Chapter 5
About two days after waking up in the hospital, Tony was sitting in a wheelchair in the sunroom down the hall from his room. And thank God for painkillers. If not for them, sitting in the wheelchair would have been unbearable. As it was, he was propped up by a pillow under his right hip and he was sitting at an angle. But it was better than lying in that hospital bed. He had been going stir crazy lying there with nothing to do, so Gibbs and a nurse had helped him into his wheelchair and Gibbs had taken him, and his IV pole, to the sunroom for a change of scenery. Then Gibbs had left Tony alone for a few minutes, saying he was getting them each something to drink, but Tony knew Gibbs really just wanted some coffee.
If he was being honest with himself, he was glad to have a few minutes to himself. He hadn’t had been alone for a minute since he woke up in the hospital.
He still couldn’t believe the physical therapists had gotten him out of bed the day following his surgery. He’d thought they were joking when they came in his room with a walker, but then they started rattling off some nonsense about preventing pneumonia and blood clots. Tony thought they really just lived to torture the patients, because just the simple act of getting out of bed and standing next to it for a few moments had been beyond painful. Again, thank God for painkillers.
As he gazed out the window, Tony thought over the last couple of days. His boss had really surprised him with his unconditional support since he’d been injured. It was nice to know someone on the team had his six.
He still couldn’t believe two of the people he thought he could trust the most had failed to have his back while he was canvassing that neighborhood trying to sniff out a terrorist and murderer. He was lucky that he’d only gotten shot in the ass. As bad as that had been, and embarrassing, Ducky had told him it could have been much worse. Had the bullet hit him a little higher and to the left, the wheelchair he was sitting in could have been permanent instead of temporary.
The last couple of days had been filled with painkillers, physical therapy, pretty nurses changing his bandages, and hours of boredom in between. Gibbs had been there through all of it. Ducky and Abby had also been frequent visitors, which helped break up the monotony.
Tony’s thoughts were interrupted when the two people he least wanted to see hesitantly entered the room. It was Ziva and McGee. He wished Gibbs had closed the door when he left. Tony really didn’t want to talk to either of them right now. He usually wasn’t one to hold a grudge, but failing to have a partner’s back in the field was about the worst thing you could do when you were in law enforcement. Tony was angry about what they had done and he didn’t have anything to say to either of them, so he remained silent and just watched them warily.
Ziva and McGee stepped closer to Tony’s wheelchair. They seemed uncomfortable and didn’t speak for several moments.
Finally Ziva said. “Tony, we wanted to let you know how sorry we are. We never thought that you would get hurt.”
McGee added, “Yeah, Tony, we really didn’t mean anything by it.”
Tony was silent for several more moments. He knew they were waiting for him to say something, but he wasn’t about to accept their apology. He finally asked a question that had been bugging him since Gibbs had told him what they had done; “Whose idea was it?”
“It’s not important whose idea it was,” McGee answered.
“It is to me,” Tony said. “Now tell me which one of you thought of it first. Which one of you decided that leaving me with no backup was acceptable because you were tired of hearing my voice? Or do the two of you share a hive mind and come up with the same idea at the same time?”
“It was my idea,” Ziva admitted. “Please don’t blame McGee.” She realized what she had done was wrong and she was willing to accept the blame for her actions.
“But I went along with it, so it’s just as much my fault,” McGee added, accepting his share of the blame.
“That’s really nice, how you two back each other up like that,” Tony stated sadly. “Why couldn’t you do the same for me?”
Ziva and McGee remained silent. There was really too much that needed to be said, so neither of them said anything.
Just then Gibbs returned to the room, with his ever-present cup of coffee in one hand and a bottle of water for Tony in the other. He strode over to the trio and handed Tony his water. He asked loudly, “What the hell are you two doing here?”
McGee answered, “We came to see Tony, but they told us at the nurses’ station that we weren’t on the list. We were just leaving when we saw him sitting in here.”
“The fact that you weren’t on the list didn’t clue you in that neither of you are wanted here?” Gibbs asked coldly.
“Gibbs,” Ziva said. “We just had to apologize to Tony.”
“Yeah, Boss,” McGee added. “We just had to tell him-”
“I’m no longer your boss,” Gibbs growled. “And Tony’s not interested in anything you have to say. Now get out.”
McGee and Ziva headed for the door.
“And don’t come back!” Gibbs shouted at their retreating backs. He had really wanted to say so many more things to them, but he didn’t want to cause a scene in the hospital, and he didn’t want Tony more upset than he already was. It wouldn’t do either of them any good if Gibbs got himself kicked out the hospital.
