Prologue
Friday May 19th, 2006
Las Vegas, Nevada
LVPD Crime Lab
Hallway approaching the Break Room
9:08 a.m. PST
Walking down the hallway as she read over her results for DNA, Sara grabbed her phone as she entered the break room, checking the display and frowning as she tried to place the area code. Handing the results to Nick, who was sitting at the table with Warrick and Greg, discussing something in the paper, she glanced over and saw Catherine out of the corner of her eye on the couch flipping through a magazine, Gil was pouring a cup of coffee, she mentally smiled over the fact they had gathered into the break room together while well into their double. Flipping open her phone she turned away from the group when her brain produced the answer to her question, Maryland, DC area…"Sidle," she answered.
"Ms. Sidle, this is Dr. Gelfand from Bethesda Naval Hospital, you're listed as the emergency contact for Leroy Gibbs?"
"Jeth?" Sara whispered, shocking the others when she slumped to the ground, "What happened? Is he okay?"
"There was an explosion, Mr. Gibbs is in a coma, but there is no medical explanation…"
"It's like he doesn't want to wake up," she continued softly. /-/Not again,/-/ she thought to herself. "I'll be there on the first flight, don't make any decisions without talking to me." Hanging up the phone she looked up at the five in the room watching her. "I need emergency leave," she began as her brain kicked in.
"Sara?" Nick started.
"What's going on?" Gil asked softly as he helped her up.
"My brother was in an explosion, I have to go, I'm sorry."
"Go," Gil nodded and she smiled before turning and making her way towards the locker room. Behind her she heard Catherine ask 'brother?'
Pulling out her cell she hit the speed dial, knowing she would get the voicemail, Tori was in session.
"Hi, you've reached Dr. Stark, I'm unavailable right now. If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911, if not leave me a message with your telephone number and I'll return your call as soon as possible."
Mouthing the words in time with the message, Sara gathered the stuff from her locker before smacking it closed, the familiar beep coming over the line a second later. "Vittoria it's Sara, I'm flying to Maryland, Jeth was in an explosion… again. I'm going to kill him when he wakes up," she grumbled as she approached the exit. "Anyway, I'm on my way there soon as I can get a flight, if you want to come I'll have a room. Nick might call, I just left everyone in the break room confused…"
Sara stopped next to her car, leaning against the back driver's door as she sighed, "Tori, don't do anything because it's him that will mess up what you've got. I couldn't bear to see you both gone. Call me alright?"
"Tori too?"
Glancing over at him she nodded "We were both there at Shannon's wedding. Kelly called us both 'Aunt'," Sara shrugged before sighing.
"Come here," Gil ordered lightly pulling her into a hug. "You want me to come with you?"
"No, stay," she shook her head. "Jim's just out of the hospital, and we haven't told the Sheriff about us yet, might raise questions if you take off after giving me emergency leave...I'll call though.
"Alright," he agreed after a few moments. "Let me know when you land, and if you want me there, tell me I'll come okay, Honey?"
"Promise," Sara smiled before glancing around then kissing him gently. "Get back to work Gil, I'll talk to you soon."
Nodding he watched her climb in the car and drive off before heading towards his office once more.
Friday May 19th, 2006
Las Vegas, Nevada
Vittoria Stark's Office
5:48 p.m.
After her last patient of the day, Vittoria sat in her office listening to the message from Sara over and over. Jethro had been hurt and it was unknown whether or not he'd ever wake up again as there was no medical reason for him to be unconscious.
"I don't know if I can do this again, Jethro," Vittoria said quietly as she looked out the window as Sara's message played once more. "You promised Sara and me that we'd never have to sit by your bed again and pray for you to live," she said wiping away a tear. When the message finished one last time, Vittoria turned her machine off and picked up her phone and dialed the long familiar number.
"Tori?"
"It's me Sara," Vittoria replied as she collapsed into her chair with a sigh. "Any word yet?"
