Mack grabbed his kit from off the coat hook and rushed down the hall to Tony's side. He placed the large first aide kit on the ground and got to work. The first thing he did was assess Tony's condition. All he had to do was look at Tony to know his condition was severe. Tony's skin was completely void of any color and he was almost to hot to touch. The tests confirmed that Tony's vitals were not good. The rattling in his chest was so loud they were audible without the stethoscope. Tony's heart-rate was extremely erratic. Mack stuck the thermometer in Tony's ear and pulled it a second later when it beeped. The results were so disturbing he had to take it two more times before he would believe it. One hundred and seven point eight was among the highest he had seen in his eleven year career as a paramedic. He didn't need to hear a doctor's test results to know that Tony's odds were extremely low. He called 911 and reported Tony's condition to the dispatcher. To his chagrin it would be at least twenty minutes before the ambulance arrived and that was with hims pleading to send somebody as fast as possible. Tony needed immediate and extreme medical intervention. He should have gotten help hours ago. It was a shock to him that nobody from NCIS had noticed his condition and taken him to the hospital. Ellen had said that he had gone to work early that morning and was pretty bad off then even. After having a terrible night. How on Earth did none of his co-workers see how sick he was ? Mack wished that he had his full paramedic's kit but unfortunately certain things that were kept in those kits could not leave the ambulance when he was off duty. He had made up his own kit with everything he could legally carry in the outside world. John looked at his watch Tony's ambulance was still at least ten minutes out and Tony's temperature was rising. If he didn't get cooled down soon, he would have permanent brain-damage. He jumped up, ran back to his apartment, and grabbed all four ice packs from the fridge and all the frozen vegetables he could carry into his arms and ran back to Tony's side. He lay the cool packs over Tony's body and continued to monitor Tony's vitals. When he started to cough and wheeze, Mack pulled Tony into a sitting position and held him up by wrapping his arms around Tony's waist. The coughing fit became increasingly more violent and aggressive. Until a massive wad of mucus and blood gushed out onto his legs and lap. Tony's body lurched violently to the side and he fell back to the ground with a large thud. His cheeks and hands were turning a sickly grayish blue color. The right side of Tony's face now drooped downward slightly. Again Mack checked his watch. The ambulance should have been here ten minutes ago. He knew that the dispatcher had said at least twenty minutes and for a metropolitan area on a Saturday night that was actually pretty good time but still he grew impatient and agitated. He was a paramedic and he knew that his brothers were doing the best they could to arrive but things were different right now. Right now he wasn't on the clock. He was sitting on the floor of his hallway. Left completely helpless in the care of a potentially dying man. Tony's breathing had become disturbingly shallow and his heart-rate had slowed to the point of being nearly stopped. If the ambulance didn't arrive soon, like within the next five minutes. It could very easily be too late.
"Please hang on Tony, help is on the way. Just hang on please just hang on." Mack pleaded.
The ambulance finally arrived seven minutes later. Forty-five minutes after the initial call. Tony coughed out another wad of blood. By the time they had set their gear down and gotten down on the floor beside him, he had stopped breathing.
"Not getting any respiration but I have found a very weak pulse." The first paramedic called.
"Put the tank on him and don't stop monitoring that pulse." The second paramedic ordered.
"Yes sir" The first paramedic agreed.
"What exactly happened, here Mack?" The third medic asked.
"He's my neighbor. Last night when I was out with the boys Ellen let him stay over because he was violently ill. He was feeling OK this morning and decided to go into work this morning. He's a federal agent. He got home about an hour ago and Ellen said that he was dragging himself up the hall. She went to help him and he collapsed. He's coughed up blood three times now and his face indicates a possible stroke." Mack explained.
"OK well we've got the critical care bus downstairs. We'll get him to Good Samaritan and ideally by the time he arrives, he will be stable." The third medic explained to Mack.
"Boss this card says he had the plague and we need to take him to Bethesda. Apparently his pulmonologist is there." The second medic called.
"Nobody gets the plague anymore. Let me see that. The first paramedic insisted. He was still fairly new and this was his first call in critical care.
"Don't worry about it Jane it checks out. I actually remember this man Will." The third paramedic explained.
