HT8
As they farewelled Fornell at the end of the weekend, they returned to their home and breathed a huge sigh of relief. They were finally alone and soon Kelly was hysterically laughing. "What's so funny, Kel?" Tim asked, looking at her like she'd grown another head.
"We can decide to have sex right here and no one can stop us." She stated, giggling again. "It's been so long since we were alone last." Tim picking up her train of thought, put his arm around her and pulled her into him gently.
"I like it," he agreed wholeheartedly. "So where should we start?"
"With food, I'm starving." She laughed, leaving him on the sofa. "Let's heat up the left over pasta that Fornell made last night for dinner."
"The baby wants pasta?" Tim asked, rubbing her slightly rounded stomach.
"Baby wants the red sauce more than anything." Kelly stated dreamily.
"How about we add a little extra sauce and cheese, make it a pasta bake?" Tim offered, guiding her to the kitchen.
"Not too much sauce, the baby may love red sauce, but the heartburn won't love me at 2am. That's for sure?" Kelly laughed and Tim opened the top cupboard, showing her the stash of Gaviscon he had stashed there.
"Planning on tacos for dinner tomorrow night." Tim promised, kissing Kelly and beginning work on dinner.
In the NCIS building, in Jacksonville, McGee had finished his swim, after his PT with Henderson and found himself dawdling this particular morning. Something was nagging at him, he didn't know when it began, but it was gnawing at him and he couldn't get a read on it. "McGee?" Santiago asked, entering the locker room. He had found Tim sitting on the bench, in front of his locker, almost fully dressed after his shower. "McGee?" He called again, garnering his attention. "Vance is looking for you." He said softly, catching his friend's eyes.
"Thanks Mike." Tim replied with a smile.
Tim felt drained, he hadn't felt like this, since his arm and neck had been mauled by that dog, about the time his first post op infection had flared. He felt his head for a fever, but his skin was hot from his post-workout shower, so he couldn't tell. His head was heavy, with a raging headache though.
"Tim?" Vance called softly, dropping his voice to a whisper when he saw McGee, hunched over, head in hands, dressed in his jeans, open dress shirt and socks only. Seeing Tim's face when he looked up, he thought the young man was slightly off, but he also thought the shy genius was looking tired. "You ok?"
"Huh?!" Tim asked confused, looking at the Director. "Yeah, fine. Just contemplating the week ahead." Tim answered.
"If you're sick, you should go home." Vance argued, wondering if Tim refused he may have to call Ducky or Gibbs to force him home.
"Not sick, just mentally compartmentalising the week ahead." Tim explained, getting huffy a little at Vance. "Besides, I'm busy working on a cold case from the 80's. Got a couple of searches running upstairs and if they pan out, I'll have the evidence tied to the suspect and we can go arrest him.
"Good. I actually came down here to discuss your next workshop. It's in DC next week for three days. It's at the navy yard." Vance explained. "Gonna have to spend a couple of days there. Want us to put you up, or you going to stay with Gibbs or Ducky?"
"Either, Either. Staying with Gibbs makes sense, we practically run on coffee and pretty much keep the same hours." Tim answered. "I'd have to ask him of course."
"Would Kelly go with you?"
"No, she has exams next week." Tim stated sadly. "She's probably love the quiet time away from me."
"I'll book you in, you talk with Gibbs and let me know."
"Gibbs." The curt voice of Kelly's father came over the phone line. Silence greeted the older man, Gibbs pulled the phone away from his ear, looking at the caller ID. "McGee?" He asked again. Ziva and Tony sat up straighter and began paying attention to what their boss was saying. "McGee, report!" He snapped, trying to bring Tim to attention.
"Sorry," Tim said, automatically refocusing, knowing it would have annoyed the hard agent off by breaking rule six. "Zoned out for a minute. Ya there, boss?"
"That's better." He chastised gently. "Is everything ok with you? Kelly? The baby?"
"Oh yeah, everything is fine. Could I please stay with you next week? I'm in DC for four days for a workshop?" Tim asked. "I could stay with Ducky, if I can't, but you're closer to where I need to be everyday."
"Don't be ridiculous, McGee. You're always welcome." Gibbs told the young man. "Kelly coming too?"
"Just me, Kel's got three exams next week. She's going to be super busy." Tim explained to his girlfriend's father.
"Gotta go, McGee. Just got a lead. Video call me tonight after 2000. We can talk more and I can see Kelly." Gibbs disconnected the call, then pulled his cell away from his ear, staring at it. "That was weird." He said out loud to no one in particular. 'Damn it, McGee. You sound so lost!' Gibbs thought. 'I should have never let you leave DC. Should have made you stay where Ducky and I could keep an eye on you.'
"Probie ok?" DiNozzo asked out loud and Gibbs just glared at the SFA.
