Gibbs' satisfied grin instantly disappeared as the significance of the number announced over the PA system registered; two-three-six was Tony's room. "DiNozzo's in trouble," he declared grimly, throwing a deadly glare at Sacks before focussing his attention on Fornell. "This is your last warning, Tobias. You either get that jackass out of here now, or you'll be one agent short!"
Without waiting for a response, he dismissed them from his mind and turned to stride quickly back down the corridor, only vaguely aware of Ducky and McGee following on behind. In front of him he could see a crash cart being rushed into Tony's room, the medical personnel barely breaking stride and practically knocking the door off its hinges in their haste to get to their patient. Dread settled in the pit of Gibbs' stomach like a heavy stone. He stopped abruptly, his mind reeling: There was only one reason they'd need equipment like that – Tony must have flat-lined!
A comforting hand came to rest on Gibbs' shoulder and he was distantly aware that Ducky was talking to him, but it was just meaningless words. When the hand left his shoulder to grasp his arm and tried to lead him over to a nearby chair, he shook it off angrily. He refused to move and his gaze remained firmly fixed on the closed door to Tony's room as he concentrated on trying to will some of his strength through the barrier to his friend, who it seemed, was fighting for his life yet again.
Suddenly the door he was so focussed on opened and the crash cart was slowly pushed from the room, all sense of urgency having vanished. The departing medical team looked back, their expressions sombre and concerned and Gibbs' heart lurched in despair. Surely if the news had been good, there would have been smiles and relief at another life saved. He started moving again without conscious thought and tried to push his way into the room to get to Tony, only to be stopped when one of the nurses held up her hands to bar his way.
"I'm sorry Sir, you can't go in there," she said firmly.
"Look lady, you can't stop me..." Gibbs began, before breaking off abruptly when he heard noises coming from inside the room. Someone was still in there - he could hear them talking and although he couldn't make out the words, the tone was soothing, as if to reassure. A loud clattering caused by something metallic hitting the floor was followed by a different voice sounding panicked and breathless. Gibbs had no idea what was going on, but he sure as hell recognised that second voice and, barely daring to hope, he surged past the nurse and burst into the room.
Once through the door, Gibbs could feel his jaw go slack with shock as he took in the scene before him: Tony, very much alive but definitely looking the worse for wear, was standing by the side of his bed with his gown torn down the front, his eyes wild and glassy. The effort of holding himself upright had his chest heaving rapidly as if he'd just competed a marathon and he was clinging to the back of a chair with single-minded determination. The multitude of wires that had been attached to his body to monitor his condition when Gibbs had left minutes before were strewn all over the place, fooling the machines into signalling a catastrophic change in the patient's condition. A young doctor was slowly edging towards him as if approaching a skittish horse.
"Please Mr DiNozzo, everything is fine," the doctor said reassuringly. "No-one's going to hurt you. We just want to help."
"Back...off!"Tony wheezed, urgently picking at the IV in the back of his right hand, trying to dislodge it. The IV pole lay on the floor in front of him, its bag of saline rapidly leaking fluid into an ever growing puddle. Tony's efforts became even more frantic when he realised the bulky cast encasing his broken arm was making it impossible to get a firm grip and, all the while, the doctor continued to edge closer.
"You heard the man, back off!" Gibbs barked with authority, stepping between the doctor and DiNozzo. "Can't you see you're making the situation worse? Let me handle this." He turned to face his agent. "Stand down, DiNozzo. Everything's gonna be okay."
Tony seemed to slump slightly with relief and looked up. "Boss! Kate's...here. Gotta...warn her! Gotta...save...her!" he insisted, fixing the older man with a determined stare from fever-bright eyes.
Gibbs was momentarily stunned but then said softly, "Tony, Kate's not here. She's gone. It's been five years."
"No, no! Saw...her. Heard...her!" Tony insisted, desperately gasping for air. "Touched me...talked...to me...just now!"
"No Tony, you must have been dreaming," Gibbs explained gently, as if talking to a small child.
"You're...lying. She's...here!" Tony insisted, feverishly picking at the IV again. Finally, in desperation, he lifted his hand to his mouth and tore away the adhesive with his teeth causing the needle it was holding in place to rip through his vein, spraying blood in every direction. The shock of the hot, wet liquid splattering across his face had the same effect as a physical slap and his head jerked awkwardly to the side.
When Tony turned back, the desolation in his eyes was plain for all to see. "Too...late!" he choked out, swaying dangerously as the last of his strength deserted him.
