Part 10

Gibbs glanced at his watch for the fourth time in the past ten minutes. He hated waiting and that was exactly what he had been doing for the past couple of hours; he desperately needed to know how Tony was doing, but no one had yet to come and talk with them. The team leader didn't like to assume the old adage that no news was good news; he wanted to hear something definite and the longer he was forced to wait, the more concerned he became.

He walked towards the door and stepped out into the hall to see if he could find anyone that could tell him something about Tony. As if on cue, he was joined by Ducky, who had already chastised him several times for his lack of patience. "Jethro, Dr. Pitt promised that he would let us know something soon," the ME reminded him.

"I know," he mumbled. "I just didn't think it would take so long."

"Truthfully, neither did I," Ducky admitted. "But, rest assured, Anthony is in excellent hands."

"Yeah."

The Marine headed back into the waiting room where Dr. Rachel Cranston was pouring herself yet another cup of coffee. He recalled their earlier conversation in the car and was convinced more than ever that Senior had played a big part in Tony's condition. Something was definitely amiss and Gibbs was determined to figure out exactly what was going on; any time Tony's father made an appearance, trouble usually followed him.

"Coffee, Gibbs?" Rachel offered.

"That's not coffee," he growled. "You can't even classify it as sludge."

"Sometimes beggars can't be choosers, Gibbs."

Before he could offer a retort, they were joined by Dr. Brad Pitt. Gibbs had a lot of respect for this doctor; he had saved Tony's life several years ago when the younger man had contracted pneumonic plague. Despite the fact that the virus had been dead after thirty-two hours, double pneumonia had set in, and it was only by the doctor's sheer determination and Tony's stubbornness that DiNozzo had survived. He only hoped that the same perseverance shown back then would still play true today and that Tony would be all right.

"How is he?" Gibbs wanted to know.

His gaze remained riveted to the doctor as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Gibbs couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that something was very wrong with his senior field agent. Upon Dr. Pitt's invitation, the agent pulled out the seat opposite him and waited impatiently for the answer to his question.

"Tony's resting right now," Dr. Pitt began. "He's running a good fever and working on a case of pneumonia, but I've started him on a strong antibiotic; hopefully, we've caught it early enough." A mirthless smile escaped Brad's lips as he nodded his thanks for the cup of coffee that Rachel had set in front of him. "He's going to have to stop going for impromptu swims in the river."

"So, I assume that you're going to keep him for a few days," Ducky assumed.

"Given his history, I think it's for the best," Dr. Pitt stated. "He's already got quite a bit of scar tissue in his lungs, so that's a strike against him." The physician leaned back in his chair, his expression betraying a mixture of concern and uncertainty. Gibbs had a feeling that the development of pneumonia was the only thing the doctor was worried about; there was something else bothering Pitt and the team leader wouldn't be satisfied until he knew what it was.

"Something on your mind, Doc?" Gibbs pressed.

"When Tony came in, he wasn't responsive, so I ordered some lab work."

The knot in Gibbs' stomach tightened even more. "And?"

"The results indicate that he's got quite a cocktail in his system."

Gibbs glanced at Ducky and Rachel, who were listening attentively to the doctor. Knowing Tony's aversion to any kind of drug, the Marine's suspicions immediately turned to DiNozzo's father. "What do you mean?"

"He's got traces of Ativan, Elavil, and an antihistamine in his system. The odd thing is that all the levels are different, which makes me believe that it was randomly mixed."

"Ativan is an anti-anxiety drug and Elavil is for depression; Anthony isn't on any of those drugs," Ducky pointed out.

"I didn't think so, either," Brad said. "Knowing Tony like I do and being familiar with his medical history, I don't think he took them voluntarily."

The team leader had been thinking the exact same thing. With the exception of being paranoid of plague carrying rats, Tony rarely indicated that he was ill; in fact, he usually had to threaten the younger man to take a simple aspirin for a headache. Gibbs knew that Tony didn't want to appear weak, especially in front of others; it was a matter of self-preservation and he truly understood why it was important to his senior field agent to keep up his appearance. Tony's dad had ingrained the importance of keeping his mask firmly in place; Gibbs knew that even after all these years, he was about the only one who ever saw the real Tony DiNozzo.

"Meaning, he had to ingest them unknowingly and unwillingly," Rachel added, stating what everyone else was thinking.

"Yes."