"Back to work, DiNozzo." Gibbs barked. "I'd like to sleep in my own bed tonight."
In Jacksonville, the taskforce broke for lunch and McGee quickly fired off two emails. The first to Kel, explaining he had to go to DC on Friday and stay through 'til Thursday night. The second to Vance, telling him that Gibbs would put him up. That the repairs to Gibbs' house must be done, because Gibbs said he could stay with him.
He received a prompt return email from Kel, telling him she was jealous, but understood. That she'd be ok while he was away. She asked if Leon was going with him and he quickly replied no and they'd talk more tonight, knowing she had a class starting very shortly.
"McGee!" Vance's voice bellowed through the bullpen. McGee wordlessly got up and followed the sound of Leon Vance's pissed off voice that echoed through the bullpen. "Sorry about that, Tim." He said, seeing the worried look on the young man's face. "I've got a dilemma here. I have just been reaming Jared out, his report card isn't the best. His math teacher wants a parent/teacher conference tomorrow night. Now I have to re-jig my plans for that evening. I have an important meeting tonight I can't miss. But my kids have to come first." Vance took a deep breath in. "Can you please stand in my place at this meeting? You don't have to say anything or contribute anything. I just need someone who can take copious notes quickly, not just someone who'll take notes on the brief points."
"Sure." Tim smiled, taking notes and not contributing. "That's easy."
"Thanks, you're a life saver." Vance gushed and walked out of his office, showing Tim a little extra kindness. Not just for the favour Tim agreed to do for the Director, but to show the other agents that Tim wasn't in trouble. He'd already dealt with Driscoll this week and hadn't been fun. "I'll even throw in dinner on Sunday night?" Vance offered, as the duo walked towards the café on the ground floor of their building. They'd broken for lunch.
"Can't, I'll be in DC by then. Gibbs has a case for me, he needs help with. Promised I'd fly in no later than Friday night/Saturday morning. But if you can do me a favour?"
"Sure." Vance said, chuckling automatically, without thinking about it.
"Watch out for Kel. I hate leaving her like this, but it's for work. She specifically asked if you were coming with me." Tim informed him. "I think she's worrying, that I'm going to be gone."
"That's probably just pregnancy hormones, Tim. I'll have Jackie keep an eye on her." Vance reassured the first time father to be.
"Thank you," Tim answered him. "I've reassured her everything will be ok but she's still worried about me. Plus kind of pissed off that I'm going back to DC without her." Vance made a mental note to talk to Jackie about having the young woman stay with them while Tim was away. Not only so he could keep an eye on her better, but because he didn't feel it was a good idea her being alone either. He, Jackie and the kids had plans to visit Roanoke Rapids and spend the night there and he thought it might be better if they invited Kelly along too. It'd serve three purposes, one, it'd distract Kelly from missing Tim and two, it'd protect Kelly as his security detail would be with him and his family, thirdly, it'd save Tim from dealing with the wrath of pregnancy hormones while he's in DC.
Tim went home, showered and changed. He had skipped out on his PT session for this afternoon that he'd had scheduled and he felt better for it. He couldn't seem to shake whatever feeling it was that had been weighing him down. Kelly had a chicken casserole in the slow cooker cooking all day and his whole house smelt delicious, which had perked him up a little. They'd eaten a quiet dinner and Kelly was beginning to worry. Tim had been quiet through dinner, almost preoccupied. "You ok, baby?" Kelly asked Tim. He was reading a book, she noticed he hadn't written anything in while now. She was studying for her upcoming exams. Fingers crossed, they'd be the last exams she'd take for the calendar year.
"Fine, sweetheart." He answered, distractedly. "Oh before I forget. I'm going to be home late tomorrow night. I have to sit in on a meeting for Vance."
"That's ok. I have to go the library after classes." Kelly said, watching Tim closely.
The tablet that belonged in their living room began ringing with an incoming video call. Tim groaned, before getting up to answer it. Kelly saw it was her Dad and immediately took over the conversation, barely letting Gibbs get a word in edgewise. She was telling him about everything that was happening, even relaying that Tim had a meeting for Vance tomorrow night. "Kell!" Gibbs interrupted, exasperated. "Let me talk too," he teased gently. "Where'd Tim go?" Gibbs asked, noting the lack of her partner beside her.
"I don't know." She answered, quietly. "I swear, he's been really quiet all day. Not focused and definitely his usual self." She reflected quietly.
"Did something happen? You guys have a fight?" He asked, thinking back to earlier today. He knew just by talking to the young man that something was off.
"That's just it. Nothing's wrong!" Kelly said, exasperated by his behaviour.
"Then it's probably a case bothering him, one he can't talk about. He'll be fine, he's crashing here while he's in DC. I'll keep an eye on him." Gibbs promised. He hoped that his agent would let him in or go to him for advice. "I'll see him Sunday."
