"No no no no no no no!" Abby cried, running across the waiting room of Bethesda Naval Hospital and throwing herself into McGee's waiting arms. She buried her face into his chest and his arms tightened around her shaking back. Abby pulled away slightly and looked up into McGee's face.
"Tell me they're okay Timmy. They have to be okay." Abby's face was free of makeup, but her eyes and cheeks were red from crying. McGee could only shake his head.
"I don't know anything Abs. Gibbs and Ducky went to find a doctor. But…"
"But what Timmy? What aren't you telling me?" Abby pulled herself out of McGee's arms to look up at him.
"The scene…the car…it was…it was bad Abby." McGee rubbed the heel of his hands into his eyes, feeling the moisture that came from his unshed tears. Abby gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
"What if…what if they…" Abby couldn't finish her sentence, instead she broke down into sobs. McGee gently took her arm and led her over to a plastic chair. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she cried.
"I swear Abby, they'll be fine." McGee said.
"Don't say that Timmy. What if they aren't? We can't lose them. It's not fair!" Abby stamped her foot on the ground and for the first tome McGee noticed that she was barefoot.
"Abby? Where are you shoes?" He asked, pulling off his own sneakers and passing them over to Abby. She slipped her feet inside with a barely audible 'thanks.'
"I guess I forgot them. I was getting ready for bed, when I got the call. I just grabbed my keys and ran out," She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve, "I couldn't be alone. I had to be here."
"I know Abby, I know." McGee sighed. Abby rested her head on his shoulder and McGee dropped his own head to rest on top of Abby's. They sat like that for a few minutes until Jimmy and Breena came running in.
"How are they? What happened?" Jimmy was out of breath as he bent over to rest his hands on his knees.
"We don't know anything. Gibbs and Ducky went to see if they could find a doctor." McGee said, standing up so Breena could take the chair next to Abby. The blonde woman took a seat and hugged Abby tightly.
"I can't believe it. A car accident? How could this happen?" She asked, looking up at Jimmy and McGee. McGee shuffled on his socked feet, rocking back and forth. Abby caught his motion and stood up, almost tripping in the oversized sneakers. She pointed a finger at McGee.
"You know something! What aren't you telling me?" Abby's commanding tone was somewhat downplayed by her now shorter stature and the tear trails down her cheeks.
"Well, I'm not supposed to say anything, but…"
"But nothing McGee! This is Tony and Ziva! They're family" Abby pouted. Jimmy rested a hand on her shoulder, trying to get her to calm down. Breena stood up as well, wanting to know what McGee knew.
"The accident…it wasn't an accident." McGee spoke with some reluctance.
Abby and Breena gasped out a simultaneous, "What?!" Jimmy looked surprised as well.
McGee looked around, before lowering his voice. "There were skid marks at the intersection. The car that hit Tony and Ziva sped up. It hit them purposely."
"Does Agent Gibbs know?" Palmer asked, nervously cleaning his glasses on the hem of his shirt. Abby rounded on him.
"Of course Gibbs knows! He's Gibbs! He knows everything!" Abby turned back to McGee and in a smaller voice said, "Gibbs does know, doesn't he?"
McGee nodded, "He's the one that told me. I was at the scene before I got here. I had to make sure it was being handled properly and no…un-authorized…help was being given." McGee thought about the job Mossad's clean up crew had done and was thankful he had gotten to the scene in time to make sure everything was documented.
"Who would want to hurt Tony and Ziva like that?" Breena wondered out loud, causing Abby and McGee to shoot Jimmy looks of disbelief.
Palmer held his hands up in the air, "I didn't want to worry her. It's not my fault guys!"
Breena looked at her husband and then at Abby and McGee, "What don't I know? Why didn't you want to worry me?" Jimmy?"
Palmer shot Abby and McGee a 'gee thanks guys' look and pulled Breena away by her elbow while saying, "It's a long story and please don't get mad at me."
Abby and McGee settled back into the uncomfortable chairs to wait. Abby tapped her feet inside the loaned shoes and McGee bounced his leg up and down.
"What's taking so long McGee? The longer we wait to more I think they're going to…" Abby trailed off, knowing that McGee would understand.
"Well if the doctors are in with Tony and Ziva then Gibbs and Ducky won't be able to find them? Or maybe Gibbs got lost" He shrugged weakly.
Abby raised an eyebrow at her ex-boyfriend. "Are you kidding me McGee? Gibbs doesn't get lost. I'm just really worried." She stuck her thumbnail in her mouth and began chewing.
McGee gently pulled the offending nail from her mouth and gripped her hand in-between both of his.
"I know you're worried Abby. I am too, but this is Tony and Ziva. Ziva who survived four months in a Somalian torture camp. Tony who survived at bout of pneumonic plague, a disease that virtually doesn't exist anymore. They're strong. They'll make it."
"But what if they don't McGee? What if this car crash is the one thing they can't survive? How could a car crash be the one thing that stops them? They're not supposed to leave us behind!" Abby pulled her legs up to her chest, leaving McGee's sneakers on the floor, "It's selfish of them to do this to us." She rested her chin on her knees, looking down at the floor.
"I don't know what to say Abby! I'm terrified that they might die! I can't say anything else that will help, nothing I say will miraculously heal them." McGee exploded, jumping to stand up, "I'm sick of being in this hospital. I'm sick of waiting to find out if my friends are alive! I was just here waiting to hear about Mrs. Vance! I can't do this anymore Abby." McGee shook his head and stalked down the hallway and through the automatic doors.
Abby was left to stare at his retreating back. Her mouth dropped open and no one to wipe away her tears.
A/N: So I'm jumping onto the post-Berlin fic bandwagon. I think this one will probably have two-three more chapters to it, and fair warning, there may not be a lot of TIVA. I'm thinking that I want to focus on the impact this crash had on everyone else. But please, leave reviews :) and Enjoy!