Gibbs

"Damn right I would." Jethro grumbles at the two of them. This time his words didn't come out as rough and tough. He was having a hell of a time keeping the tough act up.

Seeing Ziva then Tony pulling chairs closer he knew these two were not just going to get up and leave, no matter what he said. Something he had taught them when they wanted something bad enough, never give up, never give in no matter what anyone told them. Here it was slapping him across the face.

What happened? We got the shit kicked out of us that's what happened. Jethro growls to himself in his mind. He shakes his head lightly. He didn't feel like going into anything.

"Rescue mission gone wrong." His only answer for right now. When he wrote out his report then people would know. Face to face, Jethro wouldn't speak of it. Only to one man who needed to speak of it. But not right now, McGee needed to heal physically first before the mental healing would start.

Jethro's eyes move from Tony over to Ziva in a flash. His faded gray hues narrow at her as she speaks so defiantly to him, but he looked deeper listened closer and he could hear, see and feel her concern and worry for him. He couldn't get overly angry with her for just caring, but he hated when people put their attention on him. He hated when people wasted their time worrying about someone who didn't need nor deserve it. At least that was how he always would feel.

"Well since you read my chart, then you know what's wrong." He nearly snaps at her, but his voice was too shaky for it to come out as a snap. More like some old man trying to speak over a whisper.

"I'm not the one you should be worried over, either of you. I did my job, you did your jobs there is nothing else to discus." Yes it was so much more than just a job, so much more then just going out there to get the bad guys and he knew that they knew this.

Hearing Tony's words about he should be laying there and not himself, Jethro got a little upset, in an angry way. He forces himself to sit up grabbing that damn pillow and pressing it against his chest. It took a lot of effort to do so too. His face turned a little redder covering up that paleness he had. The strain wasn't able to be hid but he managed it. His weak hand reaches out and grabs Tony by the shirt collar pulling him closer. Had he been able to move on his own this was where he would be standing intimidating close to him glaring into his eyes.

"You listen to me and you listen good. No one, no one at all deserves to be laying in any bed right now under any of these conditions. I am here because I made a decision and I wouldn't change it."

As Tony goes on, Jethro's hand only manages to tighten on the man's shirt. Gripping as tightly as he possibly could.

"Did you do it to him? No. Were you the one who stalked him? No. Are you the one specialized in computer technology, no. Don't you sit there and play the pity party game Anthony. You want to blame someone. You blame the bastards that did this to him. You want to beat someone up for it you put that revenge into the bastards who will pay for what they did to that boy."

He would not just lay there and Have Tony hating himself for any of this what so ever. No one needed it. He knew that guilt would be there but he damn well want to not show it in front of him.

Hearing him ask the question he finally lets go of the man's shit leaning back against the bed. In part because he didn't feel the need to be in his face and because it took too much effort to even try and sit like that.

"Timothy isn't himself right now. You know this, Ziva you could explain it better to him than I could." He speaks quieter to Ziva at the moment before turning his gaze back to Tony.

"He doesn't need anyone feeling sorry for him right now. He needs you all to be supportive and ack as you always would with him. Don't baby the hell out of him. Don't tip tioe around him. He's going to say things that no one will understand, but you have to understand what he went through, what they did to him, it's not going to just pass over night. That innocent fun loving boy you all knew, he's not there anymore."

Cold hard truth, but Jethro was known for saying it how it was without sugar coating it.

"In time he might find himself again, but a part of him will forever be left out there in those woods."

Watching the two scurry off to hide away from the nurse, Jethro shakes his head and relaxes back against the bed again. He just closes his eyes so he wouldn't have to answer anymore stupid questions from the people who kept wanting to know how he was feelings, could he feel anything in his legs, did he need anything. it was driving him up the wall. Waiting for the two to come back he hears the thud.

"DiNozzo.." He whispers knowing who fell. He opens his eyes again, as alert as he possibly could be right now. "Well, it there anything else you two have to say?"

He asks them wondering how long it was going to take for one of them to make a remark about him not being able to walk. Wondering who would be the fool to ask first.