Aftermath: Irrevocable Changes
Disclaimer: Not mine.
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Chapter 1
BANG! The lift containing NCIS Special Agents Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David dropped suddenly and violently down. Tony fell to the floor, Ziva on top of him, as the lights flickered and went out and debris tumbled down.
CRASH! The lift smashed into the bottom of the shaft and part of the lift ceiling landed on top of them.
Then silence. Tony cautiously opened one eye, then the other. It was dark. His left wrist hurt; he suspected that it was broken. He became aware of something pressing on his body. Ziva. "Hey, Zi, you awake?" he asked hesitantly. "Zi? Ziva?"
A faint groan was all he got in response. "Okay, you're alive. That's good. How are you?"
"Ouch," she replied weakly, not moving.
"Where?"
"I think everywhere."
Tony didn't like the sound of that. "Now, I know you like it on top," he joked, "but it's kinda hard to breathe. You cool with getting off?"
Ziva took a deep breath and attempted to roll off him, but the pain was too great for her to be able to lift herself up. "You will have to push me, Tony."
"Okay – oh."
"What?"
Tony sighed. "There's something heavy and metally on you. I think I broke my wrist and I don't think I can lift it off you with one hand. I might be able to slide out from under you." When she consented, he wrapped his left arm around her to stop her from being injured further, and using his legs and other arm, manoeuvred his way out from under his partner; gritting his teeth against the pain in his shoulder and wrist, he lowered Ziva to the floor, still on her front.
"Does that help?" she asked him faintly.
Tony sat up. "Yeah. How are you holding up?"
"I am holding up the ceiling of the elevator."
Tony frowned for a moment while his brain processed her words. "I can't tell if I've confused you or you're actually playing with my words."
"I am not sure." She was obviously trying to mask how much pain she was in but it was still very apparent in her voice.
"Having part of the ceiling on your back and legs must be painful," observed Tony.
"I cannot feel it…" replied Ziva in confusion. "Why can I not feel it? Tony?" Panic filled her voice. "Something is wrong; I should be able to feel that, should I not?"
Tony fought back his own sense of panic and tried to be calm for her sake. "It's probably just the adrenaline. There was a guy at college who broke his arm in a football match and didn't notice until the game was over." In his head he knew he was grasping at straws.
"I will take your word for it." She paused. "I hope everyone is alive."
"Me too."
"Tony?"
"Yeah?"
She hesitated. "Can – can I hold your hand? It is dark and I just – I need to know that you are here and alive and that I am not dreaming."
Though she couldn't see it, Tony smiled a little and felt around until he found her hand. "I'm not going anywhere. You know, this reminds me of a movie…"
Ziva listened as he talked about a movie she'd never heard of, hoping it would distract her from their situation and the pain in her body, as well as her worry over everyone else.
After a while, she had an idea. "Tony? Do you have your phone?"
He checked his pockets and withdrew his phone. "Yeah, I do. Want me to call someone?"
"Yes. McGee, Gibbs, Abby, any of them."
Tony squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I'll try Abby first." Before calling, he used the light from his phone screen to get an idea of their situation. The dim light revealed a partially-collapsed lift ceiling and the full extent of the pieces of ceiling on top of Ziva. Tony's blood ran cold: a large piece of what had once been the lift ceiling was pressing hard on her lower back. That, coupled with her comment about not being able to feel anything, caused the full implications to hit Tony suddenly, and he silently swore. He mentally shook himself and set about calling Abby.
It rang five times and then was answered. "Tony?" came Abby's voice shakily.
"Oh, thank God you're alive, Abs!" exclaimed Tony in relief. "Where are you?"
"My lab. The bomb was right above and it blew out the windows."
"Are you OK?"
"A few scratches from glass and other debris, but yeah, I'm OK. Gibbs is here with me; I think he hit his head on something. He's alive but I'm pretty sure he's unconscious. You?"
"Elevator. It fell. Half the ceiling's on Ziva."
"OhmyGod! How bad? Is she in pain? Is she conscious? Is she alright?"
Tony let out a deep breath. "I don't know, Abs. I can't get her free – it's too heavy, I've only got one good hand and the only light we have is from my cell."
"If we get rescued first, I'll tell them where you are."
"Same. Have you heard from McGoo?"
Abby's voice shook as she spoke. "I've tried a few times but it goes straight to voicemail every time."
"Crap."
"Yeah."
"Abs, I should go for now, conserve the battery."
"Okay. I'll text you if I hear anything else from Tim."
"Me too. Bye."
"Bye, Tony." She hung up.
"Abby's OK?"
