"You know what Gibbs threatened if you're late back from lunch one more time, Dinozzo..."
Tony turned as he reached the curb and smiled at Kate winningly.
"Aw. Kind of you to be so concerned for my welfare, Kate." he teased as he activated the walk signal.
"I'm not. I'd actually *enjoy* watching Gibbs drag you into a gym and whip your ass in the boxing ring again. I'm just afraid if he blames me for you being late, he won't let me be there."
"Cute. The stand's right across the street. I'll be thirty seconds and I've got... ten minutes. You go on up. I swear, thirty seconds."
"The longer you talk..."
"Ha-ha. Go, little Miss GTS." He chided as the signal finally changed and he began to cross the street.
"Miss what?" Kate shot back angrily, certain it was something insulting. Tony turned and began to walk backwards as he responded.
"Goody Two Shoes, Kate! Geez, where did you go to grade school anyway?" he said, grinning wickedly. When Kate suddenly screamed at him, he started to turn back, but by that point it was too late to completely save himself.
"Tony, watch out! Move, damn it!"
Stunned, Kate could only watch as a car sped through the crosswalk, clipping Tony hard and throwing him briefly into the air. For a moment time froze for Kate, as if God had held up his hand and whispered 'Stop'. When her senses re-engaged, Tony was lying on the pavement on his left side, utterly still. "Dinozzo! God, Tony..."
As Kate rushed to check on him, she was pulling out her cell phone and frantically dialing Gibbs' number upstairs.
"Yeah."
"It's Kate... I'm right in front of the building... you need to get down here, Gibbs. There's been an accident."
"What kind of accident?" Jethro asked tensely, sitting up straight in his desk chair.
"Tony... he was hit by a car. I think he's okay... it just bumped him..."
"I'm on my way."
Tossing her phone back in her pocket, Kate knelt beside her colleague and gently touched his face, but she was careful not to move him.
"Tony? Tony, can you hear me?"
Gradually, Tony began to moan and turned his eyes up to Kate. When he started to shift to his back, she stopped him. "Stay still, okay? I called Gibbs. He'll be here any second..."
"God... my leg... it hurts..."
"Easy... help's coming."
A minute later, Gibbs joined Kate, dropping to one knee by Tony's side. Strangers started to gather, but Gibbs' glare kept them at a distance.
"Rescue is on the way. Tony... you alright?"
"Yeah... I think it just... knocked me for a loop..."
"You in pain?"
"My leg... where it hit me... don't know how bad..."
"Relax. You'll be okay. Just relax and don't move..."
"Gotcha, boss..." Tony responded with a weak smile. The paramedics and an ambulance showed up a few minutes later. Tony was swiftly fitted with a protective collar and examined for life-threatening injuries.
"Mr. Dinozzo, is there anything we need to know about? Allergies, illness, a recent fall..." one medic asked.
"No allergies. Doctor says... I shouldn't hit my head... done it too many times..."
"You're pretty coherent so I don't think that's a problem. Are you hurting anywhere?"
"Left leg..."
The other EMT carefully checked it and grimaced.
"Feels like it's broken... the hip may be dislocated. Hang on, okay? We're going to get you to the hospital."
Once Tony had been loaded into the ambulance, Gibbs tried to climb in, but he was blocked.
"I'm sorry, sir. If you aren't family..."
"I'm his boss and I'm the only family he has right now."
The attendant debated with himself briefly, but he knew getting his patient help was the priority.
"Okay. C'mon in."
Gibbs glared fiercely at Kate.
"We will discuss this later."
"I understand, boss."
"Go tell the others what happened, then sit at your desk and wait to hear from me."
"Okay." Kate replied, forcing back tears as she watched Gibbs climb up and the doors of the ambulance slam shut.
---
THIRTY MINUTES LATER:
Kate was at her desk as she'd been ordered, but she wasn't alone. Abby sat close to her, one arm around her shoulders, and Ducky and McGee stood a few inches away, talking softly.
"It wasn't your fault, Kate. You weren't driving the car..."
"I should have stopped him... made him come upstairs without the stupid newspaper... I should have done something... I just stood there..."
"Kate, quit it, okay? Tony is who he is. He would've crossed the street no matter what you said or did."
"I know..."
"Then stop the blame game. Tony's gonna be fine. He may be in a cast for a few weeks, but he'll be fine."
"If it wasn't my fault then why did Gibbs blame me? Tony isn't a toddler and I'm not his babysitter."
"Jethro was upset, that's all." Ducky interjected. "When things calm down, he'll be himself again. Just tell him exactly what occurred. That's all he can expect."
"It's not all I expect from myself..." Kate murmured, sitting forward and powering up an automobile search database on her computer.
"You said it happened too fast for you to get the plates." Abby reminded her.
"But I saw the car... and if there's even a scrap of information out there, I'm gonna find it."
-------
THE HOSPITAL:
"Agent Gibbs?"
"Here. How's Agent Dinozzo?"
"In and out of consciousness thanks to the morphine. Both bones in his left lower leg are badly broken. I'm afraid he'll be out of commission for a few weeks."
"His hip?"
"There was no dislocation. There was, however, a fracture in his pelvis."
Gibbs took a deep breath, working insanely hard to maintain control.
"How bad?"
"Fairly severe. It will take a while to heal. Possibly, longer than the leg."
"Will he be able to use crutches?"
"I can't risk it. Even if you've used them before, they can be difficult to navigate. If he were to fall..."
"I understand. Wheelchair then."
"Just for the first week or two. Once his primary physician can follow up and confirm that the pelvic fracture has stabilized and begun to heal, then crutches will be an option."
"He doesn't need surgery?"
"Right now it doesn't look like it. Both areas of fracture were pretty clean and they should heal well without any intervention. It will take time, and he'll need physical therapy when the cast comes off, but he'll be fine. You can see him now. The nurses will show you."
"How long will he be here?"
"A few days. It shouldn't be longer than that unless complications come up."
"Do you anticipate complications?"
"Always. That way I'm never caught off guard." The doctor replied, smiling and walking away. Since that had been the answer he would have given, Gibbs allowed himself a small echo of that smile as he pulled out his phone and headed into the depths of the ER to find Tony.
"Kate?"
"Here, boss. I've made progress on finding the car that hit Tony."
"Good work."
"You're not mad. Why aren't you mad?"
"Dinozzo was hurt... it was heat of the moment. I know it wasn't your fault."
Kate released a deep sigh and most of her pent up stress.
"How is he?"
"Broken leg and pelvis."
"Oh, God..."
"He'll be fine, Kate."
"How long will he be out of work?"
"A few weeks. He'll be in a wheelchair for the first couple."
"Oh, no... he'll be hell to deal with."
"No doubt. Update the others and keep working on the car. I want the son of a bitch."
"On it."
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