"Ah, don't you mean Friday?" Kelly asked, correcting her father. "Tim's leaving at 1500, Friday."
"O-kay" Gibbs answered, drawing out the word like it's supposed to be hyphenated. He hoped that someone would fill him in soon.
"Dad!" Kelly snapped. She was clearly angry, frustrated and upset at Tim.
"Kell, he'll be here Friday. He probably hasn't updated me yet, it's a case bothering him. He can't talk about it. Everything is ok!" Gibbs chastised. "Calm down!"
Frustrated, hurt and upset, Kelly disconnected the call from her father. Her whole life she'd heard, 'I can't talk about it, it's a case' or 'it's classified' she didn't think she'd have to live it all over again with Tim. She took herself upstairs, vowing she'd calm down. She put herself to bed, not noticing in her angry state that Tim hadn't come to bed.
Tim found himself in the basement, he'd been feeling progressively worse after a brief stint of feeling better this evening. He didn't want to worry Kelly, she was already stressed out with school, exams and her doula studies. He was back to being unable to focus. He was beginning to sweat now, and felt agitated too. He sent a message to Vance, apologising for the late hour, before calling in for a sick day the following day. His cell immediately rang, he smiled at that, knowing it was Vance. "Hey Leon, it's late." Tim answered through a yawn. "Is everything ok?"
"How bad is it?" Vance asked automatically. "I've got Gibbs blowing up my phone now. Assuming he's spoken with Kelly and now he is very concerned about you."
"It's nothing, I'm just feeling a little run down. Need a day to recharge." Tim said, yawning softly. "I'll be fine as soon as I get some extra rest."
"Tim, forget about the meeting tomorrow night." Vance ordered. "Get some rest, if you're still like this tomorrow, maybe you should see a doctor."
"Well you look like crap." Vance said as Tim answered the door at 1700 the following evening.
"Really?" Tim asked, exasperated. "That's after I've seen the doctor, too. He agreed I just needed a day of rest."
"Good, there's been a change in plans." Leon asked, letting himself in and helping himself to a cup of coffee. "Need you in DC tonight. You're catching a military flight from base to Anacostia-Bolling at 2100 tonight. Gibbs will meet you at the airfield." Vance ordered. "Pack for a whole week, you'll stay and complete your workshop there too. Check in with me upon your arrival at AB."
"Yes sir!" Tim said firmly. He always took orders well from superiors.
"Tim, let Ducky take a look at you too. I won't tell the girls, but I'm worried about you too." Vance begged and Tim just breathed out a sigh, that told Vance he'd do just that.
Gibbs met the C-130 at joint AB airbase at 2100, as scheduled. Tim was bracing himself as the flight landed and had felt it reverberate through his entire body. As soon as Gibbs saw him, he jogged over to him and took the bag from his daughter's partner. "Geez Tim, you look like shit." Gibbs had said, studying him. Yeah, Tim had bulked up a bit more, he'd toned up and he looked better than he'd looked in a long time, but he looked really sick. "Please tell me you've been to a doctor?" He asked, as they got into Gibbs' yellow challenger.
"Saw one on base earlier today." He confirmed and his boss didn't look thrilled at that answer. "Said I needed a day of rest. That I'd be fine after a good nights sleep."
"Glad to have ya back, even if it is only if it is a week." Gibbs said, cupping the agent around his neck, pulling him in for a hug. "Hell Tim, you're a bit warm there. Let's head to the house and you can take a shower and slide into bed. Have you eaten yet?"
"Yeah, Kelly made a shredded pork thing. I put some in a sandwich." Tim replied and Gibbs glared at him. It was unlike Tim to just eat a sandwich for an evening meal. Tim had been eating really well and taking care of himself. Bread was a carb and he knew the agent very rarely allowed himself the indulgence of bread.
In the car, on the way to the Gibbs family home, he looked over and Tim was dozing, in an out of sleep. Gibbs stopped at a stoplight and looked over at him again. Tim was now sound asleep and Gibbs could see he was wearing a fine layer of perspiration. He reached over and gently touched his forehead, noticing how clammy he was too. 'Yep, definitely a fever.' Gibbs thought.
As soon as he pulled up at the house, he woke Tim up and helped him inside the house and upstairs. He managed to convince Tim to take a cool shower and put some fresh shorts on.
"Duck?" Gibbs asked as soon as he heard his call connect to Ducky's cell, not letting the man greet him.
"Hello Jethro, for what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked in a jovial mood.
"Need a house call here, Duck." Gibbs quickly rushed out. "Got Tim here to work on a case before his workshop and his sick."
"Be there in thirty minutes." Ducky said, promising his friend to be there soon.
