Chapter 9 Saving KATE
Suddenly she hears a crashing sound from outside, within seconds she sees her Gibbs. By the time he sees her, Smith had grabs her head and presses his knife on her neck.
Kate sees his gun pointed at the psycho who was holding her "Let her go you bastard" he hisses.
Gibbs was shock when he saw the crime scene tape was cut as he entered the unit, he froze when he heard her screams but so glad that she is still alive, because he was losing hope. But his relief turns to anger when he sees her sprawled on a bloody bed, mixtures from the previous victims mix with hers.
When he sees her badly bruised faced and body he wants to beat the hell out of him
When he sees blood dripping from her nose and lips he wants to shot the psycho
When he sees her clothing is disarray, he wants to snap the bastard's neck
When he sees her blood from the cut at her chest and stomach, he wants to burn him alive.
When he sees her pants undone, he wants to fucking kill the son of a bitch and he doesn't care how…as long as he is dead and Kate is safe with him.
He hears her whimpers his name with tears down her bruised cheeks, as Smith presses the tip of the knife to her neck.
Gibbs never knows such fear himself, the bastard is not joking, and he has seen his work for many years. Then he heard Tony and McGee coming into the apartment with guns ready.
Smith moves his knife's position, ready to slit her throat, Kate can't breathe, afraid of the inevitable.
‘Kate…" Tony is shocked to see her condition
"Come nearer and I'll slit your pretty friend's throat in half "he said calmly
"Dinozzo, McGee" Gibbs ordered, they both back out in a second. Gibbs heard McGee making calls to O'Brien for back up.
"Special Agent Gibbs…we meet again" he said…"Let her go Smith, you don't want her, you want me!" he replies calmly
"You? What the fuck do I want with you?" he shouts and Kate flinched in fear. "Compare to this pretty little thing I have on my bed…" he hisses and stroke her face and breasts.
Kate can hardly breathe as each breath she took, his knifes knick her neck. She closes her eyes to calm herself down, at least Gibbs is with her, and she feels better.
Gibbs tries to buy time and reason with Smith, hoping that O'Brien can plan and execute the mission. He hears McGee still in communication with HQ and O'Brien
"At least let my M.E take a look at her" he is trying not to look at her. The less the psycho knows about how he feels towards Kate the better it is.
"For what Special Agent Gibbs? What good is it for me?" he cocks his head and looks at Gibbs. "If you hurt a federal agent, there's nothing I can do to ease your sentence" he tries to reason.
At that time, Gibbs hears several cars arriving and plenty of activities near the lot.
‘I've killed many… I killed my own lover, my own flesh and blood, killing a mere federal agent is not going to make a difference" he laughs. The Psycho kisses Kate's hair and licks her face. Kate snaps and knocks her head at him. Her strength and movement are coming back.
If it's not because of her headache she feels that she can do more. Smith is surprised to find her fighting back. Gibbs thought it was the wrong moves, as he notices the frantic look in his eyes.
Then, O'Brien enters the scene with his gun ready to shot, which freaks Smith even more. He grabs her hair roughly towards him. The movement causes such a pain she screams.
‘Pull your men out or I'll swear to the devil I'll carve her life out of her" he shouts. O'Brien doesn't move an inch.
With no warning he pulls Kate's Sig Sauer from his back, holding the nozzle, he hits her head with one blow. "Touch her again and I'll blow a hole to your head" Gibbs shouts, he couldn't believe his eyes…he only hear her yelps of pain…once, and she falls unconscious.
"Pull your men out NOW" Smith bellows.
O'Brien moves out of the room. Gibbs grits his teeth in frustration and fear. They have to do something fast, Kate is unconscious; she looks horribly pale and lifeless.
Meanwhile O'Brien and his team, station themselves with SWAT on the opposite building. As O'Brien enters he finds Dinozzo with a SWAT sniper standing by. Dinozzo is glued to his binoculars watching the scene across the building. O'Brien gives him the positive go ahead, to shoot.
Tony sees his boss still talking to the psycho as he holds Kate to his chest. The sniper has to wait patiently to make sure she is not in the range. The minutes seem like hours while Kate is unconscious in the hand of the killer.
