Part 04 of But Now I See
Disclaimers: Please see Introduction
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Now that you've seen me humiliate myself, Agent Todd, you can leave."
Kate froze in the spot. She had no idea how to respond to the words. Sure, she had expected Gibbs to be cagey and irritated, but she had never expected those accusations.
It was the implication that she was there to watch him humiliate himself that floored her. She had never thought Gibbs thought of her that way.
Patience, Kate, she tried to tell herself. You have to be patient. Don't take it personally. Have patience.
Wordlessly, Kate stood a few steps away from where Gibbs was and watched as he attempted rather unsuccessfully to pull himself up again and again.
When Gibbs had finally stopped breathlessly, Kate moved forward and hooked her arms with his. She pulled his arms and he followed her lead. Gingerly, taking small steps, they started toward the hallway.
"Where's your bedroom?" she asked.
"Last one on the left," came the curt reply, not that she had expected anything different.
They continued on wordlessly. The short distance seemed to have exhausted Gibbs already, and Kate gently helped him sit on his bed.
"What do you want to do?" she asked, standing near but not close enough to touch.
"A shower would be good," he murmured. He stood up by himself and walked slowly toward the general direction of his closet. Kate moved along with him, not touching him, but close enough to catch him should he fall.
When Gibbs was in the shower, Kate let out a heavy sigh. This experience would be hard on Gibbs. She knew he was an independent man, and he hated to be weak in front of others. She didn't know how to comfort him or how to let him be Gibbs.
She already had a glass of water and his medication ready on the bedside table when Gibbs walked out slowly from the shower. Seeing him dressed only in his undershirt and boxers sent her heart racing, but she steadied herself. Now is not the time for this kind of thinking, Caitlin.
"I've got you a glass of water if you are thirsty," she said, watching him move across the room. "And I have put your medication beside them."
"Thanks, Kate." The response was a bit—though not much—warmer than before. "I'm pretty much settled now. You don't have to stay."
Biting her lips, Kate knew she needed to do some fast thinking. There was no way she would let him be alone in the house.
"Why don't I go get something for dinner?" she asked tentatively, studying his face carefully in hope to have a glimpse of what he was feeling. "You're probably too tired to cook anyway. Plus, I don't wanna eat alone."
Gibbs again became silent after her suggestion. She held her breath, hoping he would acquiesce. Finally, he nodded.
"I'm going to sleep a little. Pain medication always makes me drowsy."
"I'll wake you when dinner's ready," she promised. She wanted nothing more than to tuck him in, but she knew that would only aggravate him more, so she observed his movements from the doorway.
"Thanks, Kate," he murmured softly when she turned to leave the room.
With a small smile on her face, she responded just as softly, "You're welcome."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kate walked into Gibbs' bedroom almost five hours later to find the man still sleeping, snoring softly.
"Gibbs, dinner's ready," she tapped on his shoulder gently.
Gibbs roused and groaned softly. Kate handed him the glass of water she had brought in with her.
"Thanks," he said after taking a sip.
"Why don't you go wash up? Dinner's ready."
Kate stepped away and again let Gibbs find his way into the bathroom. If she remembered what she learned in college for her psychology degree, what she was doing – staying with him but at the same time letting him have his own space – would be the right thing to do.
She had made pasta, thinking it would probably be the easiest for Gibbs to eat, and that would allow him the independence that he needed so much. Kate couldn't imagine what he would feel if he needed her help in eating.
"I hope you don't mind me getting things from your kitchen," she said when he walked into the room, having put on a T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants.
"No, that's fine." He walked to the general direction of the dining table. Kate released a breath she didn't realize she was holding when Gibbs sat down at the table without bumping into anything.
"I made spaghetti," she said, putting his plate in front of him, "hope you don't mind."
"I don't." He took the fork from Kate and started to twist the pasta around it. "You're a good cook, Kate."
"Thanks. I don't cook very often, since I live alone. No point in going to all the trouble, then having to clean up."
They finished the meal in silence. When they were done, Gibbs let Kate take care of the dishes. She worked slowly in hope of spending more time in the house. Finally, with the last dish put away, Kate moved her way out of the kitchen to find her boss sitting on the couch.
"Gibbs?" she called while walking toward him.
