I have been without internet for most of the last two days so I got a lot done on my writing. Yay for me. :)
Enjoy Chapter 11!
Gibbs walked in to find McGee awake and sitting up in bed with his arm fastened securely to his side. Abby had brought him a magazine that he was flipping through.
"How you doing McGee?" Gibbs greeted taking a chair beside the bed.
"I'm good Boss." McGee closed the magazine and put it on the nightstand. "How's Tony?"
"He'll be fine." Gibbs said studying his pale face. McGee shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.
"How the arm?" Gibbs finally asked.
"Umm, well I can't move it so that's not so great, but it doesn't hurt anymore so…" He half shrugged.
Gibbs nodded.
"Tony told me about Baird. Agents are on their way to pick her up now and process the scene to see if they can find any evidence that Kyle was there or what she used to drug you two."
McGee frowned thoughtfully. "We didn't see Kyle or any sign of him, but we found Victoria Reed down in the mine so…I don't know who killed her."
"We'll figure it out. How did you get down the hole?"
"I think a tractor; it picked up the car and dumped it." He shivered involuntarily recalling that moment of terror when they'd first started falling.
"We didn't find a tractor when we looked around initially or even a shed where one would be kept." Gibbs said absently thinking back.
"No?"
He shook his head. "We talked to Mrs. Baird and looked around the property but didn't find anything to give up probable cause."
"How did you find us then?"
"The car burning apparently put out enough smoke that people saw it. It took a phone call but eventually the forest ranger let us use the chopper."
McGee nodded and they lapsed into silence.
Tim shifted. Silence like this made him uncomfortable, not with everyone, just some people. When his dad was angry, he would give the object of his frustration the cold shoulder. At least Gibbs wasn't glaring at him, not that he had a reason to unless…
He panicked briefly imagining what Gibbs would think about Tim's confession to Tony. He really had no idea how Gibbs would react but still. Tony had promised he wouldn't tell and the only thing Tim could do was believe him.
Gibbs watched as Tim sank deeper and deeper into his own thoughts. It was fascinating to observe. Most people he knew were either paying attention or they weren't. But McGee had so many levels of zoning out. He could get so lost in something that it seemed nothing short of a bomb or headslap would pull him out of the trance.
He watched the emotions flit across the younger man's face and sighed. He didn't mind silence, most of the time he found it relaxing. Tony filled silence with endless chatter and Ziva was comfortable with no talk at all, but McGee seemed neither able to come up with something to say nor able to settle peacefully in the lack of conversation. And Gibbs had never been good at small talk.
Gibbs cleared his throat in hopes of saving them both. "Ducky said you wanted to go see Tony."
That got Tim's attention and he nodded instantly.
"I do."
"Alright, let's go."
"Now?" Tim perked up and Gibbs almost laughed.
"Yup, I'll get a wheel chair."
"I could probably walk Boss." McGee said frowning slightly.
"You're not going to walk McGee." Gibbs said with finality. "Your knee is twisted and your leg has ten stitches in it."
Gibbs tracked down a wheel chair at the nurses' station and came back to find McGee sitting on the edge of the bed trying to slip his left arm into the sleeve of a hospital robe, obviously making little headway. Gibbs rolled his eyes.
"McGee, I guarantee you he'll still be there in five minutes. No reason not to wait for help." He said pulling the sleeve over McGee's arm and draping the other side over his shoulder, then supported him as he got into the wheel chair.
"I don't know Boss, I imagine Tony is looking for any opportunity to get out of here." McGee said once they started down the hall.
Gibbs chuckled
"That's true. Abby's been with him since I left though, so I doubt he would get very far."
McGee smirked.
When they got to Tony's room Gibbs opened the door and they were both nearly run down by a black streak. Abby managed to stop herself short just before the collision.
"McGee! Aww Gibbs you brought McGee to see Tony. I was just telling him everything we did since he and Timmy went missing." She crossed her arms and scowled. "I can't believe that horrible woman just dumped them down a hole. That is so mean."
"Uh-huh. Where are you headed Abs?"
"The director called and said Agent Lewis had some evidence for me to process."
"You're really in a hurry." McGee commented raising his eyebrow.
"Yeah… He said I needed to be there in twenty minutes and…that was thirty minutes ago so…" She trailed off.
Gibbs shook his head smirking slightly.
"So, gotta go!" She reached down and gently hugged McGee. "Bye Boss-man!" The clomping of boots faded down the hall as Gibbs pushed McGee through the door. Tony spotted them as soon as they walked in and immediately brightened. He looked a little overwhelmed though and Tim felt sorry for him, having experienced firsthand the aftershocks of Hurricane Abby.
"Hey Probie." Tony greeted
"Hey Tony. Are you ok?"
"I think so, sore, but I survived Abby so, hey, can't be doing all that bad." Tony chuckled and then groaned.
"Take it easy Tony." Gibbs cautioned taking one of the chairs beside the bed.
"Yeah." Tony rasped out. He pointed to Tim's arm.
"Broken collar bone?"
"Yeah."
"Good thing it was your right arm huh McLefty." Tony grinned.
McGee shook his head but smiled just the same.
"When are they going to let you out?" Tony asked.
"Ducky said tomorrow morning. They just want me to stay overnight because of the concussion."
"Are you going home or staying with someone?" Tony asked wanting to look over at Gibbs but holding himself back.
"Sarah said she could stay with me a few days. I just want to sleep in my own bed." Tim said not noticing the slight disappointment flit across Tony's face. "When are you getting out?"
"They haven't told me." Tony said finally looking at Gibbs just as his phone started ringing
"Ducky said day after tomorrow." Gibbs said over his shoulder as he headed out of the room opening the phone.