Gibbs wondered what was taking McGee so long in the bathroom and made his way upstairs. He knocked on the bathroom door. Hearing no answer, Gibbs slowly let himself in. There he saw Tim, asleep in the shower standing upright, leaning against the tiled wall. He reached in and turned the water off before gently ushering the wet, naked man out of the shower stall and quickly drying him, before wrapping him up in a towel and helping him get into bed. He opted to just cover him with a sheet, instead of dressing him, despite the temperature of the house on the top floor. He was still hot and clammy, but his breathing had become shallow and erratic. 'Where the hell is Ducky?!' He thought as he went in search of a thermometer in the bathroom.
He heard Ducky come into the house and he immediately made his way upstairs, before Gibbs went to the hallway to let him know what room he was in. "Hey, thanks for coming." Gibbs said. "I didn't know who else to call. He said he's been to a doctor on the base and he said Tim just needed to rest. But something isn't right."
"Let me look the boy over and then we can plan what we are going to do with him." Ducky said softly, placating his friend.
"Best case scenario, I'm a little overprotective and my mind has exaggerated it, a little. Worst case scenario … my grandchild grows up without a father." Gibbs supplied, being somewhat dramatic about it, something he wasn't normally known for. "But my guts telling me, something's wrong."
"I'm sure he's not dying there, Jethro. Let me examine the man, go make me some tea." He instructed his friend. Sometimes he's friend needed to be directed, so he could work in peace without him hovering nearby.
"Duck, his breathing has changed from when we last spoke. I thought it was because he was asleep in the shower. But I'm not sure."
"Go make some tea, Jethro and I'll check him over." He comforted his friend, patting his arm as he went into Kelly's bedroom, the one that was now Tim's bedroom too.
Gibbs knew Ducky was right, this whole thing had just caught him off guard. He knew Tim would have just kept pushing and would have been to the doctor, anyway. Vance wouldn't have sent him to DC, if he was too sick. Gibbs didnt want to be the one to call Kelly if he was indeed, as sick as his gut was telling him. "Jethro!" Ducky's voice bellowed downstairs. "Forget the tea!" Ducky's voice caught him unaware and he raced upstairs to find Ducky in the middle of giving his address to someone on the phone. "Yes, Bethesda Naval Hospital." Ducky took a deep cleansing breath. "Yes I am aware there are hospitals closer. My name is Dr Donald Mallard. I have privileges at Bethesda and I am the man's physician. The paperwork from the original incident is on route to Bethesda as we speak." Ducky hastily removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Just send the damn ambulance." He snapped and disconnected the call from the ambulance service.
"Duck?" He asked, it took a lot for Ducky, of all people to be short with people. "You sounded like me there, is everything ok?"
"Jethro, I'm afraid Timothy needs to go to hospital. I fear he needs more care than just rest. I need to run some tests. I have called for an ambulance. The idiot on the other end wanted to send him to Woodbridge, because they're running a special on it."
"Privatisation, at its finest." Gibbs supplied, frustrated. "I'll go open the door and switch on the lights."
The ambulance came, they got Tim on to the gurney from the bed. Ducky took the medical bag from the paramedic. He immediately got Tim on a Hudson mask and hooked him up to the portable oxygen, before he skilfully inserted an IV cannula, finding a vein on the first try and running some fluids to keep up his hydration. Having noticed some signs of dehydration beginning to set in. "Ask Anthony to bring my car to the hospital for me and tell him if he breaks anything in it, he will be Mr Palmer's assistant for a whole year, please Jethro." Ducky asked as he climbed into the back of the ambulance with Tim.
"Bethesda?" Gibbs confirmed with Ducky. "We won't be far behind you. Go."
He had his cell in hand, having already called Tony and Ziva, asking them to come to his house to collect Ducky's car. He knew he needed to call and let Kelly know. It was late and he knew she had an exam in the morning. He knew it was an important exam. One of the final exams she had to take. With that in mind, he decided to call Vance. After all, Tim reports directly to him at camp Lejuene.
"Vance!" The Assistant Director snapped into the cell phone. He had been waiting up for Tim to check in from AB base. He was getting worried, he knew the flight had landed over an hour ago and hoped the young man had just forgotten to call in his weakened state. He'd only been planning to wait another fifteen minutes before he was going to call Tim, himself.
"It's Gibbs." He said softly, unable to read the man's mood, but with the lateness of the hour, he knew Vance wouldn't be happy.
"Thank god! Please tell me you have Tim. He hasn't checked in yet." He said, worried even more than he wanted to admit. "He was supposed to check in when he arrived at AB."
"He has arrived. We went to the house, he showered and Ducky came over to check in him. Did you know he's sick?" Gibbs asked, wondering why he was sent to DC if he was sick.
"Yeah, the doc on base said he'd be fine if he rested. He even took a sick day today." Vance supplied, repeating what Tim had told him earlier.