"Oh, crap!" she exclaimed. "The glass!"

The agent stared at the psychiatrist, impatiently waiting for her to explain her revelation. "What glass?" he demanded to know.

"It was sitting on Tony's coffee table; it looked like it had orange juice in it," she recalled. "In all the confusion, I forgot about it. How could I be so stupid?"

He rose from his seat and stood toe-to-toe with Rachel. For a brief second, he saw the same resolve and spirit that Kate had possessed; it was no wonder that Tony felt at ease with her. Forcing himself back to the present, he handed her his car keys and instructed, "Go back and get that glass and take it to Abby. I'll have her meet you at the lab. Also, look and see if there's a carton of juice and take that as well. Tell Abby to call me as soon as she knows what's in it."

"Got it."

He watched Rachel grab her purse and hurry out of the waiting room. Gibbs then turned his attention back to Dr. Pitt. "Is he going to be all right?"

"Yeah, I'm flushing them out. He's still pretty sluggish and sometimes talking out of his head, but give him a couple of hours and he'll be a little more alert."

"I want to see him."

"I really think that you should let him rest for a little while. He's not really making a lot of sense right now."

"All the more reason I need to see him." Gibbs knew that Tony didn't like to be disoriented and personally, he didn't want DiNozzo to be alone.

Fortunately, it didn't take too much persuasion for the doctor to concede. He obviously remembered the last time that they had butted heads over visitation; Gibbs had won that particular battle as well.

"All right," Brad agreed.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Dr. Mallard and I will go over his chart while you're doing that." Dr. Pitt stood up and gestured for the two men to follow him.

As the trio made their way towards Tony's room, Gibbs found his thoughts drifting once more to Tony. He now recalled seeing the glass, but like Rachel, had been so caught up in helping DiNozzo, he had subconsciously filed it away in his mind. The news that Tony had been drugged gnawed at his gut; his protective nature was emerging at the prospect of one of his own being in harm's way. Although he didn't have substantial proof yet, Gibbs knew that right now, his primary suspect was Tony's father and all he had to do was wait for Abby for confirmation.

"Agent Gibbs?" Dr. Pitt called to him, once again, bringing him out of his reverie.

"Yeah?"

"Tony keeps calling for someone named Adam," the physician informed him. "I know that Adam was the name of the kid he rescued; you might want to assure him that the little boy is all right."

"Yeah…he's done that a couple of times since the rescue," Gibbs recalled. The team leader wasn't convinced that Tony was talking about the boy he recently saved; something wasn't adding up, but he wasn't exactly sure what he was missing. The one thing he was certain of was that Tony's father seemingly held the missing piece.

"Here you go, Gibbs," Dr. Pitt said, stopping just outside DiNozzo's room. "We'll be in my office if you need anything."

Gibbs acknowledged the doctor with a curt nod and then quietly entered Tony's room. He took a moment to study the dark-haired man before announcing his presence even though he knew that Tony could usually sense him without the Marine having to utter a word. Except for the slight crimson flush in his cheeks, Tony was as pale as the sheet that covered and his movements were sluggish as he fought with the nasal cannula.

He walked to the side of the bed and put his hand on Tony's shoulder, prompting his senior field agent to open his eyes. Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief when DiNozzo recognized him. "Hey, Boss," Tony weakly greeted.

Relieved to hear DiNozzo's voice, Gibbs quietly answered, "Hey, Tony."

"Having a little bit of déjà vu?"

"A little bit. At least this time, you don't have the plague," Gibbs pointed out.

"Yeah."

Tony coughed, the harshness of it reminding Gibbs of another time, another place. The team leader didn't like to think about the time that he had almost lost Tony; he couldn't bear the thought of losing another child. He mentally chastised himself for losing focus once again. Gibbs cleared his throat and asked, "Are you up to answering a couple of questions?"

"Questions?" Tony wheezed. "Sure."

DiNozzo closed his eyes; Gibbs realized that the simple act of talking was wearing Tony out. He considered waiting, but if Tony's father was responsible for drugging his son, then he was losing precious time. Senior was very adept at covering his tracks and would deny any sort of accusation that would be made against him. "Do you remember your dad being at your apartment?"

Tony nodded. "He brought dinner over. Introduced him to Rachel…told her that after she met him, it'd explain a lot."

