Here we go again! Chapter 1! Enjoy :-)
I DO NOT own NCIS, Rizzoli & Isles or anything related to it. All I own is this idea for this story.
It was early morning when NCIS got the call. The body was found in the center of the living room of the house, seated in a chair, his arms and legs bound with duct tape. The numerous bruises on the body and faces made it hard to make out his features.
Ziva took photos while McGee was busy with his fingerprints. Meanwhile Kate was trying her best not to get sick as she kneeled next to the body to examine it.
Tony walked up, kneeling next to Kate. "You looked like you are about to lose it!"
"I'm not about to lose it, he just smells!" whispered Kate.
"Yes, decomposing bodies tend to do that, Kate."
"No, I mean he really stinks!" Kate covered her nose with the back of her hand.
"Hurry up with your examine so you can get away from him."
"I'm trying!" Kate swallowed.
Jane walked up, carrying a cup of coffee. "Got us a real ripe one here, don't we? Whoa!" She put her hand over her nose. "How long he been died?"
"A few weeks. From the look of things I would say he was beaten."
"What gave you that idea?" questioned Jane, sarcastically as she sipped her cup of coffee. She looked down at Kate. "You okay? You look like you're going to puke!"
"I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes! Can we focus on this victim and not me please?"
"Sorry!" Jane took another sip of her coffee.
Kate looked up at Jane. "How are you drinking that?"
"What? It's just coffee."
"It's strong! I can smell it from down here."
Jane sniffed her coffee. "Smells fine to me!"
"Get rid of it, it's giving me a headache! Besides I thought I told you to stay away from coffee this week? Your blood pressure was high last week when I checked it."
"It's not the coffee making my blood pressure high."
"It's been shown that people who consume caffeine have a higher than average blood pressure."
"So do people who have a know it all doctor for a best friend who won't let them drink their coffee in peace!"
"I'm trying to save your life, now do something with that!"
Jane gave Kate a strange look. "Alright! I'll just go drink it over here."
"You'll drink it over here and help us with this crime scene," said Gibbs as he walked over to join his team. "What do we have, Kate?"
"He was physically assaulted. I'll be able to pinpoint the exact cause of death once I get them him back to autopsy," Kate stood up, stumbling as she found her footing.
Gibbs grabbed Kate's arm to stable her. "Whoa, careful!"
"Thanks, I must have stood up too fast. I got a little lightheaded."
Tony looked upon Kate with concern.
"You okay?" asked Gibbs, letting go of Kate's arm. "You look a little pale."
"Yes, I'm fi..." She froze as she felt the bile slowly rising to her throat.
"Kate? You alright?"
Kate's body jerked as she placed her hand over her mouth. "Excuse me!" Turning on her heels, Kate rushed out the door.
"Kate!" shouted Tony, following after her.
Tony found Kate hunched over at the side of the house, coughing as she vomited on the ground. He gently rubbed her back until her vomiting finally stopped.
"I'm okay, Tony," Kate tried to catch her breath. "It was the smell that's all!" Kate stood up, leaning against the side of the house.
"It was more than just the smell and you know it," Tony placed his hand on Kate's stomach.
Kate placed her hand on top of Tony's, glancing down at her left hand where a large diamond sat in the center of two platinum, diamond studded bands on her ring finger. Tony had proposed on their one year dating anniversary, placing her engagement ring on her finger while she slept, a shocking surprised for her when she awoke the next morning. Before Tony reentered her life, a marriage proposal would have been followed by her taking time to thoroughly assess the relationship and what a future with that person had to offer before responding but with Tony there was no need. Kate felt at home with Tony and wanted nothing more than to spend her life with him. It didn't matter what a future with him had to offer, he was all she needed.
