Long Enough Alone?
Chapter 36 - Once a Hero. . .
Jethro was waiting in the truck when Jen came back from Helen's house. She climbed in and they pulled out. The rental place was about twenty minutes away. On the way Jen reassured Jethro that Helen had promised to keep the goodies coming even though she was there now. He just laughed and gave her an I-told-you-so look. Jethro drove them past a school he had been told was very good and that he thought Jen might want to check out for Sophie. He also pointed out the nearest grocery store and pharmacy. Jen said she would probably be lost for the first couple of weeks but then she'd get the hang of the area.
They finally got to the rental place and Jethro backed the trailer into a spot for returned rentals. He went inside to get the paperwork and in just a few minutes they were on their way home.
"Any place you want to go or anything you need before we go home?"
"No, I don't think so. I really like the sound of that word, home, when you say it about us. It already does feel like home, Jethro. I'm looking forward to growing old with you in that house."
Jethro reached for her hand and held on. "Me too. It feels more like a home now than it has in a very long time. I'm very, very glad you're here Jen. My life is finally back on track. It had been out of whack for so long I didn't even know it anymore."
They pulled into a gas station and Jethro got out to fill up the truck. The station was in a sort of rough looking neighborhood and Jen wondered why he stopped here; the truck was on a quarter of a tank. As if he was reading her mind, Jethro motioned for her to roll down the window.
"I stopped here because this place is owned by a buddy from my time in the Corps. He's managed to keep this store open when lots of others have left because of the gangs and stuff. He helps a lot of the local kids with jobs around here. Lets them hang around and play the video games where he can watch out for them."
"You're really a softy you know that Agent Gibbs?"
"Well, keep that to yourself please. I don't want my reputation to be ruined."
He leaned in the window and gave her a slow, deep kiss. From the background came a shout, "Hey, old man, get a room."
Jethro and Jen looked over and saw two young men loitering at the corner of the store. They were laughing and gesturing at them. The two happy lovers just laughed with them and Jethro kissed her again just for good measure. When the gas pump shut off Jethro put the nozzle back then asked Jen if she wanted anything to drink. She said no and Jethro headed to the store to pay for the gas. He exchanged friendly words with the two boys still standing at the corner of the store.
Jen sat in the truck and looked around the area. She was thinking this might be a good place to establish a low cost clinic. She looked back at the door expecting Jethro any moment. A young woman, maybe eighteen was walking through the parking area with a toddler at her side. She paused to say something to the boys. Just then Jen saw Jethro push the door open and step out.
The next two minutes went by in slow motion for Jen and she would later think it was really about five or ten minutes. As she was watching Jethro come out of the store, the young girl and the child walked away from the boys toward the side street. While she was seeing that, she heard a loud car coming. There was very loud music from the car which made everyone look in that direction. The car was coming down the main street toward the store. Jen looked back at the boys and saw them taking excitedly to each other. The young girl looked from them to the car and back to the boys. Jethro was still walking toward the truck.
Suddenly things changed. Jethro looked at the car and the boys and realized very quickly there was going to be trouble. He instinctively put his right hand on his hip but of course there was no weapon there. He saw the person in the backseat of the car leaning out the window with a gun in his hand. Jethro saw the boys begin to run toward the side street which meant the girl and the child were going to be between them and the car in another few seconds. He knew instantly what he had to do but he still spared a second to look over at Jen. He knew what he was about to do was probably not going to end well for him and Jen but he also knew he had to do it. Their eyes locked and then he yelled and ran toward the girl and her child.
Jen had also sized up the situation and understood something very bad was about to go down. When Jethro looked over at her she wanted to scream, NO. Maybe she did; she didn't really remember later. She saw him running toward the girl and she knew what he was doing. It happened so quickly none of the participants in the drama could get out of the way of it.
The car screamed around the corner, radio blaring. The young man in the backseat was hanging out the window and now there was another young man sitting in the window of the front passenger side leaning over the top of the car. He had a gun too. Jethro saw all this but didn't have time to process it. He ran full speed at the girl who by now had gathered the toddler to her side and was frozen in the middle of the parking lot. The two boys were caught between the side street and the building and didn't know which way to run.
