McGee tightened the knot of his tie and sat up a little straighter as he attempted to look like a competent Federal Agent. Across the room, Gibbs was looking steadily at him, as if he expected him to do the right thing. The trouble was, he has no idea what that was.
"Special Agent McGee," Brooker began. "You were at the base with Special Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo last Tuesday afternoon, were you not?"
McGee almost sagged in relief at a question he knew how to answer.
"Yes," He nodded gravely. "Yes, I was."
"Were you present when the incident report by Captain Saunders took place?"
McGee sucked in a breath, as he remembered the crackling fury in Gibbs' eyes and the way his voice, soft and deadly, carried through the air as he reamed DiNozzo out, causing McGee to shrink inside his clothes, as if he was the target of their Boss' wrath. He still didn't know how Tony had just stood there and taken it, his eyes staring straight ahead, his body stiff at attention, as the Marines sniggered softly in the background.
"Well, not exactly, present," He hedged. "They were several feet away from me, .." He visibly gulped as Gibbs' eyes narrowed. Wrong track. "Um, I mean, yes. I was there."
"According to Captain Saunders, Special Agent Gibbs pulled Agent DiNozzo up for goofing off on the job. Is that correct?"
"Yes," McGee nodded, and then realized how that sounded. "That is, Agent Gibbs thought Tony was goofing off. In fact he was gathering some intel that was pivotal to solving the case."
"So, of course, Special Agent Gibbs apologized for his error." Brooker smirked knowingly.
"Not in so many words." McGee hedged.
"It's a simple question, Agent McGee," Markham looked up with a frown. "Did Agent Gibbs apologize or not?"
McGee thought about the bleak look on Gibbs' face as Tony managed the ride all the way back from the base in total silence. His involuntary step forward as DiNozzo stumbled from the truck and braced himself with one hand as he vomited, thin, liquid bile onto the parking lot. None of them had stopped for lunch, but Tony had been the only one pushing himself to the limit playing B-Ball with a bunch of Marines, to get what they needed. Gibbs had ordered Kate to fetch him some water and sent McGee to fetch some takeout before he walked away. Looking back, McGee realised that Gibbs had been trying to apologise, in his own way. Except that Tony had probably been too sick and tired to connect Ducky's arrival in the parking lot with their Boss' abrupt disappearance.
"No, sir," McGee gave the only answer he could. "He did not."
"No further questions."
This time Tony didn't move. Still lounging against the wall, he looked up and met McGee's gaze. Tipping his head on one side he enquired almost blandly. "When you returned to the Navy Yard, Special Agent DiNozzo became unwell. How did Special Agent Gibbs react?"
McGee blinked. Maybe Tony had noticed, after all.
"Um, he provided food, water and medical attention."
"Does that strike you as the actions of a man holding a grudge?"
"Objection," Brooker surged to his feet. "The fact that Special Agent Gibbs was prepared to provide basic medical care, is not an acceptable indication of regret. Any one would do the same."
"You think so?" Tony looked over at Brooker, his eyes dark and hard as emeralds. "You've obviously never met my father."
Gibbs walked briskly down the corridor, balancing the two Styrofoam cups with practised ease. The fifteen-minute recess Markham had allowed after Tony's pronouncement had only just been enough for him to get to the coffee shop and back, given how busy the place always was at this time in the morning and he was afraid he was going to be tardy. As he rounded the corner he was surprised to see DiNozzo still stretched out on the leather couch opposite the conference room, apparently asleep. Except for the fingers drumming relentlessly on his knee.
Not a good sign.
"Markham had to take a call," Tony spoke without opening his eyes. "You have time to drink your coffee."
Hiding his pride at DiNozzo's awareness of his surroundings, Gibbs swatted him lightly on the legs, causing the younger man to swing around and drop his feet to the floor to make room, cracking an eye as his Boss settled in beside him.
"If you're buying me coffee, things must be worse than I thought."
Gibbs hesitated only slightly, both of the coffees had actually been for him, having to just sit there and listen to Brooker was sticking in his craw, but recognising the opening he needed, he passed one of the coffees over without a second thought. Tony gave him a slightly hooded look, before cracking the lid of the cup and gulping at the dark, strong, liquid without even mentioning the lack of cream and sugar.
A very bad sign.
"McGee's gone to fetch Wells and Kate's pulling up the case file on Archer, the package has been slightly delayed but will still be leaving Baltimore in time," Tony reported between gulps of his coffee. "Ducky's up next. Brooker doesn't know what's hit him. I think we've got him on the ropes, Boss."
"You're in too deep." Having carefully considered what he was going to to say, Gibbs had decided to go with the bald truth.
"I know what I'm doing, Jethro."
The quiet steely tone was threaded through with determination and the unaccustomed use of his given name stressed the younger man's driving need to see this thing through. However, it was that need, bordering on obsession, that was concerning Gibbs. He wanted this bastard as much as anyone. But he wasn't about to allow the younger man to prostitute his childhood pain to achieve it.
"Boss," Gibbs insisted softly. "You do as I say, DiNozzo."
