Gibbs, McGee and Abby were at work. It was late at night and they were still working. Well, Gibbs and McGee were but Abby was just pacing around the area constantly glancing up at the elevator. It was a cross between working and waiting for Tony and Ziva to get home from Berlin. They got the email saying they just landed at the airport and they were, especially Abby were waiting in anticipation for their grand entrance through the elevator doors.
McGee finished his typing on his keyboard and he powered down his computer. He put his elbow down on his desk and his chin on his palm. He tapped the table with his free hand. He was also excited for Tony and Ziva's arrival. They all were excited but Abby expressed it more than others.
After some more of waiting, and staring at elevator doors Gibbs turned on the TV. There was a lady on the television and behind her was crime scene tape, flashing blue and red lights from every direction and a destroyed car behind her.
McGee saw the TV and then his brain told him something that made him feel like something was off. When he could put his finger in it, frowned and slowly rose from his seat.
"Boss. That's Tony's car." He said. His eyes widened in fear and he unknowingly pointed his finger sluggishly towards the TV.
Gibbs's mouth unconsciously opened slightly and his eyes looked as if he had just been told that one of his children died. It was like the face he made when Ziva got blown up in Morocco but the genuine fear that was coursing through his veins was double because it was two of his children not just one.
When Abby realized what was going on, she gasped and she held her hands over her nose and mouth in disbelief. It was a moment of shear fear and worry. Gibbs was the first to be snapped out of his stupor and his mind was brought back into reality.
"McGee, Abby. Lets go." He left the bullpen and waited in the elevator for Abby and McGee. They hurried to catch up with Gibbs but they were still in shock. They were trying to take in all that they knew. The ride to the crime scene was quiet but the minds of Gibbs, Abby and McGee was were filled with loud thoughts. When they finally arrived, their first priority was Tony and Ziva. They hopped out of the car and slowly made their way towards the crime scene tap. There was a large man with a uniform standing by the tape.
"Stop." He held his hand out and his other on his firearm which was holstered at his waist.
"NCIS. The two people who were hit are my people." Gibbs showed his credentials to the man.
The man nodded and lifted the tape to make way for them to proceed towards the crime scene.
They went up to the car. The sight made Abby and McGee cringe. There was glass all over, blood on the windshield, chairs and dashboard. The car was like a squished soda can. Gibbs went to the nearest police officer.
"Where are they?" He asked frantically.
When he didn't answer, he grabbed his by the coat and asked again
"Where are Tony and Ziva?!" He yelled in his face.
The cop was slightly threatened by Gibbs.
"They were taken to Bethesda Naval Hospital. One of the police officers found their credentials squished between the seats."
"NCIS will take care of this investigation from here. Our director will come to take over." He pointed out as he left with McGee and Abby.
Gibbs drove to Bethesda and he pushed on the gas. They arrived in record time and they sprinted towards the building. They went up the nurse at the desk.
Abby spoke first.
"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and Special Agent Ziva David please." She was practically lifting her feet off the ground with her hands on the counter.
"We've been expecting you. I think it would be better for you to see them. It will make more sense when you see them." The nurse called for a doctor to come pick them up.
They waited for a minute and then were greeted by a doctor.
"Hi. I'm Doctor Pitt. You can call my Brad. I am Tony and Ziva's doctor. Now. If I may, I will show you to their room."
They all nodded and let Brad lead them to Tony and Ziva.
When they reached the room, Brad stopped them at the door.
"Prepare for what you might see. It won't be what you expect."
He slowly opened the door and allowed them inside then gently shut the door.
When they saw what Brad had warned them about, their minds spun. Abby gasped and then her eyes were welling up with tears. Gibbs swallowed a big heap of saliva and he let out a big shaky sigh. McGee didn't even know how to react.
Ziva had a tube going down her throat plastered to her face with an endotracheal tube holder. She had wires coming from every part of her body. She looked small and fragile compared to the hospital bed which was usually small compared to people. The team and never seen her look so vulnerable.
"Ziva sustained broken ribs, a concussion, and she dislocated her shoulder which we were able to put back in place. She has a two inch gash on the side of her head which luckily is hidden in her hair. We were able to keep it together with a few stitches. She snapped a rib and it managed to puncture her left lung. We have a chest tube going inside her to keep her lung inflated. Other than that, she should be ok. She'll make a full recovery and she'll be able to go back to work after a few weeks of rest. He just had to keep her intubated until the sedation wares off. She will be in a bit of pain. Courtesy of the chest tube, shoulder and her ribs. Hence why we sedated her. But rest assured. She'll be ok." Brad explained all at once.
Gibbs slowly made his way towards Ziva and sat on the small black stool by her bed and sighed. He held her hand in his and planted a small kiss on her knuckles.
He looked back. Still holding Ziva's hand.
"What about Tony?" He asked.
