Don't End with Blood
Chapter 4
It was barely 0500 the next morning when Tony stepped off the elevator and walked to his desk. He had tried sleeping, he really had, but his uneasy moments of slumber had been punctuated by images of Tim in his hospital bed, slowly getting worse, or still stuck in his car, with no one to get him out. Finally realizing that he wasn't going to be able to shut off his brain enough to get a decent night's sleep he had gotten dressed and headed into work.
He had just finished reading through his email when he sensed a presence and looked up to see Gibbs standing in front of his desk.
"Everything OK, Boss?" He glanced at the clock on his computer and winced. It was only 0540.
"What are you doing here this early, DiNozzo?"
"Catching up. I kinda missed a lot of work yesterday, so… What are you doing here so early?"
"Catching up," was Gibbs acerbic reply as he returned to his own desk. Tony pulled out his notes from the crime scene and started going through those as well, pulling together a list of leads as he worked and happy to have a distraction.
Ziva arrived less than an hour later and sent both men curious looks as she settled in at her desk.
"Is everything alright? Have you heard anything about McGee?"
"Still unconscious. Vitals are improving," Gibbs replied. "Ducky is going to go check on him before coming in."
"That is good. Are you OK, Tony?"
"Fine. Trying to work, here. You know, get as much done as possible before I have to go get reamed out by Vance."
"'Reamed out'?"
"Scolded harshly."
"Why would Director Vance want to scold you?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
"Political B.S.," Gibbs replied, echoing his sentiment from the previous evening, and again he did not expand on it. Tony just shrugged and went back to his notes but underneath his calm façade his gut was churning.
The team worked in relative silence until almost 0800, when rose from his chair and, after taking a deep breath, started up the stairs to the catwalk. Gibbs was soon on his heels and together they walked to the Director's office, where his secretary waved them in.
"You wanted to see me, Director?"
Vance nodded. "I take it you watched the news conference on ZNN last night."
"Yes, sir."
"And you're aware of the question the ZNN reporter asked in regards to your actions at the scene?"
"Yes, sir."
"The SecNav also watched that segment, and she asked me to look into what happened. Care to enlighten me?"
"Sir, I… I was concerned for Agent McGee. That was my only motivation. I was not 'passing judgement' on anyone."
"And yet you chose to give aid to a fellow agent over checking on a civilian casualty."
"To be honest, sir, I don't know what I was thinking. Actually, I do. I was thinking that the man who's had my six for ten years, who is my best friend and the closest thing I have to a brother, his car had just been slammed into by a larger vehicle causing severe damage and that he was trapped inside, most likely badly injured, possibly dead. So forgive me, sir, for being human and worrying more about him than anything else, including, apparently, the reputation of the agency."
"Worrying about the reputation of this agency is my job, Agent DiNozzo. It's not a task I particularly enjoy, especially in situations like this, but it's something I need to do. The SecNav asked me to look into this incident, so I did." A hint of a smile appeared on his face before vanishing. "Consider the matter looked into, and closed."
Tony stared at Vance in shock for several moments before turning to look at Gibbs, who just shrugged.
"Told you: political B.S."
"Which requires us to cover all bases. It's the same reason the Metro PD forensic department will be checking Agent McGee's vehicle over very carefully for signs of paint transfer, from both the car that allegedly caused the crash and other vehicles involved."
"Wait, you're worried that McGee's car hit someone else?"
Vance sighed. "Incidents like these bring out the worst in people. We want to be able to cut any suggestions and any resulting civil suits off at the pass. Consider it me having Agent McGee's six."
"Damn…"
"I agree." He turned his attention to Gibbs. "Now, where are we on your current case?"
"Waiting on reports from Ducky and Abby. Duck's should be done this morning."
"Is Abby coming in today?" Tony asked, and Gibbs nodded.
"Brought her in this morning. She says she can handle it."
"Good. After you've finished with this case, I'm taking your team off rotation and ordering that they take some vacation time. Paid vacation time."
"With all due respect, Director, I don't need vacation time. I'd rather-"
"Work, I know. When was the last time you had a significant amount of time off, Agent DiNozzo?" Tony thought about it for a few moments but couldn't produce and answer. "That's what I thought. You'll also be required to complete your annual psychological evaluation, which I know you've 'missed' the past few years, before you return."
"I'm fine, Director." Vance raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't injured. I'm fine."
"No, but a member of your team was injured, and evaluations are required following such an incident. Consider it killing two birds with one stone."
"Great…"
"Anything else, Leon?"
"Dr. Mallard has been keeping me updated on Agent McGee's condition. As I understand it, he is going to be off work for quite some time. I can arrange for a TAD when your team returns from vacation."
"I would rather you didn't."
"So would I, but you need the extra manpower. I'll be sure to find someone suitable."
Thick skinned, you mean, Tony thought but wisely didn't say out loud.
"Anything else?"
"Keep me in the loop, Gibbs. For everything. Dismissed."
Gibbs just smirked and headed for the door, with Tony following close behind. They walked to the elevator and once they were inside with the door closed Tony flipped the switch.
"Was that necessary, Boss?"
"Wasn't my choice. Vance just reminding us he's still in charge."
