Chapter Six: Bleed It Out
One Week Later...
Abby jerked awake at the sound of her phone chirping. It was only Tony's strong grip around her waist that kept her from toppling to the floor as she reached over, plucking the obnoxious device from the coffee table.
"Hello?" She greeted tentatively, her voice thick with sleep. Untangling herself from her friend's embrace, she sat up on the edge of the couch, the dim light from the TV casting a glow over the otherwise darkened living room.
"Abby?"
"J? What time is it?"
"Early. Where are you?"
Glancing back at her sleeping friend, Abby hesitated slightly as she pushed herself to her feet and headed for the bathroom.
"Abby?"
"I'm here, sorry."
"Where are you?" He repeated, though based on his tone, she was sure he already knew.
Closing the door behind her with a quiet click, she sighed. "I'm at Tony's. We must have fallen asleep watching a movie."
"Abby," he growled.
"Please don't lecture me right now, J."
"He doesn't need you babying him," Gibbs ranted, clearly ignoring her.
"I'm not babying him!"
"You are. He's an adult, he's capable of taking care of himself. He doesn't need you hovering around him like an over protective mother."
"There's nothing wrong with taking care of a friend, Gibbs. He's having a hard time right now! I don't want him to feel like he's completely alone!"
"Abby."
"I'm not having this conversation right now, J. I'm not."
She heard him sigh loudly on the other end before he spoke again. "So needless to say, you won't be home again tonight."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"Okay Abby." She could tell by his tone that he wasn't happy.
"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I love you."
"Love you too," he responded gruffly before he disconnected the line.
Pulling the door open, Abby trudged back out to the living room, her shoulders slumped slightly.
"Everything okay?" Tony asked, his voice husky.
Forcing a smile, she crawled back onto the couch with him, snuggling against his chest.
"Yep. Everything's fine," she lied smoothly.
Shifting just slightly on the couch, Tony pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"You sure?"
"Positive," she said as she closed her eyes. "Go back to sleep, Tonyboy. We still have a few hours before we have to be to work."
Draping an arm over his waist, Abby nuzzled her face against his chest with a quiet sigh. It was not going to be an easy day for anybody, she decided, because unfortunately for the team, when Gibbs was mad, everyone suffered.
OoOoOoO
"Grab your gear," Gibbs barked as he stepped off the elevator. "We've got a body."
Walking swiftly to his desk, Gibbs barely spared a glance at the Goth perched on his chair, cup of coffee in hand. Scooting back as he leaned across her, Abby couldn't stop the frown from forming on her face as she held the cup up, offering it to him.
"No thanks," he muttered gruffly, just loud enough for her to hear as he took the cup from her hand, depositing it into the garbage. Pulling open his desk drawer, he grabbed the keys and tossed them to McGee.
"Gas the truck, McGee. Ziva, take these directions down to Ducky and Palmer," he ordered as handed her the slip of paper. "We're ready to roll in five."
Holstering his gun, Gibbs grabbed his badge, his blue eyes studying his Senior Agent as the younger man grabbed his bag.
"DiNozzo."
"I'm ready to go boss."
"You're with Abby."
"On your s-- Wait. Abby?"
"With me?" Abby spoke up as she pushed herself to her feet, crossing the bullpen quickly. "Why with me?"
"You're kidding, right?" Tony asked.
"Nope. Don't need an agent who needs to be babied in the field today. Figured since you two were spending so much time together anyway--"
"I don't need to be babied," Tony spat.
"Huh. Coulda fooled me," Gibbs growled.
Abby rested her hand gently on Gibbs' arm, flinching slightly when he pulled away. "Don't punish him because you're mad at me," she said quietly. "Please."
Setting his jaw, Tony stood just a little straighter as he squared his shoulders. He narrowed his eyes at his boss as he lifted his bag onto his shoulder.
Gibbs glared back at the younger man for a moment before he nodded with a curt jerk of his head. "Go," he growled.
Not needing to be told twice, Tony slipped passed him and headed for the elevator, punching the button a little harder than necessary.
Abby waited until the elevator doors had closed before she looked up at her lover. "J..."
"We'll talk later," he told her, the gruffness gone from his voice.
Not wanting to push her luck, she merely nodded, watching as he headed for the stairwell. "Be careful," she called after him, ignoring the sting of tears as the door slammed shut behind him.
----
He had never been so happy to see a crime scene, Tony decided as Gibbs skidded to a halt in front of the old house.
The ride from headquarters had been the longest fifteen minute drive of his life, filled with an awkward silence. Though his boss had given in and allowed him to come along, it was pretty clear that Gibbs was still furious with him.
"McGee, David," Gibbs barked as he climbed from the sedan. "Clear the scene. DiNozzo..."
"Boss?"
"Grab the bags. Let's go," he said, ignoring Tony's incredulous stare.
Watching his boss' retreating back, Tony could feel the anger welling up in his chest at the injustice of it all. It wasn't his fault that Abby had showed up unannounced three times that week! And hadn't Gibbs just lectured him the previous week about leaving personal issues at home?
