Ducky glanced at his watch, mentally calculating that Jethro had been sitting by Tony’s bedside for over half an hour. He had a feeling that the team leader would refuse to leave the younger man’s side, at least until DiNozzo was permitted to wake up from his drug induced coma. Once Tony was fully cognizant of what had happened, Gibbs believed that his senior field agent would want nothing more to do with him. The ME had tried to convince his old friend that he shouldn’t underestimate Tony’s knack for beating the odds; after all, the man had survived the plague. However, Ducky’s words had fallen on deaf ears.
Guilt was consuming the former Marine and Ducky was afraid that Gibbs would let it destroy him. Jethro thought of Tony as the son that he never had. Truthfully, DiNozzo and Gibbs were very much alike and anyone who had ever spent time around the two of them could see this as well. The belief that he was responsible for Tony’s condition was going to be a difficult burden for the team leader to bear.
“Oh Jethro,” he sighed. “I wish I knew what to say to convince you that you are not to blame. It was a dreadful accident and…”
He suddenly got the feeling that he was no longer alone. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought that Jethro was standing behind him. Ducky looked over his shoulder to discover Dr. Brad Pitt standing in the doorway of the doctor’s lounge. The younger doctor was wearing an amused grin, prompting Ducky to ask, “Haven’t you ever seen someone talk to themselves before?”
“I do it all the time,” Dr. Pitt assured him as he extended his hand.
“Bradley!” Ducky enthusiastically shook the other man’s hand. “It’s good to see you again, my boy!”
“It’s good to see you too, Dr. Mallard,” Brad said. “I just wish it was under better circumstances.”
“I do too,” the ME agreed. “Please sit down and join me; I was just waiting on Jethro, although I don’t think he’ll be leaving anytime soon.”
“I take it he’s with Tony right now.”
“Yes,” Ducky replied. “Are you on your way to see Anthony? I know that Dr. Winesett called you in to keep a check on Tony’s lungs.”
Brad nodded as he sat down opposite the medical examiner. “Yes he did. Because of Tony’s history, he thought it was a good idea. I was just studying his chart before I went in to see him.”
“Not very promising, is it?”
“No, it’s not. I’m sorry, Dr. Mallard. I wish that the prognosis was better.”
“Now Bradley, must I remind you that my friends call me Ducky,” the Scotsman reminded him. “I certainly count you among my friends, young man.”
“Thank you, Dr. Mallard, I mean Ducky,” Pitt quickly corrected.
Ducky nodded his approval as he took a sip of the coffee that had been sitting in front of him. He made a disgusted face as he swallowed the cold liquid. “I prefer tea, but beggars can’t be choosers,” he stated.
“I know what you mean,” Brad agreed, leaning back in his chair.
The two men cherished the few moments of companionable silence between them; sometimes words weren’t always necessary to convey a message of support between friends. It was Dr. Pitt who finally shattered the stillness. “I assume from your comments that you’ve read Dr. Winesett’s notes.”
“Yes, I have.”
“Dr. Winesett is one of the best doctors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. Tony’s in good hands.”
“I know that and I respect his opinion. I understand that Anthony will probably never walk again and I will be able to eventually accept it, but I’m not so sure about Tony and Jethro. This is going to be hard on both of them, especially Tony.”
“Tony will pull through this,” Brad said, his voice radiating a confidence that the ME wished that he felt.
“It will just take time,” Ducky added, uncertain if he believed his own words.
“And a lot of patience.”
“Unfortunately, neither Tony nor Jethro are very patient men,” the elder physician pointed out.
“They won’t have a choice.”
Ducky blew out a frustrated breath. “You don’t have to tell me. Why I remember one time when Anthony and Jethro were…” The medical examiner stopped mid-sentence and stared at Brad in disbelief.
“Is there something wrong, Ducky?” Brad asked.
“No. I’m just not used to being able to tell a story in its entirety.”
“Well, I’d love to hear your story,” the young man said. “All I’ve got to do before I leave for the day is to go and check on Tony. I’ll give Agent Gibbs a few more minutes of privacy before I go on in.”
Ducky smiled at his colleague. “Well, in that case…” The ME continued his story of how Tony and Jethro had both been injured during a bust and were forced to spend their recuperation period together and the antics that ensued from their forced convalescence. It was memories such as these that Ducky truly cherished, the ones that he would have to call upon in the difficult days that lay ahead for all of them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ziva and McGee entered the Intensive Care Unit and looked around. They had been on their way to the hospital to question Gibbs when Ducky had called them and given them an update on Tony’s condition. The news had not been good, making what they had to do even more difficult. Upon their arrival, the two investigators easily found ICU and it was just a few seconds before a nurse noticed their presence and approached the duo. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“We’re looking for Agent Anthony DiNozzo’s room,” McGee said. “I’m Agent Tim McGee and this is Ziva David; we work with Tony.”
“Agent DiNozzo is in the last room on the left,” the nurse informed them. “He has someone with him right now.”
