A/N; I can not get over all the support and kind reviews that I have received for this story... yes it is pushing the pen a little quicker! LOL. I have to give an honourable mention to SilverSentinal21 who has really brought some light to the dim recesses of my medical knowledge, and introduced me to a most helpful website. I play fast and loose with all medical stuff – I have no medical background, but I did research the boundaries here – if not all the fine details. All the up-coming Callen whump is played out in my sandbox – so I hope you'll all excuse any liberties I take in this and future chapters. Thanks again for reading. Abi.

DISCLAIMER; Someone suggested that I needed one of these – yes it IS painful to admit but … I don't own Callen or any of the other NCISLA regulars.

WAR GAMES; CHAPTER FIVE:

When machines got involved in hot drinks, the result was always a disastrous, toxic sludge. Why oh why would people not learn that the shortest, quickest route taken was quite often that last leap over the edge? Brew the bloody tea; it tasted so much better!

Henrietta Lange knew that even her mind was stalling, babbling away with things of no consequence to try and numb her emotions against the seriousness of her team's present predicament. She tallied up her woes; her lead agent was out of commission, there was a very real and tangible threat to one of the best partnerships she had handled in her very long covert career, her team had been stood down – none of them were in a fit state of readiness to take on a new case right now and her chief psychologist was growing himself a fine self flagellation complex. All in all – she was buggered!

To top her pile of headaches, at the very heart of this cacophony of pain, was her growing concern for Mr Callen's mental and physical well-being. Her lead agent was one tough operator, and often held himself a little too rigidly for Hetty's liking, but right now she was about to test his mettle further. As she watched him sleep, the last thing in the world she wanted to do was rob him of what little peace he managed to sink into. She had read through the medical results from the battery of tests they had run. Needless to say following his episode he was off active duty.

"His ECG shows no unusual brain activity, it's a small blessing. I thought with the concussion – for sure his seizure was ..." Nate began in a heavy voice.

Hetty had forgotten his presence, a testimony to the fact that maybe her team were not the only ones off their game.

"His seizure was not your fault Mr Getz. I know you think yours and Mr Hanna's little experiment put him in harms way but I would surmise from those results that Mr Callen's episode has more to do with the fact that he grew up in harms way! Am I right?"

The young psychologist ran a hand over his face with a muted nod.

"Yes but rule number one ..." he began in an oddly defiant but guilt ridden tone.

"Rule number one has never applied to Mr Callen in his whole life – and you know it. Now am I reading this medical mumbo- jumbo right? He does not have epilepsy? He had a Non epileptic seizure?" Hetty's tone was business like enough to fool the unobservant majority.

Nate nodded looking her dead in the eye in a reassuring manner. " We may need to re-run tests at intervals – maybe some blood-work, but the results are very encouraging. It does however mean that Callen's episode was psychogenic in origin, brought about by extreme stress and an unaddressed or unrecognised psychological conflict."

Nate paused to throw Hetty a "where do I begin" look. He knew that the real work with Callen would begin as soon as he regained consciousness. He knew that if he had found the psych evaluations frustrating, getting Callen to actually open up and address some or all of his issues, this was like the Kilimanjaro of all evaluations. Getz knew that Hetty knew it too.

"I'm going to need help, maybe Sam could..."

"Therein lays my second quandary Mr Getz. Agent Hanna has requested a new partner."

"What?!"

Nate's tone held all the shock and disbelief that Hetty's twenty minute colourful tirade had voiced when she had opened the letter Sam had dropped off. At the time she had assumed he was eager to get back to his partners side, and while he never strayed from the waiting room, his visit with Callen was brief. She wondered idly if Sam was not in shock. The move to leave Callen, especially at this time seemed cold, and entirely un-Sam-like.

"Sam must be blaming himself for Callen's situation, there can't be any other answer. I'll deal with Sam first, whilst Callen is resting. We'll need him – Callen needs him." Nate let his voice drop from the height it had reached not wanting to wake the patient.

"You do that Mr Getz, and keep me informed." Hetty replied eyes never leaving the bed.

Nate risked a hand on his boss' shoulder on his way out. "Callen will be al-right – this is something we can deal with."

Hetty smiled at the young man as he left, more for his benefit than hers. She waited patiently for a moment. Then another, before getting up from her bedside post and fetching the glass of water.

"How much of that were you awake for Mr Callen?" She asked in a soft businesslike manner.

Callen swallowed deeply grateful for the lowered voice and the offered glass that he sensed rather than saw. He made no attempt to sit up as he cracked both eyes slowly, painfully, allowing the images in the room to right themselves just as the sounds had done. This realigning of mind and body was like no other he could recall. The bone weariness that whatever drug of choice they had administered to help him rest, could not quite take the edge off was only the tip of the iceberg. He felt disjointed, his senses were sluggish and didn't appear to want to knit together willingly, giving the whole regaining concussions an 'Alice in Wonderland' type effect that probably accounted for the half heard conversation between Getz and Hetty and her newly acquired... red halo?

"Mr Callen?" her voice was two parts business to eight parts unconcealed concern. "Do you need the medical staff – why are you looking at me like that? Are you in pan?

His hand swiped out, catching her wrist on instinct as she was about to activate the alarm.

"No – f,fine." was all he could manage.

She looked at him appraisingly, and he realised that the look he caught was tinged with doubt, doubt directed at him.

"Forgive me Mr Callen but isn't it exactly that cavalier attitude that has us in this fix?"

"That why Sam wants out? Too … risky..." he turned away as if he could stall the answer that he, himself sought.

Hetty was about to deny it and put him straight on his interpretation of both her words and the half herd conversation with Nate. She was about to explain to her mulish Lead Agent that the only intentional threat he ever posed seemed to be directed at himself. However she was interrupted by the charging form of comet Hanna and the trailing tail that was Nate Getz.

