A/N: If you haven't figured it out yet, I've not exactly been going over and editing my chapters... Just kinda wanna get them out to you ;). So, forgive any errors/typos; seems it gets later and later that I have time to get chapters going... Also, the next few days will be super busy for me. So if there's a day or two before the next chapter, please forgive me. Thanks!
11 00 11 00 11
Tony didn't wake again before being taken back to pre-op the next morning. The surgery would take several hours, so Gibbs took advantage of his time. He went home, showered, grabbed a bite to eat, and called to check in on the rest of the team while heading toward the office to update Vance.
Abby had, apparently, gotten into a fight with Ziva the previous night. When Gibbs asked why, Ziva explained that she'd told Abby what Jeanne had done to Tony. And Abby was angry because Ziva killed her without letting her have a go at the woman. Gibbs said nothing, though he smirked on the other line. Then she quickly finished the conversation by saying that they'd worked it out, and no one was seriously injured.
Ducky reported that Tim was in quite some pain, but doing an almost convincing job of hiding it. They, along with the rest of the team (not including Tony, of course) were on their way into the office, as well.
But Gibbs had gotten there quite a bit earlier, gave Vance a full verbal report, and came back down to the bullpen just as the rest of them were getting comfortable.
"Good morning, Gibbs," Ziva greeted.
"Morning, Boss," McGee followed.
"Mornin'," Gibbs replied to them both. "How's your chest, McGee?"
"Not bad. Everything go over well with Vance?" he quickly changed the subject.
"He's pissed," Gibbs said as he sat at his desk. "Like the rest of us. And like the rest of us, there's nothin' to aim it at."
"Tony is in surgery this morning, yes?" Ziva asked.
Gibbs nodded, "Will be for at least another few hours. At which point, I'll be heading outta here. We're passing down any new cases that come through, today," he informed them. "Ziva, if you wanna stick around and help whomever takes it, you can. Otherwise, we're wrapping up these reports." He gave a quick glare to McGee before the younger agent could even begin to contest and try to convince him he could still work.
McGee got the message, loud and clear, and looked back down at his paperwork. It was in that moment, that Gibbs' cell rang. Seeing the number on the ID, he stood from his desk and walked around to the corner of where the wall met the staircase. "This is Gibbs," was the only thing the other agents heard, before he disappeared.
"Who do you suppose that is?" Ziva asked McGee, quietly.
"Not a case, if he left his desk to answer," he replied. "Do you...do ya think it's the hospital?" Tim was suddenly worried.
"It's possible," she replied, her eyes settling somewhere on her desk. Both heads shot up as Gibbs returned to the bullpen.
"Change of plans," he told them as he sifted through some things on his desk. "I've gotta head back to the hospital.
"Is Tony okay?" Tim stood, wincing as he was painfully reminded of his injury.
"Plastic surgeon needs to speak with me and get me to fill out some paperwork for DiNozzo." He grabbed his keys and headed for the elevator.
When the elevator closed, Tim mumbled, "That was fast."
"What, McGee?" Ziva asked, not having heard him.
"Nothing..."
11 00 11 00 11
An hour later, Gibbs walked into autopsy. Ducky was seated at his desk, writing something down, as his assistant, Jimmy Palmer, pulled the sheet back over Jeanne Benoit's face. Gibbs gaze lingered at the covered body for a moment, before turning back to his friend.
"There's a big shot plastic surgeon at Bethesda, right now," he told him. "Flew in from L.A. Apparently, they heard Tony's story and wanted to help."
"Did he?" Ducky replied, looking back to his papers. "News travels fast."
Gibbs narrowed his eyes, "Never said it was a he, Duck."
Ducky turned his chair around and met his friend's eyes, "Timothy made a phone call while at the hospital, last night. This, of course, was after the doctor came in and told them that their usual surgeon had been detained, and wouldn't be able to make it until after the weekend," he explained. "Tim, being the romantic he is...and I don't mean that in a homoerotic sense..." they were interrupted by a sudden crashing of a tray across the room.
"Sorry! Sorry, I've got it..." Jimmy apologized.
Ducky shook his head, "Not that there would be anything wrong, if that were the case, mind you," he continued, "Wanted to make sure to get the best for Anthony. He's well aware that there's not way to erase what happened. But that if he could do something, anything, to help him through this, he would spare no expense."
"Those guys are expensive, Ducky," Gibbs leaned back on the empty cold table.
"As the surgeon told you, he heard the story and wanted to help. He's doing it pro
bono. Tim is simply paying for his travel arrangements and his cost to stay here."
"That's...very generous of him," Gibbs said, pride welling inside of him at the act of his agent.
"Very," the older man agreed. "And do you know what he said, when I told him as much? He said, Tony would have done the same for any of you..."
Gibbs nodded, "Yeah... He's right..."
"What did the surgeon say, Jethro?"
"Said Jeanne did a number on Tony. But that she didn't take into account that we'd have him on call."
"Confident, is he?" Ducky smiled.
"Let's hope he's more than that, Duck..."
Tbc...
