Chapter 26

Gibbs and Ducky discussed Gibbs' decision for Ducky to autopsy Allison's body. Ducky agreed and decided to leave and begin the paperwork for transfer. Gibbs walked into Tim's room as Tim began to awaken again. Sam and Catherine stood up as they noticed Tim beginning to move. Catherine smiled as she wiped the tears that began to fall. Tim blinked a few times before wincing as he moved quickly to look around the room. The pain reminded him of the reason why he was at the hospital. Tim looked around his room at his family and friends. "Mom...... Dad, where is Allie?"

Catherine looked at her husband then back to her son. She began to cry and turned away from her son. Tim caught the movement and quickly looked at the people in the room "Please, tell me Allie is okay?"

Gibbs sighed as he walked closer to his youngest agent "Boss, please tell me?"

Gibbs looked Tim directly in his eyes "Tim, I'm --."

"No! She can't be. Allie, she isn't? Don't tell me she is gone." Tim replied as he shook his head.

Gibbs looked at his agent breaking "I am so sorry Tim."

"NO! Allie is okay. She--" Tim stopped as he quickly remembered what had happened "Carter Gibson shot her while she was in labor."

Gibbs nodded quietly as Tim continued "The...The ba....baby? How is she?"

"She's perfect Timothy." Catherine said as she stood by her son's bed.

Tim looked up at his mother "Al...Allie did.....didn't make it?"

"No sweetheart, the doctors did all they could but she's gone." Catherine said as she gently rubbed Tim's hair off his forehead.

Tim began to feel tears run down his face as he tired to soak all the information he was given in his brain. Sarah quickly walked out of the room and Ziva followed the younger woman out of the room.

"Sarah!" Ziva hollered as she followed behind the younger woman. Sarah turned toward Ziva as tears ran down her face.

"Sorry. I just can't take seeing my big brother breakdown like that." She said as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

Ziva smiled sadly as she nodded "That is okay. No one expects you to be brave all the time."

"But I should be right now. Tim will need me to be strong for him. I can't break down like this in front of him." Sarah explained as she sat in a hospital chair.

Ziva sighed as she sat by Sarah "Yes, Tim will need you. He will need all of us but you have to allow yourself time to grieve or you won't be of no use. Tim told me how close you were becoming to Allie."

"Yes I am. I want her to be my maid - Well, I mean I wanted her to be my maid of honor in my wedding. I was very closer to her."

Ziva noticed the young girl beginning to cry and Ziva put her arm around Sarah and allowed Sarah time to cry.

Meanwhile, Tim was trying unsuccessfully to get out of bed. Abby and Tony stood by the door as Gibbs and Tim's parents tried to keep him in bed.

"I need to see her. She's fine. I know she is. Let me show you." Tim said as he began to move his legs over the side of the bed.

Catherine put a hand on her son's shoulder "Timothy, you need to stay in bed. You just had surgery."

"No! No! I need her mom. She wanted to be a mother. We just named our daughter." Tim said with a wince as he sat up using his good hand to pull himself up.

Sam frowned as he and Gibbs stood in front of Tim "Tim, listen to your mother. We don't need to risk more serious injuries by getting out of bed."

"Can someone please get me a wheelchair?" Tim questioned as he ignored his parent's pleas and stood up.

Gibbs stood in Tim's way and looked him in the eyes "Tim, she is gone. She is on her way to NCIS for autopsy."

"What? No, don't tell me that! This is all your fault!" Tim shouted as he looked Gibbs in the eyes.

"Timothy!" Catherine scolded as she couldn't believe what he son had said to his boss.

Gibbs smiled as he looked at Tim's parents "Its okay."

"No, its not okay boss. If you hadn't offered her that job she wouldn't have been in danger. She would have been teaching somewhere away from D.C." Tim explained as his eyes never left Gibbs.

"Timmy?" Abby said as she and Tony were shocked at McGee's statements.

Gibbs looked back toward the two and quickly shook his head while Tim sat back on the bed. Gibbs quickly hit the nurses' button as he saw Tim stare at him with a cold expression.

"Take care of him." Gibbs said as he looked at Tim's parents and walked toward Abby and Tony "I can take his blame."

As the three of them left the room, Doctor Murphy walked into the room with two nurses and helped Tim into bed. The doctor gave Tim some medication to allow him to sleep.

Gibbs stood outside the hospital, when Director Vance walked up to him.

"Gibbs, how is McGee?"

"Not well Leon. Being that his girlfriend just died and he is a single father. Not too mention the beating he took." Gibbs stated with a glare at Vance.

"Right! I came to tell you that Agent Wilder was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Attorney General awarded her the Exceptional Heroism award, an award the McGee has won as well." Vance explained as he watched Tony and Ziva walk up to them. "You all are need back at NCIS."

Tony and Ziva looked at Gibbs who nodded at Vance "DiNozzo and David can go back and work with Keating, Wilson, and Jardine. I'll send Abby back and stay with Tim."

Tony began to ask "Are you sure boss?"

Gibbs gave Tony a glare "You wouldn't have said it if you weren't sure. Sorry Boss."

Tony and Ziva left as Gibbs looked at Vance. "I'm going to stay here until McGee is released."

Vance nodded as he spoke "Very well. Let Agent McGee know that he can have as much time as he needs."