Author's Note: I don't own NCIS. At all.
The prompt was 'Half-life.'

Enjoy!

Ziva stood in the doorway studying his face. He was asleep but his mouth was moving and she knew he was dreaming. She smiled as she thought back to the nights when they shared the same bed, how he'd hold her close and, if he perfectly placed his face on her neck, she could always feel his lips moving as he slept.

She suddenly noticed the noise coming from the machines attached to his arms, monitoring his condition. She hadn't heard much about what had happened, but once she heard Tony was in the hospital, she hopped on the first flight from DC to Los Angeles. She hated not being there almost as much as she hated that Tony had been in LA for the last three months working a case for Director Vance.

She moved closer to his bed, slowly so she didn't wake him. He looked weak and pale and she immediately felt a wave of frustration. She didn't understand why he had to take this mission on and why he had to do it alone. She took the chair that was positioned next to his bed, a chair that looked like it hadn't been used in ages.

Tony's eyes began to flutter and Ziva's breath caught in her throat, a part of her hoping he would wake up soon. She missed him and was happy to have him back, but unhappy with the circumstances. But the smile reappeared on her face as Tony's eyes opened and he looked at her.

"Hey."

It wasn't anything important, but Ziva felt herself begin to cry. She had tried to convince herself she wasn't worried because she knew he could pull through. She had heard the stories from when she had the plague. But this was different. She didn't know much about the situation, but she knew he was recovering from mild radiation exposure and had been in the hospital for the last three days.

"How do you feel?" She clearly knew the answer but Ziva didn't know what else to say.

He smiled tiredly. "Like hell."

She couldn't help but laugh as she put her hand in his, squeezing it gently. They simply sat in silence until the doctor walked in, a short bald man with a chart in his hand. "Mr. DiNozzo, it's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?"

He glanced over at his co-worker in the chair next to him. "Like a million bucks."

"That's good to hear. We'll keep you overnight but you'll be able to go home tomorrow. But no working. You are restricted to your bed or your couch," the doctor said.

"Not a problem," Tony replied. "I think my new movies should have arrived at my house."

The doctor closed the file and looked at both Tony and Ziva. "Your tests look great. I'm glad to see you awake. I'll come check on you in a few hours. But if anything bothers you, don't hesitate to page a nurse."

"Thank you, doctor," Ziva said and he left. "I should go call Abby."

But Tony wouldn't let her hand go.

"Abby can wait."