Chapter 3
After securing a bruised but undamaged Miller, Ziva and McGee waited in the Infirmary for Tony to finish getting checked out as the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush completed docking and began disembarking procedures.
McGee was shaking his head as he sat down next to Ziva, "Well, it's a good thing it's just a minor concussion. I was a little freaked out for a second by all the blood. Gibbs looked pissed."
"One of his many shades of pissed, yes. Have you had a chance to talk to Tony while we have been here?"
Tim finished a yawn before answering, "About the…? No, I tried, but no go. Just holds up a finger to stop me and shakes his head, you know?"
"Me either. He does not seem to be sleeping very well, one night I got up to use the facilities and I could see in his bunk he was wide awake."
Frowning, McGee worried, "Hmm, thought he was looking a little rough." He sighed, "I don't ever want to see him with dark circles under his eyes again like after he had the plague."
A corpsman who had walked into the holding room heard this, stopped dead in his tracks and questioned McGee, "Our current patient in there?"
Both agents nodded together in perfect time; their innocent, earnest faces sending the medic scurrying back the way he had come. Exhaustion making them a little giddy, both Tim and Ziva cracked up giggling. Tim snorted, "That never gets old!"
As they caught their breath, Tim said thoughtfully, "Hmm, it probably does for Tony though. Oh man, I hope he doesn't get pissed at me that they're fiddling with his lungs instead of just his skull now."
Gibbs, striding into the holding room barked, "What the hell's wrong with his lungs?"
"Nothing Boss!" Tim backpedaled, "I mean just the usual, nothing new Boss."
Grunting, Gibbs slowly walked to where they were treating DiNozzo, "Go grab all our gear and meet back here. Captain says he'll get us a helo flight to D.C. in twenty. Vance is satisfied. After reports are written up and Miller processed, we're off for the next three days. Back on Monday."
Stopping before entering the room, Gibbs added, "Rest up for at least a full day before working on the other project, got it? We have enough in a couple days we'll talk about it at my place."
Seeing their nods, he entered the room. DiNozzo was sitting up despite being encouraged to lie down and use an oxygen mask by the circling medics. Apparently in a foul mood, he was seething, "I don't need an oxygen mask, I don't need to lay down. All I need is an ice pack and some butterfly bandages. You've already applied the bandages, so can I get a freaking ice pack now?"
"You're usually a lot sweeter to the staff in hospitals DiNozzo."
Tony calmed down rapidly, "They're usually a lot more feminine Boss. No offense to the fabulously fantastic femininity of Fermina here." He threw a charming grin to the blushing medic, as she handed him an ice pack.
"And if that tongue twister isn't enough proof my head is operating as well as ever, I can tell you the one about picking a peck of peppers Boss."
"I've heard you say that one while you were practically unconscious DiNozzo." Gibbs leaned with one hand on the bed, and one on his hip, staring at Tony… and continuing to stare.
Tony looked down, then his shoulders straightened and chin went up slightly, "I know Boss."
Gibbs stepped in his agent's face, his surrogate son, surrogate younger brother's face. Not raising his voice in deference to the headache he could see practically throbbing behind Tony's eyes. "What. Do you know. DiNozzo?"
"It was a bad place to try and tackle someone. I should have found another way of bringing him down."
"Yeah. You shoulda." Gibbs held his eyes for another moment before leaning back.
This feeling was almost enough to bring a tear to Tony's eye. It mattered to Gibbs; it really mattered if something happened to him. Not only that, but Gibbs expected the best from him, expected him to use the intelligence he knew Tony possessed. And people wondered why he was so loyal to Gibbs.
Smiling a little through burning eyes, he said "Sorry Boss, you know how I get sometimes on a chase."
Gibbs gently tousled Tony's hair, "I know my St. Bernard pretty well." He leaned in to look at the forehead wound under the icepack, "So what did the Doctor say?"
"It's nothing Boss, just knocked me out for a second because it was almost exactly the same spot as I got my last concussion in that alley."
"Still need standard checks tonight, right? Plan on coming home with me after the paperwork."
"No, not even that bad. Besides, I have to get home tonight - got some guys coming to pick up some things. Landlord will only push back the rent for so long." Tony smiled, "Thanks anyway Boss, I'm good."
Gibbs growled almost silently before shaking his head once. "You see Ducky when we get back."
Rear end rapidly going numb while seated on the cold metal table, DiNozzo said with politely mild exasperation, "See Ducky, I'm fine."
"Well Anthony, any time one's body is sending pain signals to the brain one is certainly not entirely 'fine'," Ducky frowned slightly. "But I have to agree with the infirmary on the U.S.S Bush that this head wound and unfortunate impact to the site of your most recent concussion is indeed minor."
Dr. Mallard continued, peering again closely at the butterfly bandages, "It is even unlikely that this laceration will leave any significant scar. I'm a bit concerned, however, about the shadows I see under your eyes Anthony. Are you not resting well?"
"Hot case Ducky, bit of a deadline with thousands of sailors and family members looking forward to being reunited at Norfolk. Pretty important not to make any of them wait on us solving the case, you know?"
"Indeed, I understand about the demands of your work Anthony. I'm glad you have the next few days off to rest up. Be sure to continue drinking plenty of fluids to offset the slight blood loss from that blow. And don't get that laceration wet until the butterfly bandages begin peeling up."
Ducky attempted to appear casual in his next enquiry, "I've been meaning to ask after the situation with your Father Tony, how are you bearing up my friend?"
Tony sucked in a deep breath, "Ah, pretty well overall. Have to move on, get over it, you know."
Sometimes in order to diagnose injuries properly, one must probe painful areas Ducky mused. "Have you considered contacting or eventually confronting him yourself?"
