Tag for "SWAK" continued.

There will probably be either three or four more chapters after this one before I wrap up Season 2 and start on Season 3. This one and the next one will cover Tony's recovery period, then either one or two chapters that cover the events of "Twilight" and a final chapter that will cover the moments directly following the end of "Twilight." Then of course the first story of Season 3 will pick up shortly thereafter, since only a few hours pass between those episodes.

"Darkest Hours – Part IV"

"Boss?"

Though faint, Gibbs' eyes shot up immediately upon finally hearing the familiar voice of his Senior Field Agent once again. He was relieved to realize that he hadn't been imagining the tentative question. A pair of green eyes were fixed upon his face, and this time it was evident that they were present in the here-and-now.

"'Bout time you decided to rejoin us, DiNozzo," he answered gruffly, but even in his still-slightly-confused state, Tony noticed that the sudden light in his boss' eyes contradicted the abrupt tone of his voice.

"How…long?" Tony inquired feebly.

"Last conversation I had with you that made any sense was yesterday afternoon. And right now it's….0930."

Tony was silent, but his boss could see him processing the information. That was followed by another question, this time unspoken. Nevertheless, the Lead Agent understood perfectly and answered without missing a beat.

"Sent Kate home last night to get some rest. She's okay. Worried about you, but I told her you'd be fine. She'll be back later."

As if anticipating the next unspoken question, Doctor Pitt arrived, accompanied by his x-ray technician. Noticing that his patient seemed to be having a conversation with the man who had remained by his bedside all night, the doctor couldn't help a relieved grin.

"Tony. Good to see your eyes open again. Just in time for us to take some more pictures so we can see how those lungs are doing."

Gibbs knew he would need to get out of the doctor's way so they could do what they needed to do, but that would also mean relinquishing the hold on Tony's hand that he'd maintained for hours. Squeezing tightly, he turned his attention back to his agent. "Tony, I need to go call Ducky while they're taking your x-rays. I'll be right back. You follow Doctor Pitt's orders while I'm gone," he added with a slight hint of teasing.

He felt a very slight pressure on his hand as Tony tried with what little strength he had to squeeze his hand in return. "On it….Boss."

He understood the unspoken message perfectly. Tony had finally granted him permission to let go.


Ducky hurried back to Bethesda immediately after receiving Gibbs' call, stopping only long enough to ask Jimmy Palmer to relay to the rest of the team that Tony was awake and alert again and that they would soon have an update on his condition.

Now he stood with Gibbs in Doctor Pitt's office viewing the results of Tony's most recent x-rays.

"As I'm sure you figured out, Tony's fever is going down. Some of the cyanosis has also receded, and, while Agent DiNozzo still has a very severe case of pneumonia, his x-rays do appear to show a slight improvement in the condition of his lungs."

Looking to Ducky for further confirmation, Gibbs asked, "So, he's going to be okay?"

"I don't think Doctor Pitt is ready to go quite that far just yet, Jethro, but it's certainly a positive sign. Am I interpreting correctly, Doctor?"

"Tony's not out-of-the-woods yet by far. It will take weeks for him to recover, and that's provided he doesn't have some sort of relapse, which is a possibility. However, considering where we were this time yesterday, even I have to admit that this is pretty amazing."

Gibbs knew what Tony's next question would be as soon as he was strong enough and alert enough to think of it. With a tightening of the perpetual knot in his stomach, he asked, "Will he be able to return to work?" and almost held his breath in anticipation of the answer. Now that he wasn't facing the high probability that Tony would die, his new concern had become the possibility of having to tell the younger man that he could never again be a federal agent. He was afraid such news would destroy Tony.

"Again, he has a long recovery period ahead of him and it's going to take weeks, maybe months, for Agent DiNozzo to return to his previous level of fitness. But, provided he doesn't have any setbacks, I don't see any reason he wouldn't eventually be able to return to work."

Gibbs let out the breath he'd been holding and closed his eyes momentarily. The news just kept getting better.

