a/n - I hoped to have chapter 12 the final chapter, but at over 4,000 words and only half way through what I've got outlined, obviously it was time to break it up. I figured you guys would rather I do that than to eliminate a bunch of this. Sorry about not getting it posted sooner, but we're on day 11 of what is supposed to be a 48 hour virus. So, does that make it a 264 hour virus?
Fornell only had to drag his guy a few more feet to get him cuffed to the nearest tree, but of course the suspect tried to fight him as he tried to close the last cuff. Cursing, Fornell hung on, finally slamming him into the tree and stunning him long enough to finish the job. Once the cuffs were secure, Fornell stepped back, trying to catch his breath.
Raising his wrist to call out to McGee, he discovered that his wrist mic had been smashed in his struggle with the suspect. Letting out another curse, he turned toward the camp, hesitating for just a split second before moving out. Gibbs was helping DiNozzo, so he'd check on McGee.
"You'd better not be dead, kid."
Before he'd made it fifty feet he heard DiNozzo yelling again and then a few seconds later, he heard a shot, then a long, drawn out scream coming from near the last place he'd seen DiNozzo. Decision made for him, he turned back and started running that direction.
He was on the wrong side of the ravine when he found them, Gibbs was trying to pull DiNozzo up to safety while the suspect DiNozzo had been chasing lay at the bottom of the ravine. Dead, if the angle of his neck and the bloody mess on his head were any clue.
Before he could figure out a way to get to them, Gibbs gave a heave and DiNozzo was able to grab a hold of his hand. Fornell let out a sigh of relief when Tony was safely on solid ground, but it didn't last long as another shot was heard, this time coming from the direction of the camp.
Fornell took off again, this time toward the camp. On the other side of the ravine he could hear Gibbs and DiNozzo crashing through the brush as they also ran back toward the camp. He caught a glimpse of them as they neared the clearing and they both looked like hell. Gibbs was limping and Tony was covered with dirt and grass, his jacket torn. From that distance, Fornell couldn't tell who was holding up whom as they ran.
By the time their paths joined, Fornell was only about twenty feet ahead of them and they reached the tent together. Fornell was still in the lead and he pushed through the tent door, SIG Sauer in front of him.
Two bodies were on the ground, a third figure was still upright and holding a gun. "Freeze, Kyle. Don't make it any worse for yourself."
-NCIS-
Kyle's head was spinning as he stood there, still feeling the sting in his hand from the recoil. Somebody was yelling at him, yelled several times before the words penetrated the fog.
"Don't make me shoot you."
He finally registered the three forms standing just inside the unzipped tent flap, the barrels of three weapons pointed directly at him. Grief stricken at what he'd done, he almost turned toward them, but a soft groan from one of the figures on the ground stopped him. More orders, and this time he obeyed them.
"Lay the gun down on the ground."
He did.
"Good, now kick it away."
Slipping on the bloody tent floor, he almost fell, but the gun ended up over out of his reach. Now that he was disarmed, Gibbs and Tony moved past Tobias to check on each of the downed men while Fornell kept his weapon trained on Kyle.
"Okay, Kyle, hands on your head and get down on your knees."
Kyle complied, starting to shake as shock set in. "I didn't... I didn't want..."
-NCIS-
The second Kyle lowered his weapon, Gibbs began easing forward. He would have tackled the man if he hadn't finally complied, but Fornell managed to talk him down so Gibbs focused his attention on McGee. He was face down and there was a lot of blood, especially on his head and the side of his face. Gibbs thought he'd heard a moan from him before Kyle dropped his weapon, but Gibbs didn't breath easier until he felt a pulse under his fingers. "He's alive. Looks like he's been knifed, but he's alive."
"Thank God."
Gibbs didn't look up at Fornell's words, but instead looked over at Tony, who was checking the other body. The unidentified man, who bore a strong resemblance to Kyle, was laying flat on his back with a bullet hole in his chest. Tony checked him then looked over at Gibbs and shook his head.
Coat gone and shirt filthy, Gibbs pulled a shirt out of one of the packs and used it to put pressure on a gash he found on Tim's arm. "That your suspect, Fornell?"