Jen watched in horror as the boys in the car started firing. Her first instinct was to duck but instead she kept her eyes locked on Jethro. She willed him to reach the woman and push her down getting them both out of harm's way. Jethro was one step from the woman when she saw him stumble. His momentum carried him into the girl and he knocked her down and covered her and the toddler with his body. Shots continued to rain down in the parking lot. Jen saw Jethro hit at least once more and the boys who were the obvious targets were cut down before her eyes. She was frozen for long seconds as the firing died down as quickly as it had started. She got out of the truck and ran to Jethro who was still lying on top of the woman and her child.
Someone came from inside the store but Jen paid them no mind. The woman was screaming and the baby was crying. The woman managed to get out from under Jethro; she was covered with his blood. Jen rolled Jethro over and gasped. He was shot square in the chest and there was another gunshot in his leg and one his side. There was blood everywhere. More blood than Jen had ever seen before. She tore off her jacket and pressed it on the chest wound. Jethro opened his eyes and moaned.
"Jethro, stay with me. Don't close your eyes. Hold on."
"I'm sorry Jen. So sorry."
"No, don't say that. You'll be okay. Hold on."
He reached for her wrist and gripped as tightly as he could. "Hurts. Tell Sophie I love her. Love you."
"You tell her yourself. You're not leaving me, Jethro."
The store owner knelt beside her. "I called 911. They'll be here in no time. Hold on buddy. I can't have you dying on my driveway. Bad for business."
"The girl?"
"She's fine. You saved them Jethro." Jen was pressing as hard as she dared on the wound but her jacket was already soaked through with blood. Jethro's blood. His life was seeping out between her fingers and she was helpless to do anything about it. She fought back tears; afraid to let him see how scared she was.
When he tried to talk it was just a whisper now. "Love you babe. Sorry. Cold. Can't breathe."
"Jethro, hang on. I love you and you cannot leave me now. You promised to marry me on Saturday. Hold on."
She had to lean down now to hear him. She pressed her ear near his mouth. "Wanted our forever to be longer. I love you." He closed his eyes.
"Jethro, open your eyes! Don't you do this to me!" Jen felt for his pulse but she couldn't find it. The blood flow seemed to have lessened and that frightened her even more because it meant his heart had stopped. Despite her best efforts to stay calm she heard herself screaming, "No, no, no."
The ambulance was there and the paramedics were pushing her back. She told them what all she could and they began working feverishly to save Jethro.
"Got a pulse but it's weak. We gotta move."
Jen watched as they loaded him onto a gurney and ran for the ambulance. One of the men looked at her and said, "Come on if you want."
Jen ran to the door and climbed in beside the gurney. She held onto Jethro's hand tried to will him to live.
She heard the medics talking to each other and the hospital. She knew this was bad. She had seen plenty of gun shot victims in the ER when she worked in Atlanta. As a professional she knew that Jethro was probably not going to survive. As a woman in love she refused to give up. She held his hand and told him over and over to hold on. If they could get him to a trauma center he at least had a chance. She heard the medic next to her say something about being there in less than a minute and she clung to a tiny bit of hope.
Jethro was unconscious and his pulse was very weak and thready. He was being given oxygen and fluids but the paramedic in the back was not very optimistic about his chances. He continued to work on Jethro though as if he was going to be fine. He was in constant communication with the doctors at the trauma center where they were taking Jethro. He told Jen they would be there in less than a minute and it was the best trauma center in the area. He doubted she was paying any attention to him but he wanted to give her something to hold onto. Just in case.
When the ambulance arrived at the hospital a team of trauma specialists met them at the door and rushed Jethro inside. Jen was right behind them but they managed to stop her before she could follow them into the room.
"I'm his fiancé and I'm a nurse practitioner. Please let me be in there."
A very kind but very firm nurse told her no. "You know you can't be in there right now. Let them work. This is the best place for him and I will keep you informed."
The nurse disappeared into the room and Jen stood rooted to the spot where she was just outside the room. She was covered in Jethro's blood and didn't even care. She had tears running down her face but she didn't know it. Jen just stood there waiting; waiting to know if she had lost another man she loved. She thought for the first time about Sophie. How would she ever be able to explain this to her sweet girl. The child adored Jethro. She would be devastated if he died. Jen shook herself and mentally banished that thought from her brain.