Seeing the other man's relief, Doctor Pitt felt it prudent to continue. "Agent Gibbs, I know this is all very good news, but I don't want to sugarcoat anything. Tony's lungs will be permanently scarred from this. Even after he returns to work, this is a life-changing event for Agent DiNozzo. His lungs will be weakened, so he'll have to be extra vigilant about anything that could cause respiratory distress. Any sign of a cold or a sniffle, and Tony should get it checked out right away just in case."

"That could prove to be a challenge. Anthony is already difficult to persuade to seek medical treatment, and I imagine this experience will only make it even more difficult," Ducky observed.

"He'll be careful, cause he knows I'll kick his butt if he doesn't," Gibbs assured them both.

Brad allowed himself a slight chuckle at Gibbs' statement. "I don't doubt that at all, Agent Gibbs."

Turning to his friend, Ducky steered the conversation in a slightly different direction. "Jethro, do you wish for me to call Caitlin to give her an update, or would you prefer to do the honors yourself?"

Knowing the news would make Kate's day, Gibbs chose to relay the information himself.


After a fitful night's rest, Kate had showered and was shoving down a sparse breakfast while planning a return trip to the hospital, even though she was fearful of what she might find when she arrived there.

When her phone rang and she saw that it was her boss, her heart nearly stopped. The Lead Agent didn't miss the slight catch in her voice when she answered.

"Gibbs? Has there been a change? Please tell me he's not…." She couldn't get the rest of the words out.

"He's not. In fact, he's awake and he's asking for you." Even though Tony had asked the question with his eyes, it wasn't a lie.

"He's….he's awake? Is he better?" Kate asked, trying not to give herself false hope.

"Fever's coming down. His fingers aren't as blue, and his x-rays are a little better. He's just really tired, so take it easy on him today, Agent Todd."

"But, what does all that mean? Is he going to be okay?" Kate pressed.

"You know how doctors are. Pitt's being cautious, but Ducky says it's a good sign. And since I ordered him to be…. I'd say yeah, Kate. He's gonna be okay."

When she hung up, Kate cried for a second time in the last 24 hours. But this time they were tears of relief.


As happy as he was to have the company of Gibbs and Kate throughout the day, Tony simply couldn't keep his eyes open for very long stretches of time. At one point, Gibbs had sensed the younger man was struggling, so he leaned in and softly commanded him, "Go to sleep, DiNozzo. You don't have to keep us entertained." Immediately, his Senior Field Agent had closed his eyes and allowed his entire body to go limp.

Abby had called Gibbs and asked once again about the possibility of coming to visit Tony. Afraid that the young woman's exuberance might wear Tony out in his present state, he managed to put her off for one more day. "Abs, he's mostly sleeping today. I'm sure he's gonna want to talk to you when you're here. Let's see how he's doing tomorrow, okay?"

She had sighed in disappointment, but after making Gibbs promise to let Tony know how much she missed him, she reluctantly complied.

As evening approached, Gibbs began to feel the effects of several nights in a row plagued by either nightmares, worry, or the responsibility of keeping Tony going through his fever-induced disorientation. He tried to stifle a yawn, but Kate noticed, and saw it as her opportunity to make a request.

"Gibbs, you must be exhausted. I was able to go home last night while you stayed here with Tony. Why don't you let me stay with him tonight?"

He was reluctant to leave, but promised Kate he'd think about it. He was finally convinced a while later when a groggy Tony opened his eyes, looked at his companion, and weakly quipped, "You look….like crap, Boss."

"Gee, thanks, DiNozzo. Have I mentioned what you look like lately?" Gibbs retorted with good humor.

Tony became serious, however. "Go home…Boss…..please?"

He had to admit he was caught. Gibbs was thoroughly exhausted, just as Kate had observed. He told Kate that he'd go home and let her stay on the condition that she would ask Doctor Pitt if she could use one of the other beds in isolation and at least attempt to get some sleep herself.