Nathan Conner Moore had managed to never be arrested and between the hats and sunglasses, they'd never gotten a good picture of his face. Fornell studied him for a moment. "Yeah, looks like him."
"It's Conner, that's my brother. Is he dead? Did I kill my brother." Kyle was still on his knees, hands on his head and Fornell pulled him to his feet.
"What happened? Tell us what happened here?"
Kyle stared, not at his brother's body, but at McGee as DiNozzo joined Gibbs, handing him more clothing to pack the wounds as they worked to stop the bleeding. Another shirt was used to press up against the second knife wound and Tony was calling for an ambulance. Also for a coroner, but Kyle couldn't think about that. Not if he was going to tell them what happened.
"He, I think Tim heard something. He stood up and took a few steps, like he was listening, told me to move. Conner came through the tent wall with a knife – it was so fast. One minute there was nothing and then this knife came through the tent and slashed Tim's arm. Conner just burst through and then Tim and Conner were fighting over the knife.
"They... they were on the floor, Conner kept trying to stab him with the knife and I didn't know what to do. Then he saw me and just went nuts." Kyle shuddered as he remembered the venom in his brother's voice, how the spittle flew as he threatened to kill him. The determined look on Tim's face as he hung on and the blood spread.
Fornell saw him lose focus and gently brought him back. "Easy, Kyle, just keep talking. He can't hurt you any more.
Kyle nodded and finally looked away from the scene on the floor.
"Tim tried to do it right, tried to arrest him, they were back on their feet but Conner knocked him down again – headbutted him hard. He... he started to pull his gun but Tim grabbed his leg."
"Pulled Conner back down?"
"Yeah." Kyle pointed out spots as he continued to speak in a monotone voice. "I was standing there and they were there."
Blood smears and McGee's prone figure marked the location even more clearly than Kyle's shaking hand. "The gun landed there. Tim went for his own gun, but Conner kicked him in the head, hard. I... I don't even remember picking up Conner's gun."
"What happened next?" Fornell moved them to the side as he heard back-up finally arriving, the sirens cutting off as they entered the campground.
"Conner saw me with the gun and he laughed. He laughed at me and picked up the knife. Said he was going to cut Tim into pieces and that I didn't have the guts to stop him. I couldn't... I couldn't let him do that."
For the first time since they'd arrived back at the tent, Kyle looked down at his brother's body, one bullet hole directly in the center of his chest, and let out a sob. "He's dead, isn't he? I killed him. I killed my own brother."
Tony had struggled to his feet to let the arriving agents know that the scene was secure. Hearing Kyle's words, he stopped and laid the back of one torn up hand on Conner's shoulder. "But you saved mine."
-NCIS-
The swarm of arriving FBI agents took over the scene and Tony returned to Gibbs' side. Gibbs still had pressure on both of the knife wounds and McGee was still unconscious. "He put up a hell of a fight, didn't he?"
"Yeah, he did." Gibbs took a moment to carefully look Tony over. His hands were raw and filled with large splinters from hanging onto to the tree root. Gibbs had refused to let him put pressure on the knife wounds as to not cause Tony any additional injury or pain, but the young man was practically vibrating with the need to help his probie.
Another low moan from McGee gave Gibbs an idea. Tim's head was at an awkward angle and Gibbs knew he'd try to move the moment he regained any awareness. However, considering the brutal kick to the head he'd received, that could be risky. "Tony, sit next to his head, use your leg to brace him so he doesn't move."
Tony quickly moved into position, his knees pressed gently against the top and back of Tim's head, the back of Tony's hand pressed against Tim's cheek. Tony bent down and started talking to his partner, telling him that he was going to be all right.
McGee groaned again, and this time his eye fluttered open and Tony pressed a little harder. "Don't try to move, okay? You're going to be all right, just don't try to move around yet."
"Kyle?"
Tony wouldn't have heard the question if he hadn't been leaning so close. "You protected him, he's fine. Just like you're going to be fine. You need to lay still, though, okay?"
Tim quieted, but Tony wasn't sure if it was because he understood or if it was because he'd lost consciousness again. Considering how much pain he had to be in, it might be a good thing.
More bodies crowded into the tent, but this time they were carrying medical supplies and the two men reluctantly moved back to let them work on Tim. Once they had him stabilized and on a stretcher, one of the paramedics came over to look at Tony's hands.
