It was a normal Monday morning for everyone on team Gibbs. Gibbs had gotten to work an hour before everyone else like he usually did. He liked to have that hour of quiet to read mail and answer emails in peace without being asked a million questions or being summoned one place or another.
Next in the office was Ziva David. She arrived in the office energized from her morning 10 mile run wearing a bright orange cap and nursing a cup of coffee. Next in was McGee. He was not quit as energetic as Ziva but he was in a good mood and he even whistled a little as he made his way to his desk offering a cherry "Morning" to both Ziva and Gibbs.
A full half an hour late the elevator doors dinged and announced the arrival of Tony. Gibbs didn't even look up from his files and barked loud enough for him to hear as soon as he stepped off the elevator, "Where the hell have you been DiNozzo?"
DiNozzo slowly made his way around the corner and breathlessly said, "Sorry Boss the hospital just let me go."
Gibbs crinkled his brow and looked up as Tony rounded the corner. He was bruised and had cuts all over his body. He had a walking cast on his foot and walked with the aid of a cane.
Gibbs was stunned, "What the hell, Tony? You were in the hospital and you didn't call me? What happened to you?"
Tony made his was to his desk and propped up his hurt foot on the waste basket and dropped his stuff on the other side of the desk and explained, "I was in Anacostia park last night taking a run at sunset and when I was passing that part of the park that is multi leveled and there is this beautiful stone stairway. Well when I was jogging past that some idiot bumped into me and knocked me down the flight of stone stairs. Thankfully there was a soccer game going on and they called and ambulance for me. I had to stay over night because of a minor concussion but the ankle is twisted and all the cuts were superficial. I am good to work boss. Well at least light duty."
Gibbs was sitting on the corner of his desk shaking his head, "Only you DiNozzo only you. I supposed you drove here concussed."
Realization hit and he sighed, "Oh damn, no. I took a cab because I was taken by ambulance remember. My car is still parked at the entrance to the park."
Gibbs sighed, "Give McGee your keys and Ziva and McGee will go and get your car while I take you to Ducky to get checked out."
Tony whined, "Boss, McGeek driving my car? I can take a cab and pick it up latter."
Gibbs walked over and grabbed his keys off his desk and asked, "McGee or Ziva?"
Tony looked at McGee who smiled and then looked at Ziva who smiled and raised her eyebrows at him and made Tony answer, "McGee, definitely McGee."
Gibbs tossed the keys to McGee and the two of them took off Gibbs helped Tony up and brought him on the next elevator to see Ducky.
Once the two were in the elevator Gibbs reached over and stopped the elevator. He stood in silence for a moment and then took a deep breath and asked, "Why didn't you call me or let the hospital call me?"
Tony shrugged his shoulders, "I was fine, and it was no big deal. Not worth ruining your Sunday evening for."
Gibbs conscious of his concussed head gave him a head slap but with only a fraction of the normal force, "Anthony DiNozzo, you listen to me. I am your partner and I am your boss. If you are in trouble I want to know about it okay. I don't care if I am spending the evening sanding my boat or making love. If you are hurt I want to know about it. Do you understand?"
Tony smiled, "Wow boss, that was your weeks worth of words there, you must really care. I am sorry. I will make sure you know next time. Promise."
He barked, "Good!" and punched the button to make the elevator move again.
The two men walked into autopsy and were greeted by a cherry Ducky and Jimmy. They were chatting about the new piece of x-ray equipment they just got in and arguing about how to best put the pieces together.
As soon as Ducky saw Anthony he put his tools down and came over to stand in front of the two men. "Anthony, my dear boy what in God's name happened to you?"
Tony smiled and retold the story to them. Gibbs with a gruff tone asked, "Duck I need you to check him out and see if he can go out on the field with light duty or do I need to bench him for a while."
When he heard the term bench Tony looked at his boss with pleading eyes. Ducky motioned for Tony to sit on the empty x-ray table so he could examine him.
The exam took about a half an hour and Ducky declared Tony fit for light duty but warned Gibbs to keep an eye out for his favorite patient. Gibbs smiled, "Always do Duck, always do."