Grumbling angrily to himself, Tony pulled the back door of the truck open, glaring at the bags inside.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as McGee approached him slowly. Giving no indication that he noticed or cared, Tony leaned forward and reached for the bag.
His fingers had barely brushed the strap when McGee grabbed it, pulling it from the back of the truck.
"Thanks," Tony bit out through clenched teeth as he turned slightly to face the younger man, only to have the bag shoved into his hands.
He stumbled backwards slightly, glaring at McGee as he recovered.
"Don't forget the other one," McGee smirked before he turned, heading back towards the house.
A low growl rumbled from Tony's throat as he reached for the remaining bag and slung it over his shoulder. Ignoring the slight twinge in his back, he kicked the door shut and stalked off towards the house, still muttering angrily about being treated like a probie.
Stepping out onto the front porch as he drew closer, Ziva held the screen door open for him, pulling one of the bags off of his shoulder.
"Thanks," he grumbled as he slipped passed her.
"The body is in the living room," she directed as she followed in after him.
Dropping the bag near the doorway, Tony knelt down and removed a pair of gloves, barely containing a growl when McGee reached over and snatched the pair from his hands.
Pushing himself to his feet, Tony offered McGee a glare as he grabbed for the camera, only to have that plucked out of his hands as well.
It was all he could do to keep from punching the smug smile off of his face. "Problem, McGee?"
"Nope, no problem here."
"No, you obviously have a fucking problem. I told you I was sorry, and you're still being a fu--"
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, grabbing the back of his agent's neck roughly. "Outside," he growled.
"Gibbs!"
"Now!"
Pulling away from his boss' grasp, Tony stalked out of the living room, ignoring Ziva as she called out to him.
"Oh! Hello!" Ducky greeted as Tony nearly barreled into him on his way into the house.
"Sorry Duck," he grumbled as he slipped passed him, a scowl darkening his face.
"What on Earth...?"
"It is best if you do not ask," Ziva whispered.
Stepping down off the front step, Tony balled his hands into fists at his sides and barely resisted the urge to punch the lone tree in the front yard.
With a loud huff, he started off for the truck again, pausing only as he noticed the sun glinting off of something in the grass beside the garage.
As he drew closer, spotted the broken window that had been obscured by the tree branch when they'd first arrived.
Jogging around to the side of the garage, Tony tried the handle on the door, though it was no use.
"Of course it's locked," he muttered to himself. "Things can never be easy, can they?"
He rammed the door with his shoulder twice before he gave up and made his way back to the window.
Removing his jacket, he wrapped his arm in the fabric. He busted out the remaining glass and threw his jacket to the ground.
Peering into the garage, he grabbed the inside of the window frame and pulled himself up, grunting slightly.
"This would have been so much easier ten pounds ago," he muttered bitterly. Gripping the window ledge with one hand, he reached out for the work bench to the right to steady himself.
His fingers had barely brushed the edge of the table when he felt himself start to fall forward.
He landed hard on the floor, the table toppling over with him as all the air was forced from his lungs.
Back inside the house, the three agents paused simultaneously at the sound of the crash.
"What was that?" Ziva asked, her face set in a frown.
"Tony," Gibbs and McGee said together.
With an irritated sigh, Gibbs nodded to Ziva. "Go. Make sure he hasn't done anything stupid to compromise my crime scene."
Removing her gloves, Ziva shoved them back into the bag before she headed outside.
Squinting against the bright sun, Ziva scanned the yard quickly, her frown giving way to a concerned look as she spotted Tony's jacket laying beside the garage.
Removing her weapon from its holster, she made her way towards the broken window, resisting the urge to call his name in the event that he was not alone.
Pressing her back up against the side of the garage, she moved closer to the window, pausing at the sound of more clanging metal followed by a strangled cry.
She stood on her tiptoes next to the window and peeked inside, looking
closely for any sign of Tony in the dark garage.
"Ziva!" He called out hoarsely, lying prone on the dusty garage floor.
Glancing down at the sound of his voice, Ziva holstered her weapon immediately.
"Tony, what..." she trailed off at the sight of blood pooling on the concrete floor.
Grabbing the window sill, she pulled herself up quickly before she turned back towards the house.
"Gibbs!" She screamed, hating how panicked her voice sounded. Dropping to the floor beside her partner, Ziva knelt down beside him as she searched for the source of the blood.
"Leg," he wheezed, his face pale. "Fell... On something."
It was all she could do to contain her gasp as she spotted the large gash that ran the length of his calf visible through his torn pant leg. His leg was covered in blood, making it difficult to see just how deep the wound was.
"Ziva? Tony?" Gibbs called, his voice void of all irritation.
Beneath her, she could feel Tony trembling slightly as she called back, doing her best to keep her voice calm. "In the garage!"
"How... How bad is it?" He managed, swallowing hard as he attempted to sit up.
