A/N: Okay, firstly: I don't own anyone or anything that appears in this story, including (but not limited to) NCIS and CBS. Inspiration (and the title) was drawn from the song, "I'll Walk" by Bucky Covington (and I hope I have done the song justice with this story as well). Secondly: I know I haven't updated my other stories in a while, and I apologize, but this muse latched on and would not let go until I wrote it. Thirdly: This story has sad moments, so I'd have those tissues ready. Finally: I hope you all enjoy the story, and please review.
I'll Walk
He pecked away at the keys of his keyboard, the anger in his veins being transferred into the keys of the machine in front of him. He grunted, hitting the keys harder as his mind raced through the fight he had earlier with his sister. It had been something stupid, as were most of their fights, and she had told him that he was being unreasonable and a bad older brother for not supporting her. He had apologized, but it wasn't enough. So now she wasn't talking to him, and McGee was angry at himself for pissing her off.
When he slammed his mouse down in frustration, Gibbs finally huffed, "What's your problem, McGee?"
"Nothing, Boss," McGee replied curtly, standing up. "I need coffee."
He bumped into Tony on his way out, causing the older man to furrow his brow in confusion and shoot that look towards Gibbs. Their boss simply shrugged, having no explanation for the junior agent's actions. And when Gibbs' phone rang, the silent conversation ended.
After getting his coffee, McGee sat down at his desk, burying himself again in his work. The agents around him watched curiously as he typed hard on his keyboard again while Gibbs finished reading a folder on his desk. "You okay, kid?" Tony asked gently. Gibbs looked up.
"I'm fine," McGee snapped.
"McGee," Gibbs said, wagging his finger to mean the junior agent should follow him.
"I got into a fight with my sister last night, okay?" he shouted, causing work to stop at every station on the third floor. "She's pissed at me, and it's my fault. And I know I should put that aside because I'm at work, but I'm working while I'm still upset, so unless you have anything else you want to complain about with me, I want to just do my damn job and go home."
"Get over here," Gibbs commanded. McGee stood up, following Gibbs around the corner.
"It won't happen again, boss," McGee said softly, looking down.
"McGee, look at me."
The younger man looked into the sad eyes of his boss, finding sympathy in them.
"Vance called down," Gibbs began, his voice softer than McGee had ever heard from him before. "Your parents called him when they couldn't get through to you on your cell."
"My battery died. What is it?"
"Your sister's been in an accident, Tim."
McGee felt his knees go weak before they gave out on him, sending him crumbling toward the floor. Gibbs caught him before he fell, holding the younger man up by a hand under his arm.
"She's in critical condition. That's all they know for now."
McGee sighed, not able to form words or really even breathe.
"Come on. I'll take you there."
McGee nodded silently, not trusting his voice to do more than that. Gibbs pushed his arm around McGee's shoulders, leading the younger man back to his desk where they grabbed their coats. Tony and Ziva, at Gibbs' sharp look, turned quietly to their computers, working on something as Gibbs and McGee left the bullpen.
"What was that about?" Tony asked after they had left. Ziva shook her head.
"I'm sure they'll tell us later," Ziva replied, continuing to work on her computer.
Tony shrugged, surprisingly pacified by that as he turned back to his computer.
*~*~*~*
Gibbs and McGee walked into the hospital, making their way toward the information desk. "Can I help you?" a young woman drawled, her accent reminiscent of someone from Louisiana. Gibbs looked over at McGee, who was as white as the wall before them.
"Looking for a patient," Gibbs said, looking back at the woman.
"Name?"
"Sarah McGee."
"Relation?"
"He's her brother." Gibbs nodded toward McGee, who was breathing deeply and trying to regain control of his mouth.
The woman glanced over at McGee before typing into the computer. "She's in surgery right now, but I can take ya'll up to the waiting room."
"Thanks," McGee breathed out, managing to form a word for the first time since Gibbs broke the news to him. Gibbs looked over at him, finding that McGee was slowly getting his color back. He gently put his hand on McGee's shoulder, leading him away from the desk to follow the young woman upstairs. She left them in the waiting room, and Gibbs sat down while McGee paced back and forth.
Gibbs just watched as the junior agent wore a path in the ground, tracing his footsteps. "What's going through your mind?" the older man asked.
"How did this happen?" McGee asked, looking over at Gibbs.
"She was crossing a street in Georgetown. By the time the guy saw her, he couldn't stop before he hit her. He called EMS."
"He better have."
"Metro has him in custody."
"Good."
"You're not going to do anything to him, McGee."
"If it was your sister…"
"Tim, it's not worth your job."
McGee sighed, looking back to the floor. "Why her?"
Gibbs said nothing, knowing that no answer he could give would really be of any benefit to McGee. There wasn't a way to answer that question.
After what felt like forever, a surgeon came out to speak with them. "Mr. McGee?" he said, looking to the young man pacing.
"Yes?" McGee replied, looking at him.
"Your sister's quite the fighter. She's being moved after recovery to the surgical ICU, which is standard in a case like hers. We had to repair several broken bones, including one in her spine."
"Is she going to be okay?"
"She'll live. But I have to warn you, Mr. McGee, she may never walk again."
McGee nodded, saying nothing and trying to block out the surgeon's words for the moment.
"I'm sorry," he said, patting McGee's arm. The younger man nodded, and the surgeon explained more about the procedure and everything that happened before leaving McGee and Gibbs alone.
"I… uh… I need to call my parents," McGee said. Gibbs nodded, and McGee sat down after a moment. "I don't think I can."
"They should know before they get here," Gibbs told him gently.
