Kate arrived in the morning to the most unusual sight. Slumped in a chair outside McGee's hospital room was Tobias Fornell. Not quite sure what to make of the sight, she turned to Agent Miranda Carter, leaning against the wall on the other side of the door. "Did something happen last night?"

"Apparently McGee had a pretty rough night. I took over about an hour ago, but it's been quiet since I got here."

"Rough how and why is Fornell here?" Kate weighed the two coffees she carried. One was for Gibbs and the other one was sweetened just the way she liked it. There was no real love lost between her and the FBI agent, but he obviously had found it necessary to watch over McGee and Gibbs last night. Not only that, but he was going to have a heck of a sore neck when he woke up. Sighing as she made her decision, she took the sweetened coffee and waved it under his nose. As expected, his nose wrinkled and his eyes opened. She winced in sympathy as he straightened up and took the offered cup. "It's sweetened, I'm afraid." He shrugged and took it anyways as she continued. "I'm not sure how you take your coffee but I do know how Gibbs reacts to anything but straight coffee so you'll have to settle for this one."

Fornell gave a low chuckle. "Right now I'd even take it flavored with Kool-Aid."

Kate decided she really didn't want to know, so she focused on what she did want to know. "What happened last night? Carter said it was a rough night."

"According to the doctor who came by at some point last night, McGee experienced a return of neurological functions." His words sounded good to Kate, then she saw the look on his face as he finished. "If it had been me in that bed, I think I'd have rather kept the paralysis." He downed a third of the coffee without taking a breath and then stood. Both Kate and Carter cringed as he stretched his back and it popped repeatedly. Fornell gave one last look into the room and shook his head. "Well, I'm off to slay some dragons before that boss of yours gets himself beheaded. Take care of them, Agent Todd." He gave her a hard look before walking away.

Something about his tone told Kate that things were not going to get better any time soon. She and Carter shared a troubled look before she entered the hospital room. Gibbs didn't even look up at her entrance. Her first action was to replace Gibbs' empty coffee cup with the new cup she had brought with her. She picked up the coffee and immediately set it back down. It was full; Gibbs had let an entire cup of coffee sit and get cold, apparently all night. Chewing on her lip, Kate approached the bed, unsure. She held out the fresh coffee towards Gibbs. He lifted the hand that was resting on McGee's head and took the coffee. Without even taking a sip he set it down on the bedside table and returned his hand to where it had been. Kate was used to him not making eye contact when he was busy, but this was something entirely different. She settled into a chair and watched. Gibbs seemed to be waiting for something, some signal only he would know. Kate leaned forward and rested her hand on Tim's upper arm.

"Don't."

She jerked her hand back, assuming that she was somehow hurting McGee. As soon as she opened her mouth to ask, she was shushed by the older man. Any further response she may have had was interrupted when McGee's eyes began to move under the closed lids. Gibbs leaned even closer and turned McGee's face enough that Kate was no longer in his range of vision. Hurt by the implication, she waited in silence to see what would happen when McGee woke up. With his own face inches away, Gibbs was the only thing Tim could see when he opened his eyes.

"Hey buddy, good morning." Gibbs smiled as he spoke, a rare full smile that those around him rarely saw. McGee weakly smiled back, obviously a welcome sight to Gibbs.

"Boss." His words could barely be heard through the oxygen mask. "It's over?"

"Yeah, I think so. You did great, son, but now it's time to rest, alright?" He brushed Tim's hair back. "You close your eyes and when you wake up, Kate will be here to stay with you." His hand moved from Tim's hair to his forehead, to his eyes, soothing over his lids as soon as they closed. After only a few moments it was apparent that Tim was deeply asleep. Gibbs brushed his hand across Tim's forehead one final time and stood, letting go with his other hand at the last moment. He swayed slightly before standing completely upright. As he flexed his other hand, she saw fresh bruises scattered across it. Kate had a thousand questions and knew she wasn't going to get many answers as she followed Gibbs to the far corner of the room. She settled for one question.

"What do I need to know?"

Gibbs didn't answer for a long time as he watched the sleeping form and rubbed his bruised hand. Eventually he gave her an answer. "Don't let them change his antibiotics before Ducky gets here."

"What? Gibbs, what is going on?" She followed him as he retraced his steps to pick up the fresh coffee. He touched her shoulder but didn't say another word as he walked out of the room.

---NCIS---

Gibbs allowed himself twenty minutes to take a brisk shower at home before heading back to NCIS. Years as a marine gave him the strength, sniper training gave him the focus, and his desire to protect his own gave him the fire necessary to keep going. He called and had their prisoner returned to an interrogation room before he was even inside the Navy Yard.

DiNozzo met him in the observation room, studying him as much as the prisoner. Gibbs ignored the concern and silent questions, intent on breaking Dickerson and closing in on the monsters responsible for the attack on McGee. Folder in hand, he left the observation room and stormed into interrogation, slamming the door behind him. Dickerson looked up at the sound of the door, but made no other sign of responding. Gibbs didn't say a word, just opened the file and spread out the photos of each suspect identified by fingerprints found at the site where McGee had been held and tortured. He waited until Dickerson finally looked at the images.

"Who's the ringleader? Which one of them called the shots?" Gibbs leaned over into Dickerson's face. "Today is not the day to piss me off, so start talking."

Dickerson stared at the pictures as a broad smile spread across his face. He started laughing as Gibbs stared at him. "Missing one there, Agent Gibbs. Guess you're not as omnipotent as everyone seems to think you are." He continued to laugh manically, but his expression changed to one of resignation. "I was right about them, too." He fell sideways, knocking over his chair as he toppled to the ground. Gibbs stood, staring at the fallen suspect as his body convulsed once then went still. Instinct kicked in and he skidded around the table, dropping to his knees to begin CPR. Behind him he heard the door slam open and looked up to see DiNozzo rush in.

"Ducky's on his way." DiNozzo moved to Dickerson's head to begin rescue breathing, but pulled back when he saw the blood tinted foam bubbling up between his lips. Gibbs saw it too, but continued to beat on the still chest under his hands. Ducky arrived and DiNozzo pulled Gibbs back to give him room to work.

A cursory exam told Ducky that his skills as a medical examiner would be needed, not his skills as a doctor. He noted the time of death and called down for a gurney to transport the body down to the morgue.

Gibbs was furious as DiNozzo held him back. "Damn it, he knows something. You can't let him die, Ducky, he knows who we missed." Ducky stepped over the body and confronted him.

"He's gone, Jethro, he's gone. There is nothing more I can do. Whatever he did or did not know, I'm afraid he took the knowledge with him to the grave. Whatever it was, you'll have to find it out another way." He paused, lowering his voice. "I am sure you will do just that, you will somehow find the answers." Gibbs gave a jerky nod and stormed out of the room and headed for the Director's office.