Tony had appeared to be asleep when Kate came in, but he was merely resting. Spending so much time with Kate, he had become accustomed to certain things about her. Her scent, her breathing patterns, the sound of her footsteps. So when she quietly entered the isolation chamber and took her place on the bed beside him, he immediately knew that she was the one who had entered the room.

Feeling slightly playful again, finally, after he'd slept most of the day and didn't have to focus 100% of his attention on breathing, he decided to try to annoy his partner with a movie reference, calling back to their conflict that now seemed a lifetime ago.

"This reminds me…of the end of 'Alien.'"

He expected a smart retort, even if a good-natured one. He didn't expect to hear Kate simply laugh.

Ever since she'd received the wonderful news earlier that day, she'd been in the mood to laugh. After a couple of days that had been almost surreal, she'd been struck by the sheer normalcy of the comment. It was almost as if they were back in the bullpen and he was purposefully trying to get under her skin, but instead of being irritated, it filled her with a happiness she'd wondered if she could ever feel again.

He decided to try again. "I think….they should make a movie….about me…you think….they could get…the real Brad Pitt?"

She laughed louder this time. "Only if Angelina Jolie plays me."

"I knew…you had a thing…for my doctor. Want me to…ask him out…for you? Better than…that lawyer guy…you've been seeing. What's his name?...'Smelly guy?'"

This had Kate laughing almost uncontrollably. She'd made a stray comment to Abby about not liking the how the attorney she'd been seeing smelled, which her friend had found hysterically funny, and her partner had quite unfortunately overheard. Remembering how annoyed she'd been when Tony had started referring to her date as "Smelly guy," for some reason she now found it incredibly amusing. Emma was right. Tony was really funny. And oh, how she had missed it.

They continued until they were both worn out from laughing so hard. It had become quiet again and Kate assumed her partner had finally succumbed to sleep. But then she heard a quiet and relatively somber, "Kate?"

She turned on her pillow to find Tony's lovely green eyes regarding her with an expression she didn't recall ever seeing before. "Yes, Tony?" she asked kindly.

"Thanks."

She didn't have to ask what that was for. He was thanking her for staying, and forgiving her for allowing him to temporarily believe he'd infected her, so that she could give him the impetus and the motivation to fight, and to keep fighting as long as possible. She smiled warmly at him and in soothing tones urged him, "Go to sleep, Tony. I'll see you in the morning."

His eyes finally drifted closed again as he remembered the pleasant sounds of Kate's earlier peals of laughter. He thought it was a beautiful sound.

He had been making a list of things he wanted to do when he was finally well again. He made a mental note to add another item to that list.

Make Kate laugh more.


The next day, Abby simply couldn't be held off for any longer. Tony had graduated to sitting up and wasn't sleeping quite as much. Though still very weak, Gibbs finally felt that he had progressed enough to be able to handle a brief visit from the rest of the team.

Jimmy agreed to join her eagerly, but Tim, who didn't vocalize any objections, was obviously uncomfortable with the idea. Still, he could never say no to Abby.

"Tonyyyyy…." Abby said with her usual exuberance as soon as she saw Tony. She ran over to where he was now sitting up in bed, propped against several pillows. Unable to give him a full hug, she settled for an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek. "Oh my gosh, you have no idea how much we've missed you. You really scared us! Especially Gibbs – you should've seen him. He practically bit my head off when we were trying to find out who did this to you, and Gibbs never yells at me, so you know it was because he was scared, and McGee's been feeling so…."

"Abby," Tim intervened. "You're rambling. Give him a minute to catch up."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tony! How do you feel?"

Tony practically beamed at the sight of his coworkers, not to mention that he was finally able to soak up all the attention he was receiving. "A lot better…than a couple of days ago, Abs. Just a little…tired. And sore." Actually, Tony was still incredibly tired and weak, but he didn't want to discourage his friends and drive them away any sooner than necessary. He was beginning to go a little stir crazy.

