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Three slow weeks had passed agonisingly slowly for Tony. Gibbs had arranged for them to be transferred to Bethesda in Washington once Tim had started improving enough to be transferred. That move had been the highlight of the month - where he had actually got to see Tim for a while during the flight. But Tim had been unconscious and drugged up to his eyeballs and hadn't moved an inch the whole time.

Since they'd gotten back two days ago, Tony had been getting loads of visitors and heaps of office gossip which made him feel almost a lot better. it helped that his appetite was coming back as well. What would really brighten the day was if Tim turned up to take up the bed beside his and then they could talk all night long - that had been his nightly wish now for three weeks but now it was too late.

Ducky smiled tiredly as he and Gibbs had come into Tony's room for his nightly 'case and McGee' updates. "How are you doing Anthony lad?"

"Great Ducky, although I don't get to share rooms with Tim after all. I've got just one more night here and I can head home right after I get the all clear from Doc Phelps and Dr Pitt in the morning. How's the investigation going?"

"Slowly with you and McGee out of commission," said Gibbs pulling a seat forward for Ducky and then taking a seat at the end of Tony's bed. "At least you've got colour in your face again, DiNozzo."

"Yeah and I can't wait to get back to work again, boss. Have you got any idea how boring daytime TV is? Not to mention the reading material around here is practically prehistoric. If I didn't have Abby and Jimmy dropping by with updates I'd be bored out of my mind."

"You'll need at least a few days at home recuperating fully, Anthony. Double pneumonia is not to be taken lightly lad especially with your history," said Ducky firmly. "You'll need good food, plenty of fluids and complete rest to get your body back to full strength. And you'll need to avoid the weather completely. Cold damp air can play havoc on the lungs after pneumonia. "

Tony frowned. "Ducky, seriously; I will go nuts if I haven't got anything to do. And me nuttier than I already am is not going to be a pretty sight."

"You'll survive it," said Ducky firmly.

"You can bunk down at my house for a few days," said Gibbs. "I've got the fire going and the whole house is warm."

"Thanks boss," said Tony gratefully. "My place hasn't really got the greatest heating. How's Tim going?"

"They're about to move him into a private room in intensive care," said Ducky with satisfaction.

"Well it's about time," said Tony with a relieved smile. "He's been McCritical for weeks."

"Has it been that long already?" asked Ducky. "I've been so busy lately that I haven't been paying much attention to the passage of time. Young Timothy is doing far better now that his kidneys and liver are functioning properly again. They think the bacteria is finally completely eradicated so Doctor Phelps is reducing all of the medications gradually. With luck Timothy should be waking up in a few days."

Tony frowned. "So Tim got shot, lost heaps of blood and got infected by the bacteria, I don't understand why his liver and kidneys got into trouble."

Ducky nodded. "It's a medical condition - multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. It means that the bacteria entered his bloodstream, travelled through Tim's entire system and attacked everything in its path. It very nearly shut half of his vital organs down and put a great deal of stress on his already damaged body. With that much stress and the weakened heart we came close to losing him several times but that lad is stronger than he looks. I do wish I'd been able to locate his family though and your father Anthony."

Tony shrugged and changed the subject. "You're looking pretty warn out Ducky. How's the bone puzzle going?"

Ducky sighed. "It would be easier if the bacteria and water hadn't compromised half of the evidence, but as it is. We've identified nine people so far. Tucker had been killing people far more prolifically than we suspected."

"Do we know why he did it?" asked Tony.

Gibbs shook his head. "He's been doing it for years; seems likely that he had a problem with police, special agents and most authority figures. The people from the nearest town describe him as a loner who hated being told what to do by anyone."

Ducky stifled a yawn. "I am sorry Anthony, but I need to be heading home for the night. I will check in again tomorrow evening after work."

"Thanks Ducky," said Tony.

"I'll head back upstairs to McGee's room," said Gibbs.

"Night boss."

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Tony was out of bed the moment the doctor gave him his release papers. He dressed quickly and pulled out a set of shoes from the locker by his bed and started putting them on. At the bottom of the locker Tony saw McGee's bagged up ruined shoes – the ones he'd borrowed when he'd had to climb out of the well. It made him shudder just to look at them now and he dropped them straight into the bin. When he got a chance he was going to buy McGee new ones, but first things first. Tony double checked the intensive care room number for Tim and made his way up to it.

Gibbs had obviously spent another night at the hospital and was dozing in the chair by the bed, but woke up the moment Tony stopped by.

"Tony. Good to see you up."

"Hey, boss. Actually the only thing that would make this day better will be seeing McGee wake up."

Gibbs nodded and stretched as he stood up. "I'm gonna grab some coffee. Want some?"

Tony nodded absently but his eyes were locked on Tim. "Wow, he's gotten thin."

Gibbs glanced back at Tim. "Yeah, he's had more than his share of battles lately. But he's following orders, he'll be fine. The Doc doesn't thinks he'll wake up until tonight but he's already showing a few signs of wanting to wake up now."

Tony nodded glancing hopefully at Tim and pulled the seat closer to Tim's bedside.

