The next day Gibbs and Shannon stayed home from work but insisted that Maggie and Jimmy go to school. After assuring that they would come get them if anything went wrong they were finally convinced to go. Maggie shifted nervously in her seat in science class she was up next to present her paper on the environmental hazards of nuclear energy. When her teacher Mrs. Williams got a call she hung up after thirty seconds and said that Maggie needed to go to the front office because she was being signed out. Maggie got to the office and saw her dad and Jimmy waiting for her. She knew that something bad must have happened because her dad hadn't picked her up from school since she turned sixteen.
"Dad what's wrong?" Maggie asked.
"We need to go my car is out front." Gibbs explained.
"What about my car?" Maggie asked.
"Abby will get it on her lunch break." Gibbs replied.
"What's wrong Mr. Gibbs?" Jimmy asked.
"It's Tony he's dying." Gibbs replied solemnly.
Gibbs, Maggie, and Jimmy arrived at the hospital about ten minutes later. When they got there Jack had arrived as well and was holding Shannon in his arms both were crying Jack was more silent while Shannon was loudly sobbing.
"Dad what's wrong?" Gibbs asked.
"Tony died just after you left he was just too weak I'm so sorry Leroy." Jackson explained.
Gibbs quietly walked over and joined Jack and Shannon while Jimmy just leaned into the wall dazed.
"Can I see him?" Maggie asked.
"Sure just ask one of the nurses." Shannon sobbed.
Maggie nodded and walked over to a nurse who led Maggie down to the morgue. Maggie rounded the corner and saw her baby brother lying on a slab. He didn't even look like Tony anymore he was so pale and he looked so fragile he didn't have his cute little smile he looked so scared. Maggie choked out a sob and ran upstairs she felt so lost and alone she couldn't imagine how her dad felt she knew Tony was his favorite. Not that he'd ever admit it but it was obvious.
Gibbs lay in bed his heart breaking. Trying to figure out how the world could be so cruel. He just wanted to crawl in a hole and forget the past twenty-four hours. He heard his door open, looked up and saw Maggie standing in the doorway.
"Hey Maggie what's wrong?" Gibbs asked. Shannon was still asleep.
"I had a dream Tony died." Maggie replied.
"Come here it'll be OK." Gibbs assured.
"Can I sleep with you guys?" Maggie asked.
"Sure" Gibbs replied.
Maggie crawled over Gibbs to the middle of the bed waking up Shannon in the process.
"Maggie?" Shannon asked.
"She had a bad dream I'm letting her sleep in here with us." Gibbs replied.
"What happened?" Shannon asked.
"Tony died. Dad came and got Jimmy and me a school and told us that Tony was dying but when we got to the hospital he had already died. I went to go see him and he didn't even look like Tony he was so pale and he looked so unhappy almost like it was a good thing he was dead." Maggie explained.
"Oh honey I'm so sorry." Shannon replied.
"Yeah that sounds terrible." Gibbs added.
"Do I have to go to school tomorrow?" Maggie asked.
"No Stephanie says she can handle the office on her own and if she needs help she can call in one of the other doctors and Leon told your father that if he comes in tomorrow he is fired so of course we are letting you stay home. Jimmy can make his own decision about whether or not he goes." Shannon replied.
Maggie nodded and curled up close to Gibbs who wrapped his arms around her. She started to cry softly and Gibbs whispered that everything would be OK in her ear until she was asleep. Once she was sure both Jethro and Maggie were asleep Shannon left the room and walked across the hall to Tony's room she stripped the sheets and made sure there was no throw-up on the mattress then she started to clean up the room. She hated that she had to clean his room while he was so sick in the hospital but she needed the room for Jimmy. Since when Jackson was coming for a visit she was putting him in Jimmy's room and Jimmy in Tony's so Jack didn't have to climb the stairs. After she cleaned up she went downstairs and noticed a glow coming from Jimmy's room. She looked in and saw him sitting on his bed with his laptop propped up on his legs.
"Hey" Shannon whispered.
"Oh Mrs. Gibbs I'm sorry I'll go to sleep." Jimmy replied.
"It's OK Jimmy what are you doing up anyway?" Shannon asked.
"Doing research on meningitis it's terrible he could have brain damage, seizures, or be go deaf people have lost limbs the worst thing is that he could die." Jimmy explained.
"I know I've dealt with it before and I also know he could be just fine with no evidence that he was so sick." Shannon replied.
"Yeah but with the pneumonia his chances are even worse. He is such a sweet kid it's not fair!" Jimmy cried.
"I know Jimmy it isn't right." Shannon replied.
"How are Mr. Gibbs and Maggie doing?" Jimmy asked.
"Both are devastated." Shannon replied.
"How are you doing?" Jimmy asked.
"Not good I feel really bad about all of this. This is part of the reason why I didn't want to adopt Tony in the first place." Shannon replied.
"You didn't want him?" Jimmy asked in astonishment.
"I didn't want to adopt him I was so worried we'd get attached and then lose custody or he'd be too broken to ever love us. Though my main concern was that something would happen to him I mean we already lost Kelly and came so close to losing Maggie when she was born what if we lose Tony too? There is no-way Jethro could handle that." Shannon explained.
"Yeah that would be rough." Jimmy replied yawning.