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Dr. Mallard is waiting anxiously outside the apartment door with 2 SWAT members. Ducky hears a single loud riffle shot from the inside, followed by Gibbs' shouts, calling his name.
When Ducky and McGee enter the scene, they are shocked, so much blood. Ducky thought his Caitlyn is dead. He feels better when SWAT comes in to check on the man with a hole on his head, laying face down on the bed.
Gibbs is cutting the ropes that bounds her limbs, McGee helped. Kate is in a sorry state and in grave danger.
Gibbs is holding her, he is scared, her clothes are disarray, and blouse opened, shows the cuts and bruised. He turns his head, sees Ducky froze.
"Ducky, what the hell are you doing, standing?" he asks. Ducky quickly makes an attempt to help Kate. He quickly check for her pulse, breathing and broken bones. Tony arrives in the room, breathless, relief to see the bastard dead, but to see his friend poor condition.
"Is she Ok boss?' he asks Gibbs who is holding her. They are all shaken by her state. It seems like hours, waiting for the paramedics, damn it, they should have arrived with SWAT.
Not wanting to wait longer, Gibbs carries her down the stairs after Ducky secured her neck. The ambulance arrives within seconds.
They all want to know how Kate is doing, but since Gibbs orders them to stay put and process the scene, they did.
Kate feels the ground move. What's going on she thought, she hears a male voice talking to her, somehow his voice soothe her, but can the ground stop moving? Her head is killing her.
"Stop it" she said, "Don't move", "Please stop it" she repeats, and she dares not open her eyes, afraid of the acute pain.
Then she can recognize their voices, its Gibbs and Ducky. She opens her eyes right away, hoping to see the familiar faces, instead she is greeted by a nauseating headache, and she raises herself and throws up.
Her eyes are teary, she can't focus, and her hands are reaching out blindly, trying to bear her surrounding. She is not as cold anymore, but she feels worse than before, she can't control her limbs yet.
Somebody stop her from moving, but the restriction just piss and scare her even more. Out of fear and frustration she starts crying.
Once more, she hears the soothing voice; talking to her while somebody is holding her hand and shoulders. She doesn't really catch what they are saying, but she calms down a great deal. Voices are telling her that she is safe now and she is among her friends.
She lies down as she is told but she still cries anyway, her body hurts. She doesn't care if her brothers call her a wimp. She yelps when she fells a sharp pain of her left hand, people are fussing over her from her head to her middle body, they hurt.
Damn it, she feels another sharp pain, this time it's on her arms.
She knew that her brothers will laugh their head off if they saw her crying like a baby. She feels another waves of head splitting headache that cause her to hurls again.
She is bombarded by needles, on her stomach, her hips, everywhere… Damn it! She thought, stops poking her with needles!!! She also hears Ducky talking non stop, doesn't really comprehend him, but she feels better and slowly lulls back into her black oblivion
Ducky is barking orders to the paramedics for the entire journey to the hospital. He feels that they are incompetent fools; he ended up taking care of Caitlyn by himself. And for the 1st time in history, Gibbs didn't cut him off.
Gibbs sat next to her, holding her hand and stroking her head, when she starts crying, he didn't know what to do. All he knows is that she is in terrible pain and terrified.
When she started trashing around trying to wake up, all he can do is hold her down and talk to her. He feels hopeless and angry at himself, how could he let this happen to her, she is his responsibility, she lies there in front of him, cold, weak and in pain. Gibbs feels like crying himself.
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It's been almost two hours since she's been admitted to the hospital, yet…no news. Gibbs is drinking his 6th cup of coffee, pacing in the waiting areas; Ducky is sitting down, looking at his own shoes. Dinozzo, McGee and Abby just arrive and they are all sitting down, looking at each other.
O'Brien is on the phone, taking to his agents and HQ, instructing them to close the case. Later on, he is on his mobile talking seriously to the Director after he signals Gibbs.
As the ER room is opened, they all stands up in unison and rush to the doctor who is rather shock to find five very distinct people standing in front of him.
One introduces himself as her M.E, another lady with a tattoo is crying and talking at the same time, another 2 men rather young are looking at him desperately and another older man who is obviously the leader of the pack just looks mad.
