AUTHOR'S NOTES: Just a little thought I had since I'm having one of the worst colds of my life. This takes place in season 6 but because of the quote, I threw Kate in for the hell of it.
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Kate: You've never had a cold?
Gibbs: Nope. Never had the flu, either.
Kate: Why do I believe him?
Tony: If you were a bug, would you attack Gibbs?
SWAK
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NCIS: If You Were A Bug….
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On the microscopic level…
"I'm not doing it, you do it."
"I'm not suicidal! You attack him!"
"We'll both do it, okay? On three. One… Two…"
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"ACHOO!!"
Tony DiNozzo, Ziva David, Kate Todd, and Tim McGee all looked up at once when they heard a loud sneeze followed by a hoarse cough usually reserved for smokers.
"Boss?" Tony asked, looking at Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he sat down at his desk and blew his nose.
"What, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said in a barely audible voice.
"You okay, Gibbs?" Kate asked.
"Do I look or sound okay?" Gibbs rasped.
"Actually, you sound—" McGee started to say but he stopped when he saw Gibbs' look. "Um… Abby wanted to see you when you got in, Boss. Something about the last case."
After another round of coughing, Gibbs nodded and headed for the elevator, sneezing again as he got in.
Looking at his co-workers, Tony said, "I wouldn't want to be the bug Gibbs has right now."
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Down in the lab of Abby Scuito, Gibbs stopped to cough again and made a mental note to personally shoot Tobias Fornell if he ever asked for a babysitting favor again when the girl was sick with the flu.
"Gibbs?"
"What, Abby?" Gibbs asked, his voice almost gone.
"You look like hell, Gibbs," Abby said, looking concerned.
'And I feel like Hell, too,' Gibbs signed, thankful that he didn't have to talk out loud with Abby. 'What did you want to see me about? McGee said it was something regarding the Molizinski case.'
"Actually, that was a ruse," Abby admitted, going to her office and grabbing a long, thin package. Coming back into the lab she handed it out to her boss and friend. "I found this at a flea market last week."
Gibbs opened the package and pulled out a Winchester rifle just like the one his father had. 'Thanks, Abby.'
"There's more," Abby said, beaming as she handed a gift bag over. "Fornell dropped it off this morning."
Gibbs set the rifle down and pulled out a piece of construction paper with a drawing from Emily showing her and Gibbs looking sick and holding hankerchiefs. At the top were the words 'Sorry I got you sick, Uncle Gibbs'. Gibbs smiled and pulled out a couple boxes of cold and flu meds, cough drops and finally, a brand-new bottle of burbon with a note from Fornell. 'If the drugs don't work maybe this will. I owe you one, Jethro.' Looking up, Gibbs saw Abby holding out two small evidence jars.
"Don't give me that look, Gibbs," Abby said, taking the liquor bottle and opening it up, pouring each of them a shot. Smiling as she held a jar to Gibbs, she added, "It's medicinal."
Toasting Abby, Gibbs threw back the shot and said, "Thanks, Abby."
"Gibbs," Abby replied, pouring another shot for the two of them. "Stick to signing right now. You sound terrible."
Gibbs started to laugh but broke off when he started coughing again.