He shook his head. "I can wait, focus on him."
Fornell watched Tony and then Gibbs as he struggled to his feet. Tony's injury might be obvious, but he knew Gibbs wasn't going to mention his knee. He pointed at both the men as he looked at the paramedic in charge. "They're both pretty banged up. You got room to take them both or do we need a second ambulance?
Gibbs opened his mouth to argue, then stopped. Officially, the FBI had the lead. If they were going to get the credit, they might as well do the work, too. He retrieved the keys as McGee was wheeled out and tossed them to Fornell "Okay."
In all the years he'd known him, Fornell had never won an argument that easily. "Really?"
Gibbs smirked, then turned serious as he looked over at Kyle, who was staring at his brother's body. "Take care of him, Tobias."
"I will. You take care of your two and I'll catch up with you later at the hospital." Fornell took a minute to watch as they left, following the stretcher out to the ambulance.
Gibbs took a good look at his two boys. McGee's face was mostly obscured between the heavy neck brace and the oxygen mask, but the bruises and blood were still visible. Tony refused to show his pain and his own fear for his friend, but Gibbs could always see through the masks he usually wore. He caught Tony's elbow before the younger man climbed into the front of the ambulance. "He's tough, he's going to be all right."
"He better be." Tony looked like he had more to say, but he shook his head and sat on the seat before one of the medics closed the door for him. After waiting a second, Gibbs let himself be helped into the back of the ambulance where he could keep his leg straight and watch McGee.
-NCIS-
Gibbs glared at the doctor, willing him to read the x-rays faster. Finally, the man seemed satisfied and joined him as a nurse arrived with a heavy knee brace and a cane. "Well?"
"Looks like the shoulder is just a strain."
"I could have told you that."
Much to his credit, the doctor did not roll his eyes. "However, the knee is a little more than a strain, but if you promise to behave yourself, I'll let you out of here with a brace, an ice pack and restricted duty for a week."
He wasn't going anywhere except to check on Tim and Tony and then eventually Kyle. "Fine."
As soon as the brace was in place, Gibbs pulled his jeans back on before fumbling with his shirt. The nurse helped him and then handed him his care sheet which he promptly shoved in his pocket. "I know the drill. Now, where are my men?"
The doctor just sighed and asked the nurse to get an update for them. Once she left the exam room, he handed Gibbs the cane. "The only reason I'm not issuing you crutches is because of the strain they'd put on your shoulder. Use this to walk with, not to hit suspects over the head with, got it?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it."
The nurse returned before the doctor could lecture him any further. "Agent McGee is upstairs having a CAT scan. If that doesn't show any significant problems, he'll be taken directly to surgery for the knife wound in his shoulder and to repair the wound on his arm. Agent DiNozzo is still being treated. Dr. Harper thought that perhaps you could help keep him distracted while they finish debriding his hands."
"Sure, I can do that." Slipping into his shoes and taking the cane the doctor was using to block his way, Gibbs followed her out and across the hall. Even before he entered the second exam room, he could hear Tony's excited chatter. Yep, his senior agent was flying high on adrenaline and possibly pain killers.
He slipped into the exam room, nodding to one of the nurses he knew as she smiled at him. Tony was talking up a storm, telling his version of events, his hands flailing every time the doctor let go of him. "DiNozzo."
Tony's head snapped around. "Hey, Boss, I was just telling them about the take down and the food. Can't forget about the food."
"Uh-huh, talk with your mouth and not with your hands, Tony, so we can get out of here and check on McGee."
Tony instantly stilled, but it was the flash of fear in his eyes that told Gibbs it wasn't the scolding that got his attention. "Have they told you anything, because they haven't said a word to me and I've asked."
Judging from the look on the doctor's face, Tony had asked more than once, forgetting that he wasn't listed on McGee's paperwork like Gibbs and Ducky were. "Yeah, he's upstairs. They're doing a CAT scan, making sure that head injury isn't more than a concussion before they take him into surgery."
Gibbs nodded his thanks as one of the nurses brought over a tall stool for him and he rested one hip on it as he straightened his let out. Now that he had Tony's attention, he kept at it, letting Dr. Harper work easier. "Still planning on going camping with Tim this Spring?"