"She is now sedated, in the ICU…the next 24 hours are critical, but she is stable and resting" he goes on "severe concussion to the head, cuts, bruises, no fractured bones, but I'm afraid of internal bleeding at the stomach region", the verdict goes on, They are all very quiet now, "She was also drugged heavily, dehydrated, with some stomach ulcers, not a big deal" he looks at his chart, not a big deal? Gibbs thought.
"Hairlines fractures on her cheek bones… but after 24 hours or more if there is no internal bleeding, she should be all right, then we shall move her out of the ICU" he finishes. Gibbs blanched as he listened to the verdict from the doctor. Ducky is just nodding his head, while the rest of them just listen and gaped at the doctor.
"I need a copy of your report for our investigation Doc" Gibbs said gruffly then looks at Ducky. "Yes of course' the Doctor quickly reply, afraid to offend Gibbs.
"Can we see her?" Abby asks the M.D following him to the nurse station, later on he gives Gibbs a copy of his report which Gibbs straight away gives to Ducky.
"She is heavily sedated right now, when she's awake, she'll be in great pain, so we need to drug her again, so I don't think it is wise to see your friend right now, perhaps when she is out of the ICU" and the Doctor left.
O'Brien signals Gibbs as they talk privately in the corner. When Gibbs returns, they are all standing around Ducky who is still reading Kate's medical chart, shaking his head. "She'll be fine guys" that's all Ducky said and he fold the papers and stuff it in his suit pocket and sits down.
Gibbs asks Tony, McGee and Abby to go back to the HQ or home but received a strong retaliation. All of them refused to go and refused to look at Gibbs as he glares at them; Tony is making phone calls, McGee is buying his team coffee and Abby pretend to be busy with her PDA.
‘Ducky, c'mon" Gibbs calls Ducky as he walks out of the corridor, going to the head.
"So? What is it? How is she?" he asks his M.E. Nothing passes this man Ducky coughs nervously…."It doesn't look terrible Jethro…but I want to spare them the details" he said as he pulls out the report.
"Oh Jethro…our Caitlyn will be in great pain for the first week…she'll be hooked in IV, lots of antibiotic injections, tetanus, not to forget the internal bleeding due to multiple blow to her stomach…I guessing he kicked her from the bruised pattern…the fact that she was drugged with unknown doses by a psycho, concussion…I can go on Jethro…" Ducky folds the report back.
"She'll be all right Ducky" as Gibbs left the head, she has to be all right, that woman is so strong headed and stubborn, she would never give up on herself, Gibbs calms himself down.
He walks back to the waiting area, that's now fill with more people, waiting for their love ones. It is bleak scenery; he sees some of them crying, even a very big gentleman is crying like a woman, Gibbs doesn't judge him.
He sits next to Abby who is fiddling with her PDA and two mobile phones on her hands and lap. "I've managed to transfer Kate old mobile information to the new one", Abby explains to her boss, not looking up to him. Gibbs is staring at Abby, she is good he thought.
When Gibbs looks up in front of him, McGee is standing with coffee in his hand. "Thanks" he said, "No problem boss" as he goes around handing out coffee to his team mates.
It was 8pm when Gibbs shakes Tony and McGee, waking them up and chasing them home. Abby refuses to listen to his threat and she starts crying, then Gibbs gives up. It was almost midnight when Gibbs asks Abby to send Ducky home, and she did.
She left him Kate's new mobile in his hand "Perhaps she'll be up tonight and she can have her phone, give it to her boss man" as they left.
Since this noon, Gibbs checks in with the nurse station at every hour. The nursed were annoyed, then pissed, then annoyed, then pissed again. But never once they ignored him because he looks pissed and grumpy too. Then by midnight they felt sorry for him, they also sees the dozens cups of coffee on the table.
Finally, past midnight, an old nurse said that he can wait inside with her. When he enters the cold ICU he sees Kate sleeping with IV and all kind of things and machines hooked up to her small lifeless body.
There are going in and out of his Kate, from her nose, mouth, hands…She is so pale, she looks like she is in deep pain, and the bruises on her face have turn green and blue.
Gibbs pulls a chair to her bed. He gently holds her cold hand and kisses it. He places her hand to his face. He feels his tears' falling… that's how he finally sleeps, with his face down beside Kate's body.
