Chapter 4
"Gibbs." Ziva filled the word with as many emotions as she could. Repentance, concern, worry, despair, need. Need for guidance, for confirmation, for control. None escaped the team leader. But he couldn`t offer forgiveness or comfort. Not when he looked at the unusually still body on the floor beside him.
He remembered the unmistakeable sound of gunshots after his painful contact with the concrete floor. Then, a number of alarmed screams. He finally processed the events, when, in an effort to get up, he realised something heavy was pressing against him, preventing him from moving.
"DiNozzo." He mumbled, gathering every ounce of strength, and put a reassuring hand on the unmoving silhouette. No response. Without any warning, his field of vision was obscured by McGee. Suddenly, he felt free of the pressure. Impatient, he rose to his feet, dizziness ensuing. A steady hand offered him support, but he couldn`t feel anything anymore. The sight before him was cruel, heartbreaking, unbearable.
No movie reference. No inappropriate joke. Nothing. Just stillness. He knew. As much as Ziva tried, pushed, pressed, screamed at him, she would remain unanswered.
"Ziva." He whispered, kneeling beside her. Putting his hand on her shoulder, and pulling her into a paternal embrace, he muttered "I know.", fighting back his own demons, his own memories.