"I know. But I don't think I can explain to my parents that my little sister isn't ever going to walk again."
"She might. Your sister's tough."
"I don't know." McGee let his thoughts fade before shaking his head. "I need to call my parents." He pulled out his cell phone, looking at it. "Shit. I forgot my battery died."
Gibbs silently handed McGee his own cell phone, and McGee nodded, walking away a bit to talk to his parents as Gibbs walked away to get coffee.
*~*~*~*
"Where is he?" Abby said, walking into the bullpen.
"Who?" Ziva asked, looking over at her.
"Gibbs."
"Off with McGee. Don't know where they went."
"When did they leave?"
"A while ago."
Tony suddenly sighed sadly, causing the two women to look over at him. "What is it?" Abby asked.
"I think I might know where they went," he said softly.
"Where?" Ziva asked.
"Monroe University Hospital. I just got the news story in my inbox from a friend of mine. There was an accident in Georgetown this morning. McGee's sister was hit by a car crossing the street."
"Is she okay?" Abby asked, her voice a combination of shocked and sad.
"She's listed in critical condition," Tony read.
"Who is?" Ducky asked as he walked upstairs to talk to Gibbs.
"McGee's little sister," Ziva replied solemnly.
"Oh, no."
*~*~*~*
After hanging up the phone, McGee put his head in his hands. He couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face as he came to terms with what his sister was dealing with. He heard Gibbs walk back in the room, putting a cup of coffee on the table beside McGee before sinking into the chair on the other side of him. McGee swallowed, trying to get himself to stop crying as Gibbs sat next to him.
"I know," McGee said softly, his voice still dripping with tears. "I shouldn't be crying. She's alive, and I shouldn't be so upset about this."
Gibbs took a sip from his coffee rather than responding to McGee.
"I just… I need to be strong for her, but right now I can't, and so I'm not leaving here until I can be."
"That's fine."
Gibbs' phone rang, and McGee handed it back to him. "Yeah, Gibbs," Gibbs answered.
"How is he?" Ducky asked softly.
Gibbs didn't answer, instead passing the phone back to McGee, who looked at Gibbs before taking the phone. "Hello?" he asked sadly.
"Timothy?"
"Hey, Ducky."
"I'm sorry, my boy. How are you holding up?"
"How did you…"
"It's on the news," McGee heard Tony's voice and quickly realized that he was on speakerphone.
"How is she?" Ziva asked.
"She'll survive," McGee replied sadly. Gibbs gave the younger man's shoulder a gentle squeeze for support, a movement for which the younger man was grateful.
"How're you?" Abby asked.
"I'll be okay."
"How bad is it?" Tony asked.
"She… uh… she may never walk again, but she'll live," McGee said, swallowing back the tears.
"Is there anything we can do?" Ducky asked.
"Not right now. Thanks, though, Ducky."
"Any time, my dear boy. Call us if you need something."
"I will." McGee hung up, passing the phone back to Gibbs as a new batch of tears fell down his cheeks. He put his head back in his hands, crying quietly while Gibbs put his hand on the back of McGee's neck, squeezing it gently in an attempt to comfort him. He let go, and McGee sighed. "Sorry," he said softly.
"You have no reason to apologize," Gibbs said.
"Don't I? I feel like this is my fault."
"Maybe it is."
McGee shook his head. "It is. She was supposed to stay over at my apartment last night, but we got into a fight, and she left. She went to go stay with her friend in Georgetown. If we hadn't fought…"
"You weren't driving the car, Tim."
"Might as well have been."
Rather than saying anything to try to justify to McGee that he wasn't at fault, Gibbs went with his common response- a head slap.
McGee sighed softly, whispering a quiet, "thanks, Boss."
Gibbs nodded, slapping McGee gently on the shoulders.
After a little longer, McGee finally stood, indicating he was ready to walk upstairs. He headed to the surgical ICU, finding his sister's room and entering. Sarah looked small under the mass of blankets and sheets, and McGee found himself closing his eyes. Almost instinctively, he walked over and sat down on the bed while Gibbs chose to watch the scene from the doorway.
Sarah opened her eyes, looking over at her big brother with glazed vision. "Hey, Tim," she said softly.
"Hey," he replied, his voice just as quiet. "I'm sorry, Sarah."
"Please, Tim. I don't want to talk right now. I'm hurt, and I'm scared, and I just want my big brother. Don't…"
"I won't." McGee took her hand in his as she closed her eyes.
*~*~*~*
"I'll walk."
Her voice sounded determined as she squeezed his hand tightly. McGee looked down at Sarah's hand before looking back to her face.
"I know, sis," he said softly. "I'll help."
She nodded, saying nothing else as the nurse pushed her out of the room in the wheelchair that would be part of her life.
*~*~*~*
He stood with her in the bride room as she smoothed her dress over her legs. Years after the accident had lead, unfortunately, to the death of their father and, fortunately, to her being able to stand on her own. Getting dressed still required some assistance, but she was getting better with each passing day.
And now, she was getting married.
As the wedding march started, she looked over at McGee, her supportive big brother who would walk her down the aisle today. He smiled back at her.
"Dad would be proud of you, Sarah," he said softly. "You look so beautiful."
"Thanks, Tim," she replied. He squeezed her hand tightly as he rolled the wheelchair to the end of the aisle.
"You ready?"
"Yes."
He started to roll her forward when she stopped him.
"I'll walk," she said simply. He nodded, extending his arm to her. She stood, holding tightly to him for support. On shaky legs that hadn't been used for walking in years, she slowly but surely made her way down the aisle with her brother holding her up.
It was on that day that both of them learned the true meaning of the words strength and determination.
The End.