"Awww, Tony. You poor thing. I wish I could do something."

"I'm just glad…to see you, Abs," Tony responded sincerely. "Glad to see…all of you. How's work?"

This time, Jimmy piped in. "Agent DiNozzo, you're the talk of the agency. You're almost legendary. Most of the other agents thought for sure you wouldn't…."

"Palmer! What the hell are you doing?" Tim admonished.

But Tony was both amused and intrigued. "So they all thought I'd kick the old bucket, huh? What…was the word you used again?...Legendary?"

"Yeah. You know Agent Gibbs was told the odds of you surviving an antibiotic-resistant form of the plague were 15%, but it may have been even lower than that because…."

"Palmer!"

"Whoa, Probie…take it easy," Tony cut in, wondering more about what had gotten into Agent McGee than about Palmer, who was simply being his usual friendly but socially awkward self.

Knowing a little something about what was going on with Tim, Abby jumped in with an explanation, though one that was only partially accurate. "Timmy's just been worried about you. Guess he's a little more on edge than usual. You'll have to excuse him. Plus, he's been the only agent in the office for the past few days and that's been kind of stressful. Right, McGee?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Tony," the Probie offered, carefully avoiding Tony's now-penetrating gaze.

"No problem….you tell anyone else to….stick it lately,McGee?" Tony asked jokingly, hoping to get a smile out of the younger man.

He got one, but it was very slight, forced, and obviously fake. "Uh, no, haven't had the opportunity yet this week, Tony."

"So things must be…quiet without me there, huh?" Tony hinted.

"Not just you. Gibbs and Kate have been out too, 'cause they've been here with you." Realizing she may have unintentionally diminished the extent to which Tony was missed, Abby quickly covered, "But mostly because you aren't there! Everyone really misses you."

"I'll try to…put you out of your misery, soon…." Tony promised but was abruptly cut off when he had a coughing attack. The attack eventually passed, but he was left winded and tired, and sank back into his pillows fighting to regain his breath.

Sensing that their friend needed his rest, the three politely took their leave, Abby giving Tony another kiss before turning for the exit.

"Hey, Probie," Tony called, practically whispering now. He beckoned with his head for the younger man to come closer, partially so the other two wouldn't hear their conversation and partially because Tony's strength and his voice weren't strong enough at the moment to project across the room.

McGee nervously came closer to Tony's bed and leaned in. "What is it, Tony?"

"Was gonna…ask you the same thing… What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Tony," Tim lied. "Just tired I guess. Feel better soon."

But it was too late. Tony's "Gibbs gut" was now on high alert. The Probie was clearly very upset about something, but DiNozzo just couldn't put his finger on what that could be. Not yet.

I'm gonna get to the bottom of that. As soon as I feel better.


Tony had been greatly relieved to learn that he would eventually be returning to work, but now that he was gradually on the road to recovery, and since the visit from his coworkers the previous day, he was itching to speed up the process. He was beginning to feel as if he may just lose his mind if he stayed in the hospital much longer.

"When can I go home, Boss?" he asked Gibbs the next morning.

"Tony," the older man sighed. "You'll get there, but you're gonna have to be patient. You can barely feed yourself and get up to go to the head as it is."

His answer left his agent looking the most dejected he'd seen him since before he'd turned the corner and started to heal.

Gibbs tried to reason with him. "You almost died, DiNozzo. Can't expect to jump out of bed and go back to work tomorrow."

"I don't expect to go back to work tomorrow. I just want to go home," Tony pleaded. "I hate this place, Boss. It reminds me of…"

His agent didn't have to finish the thought. The place wasn't one Gibbs particularly wanted to remember either. It would be a lot easier to get the haunting image of Tony gasping for every breath out of his head if he weren't still here every day in the same physical surroundings where the horror had occurred.

"Can't make you any promises, but I'll talk to Doctor Pitt."