"Yeah Gibbs?" He listened for a few minutes before frowning. Abruptly he shut the phone and made a quick call before heading back into the hospital room.
"What's wrong Boss." Tony asked noticing how the older man's mood had quickly soured.
"Agents went to the Baird house and she wasn't there. It looked like she packed and left. They're processing her house now."
"She was pretty old, I can't imagine she got far." Tim frowned.
"She's not walking Tim." Gibbs said rolling his eyes.
"Maybe she and Kyle left together." Tony suggested. "I mean he had to be there. Unless she killed Reed."
"She couldn't have gotten us in the car by herself and I doubt she could drive a tractor." Tim pointed out. "Maybe she drugged us because she though we saw something."
"Well it wasn't anything we said. I, of course, was my usual charming self. Older women love me." Tony grinned.
"Oh yeah, Mrs. Baird just loved you." Tim snorted.
"Any way." Gibbs said loudly to regain their attention. "They've got a BOLO out on both of them now."
Gibbs let Tony and Tim visit a little while longer before announcing he was going to go to the office for a while and would be taking Tim back to his own room. Tony tried to protest that Tim could stay and someone would take him back later but both agents were clearly exhausted and Gibbs overruled them. Gibbs barely got McGee back to his room and into bed before he was sound asleep.
Gibbs smiled and tucked the blankets around him deciding when Tim went home that he would check in on him and Sarah, a couple of times, just in case.
Tony also went to sleep pretty quickly after Gibbs and Tim left but two hours later he was awake and waiting for Ziva. She said she would come see him after she got some work done at the office. He hoped she would be alone.
Ziva never failed to see things differently than him and he needed her fresh perspective on the…situation. He wanted her unemotional opinion.
Ziva arrived and spent a while talking with Tony, about nothing really. Small talk about movies, sports, cases. She sensed he wanted to say something more but she couldn't imagine what it would be and she had no idea how to prompt him.
"Well," she said standing up after half an hour of visiting. "I supposed I had better leave you to rest. I am going to see Tim before I leave and I will visit you again tomorrow, Tony."
"Wait, Zee, can I talk to you?"
"We have been talking." Ziva pointed out, resisting the urge to smile. The pressure of wanting to talk about something meaningful always won out, no matter how long it took.
"About something important." Tony clarified.
"Ah," She said sitting back down. "of course."
"Well?" She prompted when he didn't say anything.
Tony was quiet for a few more moments.
"Do you think Gibbs…likes some of us more than others?"
"Abby is his favorite, we all know that." Ziva responded, smiling a little.
"I know that. I mean-."
"Yes Tony, you are like his son." Ziva interrupted, rolling her eyes.
"I wasn't talking about me Ziva." He snapped.
She studied him for a few seconds, surprised by his outburst. "Then the only two left are McGee and myself and since you are talking to me I can only assume we are talking about McGee." She said quietly.
"McGee believes Gibbs sees the three of us, you Abby and me, as his kids but only sees him as his agent." Tony sighed running his hand over his face, still upset by the information he had found out in the last twenty four hours.
Ziva nodded slowly, but didn't say anything.
"Do you think Gibbs cares less about Tim than he does the rest of us?" Tony questioned.
"No, I do not." She answered evenly.
"Well then-."
"Tony, you and I are always needing Gibbs and Abby is…Abby. Tim has needed us so few times." She was very quiet, thinking how to best put it into words. "I doubt Gibbs has had the opportunity to show he cares for Tim and would help him as he helps us."
She chuckled. Tony frowned.
"What's so funny?"
"In a way McGee is the strong one. He doesn't lean on others."
"The problem is McGee won't even admit he needs help. When we were talking, I could tell he was disappointed that he doesn't have a close relationship with Gibbs, but even still he was trying to justify it and you know what? He's right. It's not in the job description that the senior agent has to care one bit about his junior agents. Gibbs doesn't owe us that. I mean, I've never had a boss fill that role." He stopped abruptly.
"But?" Ziva prompted.
"There have been times," Tony started slowly, "in the last ten years I don't know what I would have done without that support." Ziva nodded. "And I just think of McGee and wonder what he's done."
"You cannot miss what you have never had, yes?"
"I guess."
"Maybe he doesn't need Gibbs as much as you or I or Abby."
"No, no he does." He said with conviction recalling the conversation he had with his partner.
"Then why does he not go to Gibbs the way you and I and Abby does?" She queried.
"McGee said Gibbs reminds him a little bit of his dad. They apparently aren't very close." Tony said ruefully.
"So it is unlikely he would seek Gibbs out." Ziva said thinking out loud.
"Probably not." Tony frowned.
"How is Gibbs to know when he needs help if McGee will not tell him? Ziva asked playing devil's advocate.
"He could try asking or showing an interest in his life." Tony said angrily.
"What is the solution?" Ziva asked quietly watching him think.
"I don't know." Tony's voice was low with exhustion. "I promised him I wouldn't tell Gibbs, but I need to do…something. Tim is proof, evidence, and hard facts kind of guy. I'm just going to have to pay attention for proof that Gibbs does care about him personally and not just what he can do for the team."
"You have had eight years for observation, Tony." Ziva said reaching for some water to hand to Tony. He took it but didn't take a drink right away, preferring to finish his thoughts.
"Yeah, I have." He said thoughtfully. "But now I know what I'm looking for, what I need to find."
Thanks so much for reading. It takes me a while to edit these chapters and most of that is just reading them all the way through several times. So I certainly appreciate your valuable time being spent here. :)
Next chapter will start some action I've been waiting for so hold on!