A/N: I'm surprised that got so many positive reviews. I know Tony/Jeanne isn't exactly populer but this story was begging to be written. I think they make such a cute chapter, don't you?
Momentarily, Tony thought about making a break for his cell phone. That might have been a good idea if he hadn't spent so much time thinking about it. He needed to contact Jenny and ask her for a rescue plan. Damn it! His mind screamed at him. It sucked having a doctor around; they just knew not to take any crap.
He took a drink of water, hoping that the intake of fluid would speed up his recovery. The water was a relief; it seemed to keep his lips moist. Unfortunately, he drank a bit faster than he could swallow which made him begin to cough and splutter. No matter what he did the cough wouldn't stop.
"God," Tony said through a wheezed gasp. His chest hurt with each spasm. He needed to pull him self together, make a deal and get out of this situation.
Jeanne was suddenly standing there and it took Tony be surprise. His only thought had been pulling it together and not where she was. Finally, to Tony's relief, the spasms and coughs had settled down. He cleared his throat before lying back down. He watched as Jeanne prepared the thermometer and sat on the bed beside him.
"I think I drank the water too fast," he gave her yet another excuse.
Before Tony could continue with another excuse, he found a thermometer in his mouth. The stethoscope felt cold as it lay on his chest and she listened to his lungs. They already sounded bad, she had heard the wheezing. Tony did his utmost to distract Doctor Benoit. She tuned his antics out like she had with other patients when in full doctor mode.
Jeanne schooled her face. She didn't like this one bit. It sounded like he had the lungs of a chronic smoker than that of a fit young man. The temperature was elevated she noted as she read the numbers. She put everything together so far as she would with any patient. At least his blood pressure was normal, she thought. That was the only good thing so far, but the main problem that concerned her was his lungs.
Tony smiled brightly when Jeanne looked over at him and started to explain what she had found so far. "This is really not good," Jeanne started out, "your lungs are congested… You're running a fever that could worsen and frankly, you're breathing like a smoker of thirty years. I have to get you to the hospital, and get you checked out," she told him with a serious no nonsense tone.
Tony went to sit up. "Really, I'm fine. It's nothing. And plus I've got a professor's conference that I can't miss on Monday," Tony calmly told her. He hoped it would work, but somehow he didn't think it would. But he had to try his best, right?
Jeanne rolled her eyes, she knew her man was dedicated to his job, but this could be detrimental to his health. "You're not, fine, Anthony DiNardo," Jeanne used his full name scolding him, "you are sick. You need tests and to be treated. This is nothing to fool around with," she explained and prayed she would get through to him.
"Luckily I've got my own sexy doctor to look after me," Tony chuckled. That was a big mistake. He had been struggling to keep his breathing under control. When he chuckled, he no longer had control, and suddenly all he had worked for was lost as he let loose. Black spots soon appeared in his field of vision. The more he tried to breathe in, the more difficult it became.
"Breathe in and out Tony… Match my breathing," Jeanne told him softly. She continued her instruction until his breathing was regulated to a better, but not good evenness. "That's not good. This isn't a twenty four hour thing," She eventually said and shook her head. She wondered if he understood the seriousness of what she had explained to him and wished he'd stop with the excuses.
"I'm just prone to these types of things," Tony told her and hoped it would reassure her. There were some things he could tell her, perhaps ease her mind. But that would only raise more questions and suspicions that he couldn't afford. Sometimes it was difficult being in this undercover position. And he could feel the façade fading.
"I know it's not just anything, Tony. So stop trying to convince me and insult my intelligence as a doctor," Jeanne figured out that the tough love approach had some sort of effect on him. "You never struck me as the unhealthy type and you're not stupid," She told him while still scrutinizing him. He had the look of an athlete rather than a school professor. He seemed so fragile to her while she had watched him fight for each breath that held a wheeze along with wetness that had her very concerned. She knew it could be a number of things; none of them seemed too good. The only way to tell would be tests and to be hospitalized and she knew unless unconscious he wouldn't go. Why were there always people like that? Why couldn't they see what needed to be done to help them? And why did the man she loved have to be one of those who were either to macho to go or maybe too afraid? She pondered that thought for a quick moment and then put it on the back burner for later.
