The day was hot and unbearable the team looked into the sealed chamber were the body's were waiting, McGee looked away from the room of soup, moving back into the air conditioned hallway, as he rested against the wall a genital touch brought his vision up, he meet eyes with Tabitha, she smiled and handed him a tub of vix as she walked into the room. It was only a moment when McGee walked back in but Tabitha was inside the chamber.

The smell of rotting flesh hit her hard causing her gag reflex to kick in but she soon controlled her stomach. She looked back through the window and nodded her head.

Gibbs watched Tabitha trying to control her gagging, he was impressed that she got it controlled so quick, she looked up and nodded her head, he nodded back. she began looking at the first body, her hands worked quickly, but the sudden movement of her touch to the other body's and the room around her, sent Gibbs gut into high gear.

Tabitha looked at the first body, she moved in closer, her eyes were drawn to the black veins growing up the face; she snapped up her touch and looked round the room in clam panic. The five other bodies' showed to same blackened marks her movement quickened.

A tap at the window snapped her attention up to the window she came to face McGee, he pointed to himself and the unlocked door, He moved towards the outer door just as his hand touch the handle, Tabitha rushed to the internal door re-seal it, she looked into his eyes and just shook her head. Gibbs came up to the window and slammed his fist on it, she turned to face him, he looked back into her eyes seeing fear and strength, he brought his hand up into view he picked up his radio, Tabitha did the same she looked at the radio for a moment before she brought it up, "I'm sorry Gibbs but I can't let anyone else in to this chamber and risk infection, you need to set up a quarantine area from this chamber leading out..." Gibbs nodded his head he turn to Tony and gave him some orders; he rushed out into the hallway. McGee looked back to Gibbs and held out his hand, Gibbs handed over the radio.

McGee looked back into the chamber, "Tabitha are you sure about this? we can't afford to make a mistake..." Tabitha nodded her head, "I'm sure Tim, I need you to get me my gear from Ducky I'll have to do the autopsy here to find the cause of the infection and if it is air born..." Tim looked to Tabitha with fear and worry she smiled back, "Tim I'm fine there is a possibility that I haven't been infected it my only be contact transfer, but I won't know till I can open them up." she smiled at Tim seeing some of the fear leave his eyes but the worry grew.

It was a few hours before all was set into place, Ducky was stood by the window looking into the death chamber as the other agents were calling it watching as Tabitha worked on the bodies, "my dear are you sure you are alright there is a probability that what you have come in contact with is harmless" Tabitha looked up to Ducky eyebrows raised, "Ducky i am fine, i have all i need to make sure, so it ok, could you just run the blood that I have given you, it now all down to the results, the symptoms fit into many infection." she looked up at Ducky who looked back he nodded his head and rushed off to the truck, it was all down to Abby.

When Ducky had left, Gibbs walked up to the window, "what you got?" he looked at the bodies lined up along the far wall, " well they all died from the same infection, well what i believe to be the infection, i have sent blood with Ducky for Abby to run..." she moved the last body to set next to the others, "you believe?" she looked up into Gibbs eyes, she raised from the floor, "well they all show the symptoms of Bacterial Endocarditic which is where the valves of the heart to become inflamed and swollen, however this is only an result of coming into contact with Alpha-hemolytic streptococci, Staphylococcus aurens and Enterocooci to name just a few, at the same time, which is highly unlikely unless it was induced into their systems..." she looked closely into Gibbs eyes, he nodded his head, "... but the blacken capillaries and veins, is all new to me, that's all I've got I'm afraid." She walked away from the window and began to pack away her gear.

McGee watched Tabitha through the window as she worked on the body's again, he watched as her hands shook and small beads of sweat appeared on her pale skin, McGee eyes grew wider as he looked at the skin it was to pale, "Tabitha are you feeling ok?" she looked up, "not really, it bloody hot in here and I'm hungry!" she smiled but continued to work.

McGee frowned, it was late into the night and there still had been no news on what caused the men to die, Tabitha had been working with the bodies to find another clue but came out with nothing, she looked up and met his eyes she looked confused, McGee frowned and lifted his chin, it took a moment for her to look away from McGee, when she did fear came across her face but she quickly concealed it, as she looked to her hands she slowly brought her head up to look at the wall, she turned her head and brought up the radio, "Tim I need you to get hold of Abby and find out what caused this and I also need you to get Ducky I need to talk to him." McGee just nodded his head.

McGee moved away from the window, he got his phone and called Abby when she pick up it was flooded with question after question he took a deep breath, " Abby I need you to calm down and tell me what you have found out about the samples?" he listened closely taking in all the information when came across Gibbs and Ducky, "Hang on a second Abby, Ducky Tabitha wants to talk to you." He turned away from them as they headed to the chamber.

