Again, I do not own these characters. Sorry, the medical stuff might not be accurate, but I did my best.
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"I keep seeing Tony as the bullet hit him."
Ziva sat in the corner of the shower holding with her arms wrapped around her knees and her chin resting on them. Gibbs sat next to her, his legs stretched out, listening.
"His face..." A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away, "He didn't even look scared, he knew what was coming next." Another tear streamed down Ziva's face, but she let it fall.
"It's my fault, that..." Ziva paused and took a breath, "that Tony got shot" She let out a long deep breath. It was painful for Ziva to admit it, but she too, had seen the bright flash, but it was too late, Tony had already made his move and Ziva had been helpless. Tony had saved her but she didn't feel saved. Her heart ached to see Tony so that she could replace the image of him, covered in blood, with one of him safe and healthy.
"Ziva," Gibbs' voice barely broke the silence, "Ziva, don't blame yourself, you couldn't have done-"
"You are wrong Gibbs," Ziva's tone had turned into a harsh whisper. She turned to face him.
"I could have done something, or not let Tony take control," she bit her lip, finding the words, "If I had acted quickly-" Ziva stopped talking when she heard Gibbs chuckle. She turned away from him, hiding her angry tears. Gibbs put his arm around her and smiled.
"What!" Ziva stared at Gibbs, "It was my faul-"
"Ziva, you can't control everything, especially Tony, hell, even I can't control Tony, he has a mind of his own. But, everything he does, he does it for a reason. What he did, was because of you Ziva, he was protecting you."
Ziva let the tears run as she leaned her head on Gibbs' shoulder. She knew how she felt about Tony, she had been battling her feelings for a while but she couldn't let them over take her, not here, not now. She had to be strong, not vulnerable. She would be there for Tony as a friend, but that was all. Before tonight, she thought she knew where Tony stood and that he didn't feel the same way, but now, she wasn't so sure. Until they had gone back to his apartment Ziva had thought Tony only thought of her as a colleague, his partner and that was all. But as he kissed her, Ziva had been shown otherwise. Ziva felt as though she belonged there, in his arms and Tony had held her so tightly, as if he never wanted to let her go. Ziva had hoped that that was the case but Ziva knew that there was no future in that and she didn't want to start getting her hopes up. They were colleagues, nothing more.
Gibbs' phone started to vibrate on the vanity. He squeezed Ziva's shoulders and got up. He flipped open the phone and answered.
"Yeah, Gibbs"
"Boss, they just took Tony into surgery. The bullet went in through his tricep, through his ribs into the chest cavity, looks like it just missed his heart and other vital organs. The bullet broke two ribs, and the doctor said he lost a lot of blood but they said that he will be okay unless they discover any complications"
"Complications?" Gibbs tilted his head waiting for McGee's response.
"Oh, if the bullet has done any more damage"
"Uh ha. And where is this bullet?"
"Ahh..."
"Did I stutter McGee?"
"Um no boss."
"Well then where is it?"
"There was no bullet, well there was, but none here, it didn't show up on the x-rays that they took."
"So you have no idea where the bullet is?"
"None, Boss"
"Well McGee, why are you still at the hospital? Get back to the crime scene and find that darn bullet!"
Gibbs hung up. Ziva was now standing next to him.
"How is he?"
"Fine. He's just gone into surgery," Ziva looked down at her hands. "Look Ziva, I've got to go, we're missing a bullet. You get some rest"
Gibbs grabbed a towel a wiped his face, arms and legs. He pulled another towel out from a cupboard and put it next to the old NIS shirt he had laid out for Ziva.
"You get clean and dry and then get some sleep"
Gibbs made to leave but Ziva grabbed his arm.
"I want to come"
Gibbs smiled and shook his head.
"I can't stay here and do nothing while Tony's..." Ziva wiped her tongue over her bottom lip and removed her hand from Gibbs' arm and put it on her hip.
"I can't do, nothing, Gibbs"
Gibbs started to walk away, he grinned.
"You can work on my boat." He sounded satisfied with himself. "Remember, with the grain, Ziva."
"McGeeee!" Abby came running up to McGee as he was leaving the hospital and greeted him with a crushing hug.
"Hi Abby,"
"Is he okay?" Abby didn't make any signs of letting go of McGee.
McGee grunted. Abby let go of him but kept her hands on his shoulders.
"Sorry Timmy"
McGee blushed but quickly covered up by telling Abby what the doctor had said about Tony. After he had finished, Abby had a hopeful smile on her face.
"So he is gonna be okay, right?"
"Yeah, I think so" McGee smiled.
Abby embraced him in another bear hug, forcing the breath out of him.
"That's so great" She said, then she realised that she was crushing McGee again and let go of him.
"Sorry," She smiled weakly, "Again"
It was silent between them for a moment as McGee looked into Abby's eyes, the McGee pulled himself away and looked down at the ground for a moment and back at Abby, avoiding her eyes.
"Well, I, I have to go"
"Oh you're not staying?"
"No. Gibbs wants me to investigate the crime scene," McGee nodded as he said the words.
Abby smiled at him, "I'll let you know when he comes out of surgery." She reached up and kissed him gently on the cheek. Then she walked off into the hospital without looking back. McGee watched her as she walked away, then he started off towards the parking lot. He reached up and touched the place where Abby had kissed him.
"Yes!" he muttered. Then suddenly he realised he didn't have a car. He cursed and then turned and bee-lined in the direction he had come from. He walked into the foyer of the Emergency Ward and looked around for Abby who was standing near a vending machine. He walked over to her .
"Hey, Abby"
"Did you miss me already McGee?" McGee blushed again and then smiled at her.
"Can I borrow your car? Gibbs dropped me off at Tony's and I rode in the ambulance to here."
"Yeah sure McGee, I'm not going anywhere." She fished around in her coat pockets for the keys. When she found them she handed them to him.
"You know which one it is." She smiled at him.
"Thanks so much Abbs," Abby liked the way 'Abbs' sounded when McGee said it, it was different to when Gibbs called her by that name. McGee had already jogged off towards the parking lot, the keys jingling in his hand.
When McGee reached the car park, he saw Abby's car instantly – it shone like a bright, red beacon. He slowed to a walk and when he reached the door, opened it with one quick turn of the key. He smiled to himself as he climbed into the driver's seat. He had always loved Abby's car. It was vintage, one of a kind and that was what he loved about Abby, she was unique and unpredictable. He took the shortest route he knew from the hospital, one that had been shown to him by Gibbs when he first became an agent. Gibbs had said it took about 5 minutes, it had taken McGee 10, but that was at normal pace, not Gibbs pace. He was quite proud of himself that he had remembered the way and hadn't gotten lost. As he pulled in across the street from Tony's apartment, he turned off the ignition and looked up. He almost jumped out of his skin, Gibbs was standing outside his window, bent down, peering in at him impatiently. McGee opened the door slowly giving Gibbs time to get out of the way. McGee hopped out and locked the car, pocketing the keys.
"What took you so long McGee?" Gibbs smirked.
"I had no car boss."
Gibbs laughed, "Yeah, didn't think of that."
"Luckily I saw Abby on my out."
Gibbs had already started to walk away, "Well C'mon then."
Gibbs walked towards Tony's apartment building watching the few people on the street carefully as if anybody could be a suspect. He smiled to himself, he had been an agent long enough to know that killers don't stick around for long. This meant that the longer they took, the less chance they had of finding Tony's shooter.