"So what now, Boss?"
"We finish the case."
"Got it."
XXX
It took them nearly four days to wrap up their latest investigation, and Tony had wished more than once that McGee was there to help. Tony had checked in with the hospital every day, and each time he had been told that McGee was stable but still unconscious. Worry for his partner occupied his thoughts more often than not, but he also knew there really wasn't much he could do for the younger man until he actually woke up.
Finally, after all of the paperwork was completed, Gibbs sent them home with orders to take the vacation time they had been given. Tony was the first to leave and immediately he drove to the hospital, worried that his partner still hadn't regained consciousness and relieved that he would finally be able to check on him in person.
When he arrived at the ICU he was surprised to find that Tim was not alone and disappointed that he would have to wait to visit him. After only a few minutes of waiting, Tim's visitor emerged from the ICU and met Tony's gaze, a tired smile appearing on her face when she saw him.
"Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. It's good to see you again." She stepped forward and took his offered hand between her own, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Ms. Langston." He returned the smile and the gesture.
"How many times have I told you to call me Penny?"
"Not enough, I guess. How's he doing?"
"Better, they keep telling me, but considering… That's not really saying much. He is showing signs of increased consciousness, at least."
"That's good," Tony replied as he glanced towards the ward, anxious to see the improvements himself. "Is the rest of his family here?"
Sadly, she shook her head. "John is out on another tour. Sarah started a new job in New York a few months ago and doesn't have any leave time saved up to come visit. As for Timothy's mother...she doesn't handle crisis well. I'll talk to her after he's out of the ICU."
"When will that be?"
"They tell me if he keeps improving at the rate he has been..probably another day or two." She chuckled softly. "Good thing, too. This place is pretty much the opposite of what one needs to get better. So depressing, not to mention bad energy flow."
"Yeah, just a bit."
She patted his hand. "Go on, have your visit. They'll let you stay longer, now. Tell my grandson I'll be back in a few minutes."
"I will."
She left and Tony walked into the Unit and down to Tim's stall. When he opened the curtain he was relieved to see that there was some improvement in his friend's appearance. The ventilator was gone, replaced by a nasal cannula, and most of the drains, including the one in his head had been removed as well. The swelling around his eyes was drastically reduced but his face was still mottled by bruises, now fading to green and yellow.
"Hey Tim," Tony began as he stepped up to the bed. "Penny was right, you're looking a little better. Still look like absolute crap, though." He carefully slid his left hand under Tim's right, and after a few moments he smiled when he felt a weak pressure around his fingers. "She said she'd be back in a moment. I think she went to go find some incense or something to improve the energy flow in here. Maybe went to get some sage to burn, too. But she'll be back. Guess you're stuck with me for a little while.
"Vance gave us a vacation, if you can believe that, so if it's OK with you I'll be hanging around a little more. You need to keep me entertained, though, 'cause I gotta be honest with you, you're not real interesting right now. Do me a favor, OK? Wake up and talk to me. I've missed my original recipe Probie this week."
Tony saw Tim's eyelids twitch a little at the statement and he grinned. "That's it, Tim. Come on. Open your eyes." A few more twitches and then the lids slowly started to open, stopping about halfway, and Tony could see the slightly glazed green irises beneath. After a few moments of slow blinking Tim's eyes finally opened most of the way and his unsteady gaze traveled around the room before finally resting on Tony.
"Hey, Buddy. You with me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me." He was almost immediately rewarded with another weak squeeze. "That's it. That's good, Tim." He reached his other hand over and pressed the call button, summoning one of the nurses.
"What's wrong?" She noticed Tim's eyes and smiled. "Welcome back, Agent McGee." She walked over to the computer and typed in a few words before starting to check him over. "I just called your doctor. She'll be here shortly." She raised the head of Tim's bed a little and started to take his blood pressure, smiling when she saw the result. "That's good, Agent McGee. Much better."
"Tim. His name is Tim."
"Oh, of course. Can you hear me, Tim? Blink twice for yes." Tim's eyes slowly closed and then opened twice. "That's good." She gently moved Tony out of the way and put her hand under Tim's, palm up. "Press down on my hand." Tim did as he was told. "Good." She walked down and touched the bottom of one of his feet. "Can you feel that?" He blinked again, twice, and she moved to the other foot. "How about this?" He blinked again. "That's really good, Tim." She walked back up to the bed. "How do you feel?" A soft groan was his only reply. "OK. I'll be right back." She quickly left and Tim closed his eyes as a tear formed and slid down his cheek.
"Tim?" His eyes opened again. "How are you feeling?"
"Hurts," Tim whispered hoarsely and closed his eyes again, wincing against the pain.
Before Tony could reply the nurse reappeared, carrying a cup and a straw. "Here you go, Tim. This will help a little." She gently raised his head and placed the straw between his lips, allowing a few sips before she took the cup away and let his head rest on the pillow again. "Better?" He blinked twice. "OK. Give it a minute to see how that settles and then you can have some more."
"Hurts," Tim whispered again, his voice not quite as hoarse as before.