Tony insisted on a short engagement, so they set the date for a summer day, three months out. It was a simple wedding, attended mostly by the NCIS team and Maura's old colleagues and friends from Boston. A week long, romantic Italian honeymoon ensued but little did they know that they brought back more than just souvenirs from Italy. Four weeks after returning home from the trip, Kate went to the doctor for what she thought was a stomach virus only to find out she was four weeks pregnant with their first child. The news of the pregnancy came as a shock to the newlyweds as they weren't prepared to start a family so soon nor were they prepared for the effects that the pregnancy would have on Kate. A week after finding out she was with child, Kate awoke with severe nausea that showed no sign of stopping.
"This hyperemesis gravity mess is no joke!"
"It's hyperemesis gravidarum and I'm fine."
"No, you're not! That's the third time you've thrown up this morning! Your doctor told said you should be taking it easy until you start to show signs of improvement, you should have stayed home."
"I have never taken a sick day and I don't plan to start now."
"Kate, you threw up in my coffee cup on the way to work this morning. You said you wanted to wait to tell everyone about the baby until you were sure everything was okay with the pregnancy but people are going to start to get suspicious with all the vomiting you're doing. Not to mention your moodiness!"
"I doubt anyone is paying that much attention to me to notice and I'm not moody!"
"You jumped down Jane's throat over coffee!"
"I'm fine, Tony," interrupted Kate. "Can we please drop this conversation?"
Tony sighed. "Fine."
"Thank you. Now can you ask Jimmy to pack up the body for transport for me? I'd rather not go back in there."
"Okay, can you do me a favor and go sit in the truck and rest while we finish up inside?"
"Yes."
"Thank you," Tony gave Kate a kiss on the forehead before heading back inside where all eyes were on him.
"Where's Maura?" asked Jane.
"She's out in the truck. She needed a little fresh air."
"She okay, DiNozzo? She's been sick an awful lot lately," stated Gibbs.
"Yeah, she's fine. Just a stomach bug."
Gibbs gave Tony a questioning look.
Kate tried to rest in the truck but her nausea wouldn't allow it. While the rest of the team was packing up the crime scene, she found herself vomiting behind the autopsy truck. Sipping on some water, hoping to settle her stomach she didn't even notice Jane walking up to her.
"Hey, are you alright?" asked Jane.
"Yeah, I'm a little sick to my stomach."
"Never seen you get sick at a crime scene before."
"I've been fighting a stomach bug that has my system a little out of sync." Kate ran her hand across her neck feeling for any sign of hives.
"It's nothing serious is it?"
"No, I'll be fine. Just have to ride it out."
Jane studied Kate's face.
"I'm not lying to you, Jane."
"If you say so."
At NCIS, Kate got straight to work on the autopsy of the body, well she attempted to rather. The nausea she was experiencing at the crime scene only seemed to get worse and by the time Kate made it back to autopsy she was held up in the restroom, vomiting, again. Her stomach settled enough for her to change into her black scrubs and enter autopsy, where Palmer already had the victim on the table and was conducting the external exam.
"Hope you don't mind I started without you, Dr. Isles," apologized Palmer. "It's just Agent Gibbs wants the body identified as soon as possible."
"Its fine, Jimmy. You are just as capable of doing an autopsy as I am. Why don't you take the lead on this one and I assist you?" offered Kate, not sure how long she could keep her sickness at bay and allowing Palmer to do the autopsy would allow her to step out if needed.
"Really?"
"Yeah," Kate smiled as she picked up the clipboard to take notes.
"Cool," smiled Palmer. "It's like I'm your boss!"
"Don't push it, Jimmy."
Jimmy's smile disappeared. "Sorry Doctor. Well seeing as you are assisting, would you mind taking the x-rays of our guest while I gather my tools?"
"Um," Kate unconsciously placed the clipboard protectively over her stomach. "I'll get your instruments together while you do the x-rays, Jimmy."
"No, you can do the x-rays, I'll get them!"
"I insist," Kate hurried out the room so Palmer could take the x-rays.
