Gibbs glanced at his watch for the third time in the last ten minutes; his frustration with Tony's father had already reached a nearly intolerable level and they hadn't even managed to leave the hospital yet. He had spent the last three days getting his house ready, setting up doctor's and therapy appointments, and visiting Tony to make sure that he was on the road to recovery; his patience was already wearing thin but Tony's dad didn't seem to pay heed to the fact that the Marine had surpassed frustrated and was now pissed off.
When he had arrived to take Senior home, the man was dressed and ready to go; or so Gibbs thought. However, Tony's dad had insisted on personally saying goodbye to the nurses who had taken care of him. It was obvious that his suave and sophisticated manner had impressed the ladies, both young and old; it was the one trait that Tony had clearly inherited from his dad and one that had served the team well throughout the years.
Deciding that Senior had wasted enough time, he made his way through the crowd and took control of the older man's wheelchair from the nurse. "All right ladies, it's time to break up the fan club meeting," Gibbs said as he began to push Tony's father down the corridor. There was no mistaking the collective sigh of disappointment from the nurses; it was beyond his comprehension why these women refused to see Anthony DiNozzo, Senior for the manipulative bastard that he was.
He decided that he might as well have some fun at Senior's expense; after all, the man had kept him waiting for thirty minutes. "Come on, Mr. DiNozzo, we don't want to keep the Mrs. waiting," Gibbs said, loud enough for all the women to hear. "You know how upset she was that she couldn't be with you while you were in the hospital; I'm sure that she's wondering where you are."
A grin danced on his lips as he heard the nurses' whisper among themselves; Gibbs could tell if they were discussing whether or not Senior was married and if they had been lied to. He had already rounded the corner so they couldn't hear Senior's string of curses, refuting the agent's claim that he was married. As Gibbs pushed the wheelchair into the elevator, he could feel the heat from the older man's glare penetrating every fiber of his being.
"Something wrong?" Gibbs asked as he pushed the button to close the doors.
"What do you think you were doing back there?" Senior demanded to know.
"Just saving you from yourself, Mr. DiNozzo."
"I don't need saving," Tony's dad seethed. "Thanks to you, those women think I'm married."
"They were too young for you anyway," Gibbs countered.
"I didn't realize that staying with you gave you the right to dictate my interest in the opposite sex."
"Now you know."
Gibbs enjoyed seeing Senior at a loss for words; hopefully he had given Tony's father something to mull over. Unfortunately, the silence that the team leader cherished was cut short by the older man's observation. "Where are we going?" Senior asked, his annoyance with Gibbs evident in his sharp tone.
"To the car."
"I want to see Junior before I leave."
He had been expecting the request, but Gibbs had still hoped that Senior would have forgotten about seeing Tony. The elder DiNozzo had always ignored his son's wants and needs and he didn't understand why this time would be any different. "That's probably not a good idea," Gibbs retorted.
"I spoke with Tony this morning on the phone and I told him I would be by to see him before I left. I don't think that you want to explain to him why you didn't bring me by his room. Anyway, I'm not going to stay long; I just want to make sure that he's all right."
"Your concern is touching," he scowled.
"Whether you believe it or not, I do care about Junior."
It was going to take a lot more than his half hearted proclamation to convince Gibbs that Senior had Tony's best interest in mind; the team leader was all too aware of the lying and scheming ways of the older man and he had a difficult time believing anything that came out of the other man's mouth. Tony had shared with him quite a bit of the history between him and his father and had more than tainted Gibbs opinion of the elder DiNozzo; that knowledge had also encouraged the Marine to fill that paternal role in the young man's life.
"You sure have a funny way of showing it."
"You have no right to judge my relationship with my son!" Senior fumed. "Tony and I get along fine and I don't appreciate you suggesting otherwise."
Gibbs clenched his jaw in an effort to hold his sharp tongue. The hospital elevator was not the place to start another argument with Tony's father; there would be time to say his peace when he got Senior settled at his home. Reaching around Tony's dad, he pushed the button that would take the elevator to the floor that DiNozzo was on; he hoped that he wasn't making a mistake by permitting the reunion.
"You upset him and you'll answer to me," he warned.
"That is not my intention."
"Then what are your intentions, Mr. DiNozzo? Want to see your handiwork?"
"Brewer and his men are the ones who…"
The team leader leaned down close to Senior; his voice was barely above a whisper, but his gruff voice still managed to reflect the anger and irritation that he felt towards Tony's father. "Even though you didn't lay a hand on Tony, you're still responsible for what happened to him." Gibbs stood to his full height as the elevator doors opened. "Think about it," he tersely added.
Gibbs pushed him out of the elevator and down the corridor towards Tony's room. They met DiNozzo's doctor coming out of his room; the agent suddenly found himself wishing that Dr. Yates would tell Tony's father that he should come back later.
"Agent Gibbs," the doctor greeted him with a curt nod before he turned his attention to Senior. "You must be Tony's father; he said you might come by."