Once they were alone, Gibbs took a seat next to Tony’s wheelchair and said, “I shouldn’t have left you alone in here, Tony. I had no idea those two would show up.”
“That’s all right, Boss,” Tony stated, as he opened his bottle of water. “They did apologize.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“I didn’t accept though,” Tony said sadly. “I’m not sure if I ever will.”
“I don’t really blame you, Tony. I don’t think I would if I were in your position,” Gibbs said. “I know I don’t forgive them for leaving you twisting in the wind.”
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Gibbs entered Tony’s room with a fresh cup of coffee in his hand. Abby was seated next to Tony’s bed and the two of them were chatting quietly. After the incident with Ziva and McGee finding Tony in the sunroom, Ducky, Abby and Gibbs had worked together to make sure that Tony was never alone, even for a minute.
“Hey, Abs,” Gibbs called out. “I need to talk to Tony alone. Can you go somewhere for a while?”
“I really should get back to work,” Abby said. “I left some tests running that should be done by now.” She stood up and gave Tony a gentle hug and then a kiss on the cheek. She told him, “I’ll be back later. Don’t go anywhere.”
Tony chuckled, “Where would I go? I can’t even get out of bed without at least two physical therapists helping me and a walker and a wheelchair nearby.”
“Bye, Tony. Bye, Gibbs,” Abby called as she left the room.
Once she was gone, Tony asked, “What do you need to talk to me about, Boss?”
Gibbs took a seat in the chair vacated by Abby and said, “Ducky’s been talking with your doctor. He said you’d be ready for discharge in a couple of days.”
“I’ve got a stupid question.”
“What’s that?”
“Why doesn’t my doctor talk to me about that stuff?” Tony asked. “He comes in here, tut-tuts over my wounds, says I’m doing fine and then leaves.”
“Be honest with yourself, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said. “Do you really want to listen to all that medical jargon you don’t understand and then have to have Ducky translate for you later?”
“Not really.”
“It saves time for your doctor to talk to Ducky, and then Ducky can give you the translation the first time.”
“I guess you’re right,” Tony agreed.
“I’m always right. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”
Tony returned to the previous subject. “How does the doctor figure I can be discharged in a couple of days? I can’t even get out of bed by myself.”
“Well, he told Ducky you have two options,” Gibbs explained.
“And what would those be?”
“You can go to a rehab center for a week or two, or if you stay with somebody, you can get home visits from a physical therapist,” Gibbs stated.
“I guess I’ll have to go to the rehab center,” Tony said. “I don’t have anyone to stay with.”
“What about me?” Gibbs asked indignantly.
“What about you, Boss?” Tony asked. “You have to work.”
“I thought I could take some time off so I can help you out,” Gibbs stated.
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Tony said. “That’s above and beyond the call. I don’t want to put you out.”
“You’re not asking,” Gibbs stated emphatically. “I’m offering.”
“I don’t think I can do that, Boss,” Tony said.
Gibbs knew why Tony was being so stubborn about staying with him. His senior field agent had always been fiercely independent, and having to rely on someone else for help didn’t sit well with him. Gibbs said gently, “Tony, there’s nothing wrong with accepting help once in a while when you need it.”
“You didn’t,” Tony said.
“I didn’t what?”
“Accept help when you needed it.”
“When was that?” Gibbs asked.
“When you hurt your shoulder a while ago,” Tony stated. “I came to your house and offered to help and you kicked me out.”
Gibbs thought for a minute. Tony was right; he had kicked his agent out when he’d offered to help. He looked at Tony thoughtfully and said, “I’ll make a deal with you.”
“What kind of deal?” Tony asked skeptically.
“If you come and stay with me when you’re discharged and let me help you, then next time I’m injured, I’ll let you help me.”
“No arguments?” Tony asked.
“No arguments,” Gibbs answered with certainty in his voice.
“Then we have a deal,” Tony agreed.
They both remained silent for several minutes, then Tony asked quietly, “Why are you doing all this, Boss?”
“I guess I’ve never taught you the unspoken rule,” Gibbs answered.
“God, Boss,” Tony moaned dramatically. “Please, no more rules.”
Gibbs gave Tony one of his best glares and waited.
Finally Tony gave in and asked, “What rule is that?”
Gibbs looked Tony in the eyes as he answered, “You do what you have to for family.”
TBC
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