Rifiuto: Non Miriena
Thanks to Reader aka Sun Samurai for reviewing 37.
"It's been three hours, Boss." Gibbs nodded, watching through the window. "They haven't moved."
Tim and Ziva stood together at the bed; Shirah had been given a sedative that would keep her sleeping, and allow her body to heal. She'd been shot twice in the side; the first one had hit her pancreas and appendix, before exiting out her back, just missing her spine by mere inches; it had then entered Lin, slicing through one of her kidneys and her liver; one of the kids had then shot Lin point blank at a diagonal. The second bullet that entered Shirah had gone through her spleen and up, piercing her lung before lodging in her back, inches beneath her shoulder blades and by her spine
The shot had entered beneath her chin and exited out the top of her head; how Lin had survived long enough to reach the hospital...
Ziva reached down, taking Shirah's hand. The girl's fingers were small; tiny. Ziva'd never realized just how small her daughters were, but to see Shirah lying in that hospital bed. Without a word, Ziva climbed onto the bed beside her daughter, wrapping her arm around the girl's waist. She pressed a kiss to her daughter's head, before resting her own on the pillow beside Shirah's. She sniffled, being careful of her daughter's injured side.
Tim took a seat on the other side of the bed, brushing his fingers through his daughter's dark curls. She was so beautiful, so innocent. She'd witnessed death and the tearing apart of her family, the loss of both her grandfathers, the death of a man who, given time, could have become her uncle... she'd just watched friends and classmates and teachers cut down from bullets...
"You listen to Ima and I, Shiraleh. You are strong, you are a fighter. You are going to get through this- physically, emotionally, mentally- Ima and I aren't going to allow you and your sisters to fall. We're going to be there to catch you, just like we've always done. Okay?"
She shifted; the sedative the doctors had given her after surgery was wearing off, and her father called for a nurse. Once she was checked over and the dressing changed, Tim slipped out of the room; he returned with Nara and Yoni in tow, holding tight to his hands. They rushed to the bed, climbing onto it and settling beside their sister when they reached her- Ziva hadn't moved from her place on the bed by her oldest daughter's side.
"Abba? Ima?"
"Hey, ktana." Ziva sniffled, pushing herself up. She pressed a kiss to her daughter's head, nuzzling close to her oldest. "How are you feeling?"
Shirah winced. "My side hurts."
"That's because you were shot, sweetheart." Tim whispered, joining them. "You're going to be in the hospital for a few days- a week at most."
Ziva snorted. "She started her life with a week in the hospital." Shirah furrowed a brow, but her mother waved it away.
Fifteen minutes later, Tim slipped out of the room. He made his way down the hall towards the waiting room where the team sat, waiting for news. But soon he stopped, leaning back against the wall, struggling to catch his breath. He had nearly lost his daughter- his firstborn, his baby- had nearly died in the librarian's office in her high school... he'd carried her towards the paramedics, feeling the lightness of her tiny frame and the weakening beat of her heart within his blood... he'd nearly lost his baby...
Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself away from the wall, continuing until he reached the waiting room. Sarah was the first on her feet. She rushed to her brother, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh, Timmy!" He squeezed her firmly.
"She's awake." He choked on a sob. The others in the team were up and surrounding him in minutes. "The bullet... the first one went through her side, it hit her appendix and pancreas and... missed her spine by inches when it exited her back and then went into Lin Eisheart... and the second... it sliced her spleen and pierced a lung... and... lodged in her back..."
"Well, luckily for young Shirah, the pancreas, spleen and appendix are not necessarily vital organs that are required to stay within the body. Her lung, however, may present a problem. You know, I remember this one time-"
"Ducky, please." Tony cut in, nodding towards Tim. The medical examiner nodded, realizing.
"Yes, well, if you don't mind, Timothy, I would like to speak with your doctor-"
Tim gave the man a small smile. He and Jimmy had been swamped in autopsy, bringing in the bodies of the children and teachers murdered, as well as the three bodies of the shooters that hadn't survived the massacre. The fourth was sitting in a holding cell. However, when the two medical examiners heard of Shirah's injury, they'd left the overseeing of settling of bodies to Jimmy's girlfriend, Breena, who was happy to help lessen the load in Autopsy, so that both Jimmy and Ducky could be there for the two younger agents in their family.
"Ziva and I would appreciate that, Ducky. Toda." The older man nodded.
"Al lo davar."
Then, with a nod, Ducky slipped back into the emergency room. Once he was gone, Tim turned back to Sarah. "Can I see her, Timmy?" He nodded, glancing at the others in the team.
"Doctor said only immediate family for now-"
Tony held up a hand. "We understand, Tim. When Cookie's ready, come get us."
The grateful father nodded, giving his partner a quick smile before taking Sarah's hand and leading her back to Shirah's room. He let Sarah slip into the room first, before leaning against the door frame and watching, the sight of his girls all whole and together again doing nothing to calm the fear in his soul.