"We're going to see what we can do about that," Dr. Heilerin replied as she stepped into the small space. She sent Tony a dark look before focusing on her patient. After checking his pupil responses to her penlight, she did the same cognitive checks the nurse had done before, with similar results. "You are certainly on the mend, Agent McGee. How are your pain levels?"
"He says he hurts," Tony snapped. "Can't you do something about that?"
"You and I are never going to get along, are we?" she observed before turning back to Tim. "What hurts the most? And on a scale of 1-10, with ten being the worst, how much?"
Tim considered her question before finally arriving at an answer. "Legs...8. Then...head...7."
"OK, good to know. We're going to be working on balancing your pain medication so you're not feeling as much, but you'll still be able to stay awake when you want. Unfortunately you'll still feel some pain, but not as bad. OK?"
"OK…"
"Any dizziness? Nausea?"
"A...little...dizzy. Not...sick."
"That's good, too." She nodded to the nurse, who gave him another sip of water. "I'll be back in a minute with some better pain relief, OK?"
"OK…"
Both women left and Tim returned his rather glazed attention to Tony.
"What...happened?"
"What do you remember?"
Tim closed his eyes and Tony thought for a moment he had fallen asleep but eventually he opened them again.
"Case. Early. Met...there."
"That's right. What else?"
"Driving...then...nothing."
"Timothy?"
Tony turned to see Penny standing just outside the gap in the curtain. She quickly pushed it aside and stepped up to Tim's bed, smiling broadly at her grandson.
"They said you were awake, sweetheart. It's so good to see you."
"Penny…why…here?"
"Where else would I be?" she asked with a dramatic wave of her hands. "The lecture circuit was getting to me anyway, and I needed a break." Tony could tell from Tim's expression that he didn't believe her. "So here I am. How are you feeling?"
"OK."
She frowned. "Young man, now is not the time to be lying to me, so let's try that again. How do you feel?"
"Hurt," Tim admitted, and Tony winced at the defeated tone of his voice.
"They went to get him some more pain medication," Tony added before Penny could push for more information.
"How about I go hurry them up, OK? You can spend some time with this Very Special Agent." She winked at Tony and he couldn't help but grin as Tim groaned, clearly in annoyance instead of pain. As she was leaving Tony noticed her expression and understood why she had to leave. She didn't want her grandson to see her cry.
Tony clamped down on his own emotions and plastered an even bigger grin on his face. "Just you and me, McTim." Tim didn't respond and soon Tony realized why. Tim was staring at his own legs, a look of horror on his face, and the blips on the monitor that measured his heartbeat increased.
"Hey, hey, Tim. It's OK. Look at me," Tony cajoled, and finally Tim's terrified gaze met his own. "They'll heal, OK? You're going to be just fine."
"What...happened?"
"It was an accident, Tim. You were in a car accident."
"W-where?"
"On the way back from the crime scene."
They were interrupted by the arrival of the doctor, who glanced at the monitor and frowned.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. He's in pain, what do you expect?"
"We're going to take care of it, but that isn't from pain."
"He's upset. Wouldn't you be if-"
"I'm...OK. Don't...fight. Please."
Tony was immediately contrite. "Sorry, Tim." He reached out and gently ruffled the hair left on Tim's head, earning him a weak smile.
The doctor just shook her head and injected something into his IV. "That will help." She placed the call button in his uninjured hand. "If you don't start feeling relief soon, press that button to call us and we'll increase the dosage. OK?"
"OK. Thanks."
For the first time, Tony saw her smile. "You're welcome, Tim. Get some rest."
"Try…"
"Good."
After she left Tony took the time to study his partner. Tim's eyes were glazing over and drooping, and the pained expression on his face had started to fade. Tony was glad Tim was getting some relief, yet disappointed that he wouldn't be able to talk to Tim much longer that night.
"Better?"
"Yeah." A worried look crossed his face. "Anyone...else...hurt?"
"We're fine, Tim. Just waiting for you to get better."
"Will...I?"
"Your doctor says you will. She might not have much of a personality, but I think she knows what she's talking about, so we'll take her word for it. OK?"
Tim's eyes slid shut and he relaxed against the pillow, cleary fast asleep. Tony watched him for a few more moments before turning and walking out of the Unit. He found Penny sitting in the waiting room, the evidence of her breakdown still clinging to her face. She looked up as Tony approached and tried to summon a smile.
"He's asleep?"
"Yeah. He was pretty freaked out when he saw his legs, but I told him he'll be OK."
"Thank you. I'm sure he appreciated seeing you."
"I'm on vacation. He'll see a lot more of me in the next week. If he wants to."
"He will. He needs his team."
"We need him too."
She stood and gave him a hug, which he returned. "I better get back to the hotel. It's been awhile since I've had a decent night's sleep."
"I know what you mean. I'll see you later, Penny."
"Count on it."
After seeing her out to her car, Tony slowly made his way to his own vehicle and climbed inside before he started to shake, the tension from the last few days finally leaving him in a rush. After a few minutes he was able to collect himself, then started the car and headed for home, the events of the evening playing over in his mind: Tim had woken up. He still had most of his memories, and he was still the Tim Tony had known for so many years. He was healing.
It was a start.
TBC...