"Oh, yeah. Damn, he'll have to get a new tent, won't he? Will the agency reimburse him for that one? I mean, they should since it got damaged on a case, but..."
The hand was starting to move again, so Gibbs cut in. "I'll make sure somebody covers it for him. That and anything else that got damaged."
"Firepit."
"What?" Gibbs didn't think the fight had ever made it out of the tent, let alone far enough to damage McGee's elaborate cooking grates.
"I told him you'd probably let him build a firepit in your backyard. You will, right? That way he doesn't have to go out to some campground by himself to work on his cooking skills."
Gibbs hadn't known that, but it did make sense. It also struck him as very lonely. "Sure, we can do that. In fact, why don't I go ahead and build it and we'll surprise him with it when he's out of the hospital?"
"Really? Cool." Tony turned serious and quiet as the gauze was wrapped around his hands. "I'm glad he told you a little about his dad, you know."
"Yeah, me, too." Gibbs watched as Tony's hands were bandaged up. Two fingers on his left hand, one on his right, plus some on each palm. It wasn't a life-threatening injury, but it would be painful once the adrenaline finally wore off and he'd probably be stiff and cranky by tomorrow. This set of printed instructions he folded carefully before sliding in his pocket along with a bottle of pills and Gibbs listened closely as Tony was given verbal instructions, too. He didn't even laugh when Tony played the helpless card and got a pretty nurse to practically dress him in the scrubs that replaced his torn and dirty clothes. "Come on, let's go see how he's doing."
-NCIS-
Out in the waiting room, Abby paced nervously. Ducky had disappeared to supervise the reading of some test results and she was alone. As had happened dozens of times since she'd arrived, she heard footsteps, but this time they belonged to familiar faces. "Gibbs, Tony!"
She ran toward them, but stopped just short, seeing the cane, the brace and the various bandages as Gibbs tried to reassure her. "We're fine, just a little banged up. Is there any more word on McGee?"
"McGee's doctor asked Ducky to sit in on some of McGee's tests. He hasn't been back since."
Before they could worry or ask further, Ducky stepped off the elevator. "Oh, good, Jethro. You and Tony are both done."
"Have you seen Tim, Ducky?"
"Yes, Tony, I have – briefly. His scans came back clean. He has a concussion and there's some swelling that they will be watching closely, but there's no bleeding in his brain and his skull shows no sign of fracture. He does have a hairline fracture of his cheekbone, however, but it's stable and won't require surgery to repair. The knife wounds will require a surgical repair and that is what they are working on now. That will take several more hours at least, then after he is out of recovery, he will be moved to intensive care." Ducky looked at the three worried faces around him. "Now, now, that isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. It's more of a precaution for the next twenty hours so they can monitor his head injury better."
"He gonna be all right, Duck?"
"In time, Jethro. As I'm sure you're well aware, Timothy lost a great deal of blood from the knife wounds. Luckily, no arteries were damaged, but a rather large vein was deeply sliced and the knife came dangerously close to the nerves in his shoulder. Even escaping nerve damage, the muscles will take a while to fully heal in both his arm and his shoulder and since it's his right shoulder and left arm, I would imagine his recovery will frustrate him immensely. But, with time and help, he should make a full recovery." Since they had several hours to wait and it was already mid-afternoon, Ducky decided to put his foot down. "Now, when was the last time either of you had anything to eat?"
Tony didn't want to go anywhere. "We're fine, Ducky."
Ducky didn't bat an eye, just pulled out the big guns. "It will be at least three or four more hours before you can possibly see Timothy for even a moment, but I will not authorize it if the two of you have not taken some time to take care of yourselves. That includes some proper nutrition, not some dredge you procured from some vending machine. Now, you may avail yourselves of the hot food in the cafeteria and have a good visit with McGee when he is out of recovery, or you may stay here in the waiting room as long as you wish, without seeing him. It is your choice, gentlemen."
Gibbs glared, but Ducky had his arms crossed over his chest and was obviously settled in for the duration. "Fine, we'll eat. Are you coming to supervise?"
