Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

So, it's been a LONG time, but I'm still here…

Chapter 56

Mia had fallen back into a more restful sleep, sitting partly reclined in bed, supported by pillows. Her right hand clasped in Gibbs', he looked on as the little girl slept, thankful that she was able to rest. Across the bed, Tony sat in the plastic chair, long legs stretched out in front of him, reading the latest Playboy magazine concealed within an old newspaper.

A sudden pattering drew the attention of both agents, making Tony pull his legs up so he could quickly stand if necessary. The lead agent turned towards the door, still holding Mia's hand, his gut surprisingly quiet. He sensed no danger.

A second later, the large eyes of a golden retriever puppy appeared round the door. Little paws pattering on the linoleum floor, the puppy trotted purposefully into the room, pulling against the lead attaching it to its handler.

"Where you going, Dexter?" A woman's voice asked, following the young animal into the room and smiling at the two agents. "Excuse us, gentlemen. My name is Cathy, Dexter here is a therapy dog, and he seems to have taken a liking to your daughter."

The puppy jumped up against the bed, much too small to jump onto the mattress, and let out a whine.

"No, you can't go up there buddy." Gibbs told the puppy, redirecting its attention to his hand. Padding over to the Marine, Dexter sat on the floor in front of Gibbs, holding one paw out. "Nice to meet you, Dexter."

The sight of a badass Marine shaking a puppy's paw made Tony wish he'd brought a camera along to capture the Hallmark moment.

Mia opened her eyes in time to see a new figure in the room. The woman was smiling at something on the floor and holding a blue rope in her hand. A strange high-pitched sound reached her ears and she jumped a little, the twitch in her hand drawing Gibbs' attention.

"Hey there, sleepy-head." Gibbs said softly, turning to the child. "We have a little visitor."

She turned back to the dark-haired woman standing at the bottom of the bed. Following her gaze, Mia leaned over slightly, too small to see what was on the floor. Seeing the predicament, Gibbs scooped the puppy up into his lap, straightening the blue vest the dog was wearing.

Mia felt her heart speed up as the strange golden thing sitting on Gibbs' knee looked at her. It turned its head and glanced at Gibbs, making the high-pitched sound again before turning back to look at her.

"This is Dexter, he's a therapy dog working here in the hospital. He likes to go around and meet everyone." The woman told Mia, smiling. "He saw you in here and wanted to come say hi."

"H-Hi…" Mia whispered uncertainly. The small animal started wagging its tail, his ears perked in anticipation. The woman holding the blue rope grew an even bigger smile as she watched the puppy.

"Ah! He likes you!" Cathy said, looking at Mia. Mia glanced at Gibbs, confused. How did the woman know what the dog wanted and liked? It didn't speak.

"See how he wags his tail when you talk? That means he's happy and likes you." Gibbs explained, scratching the puppy's ears. "You wanna pat his head? He's very soft."

Mia looked a little unsure, confused as to what she was expected to do. She watched carefully as the agent showed her how to pat the puppy, a ghost of a smile appearing as the dog wagged its tail again.

Carefully supporting the puppy in his arms, Gibbs shifted forward in his seat, observing every reaction from the child. He knew it was undoubtedly the first time she had ever encountered an animal, let alone a puppy, and how important this interaction would be.

Swallowing the fear threatening to blossom into panic, Mia lifted her right hand and reached towards the small dog. As her fingers got nearer, Dexter held very still, somehow sensing the child's fear and instinctively knowing what to do.

"S-Soft…" She whispered, letting the golden fur tickle her fingertips. Gibbs and Tony shared a glance as they watched the two. Dexter wagged his tail at the contact and moved his head a little so the child could get to his ear. The curiosity displayed on Mia's face completely removed the image of a tormented abuse victim, replacing it with one of an inquisitive little girl.

Seeing the pain beginning to return to the kid's face, Gibbs urged her to lay back as he gently lowered the puppy to the floor. The agent stood from his chair, helping Mia to lie back against the pillows and keeping the frown from his face as he took in the pale complexion, hoping that this interaction had not equalled a step back in her recovery.

