Gibbs actually knocked on the door before he entered the director’s office. He needed to ask a favor, and he didn’t want the man to be in a bad mood. He’d gotten Abby to sit with Tony for a few hours. If Tony was going to convalesce at his home, he needed to make some adjustments, and he needed to arrange for more time off in order to stay with him.
Leon looked up as Gibbs entered the office. “You must need something from me, Gibbs.”
“What makes you say that?” Gibbs asked as he took a seat in front of the director’s desk.
“You don’t usually knock,” Vance replied.
“Hey, I can be polite,” Gibbs protested.
Vance gave him a ‘yeah, right’ snort and asked, “So, what do you need?”
“I know I already have this week off, but I need to arrange for another week off, maybe two.”
“May I ask why?” Vance asked.
“DiNozzo’s being released from the hospital soon, and he’s gonna to be staying with me until he’s back on his feet.”
“Why do you need to take more time off for that?” Vance asked. “Does he need someone to hold his hand 24 hours a day?”
“He can’t even get out of bed without help, Leon.”
“Doesn’t he have family that can help him out?”
“His mother died when he was a boy,” Gibbs explained. “His father isn’t reliable and he has no siblings.” He paused a moment, then asked, “Haven’t you ever read his file?”
Vance actually looked a little chagrined as he answered, “I scanned it briefly when I took over as director.”
“Maybe if you read it more thoroughly, you might learn a few things,” Gibbs said. He actually hoped the director would read Tony’s file. If he did, he might actually gain some respect for Tony instead of just barely tolerating him because Gibbs wanted Tony on his team.
“You can have the extra week,” Vance said. “We’ll re-evaluate then and see if you need more time,” Vance said.
“Thanks.” Changing the subject, Gibbs asked, “What’s happening with the case?”
“Reynolds’ team closed it,” Vance replied. “Ms. Sciuto matched the voice print from that cell phone call Gator received the night before the murder to one DiNozzo got when he canvassed the neighborhood. They picked the guy up, Reynolds leaned on him a little and he spilled. Bastard had a bomb in his freezer. Got all his accomplices, too, including the killer.”
“Did they find out who shot DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked.
“You’ll never believe it.”
“Try me.”
“It was the mailman.”
“The mailman?”
“Yes, Matt Lane,” Vance said. “He sent hate mail to Gator and DiNozzo and McGee questioned him about it. He later saw DiNozzo talking with everyone in the neighborhood and got worried. According to Lane, he wasn’t trying to kill him; he was just trying to slow the investigation down to give himself enough time to achieve his objective.”
“What I don’t understand is why David and McGee never heard a gunshot.” Gibbs asked.
“It seems he used a silencer,” Vance replied.
“I’ll read the report when I get back to work,” Gibbs said. He didn’t need to hear any more; Vance had just told him all he needed to know about the case. The man who shot his agent was no longer a threat. He changed the subject again, “What are your plans regarding McGee and David.” He already knew Vance’s plans. Abby had already ferreted the information from someone and had told him when she got to the hospital. He just wanted to see if Vance would answer his question.
“McGee and David aren’t your concern,” Vance said.
Gibbs said to himself, I guess that answers that question. Aloud, he said emphatically, “If you plan on bringing them back to the agency, they’re not gonna be on my team.”
“You don’t need to worry about my plans,” Vance said coolly.
Gibbs didn’t have time to get into a verbal sparring match with Leon, and he knew the director would find out soon enough that it wasn’t wise to bring Ziva and McGee back to NCIS, so he let the matter drop. He’d gotten what he came for. He said, “I’ve got things to do. I let you know about that extra week.” He then left the director’s office without another word.
Once Gibbs was out of the office, Vance decided to follow his suggestion and read over DiNozzo’s file more closely. He had been taking the man at face value, but there had to be something about him that made Gibbs keep him on his team for so long. Maybe some of the answers could be found in his file.
The truth was Vance was worried about his plans concerning Agents McGee and David. He had reversed their termination, but had placed official reprimands in their files and then suspended them without pay for two weeks as punishment for their actions, but he was beginning to think Gibbs was right; word had gotten around about what they had done and so far he’d been unable to find any agents willing to work with them. He wasn’t sure he would be able to find a place for them within the agency.
He used his intercom to contact his assistant and had her bring him DiNozzo’s file. He then began to read.
XXXXXXXXXX
Abby was sitting next to Tony’s bed waiting for him to wake up. Gibbs had told her before he left an hour ago that Tony had been exhausted from his physical therapy and had fallen asleep immediately after.
Tony awoke with a moan. Abby reached over and took his hand in hers. “Tony, are you okay?” She asked anxiously.