Both men stopped mid-flight; Sam catching G's cool blue gaze and Nate braving the questioning look Hetty fired at him. Lange watched as Nate swallowed and caught on instantly that there had been a kink in his efforts to secure Sam's help with Callen. Hetty braced herself for whatever extreme weather condition was about to play out in front of her. In her experience Callen always presented a cold front whenever unsure of how to respond or uncertain of his audience, whereas hot tempered Sam always reacted on instinct, meeting most challenges head on.

"Glad to see your up G" Sam began surprisingly taking the lead in a mild tone.

Nate was too shocked by the gentile pleasant manner agent Hannah was presenting to notice Callen's lack of response or the reddening colour of his cheeks.

"Hetty" Sam carried on in a tone that would have been comical if it hadn't been so obviously uncomfortable "could I have a word with you in private?"

"What's the matter big guy?" G began in a dangerously loaded tone all hint of vulnerability Hetty had witnessed mere moments before erased. " Afraid to tell it like it is to my face … brother? What the hell happened to leaving no man behind Sam?"

Sam raised himself to his full height, holding all the hurt in his eyes but keeping his tone level he replied simply. "It 'ain't like that G, I'm not leaving you behind, I'm trying to..."

"To run away? To make a quick exit before the broken, lost boy really goes postal worker on everyone? Huh?" Callen voice raised with every accusation.

The growling tone was so foreign both in it's originator and intended target that Hetty all but pinched herself out of stunned silence. Her ability to read her Agent in Charge had always been a blessing when dealing with a personality as complex as Callen's. But here and now, she found herself at a miserable loss. All she knew for certain was that he was hurting, the raw look of betrayal and pain that coloured his over bright eyes and centred on Sam was unbearable to watch. In all honesty the entry of his attending physician saved Hetty, because she truly had no idea how to proceed.

The head consultant of Neurology, Dr Camran Mildern, looked round the room in a slightly unsure manner. These three characters had taken up all but permanent residence in his wing over the past forty eight hours, this was usually a good indication of concern and fealty. The scene he had walked into was definitely at odds with his earlier assessment, but that was not the puzzle before him. Checking his clipboard and choosing to feign ignorance he put all his attention on his patient.

"Mr Oliver? It's good to see you rejoining us."

Glancing at the other occupants of the room he continued "Could Gary and I have the room please I need to run some tests?"

There was a dark chuckle from the bed. "There are no secrets amongst families Doc – but I think I'd like to spare them the gory details."

"Uhh Dr Mildern, I am Mr Oliver's physician and I'd quite like to stay with my..."

"I think I'd rather do this alone Dr Getz." Callen interrupted in a hollow voice "I'm sure any relevant details will be made available to you in my records."

Startled for the third time in the last twenty minutes Nate met Callen's frigidly dismissive gaze. He was fairly sure his mouth was open and he was genuinely dumbstruck, he registered Hetty's voice as she came to the rescue right on que.

" Of course, we don't want to crowd the Doctor, but I do feel that Dr Getz would only be an asset to the overall assessment, Gary. Won't you please reconsider?" Hetty locked eyes with Callen in a silent battle royal.

In the end there could only be one victor. Hetty and Sam left the room and closed the door on the beginningsof Dr Mildern's examination of Callen, under Nate's vigilant eye.

Hetty did not speak to the towering figure beside her. Quite apart from the need for a more private setting, it was her experience that Sam's defences were air tight and battle hardened against a frontal assault. No the way to get through to Fortress Hanna was to let the mountain come to you.

They both entered the nondescript door into a pastel haze of lilac walls and inoffensive paintings that the Operations Manager could only assume was one of many 'bad news' rooms. She had seen her fair share and they all had the same benign air. Indicating the seat next to hers she silently invited her agent to be seated.

" I didn't think he'd be up, I wanted to talk to you Hetty." Sam began in an apologetic tone.

"Oh I've no doubt that your run in with Agent Callen was unintentional Mr Hanna, I know the lengths you've gone through over the past three years to keep him safe, that's why your letter perplexes me so..."

"Three and a half years." Sam answered as if on auto-pilot mimicking a conversation he remembered having with G not so long ago.

Lifting his large brown eyes with a hint of suspicion towards his handler, Sam studied the masterful poker face Hetty was displaying, a sad half smile played across his lips before his frown overtook it.

"It's precisely that fact that led me to write that letter Hetty. I … I can't operate in a professional way if I compromise what I know to be sense and jump on the Callen crazy train."

"Is that the capacity you think you fulfil Mr Hanna – a hanger on, a follower in the wake of our brilliant but maverick lead agent? Far from it! You came to the undercover field from a different branch of operations Sam, but you know that there are many paths to creating a field agent. You honed your skills, Mr Callen for all intents and purposes was bred into this life. He could no more mimic your methods of achieving the job, than you could duplicate his. I don't believe you follow so much as counterbalance your partner's unorthodox plans – you bring him home Sam, never forget that!"

Sam's eyes were liquid bright as he made himself continue. This felt entirely like betraying his best friend, abandoning him when he was down and hurt. All of Callen's arrows had hit home – especially the grating way G had called him "brother". That was exactly how he saw the other agent, after all they had endured together it had been inevitable. Sam could not – would not see G hurt because he was too weak to do the right thing. Time had come to man up, maybe one day G would see why this was necessary. But at least his soon to be ex- partner would live to make it to that one day!

He knew that, that wish was a long shot – G Callen did not trust lightly, and once that trust was compromised in his eyes, there was no telling how many centuries would pass or squadrons of bacon would make it through the flying academy, before Sam would get a chance to plead his case. But he knew what he had to do – now he'd just need to broker terms with Hetty.