Summary: McGee is drugged and the team is growing concern for his declining health, but McGee isn't buying that it's more than just a bug. How severe will his symptoms get before he agrees to go to the hospital?
I'm not sure if I'm going to have some McAbby in this one. I never did a McAbby story, but I've been thinking about doing one.
Ding dong!
The sound of his doorbell woke me up with a jolt. I turned to face my alarm clock, seeing it was only 0600. Did I imagine the doorbell ringing, or was someone actually at my door?
Ding dong!
I groaned, then sat up on the bed. Who the hell would be at the door this early?
DiNozzo, probably.
I stood up, throwing pants on and made my way to the door. I opened it quickly, "DiNozzo! I-" I stopped shortly seeing that it wasn't DiNozzo starring at my door with an evil grin as I imagined, but a short lady probably the same age as me. She held a pitcher of pink liquid and a huge white smile on her face. Her lips were coated a crimson red, her eyes were a bright, beautiful green. She had long, wavy red hair and a fair complexion. I certainly did not expect to see her.
"Uhm, hi?" I said, making it sound like a question. But, I couldn't deny that I was smiling too. She looked beautiful.
Pull it together, don't pull a DiNozzo.
"Hi, I'm your new neighbor, Charlotte Medina." She gave another huge smile.
"Timothy McGee." I smiled and gave my hand. She shifted the pitcher uncomfortably, trying to shake it. We both awkwardly laughed. "Sorry. Oh, I made some strawberry lemonade as a gift." She handed the pitcher to me. I took it with a smile, "Why thank you, that's so sweet." I said with a laugh, suddenly feeling too comfortable with her. I gave another awkward smile.
"I'm sorry for coming so early, but I heard you wake up really early for your job, so I wanted to catch you before you left." She gave a nervous laugh.
"Oh, no I don't mind. I was already up." I lied, when in fact I was pretty annoyed thinking it was DiNozzo.
We stood there awkwardly smiling at each other. "Uhm, why don't you come in?" I offered, even though I knew I needed to get ready for work.
She smiled, "Oh, no, I have to get going. I have a book to write."
That caught my attention. "Oh, you're a writer?" I asked, my smile bigger this time.
"I wouldn't say a professional writer, but I published a few." She looked away as if embarrassed.
"That's cool! I'm a writer too, I-" I stopped, remembering that my books weren't even under my names. Gosh, what an idiot. I hope she doesn't ask to see them.
"Really? That's cool." She smiled, then we stood at the door silently again. "Well, I have to get going. I hope you like the lemonade." She smiled again then turned and walked off. I could hear a door open and shut.
I exhaled, not knowing I was holding my breath, then closed the door softly. I made my way to the kitchen and placed the pitcher down. Pouring a glass, I chugged the strawberry lemonade down then quickly made my way to the bathroom to shower.
I wasn't the type to fall instantly with someone at first sight, but there was something different about her. Something about her just made my stomach feel weird, and made me excited just thinking about her beautiful smile and dark, red hair.
With another deep breath, I finished getting ready and made my way to NCIS.
"Hey, McSmiley, what you so happy about?" Came DiNozzo's voice as I entered the squad room. I rolled my eyes with a smile. I couldn't seem to stop smiling after meeting Charlotte.
Get a grip, I thought, She won't be interested.
"Meet someone last night?" DiNozzo questioned with a grin.
"More like this morning." I said absent mindlessly.
"Oh, really?" DiNozzo playfully winked. I rolled my eyes.
"Just a new neighbor." I smiled at the thought of her again.
Suddenly, DiNozzo inhaled sharply, "Ah, a neighbor. That's never good."
I frowned, "And why's that?"
"Well, if anything ever goes bad, it's awkward. You see each other every single day. Especially since you live in an apartment complex." He shook his head making a tsk tsk tsk sound.
Ziva rolled her eyes. "I'm sure everything will be fine, McGee." She smiled her warm, comforting smile.
"Thanks, Ziva." I said in return, then began checking my e-mail.
DiNozzo began laughing again, "I remember this one time I hooked up with a neighbor and-"
Gibbs strolled in, coffee in hand, interrupting his story. "Grab your gear, got a dead petty officer."
We all jumped out of our seats, grabbed our gear and raced to the elevator.
