20 April 2016

Wednesday afternoon was a warm, sunny afternoon. Tony was glad that he could get off the couch now, even if he was still stuck in his wheelchair. He was currently sitting on one of Gibbs' outdoor lounges in the backyard, a glass of juice in his hand. He was waiting for Gibbs to come back outside, but he had gotten distracted by an argument one of Gibbs' neighbours were having. He didn't normally listen in on arguments, but they were loud and it was getting louder with each new insult.

"Tony? You alright?" Gibbs called from the back door.

"Shouldn't we do something? The guy is really being rude to her," said Tony.

"They always fight like that. I've called the police a few times, so have some other neighbours. We all learnt a long time ago that these arguments are never as bad as they sound. Don't worry, she's just as bad as he is."

Tony looked hesitantly at his cell phone on the table next to him. "Are you sure, Gibbs?"

"Very sure. It'll work out in no time." Gibbs smiled. "It's nice to know that you care though."

"Wendy and I used to fight like that. She liked to be in charge, and she used her older age against me. I didn't really know any better at the time, so I let it happen. At least until we got engaged, anyway."

"You fought loud enough for the entire street to hear?"

"Uh, no. It was inside an apartment, so it was the building that heard."

"So much better, hey?" Gibbs laughed. "How are you feeling?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Good. I'm happy to be off the couch. The wheelchair isn't too bad. At the moment, anyway." Tony looked at his boss. "Gibbs, am I dating someone right now?"

"Not that I know of. You've been pretty content by yourself recently."

"Who was my last girlfriend?"

"Her name is Zoe Keates. Do you remember her?"

"Of course. We worked together in Philly. When did she come back into my life?"

"A couple of years ago. You guys dated for two years and broke up four or five months ago."

"I wonder why we tried dating? We were really good friends, but we agreed that we never wanted to date each other."

"I'm not sure. From what I understand, your relationship wasn't exactly a good one. You told me in January that you were glad that you broke up and that you didn't feel that a relationship was what you wanted with Zoe."

Tony nodded. He had long since found that his head wasn't painful, though it sometimes felt heavier than normal. Brad had told him that it was due to him having surgery only a week earlier, and it would get better the more he rested.

"Can you answer one more question for me?" Tony asked.

"Sure. What's bothering you?"

"These injuries that I have- are they healing? I didn't want to ask Brad at the hospital, I don't know why."

"That's okay. Yes, the injuries are healing. Your memory is coming back, which means that the bruising is easing. Your wrist is okay now, and it's getting much stronger the more you use it. Your legs are probably the only injured parts of you that haven't begun to heal very well yet."

"Okay." Tony smiled. "Thank you for being honest with me, by the way."

"Not a problem, Tony."


21 April 2016

"Hi, Abby!" exclaimed Tony happily.

It was still a little early in the morning on Thursday, but Abby had stopped by Gibbs' house on her way to work to spend some time with Tony.

"Hi, Tony. How are you feeling this morning?" Abby asked as she cuddled her best friend tightly.

"Like I wouldn't mind being able to breathe..."

"Sorry." Abby looked apologetic.

"That's okay. I know you do it out of love." Tony smiled at his friend. "How's work?"

"Boring without you. I miss you coming into my lab for updates."

"You do?"

"Of course. We always find a way to have fun when you come to the lab. Work just isn't the same without you there."

"I'll be back, Abbs."

"I know."

Tony smiled again and pulled Abby onto the couch next to him. "I'm coming back as soon as these legs heal enough for me to walk."

"No. No, you need to be completely better before you come back," said Abby worriedly.

"I can do desk work once I'm on crutches. At least I'll be able to sit in the lab with you and do work."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked suspiciously.

"I am," answered Tony confidently.

Abby smiled. "Okay, I guess I can wait then. When will you be on crutches?"

"I'm not sure yet. Probably not for another couple of weeks. Once my left leg is strong enough to hold my wait, I'll get the crutches."

"Can I come to your therapy sessions with you?"

"Of course you can! Having you there will make them more bearable."

Abby giggled. "Good. And if you don't work hard enough, I'll make you."

"Gee, thanks Abbs," said Tony sarcastically before he pulled his best friend into another hug.