. Feeling hunted and locked up in a hospital, not in a position to run or fight but being as vulnerable as she was at this moment was hitting her hard.
For a minute she forgot the doctor was around as well.

"You may lean back now," Geer said. After tugging the comforter back in place she said "This looks like a serious concussion to me and I suggest you take some rest."
She took the chart and wrote some outcomes down. Then she nodded at both of them. "If anything changes in the way you feel, just give us a call."

"Okay," Elizabeth said.
Once the physician had left, she closed her eyes. "Anything new?" She wanted to know.

"Not yet." Callen knew his co-workers would let him know the minute they contacted Poliakoff.

"What can you tell about what happened to you?"

"I lost—a partner. A friend." She started.