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Kate's POV
Her throat is dry, her lips are cracked badly, her head hurts, and her body hurts, her limbs and bones hurt. It hurts to breath.
That's all she feels when she is up. Bloody hell! She thought. She is in 9th level of hell, as she listens to the bloody beep beep beep beep machines beside her. Feeling the needles on both her arms and hands, she wishes she is dead.
She feels cold, really uncomfortable, she got to get out of here, a nice warm bath would be great, nice…. Let's go, she told herself…wrong moves.
She hears a scream in her head. Damn ! who on earth is screaming their head off?...oh that was me…As she realizes that she raised her head and upper body that cause a sadistic twisting pain in her abdomen region…She has to go home and all the tubes around her, the hell with them, she has enough of shit.
Kate feels two strong hands stopping her erratic movements of pulling the useless tubes. "Help" she whispers
"Kate…Kate…hey…it's ok…it's me Gibbs" he tries to stop her. "Gibbs…help me pull these things off me" she wails, keeps pulling her left IV, then she hurls on her side, her head hurts, Gibbs notice a yellowish discharge from her mouth.
"Take me home Gibbs…" she cries and pleads to him.
Gibbs pushed the nurse button the moment she hurls. "Ok Kate…ok I'll take you home" he lies as he sees no other way to calm her down. By the time the nurse arrived, she's pulled her IV and oxygen tubes.
The nurse disappeared for a few minutes and comes back with a sedative injection, but some damaged is done, some of her stitches were open. Gibbs is frantic, this time holding her shoulders down.
The nurse jabs her thigh and Kate is pissed, she screams at the addition pain, but soon she calm down. She acknowledge Gibbs for the first time, she realizes where she is. She begs him to take her home, but all he did was telling her that he will. He strokes her hair and wipes her tears.
Few seconds later she fells unconscious. The nurse fixes her IV back, but her vein is now bleeding and swollen, so she changed place.
Gibbs is glad he was there with her. So when the old nurse told him that his wife will be asleep for few hours and he can go home to rest, he almost laugh.
It is early in the morning when Dinozzo and Ducky arrive; they bring him coffee and food, force feed him, this time both of them ignores his infamous death glares.
Gibbs goes back home to shower and change; as he is standing underneath the hot shower, he recalled her cries of pain, begging him to take her home. He wishes he could do more than holding her hands and talking to her.
Gibbs is about to exists his house when Kate's mobile rings. He knew the caller ID, Secret Service HQ, ‘Gibbs" he answers…
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Abby and McGee arrive at the hospital by 9 am. They each go in to the ICU for a few minutes to see Kate. Gibbs sees Abby is resting her head on Ducky's shoulder, holding his arm, whilst Tony and McGee sat on the chair with coffee on their hands.
Gibbs grabs both their coffee as he walks past them, gulping them down in several minutes. "Dinozzo, you are responsible for the paperwork, make sure you hands them in to the Director by hand" Gibbs states
"Sure boss" Tony replies
"McGee, help O'Brien's team wrapping up the cold case" Gibbs continue, "provide them with information they need to do it", "Yes Boss" McGee answers.
"Abby, why don't you finish your reports and help Palmer with Ducky's and gives them to Dinozzo when you two are done, he'll know what to do", He states, "Ducky and I will be here until he is called back"
‘Dinozzo, keep me updated. Also, there is an important paperwork I want you to bring to the Director, no question asks Dinozzo, do you understand me?" he looks at his seriously.
No argument as they go back to NCIS. Gibbs sits next to his M.E. Ducky is looking at Gibbs, somehow feeling his pain and frustration, he couldn't believe the unfortunate events.
He tries to jokes with Gibbs, " Jethro, the one of the nice looking nurse is saying that Caitlyn's husband has gone home to rest…" he eyed Gibbs knowingly, " I have no Idea our Caitlyn is married…my…my" Ducky shakes his head. Gibbs smirks, "very funny Ducky".
Ducky feels sorry for his friend Jethro, just as he and Kate finally realized and admit to each other that they are meant for each other, another tragedy hit both hard on the face, almost ruining everything.
