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Gibbs pulls out his phone as he's wrapping up with the Admiral. Now, he's still anti technology for just about everything but he has managed to learn to send short text messages. He has no use for making the words into symbols. Or whatever it is he's heard has been happening with young people. However, since he tends to lean firmly towards not wordy by nature, he figures he's good.
It was obvious that something was up with the Admiral. But not this. And not this bad. And McGee is right behind that window. Hearing that his father is sick. Really sick. Probably going to be dead soon sick. As sick as his own mother was. Gibbs has some experience with this.
Standing alone behind a window, listening, is a horrible way to find out. Bad relationship or not, it wasn't fair to let him find out this way. There is a reason the military has clergy and officers for delivering bad news. You get knocks on the door, not announcements through mirrored walls. They aren't even properly face-to-face.
In a decade, Gibbs has figured out most of what he needs to know about every member of his team. He knows Tim. Knows that he wants to please people, wants everyone to get along, and a good portion of that instinct probably comes from spending his life trying to live up to his father's impossible expectations.
Despite knowing this, Gibbs knows that McGee still cares about his dad. Whatever has happened or is happening between them, his agent isn't going to take this revelation well and it will more than likely show. Because he doesn't have the stoicism the others have built up, or pretend they have, concerning matters like this one.
Gibbs knows all of this, just like he knows that McGee isn't going to be coming out of that observation room for a while. And Gibbs isn't going to make him. But he shouldn't have heard this alone. More than anything, Gibbs knows that McGee isn't going to want anyone barging into that room with him, particularly Gibbs. No matter how familial, you don't want your boss around right after you get bad news.
The interview was over. Once his text message has been sent, Gibbs saw the Admiral out of interrogation and back into the capable hands of his naval staff. There is still work to be done but right now he has other issues to be dealt with. Gibbs assumed his position outside the door of observation. His guard two-fold; to keep others out and to brief her when she showed up.
He can't go in that room. Gibbs knows that he isn't the right person. Right now he needs somebody who McGee isn't going to either throw out of the room or cause him to shut down inside himself. DiNozzo can be crass, joking to push off tension, but that's not how McGee operates. Ziva is a mess herself and it's not fair to either one of them to ask her to help with anything father related.
Additionally, McGee is private, he doesn't go around airing whatever pops into his mind to anyone that will hold still long enough to listen. When you're not used to turning to people emotionally it's hard to start. Or even know how to ask. Gibbs is still trying to think about working on that himself. McGee has been walking around looking like he needed a hug for days. Gibbs doesn't hug. But he knows someone who does.
It didn't take Abby long to appear. His message had only said "come to interrogation." She was walking in blind. She looked confused to find him standing wait for her. Actually, she was probably more than confused to be called up to interrogation anyway. "Gibbs?"
"McGee got some bad news. Needs someone." She had already looked worried. He knew that she'd already been worried about whatever was going on for days. Abby had been practically stalking information on how McGee was handling his father coming around. If only those were still the issues. Now, she had moved directly into fear. They all understood bad news. All they ever got was bad news.
"What happened?"
"Not mine to tell."
McGee and Abby have always understood each other in a way that Gibbs hasn't always gotten. It was a complicated dance they did. Yet simple all the same. But he knows that McGee will talk to Abby when he won't talk to any of them. She is allowed to see more than McGee allows the rest of them see.
Today, Gibbs is grateful because he needs someone. He can't help McGee but he can deliver him someone who might be able to.
Abby is about as opposite from Admiral McGee as anyone can be. Gibbs is counting on McGee not feeling threatened or weak about whatever state he's currently in if she is brought to him. Everybody needs somebody.
"But Gibbs…"
He cut her off. It's really not his place to tell her. Plus, he's not sure who McGee wants to know what. But he does know that he's not telling anyone that his agent's dad is dying. "Go hug. Or squg. Or whatever you want to call it. But go do that now. In there."
It's got to be bad if Gibbs is instructing her to hug at work. Especially McGee. Usually that warrants a comment about playing grab ass at work. The last time Gibbs didn't say anything was after McGee's friend died. If Gibbs is thinking about squgs… And now he's telling her to... Not good.
She opens the door and then Gibbs is almost pushing her through the doorway. Another it can't be good moment. He really must not want McGee alone. And when she finally gets into observation, she can see why. Miserably devastated isn't quite a fitting expression but it's what she's going with. He's scrubbing at his face and not looking at her, facing the empty interrogation room.
Sometimes words aren't enough. Abby doesn't know what's going on, but she does have enough information to figure out that it probably can't get much worse. McGee isn't okay so there's not point in asking.
It's obvious how he's doing at the moment. She doesn't move far beyond the door until his hands fall back down to his sides. She knows that he knows it's her even if he hasn't turned around to see who came in.
Only the metal, softly clinking on her clothing, makes any noise as she walks over to him, stopping alongside him. Still trying to give him space, she slips her hand into his and slowly runs her thumb over his.
It takes awhile, but he does look over at her. Abby really wants to ask. But everything about McGee is silently asking her not to, so she doesn't. There will be time for that later. Talking makes things real.
Moments later, McGee kind of squeezes her hand and she's taking it as a sign that it's okay she's here. So much is fleeting. But trouble doesn't tend to be. It lingers. Bad things come to stay. They are more than acquainted with problems and twists and trajedy. You can never escape the things you want to. Hugs can't solve everything. But that doesn't mean that she can't try her hardest to make them. For now it is time to hold on.