AN: Song Rights: Silly Wizard, Bank of the Lee

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Ziva stepped back at the statement and nearly collided with the wall behind her. "Do not tell me he is gone…"

Ducky moved forward but stopped mid-stride. "He suffered a cardiac arrest during the surgery…they were able to bring him back…but his brain was deprived of oxygen for nearly three minutes…he's lapsed into a coma…"

She let out a sigh of relief before reaching for the wall behind her as a crutch. She leaned her head against her forearm and let her heart come back to its normal rhythm. A gentle hand was on her shoulder within seconds.

"He is strong my dear…"

She turned towards him abruptly. "You do not have to tell me Ducky…I already know."

"Yes, quite." He responded solemnly, the tiredness in his voice clear. "He is not far, only two rooms down to the right via my request. I am sure he would welcome a visit."

She nodded, taking a step towards Tony, then towards the door and repeating it. "Did they tell you why he was in so much pain?"

"It appears one of the bullets may have caused some nerve damage, they'll be waking him up soon to run a few tests…"

She read his expression. "This pain may be permanent yes?"

"As cliché as this may sound Ziva, only time will tell."

She slipped a hand into her bag and shuffled a bit before pulling out the object she'd wanted. She placed the badge in his hand and curled his fingers around it. "Thought you might be wanting this back…" She placed a soft kiss on the back of his hand before moving towards the door. "You will stay with him yes?"

Ducky only nodded as he watched her walk away reluctantly.


Ziva waited for the nurses to finish before taking her place beside him. She looked upward before letting her head hang low. Why had she been the one who survived? How had everything fallen apart so easily? Would things ever be the same? Those questions and more raced back and forth in her mind, with no answers. The only thing she knew for sure was she was afraid. An emotion she didn't allow herself to feel very often…

"I suppose you cannot hear me, but I want to believe you can. I want to believe a lot of things….I want to believe that one day soon we will all be back in the bull pen, solving cases…poking fun at one another…but I suppose that is not up to me." She stopped herself but only for a moment. "Before all this you said that Gibbs would somehow be able to fix all this; but I do not believe he can McGee…I believe that you can, and Tony, Ducky, myself…we can fight through all of this…and be a team again yes?" She sniffled a bit before pressing her face into his hand. "I know you are sad…I know anything seems better than the pain…but I have been there; I have sought reasons for it all…I used to believe that I needed to fight alone, but I was wrong…" She let a lone tear fall against his fingers and used his hand to brush it away. "Will we still be sad? Yes. Will it hurt? Yes…but we will have each other McGee…so please do not give up…please stay with me…stay with us…"

She laid his hand over hers and rested her head beside them; allowing her eyes to close for a momentary escape from the fear…


Ducky remained as close to Tony's side as he could through the battery of tests. It was hours before he was returned to his room. The morphine was causing him to go in and out, but Ducky was a fixture beside him.

"Boss?"

"No," he came into Tony's eye sight. "Ducky."

"Quack, quack…"

He managed a tired smile. "Quite," he continued. "You are going to be alright…you just need some rest…"

"Rest, schmest…I need to get out of here…"

Ducky knew he wouldn't have the strength to move so relaxed a bit. "There is nowhere to be, but here. Now rest your eyes…"

He turned his head side to side. "Abby…she needs me…there was so much blood…I need…she needs…help…"

Ducky swallowed as he imagined the scene at the coffee shop. Tony had been the first to arrive. "Tony, you must rest…"

"Never had a chance…never did…she was gone…how am I gonna tell Gibbs? Oh God, He'll just die Ducky…he'll just die…I cant…you tell him…please…" He continued to shake his head. "I told him…I told him about Jenny…you…you tell him about Abby…please…"

Ducky placed a hand on his shoulder. "I shall. Now just close your eyes…" He hushed him gently. "There you are, just rest." He listened as Tony continued to ramble when he leaned in towards his friend and began to hum a melody…

"For I loved her very dearly, most truly and sincerely…there is no one in this wide world I loved more than she…every bush and every bower, every sweet Irish flower…reminds me of my Mary, on the Banks of the Lee..." He hummed a few more chords before continuing softly. "I will pull my love some roses, some wild Irish roses, I will pull my love some roses…the fairest at sea. And l lay them on the grave site of my own dear darling Mary…on that cold and silent grave where she sleeps beneath the dew…"

He took care that Tony was asleep before letting his own eyes rest; memories of his sweet Abby reminding him how far from alone he truly was…


Gibbs opened his eyes to find both his friends sleeping awkwardly on their chairs and let his gaze fall on his wound. He placed a hand over it and closed his eyes. Why was he alive? He shouldn't be. He opened them a second time and hoped it had all been a bad dream…Abby would be coming through his door with a coffee and some stuffed animal to make him feel better. Kate hadn't been shot dead on that roof top…Jenny hadn't been gunned down…his wife and daughter were alive and well; waiting for him to return home…

But the reality of all of those things seemed to make his wound ache even more. All he wanted was for the pain to stop…why was that so hard? But in a moment of clarity he realized the bodies asleep around him were not his team…He hit the buttons to his left frantically before awaking his friends with a shout…

"Hey!" He tried to sit up. "Boss, where are my people? Colonel?"