"A couple of years ago I had a rough bout of pneumonia," Tony told her the half truth, but at least he wasn't really lying. As shitty as he felt, Tony knew he had to do some damage control. If Ducky ever found out, he was going to get an hour lecture from the ME and then taken out to the woodshed by Gibbs over this. "I was out camping for a week. Guess it turned out worse than it should have," he shrugged his shoulders and waited to see if it passed the test. "The doctor said that even though my lungs healed well, I'd still be prone to colds and such. But didn't really say anything that would give me a lot to be concerned about," Tony gave a reassuring smile.
"Sounds nasty," Jeanne said. If Tony's body was susceptible because of his previously compromised lungs due to respiratory illness, that could explain the intense deterioration. But that was troubling in itself. "I think you should rest Tony," Jeanne told him. But what she was really thinking was how to get him to agree to a hospital. He needed rest chest x-rays, blood work, oxygen, breathing treatments, IV's, the right anti-biotic and mostly to be closely monitored. She had to figure out how to make him go. Sure she could call an EMT unit but they couldn't treat him or bring him in with out his consent. Now, with all she knew the fear entered her mind and made her doctor mode a bit weaker. There had to be a way. If he became unconscious she could get him into treatment but that could be too late. She tucked him in and walked out leaving the door open ajar to hear him. She pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge and bit her nail as she pondered over how to get him to go for treatment.
Tony wasn't sure if he slept or not. He couldn't see a watch or clock and there was only a light that came from the hallway. The light illuminated the room enough for him to see his clothes in the corner. Quietly, he slipped out of his bed and checked through the pockets for his cell phone. It was time for him to call for help. Tony almost walked into the dresser because he felt dizzy. After a moment of fiddling around in the jacket pocket in the poorly lit room, Tony finally was able to pull out the cell phone. His mind worked out that he had to call from outside… He couldn't risk Jeanne overhearing any conversation.
The digital clock on his phone read eleven fifteen pm. Maybe it'd be too late too call. Jenny would either be asleep or catching up on paperwork at the office. He highlighted her name on screen and hit the dial button. He began to feel really bad again with all the exertion he'd been doing. He had found Jeanne sound asleep in the next room which made it easier to go outside. Once outside, Tony now realized that as he stood beside the front door in his boxers and without a shirt on, was a stupid idea. The cold air ferociously bit at his exposed skin and made him shiver and his teeth chatter a bit.
"Director Shepard," Jenny's sleepy voice answered the phone. There was a moment of silence. "Tony?" She asked.
Tony cleared his throat and checked to make sure nobody was in the vicinity. "Jenny. I've screwed everything up," Tony felt like he was about to burst into tears. He wasn't sure why. He coughed hard once again and had to double over due to the weakness. He also had to try and keep quiet.
"What's wrong Tony? You ok?" Jenny felt like kicking herself. That was clearly a stupid question.
"I'm not ok. Been sick, am sick. I've been with Jeanne, I am with Jeanne," Tony said, correcting himself. He wasn't sure, but he felt his mind slipping a bit as he tried to concentrate. "Basically, she's threatening to take me to the hospital," Tony took in a few deep breaths.
"By the sounds of it, it might be the best thing for you," Jenny responded.
"And then everything will be out in the open… My patient history doesn't exactly scream Professor DiNardo," Tony reminded her of who he truly was.
Jenny could hear Tony's teeth chattering. "Where are you Tony?" She asked.
"Outside talking to you," Tony answered matter-of-factly.
"NCIS?" Jenny asked in a confused tone.
"No…," Tony laughed. "Outside Jeanne's," he answered.
"Get back inside. Follow her orders and I'll take care of things," Jenny told him. "Trust me… I haven't let you down, have I? I'll make sure there is a medical file for Tony DiNardo over there. I'll use a doctor there that I know and call him with the details. He owes me a favor. Now, what do I need to know to have in this file?" She asked. Both of her questions and the explanations were her way of asking for his trust without coming right out and saying that.
Tony mulled that very thing around in his head. It was true that she hadn't done him wrong. And he doubted that she would do so at a time like this. Jenny wouldn't jeopardize an agent, but doubted that she'd let this operation fly out the window just because the agent wasn't feeling well.
"Alright." Tony replied eventually and then told Jenny everything he had told Jeanne about his lungs. The rest would be standard things in a medical file and he knew Jenny would have it at Jeanne's hospital to be safe.
"Tony?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah."
"If things don't go right… I'll make sure you're ok," Jenny assured him.
"I know." Tony said before pressing the hang up button. He tried to sneak back to the bedroom and, he really hoped that Jeanne hadn't noticed his little escapade. He was shocked to see the light in the lounge room come on and then quickly ducked into the kitchen. Getting a glass of water would be a convenient excuse to explain his reason for being out of bed, he figured.
