At NCIS headquarters, McGee is explaining the progress of the investigation so far to Director Shepard, Ziva and Tony. FBI Special Agent Fornell and a number of his team are sharing information regarding the attack on their HQ. They are in deep conversation when the elevator bell dings and Gibbs and Abby walk into the office. They proceed unnoticed to where the group are discussing the attack and watching still images on the plasma screen. Tony is making himself at home in Gibbs' chair and doesn't notice the pair approach.

"You keeping it warm for me, DiNozzo?" Gibbs quips, grinning at the younger agent.

"Boss!" Tony shouts, startled by the sound of his voice. He immediately jumps out of the chair.

"Jethro! What the hell are you doing here?" Jen demands, knowing that there's no way he should be up and about as yet.

"Good to see you too, Jen," Gibbs retorts. "Thanks, Abs," he says hugging Abby as she continues to her lab.

"Jeez, Jethro. You look like shit," Fornell adds.

"Thanks Tobias. Don't hold back or anything," he replies joking. "Sorry about your guys," Gibbs says seriously, offering his condolences.

"Damn catastrophe," Fornell replies. "How simple and effective….and deadly."

"What've you got on the bomber?" Gibbs asks, getting down to it.

"As yet unidentified. We were just showing security footage to Agent David, hoping that she might recognise him from when she was being held."

"Don't mind me. Carry on," Gibbs says, nodding to McGee to continue the footage. As he turns to the screen, Gibbs and Jen's eyes meet. Gibbs interprets the look as a "we'll talk later" look. He realises that he's not in the good books.

He watches the security footage of the foyer of the FBI building. At the beginning it seems like any other day. Various staff arriving for work, each being checked though security. Fornell tells McGee to pause the video.

"That's him," Fornell says, pointing to a well dressed man in his mid-thirties. He looks no different to the dozens of staff that had walked in before him. The only difference is that he's wearing a trench coat, Gibbs notices. The sun was shining this morning, Gibbs remembered.

"Do either of you recognise him?" Fornell asks.

Gibbs zones in on his face. He's pretty sure that he hadn't seen him at the warehouse.

"I'm not sure," Ziva replies, studying the picture. "Maybe?"

"The camerman!" Tony pipes up as a memory hits him.

"What?" Jen asks, a little confused.

"Don't you remember?" he says to Ziva. "He set up the video camera and filmed you."

"You're right. It is him. What's this Zamir called him?" she says thinking hard. "Farouk I think. We didn't see him after that."

"He wasn't there when I got there, but there was someone else in the other office when Zamir took the disk," Gibbs explains.

"Okay, so let's say he was there, how the hell did he and the rest of Zamir's crew manage to disappear. Agents were on the scene pretty quickly. Their truck was still out back. If they left on foot they wouldn't have got too far. The dog unit would have picked up a trail," Jen theorises. There is a thoughtful silence.

"A boat!" Gibbs announces, leaning back in his chair.

"Did you see a boat?" Fornell asks.

"Nope," Gibbs replies.

"Well what makes you think they had a boat?" Jen wonders.

"Think about it. Makes more sense than they vanished into thin air," Gibbs replies with a smile.

"McGee, get me a waterways maps of the area," Jen orders. "We're going to have to arrange searches and patrols of every dock and harbour around the Washington area. Get the local LEO's and Coast Guard involved. I have some calls to make," she continues, " and you….," she says glaring at Gibbs. "Go home!!" She turns and hurries up the stairs towards her office.

"Woah, Boss, sounds like you'd better do as she says," DiNozzo teases.

"I'm hardly likely to start at this stage," Gibbs replies, with a glint in his eye. "I'm going down to autopsy for a while. If she asks, I'm gone home."

Gibbs leans heavily on his desk, in an effort to get to his feet once more. McGee notes the pained expression on his face as he attempts to stand. Without hesitation McGee rushes to his aid.

"Here Boss, let me help," he offers, waiting for Gibbs to snap at him. He is more than a little surprised when Gibbs takes his arm and accepts his assistance. DiNozzo almost keels over in surprise when Gibbs even thanks McGee.

Slowly, Gibbs makes his way to autopsy. Gibbs has to grab the wall once or twice to steady himself and let the waves of pain subside. Eventually he reaches autopsy and the doors slide open. Ducky turns to see who is entering. His jaw drops in amazement at the sight of Leroy Jethro Gibbs shuffling through the door.

"Good Lord, Jethro. What on earth are you doing here?" he asks in disbelief.

"Missed you too much, Duck," Gibbs replies, trying to but his best foot forward.

Ducky can see by Gibbs pallor the effect the exertion was having on him. He clearly is in no shape to be back at work. He is pale and visibly sweating and Ducky could have sworn that he was swaying once or twice. He quickly grabs a seat and guides Gibbs into it.

"You should still be in the hospital, Jethro. Look at you. I'll get my car keys, I'm taking you home," Ducky insists.

"No, Ducky, I need to be here. I just came down to ask if you'll give me these," he says, producing syringes and vials from his pocket. Ducky takes the vials and reads the labels. One contains morphine, the other a local anaesthetic both prescribed to Gibb.

"I really could do with a shot right about now," Gibbs admits, gritting his teeth as another wave of pain hits.

"I'll administer the painkillers but you really should be in bed. The morphine will make you drowsy," Ducky explains.

"Well, just give me the local then. I have work to do and I really need to be able to think straight," Gibbs tells him.

"The local will only numb the area for a limited time, Jethro. Sooner or later you're going to need the morphine," Ducky warns.

"Let's make it later thn, Duck," Gibbs replies.

"Sometimes you're impossible, Jethro. I don't suppose arguing will do any good. Get up on the table then, I might as well check on your wound while you're here," Ducky says, realising that he isn't going to win this one. He helps Gibbs up onto one of the autopsy tables. He lifts his shirt and gently removes the dressing and examines the wound.

"That looks nasty, Jethro," he comments, seeing the wound for the first time. "Looks like the stitches are tearing. You really need to give it time to heal or you'll open it up again," he chastises. "You'll feel a little pinch," Ducky says before injecting the local anaesthetic into Gibbs lower back.

"You done?" Gibbs asks, flinching slightly.

"For the moment. That'll give you about two hours then it'll start wearing off. I'll be up to take you home before then and there'll be no arguments!" Ducky insists.

"Yes Doc. Now give me a hand," Gibbs asks¸ awkwardly twisting to get off the table. As his feet reach the ground, he stands upright and winks at Ducky.

"You see, right as rain," before turning and swaggering towards the elevator door.

TBC