"I wanted to see him before I left," Senior stated. "I'm just recovering from heart surgery and Tony's been recovering from his injuries and…well, I guess you can understand why I haven't been by yet."
Gibbs rolled his eyes at Senior's lame excuses. Didn't the man ever give up? He wondered if Senior ever got to the point that he had started believing his own lies; if that were the case, perhaps that could explain why Tony had managed to expose his father's life as one big lie.
Ignoring Senior, Gibbs asked the physician, "How's he doing today?"
"We've got him sitting up and he actually ate all of his breakfast; of course, I think he just did that so I'd put him back on a regular diet," Yates quipped.
"Probably so; he keeps telling me he wants pizza."
"It'll be a few more days before he's up for something that heavy," the doctor informed him. "Hopefully by the time he gets out of here, you can celebrate with that pizza he wants."
"Any idea when that will be?"
"Maybe three of four days. He's running a low grade temp and whether he wants to admit it or not, he's still in a lot of pain."
"Doesn't he still get something for pain?"
"Yes, when he accepts it."
"I'll talk to him about it."
"Sounds good; I'll check in on him later," Dr. Yates vowed.
As the doctor headed down the hall, Gibbs heard Senior mumble something under his breath. "Did you say something, Mr. DiNozzo?"
"I'm his father," Senior pointed out. "Why didn't he address me? I'm the one who should be informed about Tony's well-being."
"Why? You've never been concerned about his health before. You weren't around the last time Tony was sick. I called and left you a couple of messages but I never heard from you and you never came. What makes you think you have the right to know anything about Tony?" Gibbs tamped down his anger once again; Tony certainly didn't need to hear the two of them arguing. DiNozzo was already wary of the fact that Senior was going to stay with him and Gibbs didn't want to add to his worry by engaging Tony's dad in what could be a heated discussion, right outside his door.
He didn't wait for the other man to answer as he pushed him into Tony's room. Gibbs' attention was immediately drawn to DiNozzo, who was sitting in the chair by the window; the agent could tell by the younger man's rigid posture that he was struggling against the pain. It was evident that Tony didn't want to show any weakness in front of his father; he just hoped that this visit didn't cause DiNozzo to have a setback.
"How's it feel to be out of bed?" Gibbs asked.
"Painful," Tony admitted. "It's better than lying flat on my back all day."
Gibbs could see the fine lines of exhaustion etched in Tony's battered features. It was obvious to him that DiNozzo wasn't up to talking with his dad, but he also knew that Tony felt like he didn't have a choice but to see his father.
"I imagine so," the team leader conceded. "You okay? Can I get you anything?"
Tony opened his mouth to answer, but Gibbs knew what he was going to say. "Besides pizza."
"You're killing me, Boss. I'm sick of hospital food; I need some real sustenance."
"You should follow your doctor's orders," Senior interjected.
He was aware of the fact that Tony's father was more than a little uncomfortable with the ease at which he and DiNozzo carried on a conversation. Gibbs had told Senior that he needed to get to know his son as an adult and he had yet to seize the opportunity to do so; maybe if he had, the man wouldn't feel like a third wheel. The team leader wondered if Senior realized that when it came to their father and son relationship, Tony had been the third wheel all his life; Tony's father never had time for his son and Gibbs knew all too well the pain that Senior's complacency had caused DiNozzo down through the years.
"I have been," Tony finally replied. "I'm just tired of toast, oatmeal, and soup."
It was then that Gibbs had confirmation that it wasn't Tony's idea for his dad to visit him; his senior agent seemed uncomfortable and uncertain as to the purpose of his father's presence. Taking it upon himself to help Tony out of the awkward situation that Senior had created, he said, "You look beat, DiNozzo."
"Yeah," Tony sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's been a rough morning. Who knew that sitting in a chair could be so exhausting?"
"We better go and let you get some rest," Gibbs forcibly suggested as he started to maneuver the wheelchair out the door.
"No, Gibbs; wait a minute," Tony called out. "I'd like to talk to my dad for a few minutes."
"You sure?" He wanted to give DiNozzo every opportunity to change his mind; Gibbs still wasn't convinced that Tony was truly up to this visit, but he would permit the younger man to make his own decision.
"Yeah, I'll be all right."
"I'll be just outside the door if you need me," the Marine informed him. Of course, he had announced this more for Senior's benefit than Tony's; he wanted DiNozzo's dad to know that he was nearby and ready to intervene if necessary.
"Thanks, Gibbs."
As he left father and son alone, Gibbs had to admit to himself that he didn't relish the idea of leaving Tony to face his dad alone. The injured agent was still recovering and didn't need the added stress of the baggage that Senior seemed to carry with him. He pulled the door closed and leaned against the wall. Gibbs could barely hear the two men talking but it really didn't matter; he would know if DiNozzo needed him and he would be prepared to protect Tony at all costs.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tony knew that Gibbs wasn't far away and while he wouldn't go as far as to eavesdrop on the conversation he was about to have with his father, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the team leader was ready to bound in at a moment's notice if Gibbs thought his father was causing him any distress. Blowing out a slow, deliberate breath, he schooled his features against the pain he was trying to suppress. He despised being weak, but the doctor had warned him that it would take a while before he regained his strength.