"I'd like to take Tony home with me for the weekend," Gibbs told the doctor, in an attempt to make it sound as more of an order than a request.

Brad was flabbergasted. "Agent Gibbs, Tony can't even walk from Point A to Point B without it taking everything out of him."

"He won't be doing much walking around at my house. I'll be with him all the time. He can sit around there just as well as he can here. And it'll be better for him to be somewhere familiar." And better for you too, Gibbs mentally added. Cause he's gonna drive you crazy if he has to stay here much longer. You and me both.

"Okay, but what happens on Monday when you have to go back to work? He's still going to need someone with him."

"Thought of that already. I talked to our Director. Since Tony became ill as a result of the job, NCIS has agreed to have a nurse come in during the day however long he needs one. Either Agent Todd or myself can be there in the evenings."

Doctor Pitt gave a long, thoughtful sigh. But after a few moments' consideration, he conceded. "Agent Gibbs, normally this would go against my better judgment, but this hasn't been a regular case from the beginning. And Tony has responded better to having you around than anything we've been able to do for him. If you're willing to take this on, I'll let you take him home. But only if I have your word that you'll bring him straight back here at the first hint that anything is wrong."

"You have my word," Gibbs swore truthfully.

"Alright, I'll get the paperwork started." And hope I'm not making a huge mistake.


Tony had been beyond ecstatic to learn that Agent Gibbs had secured his release from the hospital in time for the weekend. Now, however, they had just pulled into his boss' driveway, and as the weakened man eyed the walk from the car to the front door, and then considered the effort it would take him just to get into bed for the night, he realized he may have been hasty. He couldn't imagine from where he was going to summon the strength he would need, and the idea of being so physically dependent on Gibbs was humiliating.

As he gingerly reached over to unfasten his seat belt, Gibbs admonished as if he'd read his thoughts, "Don't even think about getting out yet, DiNozzo. You sit there and relax a minute until I come around to help you."

Normally he may have bristled at being treated like a child, but he was so incredibly tired, he simply nodded his understanding.

Soon, Gibbs was opening his door and squatting down in front of him. "Ok, Tony, legs first."

Very carefully, Tony lifted his legs shakily and pivoted to his right, setting both feet on the pavement, and then pausing to catch his breath.

"That's a good job. Just rest a minute and let me know when you're ready. I'm gonna have you put your arm around my shoulders so I can help you get out." Gibbs was showing uncharacteristic patience, but Tony was silently wondering how long the older man's patience was going to hold out when faced with a whole weekend of this.

After about thirty seconds, Tony nodded his assent. Gibbs very gently helped Tony put his arms around his shoulders and then wrapped his own arm carefully around the younger man's waist. Tony was very slowly able to stand, but immediately was forced to lean most of his weight onto his boss. Gibbs was once again struck by how weak his agent had become in just a few short days, and had to force down another wave of anger at the situation, fearing the younger man would think it was directed at him.

Gibbs was a strong and physically fit man for his age, but DiNozzo was far from light and the older man could feel the strain on his already-weak knee. He was very cautious to hide the pain from his agent, however, knowing how awkward this would already be for a young man used to being so independent. At last, they made it inside, and Gibbs immediately deposited Tony, who was now panting for air, on his couch.

"Rest there for a little while, Tony. I'll get your stuff out of the car and finish getting the guest room ready."

Tony was too winded to even offer a verbal response, again only offering a curt nod by way of reply. Brad was right. I probably wasn't ready to leave the hospital. But it's so nice to be in this house again. Tony had always thought of his boss' house as sparse and no-frills, but compared with the sterile environment he'd just left, filled with memories he wanted to forget as soon as possible, right now it looked like heaven to him. He allowed himself to lean back and close his eyes, dozing off almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Gibbs brought in the bag containing the items Tony had had him pick up from his apartment and took it into the guest room. He'd already turned down the bed, but decided to arrange Tony's medication, along with a glass of water, on the bedside table so the young man wouldn't have any reasons to need to get up any more than necessary.