Gibbs realised Tony was about to collapse and surged forward to grab him just as his knees gave way. Thankfully the older man reached him in time to control the fall. He guided them to the floor, cushioning the impact as best he could, before manoeuvring them against the wall. Tony's body felt like a furnace and his eyes seemed to be focussed on something only he could see.
"Easy there, easy. I've got you," he murmured as he automatically started a comforting rocking motion.
"Don't...un'erstand," Tony whispered, his chest still heaving with the effort to breathe, but his frantic manner calming. "She...w's...here," He swiped his injured hand across his face, smearing a scarlet trail across his cheek. "Kate's...blood. Still on me...Boss," he gasped, staring at his hand as red droplets oozed onto the floor.
ncisNCISncis
"What's going on, Duck?" Gibbs demanded as soon as the ME emerged from Tony's room ten minutes later. "He was completely out of it and kept going on about Kate. It was like he was having some kind of flashback."
"Well, at the risk of sounding like a talking textbook again," Ducky began with a wry smile directed a his friend, "Anthony's condition means that not all the waste that's usually filtered and expelled by his kidneys is being dealt with efficiently and it's building up in his body. This waste includes harmful toxins in his blood, which at such high levels are leading him to become increasingly confused. There's also been a marked elevation in both his temperature and blood pressure which is just adding to the problem."
"But why would he fixate on Kate?" McGee asked with a puzzled frown. "She died years ago."
"Well, one of the nurses attending to Anthony's care is a petite brunette and I think it's possible he mistook her for dear Caitlyn," Ducky said with a sad shake of his head. "I've just been speaking to her and she said he became agitated after you left to speak to Agent Fornell, Jethro, so she went to check on him. Apparently he was concerned that you weren't there, but quickly calmed down when she said you were just along the corridor. However, she did note that Anthony seemed a little confused and called her Kate a couple of times."
"He mentioned the blue lights from the isolation unit at Bethesda earlier," Gibbs said thoughtfully. "Do you think he could be confused enough to mix up memories from back then with what's going on now?"
"I suspect it's more than likely," Ducky agreed. "His current breathing difficulties are bound to have dredged up some rather unpleasant memories from that dreadful time and if he thought Caitlyn was still alive, he would no doubt have felt compelled to try and save her from her eventual fate."
"God, no wonder he got so upset," McGee observed with a shiver.
"So what happens now?" Gibbs asked gruffly, refusing to let himself dwell on the past.
"Well in the circumstances, we've decided it's time to try dialysis," Ducky replied. "If we allow the toxicity to rise much further, we're looking at the real possibility that Anthony's other organs could suffer some degree of damage."
"Are you sure the dialysis will help?" McGee asked anxiously.
"I'm very hopeful, Timothy. It will remove the toxins from Anthony's body and relieve some of the pressure on his kidneys, giving them a better chance to recover from the effects of the Fentoxymorphone."
"If that's the case, why the hell didn't you start him on it yesterday?" Gibbs demanded, unable to hide his anger.
"Because we're going to have to insert a catheter into his upper chest for vascular access!" Ducky replied heatedly. "If anaesthetising him had been an option, I would have recommended the treatment earlier. However, having Anthony awake and aware when you consider his aversion to being poked and prodded is another matter! I'm well aware that Tony's dislike of needles is bordering on a full-blown phobia and as we're only going to be able to use a local anaesthetic, I was hoping to spare him that ordeal if it wasn't absolutely necessary!"
Gibbs sighed heavily and rubbed at his eyes. "Aw hell, Duck, I know you're doing what's best for him, but dammit, I just want this to be over."
"I understand, Jethro, we're all feeling a little wrung out at the moment. Why don't you let Timothy show you to the doctor's lounge," Ducky suggested. "As soon as we have Anthony settled in the hemodialysis unit, I'll send word. The whole thing should take about five hours, so it might be an idea to see if you can get some sleep." When Gibbs looked mutinous, Ducky didn't even try to argue the point, he just held up his hands in defeat. "It was only a suggestion."
"Doctor Mallard!" a voice suddenly called from behind them and they all turned to see Jimmy Palmer hurrying along the corridor. "What's going on? I just saw Special Agent Sacks heading for the ER with what looked like a broken nose! I offered to help, but he practically bit my head off."
"Oh Mr Palmer, I'm afraid you missed all the fun," Ducky said as his assistant joined them. "The foolish man made the mistake of insulting the honour of our favourite team and Timothy decided to demonstrate his pugilistic skills in its defence. Unfortunately Agent Sacks' nose wasn't quite up to the task of resisting a well aimed punch!"
"Really?" Palmer replied excitedly, staring at McGee with open admiration. "Did Tony get to see it? I bet he..."