Kate returned and Palmer got started on the internal examine. Things were going smooth for the most part that was until Palmer got out the bone cutters to remove the ribcage. With every snip, Kate could feel herself becoming weaker and weaker. Feeling as if her legs were about to fall right from under her, Kate pulled up a stool, taking a seat. She watched as Palmer removed the bones, placing them in a large metal bowl before reaching in to remove the lungs.
Palmer held up the blood respiratory organ bouncing it up and down in his hands. "Lungs appear to be healthy."
Kate wrote on the clipboard, taking deep breaths to control her nausea.
"You alright, Dr. Isles?" asked Palmer.
"Yes," replied Kate. "Just feeling a little dizzy."
"You want me to get some water?"
"No, it will pass."
Palmer shrugged his shoulders, dropping the organ into metal bowl with a loud squish that caused Kate's stomach to drop. He reached in to remove the victim's heart. "Heart looks healthy as well."
Kate looked up at the even bloodier muscle in Palmer's hand and could feel herself losing the battle against her nausea. She swallowed hard as she wrote down more notes.
Palmer placed the heart into the bowl. "Let's take a look at his stomach content, shall we?" Palmer removed the stomach, taking out a knife to cut into it, emptying the insides into another bowl. He held the bowl up to Kate face. "I know this is your favorite part," smiled Palmer. "What do you see?"
Kate took one look in the bowl before she threw her hand over her mouth, racing off towards the bathroom.
"Dr. Isles?" Palmer put the bowl down and followed behind Kate to the private autopsy restroom. He knocked on the closed door. "Dr. Isles, are you okay?" The sound of retching coming through the bathroom door caused him to jump back. "I guess not!" Palmer pulled off his gloves, walking over to the autopsy phone, dialing the Squad Room. "Hey Tony, it's Palmer, could you come down to autopsy? I think Kate is sick," The quick click of the phone startled Palmer.
It felt like hours had passed before Kate was able to pull herself up from toilet. Her stomach muscles were aching from having been forced to bring up her stomach content yet again in such a short time. She flushed the toilet, walking over to the sink to rinse her mouth. Resting her hand on her aching stomach, she emerged from the bathroom.
"Dr. Isles are you okay?" asked Palmer, who had resumed work on the victim's stomach.
Kate felt her stomach lurch. "Can you do this autopsy on your own, Jimmy? I need to lie down for a while."
"Yes, of course. You want me to get you anything?" asked Palmer.
"No, I'll be in my office if you need me," Kate exited the double doors, heading to her private office. Closing the door behind her, Kate kicked off her clogs, curling up on her sofa just as there was a knock on the door. "Yes, Jimmy?"
The door crept open and in walked Tony. "I'm not Jimmy."
"Tony, what are you doing down here?"
"Palmer called and said you were sick," Tony sat down next to Kate. "You threw up again?"
"Twice."
"That's it, I'm taking you home."
"No, I need to help Jimmy with the autopsy."
"Palmer can handle the autopsy. You don't need to be here feeling the way you are."
"I just need to lie down for a while."
"Lay down at home! How many times have you thrown up today?"
"Six."
"Six times and it's not even noon! You're doctor told that if you keep going the way you are, you could end up in the hospital and I don't want that. You've had a low fever for that last two days and you've have hardly eaten. You can't keep pushing yourself when your body won't let you. It's not good for you or the baby. Now I'm taking you home."
"I'm an adult, Tony. I do as I please."
"Yes but I'm your husband and father to your unborn child which means I get a say in you doing what you please."
Kate cut her eyes at Tony. "When did you become so pushy?"
"Around the same time you became so stubborn."
Kate sighed. "Fine. Let me go change out of these scrubs, touch base with Jimmy and we can go."
"Thank you. I'll go let Gibbs know we're leaving. Meet you in the Squad Room in ten," Tony gave Kate a kiss on the cheek before leaving the office.
Kate and Tony are married and are expecting a baby! What do you think? Reviews and comments are welcomed and an update is coming.