"Marty?" Jeff Deeks said to his foster son as he entered the room, he had hoped his 'son's' face would light up like it usually did when they got together.
Instead Deeks pulled the blankets further up his shoulder as if to hide from his voice.
"Hey, Jell-O, you gonna turn over?" Jen asked.
Marty turned around and looked at Jen his eyes doing a really fast inventory, looking for any injuries. "You ok espresso?" he asked.
"You saved me, I don't have any injuries." Jen said.
Marty shifted himself onto his other side and grabbed her by the arms. "Good, then take the bag and run! I can't stop him if he comes back." He looked at her earnestly, "Please Jen, Don't look for Jeff, he hates us, just start again on your own, If I can I will find you when it's safe."
Jen looked at him sadly. "Marty, Dad's dead, really dead, I'm safe, and you're safe."
Deeks sighed, "no I'm not…I'm never safe, never will be." He let out a sob still totally focused on her and not noticing the other two people in the room. "Take Monty, he'll protect you." He said his eyes starting to close as the drugs forced him to sleep, "Jeff hates us, don't go there Jen." He said again before unconsciousness claimed him.
Jen sank into the chair as Jeff leant against the door looking distraught, "I don't hate him, why would he think that?" he said confused.
"Maybe it's the medication, Mr. Deeks." Hetty offered.
"I hope so." Jeff said. He moved and motioned to Hetty to sit in the chair. She took one chair and Jen slumped in the other.
"Will he be ok; I thought he knew dad was dead?" She looked at Jeff, "He told me you were the reason he wanted to become a cop, when the lawyer thing didn't work out, I don't understand, he told me your name was in his safe book in the bag, he told me if I had to run there were addresses of safe houses in that book but the most important thing I had to do was find you."
Hetty was the first to notice a change in Deeks' breathing pattern, "Why would you think Martin hated you?" she asked. Hoping he would listen.
"I have no idea," Jeff replied, "I idolize that boy, with all he's been through and yet he's never turned out bad, he's always tried his best and helps people who need him. I wish he knew exactly how proud of him I really am, I wish I had been allowed to adopt him, I would have been as proud to be his father as I was the day they let him pick his new name and he picked mine." Jeff said with undisguised pride in his voice.
Marty sniffed back a sob on hearing Jeff's words.
Jeff looked up at his boy in surprise, and then shot Hetty a look as he realized that she had known he was awake.
She smiled back at him in understanding, "I think Ms Brandel, these two need some time together." She said and led the younger woman out gently.
Deeks turned over still clutching the blankets. "Why?" he asked his voice raspy.
"Why what?" Jeff was confused.
"You said you didn't give a damn about me." Deeks said.
"I never!" Jeff stood up and moved closer to Marty.
"Y...You said, I don't give a damn about Brandel, it's ok…I understand, Dad...He told me…about my mother, I know why you wouldn't care anymore, but I...I need to heal please just leave, don't waste your time here."
Jeff grabbed the chair and moved it closer to the bed and sat down, "Martin Andrew Deeks, Ever since you decided to take my middle name and my surname I have been proud of you, Brandel was wrong. Do you hear me?" he said.
Deeks flinched hearing his father's voice, "No…No please no more." He said throwing his hands over his head.
"Oh God, Marty, I'm sorry." Jeff said and pressed the call button for the nurse. "It's ok Marty," he said rubbing his son's hand while the nurse injected another sedative and Deeks fell asleep.
Jeff walked out into the waiting room and Jen ran over as she saw the look of devastation on his face, "What's wrong, is it Marty? Oh my God! What's happened?" Jen said panicking.
"He had a bad flashback," Jeff told them slumping into a chair beside Hetty, "He was told Hetty, I kept it from him all these years and now he knows that barstard told him!" Jeff snarled wanting to kill Brandel again.
"Kept what from him?" Kensi said and Callen walked up to her and Sam.
"Guys there are some things about Deeks' past I don't think he would ever want to share. If he ever does he'll seek us out, the point is that Jeff had tried to shield Deeks from the darker aspects of his childhood, things he didn't know about and Brandel told him, That knowledge has hurt him and we have to let him know that anything Brandel says doesn't matter, Deeks' is a member of our team and we have his back," Callen told them.
They all nodded as Hetty turned to them, "Given the circumstances I have asked Nate if he would assist Mr. Deeks in his rehabilitation." She said.
Callen walked over to them both, "Mr. Callen, would you and Ms Blye take Ms. Brandel home,"
"No, Hetty, I need to be here." Jen protested.
Hetty turned and looked kindly at her, "I think Mr. Deeks would be happier not only knowing his sister was well rested but that his dog was being well taken care of as well, it would help in his recovery." She said patting the younger woman on the arm.
Jen stifled a yawn, "But…." She started and Kensi put her arm around her and noticed just how worn out she was.
"Come on let's get you home." She added; as all three of them left the building.
Sam stood and looked at Hetty, "I have to go too, and I promised Michelle I'd take her out to dinner tonight." He said.
"Have a nice meal, Mr. Hanna." Hetty said and watched as Sam walked off.
Hetty and Jeff were left in the waiting room and while Marty slept on Jeff filled Hetty in on the aspects of Deeks' rescue from his father and the other parts of his childhood the files left out.
Four hours later, it was dark and Deeks woke up again and he was alone.
Mulling over what he had been told Deeks was confused, Brandel had been a liar, so maybe what we was told wasn't true, Jeff had said that he was proud of him, so maybe…he still had blood family out there that would be proud of him.
He lifted himself out of bed and silently got dressed wincing every once in a while. He slowly eased himself out of the hospital room and down the hall.
All he had to do was make it to the mission, go to ops and get Eric to run a check on his mother.