It was almost dawn when Abby called McGee back, "Hay Abs..." the phone was quite for a moment, "she was right Tim, but it been modified, it is Bacterial Endocarditic but even more deadly..." Tim just stared into space taking in what Abby had said, whenhe rushed to the chamber, as he reached the hallway linking to the chamber, he slowed to a brisk walk and found a screen blocking the view of the window but he could hear Ducky talking he rushed forward,

"how are you doing my dear?" Ducky looked into the chamber and to the only living thing inside, Tabitha was sat up against a wall while the bodies were pushed up against the far side away from contact; she had stripped off her shirt and had torn her trousers as she was now sweating immensely. McGee was stunned he wasn't able to move, but when he saw that she was breathing deep but shallow he stepped into high gear, "Gibbs, Ducky I have just spoken to Abby..." he turned a grim face to the window he allowed his shield to drop but when he looked back to Gibbs he got a shock, all he saw in his boss eyes was support and strength but also fear this made McGee feel calmer, he took a deep breath and continued, "...Abby broken down the compound she found in all the blood samples, it is Bacterial Endocarditic but it also been modified, Abby can't isolate the other compounds she thinks it was created with other deadly diseases, she has no clue how long it needs to incubate..." McGee turned his head when Ducky places his hand on his shoulder, he looked into his eyes, "she has already began to show the signs of infection all we can do is pray that Abby finds a cure and soon." Ducky squeezed his hand in support, but quietly walked away.

When both Gibbs and Ducky left, McGee walked up to the window and placed his hand on the glass he picked up the radio, "Tabitha?" his voice was whisper, Tabitha moved her head in response as she rested it on the wall she looked into McGee's eyes, but he wasn't looking into hers, he was looking at the blacked capillaries creeping up her pale face, he followed then down her throat and down her right arm, after what seemed like a life time he brought his eyes to hers, he reached for the radio again, "Tabitha?" he allowed a single tear to escape, Tabitha frowned and reached for her radio, "Tim, why a single tear?" that was all it took for McGee to brake, he fall to his knees and cried, he held on so tight to the radio that his cries were heard all over, "Tab please don't leave me, you mean everything to me, I Love you.." the last three words were whispered so quietly that it was only Tabitha that heard the words, she allows herself a tear to full, understanding what Tim was feeling.

The radio cut off and she looks to the window, slowly Tim reappeared behind the glass face covered in tears and eyes red and roar he looked up from the floor and looked at her he walked up to the door and gripped the handle, he stopped when he heard her voice quite and soft, "Tim stop please I can't lose you." he let his grip go and stepped back, she closed her eyes letting out a long breath, unknowing to herself she fell into a coma.

When Tabitha didn't respond to McGee calling her, he began to panic, he ran out of the room screaming for help.

A beeping noise was the first thing she heard, she shifted her head to the side when he felt a pull to her face, she reached up her left arm and felt hard plastic, this confused her more, " it an oxygen mask my dear" the voice was muffled she opened her eyes, as her vision cleared she came to face Ducky, "you had us very worried for a while my dear, when you fell into that coma, we feared the worse, but if it was for Timothy, i don't think you would have made it," as he spoke he looked off to the right, Tabitha followed, her eye widen when she was McGee lying in the bed pale and drawn. She began to push herself up when strong hand held her down, "now don't you threat, Young Timothy will be fine, we managed to get the cure to him before he became critical."

Her eyes never left McGee's, Ducky continued, "but the same couldn't be said for you..." with a frown she turned to look at him, "...you were to far along that the cure would be useless, once the Capillaries become black it mean it had entered the blood stream and it would only be a matter of time before it reach your heart and lungs, but you fought, and you fought hard, it was only 3 days ago we took you off the ventilator, and don't worry you are on the mend, but you will bear the blacken capillaries for the rest of your life." He smiled down to her as he walked to the door, "if you fill up to it the other would like to see you, they have all been worried" she reached up and removed the mask form her face, she breathed, "H...how lo...long?" Ducky moved to answer but the voice came from the bed next to her, "3 weeks, it has been 3 weeks..." McGee walked into her eye line he reached for her hand and held on tight she gripped back.

He leant forward and placed a kiss upon her forehead, as he pulled back her locked eyes with her, he brought up her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles, her eyes starred at the black marks running cross her pale skin, she shut her eyes and cried.

Tim gentle wiped away the tears as they rolled down her soft cheek, "you are beautiful my sweet, now and forever..." she opened her ocean blues eyes, they had become like velvet from unspoilt tears, "Nothing will ever make that change" he wiped away the last tear as the door swung open, reviling the others, "Hay Tabby how you doing..." she blankly looked at Tony and the others, she smiled, she could do this, she had her team to help and support, as well as her loving protector. She would do this.