Part 03 of Reactions
Disclaimers: I don't own the characters from NCIS.... But I DO CONSIDER this story line my imagination and creation! (can I copyright that? *grin*)
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tony and Kate sat silently in the waiting area right outside the operation rooms, waiting for news of their injured leader. They had wrapped up their investigation of the murdered naval officer earlier in the day, a week and a half after the body was discovered. It ended with a vicious exchange of gunfire. Gibbs, who had again refused proper protection, was shot in the chest.
"I'm going to make him pay," Tony said, barely above a whisper finally. "When he wakes up, I'll make sure he pays for being so damn stubborn."
Kate remained silent. One of her worst nightmares had come true. She didn't run fast enough. She was still a witness of another one of Gibbs' near-death experiences. She failed to stop the shiver that ran through her when she once again remembered Gibbs jerked when the bullet entered his chest. She almost screamed at that.
"You okay, Kate?" Tony's concerned voice pulled Kate back from the horrid memories. "You look pale. Are you in shock? Should I get you a doctor?"
"I'm fine, Tony," she replied. Much to her dismay, her voice cracked slightly. "I'll be fine. I was just tired, I guess. I'll go get some coffee. You want one?"
Tony nodded, and Kate moved swiftly out of the waiting area. She needed to get away. It was too suffocating in there for her. She couldn't stop herself from picturing the shooting when she was sitting beside Tony, acting as the loyal subordinate to her boss, while awaiting news for the man she loved.
Having ordered the coffee, Kate made her way back to the waiting area as slowly as possible. She was stalling, but she couldn't help it. She dreaded walking back to the area, feared that she would be told the doctors had done all that they could.
She almost dropped the coffee when she saw a doctor talking to Tony. From her position, she couldn't see Tony's expression, but she could see him nodding every now and then. She rooted to the place she was standing not too far from the men, too frightened to hear what the doctor had to say.
At this point, Tony turned around to see Kate rooted in the spot not too far from them, apparently having heard at least part of the conversation.
"Kate," he approached the female agent and took the coffee from her gently. "Why don't we go sit down?"
Kate nodded. Tony took the seat beside her and the doctor remained standing.
"As I said, we have stabilized Agent Gibbs. He will be put into a room up on the third floor as soon as possible. He will still be unconscious and probably won't wake up until tomorrow morning. He was heavily sedated for the surgery. I'll send someone to get you once he's settled in and I suggest you go get some rest tonight."
"Thank you, doctor," Tony said for both of them and sighed in relief. "Guess our stubborn boss is going to be breathing down our neck in no time."
Kate continued to remain silent. She didn't want to remind Tony that soon, very soon, she wouldn't be sitting across from him in the bullpen anymore.
'Gibbs is fine,' the words kept on repeating in her mind. 'He'll be fine.'
"Tony, would you mind if I go home and grab a quick shower now?" she asked softly after the doctor had left.
Tony looked at her quizzically. For the last few times when Gibbs had to be checked out by a hospital, Kate had always stayed until she was ordered out of the room.
"Are you sure you're okay, Kate?"
"Yes, Tony. I'm fine. I'm just bone tired and would like to get out of these clothes quick," she said with a slight tremor in her voice. "I wanted to just put this night behind me, but these clothes are not helping."
Not believing her story, but knowing that he wouldn't get anything else out of her, Tony shifted his attention to her well-being, "You need a lift? Your car's still at headquarters."
"I'll be fine," she assured him. "I'll just take the train."
The hollowness in Kate's eyes made Tony very uncomfortable, but he knew Kate, and he knew that she needed the time to herself. He only prayed she would make it home alright.
"You give me a call when you get home, alright? I need to know you've gotten home safely. God knows we don't need another agent down."
Kate nodded, placating Tony so she could move away as quickly as possible.
It was raining outside. Kate didn't bother with an umbrella. She let the rain pour down on her. Only then would she allow herself to cry, with the rain covering the tears on her face.
