"Hey, Boss?" he glanced to him, then back down at his hands that fidgeted with the too-large sweatpants. "Do you... I mean, that is... Does this scare you as bad as it does me?" After a few moments without an answer, Tony looked up and met Gibbs' eyes.

"Guess that depends," Gibbs replied, softly. "How bad does it scare you?"

Tony let out a breath and searched his mind for the appropriate words to convey it. "I feel like I'm just a hair away from losing it," he admitted. "In fact, I feel like maybe I already did lose my mind. Like maybe I'm really just comatose in that hospital bed, possibly never to wake up again because of the injuries, and this is all some weird messed up delusion-land my mind created. And my avid life-long love for movies is the perfect breeding ground for imaginative delusions..."

"Well, this isn't a dream," Gibbs shook his head with a slight grin on his face. "And you're not in a coma."

"My mind figment of you could say that to me."

"I wouldn't lie to you. Not even in your dreams."

"Oh yeah?" Tony smirked.

"Damn straight."

"Okay. Well...you didn't answer my question."

Gibbs had been hoping to avoid it. So he thought about it for a few moments, even though he'd thought long and hard about it for a long time now. Then he met Tony's eyes again. "Does it scare me? Maybe. But would I trade it for the alternative? Losing you in that accident, or having you left disabled? Not in a million years."

"Say that again if I start growing tentacles," Tony joked.

"Whatever it was, it saved you. That's all I currently give a damn about. We'll deal with whatever comes, when it comes."

Tony thought about that for a moment. "Yeah. I guess you're right. I'm really glad I'm not in pain anymore, if nothing else. I can't even...explain to you that pain, Boss..."

"Splashed sulfuric acid on my arm, once," Gibbs told him. "Hurts like a sonofabitch. I don't know how you didn't manage to pass out within the first few seconds of that."

"DiNozzo's don't pass out," he smirked.

"Oh yeah they do," Gibbs raised his brows. "You're not invincible."

"Well who knows, now, right?" he laughed. Then slowly the smile faded from his face. "Let's go inside. I'm kinda tired..."

*~.~*

McGee was sprawled out on his stomach in his bed, arm hanging over the side of the mattress, when a buzzing sounded from in the nightstand drawer. Only a few moments passed before Tim's eyes shot open with the realization of what the sound had been. He shot over to the drawer and opened it, fishing for the phone he kept there. Once he found it, he flipped it open to read the sent text. It was nothing but an irc channel address, as he'd expected.

The agent stood up and made his way to the computer, opening the appropriate channel and announcing his presence.

TM: What is it?

Camper: A subject exposed to the unknown chemical compound currently labeled Contingency.

Tim furrowed his brows as he surmised what Camper was talking about.
TM: What does this have to do with you?

Camper: That is currently not your concern. I need you to discover the identity of the federal agent and report to us.


TM: I don't work for you.

Camper: Perhaps we've had a miscommunication.

TM: Clearly. You don't give me orders. Now tell me, what's with the interest in this agent? And what do you know about the Contingency compound?

Camper: Camper has been monitoring suspicious activity of a possible suspect you have ordered us to search for. The suspect created the compound accidentally and was having it delivered to be properly disposed of.

TM: Why wasn't I notified there was a suspect?

Camper: Specific parameters were not yet met that required the level of suspicion necessary to inform you.

TM: Why were they sending the compound to be destroyed? What did it do?

Camper: Outcome of exposure of Contingency to animal test subjects resulted in negative psychological affects.

Tim didn't like the sound of that.

TM: Elaborate.


Camper: Subjects showed signs of severe neurological defect, resulting in loss of interest in survival. They stopped eating and died of starvation.


McGee was lost in thought for a few moments, worried about what this could mean for Tony. Then he realized something.

TM: Why is there no interest in the other agent that had been exposed?

Camper: Animal subjects that were only exposed to a very small amount were unaffected by the compound.

TM: If this compound was meant to testing on living subjects, why the sulfuric acid? What role does that play in any of it?

Camper: Sulfuric acid is not part of the Contingency compound. Suspect added it to the compound for disposal.

TM: Who is the suspect?

Camper: Suspect's real identity has not yet been discovered. Suspect's alias is Afon Moskvin.

TM: He's Russian? Do you have his current location?

Camper: Suspect's current location is unknown. Last known location was downtown Washington, D.C. He is currently no longer in the city, according to our data.

TM: Report to me the moment you find him. There is no minimum requirement. Do you understand?

Camper: We understand.

TM: And there's no reason for you to be trying to find the exposed agent.

Camper: On the contrary, it would be wise to contain him. He is a carrier of the Contingency compound, and it is unknown if an uncontained subject can infect a population.

Tim stared at the words on the screen, suddenly overcome with fear...

TBC...