McGee tore up the hallway of the ICU wing, after flashing his badge and being pointed in the direction of Tony's room. He'd been trying to reach Gibbs, but his phone wasn't picking up, apparently, in that particular ward. They'd found a possible hit on Benoit's location. Ziva had gone ahead, to survey the area before they got there.
He rounded into the right room, by chance, having seen Ducky and Gibbs sitting in chairs, through the doorway. "Boss..." he entered, as quietly as he could, freezing as he caught a glimpse of his partner in the bed. Tim's breath caught in his throat, and seemed to grow stuck there. The sight of Tony's pale, unconscious figure, even bandaged up as he was, was overwhelming. He'd clearly been purposefully tortured and disfigured.
McGee hadn't even been aware of the two older men getting up from their chairs to go to his side. He'd been blinded from anything else, in that moment. The level of anger that bubbled inside of him, wasn't something that Tim was used to. It wasn't until his vision began to blur, that he realized his eyes had begun to sting with impending tears.
"Tim," Gibbs' hand went to the younger agent's shoulder.
McGee shook himself, blinking rapidly to stop whatever moisture that had gathered in his eyes, to dissipate. He met his boss's eyes, "We might've gotten a hit on Jeanne. Ziva went straight out. I couldn't get you on your phone, and I figured I'd need to come and get you, anyway..." his eyes drifted back over to his injured partner.
Gibbs squeezed his shoulder, "C'mon, McGee. I'll fill you in, in the car." He turned, briefly, to the M.E, "You'll stay?"
"Of course, Jethro..."
Saturday...
Tony shook, as he lay in the bed. Jeanne had brutally repeated the process she'd done the previous evening, three more times. He now garnished four burns on his thighs, which she was careful to treat, afterward. It didn't treat his psyche, though.
He wasn't sure what time it was; no windows to even give him an indication. But since he'd woken up, this time, he hadn't seen Jeanne at all. That, perhaps, scared him even more. He was tied to a bed, unable to move, and alone. Was she leaving him like this?
All too soon, she reappeared. And before she even opened her mouth, he was instantly regretting his wish to no longer be alone.
"Good morning, Tony," she said. So...it's morning, then. "I've got a to-do list, today. Figured I'd get your stuff outta the way, first."
"Please stop this, Jeanne," he begged. "I think you got your point across. You're angry, and I hurt you. I get it; I do... Please..."
"You think I really got my whole point across, Tony? You think this was just about sex?"
"Jeanne..."
"You...your job, everything about you, Tony...I hate it. What you did? To me? That makes you a monster," she told him, bringing her face closer to him. "You're a monster, Tony. And if you don't already know that, you will..."
"I didn't wanna hurt you-"
"I didn't wanna have to hurt you, either," she told him as she straightened. "But I can't let you hurt anyone else, the way you hurt me."
"Please, Jeanne..."
"You deserve this," she told him. "Maybe it'd be a bit easier if you could admit that to yourself and take what I give you."
Tony squeezed his eyes closed, preparing for what he thought she'd do next. He heard movement; heard her pressing one of the buttons on the IV machine she'd hooked him to the previous night. And then nothing...
When he thought maybe she'd left, he let out a breath. But then...then came the excruciating pain...
"Agghhhh!" he screamed as he felt the bones in his hand crack. "S-stop! Stop! PleaseJeannestopstop!" he cried. But she didn't stop. She didn't even flinch. So he screamed through clenched teeth as she relentlessly continued...whatever the hell she was doing to break his hands. He couldn't see; he didn't want to.
When it was over, he was shaking violently, sweating, and trying, madly, to breathe. "Why?" his voice cracked. "Why..."
Her voice came in a whisper; so close, he could feel her breath on his ear, and it made a shiver of disgust run through his entire body. "Because you deserve it. And this way, you can't hold a gun, Tony. You can't be an agent if you can't carry a gun, can you? You'll be worthless. You can't hurt anyone, like you hurt me. Not anymore."
If his eyes had been open, he would've seen the world fade to black...
Tbc...