The Mossad officer glanced at the young lady’s nametag. “Thank you, Hannah. Is the doctor in with him?”
“No. I believe Agent Gibbs is still with Agent DiNozzo; he’s been in there for almost an hour.”
“We need to speak with him,” Ziva said.
“You can go on in but don’t stay too long,” Hannah said. “Even though Agent DiNozzo is in a coma, he still needs his rest.”
“We will not be long.”
As Hannah returned to the nurse’s station, Ziva and McGee cautiously approached Tony’s room. As they peered inside the room, they saw Gibbs sitting in a chair, staring at DiNozzo’s still form. It was unnerving to see Tony so motionless; the only notable movement was the rise and fall of his chest. The senior field agent had an energy about him that was not easily harnessed, but now, that vigor had been subdued to a drug induced slumber and it deeply bothered both Ziva and McGee.
“You two just going to stand there?” Gibbs inquired, his tone flat and nearly devoid of emotion.
Ziva and Tim exchanged a worried glance and quietly entered the room. “How is he?” she finally managed to ask.
“He’s in a coma, Officer David.”
“But Ducky told us that it was drug induced.”
“It’s still a coma.”
“I supposed you are right,” she conceded. “Um, Ducky told us what the doctor said and…”
“Did he tell you that Tony’s not going to walk again?” the team leader snapped.
“Yes, but he also said that until the swelling goes down, they won’t know the extent of the damage. It sounds like there is a possibility that…”
“He’s still going to be paralyzed.”
Ziva took a deep breath and blew it out. “I know and we will see him through this. We are a team and we look out for each other.”
“We’re supposed to. I didn’t do too good of a job looking out for him today.”
Was Gibbs admitting that he was to blame for what happened to Tony? She and McGee had their suspicions but had not voiced them to anyone save for Abby. Ziva nudged her partner and motioned for him to explain to Gibbs their reason for being here.
“Uh, Boss,” McGee called out. “We need to talk to you.”
“It can wait,” Gibbs mumbled.
“No, it can’t. We uh…we have some questions that we need answered.”
“Not now, McGee!”
“I’m sorry, Boss. We have to know the truth.”
The team leader looked up and glared at the two agents. “The truth? You want to know the truth?”
“Some of the evidence isn’t adding up,” McGee further explained. “We think that…”
“That what, McGee?” Gibbs angrily challenged.
“Maybe we should continue this outside,” Ziva suggested.
Gibbs pushed himself up and stormed out of the room. McGee started to follow him, but was stopped by Ziva. “Give him a moment,” she said. “He needs to have a clear head before we question him.”
“You’re right.”
Ziva stood beside Tony’s bed side. She leaned down and gently placed a kiss on his forehead. “We are here for you,” she whispered. “Do not forget that.”
“Do you think he knows we’re here?” McGee asked.
“I have read that people in comas can still hear what is going on around them. If that is the case, then I want Tony to know that we are not going to turn our back on him.”
McGee nodded and made his way to the other side of the bed. “She’s right, Tony,” he added. “We’re going to be here every step…” Tim winced at his choice of words. “We’re here with you, buddy.”
Ziva smiled at her partner. “We need to talk to Gibbs.”
“Do you think he’s had long enough?” Tim nervously asked.
“We have to know what happened.”
They quietly left the room to look for Gibbs. He was nowhere to be found, but Ziva and McGee knew that he wouldn’t venture too far. Ziva approached the nurse’s desk where Hannah was working on a chart. “Excuse me,” she said. “Did you see where Agent Gibbs went?”
“He went to the men’s room and then said that he was going for coffee,” Hannah informed them.
Ziva looked at McGee. “Cafeteria, maybe?”
“I guess it’s a good place to start,” he agreed.
“Or you could try the coffee shop down the street,” the petite nurse suggested.
“Thank you,” Ziva and McGee said in unison.
As they entered the elevator, McGee tried Gibbs’ cell phone. After two rings, the team leader answered. “I’m waiting for you at the coffee shop.”
“We’ll be there in just a minute, Boss.”
Ziva could tell by McGee’s flustered expression that Gibbs had hung up on him. “The way he is acting tells me that our assumptions are correct,” she stated.
“I know, but there has to be a good explanation. I mean, Gibbs threatens to shoot Tony all the time, I don’t think he’d do it on purpose. I know he wouldn’t do it on purpose.”
“I know that, McGee. But when an agent shoots another agent, accidental or not, there is always an investigation. If we can get a handle on what actually happened, we can reflect it in our reports and maybe deflect some of the rumors that will most certainly abound.”
“Good point.”
They exited the hospital and in less than a minute were entering the coffee shop. Gibbs was sitting at a table in the corner, nursing a cup of his preferred brew. He silently greeted them and gestured for the two agents to join him.
“Boss, you know that we don’t want to do this,” McGee began, attempting to assuage the team leader’s precarious temper. “We’re trying to help.”
“No cover up,” Gibbs insisted. “I messed up and I’ll take responsibility for my actions.”
“We just need to know what happed so we can…”
“Did you hear me, McGee? I said no cover ups!”
