Title: Waking up in the hospital

Author: Cailyn

Pairing: Gibbs/Kate

Rating: PG-13: Nothing bad in this chapter (except a very little language) but I'm just going to keep the whole story at PG-13, less confusion

Disclaimer: Again, characters are not mine and I do no profit from them in any way, shape, or form.

Authors Note: Sorry for taking forever on the last chapter, mid-terms… Anyway, I promise the others won't take nearly as long to come out I hopefully will be having a new chapter out every 2 to 4 days until the story is finished. Also thanks to Raindrops on Roses for beta reading for me on the last chapter and NCISFanatic on both the last one and this one. She has also helped me a great deal with technical problems… If it weren't for her, my computer would currently be in thousands of pieces from being thrown against a wall. Also, I was just told that it's Caitlin not Kaitlyn the way I'd been spelling it, so please ignore it the way it was before.

Kate lay there staring at the back of her eyelids. Then she heard the beeping. It was slowing and rhythmic, like a heartbeat. Exactly like a heartbeat. Curiously, she slid her hand to her neck, searching for her pulse. When she found it, she was amazed that every time she felt a beat from her neck she heard the awful beeping noise. She couldn't comprehend how her body was making that noise.

"Checking for your own pulse, Caitlin? " asked a familiar Scottish accent.

"Ducky, is that you?" Kate responded. "Where the hell am I?" She asked, with her eyes still tightly shut.

"Caitlin, it seems as if you have landed yourself in the hospital."

"Oh… Why?"

"Oh dear, you don't remember anything, do you? I suppose I should go find Jethro." With that, Ducky rose to his feet and ventured out in the hall to locate Gibbs. He knew that Gibbs would be ecstatic that Kate was alive however, not be to thrilled that she didn't have any recollection of her attack. Not yet anyway.

Gibbs paced in the hall outside the cafeteria, trying to figure out anything that he could do to help Kate. He walked over to the coffee machine to pour himself another cup, then decided against it when he saw 6 or 7 cups in the garbage already, all of them his.

When Ducky tapped Gibbs on the shoulder, he jumped around, his hand on his holster, ready to pull his gun. Ducky threw his hands up in surrender.

"Don't you think it's time you ease up on the caffeine, Jethro?"

"Is she awake?"

"Yes, she came to a few minutes ago. She checked herself for a pulse."

Gibbs grinned, "Well, there is the Kate we know and love."

Ducky and Gibbs headed back toward Kate's room, when they got to the door Ducky stopped Gibbs before he went inside.

"I have to warn you, Jethro, she doesn't remember anything about her attack right now. That's consistent with her head injury. Just don't be grilling her for information it's not going to do her any good and it will just frustrate the both of you."

"All right, I won't interrogate." This would not be a problem for him. He was more concerned with her health, and despite their skirmish earlier, he wanted to make it clear that he stood behind her one hundred percent. When he opened the door, he heard the heart monitor beeping a slow and steady pattern. While Kate lay on the bead in her hospital gown, her eyes open.

"Feeling any better?"

"My face hurts. And don't even try the 'it's killing me' response because Tony's already tried it, and it's just not funny."

"Tony beat me in here?"

"Yeah, he popped in after Ducky left to get you. He said he was going to try to find the doctor."

"You were pistol whipped, Kate."

"No shit, really?" she replied sarcastically.

"They're going to want to keep you here overnight for observation. You know that right?"

"I have no objections. I don't feel like moving all that much yet."

"I want you to stay with me after you are released. You are going to have to be released into someone's care. You have two fractured wrists and you're gonna have difficulties with some things. Tony's back in his own apartment where he belongs and you can stay in the guest room."

"Gibbs, I appreciate it really. But, don't you think that's going to be a little awkward? Considering what happened this morning or yesterday morning. Wait, I don't know what day it is. Anyway, you know what I'm trying to say."

"Kate, I know where you're coming from but it's important that you have someone to take care of you. And so what, a few things were said. We'll get through it. Of course, if you really don't feel comfortable you could always stay with Abby."

The door to Kate's room opened and Kate's doctor entered.

The doctor spoke with a firm but kind tone of voice. "I'm afraid time for visiting is over. Ms. Todd needs her rest."

"Doctor, could I have a word with you outside please?" Asked Gibbs.

"Sure."

The doctor followed Gibbs into the hall so that they could have a conversation away from Kate. "How bad is she?" Gibbs asked.

"We're going to have to put pins in her left wrist because of the fracture, the bones aren't going to line up without them. But as far as the head injury, the head CT came back no sign of extensive damage and although the cut to the back of her head was deep, her brain shows no sign of excessive bleeding. As for the rest of her bumps and bruises, in time they will heal. Tomorrow we will put the pins in her wrist and if all goes well she should be out of here by tomorrow night."

"She'll being staying with me when she gets released."

*****

Kate was less then thrilled about going to stay with Gibbs, but, she'd been to Abby's apartment before and it wasn't adequate size for one person, not to mention two. Plus, things between them hadn't been as awkward as she thought they would be. She prayed that this would stay the same. The last thing she needed was to be staying in a house with someone who was driving her crazy!

"You almost ready to get out of here?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah, just give me another minute to get my stuff together." She replied as she attempted to push her heels down into her shoes, because she had temporarily lost the use of both of her wrists. She fumbled with them rolling her ankle this way but only succeeding in bending the back of the shoe down farther and farther.

"You want some help?" Gibbs finally asked.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Kate answered back half sarcastically, the other half sincere.

Gibbs walked over to the bed where Kate was sitting and squatted down by her feet, as if she were a child unable to lace her shoes. She hated being useless, it only added to her vulnerability. But Gibbs had a way of helping her so that she didn't feel so incompetent. Rather that he was just guiding her threw a tough time. After he got her shoes on, he didn't seem ready to leave her side. He gave her a funny, crooked look and gazed at her with his forceful sapphire eyes. Then, his lips parted as if he was going to speak, instead he just smiled. Something that, in Kate's opinion the world saw all too little of out of Gibbs. He had a wonderful smile when he wanted to. He rose to his feet and gently held her upper arm to assist her getting up. Even though she was extremely steady on her feet, Gibbs insisted on securely holding onto her until they reached the car. When they got there, Gibbs insisted she sit in the back seat, then he fastened her seat belt for her. Kate had to admit she didn't mind the treatment, if this is how he kept treating her, it would prove to be a very pleasant next few weeks.