Tony didn't have a tube going down his throat but he had wires everywhere. He looked worse off than Ziva. The small bed was almost not small enough to hold the extent of Tony's body but just enough to hold him. Again. The team had never seen Tony look this fragile either. Right at that moment, Ducky walked in.
"Oh Dear." Ducky exclaimed.
"Ducky." Abby said slowly. She hugged him and he hugged back.
"Hello my dear." He said in her ear.
"Ah. Doctor Mallard. It's good to see you again."
"Oh. Hello Brad. It's good to see you again." He exclaimed
Gibbs and Abby glared at him.
"Well, given the circumstances." He nodded. Correcting himself.
"I was about to explain the condition of Agent DiNozzo."
"Well. Do tell."
"Well. Tony may be able to breathe on his own but he is not much better than Ziva. He had a major concussion and a broken nose. He will be very dizzy when he wakes up. He needs to be monitored very very carefully. He has fractured ribs and he is also sedated. We will keep his sedated until his concussion dies down a bit more. He had a big cut on his nose as well so we'll keep a close eye on it too. He should also be fine but he will need to stay here slightly longer than Ziva. He will also be able to return to work but what worries me the worst is that he has the slightest of brain swelling. If it gets any worse, we may have to intubate him too. Tony. He hit his head pretty hard. But I've known him for quite a while. He's a fighter."
"Yeah Doc. He sure is." Gibbs still had Ziva's small hand enveloped by his bigger one. Abby and McGee were by Tony's side talking to him quietly. Gibbs could only guess that they were urging him to wake up.
Ducky was standing in the middle of the room taking glances at everyone. Seconds at a time. He was a worried grandfather and he could only hope that they would let him help them when they were staying with him when they got discharged.
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Gibbs and the team stayed in the same position that Brad left them. Except, Ducky left for home because he was getting too tired to stay. McGee and Abby were still by Tony and Gibbs by Ziva. They didn't want to move. They were all afraid that if they let go of their hands even for a second, they would just be completely and utterly lost.
"Tony. Wake up. Do something. Slap me. Call McGee something stupid. Give us a lecture about Jason Bourne. Anything." Abby pleaded.
They got silence in return.
Abby and McGee were still doing a quiet mantra of begging Tony to wake up. Gibbs sat there, holding Ziva's hand and said nothing. But when he felt when the time was right, he started to talk.
"Come on Ziver. Wake up. I can't stand to have another Kate in my hands. I can't even stand the thought of losing another daughter. I may be the closest thing you have to a father but you are my daughter and nothing can ever change that. Come on. Wake up Ziver. I need to know that you're safe and alive." He sighed when he got nothing.
But when he began to lose hope, the nothing turned into a something. He felt her hand twitch and her eyelids flutter. The monitor began to pick up in speed. Then, her eyes opened and the look in her eyes, Gibbs will never forget. It was a look of genuine fear and horror. Her hand instinctively drifted towards the object that was stopping her from taking a much needed breath.
"Ziva! Stop! Stop!" He grabbed her hand and pinned it down by her side.
Gibbs had never seen her look so scared.
McGee and Abby discarded Tony and ran to Ziva's side. Ziva was chocking on the tube. Gibbs finally let go to Ziva's hand and ran to find a doctor.
"I need a doctor! She's waking up!" He yelled.
Brad. Followed by a bunch of nurses came in like a herd of elephants. They surrounded Ziva's bed and Brad spoke.
"Nice to see you Ziva. You need to lay still or else you will be in more pain than you are now. Don't panic. Alright. I will take the tube out. First I need you to blink." She blinked rather furiously.
"Now can you squeeze Abby's hand." Ziva's eyes averted towards Abby. She squeezed her hand.
Abby gave Brad a nod.
"Alright. I will take the tube out. I need you to take a deep breathe and the tube will come out on three. 1, 2, 3!" Ziva did as she was told and the tube slid right out.
Ziva let out an agonizing, raspy cough. her hand drifted towards the middle of her chest as if it hurt.
"Ziva. We will give you some morphine to help with the pain." Doctor explained.
She ignored everyone. her mind was stuck on one thing and her eyes were locked on one thing in particular.
Tony.
"Tony." She said painfully. Even saying his name was quite a feat.
"Tony is fine Ziva. But we just need to focus on you for now." Abby gently chastised.
"No. Is he ok?" She asked ignoring the pain and Abby.
"Yes. Tony's fine. You need to stop talking or else I will slap you in the chest." Abby threatened. She wouldn't actually do such a thing to Ziva but she needed some way to make her listen.
McGee and Gibbs smirked to themselves.
Ziva may not be talking about Tony. But her mind was being overwhelmed by thoughts about him. She was worried about him. She wanted him awake and talking to her but all she could see was him sleeping.
טוני בבקשה תתעורר. (Tony please wake up)