Here we go! Chapter 21! Enjoy :-)
I DO NOT own NCIS, Rizzoli Isles or anything related to it.
Tony's eyes followed the glow from the penlight as Dr. Evans moved it from side to side and up and down. "Good job, Tony."
Tony blinked his eyes.
"How are you feeling? Any pain? Headache? Nausea?"
"Pain," he whispered, his throat still sore.
"Where?"
"Everywhere."
Dr. Evans looked at Kate. "That's to be expected given his injuries."
"Perhaps you can put him on a morphine pump, for pain management?"
"I think that's a good idea but first, I want to get him back to neuroimaging. I'm assuming the swelling has decreased enough for him to regain consciousness but I want to be sure."
"I want to stay with him."
"Visiting hours are over, I can't permit you to stay."
"He just came out of a coma. He could easily slip back, I need to be with him!"
"Kate," hissed Tony. "It's okay, I'm alright."
Kate ran her finger over Tony's cheek. "No, I'm not leaving you," Kate looked at Dr. Evans.
"Fine," sighed Dr. Evans. "But I'm going to ask that you stay here while we do the imaging."
"Okay."
Dr. Evans and his team escorted Tony out of the room.
Kate couldn't figure out what to do with herself while she waited. The joy of knowing Tony as awake, was alive, had her on cloud nine though the doctor in her felt it was a bad idea. Tony could easily slip back into a coma but the relief of knowing he was awake right now, far outweighed that worry.
Kate's cellphone rang. "Hello?" she answered.
"What part of call me when you get back to the hotel did you not understand?" shouted Jane, on the other line. "Visiting hours were over four hours ago, which means I should have gotten a call no later than three and a half hours ago given that you stopped and got you something to eat, which you probably didn't!"
"Most people begin a conversation with "hello.""
"Hello. Where the hell have you been?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm at the hospital."
"Why are you at the hospital this time of night?" Jane paused. "Oh shit! What happened to Tony?"
"No, he's fine," said Kate, with smile. "He woke up."
"Maura, don't worry he will be...wait, what?"
"Tony woke up! I was getting ready to leave and he was looking right at me!"
"Yes!" shouted Jane. "Oh my God! This is great!"
"What's great?" questioned Angela in the background.
"Tony is up!"
"Praise Mary, Jesus and all the saints!"
"Is he okay?"
"So far he seems fine. Dr. Evans wanted to do another neuroimaging, I'm waiting for them to get back," said Kate.
"Okay, let me chug down a couple Red Bulls, I'll be back there by three! No later than four!"
"Jane, it's ten o'clock at night, stay where you are. Get some sleep, I'm alright."
"You sure?"
"Yes, I will see you in the morning," Kate hung up the phone.
By the time Dr. Evans brought Tony back, Kate had fallen asleep in her chair.
Dr. Evans gentle nudged Kate. "Mrs. DiNozzo," he whispered.
"Hmmm?" Kate rubbed her eyes. She looks up to see Tony laying with his eyes closed in bed. "Oh no! Did he…" Kate's heart began to race.
"Don't worry. He's just sleeping. The neuroimaging took a little while."
Kate placed her hand over her heart. "Oh, thank goodness."
"We redid Tony's brain imaging and the swelling in his brain has decreased greatly. His brain is almost at normal size."
"That's great!"
"We still need to run a neurological test to check his memory, speech and mobility but from what I can see, I don't think we have anything to worry about."
"So, he's going to be okay?"
Dr. Evans smiled. "Yeah. Because he is mobile now, we have placed him in a helmet to protect his exposed brain until we are able to replace the removed fragment."
"When will you be able to do that?"
"It's the weekend so early next week. He'll have it back in before Christmas."
"He said he was in pain."
"We put him on a morphine pump as you suggested. Why don't you go back to your hotel and get some rest? He'll probably just sleep through the night."
"I'm staying."
"Figured you would say that," Dr. Evans handed Kate a blanket. "The couch lets out."
"Thanks."
Dr. Evans left.
Kate walked over to the couch, laying out the blanket.
"Back hurt."
Kate looked back to see Tony watching her.
"You're back… will hurt… if you sleep there," whispered Tony, his voice still hoarse.
"It's okay as long as I can stay with you."
Tony shook his head. He cringed as he slid over in bed. He tapped the small space next to him. "Bed."
"I'm okay over here."
"Bed."
"I don't want to hurt you."
"You… never hurt…me…Kate," Tony smiled showing off his metal cover grin.
Kate walked up to Tony, kissing him softly on the lips. "I was so scared I lost you."
"Couldn't…leave. Not… yet."
"I love you."
"I know."
Kate carefully climbed into bed with Tony.
Tony put his arms around Kate, holding her the best he could. He inhaled her sweet scent just as the morphine kicked in and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, Kate woke up before the sun. She quietly climbed out of bed, making sure not to wake Tony to catch a cab back to the hotel. After grabbing a shower and a light breakfast, Kate was back at the hospital.
