Taking a break from Tony. Tag to S5 E13 Dog Tags

Was anybody else more than a little bothered by the way Abby turned on McGee as soon as she found out the dog got shot in self-defense?


"Abby." She turned around to find both Tony and Gibbs behind her.

"Hey, guys. Is there a case right now? I thought we closed the last one." She said brightly, a little confused about why they were down. They didn't even have Caf-pow with them!

"I just had an interesting conversation with another agent about something he saw down in the evidence garage today." Gibbs said simply. Not to mention the comments he'd heard after they found that other dogs bones.

"About what?" She asked.

"About the way you treated McGee over the dog. And now we find out that you're making him keep it? The dog that attacked him and almost tore his arm off?" Tony asked. Yes, he'd been teasing McGee about it all day, but he wasn't making his probie take the animal home with him!

"What are you talking about? He shot that poor innocent dog! And the military is just going to put him down, he didn't do anything!" She protested.

"That dog is the property of the United States Military, what they do with him is their business. And he is a trained working dog. If he turns on his handlers, or bites them, then chances are increased that he will do it again." Gibbs cut in sternly.

"He wouldn't..."

"Are you trained in the proper and safe handling of military service dogs, Abby?" Gibbs cut her off.

"Well, no, but..."

"Then how do you know what he will or will not do in the future?" Tony asked quietly.

"If the military decides to put him down after this, then that is because they feel he is a danger to others. A service dog that attacks without command is a loose cannon, the military does not like loose cannons." Gibbs intoned.

"He didn't attack anyone!" She cried.

"Then what are the bite marks all over McGee's neck and arm?" Tony demanded.

"He'd gotten into a bag of cocaine! He was high and not in his right mind!" She challenged. "And McGee didn't have to shoot him!" She tried a different tact, knowing that she was in the right here.

"Would you rather McGee be Ducky's current guest in autopsy right now? Which would you rather, Abby? A flesh wound on a dog, or a dead McGee?" Tony challenged her. Truth be told, he and Gibbs were equally as guilty as the dog, they shouldn't have sent him around back alone. They didn't need three people on the front of the house, Ziva or Tony should have been in back with him.

If they'd done that, the dog would never have gotten as far as it did when mauling his arm, although the dog would also be dead right now.

Abby was speechless, when she finally got her voice back, she was outraged. "How dare you even think of asking me something like that?" She yelled, and moved to punch Tony on the arm, which he smoothly dodged, not in the mood for letting it hit.

"Then why did you completely forget all about McGee's injuries and instead start berating him for defending himself?" Gibbs barked.

She was quiet for a bit. And Gibbs sighed. "Go talk to the nuns. I expect a sincere apology to McGee once you get your head on straight. I've already called Pax River. They've agreed to put him through retraining with a new handler, owing to the circumstances of when he attacked McGee, but one more incident, and they will have to put him down." He said.

"But, Gibbs, you said..." She started.

"That was before you tried to force him onto McGee. Either find something else for him, or he goes back to Pax River." Tony said simply, and turned to walk out.

Abby was stunned. "Gibbs..." She implored, turning to him, only to find disappointment in his eyes.

"I thought you cared about him, Abby." He said, and followed Tony, leaving her to stand in the middle of the lab, stunned.