It was early Wednesday morning, around 1 am. Tony woke up suddenly, he was having trouble breathing. He felt like he just run a marathon and couldn't catch breath. He knew he had only 1 option and that was to call Brad. He got lucky Brad was working graveyard, so all he had to do was get himself to Bethesda. Brad had told him to take some deep breath and see if that will help.

After about 10 deep breaths, Tony found that he wasn't having so much trouble breathing, but now his lungs hurt with every breath.

Brad met Tony at the entrance, he didn't appear to be sick and he wasn't coughing.

"Tony what is going on?"

"I don't know, the deep breathes helped. But now breathing hurts badly." Tony answered rubbing his chest.

"Well get you checked out, come with me."

Brad ran several tests on Tony while he slept. The x-ray didn't show any fluid in the lungs, but Brad had a feeling as to what was happening. The only thing is; how does he tell this to his patient. The stupid plague that he had 6 years ago that ended up scarring his lungs are causing them to shut down.

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Tony got up at around 5, he has to find out what is wrong with him and get to work. As Tony was getting dressed Brad walked in.

"What do you think you are doing?" Brad asked.

"Going to work."

"You can't be serious. It was only 4 hours ago you couldn't breathe. You can't honestly tell me your feeling better."

Brad was right, he isn't feeling any better.

"Brad, I'm fine. I just freaked that is all." Tony lied.

"Tony, I can't release you."

"Fine then; I am signing myself out AMA. I need to get to work."

"I'll call Gibbs; maybe he can talk some sense into you." Brad countered.

"NO! You can't. I don't want anyone at NCIS to know that I was even here."

Brad couldn't believe it. Tony has a hard road ahead of him and he shouldn't go through it alone.

"Tony-" Brad began.

"No. It is my health and my right to not tell them. You can't call them." Tony interrupted.

Brad shook his head, as long as Tony was conscious they didn't need Gibbs consent as Tony's medical proxy. He just hopes that he can convince Tony to tell them.

"Alright, I will let you go to work on a few conditions." Brad said reluctantly.

"Name them."

"1) You come back at lunch for your breathing treatment. 2) You spend the night here and 3) most importantly under no circumstances are you allowed to run."

Tony considered this he didn't like them, but he really didn't have any other choice. Besides he couldn't run now; even if he wanted to.

"Okay, as long as you don't tell anybody." Tony agreed.

"Let's get you started on a breathing treatment, before you go to work."

"What type of breathing treatment?" Tony asked confused.

"It is mostly used for Asthma patients, but I think it can help to improve your lungs. You will need to do it for 30 minutes and then you may leave as long as you come back on your lunch for another treatment. At night we will put you in an oxygen tent." Brad explained.

Brad got Tony started on the treatment. He let the nurse on duty to remove it in 30 minutes and to release him.

"Why not just keep him here?" The nurse asked.

"If I could, I would. But he is stubborn as molasses. If I fight him on it, he will sigh himself out anyway and not come back. At least this way, I can continue to keep an eye on him."

30 minutes later Tony was leaving Bethesda for the Navy yard. He doesn't really want to come back on his lunch hour. Sometimes when they catch a case, he works through his lunch. Now he has to take his lunch, no matter what.

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Tony arrived at NCIS 15 minutes late, but it couldn't be helped.

"You're late." Ziva pointed out.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, tell me something I don't already know. Where is Gibbs?" Tony answered sarcastically.

"MTAC." McGee answered.

"Does he know I was late?" Tony asked.

Tim nodded.

Tony sat down and got straight to work. He got lucky; they didn't catch a case so they were working cold cases. If Tony started having trouble breathing, he would excuse himself to go to the head. Once there he would do the deep breathing exercises that Brad had showed him.

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Tony did as he was told and spent his lunch hour at Bethesda. Unfortunately, he was late coming back from lunch making it twice today. Gibbs is really going to be pissed at him. Oh well, there isn't anything he can do about it now.

Gibbs did yell at him in the elevator for being late again in the same day. Tony just let him yell without offering any kind of explanation. Finally Gibbs let him go back to work.

"Alright, everyone go home." Gibbs ordered. "And DiNozzo you better be on time tomorrow."

"Yes Boss." Tony answered as he got his things together.

"Do you want to get a drink tonight? I'll buy." McGee offered.

"No thank you. I am just going to home." Tony replied as he headed for the elevator.

Tony went back to his apartment to pack up some clothes for the next few days. Since he doesn't know how long he will be sleeping at Bethesda. Tired, exhausted and in pain Tony headed back to the hospital for the night.