"Why are you doing all this for me, Kate?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Now that you've seen me humiliate myself, Agent Todd, you can leave."
Kate froze in the spot. She had no idea how to respond to the words. Sure, she had expected Gibbs to be cagey and irritated, but she had never expected those accusations.
It was the implication that she was there to watch him humiliate himself that floored her. She had never thought Gibbs thought of her that way.
Patience, Kate, she tried to tell herself. You have to be patient. Don't take it personally. Have patience.
Wordlessly, Kate stood a few steps away from where Gibbs was and watched as he attempted rather unsuccessfully to pull himself up again and again.
When Gibbs had finally stopped breathlessly, Kate moved forward and hooked her arms with his. She pulled his arms and he followed her lead. Gingerly, taking small steps, they started toward the hallway.
"Where's your bedroom?" she asked.
"Last one on the left," came the curt reply, not that she had expected anything different.
They continued on wordlessly. The short distance seemed to have exhausted Gibbs already, and Kate gently helped him sit on his bed.
"What do you want to do?" she asked, standing near but not close enough to touch.
"A shower would be good," he murmured. He stood up by himself and walked slowly toward the general direction of his closet. Kate moved along with him, not touching him, but close enough to catch him should he fall.
When Gibbs was in the shower, Kate let out a heavy sigh. This experience would be hard on Gibbs. She knew he was an independent man, and he hated to be weak in front of others. She didn't know how to comfort him or how to let him be Gibbs.
She already had a glass of water and his medication ready on the bedside table when Gibbs walked out slowly from the shower. Seeing him dressed only in his undershirt and boxers sent her heart racing, but she steadied herself. Now is not the time for this kind of thinking, Caitlin.
"I've got you a glass of water if you are thirsty," she said, watching him move across the room. "And I have put your medication beside them."
"Thanks, Kate." The response was a bit—though not much—warmer than before. "I'm pretty much settled now. You don't have to stay."
Biting her lips, Kate knew she needed to do some fast thinking. There was no way she would let him be alone in the house.
"Why don't I go get something for dinner?" she asked tentatively, studying his face carefully in hope to have a glimpse of what he was feeling. "You're probably too tired to cook anyway. Plus, I don't wanna eat alone."
Gibbs again became silent after her suggestion. She held her breath, hoping he would acquiesce. Finally, he nodded.
"I'm going to sleep a little. Pain medication always makes me drowsy."
"I'll wake you when dinner's ready," she promised. She wanted nothing more than to tuck him in, but she knew that would only aggravate him more, so she observed his movements from the doorway.
"Thanks, Kate," he murmured softly when she turned to leave the room.
With a small smile on her face, she responded just as softly, "You're welcome."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kate walked into Gibbs' bedroom almost five hours later to find the man still sleeping, snoring softly.
"Gibbs, dinner's ready," she tapped on his shoulder gently.
Gibbs roused and groaned softly. Kate handed him the glass of water she had brought in with her.
"Thanks," he said after taking a sip.
"Why don't you go wash up? Dinner's ready."
Kate stepped away and again let Gibbs find his way into the bathroom. If she remembered what she learned in college for her psychology degree, what she was doing – staying with him but at the same time letting him have his own space – would be the right thing to do.
She had made pasta, thinking it would probably be the easiest for Gibbs to eat, and that would allow him the independence that he needed so much. Kate couldn't imagine what he would feel if he needed her help in eating.
"I hope you don't mind me getting things from your kitchen," she said when he walked into the room, having put on a T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants.
"No, that's fine." He walked to the general direction of the dining table. Kate released a breath she didn't realize she was holding when Gibbs sat down at the table without bumping into anything.
"I made spaghetti," she said, putting his plate in front of him, "hope you don't mind."
"I don't." He took the fork from Kate and started to twist the pasta around it. "You're a good cook, Kate."
"Thanks. I don't cook very often, since I live alone. No point in going to all the trouble, then having to clean up."
They finished the meal in silence. When they were done, Gibbs let Kate take care of the dishes. She worked slowly in hope of spending more time in the house. Finally, with the last dish put away, Kate moved her way out of the kitchen to find her boss sitting on the couch.
"Gibbs?" she called while walking toward him.
"Why are you doing all this for me, Kate?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*