"Gibbs." The word was a plea.
"No," Gibbs tone was uncompromising. It was his job to watch Tony's six. "I will not let Brooker do this to you again."
Tony had to glance away at the unequivocal support. Gibbs had done more for him than anyone he had ever met. He had taught him, encouraged him, believed in him and shown him more care and attention in the last three years than his own father had ever managed. Which was why he had to make the ex-gunny understand just how important this was to him.
"Look, my whole life, my father never gave me anything I really needed. If the things he did to me can help take out Brooker and save our careers, then at least everything I went through won't have been for nothing. It'll mean something good."
Gibbs looked at him, for a long moment, openly assessing his determination and his ability to pull this off unscathed.
"When this is over, you tell me this 'everything'.
"Of course," Tony scoffed lightly. "Because you've already shared so much of your past."
The head slap was barely noticeable, designed more to return them both to some semblance of normality, than truly chastise. Tony didn't even pretend to flinch. Instead, he relaxed slightly, grounded by the familiar gesture.
"Do as I say, DiNozzo, not as I do," Gibbs advised him softly. "There are some things about me I don't want to teach you."
Tony nodded his understanding of that.
"Got it, Boss."
As the proceedings reconvened Ducky walked into the conference room and settled himself into the chair with the minimum of fuss. Looking up he cleared his throat and indicated to Markham with a sharp nod that he was ready to begin.
"Dr Mallard," Brooker rose to his feet. "According to his records, you are Special Agent DiNozzo's personal physician. Is that correct?"
"You don't need his records to verify that," Ducky scoffed lightly. "You saw me treat him on more than one occasion when you were TAD with Gibbs."
Brooker pressed his lips together but gamely pressed on.
"Forgive me Doctor, but given your particular speciality, isn't that a little unusual?"
"Not really," Ducky shrugged. "I am a qualified physician. In fact, I've been treating patients since before you were born. My first practice was in Edinburgh, this converted Victorian house. Yes, I can see it quite clearly. We had to put the examination table .."
"Dr Mallard," Markham cleared his throat. "If you don't mind?"
"Oh, of course," Ducky nodded. "Maybe, another time."
"Dr Mallard," Brooker tried to get things back on track. "In the time that Special Agent DiNozzo has been employed at NCIS, how many work related injuries has he sustained?"
"Well, that all depends," Ducky mused. "I mean, the Y-Pestis was more of a sickness than an injury and the time he twisted his ankle questioning those Marines was more of an accident really.."
"Let me be more specific," Brooker cut in. "How many times has Special Agent DiNozzo required medical care due to Special Agent Gibbs' negligence?"
"I don't really think…," Ducky began stiffly.
"Just answer the question, if you would, Doctor." Markham observed mildly.
"Special Agent DiNozzo is a Federal Agent. In this line of work danger of death or injury is any ever present possibility. Any man or woman in that building courts the grim reaper on an almost daily basis. Jethro is an experienced Agent who does everything in his power to ensure the safety of his people."
"And yet he failed to intercept the envelope containing the Y-Pestis, contrary to the regulations that all suspect mail should be passed to the team lead. And on another occasion his negligence allowed Special Agent DiNozzo to work undercover without sufficient backup, which resulted in Agent DiNozzo being drugged and kidnapped. Not to mention the time he stood and watched as his Agent was pushed out of a plane despite knowing that he had not received adequate parachute training."
"As I said," Ducky insisted. "It's a dangerous job. Special Agent DiNozzo is an extremely competent Federal Agent. As Senior Field Agent it is part of his job to protect the team lead. If Agent Gibbs had opened that envelope, given his greater age and his history of smoking when he was in the service, it would almost certainly have resulted in his demise. As to needing back-up, surely the fact that Anthony was able to free not only himself but the poor Marine as well, surely suggests that Jethro's confidence in his abilities was not misplaced. As for the unfortunate parachute incident if you had bother to read the officer in charge's report, you would know that he had already been cleared to jump."
"And yet on each of those occasions, Agent DiNozzo required medical treatment," Brooker glanced down at his file. "For torn ligaments, dehydration plus lacerations on his back and arms and, of course, his two week stay in Bethesda, followed by another week at home."
"I'm not sure what point you are trying to make, Special Agent Brooker. You know very well Jethro has never knowingly inflicted injury on young Anthony." Ducky's tone hardened.
"Dr Mallard?" Markham raised a brow enquiringly.
"As Special Agent DiNozzo's personal physician I was involved in his care after he returned from the undercover mission protecting the Admiral's son. Those welts were neither accidental nor self-inflicted."
"Welts?" Markham frowned.
"With respect, Sir," Brooker cut in. "This line of questioning is not relevant to this case. I suggest we move on."
"I will decide what is and isn't relevant, thank you, Agent Brooker," Markham dismissed him coolly. "Continue, Dr Mallard."
"There has only been one occasion when Special Agent DiNozzo has been injured on a case due to the deliberate negligence of another NCIS Agent. And the person responsible on that occasion was not Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but his acting Senior Field Agent, one Steven James Brooker."