"He's currently on route to Bethesda in an ambulance with Ducky." Gibbs said. "I knew something was seriously wrong as soon as I saw him. He could barely stand up. Question is, should I wake Kelly up and tell her?"
"I will, she's asleep in our guest room. When I got home tonight, told Jackie that Tim was still sick, but had to go to DC. She insisted I bring her here. I've learnt over the years to always listen to my wife."Vance explained, he didn't want to tell Gibbs that Jackie had worried for Kelly's mental state of having to stay home while Tim was in DC, getting to visit her father with and stay in her bedroom, in her childhood home.
"She's got a big exam tomorrow." Gibbs reminded Vance.
"I'm currently running DC and Carolina - and everywhere in between, while AD Craig tours the area. Please keep me posted, if need be, we will fly in tomorrow."
"Yes sir." Gibbs was glad that call was over and felt better that Vance's wife had taken Kelly under her wing.
Tony and Ziva promptly arrived at his house and he quickly explained what the situation was with Tim. "Oh and DiNozzo, Ducky said you break anything in his car, you schlep for Palmer for a year!" Gibbs laughed out loud at that, relaying Ducky's threat to him.
The trio arrived at Bethesda and into the emergency waiting room, Ducky had asked the receptionist to advise him when Jethro arrived. She had thrust the patient registration forms at him, asking him to fill it out immediately and return it, that she'd entered him into the system on his name alone, relying on Ducky to make sure someone was definitely coming to register him, so they could begin treatment, without any delays.
"Go home guys, I'm not sure I'll be in tomorrow, but apparently Vance is running our office out of the Carolina's office, grab Dorney from CCU for the electronic searches. But I'll call in. Thank you, for your help." Gibbs said, as he returned to pacing the waiting room floor.
"Keep us posted, Gibbs." Ziva had said, before hauling Tony out of there.
"Agent Gibbs?" A voice whispered and he looked up to find Palmer standing over him. "I have an update."
"Yeah Palmer." He commented, stretching himself, untwisting his body. He hadn't meant to doze off in the hard plastic chair. "What's happening?"
"His bloods are back. The labs, not the cultures yet. He has a high white cell count, which generally means that there is an infection somewhere and it's wreaking havoc. We have started him in a broad spectrum antibiotic. Ducky said it's one of the few he isn't allergic to. Ducky is concerned about sepsis, so we are taking some extra precautions. You can come on back, but you'll need to scrub in, like you did when he was in ICU."
"Thank you." Gibbs said, patting Palmer on his back, eager to see the man he was beginning to think of as his son in-law, not as his agent.
Jimmy lead Gibbs into one of the 'resus' cubicles in the emergency department. Those cubicles are the ones reserved for only the most sickest patients. "Hey Palmer, you did good. As soon as we're done here, go home and get some sleep." Gibbs told him with a pat on the back.
"Thanks, but if it's alright, I'd like to stay and continue helping out." Jimmy asked, offering his assistance. "Ducky has already organised for Jordan to cover for us for the day."
Gibbs looked down onto the gurney that was located in the room. There cardiac monitoring leads, two intravenous cannula access points, one was a regular gauge and had fluids delicately being administered and there was an empty, small IV bag hanging, that Gibbs had assumed was the broad-spectrum antibiotic. The other was a heavy duty gauge, with a funny little tap like accessory on it. "That was for the blood cultures, but I've organised for him to have a CT scan soon. It'll look for and try to locate an infection causing all this, they can use that port for the contrast." Ducky explained.
Gibbs didn't answer, he looked up at Tim's face and noticed the Hudson mask had been replaced with bi-nasal prongs. "We've lowered the amount of oxygen he has needed. He's beginning to respond. His respiratory levels are down and his cardiac rhythm and heart rate has stabilised slightly. It's still awfully high, though. We are waiting on one more test to determine if it is indeed sepsis. If it is, Timothy will have a long road to recovery ahead of him but I am confident it isn't Sepsis."
"Doesn't sepsis have something like a forty percent death rate?" Jimmy asked Ducky. "I read a study in class for sepsis week, last year."
"That is in a much older age bracket than Timothy's. But since the symptoms match and we initially suspected it, by law we have to treat it as sepsis, until we can determine it to be something else. I believe its called 'Sepsis Protocol' " Ducky explained and Gibbs relaxed a lot more. "Besides, some of the tests for sepsis have come back negative. Look his Lactate levels were normal. His CRP was only slightly elevated. His PT and PTT levels were normal, all of that is very reassuring, Mr Palmer."
"Duck, what's the bottom line here?" Gibbs asked, he was tired and running on little sleep. "Vance wants an update and wants me to wake him. I need more than, it might be sepsis but we don't think so."
"It's an infection of some kind, somewhere. He is being admitted and we will monitor him carefully. The CT will tell us more." Ducky explained, "unfortunately, we just have to bide our time and wait."