Confronting him… God help me. Tony looked down at his hands, and saw the image of his hands on his father's throat… squeezing. Stop it. He only managed to say quietly "Can't go there…" before lapsing into silence.
"Well, it hasn't been very long Anthony. I dare say time will heal all wounds in this case as with many others. Indeed, I met a fellow in India once betrayed by his entire extended family, which included actual participation by thirty-three people and one disloyal elephant…"
Ducky eventually realized that Tony's lack of attention was different than the glazed eyes he was unfortunately familiar with in many of his listeners. "Anthony, are you alright?"
With no answer, Ducky moved a little closer, "Anthony? …Agent DiNozzo?"
Still no answer, and Ducky moved directly in front of his patient. At least he was able to easily see that Tony's respiration was normal, and the agent appeared under no physical duress while staring at his hands. A growing unease blossomed into true concern as he thought back to DiNozzo's last words. "Ah lad, you truly meant you can't go there at all didn't you?"
Hearing the doors open behind him, Ducky took a relieved breath. As Gibbs walked closer and then stood staring at DiNozzo also, Dr. Mallard said calmly, "Jethro, you've come at a fortuitous time. Please call Anthony to order in one of your louder methods."
Gibbs frowned, but immediately did what Ducky had instructed, "DiNozzo! Front and center!"
"On it Boss!" Blinking and sucking in a deep breath, Tony looked at Gibbs then Ducky. "Oh hey Boss. So I'm good, right Duck? I'm almost done with my paperwork upstairs, mind if I get back to it?" He smiled as he grabbed his coat and hopped off the table. "I know you're not asking, but I'm telling you; I've got a date with a California King tonight and I'm hoping for eight solid hours if you know what I mean."
"That will be fine Anthony, continue taking the ibuprofen, force fluids, and call myself or Jethro if any new symptoms arise."
"Boss," Tony stopped to yawn, "I'll come back in on Sunday to review and log Ziva & McGee's reports, have everything ready for you Monday morning, ok? Night guys!"
After DiNozzo left Autopsy, Ducky shook his head and looked worriedly at Gibbs, "That was approximately a two minute dissociative episode Jethro. It is still possible that… lapse was simply caused by Anthony just being excessively tired from your most recent case…"
Gibbs shook his head decisively, "I've never seen fatigue do something like that to DiNozzo before, and I've seen my team in every state of tired they have. Could it be the head wound Duck? He was a little like this in the hospital at times after that last concussion."
"Hmm, although not impossible that sort of dissociative amnesia could be related to this, I don't believe it's related to his current head wound. No Jethro, the cause appears to be much more pointedly related to Anthony's feelings towards his father. And if so, I believe we, or more importantly Anthony, has a problem."
They were both silent for a moment. Gibbs was distracted by the fact his own feelings towards Tony's father were clean and clear, causing no emotional troubled waters whatsoever.
"Has anything else developed on that front Jethro? Something that could have disturbed Anthony even farther?"
"We've been busy with the Wilkerson case. He hasn't said anything…" eyebrows lifting briefly, Gibbs continued, "which means nothing. I'll look into it Ducky."
After Tony had finished his paperwork for the night and left for home, Gibbs asked Ziva and McGee for any preliminary progress into DiNozzo Senior's "investment" to see if there were any recent developments. Tim said he had the name of the bank Tony's money ended up in and details on the hotel development deal. The expected initial payout to all investors wasn't for a year or more. The list of investors had been given to Ziva who'd had little luck finding anything useful among them as of yet, "Although we have more personal knowledge of Prince Omar ibn Alwaar, so he may well be a good place to start."
"Anything odd come up during DiNozzo's trip to wrap up the Anderson cold case?"
"Tony didn't say anything Boss. He was pretty quiet, got busy with his computer when they came back, but didn't mention anything odd. He hasn't set it in the stack to be filed yet, so there's probably something he wants to follow up on."
"You two head home and rest up. I'll check in with Dorneget before I leave."
"Ah, Special Agent Gibbs, um… I wasn't quite clear on if Agent DiNozzo wanted me to not talk about… That is, I'm not sure if I should tell you Agent Gibbs?"
Gibbs stepped quite close to the junior agent, staring the taller man down easily, and said simply, "You should. Now."
Dorneget looked relieved to have the decision taken off his shoulders. "Ok, there was a phone call that really got Tony mad, and then he, well, he barfed in the gutter. But then he was quiet all the rest of the way, and he was totally fine when we interviewed the lady."
"And you couldn't hear what the phone call was about?"
"No. I mean I heard some yelling from inside the car, but it sounded like Italian, I think. I don't know Italian... yet… but I plan on learning something soon Sir. I mean a language… Agent Gibbs." Dorneget looked off to the side and began to think his own mouth was trying to sabotage him.
"And he didn't mention a thing about it when he was 'quiet'?"
"No no, quiet like completely silent Agent Gibbs. Chatty again for a little bit on the way back to the Yard, so pretty normal there too. I mean, what appears to be normal to me sir… ah, Agent Gibbs. He really can talk can't he?"
Gibbs had heard all he needed to between the phone call and a 'silent' DiNozzo, and sent Dorneget on his way. A silent DiNozzo was like a dry nose on a pup, a warning sign something's not right. He realized that phone call, undoubtedly with DiNozzo Senior, must have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Ducky's theory may be true after all… now what can I do to fix it? In good news, at least that lapse thing's not random, seems to have a very specific trigger. I know removing the source of the problem will go along way towards the cure. Just have to do it in a way Tony can accept…
Gibbs shook his head tiredly. Rest for all of us, deal with dear old Dad, then I'll figure out how to… He chortled quietly and turned off his desk lamp before leaving, not far from giddy with exhaustion himself. …how to get my pup's nose wet again.