"No, I just landed about an hour ago, I'm just now reaching the hospital," Sara sighed over the line. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Vittoria lied, hoping Sara couldn't pick up on all of her emotions over the phone.
"Sure you are," Sara countered. "This is Jethro...the man has some sort of uncanny ability to send us both over the deep end with his little escapades..."
"Sara really…I'm fine," Vittoria tried. "Will they let you see him?"
"They don't get a choice, I'm his power of attorney," Sara answered. "Not that they need me in that capacity right now...I just feel sorry if any of his little team tries to stop me...I told that man he needed to introduce us to them over the years but of course this is Leroy Jethro Gibbs who never does what he's supposed to."
"You'll let me know how he's doing, right?" Vittoria asked quietly.
"Of course," she promised.
"Thanks."
"Always, I gotta go though, found a spot and I want to get inside. I'll call you when I know something, okay?
"Okay. Talk to you soon," Vittoria said before hanging up the phone and dropping her head down onto her crossed arms on her desk, not wanting to admit even to herself that she was crying.
Friday May 19th, 2006
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda Naval Hospital
L. Gibbs' Room
8:50 p.m. EST
"Hello, get out," Sara announced walking into the hospital room after having learned that Jethro woke up while she was traveling, and he now had constant company from his coworkers. Only to see when she walked in that he was anything but welcoming to their attempts to make him regain the memory he woke up without.
"Excuse me?" the man she knew to be Tony DiNozzo spluttered.
"Who are you?" the woman with him asked, this one she knew was Jenny Shepard, a.k.a. an old partner of Jethro's…in every sense of the word, and current head of NCIS.
"I'm his sister, you're affecting his recovery, get out," she answered as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Anytime now," she added when they failed to move.
"What gives you the right…" Tony began angrily.
"Power of Attorney, and I'm his emergency contact, and I just arranged with the staff to only let anyone I approve of in," she smiled. "Don't make me call security, I will," she added evenly.
"Jethro doesn't have a sister," Jenny pointed out.
"According to his files he does," Captain Todd Gelfand spoke as he came into the room. "Ms. Sidle has asked that no one be allowed in without her permission, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave for now…"
"But Captain…" Tony protested.
"I will have security called," Sara spoke up with a sigh. "Look you care about my brother, I get that. But right now he doesn't know you and all you are doing is aggravating him. So I'm going to do everything to help him, and if that means kicking you and the rest of the team out then so be it. So please, leave."
"Come on Tony, we need to find out about the progress in the case anyway," Jenny agreed after a moment before leading him from the room.
"I'm sorry about that Captain," Sara sighed as she looked at the doctor.
"It's alright, perhaps you'll be able to help him, he'll recognize you hopefully."
"Does he know? About Shannon and Kelly?" Sara asked after watching Jethro sleep for a few moments.
"Yes, but I don't think he understands it," Captain Gelfand admitted with a sigh. "You know of his history? I assumed you did from our conversation earlier…"
"I know, I was there when he woke up last time…it nearly killed him loosing Shan and Kels," she agreed softly.
"I can understand," he agreed with a nod. "I'm gonna go check on my other patients, you can stay as long as you want with him.
"Thank you," she smiled. "The phone, can I use it with a calling card?"
"Of course," he nodded before she watched him leave.
Crossing over she pulled a chair up next to the bed and brushed the hair from his forehead. "Jethro I'm going to kick your ass you know that?" she asked with another sigh. He didn't move…
She sat and watched him a while before turning and hunting in her purse for her calling card before picking up the phone, she wasn't going to leave to use her cell phone. Placing a call to Gil she left a message that she was at the hospital and she would call about two hours into his next shift unless something came up for some reason…or if by some miracle she fell aslee Then she dialed Vittoria's number and left a message, a bit surprised to not get an answer. She left the basic information, he was awake but he didn't remember anything since he was in Kuwait, before Shannon and Kelly died. She hadn't talked to him yet but she was with him, and she'd call back. Silently Sara hoped that Vittoria was with Nick and not on her way there…