Disclaimers: I don't own the characters from NCIS.... But I DO CONSIDER this story line my imagination and creation! (can I copyright that? *grin*)
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tony and Kate sat silently in the waiting area right outside the operation rooms, waiting for news of their injured leader. They had wrapped up their investigation of the murdered naval officer earlier in the day, a week and a half after the body was discovered. It ended with a vicious exchange of gunfire. Gibbs, who had again refused proper protection, was shot in the chest.
"I'm going to make him pay," Tony said, barely above a whisper finally. "When he wakes up, I'll make sure he pays for being so damn stubborn."
Kate remained silent. One of her worst nightmares had come true. She didn't run fast enough. She was still a witness of another one of Gibbs' near-death experiences. She failed to stop the shiver that ran through her when she once again remembered Gibbs jerked when the bullet entered his chest. She almost screamed at that.
"You okay, Kate?" Tony's concerned voice pulled Kate back from the horrid memories. "You look pale. Are you in shock? Should I get you a doctor?"
"I'm fine, Tony," she replied. Much to her dismay, her voice cracked slightly. "I'll be fine. I was just tired, I guess. I'll go get some coffee. You want one?"
Tony nodded, and Kate moved swiftly out of the waiting area. She needed to get away. It was too suffocating in there for her. She couldn't stop herself from picturing the shooting when she was sitting beside Tony, acting as the loyal subordinate to her boss, while awaiting news for the man she loved.
Having ordered the coffee, Kate made her way back to the waiting area as slowly as possible. She was stalling, but she couldn't help it. She dreaded walking back to the area, feared that she would be told the doctors had done all that they could.
She almost dropped the coffee when she saw a doctor talking to Tony. From her position, she couldn't see Tony's expression, but she could see him nodding every now and then. She rooted to the place she was standing not too far from the men, too frightened to hear what the doctor had to say.
At this point, Tony turned around to see Kate rooted in the spot not too far from them, apparently having heard at least part of the conversation.
"Kate," he approached the female agent and took the coffee from her gently. "Why don't we go sit down?"
Kate nodded. Tony took the seat beside her and the doctor remained standing.
"As I said, we have stabilized Agent Gibbs. He will be put into a room up on the third floor as soon as possible. He will still be unconscious and probably won't wake up until tomorrow morning. He was heavily sedated for the surgery. I'll send someone to get you once he's settled in and I suggest you go get some rest tonight."
"Thank you, doctor," Tony said for both of them and sighed in relief. "Guess our stubborn boss is going to be breathing down our neck in no time."
Kate continued to remain silent. She didn't want to remind Tony that soon, very soon, she wouldn't be sitting across from him in the bullpen anymore.
'Gibbs is fine,' the words kept on repeating in her mind. 'He'll be fine.'
"Tony, would you mind if I go home and grab a quick shower now?" she asked softly after the doctor had left.
Tony looked at her quizzically. For the last few times when Gibbs had to be checked out by a hospital, Kate had always stayed until she was ordered out of the room.
"Are you sure you're okay, Kate?"
"Yes, Tony. I'm fine. I'm just bone tired and would like to get out of these clothes quick," she said with a slight tremor in her voice. "I wanted to just put this night behind me, but these clothes are not helping."
Not believing her story, but knowing that he wouldn't get anything else out of her, Tony shifted his attention to her well-being, "You need a lift? Your car's still at headquarters."
"I'll be fine," she assured him. "I'll just take the train."
The hollowness in Kate's eyes made Tony very uncomfortable, but he knew Kate, and he knew that she needed the time to herself. He only prayed she would make it home alright.
"You give me a call when you get home, alright? I need to know you've gotten home safely. God knows we don't need another agent down."
Kate nodded, placating Tony so she could move away as quickly as possible.
It was raining outside. Kate didn't bother with an umbrella. She let the rain pour down on her. Only then would she allow herself to cry, with the rain covering the tears on her face.