"Name's Petty Officer Garrett Taylor. 30 years old, has a wife and two kids." I read off the device in my hand that identified our victim. It looked like he was strangled in the middle of Wakefield Town Forest Park, which was popular in the D.C. area and seemed to always be filled with people day and night. Whoever killed the man was definitely taking a huge risk killing Taylor where people could witness.
"Time of Death, duck?" Gibbs questioned as I started to take pictures of our dead Petty Officer.
"Seems to be between 2200 and 2400 hours last night, Jethro." Duck answered. "Our victim here definitely fought back." He added as I was taking pictures of the drag marks in the grass.
"COD?" Gibbs ordered.
"Looks like he's been strangled." Duck answered as he and Palmer lifted the victim into the body bag. "I'll know more when we get him to our lab."
Satisfied, Gibbs turned to Ziva. "Zee, go talk to any possible witnesses."
"Got it." Ziva said in return as Gibbs took a long sip of his coffee.
"McGee-" I heard Gibbs began to direct orders. I stood up a little too quickly and felt a wave of nausea hit me. Immediately I covered my mouth, not wanting to contaminate the evidence. Gibbs would have killed me.
"McGee!" I heard Gibbs bark. I looked at him, suddenly feeling a rush of anxiety. I could feel tiny beads of sweat on my forehead.
Damn it, McGee. You're a federal agent, get a hold of yourself.
"Y-yes, boss?" I stuttered. I haven't stuttered in years.
Another wave of nausea hit me, and I flew my hand to my stomach as it turned.
"You okay?" His voice seemed a little faded. Or fuzzy.
"Yeah, I'm just-" What's wrong with me? I've delt with death bodies before, one's way worse than this.
More nausea, and I wasn't sure if I was able to hold it in this time. Swallowing the gross taste in my mouth, I took a deep breath. "Think I just caught a bug or somethin' boss..." I trailed off and tried to walk past him but felt extremely light headed. Looking at the green grass below me, I could of swore the ground was getting closer.
"McGee!" Another yell from Gibbs. Or DiNozzo. I couldn't tell anymore. What the hell was wrong with me?
"Boss, I-" I couldn't seem to finish whatever I was saying as another wave of nausea hit me, this time stronger than the one before. I could feel the tiny beads of sweat dripping. My forehead, neck and what seemed to be my entire body felt like it was on fire.
Okay, maybe fire was over-exaggerating, but still. I was sweating like I ran a marathon.
"Take him...to...DiNozzo." I could hear only partial words and I soon realized my eyes were closed.
I looked up, seeing the light blue sky and the icy blue ones of Gibbs. A pair of hands started to pick me up, and I seemed to snap back into reality.
"'M fine." I slurred, and tried standing up myself.
I felt myself walking and was soon getting my strength back. "I got it, 'Nozzo."
He still didn't let go of my arm, but I could tell he let me do most of the work finally. I brushed him off. "I'm fine, I'm fine."
It was weird. One minute I felt like I lost touch with reality, and the next I felt like I was fine. Like it never happened. Like it was all in my head. It was a weird feeling, and I couldn't describe it.
"What the hell happened to you?" Came DiNozzo's worried but firm question.
I shrugged. "I think I just got a bug or something." Closing my eyes, I rubbed my head where a headache seemed to be forming. "Ow." I mumbled under my breath.
"Yeah, 'Ow'. You hit your head when you fainted, Probie."
"Wait, I fainted?"
He rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yeah, Maybe you need to get some rest. And since it looks like you ran a mile, maybe Ducky's cold lab would help that."
I rolled my eyes, "No, I'm fine."
"Don't say that, McFever. Go with Ducky, they're loading Petty Officer Taylor now."
I groaned, but had no energy to argue. I just nodded as I watched Ducky and Palmer wheel the victim in the truck. "Maybe McGee should be in the front, Palmer." Ducky gave Jimmy a glare, and he gave a sad sigh, knowing he was going to have to be stuck in the back flinging around with Ducky's driving.
I would have laughed at Palmer's face, but I wasn't feeling my best right now.
Without saying anything, I climbed into the passenger seat as we headed to NCIS head quarters.
"Timothy, wake up." I could hear Ducky's voice.
I opened my eyes, seeing a worried Ducky and Palmer and realized I had fallen asleep. "Sorry, Ducky." I began unbuckling my seat belt only to realize I wasn't even in the car.
"What the-"
Now I realized I was starring at the ceiling of the NCIS garage. "How did-" I couldn't seem to get the words out.