Pressing her hand to his chest, she forced him back down. "Not bad at all," she lied as she removed her sweater. She pressed the fabric against the wound in an effort to stop the bleeding, cringing as he cried out. "Do not be such a baby. It is just a little scratch."
Outside, Gibbs bypassed the window and rounded the corner of the garage, McGee hot on his heels.
He cursed loudly as he tried the locked handle. "Away from the door!" He ordered as he removed his weapon.
Attempting to push himself up again at the sound of his boss' voice, Tony found himself forced back down on the ground as Ziva threw herself over him, covering his body as much as possible seconds before the gunshot rang out.
Kicking the door open, Gibbs stepped in, his eyes immediately landing on his two agents. From where he stood, he could see the thin sheen of sweat covering his senior agent's face though it wasn't until Ziva moved off of him that he spotted the blood.
"McGee," he said quietly. "Go get Duck."
"What's going--"
"Now," Gibbs ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
McGee attempted to push passed his boss, ignoring the way the older man gripped his arm roughly.
"Tony!"
"McGee!" Gibbs growled. "Go! Ducky! Now!"
McGee backed out of the garage, his face paling as he turned and ran for the house.
Taking a deep breath, Gibbs turned back to his senior agent once more. "Tony, what happened?"
"He fell," Ziva supplied. "He has cut his leg."
"S'not... Too bad though... Right?" Tony asked, his breath coming out in short, ragged spurts.
"Just a scratch," Ziva repeated, though when she caught Gibbs' eye, she frowned darkly.
"Don't... Lie to me," he bit out, his face contorting into a look of pain as Ziva pressed harder against the wound. "Son of a bitch," he moaned.
"What on Earth is going on?" Ducky asked as he was ushered hastily into the garage by McGee.
"Tony has cut himself," Ziva repeated, moving over to make room for the doctor.
Kneeling beside the injured agent, Ducky couldn't help but frown at how clammy Tony's skin felt under his hands.
"Ziva, call for an ambulance."
"Duck, no," Tony protested weakly, his fingers gripping Ziva's hand as she reached for her phone. "'M... Fine."
"Of course you are, my dear boy. It's purely a precautionary trip. You'll be in and out in no time," he said. "Jethro, if you'll be so kind as to locate a flashlight, we need to see if we can ascertain the exact cause of the injury."
Pulling out a flashlight from his bag, McGee handed it to Gibbs, his stomach turning as he finally spotted all the blood.
"Anthony, can you tell me how you're feeling?" Ducky asked, keeping his voice light as he removed Ziva's blood soaked sweater to check the wound.
"I'm... Not... "
"Ziva, have them expedite. We need to move him now," Ducky urged as the young man in front of him fell silent, his body going limp.
"D-Ducky! W-what's happening?" McGee asked, unable to keep the panic from his voice.
"Duck?" Gibbs pressed when the medical examiner didn't answer.
Snapping the phone shut, Ziva shoved the device back in her pocket as she touched Tony's clammy face. "He is going into shock."
"Did they give an ETA?" Ducky asked as he gripped Tony's wrist in his hand, checking his pulse.
"They are two minutes out."
It was the longest two minutes of McGee's life. He'd been forced to remain in the doorway of the garage, watching helplessly as Ducky and Ziva worked together to stop the bleeding and keep his lover warm until the ambulance crew arrived.
"Out of the way, McGee," Gibbs ordered gruffly as the paramedics slipped into the garage, hurrying to Tony's side.
It wasn't until he was moved that Ziva spotted the jagged piece of metal that he had fallen on.
"Do we know what caused the cut?" One of the paramedics asked on their way out the door.
"I believe it was this," Ziva responded dryly, lifting the blood soaked metal.
It was all McGee could do to keep from emptying the contents of his stomach at the sight of it.
"I will go with him in the ambulance," Ducky told Gibbs, holding his hand up when McGee tried to protest. "I will meet the three of you there. Someone please fill Mr. Palmer in and instruct him to take our deceased friend back to autopsy."
Turning without another word, Ducky trotted off after the paramedics, leaving the three remaining agents where the stood.
"Ziva, help Palmer load the body. McGee and I are gonna follow the ambulance."
"Got it," Ziva responded coolly as she exited the garage, jogging towards the house.
Turning back to McGee, Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder, bringing him out of his daze. "Let's go, McGee. You're with me."
A/N #2: Okay, okay I know. I'm a horrible person. Two cliff hangers in a row? Yes. I'm sorry. Kind of. The good news is, the next chapter is nearly finished. The plan is to finish it up tonight and post right away, though I may not get to do so until tomorrow. Regardless, you won't have to wait too long for the next installment. Just remember: reviews are better than rainbows, ponies AND puppies.
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Huge thanks to my girly Kelley for all her help again. I swear, I should just give her a co-writer credit. You're the best chica. Thanks again to everyone who took two seconds to review! You guys make it so easier for me to write! This chapter has actually be done since last night, however I wanted to have the next chapter just about ready to go because... well, you'll see why ;) Enjoy! And don't forget, reviews help me writer faster. Which is what you want, right? :D