DiNozzo, Gibbs, and McGee watched the ambulance drive away, the red flashing lights adding more color to the already extravagant display from the fire trucks and
police cars.
"What's going to happen to Ziva, boss?" McGee asked sadly. Gibbs sighed, pulling his ringing cell out of his pocket.
"I don't know. Gibbs?"
"Gibbs! Oh my gosh, are you guys okay? We got a call from the Director that the naval base had just exploded! What happened? Is everyone okay?" Abby rambled
into the phone, her voice raised with concern.
"Abbs!" he snapped in the phone. She stopped instantly. "DiNozzo, McGee and I are all fine, but Ziva—"
"No!" Abby gasped.
"What's going on?" Gibbs heard Dr. Mallard ask in the background.
"Abby, is Duck there?" Gibbs asked.
"Yes," she replied solemnly and handed the phone to the doctor.
"Jethro! My lord! Abby and I just watched the explosion on TV! What on earth happened?" he asked. Gibbs sighed, running his hand over his face, looking in the
direction that the ambulance had left with Ziva.
"Johnson somehow found out that Ziva was an agent. He set the bomb off by accident and the explosion caught Ziva. We're on our way to the hospital." With
those words, he waved to his other two agents. They nodded, filing to the car.
"Okay. Abby, the Director and I will meet you there." Before Gibbs could protest, Ducky hung up and let Jethro with a dial tone in his ear. He sighed and slid into the
driver's seat.
"Boss, where're we going?" DiNozzo asked.
"Visit your partner."
When they arrived, the entire hospital staff was in a flurry of panic, trying to attend to the injuries from the explosion along with a bus accident that just happened
ten minutes ago.
"We're looking for Ziva David. She was in—"
"David is in surgery. You'll have to wait," the nurse said angrily, flipping through another chunk of tan files before her.
"Code blue!" a doctor shouted down the hall, pulling his stethoscope out of his ears and began CPR. The desk nurse flew away, revealing a large cart covered in
machines and dragged it towards the patient.
"This is chaos," DiNozzo muttered angrily, sitting in the waiting area, across from a vomiting teenager that reeked of alcohol and a pale elderly woman.
"Patience, Tony," Gibbs said, leaning back in his chair and waited. After a few moments of silence (expect the vomiting), Abby, Ducky, and the Director burst into
the hospital, instantly spotting Gibbs and running in his direction. His ears were met with a slew of unintelligible questions.
"Quiet!" he roared, his temper just about going over the edge.
"Where's Ziva?" Anny whispered. The Director stepped away, interrogating McGee and DiNozzo about the failed operation.
"She's in surgery."
"Is it serious?" Ducky asked, twisting his gray hat in his wrinkled hands. Gibbs shrugged, gesturing to the chaos outside the waiting room.
"They're a little busy. But I'm sure it's not serious." They nodded. "I hope." He added sadly under his breath and took his seat beside Abby. She looked sadly across
the waiting room at the double doors that divided them from the rest of the hospital.
"Gibbs?" He jerked awake, looking up into Abby's face. There were blue circles under her eyes, and her normal dark make-up had faded.
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to get something from the cafeteria. You want anything?" she asked. He shook his head, look at the double doors.
"Any news about Ziva?" he asked at Abby's retreating back.
"No. She's still in surgery," she replied sadly and disappeared with McGee. Gibbs took a few breaths, trying to calm his unease for his fallen comrade.
One hour passed. Another hour. Suddenly, a young doctor dressed in surgical scrubs entered the waiting room, examining a file closely before snapping it shut.
"Is anyone looking for a Ziva David?" he asked. Ducky and Gibbs jumped to their feet, smacking sleeping DiNozzo in the head. He woke slowly, spotting the doctor
and instantly forgot his fatigue. He nodded and beckoned for them to follow. Gibbs flipped open his cell phone, called Abby and told her the news. She whooped
triumphantly and the phone fell silent. He smiled and hurried after the doctor. He brought them to a large room, the walls facing the hall way made of glass with a
large window across from it.
Ziva looked peaceful on the bed, her eyes closed. There was a large patch of white gauze wrapped around her head, a huge black bruise spread across her eye,
cheek, and nose, running to the edge of her chin. Her arms, resting on to of the baby blue covers, were also wrapped in heavy gauze, multiple IVs in her right arm.
A slew of tiny cuts were littered across her cheeks, arms, and chest, clearly from glass shards. Everywhere DiNozzo looked over her body that was exposed skin,
seemed to be painted purple or black.
"Why was she in surgery?"
"She lost a lot of blood and her leg was badly broken and needed screws. Also, we needed to remove the glass shards from the skin," the doctor replied, flipping
open his file as if he had trouble remembering the diagnostic.
"When will she come to?" DiNozzo asked. The doctor shrugged, checking a few of the bags suspended above her, focusing on a clear one.
"A few hours. We gave her a heavy sedative for the pain. But when she wakes, if all goes well, she'll be good as new. Ms. David is very lucky," the doctor said,
walking outside, followed by Gibbs.
DiNozzo sat in the chair at her left shoulder, gently resting his hand under hers. She moaned softly and shifted, turning closer to DiNozzo.
"I can't believe this happened," he whispered, leaning in closer. The heart monitor continued to beep as he watched Ziva's calm face. His face softens, noticing how
her expression was younger, less guarded and serious.
"How is she?" Gibbs asked, walking back in with two cups of coffee. DiNozzo smiled sadly accepting the cup with gratitude.
"Where's McGee and Abby?"
"They're coming. They are trying to find Duck." DiNozzo nodded and looked up sharply, hearing a clamor rushing towards them.
"Ziva!" Ducky cried out sadly, rushing to her side and grasped her other hand. Abby stood off in the corner and whimpered sadly before Gibbs drew her forward.
"I always thought she was invincible. She was never knocked down, ever," Abby whispered, resting her head on Gibbs' shoulder. He nodded, staring into his agent's face.
"I'm sorry," the doctor said, entering the room slowly, "I need to examine Ms. David. I will have to ask you all to leave. You may come back in a few moments."
They all shuffled out solemnly and watched the doctor run over his file, fiddle with a few machines and replace an almost empty drip bag.
"Go on in." He held the door open, allowing the NCIS team to reenter and hospital room once more.
"I'm going to get some coffee," Gibbs stated, patting Ducky on the shoulder. "It's going to a long day."
They stayed in the room in shifts, alternating for food and coffee breaks, although everyone returned earlier than necessary. Ziva remained asleep, barely moving,
her eyelids fluttering occasionally, sending jolts to hope into everyone.
Tony sat alone in the room, his head dropped into his hands, leaning against the bedside, breathing in deeply the acid smell of cleaning supplies and sickness.
"איפה אני?" A soft voice groaned. DiNozzo's head shot up, recognizing Ziva's Hebrew.
"Ziva! You're awake! Thank god! Gibbs, she's up!" he called happily. Gibbs rushed into the room, looking down at Ziva with relief.
"How are you feeling?" he asked
"My head hurts," she moaned, raising her gauze covered hand to her head. Gibbs chuckled, pulling up a chair.
"What happened?" she asked, looking at Gibbs and DiNozzo, her eyes clearly startled.
"There was an explosion and you got hurt."
"Oh, okay doctor."
"What?" DiNozzo asked, exchanging a concerned glance with Gibbs.
"What did you call me?"
"Doctor? You are my doctor, right?" she asked, her voice confused and innocent, scrutinizing both of them closely.
"Boss, she doesn't remember us…"