"Palmer, what are you doing here?" Gibbs interrupted impatiently.
"Oh hey, Agent Gibbs," Jimmy said, raising his hand in a nervous greeting. "Abby called me in the middle of the night and pretty much demanded I drive her and little David up here to join you."
"And you thought that was a good idea?" Gibbs growled at him menacingly. "Where are they? So help me, if you let her ditch the protection detail to get here, there'll be hell to pay!"
"What? Oh, no, no!" Jimmy stuttered. "Abby was really insistent, well you know how insistent she can be, but I told her it was a bad idea. I mean there could still be some bad guys lurking around and I knew you'd kill me if anything happened to them, so..." Jimmy's mouth suddenly became as dry as dust as Gibbs' glare confirmed just how right he'd been to stand his ground with Abby. He cleared his throat and swallowed a few times before continuing, "Um, anyway I told her you or Director Vance needed to okay it first and I knew you wouldn't do that without arranging for a proper escort and everything. It took me a while to persuade her, I mean, she can get really stubborn when she wants something...um, not that being stubborn is a bad thing, per se..."
"Non of that answers my question, Palmer," Gibbs interrupted again, barely managing to sound civil. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, the only way I could get Abby to stay put was to promise I'd come up here myself and kind of be her eyes and ears, you know?" Jimmy replied with a smile that made him look even more petrified. "I've got to give her hourly reports and I have to tell you to call as soon as possible..."
Gibbs gave Palmer one of his patented glares. "So, you're giving me orders now, are you?"
"Oh no! I didn't mean to imply...I, I just..."
"Jethro, stop torturing the boy. I know you're worried, but this is not helping," Ducky chided quietly, deciding it was time to intervene. "Why don't you go get yourself a coffee and calm down a little. Mr Palmer and I will ensure Anthony's transfer to the Renal Treatment Centre goes smoothly."
"I don't need a break, I'm okay," Gibbs insisted angrily. "I want to go with him."
"Look, Jethro, in Anthony's confused state I'm sure he'd benefit from a familiar presence, but if you can't keep your anger in check, you're just going to cause him more distress," Ducky explained. "He's going to find the insertion of the catheter enough of a trial without you trying to maim anyone who gets near him and I'd much rather wait until he's settled before I send for you."
Gibbs looked torn. After the traumas of the last week and especially the events of that morning, he was loath to let Tony out of his sight again. However, Ducky was right and he didn't know if he could control the urge to rip into anyone who hurt the younger man again, however necessary the reason.
Ducky could see the uncertainty in his friend's eyes and decided to push the issue. "It can be very wearing dealing with someone who's confused and upset and if you're going to be any use to him in the next few hours, you're going to have to stay calm enough to offer the reassurance he needs. I know you're usually capable of doing that for Tony, but right now I think you need to take a little time to get yourself into the right frame of mind, otherwise I'll have to insist you leave this to me."
"Fine, I take your point," Gibbs agreed with a reluctant nod. "I need to make a few calls anyway. I'll be back soon.
As he turned to leave, Ducky gestured for McGee to follow him. "Make sure he gets something to eat as well," he ordered.
"I'll do my best," McGee replied over his shoulder as he set off to follow his boss.
As the other two men walked away, Jimmy heaved a huge sigh of relief and slumped against the wall, much to Ducky's amusement.
"Oh Jimmy, how come a bright, intelligent young man such as yourself transforms into a gibbering idiot whenever Jethro is around? When are you going to realise he actually likes you?"
"B...but, he barely tolerates me, Doctor Mallard," Jimmy protested unhappily.
"Which on the Jethro Gibbs scale of social interaction, equates to a quite fond affection my lad," Ducky pointed out with a chuckle.
NcisNCISncis
As Ducky had predicted the first hour or so of the dialysis had been a gruelling affair, with a restless Tony seeking constant reassurance that everything was alright. It seemed every few minutes he felt the need to check that Gibbs was still there before voicing rambling concerns about the safety of the rest of the team. His need to save Kate was obviously uppermost in his thoughts though, as he repeatedly urged Gibbs to find her and warn her about Ari.
Being constantly reminded of his failure to protect Kate had been extremely hard for Gibbs to take, but he'd remained determinedly at Tony's side and thankfully, as the younger man's condition steadily started to improve, she was mentioned less and less. Instead, Davey became the main focus of Tony's concern and he alternated between thinking the little boy was lost to being convinced he was hurt. However, as the dialysis did its job, he eventually fell silent and was soon fast asleep.