Mack rode in the ambulance with Tony. Tony had flat-lined twice in the half hour it took to get to Bethesda. They were still trying to get him back when the ambulance came to a stop in front of the hospital. Once he was "stabilized" Tony was rushed back through the big double doors that separated the ER from the hospital's main hallway. Mack recalled watching Tony be rushed away. Wondering if this would be the last time he ever saw his friend alive. Mack called Ellen from the waiting room. She got her parents to come and stay with the kids and rushed straight over. There was still no news when Ellen arrived two hours later.
"How is he?" Ellen asked.
"He crashed twice in the ambulance and he just looks really bad. I think he had a stroke and his lungs sound terrible." Mack explained.
"Poor Tony" Ellen sighed.
"They haven't told us anything but I would say it would be wise to prepare ourselves and think of how to break the news to the boys." Mack explained.
"That's going to be a real nightmare." Ellen sighed.
"I know" Mack agreed.
Ellen buried her head in Mack's chest, and Mack wrapped his strong arm around his wife's shoulders. He was to report to work at seven forty five in the morning but that did not matter right now. Right now Tony was all that mattered. Nobody else was around to care for Tony. His co-workers didn't give a crap about him anymore and Senior had never cared. It was only him and Ellen now, and now was the time that Tony most needed support. The wait was agonizing, Ellen was in tears, and Mack was about to go find somebody who could tell him exactly what was going on. When at long last a doctor came stepped through the doors and walked towards them.
"Are you here for Anthony DiNozzo?" The doctor asked.
"Yes mam" Mack replied.
"I am Dr. Sari. I am the on call primary physician tonight." Dr. Sari explained.
"How is he?" Ellen asked.
"Can you tell us?" Mack asked.
"I actually can. Your wife is Anthony's emergency contact. A James Palmer has also been contacted but we could not directly reach him." Dr. Sari explained.
"What is his condition?" Mack asked.
"Anthony is in extremely critical condition. As we speak he is in the ICU covered in a cooling blanket and with a breathing tube down his throat. Presently the vent is working at one hundred percent and we don't seeing it being lowered anytime soon." Dr. Sari explained.
"Any idea what is wrong?" Ellen asked.
"Naturally Dr. Pitt wanted him tested for the plague before anything else was done. The plague test came back negative but the results were not good. While he does not have the plague. His X-ray showed a severe case of double pneumonia. He also tested positive for a raging respiratory infection and a large mass was found between the left and right lung. Dr. Pitt has ordered a biopsy for the first thing in the morning. If he makes it that long. Neurology evaluated him as well and I am afraid that he indeed suffered a massive stoke and is being monitored for bleeding in the bran. Our tests also showed that he suffered seven TIA's in the past twenty-four hours." Dr. Sari explained.
"TIA's? Those are strokes? How did he not know he had strokes? How did nobody notice?" Ellen questioned.
"TIA's are often very minor and unless you are at risk or are aware of the symptoms, most patients will brush them off as more minor medical problems. Which unfortunately means that many patients will end up having a full blown stroke before the incidents are noticed." Dr. Sari explained.
"What are his chances?" Mack asked, dreading the answer.
"It will be a miracle if he makes it to next week." Dr. Sari explained grimly.
"May we see him?" Ellen asked.
"Visiting hours do not begin until eight but he will already be in Pre-Op for his biopsy by then. Normally I would make an exception but we are extra strict about visitors in the ICU and with the graveness of his condition I cannot permit visitors. However you will be able to visit with him as soon as he is out of recovery. I am going to go ahead and warn you that you will have to go back one at a time and visitations must be limited to five minutes every two hours." Dr. Sari explained.
"Can we bring our boys?" Ellen asked.
"How old?" Dr. Sari inquired.
"Ten, seven, and four almost five." Ellen replied.
"I am afraid that the ICU has a very strict age policy. Nobody under sixteen is allowed back and anyone under eighteen must be with a parent or legal guardian." Dr. Sari explained.
"But you said he was probably terminal." Ellen reminded.
"Right now he is stable and if he remains stable throughout the procedure we will put him in a regular room tomorrow afternoon. I do however advise that you get any other loved ones here as soon as possible after he is moved. Because if he makes it that long, he likely will not be with us much longer. I wish that the news was better but given his state, it is a miracle he has lasted this long." Dr. Sari explained, solemnly.
A/N: Will Tony hang on long enough for everybody to say goodbye? Will anyone besides Mack, Ellen, and their kids even care? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.