Chapter 28
Tony looked up at the sound of his name. He smiled to see his friends, his family there, in Ohio, walking down the hall towards him. Faces full of genuine concern for him and for his daughter. He had been sitting outside Olivia's ICU room for the past half hour, head in his hands. He had been holding back his tears. He was trying so hard to keep it together, but seeing his friends, knowing that they had dropped everything, just for him. It was more than overwhelming. He hugged Gibbs first and Gibbs hugged him back.
"Our girl is going to be okay, Tony." Gibb whispered in his ear.
It was Tim's turn next, another quick hug and more reassurances. Then it was Ziva's turn. She looked Tony in the eyes, her gaze seeming to penetrate his soul. She wiped his tears as they began to flow.
"Olivia is too much like her father to let this beat her." Ziva said. "She is a strong young woman. She will be fine." She smiled. "After all, she is a DiNozzo."
The words meant more to Tony than he could express in words. He wrapped his arms around Ziva, hugging her tightly. Tony stood that way for a few moments, his gaze drifting into his daughter's room through the glass partition.
Olivia lay, unconscious in a hospital bed in ICU. Her injuries included a concussion, broken ribs, and skull fracture. She also had a crushed left leg. She seemed to be hooked up to every variety of machine available. There were tubes snaking everywhere. But the one machine that scared Tony the most was the respirator. He was so afraid that she would not be able to come off of it. He was afraid she would not wake up.
"She just came out of surgery about 20 minutes ago." Tony said, still staring at his daughter and talking to no one in particular. "She never woke up. Not in the helicopter. Not in recovery..." Tony paused. "Nobody's used the "c" word yet. But…" Tony chocked up. "…I don't see how it's not possible. She's so…still…so quiet." Tony shook his head. "She's been through so much…hurt so bad."
"You will not lose her, Tony." Gibbs said.
"How can you be so sure? She…she's …." Tony sunk into one of the chairs in the ICU waiting room. He looked up at Gibbs. "It's not like you can order her to get better. In case you forgot, she's not afraid of you."
Gibbs sat down beside Tony. He put his hand on Tony's shoulder. "No, she's not afraid of me and, no, I can't order her to do anything. She will get better because she has you. She has her family. She has us. She has a lot of people who care and who WANT her to get better. But mostly she'll get better because she is as stubborn and as bullheaded as her father." Gibbs paused. "Like Ziva said, she is a DiNozzo."
Tony couldn't help but smile. Tony's attention was then drawn to the door of his daughter's room. Jacob and Sallie were talking quietly to the doctor. Then Sallie suddenly turned to her husband and buried her head in his chest. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Tony excused himself from Ziva's embrace and went over to them.
"What…?" Tony began.
Jacob looked at him. "She's…she's taken a turn for the worse, the doctor said. Her EEG, she's in a…a coma."
Tony backed away from Jacob shaking his head. He hadn't heard right. It was not possible. He had just found out he had a daughter. He couldn't lose her, not like this. Suddenly the weariness and worry he was feeling caught up with him. He stumbled backwards slightly and was relieved to find two strong hands steadying him from behind, Gibbs. Gibbs, Tim and Ziva followed Tony. They had stood a little ways back, trying to give Tony some space. But they had heard what the doctor said.
Tony then took a chair and sat as the room began to spin around him. He cradled his head in his hands. A few moments later he stood and went into Olivia's room. He stared down at his daughter. He reached his hand in through the tangle of wires and tubes until he found her hand. He squeezed it tightly. He took his other hand and smoothed her hair.
Tony bent down and whispered. "It's your daddy, Baby. It's DaddyT. I'm right here. Gibbs, Grandpa is here too, and Ziva, and Tim. We're all here, Baby. I love you." He kissed her lightly on the forehead before he straightened back up.
Tony planted himself in a chair beside his daughter's bed. Hours passed, then they turned into a day, then two days. Tony didn't sleep and had very little to eat. Jacob and Sallie encouraged him to go and get some rest. He refused to leave his daughter's bedside while they took terms keeping vigil. They had both offered to keep Tony up to date on her condition. And Tony had no doubt that they would. He just couldn't bring himself to leave. He feared not hearing the phone or not getting back in time, from wherever he was. He knew he could never forgive himself if something like that happened. The best thing for him, right now, was to be there, right there by his daughter's side.
The nursing staff made sure to provide him with food. But Tony would just pick at it, or not eat it at all. Gibbs could not even get him to eat. He had threatened. He had ordered. Nothing worked. Nobody was going to convince him that he should be anywhere else. Tony also was not sleeping. He sat in his chair beside Olivia's bed and fought sleep. It was almost like watching a small child when they absolutely refuse to go to bed. Even though his eyes were drooping and he staggered when he did get try to get up and walk around. He refused sleep. He, again, didn't want to miss anything.
Gibbs walked into the room to visit Olivia and to check on Tony. It has been a long couple days for everybody. Tony stood. He took just one step before he collapsed, his days of not sleeping or eating catching up with him. Gibbs caught Tony and eased him to the floor. Gibbs put his hand to Tony's neck to check his pulse. Gibbs sighed in relief when he felt one. He kept his hand on Tony's chest to check his breathing as he waited for the nurse, who showed up seconds later.
Everyone was so preoccupied with Tony they had not seen the slight movement of the fingers on Olivia's left hand.
TBC
End Note: I know. I know. 'Shame on you, bad writer,' for leaving you guys hanging. But, I also know, WAY down deep, you all just love a good 'cliffie.'
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