"Jethro… you have to hang on, you'll make it…somehow because it's all worth it son…" He places his hand to Gibbs, who is sitting next to him with his hands covering his tired face.
"You have to be stronger for the both of you…for the future that you guys deserved" he continues, but Ducky stops talking because he sees Kate's M.D facing them, "We have to keep her in the ICU for another day, she is not ready to be transfer to regular ward, her vital is not stable yet…I'll let you guys now when things chance…" the MD is disturbed by a beep by the nurse station few feet behind them.
All hell broke loose, Ducky and Gibbs see nurses and Doctors running to the ICU.
They are both white on their faces. Gibbs wants to enter the ICU doors, but Ducky is holding him back, asking him to stay put, he tells him that he is no help to them and they are a hindrance more than help. "Jethro you are no help to them… you have to understand" he tries explaining to the panicked and close to tears Gibbs.
Ducky never sees him cry before; not when his three wives left him, not when he was beaten by clubs, not when he was hurt in the field. Dr. Mallard feels his own tears on his face too…
Fifteen minutes feel like hours. The panic is over when Ducky and Gibbs see a body is wheeled out of the ICU, which is greeted by the deceased grieving family members.
"God damn it!" Gibbs swears under his breath, he is holding Ducky unto his feet. "Ducky, I think you should go back to HQ…" as he slowly accompanies the aging M.E to his car.
Gibbs receives a call on his mobile, "Gibbs". "Boss, its Dinozzo" Gibbs knows right away why his agent call; he can hear the anger and confusion from his voice. "Why boss? I don't understand…" He asks
"You will soon Dinozzo! Right now, just do what I said" Gibbs hangs up on him. He feels guilty to him, especially Tony is close to Kate, and they are partners. He must be shocked to finds out the paperwork to be given to the Director is a transfer form for Special Agent Todd to O'Brien's team.
After he checked on Kate and stayed with her for an hour. Gibbs goes back to his HQ. O'Brien is walking in to the Director's office. He sees Gibbs' agent, Dinozzo, storming out of the Director's office, walking towards the elevator, O'Brien thought, if looks could kill, he'll finds a dead body in the Director's office.
After O'Brien finished his paperwork with the Director, he quickly exits the room. He is heading towards "the Goth tattooed chick" as his young agent James called her, when he suddenly witness a shouting match between Gibbs and Dinozzo, with the Goth chick in the middle, trying to break them off with no result.
O'Brien also notices the M.E, Ducky, walking towards the closed lab, pass O'Brien in a hurry, talking to himself, "Oh dear…oh dear…lord has mercy"
O'Brien sighs and shakes his head, hoping his colleague won't kill anybody before the week end. He smirks,"Damn! When love strikes, It strikes hard" especially to an ex hard ass Marine like Gibbs. O'Brien is glad that he is married, no divorce and a glorified Grandpa, soon. And he left the match back to his bullpen.
The shouting match is over within minutes, but it was bad. Abby is crying, Ducky is shaking his head, Tony has murders in his eyes and Gibbs looks like he is going to kill somebody, storming out the forensic lab.
After the incident, Tony is not talking to his boss. Instead he goes to O'Brien's bullpen. Gibbs is back in his bullpen with coffee in his hand, he is filling request day off form and drop it in the Director's office on his way out to the hospital.
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It is 2pm when he arrived. He is surprised to find Ducky and Abby already there, sitting close to each other in the waiting room…Abby stands up and hugs Gibbs tightly…"I was mad at you…but not anymore Gibbs…I understand and I am sure that Tony will too, when he finds out" Gibbs kisses her temple "thanks Abs" he said.
"I am actually glad, you made the decision" she continues, she grins but her eyes and nose are still red from crying.
They don't have to tell him twice to eat. He was hungry and tired, but don't realize that until he starts wolfing down the food Abby brought. By 6 pm they force Gibbs to go home for some rest, assuring him that they'll be there while he was not.
Gibbs goes home, showers and sleep, exhausted. He tells himself that his Kate is safe and everything will be all right, as he lulls to sleep.
-Tbc-nova2006-edited
Author's Chapter Notes:
Can they find and save her in time?
Chapter End Notes:
Next chapter will takes longer to post, sorry... I gotta go where there is no real civilization.