Title: My Best Friend Tony

Disclaimer: They belong to CBS and not me.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews...donttouch….DiNo22 ...and scousemuz1k ….very appreciated!

There is only one smell that nobody wants to smell. One smell that places dread into the hearts of the very brave and the very strong. It is the smell of blood, with its coppery, sick scent. Crime scene investigators know it well. The attempts to wash it off their skin and out of their hair is like attempting to rid the smell of a skunk after it sprays, it takes effort. But finally, when you do it, when the smell is finally gone, all you are left with is the emotional stain. A stain that will be there forever, especially when the blood is from one of your own, a friend, a part of your family.

Gibbs drove up to the emergency room doors at Georgetown Memorial, the trauma team was standing ready at the sliding doors, stretcher parked, their blue scrubs recognizable.

Tim was still holding on to his friend, begging for Tony to hang on, but it was the screeching of tires that got his attention, because somewhere in the back of his fogged mind, he knew that they had arrived, that they had reached their destination and Tony was still breathing. Tim took a breath that he must have been holding, and a feeling of relief fell on him. Tony was going to get help.

Gibbs looked back, the ragged breaths of his senior agent was all he needed to see, to hear, to cause him to react. He flung open his door and quickly moved around the car, Ziva had already exited the car, standing as a guard now beside her team. watching as an onlooker.

The trauma team was already there, attempting to get Tony treated, the bleeding from his chest staunched. Trained hands were placing oxygen on his face, replacing the make do bandage with a pressure dressing and attempting to gather information regarding their patient, a job only Gibbs could handle, Tony's designated next of kin.

With trained ease they lifted him from the car, from the grip of Tony's friend and in one swift movement he was on the stretcher and they were moving towards the emergency room entrance. Tim refused to break the bond though and held onto Tony's hand with all the grip he could muster.

"Tim!"the feeble agent yelled for his partner.

"I'm right here Tony." Tim refused to allow the disconnect, his hand was still intertwined in Tony's, their friendship palpable to anybody taking the time to watch the two men interact.

"You okay?" Tony asked in between painful intakes of air, the stretcher moving already moving towards the doors, as if he just realized what was occurring, that he had been shot.

"I'm fine Tony." Tim comforted, knowing Tony would've die saving his life, he had been there before, it's what they did, they were a team, a family cast together by fate.

"Good...Good." Tony nodded, patting Tim's hand.

"You can't go any further." a gruff voice announced, the medical team had to care for their patient.

Tim stopped, not wanting to say goodbye to his friend, but then he felt a strong, gentle hand to his back,the other resting on his shoulder, it was Gibbs. Tim knew he had to let go, allow for Tony to get treated. It was the most difficult thing he had ever done.

Tim bent down and whispered something into Tony's ear and then reluctantly they let the bond break and the team watched as Tony disappeared behind the metal doors.

"You think he's going to make it boss?" Tim asked, his voice low, his hands now trembled uncontrollably, a normal reaction to the situation that they had just experienced. The adrenaline was gone and now it was time for the reality to sink in, time to face the inevitability of the facts. Tony had taken a direct shot to the chest and that wound could very well be fatal.

Gibbs didn't answer, instead he let go of the firm grip that he had on his agent's shoulder and walked over to the window where the nurse who took information sat, her stoic features seemed to coincide with her grim job.

Gibbs started relaying Tony's history. Tim always smiled when people reacted in shock to Tony's history, the woman behind the glass plated window was no different. He could hear her gasp and ask the question again, "He had the plague? Pneumonic plague?"

He smiled as Gibbs seemed to lose his temper and demand that they pull Tony's extensive medical records and allow him to get back to his team. Gibbs was definitely like a protective, grumpy old bear when it came to his team and today was no different.

Tim was startled as Ziva came over and gently chided Tim to follow her. He had forgotten about his second partner.

"You are a mess McGee." her gentle voice brought him back into reality. He looked down to see that he was covered in Tony's blood, the scent of wet blood suddenly hit his nostrils and he could not contain the contents of his stomach, and he vomited.