Yeah. Gibbs is unconscious. She – she can't get through to McGee." His voice caught slightly in his throat – Sure, I tease McGeek a lot, but he's my little brother, he thought. He has to be alive, he has to be!
"Maybe he did not have his phone with him," suggested Ziva. "He often leaves it on his desk when he is in the building. It does not necessarily mean bad news." She gripped his hand more tightly.
"I hope so," replied Tony quietly.
"Tony…" She paused, attempting to collect herself. "I cannot feel my legs. At all. I can feel my arms and body, but I cannot feel anything below my waist. I – I'm scared, Tony."
"We'll get you out of this," he promised, reaching down and lightly caressing her face in the dark, knowing how bad it must be for her to admit that she was in this state. "I've got you."
Even though she knew he couldn't see it, she smiled. "Good."
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About an hour later, Tony's phone rang and he quickly answered it. "Abs!"
"We're out," she told him. "They were able to get through the lab windows. Gibbs is OK except they think he might have a concussion so they've hauled him off to the hospital."
Tony chuckled. "Did he fight?"
"He was still fighting them when they shut the ambulance doors."
"I bet. McGee?"
"They – they haven't found him yet. Tony – Agent Reyes from Cybercrimes is dead."
Tony closed his eyes. "I liked Reyes."
Ziva raised her head slightly. "Reyes? He is dead?"
Sighing sadly, Tony nodded, then remembered that she couldn't see him. "Yeah. He is. Abs, I'm gonna go for now." He hung up.
"Bastard."
Tony blinked in surprise. He'd never heard her swear in English before, although there had been a few occasions when he suspected she had sworn in Hebrew. "Yeah. We'll get Dearing."
"Is it possible for us to charge him with murder?"
"If anyone can find a way, it's Vance," Tony assured her. "How are you doing?"
"The same." She sighed, desperately wishing for something that even vaguely resembled sensation in her legs. She didn't want to think about what the lack of it could mean. "You?"
"The same. I've been worse. A broken wrist can't kill me like the plague almost did."
"That is a good point." She fell silent and focused on listening for faint sounds from outside their metal prison, trying to work out if help was coming yet.
"Ninja skills tingling?" teased Tony.
"Perhaps." Her tone made it clear that she wanted him to be quiet in order to listen; she was pleased that he did so. She actually didn't mind that it was Tony she was trapped with, given the circumstances: Abby would be hysterically panicking and McGee would be nervous and terrified about touching her in case he hurt her further. "Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think Jimmy and Ducky know yet?" She bit her lip.
"I don't know sweetcheeks." He jumped when his phone rang. "Hey, Abs."
"They've found Timmy."
Tony sat up straighter and put his phone on speaker. "What's the situation?"
"He's unconscious and he's got a broken arm and leg. He should be OK, they've said. Do you guys mind if I go to the hospital with him?"
"Of course not! Go!" ordered Ziva. "I am sure we will be there soon enough. And it is not like Tony or I are alone; we do at least have each other for company."
"Okay. I'll see you later." She was clearly desperate to stay with McGee.
"Bye," said Tony, ending the call and picking up Ziva's hand again. "I'm glad they got McGoo out safely. Poor Reyes, though. Man. Hasn't he got a kid?"
"Two," corrected Ziva. "Twins. They are three, I believe. They will barely remember him. How many more –?"
"Don't, Zi," Tony interrupted. He lay down beside her and put his arm around her, as much for his own comfort as for hers. "I don't want to think about that unless we have to."
A noise, nearer than anything they had heard up to that point, made them jump and Ziva sucked in her breath at the pain the sudden movement caused her. Tony gently ran his hand over her back.
Another sound, nearer still. Tony lifted his head. "Hello?" he called. "Hello? Who's there?"
Scrambling noises, then a thin beam of torchlight appeared in the lift from above. "Agents DiNozzo and David?" asked a man's voice from above them, slightly distorted.
"Yes!" they both responded loudly.
"The forensic scientist said you were here. I'm Hamilton from the Fire Department to assess the situation. Are you hurt?"
"I think I've got a broken wrist," Tony told him. "Ziva's trapped under the elevator ceiling – it collapsed on her."
"It should be easy enough to get you out, Agent DiNozzo," Hamilton told him. "Once we get you to safety we can work on getting Agent David out."
"I'm not leaving her here alone," said Tony firmly.
Ziva felt herself blush slightly, glad that Tony could not see it. "I will be fine."
"I'm staying," he reiterated. "You're my partner."
"Thank you." She relaxed a little as he lightly drew circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. Her eyes fluttered shut and she fell into a light doze, comforted by the knowledge that Tony was watching over her.
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TBC