At that moment an orderly from radiology arrived to whisk Timothy to have a CT scan done. "Mr Palmer, I am officially placing you off duty. Please go home and get some rest. Jordon can only cover until 2pm and at least one of us will need to be in tip top shape for the navy yard tomorrow. I feel you can handle that task yourself."
"Thank you, Doctor, but you need to rest too." Jimmy added, knowing he would feel guilty if he was resting and Ducky wasn't getting his rest too.
"As soon as Timothy is settled in his room upstairs, I shall take a bed in the doctor's lounge." Ducky explained. "Jethro, you might want to think about going home for some rest, too."
"I am not leaving his side until Kelly gets told how unwell he is and walks in here." Gibbs vowed, not wanting to have Kelly more upset with him than what she was already going to be.
"You couldn't possibly be terrified of your daughter?" Jimmy jested, before realising who he was talking to. "That is … I mean …"
"Relax Palmer and normally I am not. However pregnant Kelly with raging hormones and anger from being kept in the dark. I'm afraid it'll be worse than '95."
"Yikes. I still have nightmares about that year." Ducky joked. "Although to be fair, she always liked me that year." Ducky reminded his friend.
"Good, then you can calm her down." Gibbs argued. "If I don't move from his side, she can't be too angry at me, right?"
Kelly woke and her senses were heckled up immediately, something was wrong. She softly padded out into the kitchen where she found Leon, his head resting in his arms and seemingly asleep, leaning on the kitchen table. She was in two minds about waking him, on one hand she should. It was past time he was due at the office. The other side was that her Dad always taught her, not to wake a sleeping agent. Instead in the best imitation of her father, she stood back and snapped "Vance, report!" Leon jumped up and she was glad she'd stood back. "Sorry, that's how Dad wakes DiNozzo. Didn't know if you slept like Ziva and were likely to attack me or not. Shouldn't you be in the office, already?"
"Oh, it's morning." He said, rubbing his bleary, sleep filled eyes. "When did that happen?"
"Sometime after midnight." Kelly quipped. "Seriously, I gotta run. Can't be late today."
"Got everything? I'll drop you off on the way." Vance offered, knowing he didn't have time to change his clothes before heading into the office.
"Thank you, yes." Kelly, accepting the offer immediately with the knowledge, now she wouldn't lose precious time looking for a parking space on campus.
Kelly made it into the exam hall with ten minutes to prepare and she took her assigned seat. The bell dinged to indicate that the allotted reading time had began and began reading.
After the exam she found Leon, flanked by his security leaning against a tree opposite the entrance to the exam hall. "How'd you do?" He asked, taking her bag to shoulder her backpack immediately and she glared at him. He knew that glare, it was a miniature version of her father's. "I know Tim's not crazy about you carrying such a heavy bag, either. So don't start." He warned her in a friendly tone. "So that's it? All exams over?"
"The theory anyway. Work placement and practical exams but they don't take place until after thanksgiving." Kelly explained with a sigh. She was tired today and hadn't slept well last night.
"Good, I'm going to take you home to pack a bag. Plan to stay a week in DC. We fly out in three hours. I know you were looking forward to Roanoke Rapids, but our plans have changed. I have to go to DC and I know you'll love the extra time with your Dad and Tim."
"More with Tim than Dad, we've been on opposite schedules for a while and crazy busy. Didn't even get to say goodbye to him. He had to leave me a message. Which I still haven't replied to yet. Tim's sick, battling something. He's been pretty sullen with it."
Vance and his security team escorted Kelly, first to his home to grab her belongings and then to her own home to return their car and pack some clothes. Making it to Camp lejuene in record time. There sat SecNav's plane with him on board, waiting for them. He was typing away on his laptop. Leon took a moment to study the man while he worked. He reminded Leon of his nephew, the way his slender fingers flew across the keyboard. He could see the familial connection. "Have you had an update, Leon?" He asked, startling him out of his reverie.
"Not as such, last I heard he was still in the emergency department." Vance answered, being deliberately vague.
"Good. This worked out nicely. I was able to stop over on my flight from Florida to collect you. AD Granger is currently there." He waved hello when Kelly looked up. She had her earbuds in. "Can she hear us?" He asked, smiling.
The SIC pilot came out. "Director Vance, we have an important call for you in the cockpit." Interrupting the two of them.
It was Gibbs, finally with an update on Tim. He also informed them that Ziva would meet them at AB base with the next update and drive them both to the hospital, so the SecNav can continue on to Rhode Island, as scheduled.
Before long, Vance was seated in his seat and they had taken off. Kelly had reclined back and promptly fallen asleep. The stress of studying, working and running a household along with her pregnancy had taken its toll on the young woman and she was exhausted.
"We need to tell her." Clayton Jarvis said to the Director.
"We do, but I know how hard she's been working and I don't want to wake her." Vance argued.
