--Sorry about the Director Morrow/Ziva mishap, but I really dislike Jenny. &&Vance … just no. Also DISCLAIMER: as much as I wish it weren't true, I do not own any of the NCIS Characters or anything that could get me in trouble. I'm only having some fun with them.
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"This pizza is REALLY hitting the spot…" said a euphoric Palmer.
The entire squad was basically silent while enjoying the numerous boxes of their delicious late night snack, a true sign of their appreciation for this break. They were so preoccupied with the meal before them that the slow hiss coming from the air vents went unheard.
NCISNICSNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS
"I'm getting a headache, anyone got any aspirin ?" asked a clearly uncomfortable Tony, picking his head up off his supporting hand.
"I thought you were used to staying up 'late into the night, working hard' if I am not mistaken, you were just enlightening us moments ago with this news DEE-Nozzo" said Ziva whose eyebrows were raised as if she were proving a point.
"Ha..Ha," outbursted Tony flatly. "Seriously, anyone got any?" His discomfort and angry mood becoming more evident.
"No, sorry Tony," said a still busy McGee, not taking his eyes off his computer screen.
Tony looked to Ziva who simply shook her head. Tony gazed at Gibbs, waiting for a response. Then it hit him, Gibbs would never need aspirin, the man has never even had a cold. Gibbs looked up, catching Tony's daze.
"Right, Boss…" Tony said, returning to work.
A few minutes later, Tony laid his head down on his desk. He was tired.
"DiNozzo…" said Gibbs in a warning tone. "Get to work."
"Just a five minute rest. I'm a little tired." Came Tony's muffled voice from the smashing of his face into the hard desk.
Gibbs shook his head to himself, "Fine. Five! But that's it". His tone was harsh, but they all knew the gentleness insinuated, it was the least Tony deserved.
Soon Tony's snores filled the bullpen. Ziva snickered at the roar eminating from his side of the room, and Gibbs and McGee even shared a look of entertainment at the noise. Just as Gibbs was about to do one of his shouts to scare the living daylights out of DiNozzo, he heard something peculiar. He stood up, looking intrigued, and made slow steps towards his senior field agent's desk. He crouched down next to the snoring man, ear first, and sure enough there it was. It was quiet, almost inaudible beneath the snore, but it was definitely there. It was a gurgling sound he had only heard once before, and it was a time he hated to recollect on. It was the same haunting noise that the damned plague caused to come from a man he liked to think of as a son he never had.
"Not again," said Gibbs in a rough whisper, more to himself than anything else.
"DiNozzo!" shouted Gibbs. Ziva and McGee flinched in their chairs, even though they had been watching Gibbs and the look of concern they caught as he approached Tony's desk.
Tony didn't budge.
"DiNozzo, get your ass up!" said Gibbs in an angry tone. Angry at what he suspected, not his agent.
Still, Tony snored away. Ziva and Tim looked on at the two men, wondering why Tony was acting so uncharacteristically. Usually, it did take a little bit to get him awake, as Ziva recalled the need of water being dumped over his head the day they were held hostage while undercover. Although it had been a long day, Tony would have woken up to Gibbs' booming voice any day. He must be coming down with something…
"Must be sick or something," said McGee.
Gibbs grabbed Tony's shoulder and shook him vigorously, "Wake up Tony." Gibbs' tone was more of a plead than the order it had been just seconds ago.
Gently Tony turned his head towards Gibbs, still keeping it on the table. He opened his eyes up to slits and squinted into the eyes of his boss. The sight of his boss so close to him with such a weird look on his face startled him, causing a sharp intake of breath. A deep, wet cough was the result of this action. Tony was surprised at this, he didn't remember feeling this sick a few minutes ago. His head was killing him he just realized, and his chest had a tightening feeling. He would try and hide it from his team, he didn't need anymore attention, especially the kind that involved weird tests, white rooms, and exposing gowns. Besides, it was probably just a bug he thought.
"You sick DiNozzo?" asked Gibbs in a serious voice. Not budging an inch from his seated position on Tony's desk.
Ziva and McGee got up from their desks and came to inspect on their own why that wretched noise just came out of their partner.
"Yeah, that cough sounded…bad." Said McGee, a look of concern seen in his eyes.
"No. Just the weather. You know, it's cold outside. Lungs get a little shaky when I go running outside, I'm sure that's all," said Tony. There was a weird wheezing noise that they heard when he was taking his breaths in between words. This startled not only his teammates but Tony himself. The next thing he knew he was doubled over in a coughing fit that sized up to the ones he would never forget from the time he had the plague, this wasn't good.
Tony sat back up, out of breath, and the hyperventilating began. The breaths he were taking were short and noisy. Definitely not efficient, Gibbs ran behind his desk and tried to calm him. He wouldn't last long breathing like that.
Ziva turned to McGee and told him to call Ducky, she was going to get Tony some water.
Tony had a look of panic on his face, and the short wheezy breaths were frightening him. He was beginning to see spots.
"Tony, breathe normal! Slow down!" said Gibbs, being stern was a way of making sure Tony did what he wanted. He kept his hand on his back was attempting to hold Tony still from the squirming and wriggling he was doing, in attempt to get a full breath of air. Tony was getting worse, and he didn't know exactly what to do. He did however recall one sure-fire method of getting DiNozzo to respond.
THWACK
Tony's breathing settled, but the wheezing noise was still there. Tony looked up at his Boss. The sight Ziva saw as she rounded the corner, cup of water in-hand, was not pretty. Tony was out of breath, sweat beads rolling on his forehead, with fear visible in his eyes. The same fear could be seen in her Boss'. She stood dumbfounded at this sight, this wasn't good.