"Tony?" Jeanne was surprised to see him standing over the sink.
"I'm just getting a drink," Tony answered flatly. He didn't even bother offering any smiles. He could feel the cold and truth be told, he really doubted he had the energy or the willpower to make it back to the bedroom.
"You should've called," Jeanne said to him. Her bedroom was next to the room he had always used. Even though Tony was obviously cold because he was walking around barefooted and bare-chested, he still was sweating a bit.
Tony smiled in return as he drank the water. He felt slightly dehydrated. It was unusual to have someone care about him that wasn't Gibbs or Ducky. And for a brief moment he allowed himself to think of it. Well, it did feel good, but that wasn't what he was here for, yet, again, it did feel good, different, and nice.
"I'm just going back to bed," Tony said nonchalantly. He walked by her and studied the stairs. They seemed to go on forever. Carefully, he began his ascension, using the wall for support.
"Tony… You really are a stubborn son-of-a-bitch," Jeanne shook her head. She thought about watching him try to keep from falling down the stairs. Instead, she wrapped her arm around his waist and escorted him to the second floor.
Leg went up, leg went down… Tony went up. Leg went up, leg went down… The up and down movement reminded Tony of a ship bobbing up and down in the water. Tony's head and body suddenly felt as if he were spinning around in circles that set off nausea in his stomach. Why hadn't he thought about taking the time off when he first felt things getting the better of him? Tony broke free from Jeanne's grasp and dashed for the toilet. He bounced off the doorframe and closed the door behind him.
Jeanne never really understood why men either acted so stoic when they were sick while others acted like big babies. She could hear him retching even from near her bedroom, but waited. Men and their pride will be their sex's downfall. She waited for him to rinse his mouth out.
"Let me help you, Tony," Jeanne said. He was much hotter than before and his gait looked awkward. The more troublesome sign was his lack of protest.
"Alright," Tony responded with not even half a smile.
Jeanne was worried about her man. She brought in a blanket and camped on the chair beside Tony's bed. It was almost four am when Tony's fever worsened. She used a damp cloth to cool his forehead and then took a few small cold packs from the freezer. She placed them under his neck, his groin, and his arm pits, along with under his knees. What he really needed was a cool down blanket that they had at the hospital, but for now the best she could do was get all the hot spots and hoped that would bring the fever down.
Occasionally his glassy green eyes would open and search around the room. "What are you looking for?" Jeanne asked him.
She wasn't sure how lucid he was. She had taken his temperature again. It had gone up a whole degree which alarmed her. She needed to do something. Again she knew he'd have to go to the hospital. She sat there and thought if he wasn't lucid maybe she could get him there. Now, she listened to him closely as she waited to see how he would answer her.
"Kate?" Tony sounded lost. "Brad?"
Jeanne wasn't sure what to do about the personal side of things, only the medical. But she had done what she could in order to try and bring the fever down. She had the temped water in a basin and rinsed out the rag only to put it back on his burning forehead. Whoever this Kate and Brad were, they definitely held some deep connection. Maybe she could find out later. Only, if Tony gave her more to work with.
"Brad… Where'd she go?" Tony asked. Though not really looking at anything at all.
She had to assist Tony to sit up. The coughing and his respirations were worse. That was enough… She knew he was out of it enough for her to finally get him to the hospital. She thanked God as she put a shirt on Tony and called in for an ambulance telling them who she was and the address. She propped him up more and waited for the door bell to ring. She knew she couldn't bear all his weight and take him down stairs. The attendants would bring the stretcher up to the room and then take him out to the ambulance. They would go to her hospital and he'd finally get the care he needed, which relieved her worried mind. Now it was the wait to get him there and then wait for the test results and finally to get a hold of his medical file.
God, she hated the waiting and always had. She liked to find out what the trouble was and then treat it. But at least once they got there she could get an IV into Tony and oxygen while they ran the tests. She wiped his forehead again as he lie there helplessly, not knowing what was going on around him. She looked at her watch again and then finally heard the sound she so desperately waited for, the siren. She opened the door for the attendants and then jumped into the ambulance as they loaded the stretcher in and locked it in place. She put an oxygen mask over his face and raised the O2 to the right level for him. She then established an IV in his arm and fixed the rate before she hung it. All this was done while they sped off for the hospital.
