As much as she tried, Ellen could not shake her encounter with DiNozzo Senior. It wasn't even the trauma of nearly being raped. That was devastating and horrible but Mack and the boys would have gotten her through it. What had got to her was seeing that Senior only cared about his son's money. He wondered why she didn't call him. Well that was why. What kind of father heard that his only child was on his death bed and was only interested in the payout. At least Senior had been hauled off to the county jail and it was doubtful that he would get out anytime soon. Not only was he charged with trying to assault Ellen but he was also busted for drunk driving. Which led to charges of public intoxication and disturbing the peace. The most serious charge however was violating the order of protection Tony had filed against him. Ellen thought back to a night just before Stella was born. Mack was at work and she heard screams and crashes coming from Tony's apartment. The next morning she saw him in the elevator, he looked frazzled and he had a black eye. Ellen asked him about it but he lied and said that he had been injured at work. Now she knew the horrible truth. Tony's prick of a father had hit him. If Senior hadn't of already been hauled off by the police, she would have beaten that scumbag to a pulp right there. At least Senior was locked up and Tony's "teammates" were barred from going anywhere near Tony. Tony was finally safe and could die in peace.
Shortly after the interaction with DiNozzo Senior, Tony's condition took a drastic downturn. The doctors said that Tony likely would not last to have his breathing tube removed. Ellen considered it briefly but remembered Jimmy saying that he may return in the morning. So she politely declined. Instead Mack and her took two hour shifts sleeping in the chair in Tony's room. While the other stayed awake and sat by Tony's side. By some miracle Tony held on until morning.
"I can't believe that he is still here." Ellen whispered sitting up on the couch.
"I know it is amazing. He must be waiting for something or somebody." Mack replied.
"He must if he's held on this long. I just wish I could ask who or what he wanted." Ellen sighed.
"Me too, I would love to provide him with whatever he wanted. So that he could finally let go. He is so miserable." Mack explained.
"Maybe I should call my mom and have her bring Stella." Ellen suggested.
"No! I don't want Stella in a hospital yet." Mack insisted.
"Yeah you're right. Though we could have my mom put her on the phone." Ellen explained.
"That's a good idea." Mack agreed.
It was a quarter til eight. Only fifteen minutes until the doctors were to remove Tony's breathing tube. Mack and Ellen had Stella say goodbye to Tony in her baby talk. Afterwords Ellen needed air and Mack had to call his boss and remind him that he would be late. Ellen felt terrible leaving Tony but Mack really needed to call his boss before nine and she desperately needed a break. After spending ten hours sleeping in shifts and watching her friend die. She just needed to breathe and then she felt terrible for breathing. Tony would never breathe again. She felt sick and lost. Sitting on the bench outside the hospital crying and praying for a miracle. Tony had hung on this long. Maybe when they took out the tube he would just start breathing on his own. She had heard of that happening. Maybe it would happen with Tony. The stroke he had suffered was a bad one and the recovery would be long but Ellen and her family would care for him. Mack and her could make due with the sofa bed in the living room and they could move Stella in with the boys. Yeah that's what they would do. Her parents still had the wheelchair and medical equipment from when her dad had his back surgery. Except there wouldn't be any miracles. Tony had his third stroke during the night and was now brain-dead. The only thing keeping him alive was the machines. Five more minutes until they pulled the tube. Ellen needed to get back in there. Though that was the last place in the world she wanted to be.
Gibbs rushed down the halls of Bethesda. The receptionist would not give him Tony's room number but he had gotten McGee to snoop around on BookSpace, MyBook or whatever the hell it was called. To get the dirt. Tony was out of the ICU so there was nothing stopping Gibbs from getting into Tony's room. He had been all over the regular ward until at long last he spotted DiNozzo, Tony scrawled on one of the plates beside the door. He turned down the knob and stepped inside. There was no way in hell he was going to let those pricks kill Tony. They just wanted his money or his real-estate. They had no interest in the Federal Agent's life. He walked towards the bed and was horrified by what he saw. Tony lie on the bed, his eyes sunken, his hair matted down, his skin a sickly palish gray. His body was covered by tubes and wires. In short Ellen was right, she was not just trying to take advantage of Tony. He really, truly was dying and Gibbs had realized it too late.
"Hey you can't be in here!" Dr. Pitt bellowed.
"No I just need to say goodbye." Gibbs argued.
"You had all weekend to say goodbye!" Mack hissed.
"I only just found out on Sunday." Gibbs snapped.
"Well you still had two days and instead of caring you accused my wife of being a whore and called Tony an idiot. Well Ellen and I are Tony's caregivers now and we have the right to turn away visitors. We are turning you away and if you don't get lost and let Tony die in peace. We will call the police. We already arrested Senior for messing with Tony." Mack explained, harshly.