Tony opened his eyes and looked at her. “I’m fine.” He looked around, then asked, “Where’s Gibbs?” Tony didn’t think the man had left his side for a minute since Ziva and McGee had cornered him in the sunroom, which actually should have felt stifling, but instead gave him a warm feeling inside. Gibbs had said that he considered Tony family. He had considered Gibbs family for a long time, and it was really nice to know that Gibbs felt the same way about him.
“He asked me to come and sit with you because he had to go talk to the director and do some other stuff,” Abby replied. “Not that I didn’t want to come and see you anyway. It’s just I have to work and-”
“It’s fine, Abs,” Tony interrupted. “I know you have to work. I’d rather be at work myself than stuck here.” He shifted in his bed to get more comfortable and groaned involuntarily at the pain the movement caused.
Abby asked again, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Tony replied, “I’m okay. My hip just hurts a bit.” He grabbed the nurse call button and pressed it. “I just need to get a nurse in here to give me my pain meds.”
“But Ducky told me you have a PCA pump,” Abby stated. “Just push the button on that.”
“They took away my pump this morning,” Tony complained.
“Why did they do that?” Abby asked.
Tony explained, “Some nonsense about getting me switched to oral meds before I’m discharged tomorrow.”
Just then the nurse entered. It was Carol again. Tony was beginning to wonder if the woman ever went home. She asked, “What can I get for you, Tony?”
“A little pain relief would be nice.”
Carol walked over to Tony’s bed and handed him a small plastic cup with two pills in it. “Here you go.” She then poured a cup of water and gave it to him.
Tony swallowed the pills with the water and then said, “Now, that’s what I call service.”
“It was time for your pain pills and after that physical therapy session you had earlier, I figured you’d need them,” Carol said.
“Thank you, Carol.”
“Can I do anything else for you while I’m here?” The nurse asked.
“No, thanks,” Tony replied.
“Okay. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything later,” Carol said, then left the room.
After she left Abby observed, “That was kind of hinky.”
“What was hinky?”
“You didn’t flirt with her.”
“Abby, she’s old enough to be my mother,” Tony stated.
“That never stopped you before,” Abby said.
“Well, now that I’m 40, old enough to be my mother takes on a whole new meaning.”
“I guess you’re right,” Abby said. “But something else is kind of hinky, too.”
“What’s that?”
“You voluntarily took pain meds,” Abby said. “You always say they make you loopy.”
Tony said, “Well, there’s the pain you have from a black eye or a sprained ankle, and then there’s pain from a broken hip. Being loopy is a fair trade off.”
They were quiet for several minutes and then Tony said, “You’re being too quiet, Abs. Talk to me.”
“You’re in pain,” Abby said. “I didn’t want to bother you.”
Tony thought that was funny Abby said that, considering the 30-minute conversation they’d just had. “Please, bother me. You can distract me until the pills start working. Tell me what’s going on at the office.”
“Are you sure? ‘Cause Gibbs told me not to bother you too much ‘cause you really need your rest and-”
“It’s fine, Abby,” Tony interrupted. “I want you to bother me.”
Abby started to say something, then stopped. “No, I can’t tell you that.”
“Can’t tell me what?”
“I don’t want you to get upset.”
“You don’t need to treat me like I’m fragile,” Tony stated. “C’mon, spill.”
“Well, I found out yesterday that Vance reversed Ziva and McGee’s termination, so they’re not fired any more.”
Tony chuckled humorlessly. “That figures,” He said. “I wonder what’s next on his agenda. Knowing Vance, he’ll give me a reprimand for laying down on the job, give my job to McGee and give Ziva a raise.”
“I don’t think it’s that bad. He suspended them without pay for two weeks and gave them both formal reprimands.”
“That’s something anyway.”
“I’m so mad about what they did. I’m never speaking to either of them again,” Abby said emphatically. “McGee keeps calling me and when I hear his voice, I just hang up.”
Tony said, “Abby, you don’t have to stop being friends with them just because of me.”
“Oh, it’s not because of you.”
Despite his previous words, Tony couldn’t help but feel a little hurt. “Gee, thanks, Abs.”
“I didn’t mean it that way, Tony,” Abby explained. “I mean it’s not only because of you. If they could leave you without backup, they could do that to Gibbs, or anybody else they happen to be working with.” Abby paused a moment, then said, “Remember what happened to Chris Pacci? He was just following a person of interest in an old embezzlement case with no backup and look what happened to him. He didn’t know Commander Voss and Amanda Reed were the same person. Anything can happen out there and-”
“I know, Abby,” Tony interrupted. “That’s what worries me about Vance letting them keep their jobs. What’s gonna happen to the next person they’re supposed to be backing up.”
TBC
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews and alerts. I really, really appreciate them all.
A/N #2: Spoilers for “Dead Man Talking” in this chapter.
Thanks, little_janie, for finding that boo-boo for me.
A/N #2: Spoilers for “Dead Man Talking” in this chapter.
Thanks, little_janie, for finding that boo-boo for me.