Mind Crash
Authors Note: This story takes place directly after the Season 7 opener, and is told from Ziva and Gibbs' point of views. Italics indicate thoughts.
GIBBS
She was so quiet.
They had cleaned her up, given her some fresh clothing. She had silently declined to see a doctor and he knew not to push it. DiNozzo and McGee had briefly filled him in on the conditions inside the camp, and he was surprised she'd stayed alive this long. Definitely best not to push it. He could wait.
They flew back to D.C. in near silence, broken only by DiNozzo's attempts at humour, backed up valiantly by McGee. For his part, he spent the flight discreetly observing Ziva, noting how she appeared to close in on herself, as if attempting to make minimal impact on her surroundings.
ZIVA
I am cold.
I can think of nothing but that Somali prison camp and the fact that I should be dead right now. I should have died there. Why did Salim not kill me sooner?
And then, a rescue came, not from my father who had sent me to that hell but from those that thought I had abandoned them. My team. Bringing me home.
But why?
My mind and body have been pushed to the limits of my endurance. I did not know I could stand that much torture. I think I have shattered into a thousand pieces.
I think I am broken.
GIBBS
Vance had sent a car to pick them up at the airport. DiNozzo had loudly proclaimed 'Shotgun!' whatever that meant and proceeded to take the passenger seat. He, McGee and Ziva were all squashed into the back. McGee volunteered to take the middle, and he took the seat behind DiNozzo whilst Ziva huddled into the other corner. She still had not said a word.
I'm getting a bad feeling about this silence.
They pulled up outside the front of NCIS headquarters, near the fountain. He got out of the car and saw that DiNozzo had hurried round to let Ziva out. But just as McGee was scrambling out behind him, he heard a cry coming from the fountain.
'My necklace, it's gone!'
Tony, upon hearing a damsel in distress, immediately sprinted to the fountain to offer assistance, followed, to his astonishment closely by Ziva. He and McGee got there just in time to hear the woman say, 'The catch broke on my necklace and it fell into the fountain.'
By experience, he knew that the fountain was relatively deep and very dirty. Her necklace would be difficult if not impossible to find. However, seemingly undeterred, DiNozzo nevertheless began to remove his shoes, saying calmly, 'I'll wade in and have a look around for you...' when Ziva jumped into the fountain. She dropped to her knees, and before anyone could stop her, plunged her head under the water.
ZIVA
I have always loved swimming. It's so tranquil under the surface. Since I came to D.C. I have had many more opportunities to swim than in Israel, and I have indulged thoroughly.
I could stay down here forever. Once I run out of air, I could finish what Salim started. But first I should find the lady's necklace.
GIBBS
I could vaguely see her hand groping about in front of her. Her loose black hair floated on the surface of the water. I hope she has her eyes closed; that water is definitely not clean.
She emerged from the water holding the necklace. The woman was thrilled and thanked her profusely. He could see her eyeing the water again and with a sudden foreboding, he yanked her out of the fountain, marshalled his team and marched her to the NCIS building, with a pause as she discarded her wet shoes and socks.
He looked at her as they entered the building. Her facial expression had frozen into a mask and her damp clothes clung to her like the wrappings around a corpse. Throughout all this, she still hadn't uttered a sound.
To quote DiNozzo, this is definitely not good.