"Have you had another update?" SecNav asked.
"Last update I had was that he is up in a room. They located the infection in his neck and he is feeling pretty stupid."
"I thought his neck was healed." Clayton asked, confused.
"It is. Ducky was rattling on in the background about trauma and infection. I'll get it from Ziva when we arrive."
"I wish I could come with you both. But I am needed in Rhode Island. You'll keep me posted?"
Leon Vance agreed, just as they descended into AB airbase.
Kelly and Leon debarked the plane and we're met by Ziva, just as Gibbs had said. "Kelly, I have something to tell you and I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner, but both Tim and your father would have wanted you focused on your exam." Leon Vance said softly. "Tim was taken to hospital by ambulance last night. He's ok, Ducky is sure, it's an infection in his neck from where the dog mauled him."
"We are going straight to the hospital to see him." Ziva added reassuring the young woman she thought of as a sister.
"I see," Kelly said in a low voice, internally seething. "Who made that decision? Who decided I needed to be deceived and hid it from me?"
"I did." Vance lied, trying to protect her father from her wrath. "Don't get mad at Jethro or Tim. From my understanding, Tim was pretty out of it and unconscious for most of the night. I told Jethro not to tell you. You've worked so hard to push through your course. You want to be finished before the baby arrives. That is my goal for you too. If you're going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me."
"Gibbs reported that Tim is awake today. He has eaten a light breakfast too." Ziva added, trying to make her friend feel better about them keeping it a secret from her.
Tim had woken at 0400 to find Gibbs hovering over him. "Where?" Tim asked, struggling to keep his eyes open.
"Relax." Gibbs whispered. "You're going to be ok." Tim promptly fell back asleep and Gibbs let out a sigh of relief. It was the first time that Tim had been somewhat with it since Ducky had gotten to the house.
Tim didn't wake again for another four hours and he couldn't believe that he was attached to all that equipment. He begged Gibbs to help him up to escape the hospital and Gibbs sent him his sharpest glare. "You'll stay in that damn bed, til Duck says so. Don't think that's going to be any time soon, either." Gibbs snapped. "You're supposed to be taking care of yourself." Gibbs resigned, in a softer tone.
"I have been." Tim argued. "I've been eating right and working out. Haven't even had any late nights lately."
"Tim, you're pretty sick right now." Gibbs explained. "Kelly doesn't even know that you're in hospital."
"She's going to kill you, probably me too. Where's my phone? She's probably worried sick. Probably called a hundred times by now. I left her a voice message telling her I was headed here in a change of plans. I haven't seen her since yesterday morning. Didn't even get to say goodbye in person. Had to leave her a voicemail. A voicemail, who does that?!."
"Here's your phone and there's no missed calls, see." Gibbs said softly, showing the worried man his cellphone. "Now, you need to relax. You need to calm down. As for Kelly, you leave her to me. It was my decision, not yours."
"Good morning," Ducky greeted him, bringing in a tray of buttered toast and a cup of what passed for coffee in the hospital. "Breakfast is served."
"Thanks Duck." Gibbs said, taking the coffee cup he'd offered Gibbs. "Now, tell Tim he has to stay put."
"Indeed my dear lad, you're much too ill to be leaving this hospital bed." Tim wordlessly began trying to force down some of his breakfast in frustration at the situation.
"Tim!" Kelly greeted, rushing into his room and to his bedside, seeing her boyfriend was awake. She checked him over, making sure he was physically, unharmed. Gibbs had vacated his chair he'd been sitting in and tried to slink from the room quietly, not wanting to endure his daughter's wrath, with the added combination of raging pregnancy hormones. "Don't you even think of weaselling out of here!" Kelly snapped at her father, not even moving her head, remaining completely focused on Tim. "Yes, you!" she reminded him.
Gibbs had been impressed, Kelly hadn't moved a muscle and had still noticed him trying to leave. He never knew Kelly used that much of her peripheral vision. For the first time ever, he thought she'd have made a damn good agent. Not that he wanted her having a career like that.
Vance was highly amused at the young woman's antics with her father. And chuckled lightly. "You're not off the hook either there, Leon!" Kelly threatened, menacingly and Gibbs smirked at him too.
Ducky re-entered the tense room and immediately halted, "what's going on in here?" He asked and Kelly turned to glare at him.
"Oh you're in trouble too, Uncle Duck!" Kelly supplied angrily.
"Kel sweetheart, ho - " Tim said, but Kelly interrupted him too.
"You're not safe either, Timothy McGee. Someone better start explaining and fast, or heads are going to roll …"
Gibbs took it upon himself to start with when he picked up Tim yesterday and he was sick. Ducky explained his decision to send McGee to hospital and everything that they'd encountered during the long night, last night and Vance finished up with the change in plans. "I pretty much remember falling asleep in Gibbs' car, that's it."