There were still four machines hooked up to McGee and by now he was looking not only thinner but shaggy haired as well. Tony ran the numbers through his head and blinked when he realised that it had been four weeks since Tucker and the well.

"Hey McGee," he said softly. "I'm hoping you'll wake up a bit for me. Gibbs say's you've been drugged up to your eyeballs but you still managed to open those green eyes of yours for him."

Tim's eyelids flickered and parted for a second.

Tony let out a breath that he'd held too long. "I get to go home today, but you – well, you're probably gonna need another couple of weeks."

Tony kept talking, catching McGee up on all the news that Abby had been feeding him and watching the movement under the eyelids get more and more animated. He held his breath again as he watched Tim's eyes flicker open and this time focus on him a little more clearly.

"Hey kid, it's about time you woke up." Tony's grin was astronomical.

Tim's answering grin was slow in coming, weak but sincere.

"You're looking totally awful there Tim. Have you got any idea how much weight you've lost?"

Tim blinked sleepily and croaked out: "Missed … missed Christmas?"

Tony scoffed loudly: "Yeah, you missed Christmas! It's only like mid January! There are Easter eggs going on the store shelves out there! Honestly, McSleepy, youv'e slept for weeks and weeks! Your cheeks are all hollowed out. Everyone's gone back to work again, 'cept me, which is a good thing since they all want updates ten times a day. I'm been spending all of my recovery time talking to them on the phone! Thank God they got us transferred back to Bethesda or my phone bill would be unbelievable."

Tony stopped realising that he had been throwing his arms around during his little speech - purely for dramatic impact or something – not because he was so happy to see McGee alive or anything girly like that.

McGee was eyeing him with something like concern and Tony sighed. "Sorry about that, McGee," he said, toning down his voice, and slumping on the edge of McGee's bed. He confessed: "It's just … really good to see those green eyes of yours open at long last."

"You … 'kay?"

Tony knew exactly what Tim was asking with all the concern in those expressive green eyes.

"Yeah, had pneumonia. But I'm a hell of a lot better than you are. There was some nasty stuff in that water, McGee. Made us both really sick. You've only been out of critical care for the last day or so. You came really close to dying there, McGee."

"Tucker?"

"Oh he's dead and buried. No need to worry. Gibbs got him. He was a bad, bad man though. Ducky has been flat out. They've found the bones of about nine people down that well. "

"Twelve," said Tim sleepily.

"Huh?" said Tony thinking Tim was still not quite there with him.

"Twelve. Two women, rest men," said Tim, eyes beginning to close again. "Where's Sarah and …"

Tim didn't finish the question as his eyes fluttered closed.

Tony sighed. "Well even if the day's not golden at least it's better than silver – gilt silver maybe or something. What's better than silver and not as good as gold … don't know exactly what."

"What?" asked Tim eyes opening again.

"Thought you were going to sleep, Tim,"

Tim whispered. "Com'ere."

"Huh?"

"Dreamed. Need to give you something … for Christmas."

Tony looked suspiciously into the green eyes, sat on the bed and scooted closer to Tim.

"Down here," whispered Tim.

Tony took a quick look around for witnesses before he edged even closer to McGee.

Tim's hand lifted and caught the back of Tony's neck. A gentle pull and Tony was chest to chest with Tim. The hand moved up from the back of his neck and into his hair and stroked down and around very gently through his hair and Tony felt a shiver go up the full length of his back before he relaxed into the hug and the hand running soothingly - hypnotisingly through his hair.

All too soon Tim lost energy and his hand fell away. Tony sat bolt upright with his eyes opened wide.

Tim smiled wearily. "She said you need tha …," he murmured before his eyes closed.

Tony stared at Tim, locked on the fading smile as Tim sank deeply back into sleep.

He stood up and backed away falling clumsily into the chair that he'd been using. Oh, God.

Tony could feel the blood leaving his face. Oh God. He'd gotten his Christmas wish. Tim had heard him all those weeks back down that damned well. But … but how … how had Tim known exactly the right way to stroke his hair – just like his mom had done all those years ago – and that sort of thing couldn't be learned just from a speech he'd made down a well with Tim unconscious and bleeding in his arms. Tony stared at Tim as if he was seeing a ghost. He'd stroked exactly like his mom had used to do. It couldn't have been just an accident. And Tim had said: 'She'.

"You okay there, DeNozzo?" said Gibbs striding in carrying two coffees.

"Huh? Oh, hey boss." Tony blinked at him, wondering how much Gibbs had seen. "Ah, I'm fine, it's just … Tim woke up there for a minute or so."

"Yeah?" Gibbs turned to look down at Tim. "Doc said he might wake up tonight. I don't think they expected him to wake up this soon though."

"Heart of a lion," said Tony softly.

Gibbs pushed the second coffee into his hand. "Here, you better go get some rest, Tony. You're as white as a sheet. I'll drive you home."

Tony nodded absently, standing slowly, his eyes still locked on Tim's sleeping face. "I think I could use one night in my own bed, boss, I don't sleep too well in hospitals. And I gotta buy McGee new shoes tomorrow."

Gibbs ran an assessing eye over Tony and led the way out.

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