Author's Note:
Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and followers…
Your feedback brings a smile to my face…
Here's the next chapter.
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Night turned to day, but Harper didn't call Gibbs. Frustrated Gibbs reviewed the evidence they had gathered at Charlotte's house. He looked for clues to where Dearing could be hiding out and what Dearing's next move would be. The bastard should have confronted him by now, damn it!
Gibbs had arranged for Mrs. Dearing to be moved to a safe house in the early hours of the morning. McGee, Abby and four agents from the FBI had gone with her. She seemed exhausted and apologized for Harpers actions.
Ziva had opted to stay at the hospital and watch over Tony. Gibbs had arranged for four Homeland agents to stay at the hospital, two outside Tony's door at all times.
Gibbs arrived home as the sun rose. He nodded to the two Homeland agents sitting in their car across the road from his house. He knew there were two more agents walking the perimeter of his home. Vance had insisted that he have security and Gibbs had not had the will to argue the point with his boss.
Gibbs was exhausted and his simmering headache had just passed the tipping point into a full blown migraine. He made coffee knowing that was the last thing he should be drinking but he was so damn frustrated and angry and he wasn't about to risk having a shot of bourbon. He removed his gun from its holster and laid it on the coffee table before he sat down on his couch. As he reached for his coffee, his phone rang. It was an unknown number.
Dearing? Adrenaline pumped through Gibbs's veins as he answered.
"Gibbs."
"Hello Agent Gibbs. It's Jimmy." Gibbs closed his eyes. Damn it Dearing, where are you?
"How's Ducky?" he said.
"He is stable and insisting that he wants to speak to you."
"Put him on, Jimmy."
"Jethro… Jet…hro. Are you o…kay?"
"Hey Ducky, I'm glad to hear your voice. We're okay. How are you doing?" Gibbs said, worry for his friend making itself clearly known.
"Oh Jet…hro… I've been… I've be…been so wor…ried." Ducky said and Gibbs could hear the tears in his voice.
"Ducky, you've got to calm down. We're okay, all of us. You need to focus on yourself now."
"That's enough Dr. Mallard." Gibbs heard Jimmy's voice.
"Wait." Ducky's voice called out.
"Agent Gibbs." Jimmy said. "I want to stay with Dr. Mallard for another day or two, please. Then I'll be back at work."
"Stay, Jim. Take care of him. You're safer there for the moment at least.
"I'll call again later, to let you know how his doing."
"Thanks Jim." Gibbs said before hanging up.
Placing the phone down, Gibbs reclined on the coach. He placed an arm across his burning eyes and took a deep breathe.
Just a few minutes. That's all I need.
As he drifted off to sleep, his mind ordered, Ducky will be okay. And Tony too.
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At about the same time back at the hospital, the nurse entered Tony's room. She smiled at Ziva and said, "You should go home and get some rest."
"No, I'm fine." Ziva replied stretching in her chair. She had spent the last few hours watching Tony. He had been calm at times and restless at others. His fever had spiked at one point and his body had been soaked sweat. Then he'd started shivering and mumbling. Ziva had listened to his feverish ramblings. He'd called out to her repeatedly and he'd said how much he loved her. He'd gotten confused at one time and had starting coughing so harshly that the doctors had needed to come in to up his meds. After another 30minutes of fitful sleep, he awoken agitated and had demanded that the nurse tell him if Ziva was okay. That was when the nurse had asked her to slip into a gown and mask and enter his glass room
Tony has been frantic, coughing and wheezing as she'd approached him.
"Tony, shh, it's okay." She said, placing her hand on the side of his face. His skin was so hot and dry. "Shh, my love. I'm here."
"Zee…vaa…" Tony'd turned his face into her touch. "Mmm Zee…vaa."
"Shh, I'm here. Everything is going to be okay." Ziva'd said, caressing his cheek repeatedly.
The nurse had handed her a damp face cloth and invited her to soothe Tony fevered body. She'd been gentle, touching the cloth to Tony's forehead, cheeks, neck, chest and arms. She had whispered soothing words of love and reassurance as he'd shivered and moaned. The nurse had left them to go and get a change of sheets and Ziva had continued talking to Tony. She wished she could take his pain away. She wished she could hold him close and rock him gently in her embrace.
When the nurse had returned they had worked together to remove the damp sheets from his bed and replace it with dry ones. Tony seemed so vulnerable it those moments. It just broke Ziva's heart to see him this way.
Now with the sun rising, Tony seemed calmer. He was restfully asleep. The nurse checked his vitals and adjusted his IV. On her way out of the room, she said, "He is doing better. We will take him for another scan this morning to see how his lungs are doing and then we may start with physiotherapy to get the fluids moving. You really should get some rest Agent David."
"I'm fine. I won't leave him."
"Very well. I will organize some breakfast for you then. Oh and if you would like to take a shower, you can use that bathroom." She said pointing to the door at the far end of the room. I'll bring you a set of scrubs to change into."
"Thank you." Ziva said, grateful for the nurse's supportive attitude.
When she was along again, she watched Tony. His chin was covered with stubble, something she had rarely seen on him. She wondered how it would feel against her face, against her neck, against…
Ah Tony… she shook her head.
Sleep deprivation. That's it.
She smiled as she let her thoughts flow and as she felt her body react to the love she felt for her Tony, for her love.