A/N: No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. And no, they're still not mine. (See profile for full disclaimer.) Thank you for all of the reviews and favorites – you guys are so awesome!
Chapter 9
As Tony and Abby neared her lab, Abby realized that Tony was trembling. "Tony, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly. When he didn't answer, Abby took a closer look at her friend and noticed that he was very pale. "Corinne," Abby called as they entered the lab, "something's wrong with Tony."
Corinne recognized the signs of an impending panic attack and immediately moved to Tony's side. Grasping his arm, she began talking softly to him. His breathing was getting more and more labored and Corinne knew that he was going to pass out if she couldn't get him to calm down. She looked at Jimmy and mouthed 'get Ducky' not realizing that Palmer had already made the call.
Abby and Corinne were able to get Tony seated on Abby's futon, but he was showing no signs whatsoever of calming down. Suddenly, his body went limp and he slumped against Corinne. With Abby's help, Corinne was able to get Tony lying down on the futon. "Is he okay?" Abby said, voice trembling.
"He should be fine in a while," Corinne answered. "He'll just be embarrassed because he passed out – which he'll deny, of course, because DiNozzos don't pass out."
Jimmy moved to Tony's side and checked his pulse and found it to be a little high but settling down. Tony's breathing had calmed down as well but Jimmy still wanted Ducky to double check. At that moment, Ducky walked in, bag in hand. And to Jimmy's dismay, Gibbs was right behind him.
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Ducky had just finished his conversation with Gibbs when his phone rang. "Hello? Yes, Mr. Palmer – what! Oh, dear. I'll be right there." He ended the call, grabbed his bag and headed for the elevator. When the doors opened, Ducky realized belatedly that Gibbs was following him. Turning to the younger man, he said, "Jethro, you don't need to come with me. There is nothing for you to worry about."
"Don't give me that crap, Ducky," Gibbs replied. "You wouldn't grab your bag if it was nothing. It's Tony, isn't it? Something's happened to him. Damn it, Ducky – what's wrong with him?"
Ducky sighed. "Calm down, Jethro. He apparently had a panic attack when they got to Abigail's lab. He should be just fine but I'm going to check on him just make sure.
"Panic attack? Since when does DiNozzo have panic attacks?"
"Oh, I don't know – maybe since he woke up blind after having brain surgery. Or perhaps they started after his first seizure? Get it through that thick head of yours, Jethro. Anthony has been through hell over the last two years, and he still struggles every single day. You have no idea how it has been for him. His whole world changed, and even though he's come a long way he still has a long way to go. Now, if you're going to go with me you will stay out of the way and let me do my job."
Gibbs nodded his acquiescence and the two men made their way to Abby's lab where they found Tony lying on Abby's futon. Ducky quickly made his way to Tony's side, checking his pulse and respirations. He noticed Tony's eyelids fluttering and realized the younger man was about to wake up. Patting Tony's cheek, Ducky quietly called, "Wake up Anthony. That's it - open your eyes, my boy."
Hearing Ducky's voice, Tony struggled to do as he said. He finally opened his eyes and gradually became aware of his surroundings. He realized he was lying down and wondered what had happened. Seeing his confusion, Ducky softly said, "It's alright my boy. You had a panic attack but you're fine now. Do you feel like sitting up?"
Tony nodded and allowed the doctor to help him into an upright position. He was embarrassed. He hated it when he lost control but at least he hadn't had a seizure. He felt someone sit beside him and smiled as Abby's arms gathered him into a hug. "You scared me," she whispered. "Don't you dare do that again!"
"It's not like I planned it," Tony answered. "It's just a coping mechanism, at least that's what my therapist said. When I get overwhelmed, I kind of shut down. But I'm okay now - I promise."
"Allow me to make that determination, young man," Ducky stated firmly. "You passed out and that is definitely cause for concern."
"Hey – DiNozzos do not pass out!" Tony stated firmly, though the statement lost a bit of its authority when Abby, Corinne and Jimmy said it right along with him. While everyone laughed, Ducky proceeded to examine Tony.
"Well, Anthony, your heart rate is still a little faster than normal but otherwise everything seems to be all right," Ducky said. Before Tony could say 'I told you so,' Ducky continued, "However, I want Corinne to take you home and I want you to rest for the remainder of the day. And I will be calling Mary Pat with those instructions so don't even think about trying to get out of it."
With a sigh, Tony said, "Fine, fine – I give up. C'mon, Corinne, get me out of here before he changes his mind and sends me to the ER." The fact that Tony didn't argue with Ducky let everyone know that Tony wasn't really feeling well at all.
After another hug from Abby, Tony and Corinne said their goodbyes. Gibbs had made it a point to stay silent as he watched the proceedings, so he was surprised when Tony turned toward him and said, "Bye, Gibbs. Think about what I said earlier. Oh, and in case you're wondering how I knew you were there– you smell like sawdust."
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Gibbs honestly didn't remember very much about the rest of the day. He knew that he went back to the bullpen and tackled the never-ending pile of paperwork on his desk. He may have talked to McGee and Ziva but if asked, he couldn't tell you what he or they had said. When the end of the day finally came (with no new case, thank God) he told the two younger agents to head out and the three of left the bullpen. Gibbs was glad to get out – Tim and Ziva had been staring at him like he had two heads – and he was looking forward to taking Ducky's advice. Basement, boat and (sorry, Ducky) bourbon. That was the plan anyway, but when he got home he found himself wandering through the rooms, brow furrowing as he again noticed several items that he couldn't imagine that he would ever purchase. The coffee maker, for example, was one of those new-fangled single cup things (which he hated at first, but when he got used to it, he kind of liked having a fresh cup of coffee every time.) And he couldn't figure out for the life of him why in the world he would have bought the big flat screen TV that was mounted on the wall in the den. And apparently he'd had cable installed (which he didn't realize until he got the bill.) He kept meaning to cancel the service but he had to admit that some of the shows were growing on him.
The biggest changes were in the bedroom. Gibbs had never been one to worry about more than the basic necessities, but the memory foam mattress and high thread count sheets were pretty nice. The closet was another thing that confused him. At some point he had built a large walk-in closet even though his clothes and shoes barely filled a quarter of it.
For some reason, Gibbs had made some major changes in his home (and his life). He knew that Tony was a big part of that reason and he was bound and determined to figure it out.
TBC
