Chapter 25
Dr Benson walked down the isle of the hospital heading towards the small cluster of people who crowded in the waiting room. They seemed to be an interesting bunch, a small elderly man with bow tie who held himself with pride. A overly-hyperactive goth who seemed to be bouncing around the place. A man in turquoise scrubs stood next to the bow tie man, complete with glasses which could only be compared with those of Harry Potter. A geeky looking man stood by the goth, he was wearing a tweed jacket, the doctor could have sworn he recognised him from somewhere, a film, a TV show, a book perhaps? A foreign woman sat on one of the chairs, her clothes were tattered and her olive skin was mucky and grazed, her hair was a mess and her eyes seemed distant, staring onwards. The group was complete by a silver haired man who held himself in the seat with pride. Dr Benson seemed wary of him, the man looked dangerous and intimidating, the silver haired man had piecing blue eyes that seemed to be able to gaze into your soul.
"Family of Agent DiNozzo?" The Doctor called out reading the name of his clip board.
The unusual group turned around to face him, the doctor found himself being examined by 6 sets of eyes. "That's us!" The goth called out.
"And what is your relation to Agent DiNozzo?" Dr Benson asked.
In response six federal badges were whipped out and helped before him, the Doctor grabbed the nearest badge to him to examine closer, it turned out to be the geeky man.
Dr Benson read the ID slowly and then studied the badge Special Agent Timothy McGee. He read inside his head NCIS.
NCIS, he had heard that before on ZNN, something like CSI, but for the Navy? Yes that was it Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the doctor was impressed he could remember.
"Ah I see." The doctor handed back the badge to McGee and then turned to talk to them all "Agent DiNozzo has just left surgery he is in a serious, but stable condition." The doctor heard a sigh of relief.
"What are his injuries doctor?" The bow- tie man asked.
"Agent DiNozzo has sustained many injuries, down the left side of his body he has third degree and in some places such as his forearm forth degree burns, this will mean skin grafting will have to take place. Agent DiNozzo has also lost both of his little fingers just below the knuckle further infection though may mean that further amputation is necessary. Knife wounds have been inflicted upon his back which have become dangerously infected, they will need re-stitching and a course of antibiotics. Several ribs have been broken and others bruised, left eye socket was fractured, Agent DiNozzo has suffered from malnutrition and electrical burns. Also extensive damage has been
done to his lungs, Agent DiNozzo has a serious case of pneumonia and because of the already existing scarring to his lungs it could make treatment difficult. I have put him on a ventilator for now and we will see how things progress" The doctor sighed it was a frighteningly long list. "I also ask you to consider the emotional scarring a experience that Agent DiNozzo has forced to endure might have upon him. I ask that he is kept under close observation for several months.." The doctor trailed off and looked up at the distraught faces of the people who surrounded him.
"Can, can we see him?" The foreign woman asked, her voice was small and the words caught in her throat.
"Yes, he is asleep right now and I ask you only visit in small groups, when he wakes up I do not want him to be surrounded by lots of people. Room 452" The group nodded earnestly.
"Jethro," The bow tie man placed a kind hand upon the silver haired mans shoulder. "You and Ziva visit him, that is who he needs right now, the rest of us will wait here."
The silver haired man nodded "Thanks Duck." He placed a kind arm around the foreign woman and guided her towards ICU guiding her through the maze of people. The doctor watched them go fascinated before he turned and started walking, he had other patients to attend to.
NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCSINCSINCSICNCIS
Ziva let Gibbs take her, she felt hollow and empty as if only the shell of her being was in the hospital, the rest of her had run and hid in a dark corner, wallowing in self pity.
Ziva took in a deep breath, she was Mossad trained, she needed to be strong, for Tony, she needed to rebuild the dam, this time bigger and stronger.
Gibbs continued to lead her through the crowds. They were getting closer to Tony's room, Ziva glanced at the numbers on the doors counting them down slowly, 458.456,454,452. They stopped, both pausing outside the door scared about what may lay inside. Gibbs reached out for the door handle and gently twisted it, he and Ziva then stepped inside.
The room was quiet, plain, sunlight was already streaming through the windows. On the small bed lay the body of Anthony DiNozzo. Tubes ran out of him leading to different machines. Ziva gasped. Tony's skin was pale and clammy, machines pushed up and down focing Tony's lungs to inhale and exhale. It was a depressing sight and Ziva felt like she was going to be sick.
Nearly all of Tony's body was wrapped up in bandages. She had caused this, Ziva remembered what the doctor had said, third and forth degree burns, they would not heal without serious scarring, Ziva sobbed internally, she had ruined Tony's life she had caused him to be some kind of monster, something that children experienced in nightmares. People would be embarrassed to look at him on the street, Tony's whole life was based around his good looks and charm and she had ruined that.
She had dragged him into something he knew nothing about and then forced him to endure hours upon hours of excruciating pain. All of this was because of her. It was her fault. She didn't deserve to live.
Ziva turned on her heel and ran, ran out of the hospital and kept running, tears were pouring down her face, she didn't care where she was going, she didn't need to know. All she knew was that she needed to die. That is what Tony would want, he would hate her, he would thank her for this.
Ziva kept running, one foot in front of the other, wanting to satisfy her need to die.