The door to the trauma room flew open and Jethro was wheeled out in a rush for the elevator. The nurse who had spoken to Jen motioned for her to follow them. They crowded onto the elevator and Jen saw just how bad the situation was. Jethro was intubated and a chest tube had already been inserted. His clothes had been cut off and he was still covered in blood. The nurse was talking to her and she forced herself to listen and process what she was being told.
"We're taking him to surgery. He's lost a lot of blood and there seems to be pretty extensive internal damage. He's in pretty bad shape but he's got a chance. If he has any family you should call them."
The nurse handed Jen a bag with Jethro's cell phone, wallet and watch in it. Jen forced herself to breathe. Jethro was deathly pale and very still. She was frightened to her core that he was never going to speak to her again. Never hold her hand or kiss her or dance with her or make sweet love to her in the middle of the night. The elevator ride took only seconds but had seemed like a long time to her. As the doctors and nurses disappeared into the operating theater Jen collapsed onto a chair in the waiting area.
Some long minutes later Jen realized she needed to call Helen about Sophie. And she should probably call Ducky too. She pulled Jethro's phone out of the bag the nurse had given her and hoped he had Helen's number in the contact list. He did.
Jen took several deep breaths and tried to think of what to say to Helen that would not alarm her too much. Finally she punched in the number. She tried to speak in a somewhat normal voice but she doubted she was managing.
"Helen, this is Jen. Jethro has been hurt and we won't be home for a while. Can Sophie stay there?"
"Of course dear. Is this bad? You sound very afraid."
"Yes, it is bad. He's been shot. He's in surgery now but it is pretty bad. I don't know when I will be home. I'm going to call Sophie's grandparents to come from Richmond and stay with her. Can you keep her until they get there?"
"Yes, of course. Don't worry about her. She and Ethan are getting along fine. I'm praying for you both right now. I'll tell Sophie you've been delayed and we'll work out the rest later. He's a fighter, Jen. Try not to give up."
"Thank you."
Jen hung up and immediately found Ducky's number and called him.
"Hello, Jethro. Not a case I hope."
"Ducky, it's Jen." That was all she got out before she began sobbing and couldn't talk for a few moments. "Jethro's been shot. We're at the Washington Trauma Center. You need to get here Ducky. And probably the team too." That was all Jen could say before the tears came back so she just closed the phone and let them fall.
For the next twenty minutes Jen sat very still and prayed with all her heart for Jethro to survive. She could barely breathe she was so frightened. She felt like she was going to be sick but she just sat very still and waited. And prayed.
Ducky came around the corner and saw Jen sitting in the waiting area. Her clothes and hands were covered in blood and she looked very much like she might be in shock. He went to the nurse's station and told them who he was. He asked the nurse in charge if she could spare a set of scrubs for Jen. When the nurse looked into the waiting room and noticed Jen for the first time she went to get her something to wear.
Ducky approached Jen and spoke softly to her. "Jenny, my dear are you alright?"
Jen looked up and shook her head. "No," was all she could say.
The nurse came over and sat down next to Jen. She handed her a cup of water and told her to drink it. Then she said, "Come with me and get yourself cleaned up a bit. I have some scrubs you can put on. I'm going to see if I can get some news for you." She gently led Jen to the lounge and gave her some privacy to clean up and change her clothes.
Jen washed her hands and arms. Watching the water run red down the drain she thought about all the blood Jethro had left on the pavement. She knew he was close to bleeding to death by the time the ambulance arrived and she wondered if he would have enough strength to survive the surgery. She splashed cold water on her face and forced herself to pull it together. She needed to call Bill and Ellen and Jethro's father. She had to get herself under control because Jethro was going to need her when he came out of surgery.
When Jen returned to the waiting room the nurse was there talking to Ducky. She smiled at Jen and told her there was no news yet. She promised to keep her informed. Jethro's team was huddled in a tight bunch across the room. They all came to stand around her in a silent show of support. Ducky spoke for them when he asked her what happened.
"Can you tell us my dear what in the world happened? When you're ready of course."
"We were at a gas station and Jethro stepped between some men with guns and some young boys they were shooting at in order to shield a woman and her child. He saved their lives. The boys were killed I think."
Tony asked, "How bad is the Boss?"
Jen looked at their faces, all so worried and upset. "It's bad I'm afraid. He took one round in the chest, one in his left side and one in the leg. The chest wound is the bad one of course. He lost a tremendous amount of blood before the ambulance got there."