"Are you feeling all right?" he asked his father.
"A little better everyday," Senior answered. "Thanks for asking. How about you?"
"I still pretty much feel like crap."
"I can tell; you're always much more direct when you're not feeling well."
"And you're such an expert on how I act when I'm sick," he shot back. Tony had decided that once he was sure that hid dad was all right, he was not going to pull any punches. It was time that he held his father accountable for his actions; he was too tired and hurt too badly to worry about sparing his dad's feelings.
He heard his father nervously clear his throat. "I didn't come to argue with you, Anthony; I wanted to make sure that you were all right before I went to…Gibbs' place."
"I told you on the phone that I was fine. You didn't need to come down."
Tony couldn't believe that his father had the audacity to appear confused. "I thought you wanted me to come and see you; you said…"
"Where you even listening to a word I said? I said that I didn't need you to come by; that it would be better for you to go on to Gibbs' house and get settled in."
"You didn't want to see me?"
Lately, Tony had been able to do nothing but lie in bed and think; when he wasn't in a drug induced sleep, his mind was considering everything that happened and Tony had come to the conclusion that he was tired of his dad screwing his life up. He only wished that he had permitted himself to come to this realization years ago; his life would have been a lot simpler and Tony wouldn't have wasted so much time believing that one day, he would be good enough to win his father's approval.
"Not really," Tony honestly replied. "I needed some more time before we talked."
"Time?" Senior questioned. "Why on earth would you need…"
Tony abruptly cut his father off in mid sentence. "Maybe because I'm still trying to deal with the fact that you're the reason I'm in the hospital; I thought I was doing you a favor but apparently I was wrong. I'm not cleaning up your messes anymore. Once you're back on your feet, you're going to have to step up to the plate; I'm tired of picking up the pieces."
"What you're saying makes sense, Anthony; perhaps when we're both feeling better, we can sit down and talk and figure out our next step."
The agent shook his head. Tony was fully aware of the fact that his dad was trying to placate him; of course, his dad's attempt at pacifying him only served to irritate him further. "You don't get it, do you? I'm through, Dad. I can't do this anymore! I almost died! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
His outburst rendered his father speechless. Tony braced his stomach with his good arm as he forced himself to ride out the agony that was assaulting him once again. "When I get out of here," Tony continued. "We are going to have a long talk and things are going to change or else I'm walking."
"Tony, you can't do that," Senior tried to reason.
"I watched you do it enough; why shouldn't I have the same chance?" He had stopped counting how many times his father had walked out on him in order to either secure a business deal or pursue a new love interest; Tony had learned to live with disappointment, especially where his father was concerned.
"Because you're better than me, son."
Tony raked his hand through his hair. He would no longer be a victim to his dad's manipulative ways. His dad had made a living out of telling people what they wanted to here in order to get what he wanted. "I'm kind of tired, Dad. You should probably go."
He didn't miss the defeated look in his dad's eyes as he replied, "If that's what you want."
"Yeah, it is," he sighed. "But I have one last thing to say."
"And what's that?" Senior wanted to know.
He met his father's steely glare, refusing to back down from the stand that he had just taken. "You better not give Gibbs a hard time. He's doing a huge favor for both of us and you better remember that. You do what he says, when he says, and you better not try and pull any of your b.s. with him. Do we understand each other?"
"I promise you, Junior; I will be on my best behavior," his father vowed.
Tony wasn't sure if he could believe him, but he did know that Gibbs would make him tow the line. As if on cue, the team leader entered the room, the concern Gibbs had for him was obvious as he met his mentor's gaze; a slight nod told the lead agent that he was all right and that he and his father were done exchanging words.
"You all right, Tony?" Gibbs inquired.
As Gibbs stood behind Senior, Tony looked at the two men before him. One was responsible for bringing him into the world and the other one was responsible for making him the man he was today. He owed Gibbs so much and Tony knew that he could never repay him for taking him under his wing and teaching him about life; the Marine was more of a father to him than his own would ever be. "I'm fine, Gibbs. Thanks."
Gibbs began to push Senior towards the door. Tony saw his boss glance back over his shoulder, looking for reassurance that he was as fine as he proclaimed to be. Although he was still had a long road ahead of him physically and mentally, Tony felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. "I'm fine, Gibbs," he repeated. "Go on home."
"I'll be back," Gibbs promised.
Tony nodded as the two men left the room. He slumped in his chair, fumbling for the call button so the nurse could help him back to bed. The unwanted confrontation had taken a lot out of him but in a way, he was glad that he had finally stood up to his dad. A tired grin escaped his lips as he called after Gibbs, "Don't forget the pizza!"
Hope you enjoyed the post! My thanks to all my readers for your patience and yes, I'm working on the next chapters of Outside the Frame and Undertow! Again, thanks for reading!