“We are just trying to help you,” Ziva reasoned.
The teal leader exploded. “Tony and I went into a situation with no back up and I didn’t even give him time to put on his damn vest! We got in a shoot out and two of my bullets ended up in Tony’s back because I lost my objectivity! That’s what happened. Write it up however the hell you want to, but I don’t want the truth hidden behind a bunch of lies.”
“We need to know details. The sketches, measurements, and photos give us a pretty good idea of what happened, but we need to know…”
“Tony took pit one of the perps out, but he was shot. I thought he was down when I started to take the second one out. I didn’t see him get up until it was too late. Once the doctor’s remove what they can, you’ll have the fragments to back up my report.”
“Gibbs, it truly sounds like an accident. You did not shoot Tony on purpose,” Ziva declared.
“No, I didn’t, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was my bullet that severed his spinal cord and let’s not forget about the fragments that the doctors can’t even remove yet. I shot him and now he’s paralyzed. What else do you want me to say?” he growled.
“I want you to realize that it was an accident. Tony will not blame you.”
“He doesn’t need to. I blame myself. Tell the Director that my report will be on her desk as soon as I can get it done.”
“You know that we’ll have to have Tony’s statement as well,” Ziva reminded him.
“I know, but you’ll have to wait until he’s stronger,” Gibbs said.
“We won’t cover anything up, but we’ll delay things as long as we can.”
Gibbs shook his head. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“We’re not doing it for you; we’re doing it for Tony,” she said.
“Does anyone else know?” Gibbs reluctantly inquired.
“We told Abby because she would have eventually figured it out when she started processing evidence.”
“How did she handle it?”
“She was pretty upset; determined to prove you innocent.”
“I need to talk to her. When you go back, tell her I need to see her.”
“Of course,” Ziva replied.
A waitress brought Gibbs another coffee and he nodded his thanks. “I’ve got to get back to Tony. He shouldn’t be alone.”
“Would you like some company?” Ziva offered.
“No. You two go do your job,” the team leader ordered. “I’ll be in touch.”
Ziva and McGee watched Gibbs as he left the coffee shop and headed back towards the hospital. Gibbs had instructed them to do their jobs; the only problem was that as soon as the Director figured out what happened, they would be pulled off the case and another team would be assigned to investigate the shooting. Their team was falling apart and they were powerless to stop it.
“We have got a lot of work to do,” Ziva said.
“Yep, and we are pressed for time,” Tim added.
“Let’s go and see if Abby has found anything and go from there.”
“Good idea and I’ll go and review Sarah Carpenter’s statement to see if there’s something that we’re missing.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
McGee pulled the keys to the car out of his pocket. “Let’s go.”
Ziva snatched them out of his hand. She smiled at the panicked expression on her teammate’s face. “I will drive. After all, we are in a hurry.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Abby stared at the screen in front of her, her mind numb as she studied the results of the tests that she had run. She had managed to recreate the scene from the photos and sketches, only to learn the horrid truth that she had initially refused to believe. Gibbs had shot Tony.
She wasn’t sure who she was supposed to be angry or if she was supposed to cry. “This can’t be happening,” she mumbled over and over again.
“What can’t be happening?”
The Goth whirled around as the Director entered the lab. “Director Shepard,” Abby greeted. “Boy, that’s creepy. It was almost like Gibbs sneaking upon me. He must be giving you lessons.”
“I was his partner for a long time,” Jenny reminded her. “I did manage to learn a thing or two.”
“I guess so,” Abby said.
“So, speaking of Gibbs, I haven’t seen him around since I’ve been back.”
“Oh, that’s right. You were in Paris,” Abby recalled. “How was your trip?”
“It was fine, Abby. Now, where is Agent Gibbs?”
“He’s um…at the hospital.”
Abby couldn’t lie, but hopefully, the Director wouldn’t ask her for too many details.
“What happened?” Jenny wanted to know.
“I’m not completely sure. He’s there with Tony.”
“Agent DiNozzo? Is he all right?”
“He was shot,” Abby answered truthfully.
The Director turned to leave. “If you talk to Jethro, tell him I’m on my way.”
Abby waved and turned back around to her computer screen. She knew she should warn Gibbs, but right now, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to talk to him. Forcing herself to pick up the phone, she called his number but her call was rerouted to his voice mail, which he never checked. She tried Ziva’s number and after two rings, the Mossad officer picked up.
“David.”
“Ziva, we have a problem,” she began with a forced calmness. “Director Shepard is back in town and on her way to the hospital. I had to tell her that Tony was shot. She got this weird look on her face and ran out of here, so I didn’t tell her that Gibbs shot him.”
“So, you know,” Ziva said.
“Yes. Did you talk to Gibbs?”
“We did and we will compare notes when we get back. Call Ducky and tell him what’s going on; maybe he can stall her.”
“Good idea.” Abby hung up her phone, not caring that she had abruptly cut Ziva off. “Guess the Director’s not the only one that’s learned a thing or two from Gibbs.”
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.