Disclaimer: Yet again, don't own NCIS, or the characters...oh wait...then again, I did make up that nurse - her name is NOT Emma btw. lol

A/N: I know this chapter is fairly short but I'm tired atm...so pfft haha. Anyway, I like this chapter - it gives us an insight to Tony's inner thoughts tehe! Chapter 3 is coming so please be patient...and only constructive comments please...R&R! Here we go...

Tony slowly opened his eyes, preparing himself for the harsh morning light that often awake him in the morning through his bedroom window. However, he was greeted with the stale smell of dust and newly washed bedsheets. He heard the familiar beep of what had to be his heartrate. That's when he realised – the hospital. The room was dimly lit with natural light and he couldn't see much past his own bed.

"Damn, not the hospital...what..." he whispered, when suddenly reality hit him in the back of the head like one of Gibbs' slaps.

"Kate," he said. He looked around the room and saw no one in sight. He began to sit up but found it practically impossible as searing pain shot up and down his left leg. His heartrate went up by a few beats and a nurse came in to his aid. He began to smile at the young nurse until he realised why he had tried to get up in the first place.

"Where's Kate?" he asked lifting his head and making it harder for the nurse to make him comfortable.

"Kate? Ah...Oh, you mean that brunette? Is she your wife?" she asked quietly as not to disturb any other patients that may have been in the room.

"Where is she?" he asked again, ignoring her question.

"She's in the room a couple of doors down..." she began. Tony had heard enough and decided to make another break for it. He winced in pain and grabbed his leg.

"Sir, you're going to need to lie back. She is asleep, just like everyone else in here, being 5 am and all," she whispered loudly. She was tired and was annoyed by his little sharade already.

"Is she alright?" he asked in a rasped, worried tone. The nurse looked at him and gave him a small smile.

"She will be fine, she just needs some time to recover from her injuries. There's no permanent damage is what I'm trying to say," she quietly. She was glad to see the sillouette of a relieved smile stretch across his features. "I'll see what I can do about letting you see her later, ok?"

"Yeah, thanks," he replied gratefully. "Oh, by the way, what happened to me?" The nurse nearly laughed at his last sentence. His boss had told her that there was a stupid side to him.

"According to Dr. Sherwood, you have a fractured leg and several bruises...but you should be fine to walk on crutches within a few hours," she said. "Now, get some sleep. I'll be out here if anything happens." And with that she walked out of the room and into the florescent-lit hallway.

Tony let his head rest back against the stiff pillow. Thoughts of Kate ran through his head as he closed his eyes. First, he saw himself holding her, protecting her from everything bad in the world. He could feel her hold on to him, too, whispering to him, caressing his cheek. He could feel his lips lowering to hers involuntarily, he could hear Gibbs storming on them. He chuckled quietly at the thought of Gibbs catching him and Kate together – even if it was only in his mind...or maybe the morphine, seeing as how Kate would never let anything get serious between them. His smile quickly faded.

He felt the ground shake, Kate's body lay limp in his arms, his tears stinging his cheeks as they run down his cheeks and fall onto Kate's pale features. He quickly opened his eyes in fright. There was no way that he was going to sleep now. He searched his mind for thoughts of a happier, more DiNozzo nature; he remembered thinking of Gibbs catching him with Kate when a thought came to his mind and he allowed a grin to plaster on his face.

"Crutches! Yes! No work!" he whispered triumphantly to the darkness, lifting a fist of victory in the air. He suddenly gasped, pain shooting through his ribs. "Damnit! I wasn't expecting that one..."