Title: It started with a sneeze 2?
Author: Ceindreadh Permission to archive: Yes to WWOMB, anybody else, please ask first.
Genre (general, hetero or slash): Slash
Pairing/Characters: Gibbs/Tony, team
Rating: T/PG-15
Summary: Post Scene to Model Behavior. What if it wasn't the flowers that made Tony sneeze Warnings: SLASH. Set mid way through S3.
Disclaimer. I don't own the NCIS characters, I'm only borrowing them, and I promise to return them in minty fresh condition when I'm finished.
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Previously on my NCIS: Tony started feeling ill on his way home from work. Intending to rest for a bit, he passed out on his couch, only to wake to the sound of knocking at his door.
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"Help...please..." Tony croaked out as he pushed himself to his hands and knees and tried to crawl towards the door. Where minutes ago he had been hoping for the unknown caller to get fed up and leave; now he prayed that they had more patience. But the knocking fell silent and Tony collapsed again. "Help me," he whispered.
Part 02
McGee was the first person to notice Tony's absence from work. He didn't think anything of it at first, figuring that Tony was probably just running late or stuck in traffic and would be there as soon as he could. Gibbs had been called away unexpectedly to testify at a parole hearing and wasn't due back for a few hours. Ziva was typing away at her computer, but from her occasional glances at Tony's empty desk, it was clear that she too was wondering where he was. McGee tried Tony's mobile a few times, and then his landline, but after several unanswered messages, he was starting to get concerned.
"He's probably just slept out," said Ziva, not looking up from her computer screen.
"Slept *in*," McGee corrected her automatically. "You could be right though...but he usually phones or texts if he's going to be late...and he'd certainly answer his phone"
"He is not frequently tardy, no"
McGee shook his head, "Occasionally"
He went back to his work, casting occasional glances at his phone just in case a text might have arrived without his noticing it. Finally, after he'd had to rewrite the same sentence three times to get rid of mistakes, he decided enough was enough. Grabbing his coat and bag, he headed over to Ziva's desk.
"I'll be back in an hour, Ziva," said Tim, shifting his backpack nervously on his shoulder. "If Gibbs shows up before then"
"I'll tell him you're checking on a possible missing person"
"I'm sure he's fine"
"I know. And he probably won't thank you for disturbing him at whatever he is doing"
"Yeah..." McGee turned to go and nearly knocked over Director Shepard. "Oops, sorry Mad...Ma'am"
"I wasn't aware that you'd been assigned a case while Gibbs is away," said the Director.
"I...no, yes....um..." McGee stammered.
"He was just heading out to get us some lunch," interrupted Ziva. "It's only eleven"
"I uh, like to avoid the rush," McGee said, quickly.
Jenny looked around, her eyes falling on Tony's empty desk. "Where is Agent DiNozzo?" She looked McGee square in the eye.
"He's not with Agent Gibbs." Ziva managed to make the phrase sound more like a question than a statement and was rewarded by a brief look of confusion on the Director's face. "He was supposed to have a report on my desk first thing this morning"
"I'm sure he has it all ready," said McGee, quickly. "Would you like me to check his hard drive and drop it up to you"
"I need that report on my desk by lunchtime," snapped Jenny, before turning on her heel and leaving. McGee shuddered, before turning to Ziva. "Tony had the report started I know. He probably planned on coming during the night to finish it off"
"Why would he work in the middle of the night"
McGee shrugged, as he hurried over to Tony's desk, "Gibbs says he does his best work at night"
It took a few minutes to find the half completed report. "Oh no, we can't send it to the Director like that!"
"You pull his notes, I'll type," said Ziva, sitting down at Tony's desk. "But if we find out that he pulled this stunt just to get us to finish his report for him, I will rip out his liver and eat it"
"And I'll bring the fava beans and Chianti"
It took them over an hour to pull together the report, and McGee was just heading for the elevator on his second attempt to leave when this time he almost knocked over Gibbs.
"Boss"
Gibbs took a look around the office, "Where's DiNozzo"
"Boss, I was just going to check on him. He didn't show up and he hasn't been answering his phones and the Director wanted a report and I didn't know what"
"*McGee*" snapped Gibbs, "Start at the beginning"
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Gibbs stood outside Tony's door and knocked on it. When there was no response, he knocked again...harder. "Damn it, DiNozzo, what the hell are you playing at?" he muttered as he pulled out his key ring. Tony's car was in its usual parking space and there were no obvious signs of damage, therefore Tony should be in his apartment. Gibbs slotted the key into the lock. He'd had a spare key to Tony's apartment ever since the Y-Pestis incident. Somebody had needed to bring Tony spare clothes and things while he'd been stuck in hospital.
"Probie would die of embarrassment if he saw my porn stash," Tony had wheezed. "And Kate would have to go to confession for a week! Better be you, Boss"
Gibbs hadn't returned the key. His justification was that if Tony had a relapse while on sick leave then they might need to get into his apartment in a hurry. That was the official reason, the one he admitted to in public. Gibbs heard Tony moan before he saw him. A few seconds later he was by Tony's side, brushing the black petals away as he turned the younger man over. "Dammit Tony, you're burning up. I'm going to call an ambulance"
Weak as he was, Tony still managed to clutch at Gibbs's arm. "No...no hospital," he croaked out. "Hate...hate them...worse than prison." He coughed, a dry hacking cough. "I...I'll be okay...just...just need rest..."
He started shivering, and Gibbs wrapped his arms tightly around him.
"Tony, you're ill...you need to see a doctor." Gibbs looked into Tony's eyes, saw the stubborn determination there, and sighed, "Okay, I'll phone Ducky and get him to check you over...but if he says you need to be in hospital, then that's it, agreed"
Tony nodded, his energy sapped by even the brief conversation. Gibbs was here and all would be right with the world.
To be continued
Ceindreadh
