Special agent Tony Dinozzo walks into the office. He feels great; he just finished with a night with his new girlfriend Jessica. They went out to dinner, and she is the most beautiful date he has had so far. His walk is brisk, knowing that he is late and Gibbs would get on his case if he caught him walking in late, for the fourth time this week. He rushes in and ducks down to avoid Gibbs, wherever he was. He tries to run to his chair but ends up running into Special Agent Ziva David's desk. Swearing under his breath while he sits down, Ziva says,
"Well Tony, I guess you didn't slick the landing". She looks at him, suppressing the urge to burst out laughing.
"Its stick the landing, Ziva" Dinozzo says, gritting his teeth. His encounter with Ziva's desk hurt him extremely. His leg was searing in pain. He had to find some ice to put on it before Gibbs got here. He looked around briskly, and seeing no sign of Gibbs, he whispered to Ziva,
"Ziva, quick, before Gibbs gets here, help me find some ice to put on my leg"
"I am sorry Tony, but I don't get involved in your little problems" Ziva said, with a smirk forming at the edge of her mouth. Special Agent McGee snickered, suddenly making Dinozzo aware of his presence.
"Don't you laugh Probey; at least I don't have real 'little' problems. Would you like me to share?" Dinozzo said, annoyed.
"No." McGee said shortly, turning back to his work, his face bright red. Dinozzo turned back to Ziva.
"C'mon Ziva, Help me get some ice!" Dinozzo said his voice louder than before.
"What ice, Dinozzo?" Gibbs said suddenly, briskly walking by Dinozzo, a cup of fresh coffee in hand.
"Uh…nothing boss" Dinozzo said, rushing over to his desk, wincing in pain. Ziva and McGee snickered.
"We have a shot marine in Maryland. Let's go" Gibbs said shortly, walking briskly back past Dinozzo. When no one followed, Gibbs turned and said again
"Let's go". His voice was impatient, as usual. They all immediately followed to the elevator.
"The marine was 46, shot two times in the head." Dinozzo reported, looking down at the body, his face grim.
"What's his time of death, doc?" Gibbs asked Dr. Donald Mallard, (or more commonly referred to as 'Ducky') the medical examiner. He had just walked up.
"I would say around 48 hours ago". He said in his Scottish accent. The team investigated the area for the next hour.
"Dinozzo, McGee, stay around and invstigate some more" Gibbs said as he and Ziva walked back to the truck.
"Sure thing, boss" Dinozzo said, giving a thumbs up to Gibbs's retreating figure. McGee walked inside the house, and into the room where the body was found. All that was left now was a big bloodstain on the horrible brown carpet. The house smelled musty, and McGee wanted nothing more than to get out of the house as soon as possible. Now he was stuck in this musty, old house, hungry for it was nearing lunch time and especially bad because he was stuck here with Dinozzo. Dinozzo always tortured him, and for some reason, he couldn't stand up to him. Lost in his thoughts, he never realized that Dinozzo came inside.
"So, what does the boss want us to investigate today?" Dinozzo said, a smile cracking on his face.
"Well, I don't know" McGee replied wearily, but then stood straight, his eyes wide and alert. He had heard glass breaking. Dinozzo heard it too, already pulling his gun out of his holster. McGee did the same and walked, slowly with Dinozzo around the house. They didn't find any broken glass, or anyone. Dinozzo put his gun back into his holster, and turned to McGee,
"Don't worry me like that, McGeek!"
"I didn't make it up, besides, you heard it too" McGee said, getting angry. He was mad and tired of tony always rounding on him.
"I didn't hear anything, but your scared little reaction. It's a good thing I didn't leave you alone" Dinozzo said in ridicule.
"I was right, and you know it, Tony" McGee said as he looked around the room desperately, for a reason that he himself did not know of. Then something caught his eye. A small tape recorder, in the corner of the room. He walked over to it and picked it up.
"Timothy, we don't need to worry, don't cry. Your mommy will help you" Dinozzo said in a mock-childish voice. He walked over to see what McGee was holding. McGee pushed the play button, and a sound of breaking glass was heard through the speaker of the tape recorder. The volume was turned up all the way.
"Hey, there's a note on the back" McGee said, Turning it over.
"It's probably from your imaginary girlfriend" Dinozzo muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible. McGee read the note out loud.
"Boom" McGee said, his voice trembling.
"'Boom'? What's 'boom' supposed to mean?" Dinozzo said. He soon found out when McGee said,
"Uhh, Tony, do you hear beeping…….
Timothy McGee woke up in the hospital. His face and arms seared and burned. He could barely open his eyes. It took him awhile, but he finally managed to see clearly. He was alone. Well that's nice, he thought sarcastically. Then he suddenly realized a bent over, weeping fugure in the back. Who is this man? He thought to himself. He sat up to get a better look, but laid back down, wincing in pain. The man looked up, hope in his sad, eyes. It's Dinozzo! I really must be dreaming, McGee thought.
"McGee?" Dinozzo said, walking over.
"What is it, Tony?" McGee asked, getting in a more comfortable position, in order to look at him properly. Dinozzo looked Disheveled, more than usual. His hair was messy, and his shirt was dirty, and extremely wrinkled. His eyes were wet, swollen, and red from crying. He was also extremely pale. McGee also noticed his arm in a sling. McGee looked over to the clock. It was 2:30 in the morning. It looked as if Dinozzo slept in that hard, cold, uncomfortable chair all night.
"What happened?" McGee asked Dinozzo.
"A bomb went off, but I made it out in time. You didn't. You didn't look good, and they took you to the hospital. Your heartbeat stopped, and they had to use a defibrillator to bring you back. The boss and everyone left hours ago, but I had to stay here, to make sure that you weren't…."Then right then and there, Tony Dinozzo broke down and cried. He was sobbing and shuddering, and it was the most unnatural thing McGee had ever seen. It was sad, the way Dinozzo cried over him. McGee doubted Ziva or Gibbs cried at his bedside. He was sure Abbey did though, but Dinozzo, of all people.
"I had to make sure yyou wwerren't ggone" Dinozzo said, sobbing like a small child. McGee was full of pity. He awkwardly patted Dinozzo on the back. Dinozzo went back and sat on his chair.
"It's going to be okay Dinozzo, it's going to be okay" McGee said comfortingly, with the happiest smile he could muster, given the circumstances.
"I know, Timothy, I know" Dinozzo said, cracking a smile himself.