Tony hadn't stirred throughout the remainder of the dialysis session, or during the transfer back to his room and once he was settled, Ducky had managed to beg, bully and cajole until Gibbs reluctantly agreed to get some sleep himself. The fact that he'd been out like a light mere seconds after his head hit the pillow on his borrowed cot, underlined how exhausted he'd been. Nevertheless, by early evening he was back in Tony's room, settled in a chair by the bed and dozing lightly until a voice jolted him awake.
"Boss? What's going on?"
Here we go again, Gibbs thought as he got up and mindful of the dressing on the other man's right hand, took hold of his forearm instead. "Everything's fine, DiNozzo. You've been hurt and you're in the hospital, but there's nothing for you to worry about. Everything's under control," he soothed, repeating the words he'd said over and over again that day.
"Well, duh," Tony replied moving his head to squint sideways at his boss. "I meant, have they changed my cast and done all their poking and prodding yet 'cause I'm so ready to go home."
Gibbs examined Tony closely. His voice still held a husky quality to it that wasn't normal and there was a slight hitch in his breathing every now and then, but his eyes were clear and he seemed lucid enough.
"What?" Tony questioned when Gibbs didn't reply immediately. "Don't say they wanna keep me in. The pain's not so bad, I just feel tired."
"That might be because you've been out of it for the better part of a day, DiNozzo," Gibbs pointed out. "What's the last thing you remember clearly?"
Tony looked a little stunned at the news and took a few moments to reply. "Um, we were in Gallo's apartment an' Ducky said I had to get checked out at the hospital, then he gave me a shot." He paused and chewed on his bottom lip. "I didn't do anything stupid did I?"
"Not right then, but I'd say letting the FBI dope you up with a drug, that's not even FDA approved, was hands down the most idiotic thing you have ever done!"
"Oh."
"Oh?" Gibbs repeated incredulously as he let the worry that had been gnawing on him for the last few days morph into anger. "Is that all you've got to say? Don't you get it? The damned stuff almost killed you for chrissakes! You're lucky I'm not standing in the morgue right now talking to your lifeless body."
"Well, how about we put this all down to me having one of your mad Maddie Tyler moments and then we can forget about it, huh?" Tony suggested flippantly.
"What the hell does that mean?" Gibbs demanded, more than a little surprised at Tony's reply.
"You know, that crazy urge to rush off and do something kinda stupid even though you've got the best of intentions because you can't see any other way to protect the people you love?" Tony explained with a steely glare at Gibbs. "You don't exactly hold the moral high ground here, Boss. You went all lone wolf on us when Maddie was kidnapped and if I hadn't 've gone looking for you..."
Tony broke off abruptly as images from that terrible day flashed through his mind. "Christ Gibbs, don't ever do that to me again. When the bullets started flying and you reversed off that dock straight into the water, you damn near gave me a heart attack. Then when you made me take Maddie to the surface first, knowing you were trapped in the car..." He stopped again, taking a few gulps of air. "I can't even describe what it felt like when I dived back in to help you and... and... Crap!" he wheezed in frustration. "When I hear the word 'lifeless', do you know what I see? I see you under the water, your legs pinned beneath a car's steering column, your body swaying in the current and your dead eyes staring back at me accusingly because I didn't save you!"
"Hey, hey, calm down!" Gibbs urged, his anger vanishing as quickly as it had surfaced when Tony's breathing became more and more rapid and laboured. He pulled the younger man forward and started coaching him through the exercises Doctor Pitt had taught them during Tony's recovery from the plague.
When his breathing was back under control, Tony looked up with a grateful smile. "Thanks. I guess I didn't realise how much anger I'd bottled up over you not trusting me on that one." When Gibbs looked like he was going to contradict him, he held up his hand. "I know, I get it now. It was personal and you didn't want to put us in danger when it wasn't about the job, but you should've done. It's like me, I know I should've waited and let you help, but then if something had gone wrong, neither of us would've been there for Davey. I couldn't let that happen and after all, I was just following rule forty-five," he explained..
Gibbs looked at him, his expression puzzled. "Clean up your messes?"
"Yeah, and even though it was my dad's mess, it became my responsibility when it threatened the people I love."
"Fine, you get a free pass for this one, but if you try a stunt like that again, I'll kick your ass so hard Davey's kids will feel it, understood?" Gibbs mock growled.
"Okay, but if you try that shit again yourself, I will get in your face about it and now I've got Davey to back me up too."
Gibbs gripped the back of Tony's neck and gave a light squeeze. "What say we both agree that from now on, rule fifteen supersedes all other rules, huh?
"Always work as a team? I can live with that," Tony agreed with a lop-sided grin.