"Time for a nap, I think." Cathy commented, pulling on Dexter's lead. "Come Dexter, let's leave your new friend to sleep, there's plenty more people for you to see."

"Thank you for coming to visit, Dexter." Gibbs said, smiling at the golden lab puppy, and giving a grateful smile to Cathy. As he turned back to Mia, the agent was aware of Dexter suddenly whining and jumping up against his leg. The puppy pawed insistently at the Marine's leg, whining incessantly and glancing between the bed and Gibbs.

"What's up, Dex?" Tony asked, confused at the dog's sudden change in behaviour.

"Come Dexter. We can visit again some other day." Cathy said, tugging on the lead.

"Mia?" Tony asked, drawing all attention to the child. Seeing Dexter's strange behaviour and the constant looking between Mia and Gibbs had spurred the Italian agent's curiosity. The agent knew that some dogs had been specially trained to alert their owners to the onset of epileptic seizures and even diabetic crises. Turning to the child, Tony's heart sank as he took in the white face, the blank gaze, and the growing twitches in Mia's right hand.

"Need a doctor in here!" Gibbs shouted, his gut twisting as he watched the seizure begin. "It's ok, pumpkin, help's coming."

Between the two men, operating with a silent cooperation built on many years of working side-by-side, they quickly slipped the child onto her left side, placing a pillow between her knees to protect the protruding metalwork.

"You're doing great, princess, we're right here with you." Tony murmured to the child, stroking the hair from her face. The powerful contractions in her muscles caused her back to arch, throwing her head back and making her breathing hitch.

"Oh dear, another seizure, huh?" Marie said as she entered the child's room. Seeing that the two agents had already positioned Mia, the nurse smiled at the pair and bent down to see her patient. "Looks like your two guardian angels have already done my job for me."

"Isn't there something you can do to stop it?" Gibbs asked, feeling the frustration building in his veins.

"There are drugs we can give her, but it is only given in severe seizures which don't stop on their own." Marie told him. "Until then, positioning, reassurance, and maintenance are key. You've already put her in the best position and have been reassuring her. Even if she can't respond or loses consciousness, don't stop talking to her. The only other thing you can do is make sure she's breathing. With the damage to her lungs and the power of the contractions, her breathing is difficult, so I'm going to start her on some oxygen."

Gibbs and Tony could only watch as the nurse gathered an oxygen mask, filled the chamber with medication to open Mia's airways, and passed it to Tony.

"Just hold it in front of her face." Marie instructed him.

"Here we go, princess." Tony soothed, kneeling to hold the mask. "This will help your breathing."

Thankfully, it was after only a couple of minutes that the convulsions slowed and stopped. As the over-stretched muscles started to finally relax, the child was able to take larger breaths.

"Mia, you with us?" Tony asked, moving into her line of sight. The kid blinked sluggishly, remaining still.

"T-Tony…" She breathed, pulling her head forward from where it had been thrown back against the pillow and stretching her neck.

"The one and only!" He grinned, relieved at the recognition in her eyes. "You had another seizure, princess. How are you feeling now?"

"B-Bit… sore… and t-tired…"

"You know what I think might be nice?" Tony asked, drawing Mia's attention. "I think if we got Gibbs to sit behind you again, he could make you nice and warm and comfy and you could have a sleep."

Gibbs felt his heart swell as he watched Mia nod her head. With Marie's assistance, they sat the kid upright and Gibbs scooted into place, draping a blanket over his chest. As Mia was settled against him, he wrapped the fabric around her tiny frame, making a mental note to try and get her nutrition sorted.

With the warm blanket circling her aching body, Mia let herself sink into the Marine's arms, feeling the warmth seeping into her bones. She fought against the sleep trying to take over, despite knowing it was a fight she was never to win. As the three adults held silent to allow the child to drift into sleep, they all caught the whispered words.

"L-Like… hugs…"

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