"You fell asleep in the shower, I had to get you out and dry you off." Gibbs explained and Tim felt very embarrassed about it. His face went red and it spread down his neck. He was beet red.
"Ok, I'm still mad. Everyone out, I need to speak with Tim." Kelly declared. "No one leave, I'm not finished with any of you!" Gibbs, Ducky and Vance skulked out of the room, Vance closing the door behind him to give the couple some privacy.
The three men stood outside the door and looked at one another before Gibbs laughed out loud, it was a full bellied laugh. "I haven't been told off like that since Shannon was pregnant with Kelly and I tried to do some laundry and somehow shrank her favourite shirt."
"Me either." Vance added with a laugh of his own. "Except I stretched the shirt because I hung it on the line wrong."
"I think it's safe to say, pregnancy hormones are in full swing." Ducky added with a little smile. "I haven't been told off like that since I was a wee lad."
"Poor Tim, should we intervene?" Vance asked. "He is sick, after all."
"Doesn't look like he needs back up." Gibbs supplied, looking through the window on the door into the room and seeing Kelly in Tim's arms. Tim kissing her head and holding her tightly.
"Does this mean we are forgiven too?" Ducky asked the younger men and they laughed at their older friend's naïveté.
"You're never forgiven until the pregnant woman says so." Vance answered.
When Kelly let them back in, the three men looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry Kell. We should have told you, but I wanted you to focus on your exam." Gibbs apologised, breaking his infamous rule six. Which he'd never applied to her.
"I should have told you as soon as your exam finished, but I didn't want to stress you out. It's not good for the baby." Vance added onto Gibbs' apology. Both men had been or is married, and knew when they had to suck it up and apologise to a woman.
"I didn't think to call you. Timothy was extremely ill and I was focused on him entirely. I'm not sorry for that." Ducky explained, taking in her unhappy expression still, hastily added "In hindsight, I should have made sure someone called you. For that, I am sorry." Ducky safely amended and all the apologies were accepted.
Vance, Ducky, Gibbs and Kelly were on their way home from the hospital, for the evening. The doctor had explained that Tim would be in hospital for at least three more days having the intravenous antibiotics and having the recovery monitored. If the medication doesn't work, the surgeon explained that they may have to reopen the wound, debride and drain the wound again. Tim would have to recover all over again.
"I am sorry I snapped." Kelly said breaking the silence. "Tim had been withdrawn since you all left after that big case. Then he told me that he was going to DC on the Friday and Dad told me it was Sunday and I freaked out. I thought Tim might have been coming to see someone behind my back. I know there's no one and couldn't explain why I felt he like he was, or thought he would be the type to cheat. He didn't even do anything to make me think there was another woman. But …" Kelly started crying.
"It's perfectly ok, Kelly. Your hormones are raging at the moment and they're all over the place." Ducky explained.
"It's normal to have that irrationality, Kell. You're mum used to be paranoid about me leaving the door to go to the store." Gibbs added in, reassuring her that it really was all forgotten… or would make a hilarious story once the baby was here.
"Ya know, Jackie was the queen of irrationality when she was pregnant with Jared." Vance told of his experience and she cried harder. The three men exchanged a look.
"Jackie ... She told me I was being irrational too. She explained it all to me and I didn't believe her." She sobbed, harder and Ducky cuddled his niece, in his arms, kissing her forehead in comfort. "I'm normally so level headed." She sobbed harder again and Ducky was beginning to rub her back to calm her down. He saw the two other men trade small, knowing smiles and it made Ducky want to head slap both of them. The men in the front seat were enjoying her distress a little too much.
Once the four of them arrived at the Gibbs family home, with Vance and Kelly's luggage in tow. Ducky immediately ushered Kelly up stairs, insisting on checking her blood pressure.
Tim was bored out of his mind, he hated hospitals. He grabbed his cell and checked in with Mike Santiago back in Carolina office and he said he could send Tim some work to do and he couldn't believe Tim was looking for more work, while he was working a case here. Tim wisely didn't correct the man, just reiterated that he was bored. He'd managed to get his hands on his laptop, having convinced Ziva earlier to get it for him from Gibbs house. Tony had been with Ziva and asked out loud if he wanted it for gaming and again, he hadn't corrected the senior agent.
A nurse came in to hang the next bag of fluids and the next iv antibiotic dose and gently chastised him for working away. He gave her a boyish, charming smile and made her promise to keep it between them. But she hadn't fallen for it, already being pre-warned by Kelly, Ducky, Vance and Gibbs. She promptly packed the laptop away and threatened to confiscate it, if he was caught with it again.
Tim thought about bribing her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was pretty sure that Ducky, Vance and the two Gibbses were somehow involved in that. He'd never win against those four and laid his head back into his pillow and closed his eyes to get some sleep.