Gibbs knew that Senior couldn't have drugged Tony during that time; there had been too many people around and even when the elder DiNozzo had been talking to his son on the balcony, Tony's dad had never been out of his sight. Senior had definitely returned later and drugged Tony; unfortunately, Gibbs still didn't have a clue as to why DiNozzo's father would do such a thing. However, he knew

"I was pissed because I didn't want…any company," Tony continued, his voice fading as the younger agent struggled to stay awake. "We talked on the balcony and…"

Tony's eyes snapped open and he struggled to sit up. "Adam! Oh my god…where is he?"

The older man eased Tony back onto the bed. "Take it easy, Tony; Adam's fine."

"No," he protested. "He's dead. He's dead."

Deciding to try a different approach, Gibbs asked, "Tony, who's Adam?" Perhaps within the memory that Tony seemed to be lost in, he would be able to tell him exactly who he was talking about.

"Don't cry, Mama. Don't cry," Tony whispered.

Gibbs felt like had been stabbed in the heart. DiNozzo very seldom spoke of his mother; the team leader knew that she had died when he was eight and that he had found her body. He was also aware that she had committed suicide, but Tony had never provided him with any details; Gibbs was beginning to wonder if DiNozzo had blocked the memory or if he simply didn't want to talk about it. The Marine had assumed it had been the latter, but now he wasn't so sure.

"Tony?" he called out once again, his tone quieter. The last thing he wanted to do was spook his friend. "Look at me."

The younger man's eyes spoke of the pain and confusion that was tearing his soul apart. Once again, Gibbs was feeling helpless and it burned him to the core of his being. "Tony, what's going on?"

"Where's my dad? Where's Adam…oh god…he's dead."

Tears were streaming from Tony's cheeks as he struggled to sit up; Gibbs was at a loss as to what to do. "Take it easy, Tony," he tried to soothe. DiNozzo's heart rate was reaching an alarming rate as his breathing became more labored. "Listen to me, Tony," he insisted, his voice resumed a more authoritative nature. "DiNozzo! Focus!"

Gibbs cupped Tony's face with his calloused hand. He knew that he shouldn't push DiNozzo, but he had to get the bottom of these flash backs. In his mind, Gibbs had no doubt that the Adam that Tony kept mentioning was not the same boy that he had just rescued. The team leader had an idea who this particular Adam was and he found himself praying that he wasn't right. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to get his answer at this moment; recognition began to dawn in Tony's eyes.

"Boss?"

The agent gently urged Tony to lie back down. "You're all right, DiNozzo," he assured the sick man.

He noticed how Tony quickly wiped away the wetness from his cheeks. "I'm not so sure about that," Tony mumbled.

Deciding not to push Tony for answers at the moment, he gave his senior field agent a few moments to center himself. He quietly studied the younger man, wondering if DiNozzo remembered what had just happened; perhaps Tony could start filling in the blanks and figure out what had spurred these flashbacks and dreams. Gibbs had his own ideas and he wasn't looking forward to exploring those particular notions.

"Tony?" he called out. "Are you with me?"

"I think so, Boss. I…" Tony coughed once again. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Jethro! He's supposed to be resting!"

Gibbs turned to face Ducky and Dr. Pitt as they purposefully strode into the room. He knew that the ME meant well, but he wasn't in the mood to be chastised. "He is resting, Duck," he snapped as he watched Dr. Pitt listen to Tony's chest.

"Is that so? I guess that's why his heart rate went through the roof?" the elderly doctor taunted. "He's patched through to the nurse's station; we're monitoring him very closely."

"He is right here," Tony reminded them.

"I'm sorry, Anthony," Ducky apologized. "We shouldn't be talking about you like you're not here. We're just concerned."

"It's all right," he slurred. "I'm used to that. My dad does it…all the time."

Gibbs and the two doctors exchanged worried glances. He realized that DiNozzo was caught between the past and present; he had to figure out what was going on before he lost Tony completely.

The team leader motioned for Ducky and Dr. Pitt to follow him out of the room. "He was caught up in another flashback," he informed the two men.

"Was it similar to the others?" the ME wanted to know.

"Yeah." Gibbs blew out a deep breath. "Except this time, I think I've figured out exactly who Adam is."

"You have? Well, don't keep it to yourself."