"When you got out of the truck, you fainted again." Palmer answered my unspoken question. I looked at him in confusion. "I don't remember getting out."
Ducky looked at him in concern. "Come on, let's head to the lab." He gave me a hand, and helped me up.
The odd thing was, once I was on my feet I felt perfectly fine.
"You okay?" Ducky questioned. I nodded with a smile, "I'm fine."
He looked at me with one of his glares, as if he didn't believe me. Then, he shrugged and helped Palmer get the victim.
"Timmy!" A high-pitched voice came from behind me. I turned around to see Abby racing out of the elevator. A smile spread across my face as I watched the happy goth race to me.
"Wait, why did you come before the others?" She questioned. I was silent at first, not wanting to say anything. I didn't want her to worry.
"He fainted at the crime scene." Came Palmer's voice. Immediately, Abby leaped on me with a huge hug. "Oh gosh, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Abby." I said. It wasn't a lie. I felt perfectly fine.
"Why don't you come to my lab? I can give you my Uncle Darrel's home remedy! You'll feel good in no time!" Abby jumped up and down. "That okay, Duck?" I asked, and he nodded. Abby and I soon made our way to her lab.
Once in her lab, she forced me to sit on her stool as she started mixing ingredients I didn't even know she had in here. I was listening to her talk about the home remedy as I held my head in my hand, suddenly feeling tired.
"Here! McGee! McGee!" Abby's voice pierced through my thoughts and I snapped awake. "What? Oh-" I took the glass of unknown substance and sniffed it. "That smells disgusting, Abs." I said and she gave me a death glare. I took a deep breath, then chugged the substance down.
It burned down my throat like liquid fire.
"Great, Now I'm going to bed." I said, feeling like I haven't slept in weeks.
I stood up then laid down by her cold freezer. "G'night Abs." I slurred once again as I drifted into a deep sleep. I could still hear Abby talking, but I was too tired to care.
I was starring up at the night sky, lying on the wet grass. I was in Wakefield Town Forest Park.
A dark figure crept towards me, a shiny metal object in hand. He gave an evil grin, chuckled then lunged the knife into my upper right abdomen.
I screamed in pain, feeling as if it was spreading through the rest of my abdomen. I closed my eyes, hoping the pain would somehow be less magnified, but it didn't work. I opened my eyes again, seeing the ceiling of Abby's lab and a few blurry faces. I was still groaning in pain.
The pain was real. Did I get stabbed.
"Ah!" Another scream left my lips. I felt sweat all over my face and neck. The pain crept up to my chest.
"McGee!" Voices erupted all at once. Ziva? DiNozzo? I couldn't tell all started to sound the same.
The pain began to leave my chest, then soon left my abdomen. I laid there, breathing heavily.
"What just-" I tried to speak.
"You look pale, McGoo." DiNozzo said, but his voice seemed to be fading.
"Get Ducky." That was Gibbs... I was sure.
"Timmy..." A voice trailed off, and I already knew it was Abby.
My eyes fluttered open once again. I didn't even know I closed them.
"You OK, McGee?" That was a stupid question.
I wasn't okay. I had seriously thought I was dying.
I tried sitting up, but Ziva pushed me down softly. "Let me up." I growled and they looked taken back by the sudden anger.
"Not goanna happen, McGee. Not unless Ducky gives the clear."
Really DiNozzo? Just let me up!
I pushed myself up again. The two tried pushing me down again, but I pushed through. Standing up weakly, i held onto the freezer doors.
"Have you eaten, McGee?" Ziva questioned.
I thought back, realizing I haven't. But, I wasn't hungry.
I was just about to answer when I caught glimpse of the windows. It was dark outside. How long have I been asleep?
"I'm going home." I found myself saying as I pushed through them. I could see Ducky leaving the elevator.
"Oh, Timothy." Ducky began, but I just sighed. "I'm fine, Ducky. I just need to go home and rest." I went past him too and walked in the elevator, but annoyingly, everyone followed.
"You're in no position to drive." DiNozzo said. I rolled my eyes. "Well, you all goanna drive me home?"
DiNozzo chuckled but I could tell he was concerned. "I'll take you home." He said just as the elevator doors opened revealing the squad room. I walked to my desk and grabbed my stuff and then we made our way back towards the elevators.
Please R&R. :) - Toxxic.