Ducky smiled at him. "I will leave that chore to Abigail while I stay close to talk to the surgeon when everything is done." He held his hand up before Gibbs could say anything. "I will let you know if anything changes in his condition and I will make sure you have plenty of warning to get back before he is allowed visitors."
"Fine." Gibbs grumbled, but turned and led the other two out of the waiting room. Ducky waited until they were safely on the elevator before he dropped into a nearby chair. Having one of the team injured was a headache, having all three of them hurt, even if two were relatively minor, was going to be a headache of epic proportions. Now that he was alone, Ducky pulled out his phone to update the Director.
-NCIS-
Carrying the trays and cutting up Tony's food had kept Abby busy, but now that they were at their table, she wanted answers. She'd listened to how Gibbs, Fornell and Tony had tracked their three suspects, shuddering at the death of the man Tony had been chasing. It wasn't until Tony was recounting what happened to McGee that she interrupted.
"Wait a minute, the witness had to save McGee?"
"Hey!" Tony's voice was sharp and Gibbs noticed that his bandaged finger was shaking as he pointed it at her. "Tim was watching our backs when Moore came through the tent with a knife and nailed him while he was protecting Kyle. He got sliced to hell and kicked in the head because he wouldn't let go of Moore, wouldn't let him touch Kyle."
"Okay, okay." Abby hadn't meant it quite as negatively as Tony had taken her comment and rapidly backpedaled.
Gibbs stopped it from going any further by laying a hand on Tony's arm. "Easy, Tony. We know he did a good job. Hell, he did a great job. Not only to protect Kyle but the whole time, both you boys did. Now eat and take your pills – he should be out of surgery soon."
"Yeah, yeah, okay." Tony glared at Abby for a few more seconds before awkwardly picking his fork back up and stabbing the meatloaf on his plate while Abby wisely remained silent and sucked down her Caf-Pow.
They'd finished eating and arrived back upstairs just as McGee was being moved to the ICU. Ducky had worked his magic with the staff and had gotten them extended visiting time and now they were just waiting for the assorted medical staff to finish settling him into his room. Finally his surgeon came out and nodded. "I honestly don't expect him to fully regain consciousness until morning, but if he does, let the nurses know right away."
"So we can sit with him?" Tony was practically vibrating as he eased closer to the door.
Luckily, Dr. Abrams had a brother in the police department in Atlanta and he understood the bond between partners. "Yeah, you can sit with him, but if something happens and we ask you to move, you move – no questions asked, Deal?"
"Deal." Tony didn't wait after that, just slipped through the door. The thick bandages made his gut clench, the bruises made him wince. "Ah, hell, Probie."
"He'll be okay, Tony." Gibbs was settling on the other side of the bed and reached over to pat Tony's arm. "It could have been a whole lot worse." Despite his words, Gibbs had a troubled look on his face as he tenderly brushed back Tim's hair.
Abby was standing at the foot of the bed, nervously chewing on her lip as Ducky stood next to her. "Are you really sure he's going to be all right?"
"Yes, my dear. Given enough time, he will make a full recovery." Ducky wrapped an arm around her and prepared to steer her through the door. "Now, since Jethro and Tony will be staying here, I want you to go home and get some rest."
"What? No, I can't."
"Yes, you can, and you will. Because otherwise, in the morning, when I send those two home for a decent rest, Timothy will be alone. Do you want that?"
Under those circumstances, Abby allowed herself to be turned slightly. "Well, if you put it that way... You'll take good care of him, right guys?"
"Of course." Gibbs gave a nod as she and Ducky left before turning back to watch both of his boys. The pain pill was starting to work and he expected Tony to crash hard in the next hour. He'd let him sit with Tim for a little while longer and then insist he stretch out on the sofa in the waiting room.
He waited until the third time he saw Tony's head bob. "Tony?"
"Yeah, Boss?"
"Go stretch out in the waiting room for a couple of hours. Then come back and relieve me."
Tony started to object but his argument was swallowed up by a yawn. "Okay, maybe you're right. I'll see you in a couple of hours or sooner if something happens, right?"
Understanding the implied question, Gibbs gave a nod before watching Tony stand and stretch before retreating to the waiting area. Once Tony was out of sight, Gibbs carefully smoothed the blankets over Tim and settled in to wait.