"Get some sleep in case you decide tomorrow." Shannon replied.
Gibbs held Maggie close to him while the two tried to sleep. Neither did much sleeping though both kept having nightmares about Tony seeing him dead or disabled and not the Tony that they loved. Gibbs had a hard time thinking of Tony having brain damaged. Things didn't come as easily to Tony as they had to Kelly and did to Maggie. Not that he was stupid in fact he was far from it he was like Gibbs not the best student but he had street smarts. Not to mention he was a sweet loving kid who was nice to everybody so his teachers and classmates didn't mind helping him. He didn't deserve brain damage he needed to grow and become a strong, happy, healthy adult.
Jackson Gibbs woke at six and headed to the Stillwater train station he had gotten a friend of his to run the store for a few days. He sat on the train and starred out the window as the world passed by him. He thought of Tony. He was such a sweet little kid and Gibbs regretted that he had not seen him since Leroy and the girls took him from Stillwater. He had talked to him on the phone and Leroy had sent pictures but it wasn't the same. Now there was a chance he wouldn't get to see the kid alive again. He couldn't believe a kid could get so sick meningitis and pneumonia good lord he was only five years old. He needed more time.
The Gibbs family arrived at Bethesda promptly at nine when visiting hours started. Jack had called and said he should be arriving at about ten and Gibbs said that he would come pick him up at the station. Gibbs and Shannon and Maggie and Jimmy each took their turns visiting Tony. He looked so fragile and small lying on that bed surrounded by all those machines. Gibbs wondered if he even knew that they were there every so often he'd start to cough and cry out in pain. It killed Gibbs to see him in such bad shape. Around ten Gibbs left to get Jackson he wound up taking Jimmy and Maggie with him. He sent the kids inside to meet Jack so he could move things around in his truck so Jack had room for his luggage. When he had finished they still hadn't come back to the car so he slid into the front seat, took out his wallet, and looked at the pictures he kept in the small compartment. One was of Kelly on her eighth birthday it was one of the few where he wasn't deployed. She wore a yellow sundress even though it was winter it was her favorite and the party was inside. She just looked so happy then three short months later she was gone. Then there was one of Maggie after some school play she was in her hair dyed green and she had brown sweats on she also had shoes that looked like roots but they belonged to the school so when he took the picture outside she had on these red cowboy boots Abby gave her. The one he kept of Tony was him that first night in Stillwater. He was curled up on Jack's bed he must have been dreaming because he was kicking at something though Gibbs knew it wasn't a nightmare because he had huge smile on his face that was the first time Gibbs saw him smile and he just looked so cute in the oversized NIS shirt Gibbs had lent him. God he hoped he had more time with that kid he just loved him so much. Gibbs felt bad he had no pictures of Jimmy in there though he had several wallet sized school photos of him he decided on the one from the first year Ducky had him the one where he decided he'd be cuter with freckles so he used Abby's lipstick to make some he looked more like he had some kind of rash though. Gibbs looked up and saw that Jack and the kids had come out.
"Sorry dad I was thirsty and the vending machine ate my quarter." Maggie apologized.
"It's OK." Gibbs replied.
"How is he?" Jack asked.
"Not to good dad." Gibbs replied.
"I'm sorry he'll pull through though." Jack assured.
"Thanks dad." Gibbs replied.
"I see those two are still together." Jack said pointing to the backseat.
"Yeah well we did take him in too." Gibbs explained.
"They remind me so much of you and Shannon." Jack replied.
When they got back to the hospital Jack went back to see Tony and Maggie and Jimmy walked off together to go talk or something. Shannon signaled for Gibbs to join her and Tony's doctors. Gibbs nodded and walked over.
"They are going to put Tony into a drug induced coma." Shannon explained.
"They are going to put him in a coma?" Gibbs growled.
"It will help him recover we will bring him out when he shows signs of improvement." Dr. Roberts explained.
"And say he doesn't wake up? Are you saying you will risk killing him with your drugs to help him?" Gibbs demanded.
"I'm afraid that could happen but we are remaining optimistic." Dr. Roberts replied.
Gibbs argued with the doctors and Shannon about putting Tony into a coma until Shannon said that she would call the judge and have him stripped of his paternal rights if he didn't agree to it. So Gibbs complied then stormed off and went to the cafeteria for coffee. They put Tony to sleep but before they did Gibbs barged in and insisted he speak to Tony before they put him in the coma.
"You will not die you got that you will not die!" Gibbs demanded.
"I will not die." Tony agreed weakly.
Gibbs exited and let the doctors work he stood at the door and watched the process at the window until they left then he stepped aside and let them exit moving back as soon as he could he stood there for almost an hour. Before Shannon came over and said they were going to get lunch
"I love you Tony." Gibbs whispered wiping the tears from his eyes as he left.
A/N: I know that was mean and again not a doctor. Also I got a review saying that Tony should be smarter I honestly don't think Tony is smart like McGee I think he is more street smart like Gibbs that is why they have a different and maybe stronger bond than Gibbs and McGee. I love Tony and am not saying he is stupid. I also think if it weren't for Tony in the show McGee would have gotten killed a long time ago because he is not as good with the police work as Tony. I have been writing him as a more competent agent because I think he does hide behind the others a lot in the show. Please review will update Friday along with "Time Like This".