Gibbs and Ducky both stood as Tony's neighbor retreated back to the ER to be with her husband. The two men sat back down and Ducky just sat and smiled at Gibbs. Gibbs finally noticed and said in a gruff tone, "What?"
Ducky smiled, "That story about our Anthony was quite a story wasn't it? It sounds like we have a bona fied hero on our hands Jethro."
Jethro smiled, "Nah we just have Tony. Nothing that lady said surprises me in the least."
Ducky looked at him with smiling eyes, "I noticed you didn't correct her when she called him your son. A matter a fact you actually smiled bigger. I think you liked the idea that Tony was your boy."
Gibbs was trying to find the right words to reply to Ducky when Brad came out of the ER double doors. Gibbs patted Ducky's leg and said, "Saved by the doctor. Hey Brad how is our boy doing?"
Dr. Brad Pitt smiled and shook both of their hands, "You know if you all want to hang out lunch together would be so much easier than all these hospital visits."
Gibbs shook his head in agreement, "Lunch and a beer sounds good to me Doc, I guess we will have to talk to spanky in there about this though. It is a full time job keeping that kid alive."
Dr. Pitt laughed, "Yes, yes it is and this time will be no easier. He suffered grade 3 concussions that in itself are bad enough but he spent so much time in the fire his lungs look like they did when he had the plague. We have him on the C-Pap machine now. You remember how much he LOVED that machine. But the fact of the matter is, if he doesn't start to clear his lungs on his own we may be forced to place him on a respirator. We are giving him some heavy-duty expectorants to help aide him coughing the gunk from his lungs up. This is probably the worst-case scenario for someone with his medical history. Gibbs, he responded to you last time. He needs you again."
Gibbs shrugged his shoulders, "I an here for him and I am not going anywhere. Take me to my boy Brad."
Ducky left Gibbs for the time being to go and check on work and the rest of team Gibbs and Gibbs followed Dr. Pitt through the double doors back to where Tony was.
Ducky made it back to the Navy Yard and the first place he went was to Abby's lab to check on her. He knew that of all the team Tony being injured would hit her the most. He walked into her lab with a caf-pow and a cheery voice, "Oh Abigail I come bearing a gift from Jethro!"
He searched her lab and then finally heard a weak, "In here Ducky" coming from the ballistics lab. He walked in and spied Abby sitting on the floor with Bert the Hippo and a tv/vcr machine and a box of tapes. Ducky asked, "Abigail my dear girl, what on earth are you doing and why are you crying?"
Abby came up and hugged the M.E., "Oh Ducky it is so horrible. I did something really terrible and I am not sure what to do?"
Ducky hugged Abby, "Calm down my child it cant be all that bad what did you do?"
Abby rung her hands and then began to pace, "Well Ducky, hypothetically, Someone took a box of video tapes from a hypothetical friends apartment when she was helping him move from a fire and she watched the videos thinking she would see pictures of her friend as an adorable baby but they weren't normal family videos they were video evidence of horrible child abuse that this friend suffered all his life. Ducky, really bad stuff, I saw blood and bones breaking and concussions I mean it was a shock to me that this friend even survived to adulthood. Hypothetically I mean. What would you tell me to do in that situation Ducky?"
Ducky sat down in her office chair, "My, my, Jethro and I always suspected as much from our young Tony's history. Can you show me one of the videos?"
Abby pressed play on the TV, "I was just beginning this one, and it is Christmas. Look at him Ducky look at his little face and arms. The poor baby is covered in bruises and in a minute he walks over to his father and he is limping."
They watched the video for a few moments and then Ducky asked her to shut it off.
Abby shut the video off, "Duck, what do we do? Do we pretend we didn't see them or do we try and have Daddy DiNozzo arrested?"
Ducky sighed, "I do know Abby that you need to secure these videos so no one else 'hypothetically' looks at them and I will discuss things with Jethro when I return to the hospital tonight."
Abby began to pack the boxes, "I am such a horrible friend, how is Tony doing?"
Ducky answered, "On the contrary my dear Abby, you are a wonderful friend. Anthony is not well; the fire did a number on his lungs. The doctors are hoping that he can clear his lungs in the next 24 hours if he doesn't they will have to put him on a respirator. Jethro is there with him now."
Abby hugged the small man, "Ducky, if anyone can help Tony through this it is our fearless leader. Those two are mad connected Tony will do what ever Gibbs asks him to do including clear his lungs. I think even Tony's organs even obey Gibbs."
Ducky smiled, "Lets hope so Abigail, I am afraid the poor boy needs another miracle."
Back in the hospital Gibbs was sitting beside Tony in his hospital bed helping him to sit up and patting his back to help loosen the ash in his lungs. He coughed for hours straight and finally after he filled several bowls with this gross black viscous substance from his lungs he fell into Gibbs chest exhausted and struggling to breath.
Gibbs wasn't a touchy feely person normally but he didn't even hesitate to hold onto his lead agent and comfort him with every thing he had. He rubbed circles in his back and rested his head on the top of Tony's and whispered, "You are going to beat this Tony I know you are and I will be right here for you son."
