Chapter 26

The words hit Tony like a tonne of bricks and his eyes widened in shock. Kate had been sedated and was lying motionless on the gurney. "Um, ah, I don't know," Tony replied sadly. "She was with him for a while before we got there."

"I'll ask the doctor's to do one," John said, making a note on the forms. "It's better to be… safe than sorry."

Tony sat forward and put his head in his hands and John continued to fill in the forms so that the medical staff at Norfolk General would be up to speed on her medical condition. Once he'd finished the paperwork, John reached up and grabbed a tube of cream to apply to Kate's wrists where there were obvious marks from the handcuffs.

"We're about five minutes away, John," Kayla called from the front of the ambulance.

"Alright, let them know. She's going to need surgery to close these wounds, so have them organise an operating theatre."

The next few minutes all passed in a blur. Tony felt the ambulance come to a stop and he was ushered out quickly, running along side John and Kayla as several nurses and a doctor met them at the Emergency entrance.

"Female, early thirties, knife wounds to the neck and ribs," John said to the doctor as they ran along a corridor with the gurney.

"Kate, her name's Kate," Tony interjected. "She's a federal agent." Tony watched on helplessly as she was taken into a trauma bay where the Doctor and nurses began tending to her injuries. Tony flinched when Kate was hooked up to several IVs and then he almost collapsed to the floor in distress when Kate wailed as a nurse attempted to remove her blouse. John and Kayla, who were still there, transferring their notes onto the hospital file, noticed Kate's distress and Kayla immediately went to her side.

"Kate, its Kayla. You need to relax. You're at the hospital now and the nurse just has to take off your blouse so that she can get a better look at your injuries." As Kayla was talking to Kate and the nurse, John pulled the doctor aside and pointed to the notes he'd made in the ambulance when he'd been talking to Tony. 'Query sexual assault. Rape kit,' were the words written. The Doctor nodded at John and knew that they would have to approach this differently.

Throughout all of this, Tony just stood against the wall, unable to move. He wanted to help Kate, hold her hand reassure her that it would all be ok, but he knew he'd just get in the way of the doctors who were trying to save her.

"We need to get her prepped for surgery," the Doctor called out. "That neck wound is going to need surgery to close it." One of the nurses nodded and left the trauma bay to organise a surgery. "Sir?" the Doctor said, turning around to face Tony. "I need you to leave."

Tony looked at the doctor in disdain. "I'm not leaving her," Tony asserted.

"I'm sorry, sir," the doctor pressed. "I need to examine Miss…"

"Todd," Tony shot back.

"Right, I need to examine Miss Todd more closely. You're going to have to leave."

Tony knew that he wouldn't win this argument, but he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Tony also remembered that he was listed as her next of kin, so in the end, he was going to be the first one to find out anything. He'd learnt from the best, though, and Tony was not going to give up. He pulled out his badge and showed it to the Doctor. "I'm Special Agent DiNozzo. Agent Todd is to be kept under protection. Where she goes, I go."

The Doctor sighed. "We need to prep her for surgery and I need to do a few tests,"

"A rape kit," Tony added, "I know."

"So if you'll just wait on the other side of the curtain." The male doctor gestured to the opening in the curtain, willing the determined federal agent to step out. Begrudgingly, Tony left the trauma bay and waited outside. Kate was half conscious, and through the thin curtain, Tony could hear her crying and refusing to co-operate.

Tony stood there, hands in tight fists by his side, vowing to make Ellis pay for what he has done to Kate. The nurse that had left the room moments ago had returned and sent Tony a sympathetic look before she stepped back inside.

Spotting a row of chairs on the opposite wall, Tony walked over to them and sat down, placing his head in his hands. He could hear the nurses inside the cubicle talking to Kate, trying to keep her calm.

Minutes later, the curtain was pulled open and they began wheeling Kate out quickly. Tony was out of his seat in a flash, walking along side them. "Where are you taking her?"

"Surgery," one of the nurses said, "we've got to close those wounds."

"I'm coming," Tony asserted.

"You can't come into the theatre. You'll have to wait in the waiting area, just down the corridor to your left," she said hastily as they pushed Kate through large swinging doors that said 'Medical Personnel Only'. Tony threw his head back in frustration and watched until he could no longer see them on the other side. Sighing, he walked down the corridor where the nurse said there would be a waiting room.

The room was filled with uncomfortable looking plastic chairs, a water cooler, a machine that made terrible coffee, and a vending machine stocked with junk food. There were five other people sitting in there, flipping through magazines or reading the newspaper, and they all looked up and smiled at Tony before turning back to what they were doing.

Tony found a chair in the corner and sat down. The ringing of his cell phone shattered the silence and he quickly fished it out of his pocket and answered it it. "DiNozzo."

"Tony, it's Tim."

"McGee," Tony stated, "where are you?"

"Norfolk General. Ellis has been stitched up and is ready to go. It was just a through and through."

"Should have killed the bastard," Tony said harshly, causing the other occupants in the room to look at him in horror. "I'm at Norfolk General, too. In the waiting room."

"How's Kate?" McGee asked softly.

"In surgery at the moment."

"Surgery?" McGee questioned, stunned.

"Yeah, to close the wounds."

"Oh,"

"Call Gibbs, McGee, he'll have to organise someone to escort you back to DC with that scum."

"What about you?"

"I'll stay here with Kate."

"How will you get back to DC, then?"

"Get Coleman to drive my car over here, too, then. Gibbs has the keys to that."

"Right."

"Call me when it's all been arranged."

"On it," McGee said to Tony.

"And McGee," Tony added, "Don't let Ellis out of your sight. If he causes you any trouble, shoot him in the other shoulder. Don't even hesitate," Tony ordered the younger agent. He didn't even give McGee the chance to reply before he ended the call and snapped his cell shut.

Tony cast his eyes around the room and noticed that the other occupants were looking at him wearily. Sighing, he pulled his badge out and held it up. "Federal Agent," he said, justifying himself.

He saw some of them sigh in relief and the others roll their eyes. He put his badge back in his pocket and leant forward, placing his head in his hands.

He wasn't sure how much time seemed to pass; it could have been hours, it could have been minutes, Tony doesn't know, but suddenly a firm hand rested on his shoulder. "Tony," Gibbs said, bringing him out of his reverie.

"Have you heard anything?" Tony asked, panicked. "Have the doctors spoken to you?" Tony looked around the room somewhat disorientated. He stood up, smoothed his clothes out and began walking out the room in search of someone who could update him on Kate's surgery.

"Tony!" Gibbs called, standing up and walking briskly behind him. "I haven't heard anything." Tony stopped momentarily and glared at his boss. "I'm sure they'll let us know," Gibbs said, staring Tony down until he retreated.

"I'm her next of kin," Tony pointed out.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked. Although his voice was quiet because it was a hospital, there was no mistaking the authority he held. "You are a federal agent. Act like one. Go back to the waiting room and wait."

"Boss," Tony tried to debate.

"Tony, this is not up for negotiation." Gibbs' eyes bore down into Tony's and waited for the younger man to back down.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," A doctor said, walking up to them and effectively ending their argument. "I take it you are here with a Caitlin Todd?"

Sorry that's all I've got for the moment, and again, I apologise for the time between updates. I just hope you think it's worth the wait!