Gibbs shook his head. "I have a thing or two to check out first." If his instincts were right, the results could be devastating for Tony and he wasn't sure how DiNozzo would be able to handle the truth. "I want you to stay with him," he instructed. Everyone who knew Tony knew how much he despised hospitals; Gibbs didn't want Tony to be alone, at least until he was out of his drug induced haze. "Don't let his dad near him."

"Jethro, do you think…"

"I don't know, Duck."

"All right," Ducky conceded. "Let me know what you find out."

"If I can."

He extended his hand to Dr. Pitt. "Take care of him. If you need me, I have my cell."

"All right," the doctor promised. "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Lend me your car." Since Rachel had taken his and Ducky had ridden in with Tony, he was without any mode of transportation.

He nodded his thanks as Brad handed him his keys. "It's the silver Mercedes in the physician's parking lot," the doctor said. "Parking space 23."

Taking the keys, Gibbs then peered in the room one last time at his sick friend, silently willing him to get better. As he walked down the hall to the elevator, he heard Ducky ask the doctor if he had good insurance. The team leader wasn't sure if he was supposed to be offended or not, so he settled for allowing a slight grin to escape his lips.

"Don't worry, Doc!" he called back over his shoulder. "I'll bring her back in one piece."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Anthony DiNozzo, Senior was furious. He had thought his plan had been fail proof; the elder DiNozzo had gone to great lengths to make sure that his son didn't remember the past. However, the one thing he didn't count on was his longtime friend and personal physician leaving behind one of the medicine bottles used in creating the cocktail that would keep the younger man in such a state of confusion that he would forget about the nightmare of losing his brother.

He had learned from Tony's landlady that he had been taken to the hospital. Senior knew that he couldn't afford to waste any time, so under the pretense of getting some clothes for his son, he secured the older woman's key and set out to cover his tracks. Senior could only hope that the bottle hadn't been discovered by Tony's interfering friends; the last thing he needed was to have suspicion cast upon him. He figured that he was on borrowed time anyway; the elder DiNozzo had a feeling that it would only be a matter of time before the hospital discovered that Tony had been drugged.

"Damn you, Phillip!" he cursed under his breath as he made his way down the corridor to Tony's apartment. "What are you trying to do to me? You've certainly caused me a lot of trouble."

As he prepared to unlock the door, a familiar voice called out to him. "Mr. DiNozzo? What are you doing here?"

Senior turned to face Dr. Rachel Cranston. Next to Gibbs, she was the last person that he wanted to see. He found her meddlesome and didn't like the apparent influence she had in his son's life. "Dr. Cranston," he coolly greeted. "I supposed I should ask you the same thing."

"I…uh…came back to get some things for Tony."

Her answer was too quick; Senior didn't have a doubt in his mind that she was lying to him. Dr. Cranston was definitely up to something. "Well, my dear, you don't have to worry about doing that; that's why I'm here."

"So, you know that Tony is in the hospital?"

"Of course I do," he huffed. "After all, he's my son."

He kept his mask firmly in place as Rachel continued to try and catch him off guard. "Tony's really sick," she informed him as she moved to lean against the door frame, her petite presence daring him to unlock the door. "I keep wondering why you didn't call for an ambulance yourself. You were here and saw how ill he was."

"He refused to go," Senior explained. "Anthony can be rather obstinate at times; his stubbornness has always been one of his flaws."

"I think over the years that it's been an asset; his determination has certainly gotten him through some tough times. Besides, I don't think he was able to offer too much of a protest. In fact, you seemed rather anxious to leave," she recalled.

Unwilling to be baited, he tried to push by her and unlock the door. "Please tell Anthony that I will bring his personal belongings to the hospital. Have a nice day, Dr. Cranston."

She remained firmly planted in front of the door. "Aren't you even going to ask how Tony is?"

"I'll find out soon enough when I take his stuff to the hospital. Now, please move."

Rachel shook her head. "I don't think so."

The elder DiNozzo watched as she pulled out her cellphone. Within a couple of seconds, he knew exactly who she was talking to. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't afford for anything else to go wrong, yet he seemed to be fighting an uphill battle and it was one that he was no longer sure that it was one he could win.

Senior blew out a frustrated breath when he heard Dr. Cranston say, "Gibbs, I've got a problem…"

Again, many apologies for the delay; no excuses except for real life and lack of computer time. Marching band season is almost over, so hopefully a little more free time in the future. I appreciate your patience and continued enthusiasm for this story. I'm blessed with wonderful and loyal readers!