AN: I thank the internet for the research I did on the illness that Abby happens to be suffering from. I give credit to the following sites: Google, Yahoo News, and Wikipedia. It is true that in Key West there is an outbreak of the virus mentioned later on in this chapter, according to Yahoo News. Left untreated, it can be deadly in rare cases.
"Well, Korn Cobb here, ironically did not work on a farm as I imagined," Tony started.
"He worked as a mail delivaryman," Ziva added, deciding to jump in before he made another unnecessary joke. "Never married, had a girlfriend who lived across the street from him who is going to be back in town tomorrow."
"Name?" Gibbs prompted, not really listening to them. All he could think about was how...off Abby had seemed that morning, confirming his suspicions. He hadn't got a chance to visit her for the past hour.
"Brittney Walker. She's a fourth grade teacher at Gerogetown Elementry," McGee said.
"McGee, Ziva, go," Gibbs ordered. The two agents left at once, no questions asked, no protests made. Quite unlike Tony, who was now quietly grumbling to himself as he set to work. Gibbs glanced at the time. It was almost 10:30. Abby would be waiting for him.
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Pain. Cold. Aches. Fever. Headache. Why won't it stop? Abby whimpered and put her head down on the table. Gibbs...Timmy...can't hide it anymore...so sorry...she began to drift off. Almost instantly someone was shaking her awake.
"Abs, are you alright?"
"Five more minutes," she mumbled, starting to fall asleep again. Gibbs felt her forehead.
"You're burning up. I'm taking you to Ducky right now."
"No..."
"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"
"Didn't want you to worry. Thought it wasn't that bad." Her sentenced came out garbled from exhaustion. Gibbs sighed and carried Abby down to autopsy.
"Could you check her temperature real quick, Duck? I know you're busy but she looks pretty bad."
"Oh, my. Alright. Jimmy, could you finish up with the autopsy?"
"Will do, Doctor." Abby pried her eyes open. Everything hurt more than she ever thought possible.
"It hurts, Gibbs."
"What does?" Gibbs asked.
"Everything..."
"I'll need to run some basic tests...oh dear. What's this?"
"What, Ducky?"
"She seems to have a slight rash right about here." He lifted up her shirt to see if it had spread. It had, to confirm his suspicions.
"I think I know what may be wrong with our dear Abigail." Jimmy looked up, pausing in his stitching.
"Tell me."
"Well, I have only seen this once before, when I was out in-"
"Get to the point, Duck."
"Yes, I believe Abby has what is known as dengue fever, which can be contracted from the Aedes mosquito that can carry the dengue virus. They can be found in parts of Africa, and sometimes in more heated parts of the United States, such as Florida. Symptoms include joint and muscle pain, sudden onset of fever, and a distinct rash on the skin."
"Bethesda, then."
"In most cases the illness can go away on its own. Let's wait a little while and see if her condition worsens." Jimmy put away the body and started cleaning up the table. Gibbs set Abby down the second the assistant was finished.
"Where are you going, Jethro?" Ducky called.
"Coffee," was his reply.
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"Have you heard from Abby?" Tim asked Ziva anxiously when they had returned to NCIS. "She's not down in her lab. I haven't seen her at all today."
"She's probably-"
"Down in autopsy," Gibbs said, sitting down at his desk.
"I'm going," Tony blurted, lurching out of his chair and running for the elevator. Ziva and McGee exchanged a glance and followed him out.
IMMA BE ROCKING THIS STORY BOOOOM! This line break is a Black Eyed Peas fan!
"Abigail, I need you to tell me where it hurts, alright?" Even the slightest brush against her skin caused her to cringe in pain, amplified the suffering tenfold. Ducky watched her eyes flash in pain, mingling with the glazed over look so common with high fevers.
"What's wrong with her?" Palmer asked, coming back in.
"She's got a very high fever, that's the main concern at the moment. I need you to get some cloths and make sure they're cold and damp."
"How is she?" Tony asked. McGee and Ziva appeared behind him.
"The same, if not worse," Ducky replied in his normally soothing tone.
"Tony," Abby croaked out, managing a smile.
"Hey, Abs, why'd you get sick on me?"
"You may want to stay back, Anthony," Ducky advised. "She is very contagious right now." Tony nodded and made sure to keep his distance.
"Hey, remember when you got the plague, and you asked Kate why she wasn't sick?" Abby smiled at him.
"Yeah...she said she was stronger than me."
"I miss her," Abby said quietly. McGee nodded in sympathy. Ziva's face was unreadable, but Ducky saw her hand go the the Star of David around her neck. Grief was different for everyone, but he found this strange, considering she had never known Kate.
"I'm gonna go now. Get well soon, okay?" Abby started dropping off to sleep the second he was gone. McGee stepped forward, never taking his eyes off her.
"Abs, why did you do this to me?" Tim whined, feeling his heart break at Abby's feverish, lifeless face. But when she smiled, some of the light came back to her eyes, and the flushed unhealthy look faded away some. And, for a second, he almost believed that she was well again.
"Sorry," Abby whispered. Apology reflected in those green eyes he fell in love with when Tim had first met her. She looked so sad and miserable in that moment that he wanted to reach out and tell her everything was going to be okay, even though it really wasn't. But the moment passed as quickly as it had come, and he just looked at her.
"I'll see you later, okay? I bet Gibbs will end up taking you to his house and strapping you down to the bed so that you don't go to work when you should be resting."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"You promise me?"
"I...promise." Abby couldn't stay awake any longer, and just went back to sleep as McGee and Ziva left autopsy in silence.