When everything was finally ready, he made his way over to the couch where he noticed Tony snoring softly. In spite of his awkward pose, Gibbs thought his face looked more at peace than at any time he'd seen him in the hospital over the past few days. He'd had some concerns about Tony leaving the hospital so soon, but now he was feeling particularly good about the decision. Being here was good for Tony's peace-of-mind, and certainly that would help him heal more quickly than anything they could do for him now at the hospital.

"C'mon, DiNozzo," he beckoned gently, shaking the younger man's shoulder slightly. "Just a few more minutes and then you can sleep in the bed as long as you want."

"Mmmm, Boss?" Tony asked blearily, cracking his eyes open just a slit. Then, he realized with a start that he must have dozed off. "Oh, gosh. Didn't mean…to fall asleep on you."

"It's okay, Tony. Need you to help me get you up." They resumed the stance they'd taken when Gibbs had helped his agent into the house, and this time the older man directed him to the bathroom, where he already had Tony's t-shirt and sweatpants laid out and his toothbrush ready for him.

"Wow, you're really…prepared, Boss. Were you a….boy scout?" Tony quipped, trying to allay the discomfort of the situation.

"Marine, DiNozzo. Think you can lean against the sink while I help you change your clothes?"

Tony's shoulders tensed immediately. "Uh, I can probably handle that, Boss," he said, his face flushing in embarrassment. He hadn't even considered that he would need his boss' help with something as basic as changing his clothes. He was regretting this decision more and more every minute.

"DiNozzo. You can barely stand. Suck it up and let me help you." His boss didn't mean to sound impatient, but there was no way he was going to leave Tony when he was afraid the young man was going to fall over any second.

Too tired to fight about it, Tony swallowed his pride and allowed his boss to help him change. But he insisted that he could lean up against the sink and brush his teeth all by himself.

The Lead Agent tried to hide a grin at how much his agent was beginning to sound like a petulant child. "Okay, Tony."

Brushing his teeth took what little energy he had left. Fortunately, it was only a few steps to the guest room, and a few more to the bed. When he got there, he fell into bed more than he sat on it. Gibbs carefully pulled back the covers and helped the younger man lay down.

Without even realizing he was doing it, the Lead Agent began arranging the covers around Tony. Beyond exhausted, his agent suddenly found the entire situation hysterical and began giggling.

With a smirk, Gibbs inquired, "Something funny, DiNozzo?"

"You're tucking me in, Boss. You have to admit it's a little funny. Are you gonna give me a goodnight kiss, too?"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows in amusement, but Tony's eyes suddenly widened as he realized what he'd just said.

"Just kidding…Boss. Maybe Brad snuck me some painkillers…without me knowing it….and I'm acting all….loopy."

"Didn't notice you acting much different than usual, DiNozzo," his boss deadpanned. Deciding to enjoy the lighthearted moment just a bit longer, Gibbs leaned in closer to Tony and the younger man's eyes widened even further as he wondered what his boss was thinking.

Whack!

The headslap was almost identical to the one Gibbs had delivered in the hospital, only this time the older man was grinning almost mischievously.

"I'll be right outside on the couch if you need anything. Do not even think about getting out of this bed without help. Good night, DiNozzo."

With that, his boss left the room, trying not to limp noticeably on the knee that was now throbbing painfully so that Tony wouldn't notice. He switched off the light on his way out.

Tony briefly wondered again how they were going to get through a whole weekend like this. But the bed was so soft and comfortable, it was quickly forgotten. His head still stung a little from the slap, but it was a nice sting. It reminded him of the man who had gotten him through the most frightening hours of his life.

The last thought he had before falling asleep was that perhaps the headslap was the Leroy Jethro Gibbs version of a goodnight kiss. He wanted to laugh again at the thought, but he was too tired, instead falling asleep still wearing a half-smile.

Finally, he'd begun to truly believe that everything really was going to be okay.