Kate limped into Tony's room to find him wide awake. "There you are, I was looking for you," grinned Tony, his voice stronger.
"Sorry, I went to grab a shower and something to eat."
"It's okay," Tony looked Kate up and down.
"What?"
"How are you?"
"I'm alive. I'm still a little shaken but I'm getting stronger every day."
"The limp?"
Kate looked down at her injured foot. "Nothing time can't heal."
Tony touched Kate's stomach with his casted hand.
Kate placed her hand on Tony's. "She's okay, even better now that you're here."
"You've gotten bigger."
"Yeah, she's definitely made her presence known. I have to wear maternity clothes now."
"You look beautiful."
Kate's dimple flashed as she smiled.
"So, what's my diagnosis?"
"Huh?"
Tony held up his hands. "What's the total damage done?"
Kate sat down next to Tony. "Your hands are broken. They performed surgery to insert screws and plates to help them heal. Your knee was blown out when Sawyers kicked you, so you will need a few more surgeries to repair that. You have broken ribs along with a broken mandible."
"My jaw is broken? That would explain why I can't open my mouth. What about the head gear?"
"A six-inch piece of your skull was removed to make room for your swelling brain."
"Part of my skull is missing?" Tony looked dumbfounded. "Am I...am I bald?"
Kate cringed.
"You let them shave my head?"
"I was more concerned about your swelling brain than your hair!"
"You should have been concerned about the hair too! I can't believe I'm bald!"
Kate laughed.
"Don't laugh! Don't you dare laugh!" chuckled Tony.
"Sorry. I'm just so happy I can hear you make silly comments like that." Kate carefully laid her forehead against Tony's, looking into his eyes. "I missed you so much."
"We have to put this behind us, Kate. It may be a struggle at times but I don't want Sawyers to win. He tried to destroy us back there but he didn't. We made it and I want us to keep making it."
"Okay."
"I'm mean it, Kate. Don't let what Sawyers did, ruin us."
Kate ran her thumb up and down Tony's cheek. "Nothing can ruin us."
"Good," Tony looked down at Kate's stomach. "That goes for you too, little girl. Despite all this, I want you to still be that amazing little girl I know you will be."
There was a knock at the door as a nurse entered wheeling in a tray. "Morning Mr. DiNozzo, I got your breakfast here."
"Great! I'm so hungry I could eat a cow!"
"Going to have to settle for chicken," the nurse pulled off the tray top revealing the plastic bowl containing the yellow liquid.
"Broth? But I'm hungry!"
"You are on a clear liquid diet until we can ensure your digestive system is in working order plus chewing is out of the question for you. All your meals for the next nine weeks will be coming through a straw," the nurse opened the container placing a straw inside.
"Oh yeah."
"Eat this and maybe by dinner time I can bring you some soup and a smoothie," the nurse left.
"I guess something is better than nothing," Tony went to grab the straw but his casts wouldn't allow him to grip it.
"Here, let me help you," Kate picked up the container, holding it as she guided the straw into Tony's mouth.
Tony sipped the broth, some of it spilling out the side of his mouth.
Kate giggled, taking a napkin wiping his mouth. "May have to buy you some bibs," she chuckled.
"I'm supposed to be taking care of you right now, not the other way around!"
"Tony, you are doing everything you need to do for me right now. You are here, here so I can take care of you! Now stop being such a baby, I have one of those living inside me, I don't need on out here just yet."
"I'm serious, Kate. Who's going to take care of you while I'm stuck on the injured list?"
Jane walked in carrying a bouquet of flowers. "Welcome back, DiNozzo!"
"Hey Jane," smiled Tony.
"Never thought I'd actually be happy to see you," Jane hugged Tony. "You pull some shit like that again, I'll kill you myself."
"Not even out of coma twenty-four hours and you are already harassing me, Rizzoli?"
"It's a part of my charm. How you feeling?"
"Like I had the crap kicked out of me."
"That's how you should be feeling," joked Jane. "I brought you some flowers. You deserve a six pack for all the shit you've been through but I don't think your doctor will approve."
"A cold one would be right on time but the flowers are nice."
Jane placed the flowers on Tony's bedside table. "So, when are you getting out? We need you two back in D.C. and Maura," Jane looked at Kate. "She really needs her hubby back home."
Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Kind of just waking up."
"It's at least going to be another week or two before they consider releasing him," said Kate.
"That long, huh? Well, I've been here for three weeks now, I guess I can deal with West Virginia a little while longer."
"You've been here the entire time?" asked Tony.
"Yeah, Ma and I have been looking after Maura for you, while you were napping. Had to make sure her and the baby were taken care of."
"I should have known. Thanks for looking after my girls."
"They're my girls too," Jane smiled at Kate.
"I'm going to need your help looking after them for a while longer," Tony nodded towards his hands.
"I've been looking after Maura since you two have been married, what's the big deal now?"
Tony laughed. "It's good to be back."
What do you think? Reviews and comments are welcomed and an update is coming :-)