Ziva grasped her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Gibbs is one of the toughest, most determined men I have ever known. He will fight hard. Where is Sophie?"
"She's with Jethro's neighbor. Thank god she wasn't with us. I need to call her grandparents to come stay with her. And Jethro's father."
Ducky spoke up, "I've already called him and he's on his way. Come sit down and make your call."
Jen did as Ducky instructed. She sat back down and called the Sheppards. She gave them a brief version of what had happened.
"Can you come stay with Sophie for a while? I have no idea how long I will be here. I think she will need you with her."
"Of course we'll be there. I'll pack our bags while Bill takes Maggie to the boarders. We can be on the road in less than an hour."
"I think you should bring Maggie with you. She will be a comfort to Sophie in case. . " Jen couldn't finish that thought.
"Okay, we'll bring her. Give Bill the address and directions if you can and we'll call when we're close."
Jen gave Mr. Sheppard the address and directions to Jethro's house. She explained that Sophie was with the neighbor. She said she would talk to her before they got there and explain it to her somehow. Jen told him it was a very serious situation but she didn't want Sophie to know that quite yet. When she hung up she covered her face with her hands and tried to calm down.
Tony sat down next to her and asked, "Have you talked to the police?"
Jen shook her head. "I came in the ambulance. I don't think they were even there yet. Jethro's truck. It's still there."
"Don't worry we'll take care of that. The police will need to get a statement from you. I'm surprised they haven't shown up here yet. I'll take care of it."
Tony motioned for Ziva to follow him and they went into the hallway to make some calls. Tony found out the location of the shooting and called the store. He spoke to the owner, Jethro's friend, and arranged for another agent to pick up the truck. Then he called a friend at the Metro PD and told him where Jen could be found to give them a statement. Ziva called the Director to let him know what had happened.
Just over an hour later a nurse came into the waiting area. Jen looked at her and feared the worst although she was pretty sure if Jethro was dead it would be the doctor to tell her so not a nurse.
"Gibbs family?"
Jen stepped forward with Ducky at her side and the team standing just behind them. "I'm Agent Gibbs' fiancé, and this is his personal physician, Dr. Mallard. What can you tell us?"
"As you already know Agent Gibbs suffered a GSW to the chest, leg and side. He has been in surgery now for just over an hour. The doctors are dealing with tremendous internal damage and blood loss. Agent Gibbs is struggling. He has coded once but the doctors were able to revive him and continue. They are trying to repair as much damage as possible as quickly as possible and get him off the table. It will probably be another forty-five minutes to an hour. When they are finished a doctor will come talk to you. If Agent Gibbs has family we recommend you call them."
Jen held tightly to Ducky's arm. She thought she might pass out from fear. The nurse had painted a very bleak picture and Jen was almost overcome with panic when the nurse left them. Ducky guided her back to a chair and they all resumed their silent, grim vigil.
After half an hour they each began checking their watches every few minutes. When an hour had passed with no news Jen began to pace back and forth in the small room. No one spoke. Finally a doctor looking very tired and worn came into the room. He motioned for Jen to sit down and he pulled a chair around to sit in front of her.
"I'm Dr. Harmon. I understand you are Agent Gibbs' fiancé."
"I'm Jenny Sheppard. Is he alive?"
"Yes, Ms. Sheppard, Agent Gibbs has been moved to recovery. He is in very critical condition. He barely tolerated the surgery and we had considerable difficulty getting him through it. He has coded twice now. I understand you are a nurse so you know the next several hours are critical. If Agent Gibbs survives the next twelve to twenty-four hours his chances of recovery will improve greatly. I caution you that he is far from out of the woods yet. The chest wound was extremely damaging and so was the wound in his side. That bullet must have shattered a rib because there were rib fragments throughout his abdominal cavity. They did considerable damage which, added to the blood loss from the chest wound, was very nearly fatal. As I said he is still in very critical condition. He will be in the ICU within the hour. At that time we can allow you, Ms. Sheppard and you, Dr. Mallard to see him. That's all I'm afraid. Do you have any questions."
"Do you expect him to survive, Doctor?"
The weary surgeon looked her straight in the eyes. He very much wanted to give this lovely, desperate woman something to hold onto but he never lied to a family member. "I will be surprised if he does, Ms. Sheppard. But, I've been surprised many times in my career. Let's hope this is another of those times."
TBC