Tony slid off the table and on his way out told Ducky, "Thanks so much Ducky" and then stopped again before he got to the door and said, "Oh and Duck you should start offering Lollipops after your visits. It would make getting examined on an autopsy table more fun."
Gibbs took the file in his hand and knocked Tony upside the head with it and growled, "Get upstairs before I put you on one of those tables for real."
Tony grimaced at Ducky then winked as he made his way to the elevator. Gibbs gave Ducky a wave and the two men were off leaving Ducky to chuckle at the two men.
When the got back upstairs Ziva and McGee were back and Tony's keys were on his desk. He asked, "Was my car still there?" McGee smiled, "Yup it was safe and sound even the water you left on your fender was still there."
Tony placed the keys in his desk next to his gun and thanked them again for getting his car. Thankfully Monday was very uneventful. No robberies or murders. No terrorists to foil Na Da. Gibbs let everyone go home early. Tuesday and Wednesday of that week was more of the same. No calls so they spent the three days catching up on the mountain of paperwork they have to fill out on every case.
Tony usually despised weeks in the office but after the fun of Sunday night he was actually grateful for the break.
Thursday morning everyone came in prepared for another day in paper work purgatory. Around lunchtime they got the call. Dead Marine found at the bottom of an empty swimming pool.
Gibbs hung up the phone and threw the truck keys to Tony, "Gas up the truck DiNozzo, dead marine, Grab your gear people." The team made it to the crime scene and it was a particularly gruesome one.
Tony having energy to spare was the first one down in the bottom of the pool. He had his camera and was taking pictures while everyone else was back at the truck getting the gear ready and waiting for Ducky and Palmer. Gibbs shook his head and mumbled something about DiNozzo being a fool and thinking he was indestructible. Gibbs mad it to the side of the pool and noticed wires underneath the body.
He screamed for DiNozzo to run just as a small bomb exploded sending Gibbs to the ground with a Thud. When he shook off the explosion and stood back up he saw Tony who had made it the stairs of the pool, passed out in a puddle of his own blood draped across the steps.
Gibbs yelled, "TONY!" and everyone came running. They were able to get Tony out of the pool and on the deck Ducky began to evaluate his injuries while Palmer radioed for an Ambulance.
After a few minutes, Gibbs impatiently asked, "How is he Duck? Why is he still unconscious?"
Ducky looked up at a very worried Jethro Gibbs and said, "Other than a severely broken nose I believe the only other injury is a very severe concussion. He will be asleep for a while but he should be okay. The hospital will have to be the final judge on that though but Jethro remember most of my patients are dead. But I believe he should be fine."
Gibbs stood there running his hand over his face and he finally sighed, "Thanks Duck."
McGee came running into the backyard leading the paramedics. They quickly loaded Tony up and Gibbs gave one of the EMT's his card and said, "We have to close this crime scene so we will be at the hospital in about an hour. Please give this to the doctor and ask him to call and update me. My cell is on the back of the card. I am his next of kin and I will do whatever paper work when I get there."
The EMT's nodded and left with Tony for Bethesda.
Ziva made her way to the back yard and stood next to Gibbs. She handed him an envelope with his name on it. He asked, "What is this?"
Ziva answered, "I dunno it was left on the windshield of the truck." She walked off to begin to process the scene so they could all get to the hospital.
Gibbs cautiously opened the envelope. After the Y-Pestis drama everyone approaches random mail VERY carefully. As he read the note the color drained from his face and he had to sit on the chair on to keep form falling down.
The letter said,
Gibbs,
You caused me so much pain my heartbreak and my wife died from a broken heart all because of you. You took our son from us so I am going to take yours from you, eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. Tony isn't your biological child but I have watched you long enough to see you think of him as your son.
It sure is a shame about the explosion that hurt your Tony and it is shameful that someone knocked your boy down a flight of stairs. How does it feel to see someone you love suffer so much and not be able to do a damn thing about it? Hold on tight because the payback is just beginning and once you have suffered enough I will take your son like you took mine.