"No! Don't make me go! Please! No!" Gibbs cried as two security guards put their hands around his arms and drug him kicking and screaming from the room. "He's my son! My son! Please! Let me say goodbye! Please! Tony! I love you! Tony! Goodbye, Tony! I love you! Toonnnyyyyyyyy!" he cried as he was drug down the hall.
Mack showed no sympathy to Leroy Jethro Gibbs. he had, had his chance to say goodbye to Tony and he had blown it. Hell he was the reason Tony was dying. If he had just stayed at the office and controlled his team. Tony may have gotten a few extra months. Now he was dying months early and a far more agonizing death than he deserved. He was beyond relieved that Jethro was long gone before Ellen returned. His wife walked into the room looking the worst he had ever seen her. Even worse than after they lost the baby. He would give anything to take her pain away. To take away the pain that the boys were suffering. Most importantly he wished that he could take Tony's pain away.
Ellen reentered Tony's room. She pulled the second chair over to Tony's bedside. Dr. Pitt walked over to Tony's bedside. He gently ran his hands down Tony's arm and stroked his face, he leaned in and whispered his goodbyes. Then taking a deep breath and holding back tears he gently removed the tube from Tony's throat. A gasp escaped from Tony's throat and Ellen swore that his eyes opened. Then it happened. Tony's heart monitor let out a ear pitching and soul crushing beep, and that was it. Anthony DiNozzo Junior. Beloved friend and uncle died at only forty-three years old. Without saying a word Dr. Pitt; turned off the heart monitor, gave a sympathetic look, and left the room.
There was no immediate need for Tony's bed. So the doctor's and nurses allowed Mack and Ellen to take their time saying goodbye. For a long time the couple sat in silence. Ellen with her face buried in Mack's shoulder and Mack with his hand resting on Tony's still and cooling arm. Neither wanted to admit that Tony was dead. Nor did they want to leave his side. For as soon as they left him. The doctors would take his body down to the morgue and he truly would be gone.
"Oh Mack what are we going to do?" Ellen asked.
"There is nothing we can do Ellen. He is gone." Mack replied.
Mack had to be at work at noon, barely four hours after Tony had flat-lined. He would not be home until midnight and he was beyond grateful for the mandatory minimum of twenty-four hours between shifts. Because he needed that time to mourn and he knew that it would be days before sleep found him again.
With Mack at work until late that night. It fell to Ellen to break the news to the boys that Tony was dead and to call Jimmy. All four already knew that Tony was dying but that didn't make it any easier. Ellen would give anything to run away from all this pain but that would not be right. The boys and Jimmy had to know and it's not like Tony could have run from his pain. Ellen returned from the hospital at one in the afternoon and the older boys got home from school at two forty-five. For the hour and forty-five minutes that she waited. She lie on the couch with her face buried in one of the pillows. Relieved that her mom was around to care for Danny who had been home since twelve thirty and Stella. She struggled to pull herself together when the boys walked through the door but somehow she managed to do it.
"Charlie, Brandon come over here. Charlie get Danny for me." Ellen called.
"OK mom" Charlie replied.
"Sit down" Ellen instructed once the boys were in front of her. Charlie and Brandon sat on the floor and Danny climbed up beside her on the couch. She wrapped her arm around Danny and looked down mournfully at Charlie and Brandon.
"What's wrong, mom?" Charlie asked.
"Is Tony OK?" Brandon asked.
"Tony coming?" Danny asked.
"Boys I have some really tragic news for you. Tony died this morning at eight o'clock. Your dad and I were with him and he went very peacefully. His body simply could not fight anymore." Ellen explained, tears falling from our eyes.
"What's dead?" Danny asked.
"It means that we won't see Tony again." Brandon explained.
"No! He's not dead! He's just sick! He'll be home soon! I will call him on my phone and that will prove it!" Charlie snapped jumping up and running into his room.
Ellen's heart shattered all over again, as she watched Charlie run off. She wanted noting more than to hug her eldest son and tell him that it would be OK, but she knew that would be a terrible idea. Right now Charlie needed to mourn on his own, and as long as he did not harm himself or anyone else. She could not get involved. Danny climbed off the couch and went back to playing with his army guys. He was too young to fully grasp the magnitude of the situation and Ellen knew better than to force the toddler to be sad. Brandon took his brother's spot on the couch and buried his face in his mom's side. He cried and cried. He was old enough to understand, his heart was shattering, and he needed his mom. Ellen just prayed that she would be able to handle her son's pain. Because she could barely get a grip on her own heartbreak. The cruel irony was that Tony was the only one who could have helped her and the boys feel even close to human again.
"Why did you leave Tony? Don't you know that we still needed you? How are we supposed to go on without you? You shouldn't have died so young. It's not fair. It's not fair. It's just not fair!" Ellen cried, tears pouring from her eyes, her heart so heavy that it hurt to move.
A/N: Tony's gone, how will Ellen and her family cope? Ellen encounters the team in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.
