Abby entered the hospital. She was shaking. For the first time in a while, she was purely terrified. What's going to happen if I lose him? He has to pull through. He just has to. He's… McGee.

Abby walked over to where Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva stood, Ziva pacing back and forth, Gibbs sitting still with his face a mask, and Tony with his head in his hands, sitting by Gibbs. She touched Tony's shoulder as Palmer tried to calm Ziva down, and Ducky sat by Gibbs, talking to him.

The doctor came up to them. Abby immediately started asking questions.

"He's going to be okay, right? He'll pull through. He just needs some rest. But he'll be fine. Right? Tell me I'm right. Tim's going to be okay?"

She clutched her black scarf, tightening it around her fingers, worrying as everyone looked up at the woman.

The doctor looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry. The force of the ceiling against his chest for so long… He only has an hour. I'm so sorry."

Abby broke down. The tears rushed down her face, and the flashbacks from what had happened rushed to her, engulfing her. She thought of Tony and McGee going into her building to rescue her from the fire, battling the flames. The flames came into the room just as they had reached her, nipping at their heels. McGee pushed her and Tony out the window, with them landing safety in the net. McGee had gotten trapped, the window collapsing the second they exited.

The building broke down, with McGee still inside. The fire department had finally put out the fire seconds later, but it had taken almost an hour to locate and pull McGee out from underneath the ceiling and the rubble.

And now he was going to die. He had saved her, but had been unable to save himself. It's all my fault. If the stupid fire hadn't happened, if I hadn't called McGee when I got trapped, i-if..

Gibbs wrapped his arms around her, but Abby couldn't stop crying. He's going to die. "McGee wouldn't want to see you crying Abbs." She nodded, wiping her tears, sniffling.

Tony, Ziva, Palmer, Ducky, Gibbs, followed by Abby, started the walk to his room.

McGee was lying on the hospital bed, his legs in a sling and his right arm in a cast, along with his neck, his legs, and his chests and stomach, as he broke all but one of his ribs. He had a slight burn on his face, and bruises lining the rest. His heart beat was slow, and every breath was painful.

Ducky and Palmer went in first, and they talked with him for a while. Abby could make out his voice, full of pain and faltering, but still there. She heard his laugh, and smiled through her tears. Gibbs went in he walked out, the team noticed his eyes were red, and he rubbed them, walking away quickly.

Tony and Ziva held hands, and Tony took Abby's hand, squeezing it and smiling at her, and the three entered. Out of the corner of his eyes, McGee could see them enter the room.

"H-hey g-guys." Ziva smiled, sitting by his right side, and took his hand.

Tony pulled up a chair next to McGee. "Hey Elf Lord. How are you feeling?"

Abby sat on the bed on his left, taking his hands and playing with his fingers. She couldn't force words out of her mouth.

"I've seen better days, Tony."

Ziva squeezed his hand. After over an hour, Tony and Ziva finished their 'goodbyes'. They left, leaving Abby with McGee.

Her voice cracked as she finally got the courage to speak."I'm so sorry Tim."

His voice was low and soothing, the way she always remembered it when he was trying to calm her down. "There's nothing to be sorry for Abby."

"McGee, if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be in this bed right now and you wouldn't be-"

"I'm dying Abbs, and I know it, and I'm.. okay.. with it. You're alive and okay, and that's all I can ask for." He ran his hand, still connected with her, against her cheek, wiping away the tears that were starting to escape. She out her hands lightly around his neck and buried her face against his head. "

"Oh, Timmy."

They stayed that way for a while, with McGee's hand running up and down her back, trying to sooth her. His eyes started closing, and his heart rate was slowing, but he continued to fight to stay awake, just for a while longer.

Abby lifted her head, her cheeks brimmed with tears, and kissed him. "I love you, Timothy McGee."

"And I love you, Abby Sciuto."

Saying their final words, McGee's heart stopped, and the nurses found Abby crying against his hair, their hands still entwined.