Franks was the first to come around. "You alright Probie?"

"Where are my people Mike?"

He stood up and ran a hand over his face. "They came to the warehouse…"

Gibbs voice suddenly grew. "Damnit Mike…where are they?"

A slue of nurses came in to sedate him a second time when Colonel Ryan ordered them to wait.

"Two of your men were wounded Gunny. DiNozzo and McGee went down like heroes."

"Went down?" Gibbs facial expression softened. "Please don't tell me they're…"

Mike stepped in. "They were alive en route…that ME left to see about them…" he glanced at his watch. "I'll see if I can track him down."

"David…" Gibbs continued.

"Probably with the ME." Mike stated before moving towards the door. "I'll find out what I can…you just stay put."

Gibbs glare spoke for itself, but Ryan wasn't intimidated. "That's an order Gunny."

It was then he let his head rest on his pillow but not before slamming his fist onto his bed. "Damnit Colonel…why couldn't they just stay out of it?" He swallowed. "I thought I covered my tracks…"

"Not all of them." Ryan stood up tall. "I did what I thought was right."

"You?" Gibbs clutched his wound a second time. "You brought them into this?"

"I'm your CO, what the hell else was I supposed to do? You're one of my men."

"This isn't Kuwait...and I'm not one of your soldiers anymore." He sat up slowly. "My men could die…and for what?"

"For a little girl." He stated plainly. "That DiNozzo of yours saved that little girl…but maybe she wouldn't have needed saving if you weren't so blinded by your revenge…I should've seen it right away, but I was blinded by my debt to you…well Gunny, it wasn't me who brought those kids into this. It was those kids themselves…who were blinded only by their faith in you…"

Gibbs hadn't been spoken to like that in years, but responded out of habit. "Faith for me to do what sir?"

"The same faith Lt. Cameron had Gunny…that if you were gone; we wouldn't make it…that what you have inside you is strong enough to rescue anyone or anything…"

His eyes seemed to instantly well with tears. "I couldn't rescue him sir…or my family…I don't have a damn thing inside of me…nothing."

Ryan stepped towards him. "You are a marine."

The statement held enough power to silence the room for a full minute; neither of the men losing eye contact.

"You have fine people under you Jethro. Don't you dare forget that." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "And don't you dare forget the sacrifices made to keep that faith alive…"

Gibbs went silent for a few moments as he digested his words. "I miss her sir."

Ryan simply nodded as he watched Gibbs head lower. "I know Gunny, I know."


Ducky was awoken by a hand on his shoulder but was careful not to startle Tony. He glanced behind him and gestured that they take it into the hall way.

"Is Jethro alright?"

Mike shifted his weight. "Define alright."

Ducky was quickly aggravated. "Please, I am tired…"

"He's awake…asking about his Agents…"

He straightened his clothing and gave a quick glance towards Tony before nodding. "I will give him a report but we must make a stop first." He didn't walk far and asked that Mike remain in the hallway. He stepped inside to find Ziva resting beside McGee and removed his coat to place it over her shoulders. He then returned outside and led the way towards Gibbs room. "Come along."

Mike seemed a bit awe stricken by what was happening around him and wasn't sure if he'd ever witnessed anything like it. "Lead the way Doc."


Ducky entered; his eyes almost as blood shot as his counterpart. "I am relieved our goodbye was not as final as it seemed…"

It was then Franks and Ryan politely left the room.

Gibbs distracted from the comment and responded. "DiNozzo and McGee?"

"Anthony has suffered nerve damage…the extent is still unclear at this point. He is in a fair amount of pain; which is being masked by the morphine. Timothy however, is in seemingly no physical pain at all. He is in a coma Jethro."

Gibbs closed his eyes and momentarily looked away. "David is with them?"

"Sleeping close to Timothy's side…she almost seems the worst for wear. And yet, no wounds that are visible."

"God Duck, they shouldn't have been there."

"Perhaps none of you should have been. I doubt Abigail would have wanted any of this…"

Gibbs watched as his friend took a seat and placed a hand over his eyes. "You alright Duck?"

"Quite the contrary," he responded confidently. "But I do not have time to wallow. Those boys need me…Ziva needs me. You? I will not begin to venture as to what you need Jethro…" He stared up at him. "Because I know it is something I simply cannot give…"

"No one can."

"Then perhaps no one can help you. But I do know three others who know what they need…and I must be the one to tell them that they won't be getting it from you."

"How can you know that for sure?"

Ducky stood up. "Because I know the wound you are clutching to was inflicted by no one else, but you Jethro."

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