Authors note

The usual disclaimers apply, as much as I would love to these characters to be, they are not mine.

Please let me know what you think

Chapter 8

Gibbs walked along the corridor of the hospital, and found the room he was looking for, he had stopped at the nurses station for an update and had been told that Constance was still in a critical condition and was sedated. Gibbs paused with his hand on the door handle, his heart pounding in his chest, He hadn't seen Constance in ten years and this was not how he wanted to see her.

Ducky walked up behind him and laid his hand on his shoulder

"Go in Jethro, I will wait out her with Timothy" he told his friend gently, knowing Gibbs needed to go in alone, needed to protect himself from others seeing any kind of weakness. Ducky despaired at this need Jethro had not to let others too close, not to let them see he was in fact human just like everyone else. But Ducky also understood it and accepted it, but he still wanted to make sure Jethro knew he was here not just to see Constance but also to support his closest friend.

Gibbs nodded without turning and opened the door, he stepped into the bright room, and the sound of machines beeping and whirring was the first thing that hit his senses. The second was more devastating.

Constance lay on the bed, her beautiful hair spread around her face, a face that under a golden tan was ashen and drawn, her lips were tinged blue and the veins in her eyelids, that hid warm brown eyes, stood out. Her soft shoulders with a smattering of freckles were bare, a thick bandage showing above the blanket draped over her chest and body. Attached to seemingly every part of her were wires, tubes and monitors. An oxygen tube came out of her nose, and wrapped around her ears; both hands held drips and wires on her fingers and her chest, where visible, had small round pads with wires attached. Gibbs lent against the door and took a deep breath before moving closer to the bed

"Connie…" he whispered on a sigh, "Oh God Connie" he said in despair, his eyes drawing to the monitor that measured her heart rate and vital signs. He watched it rather than look at the woman on the bed. The woman who could light up a room, who could tell the bawdiest joke and still look like an angel. This was not supposed to happen to her, not to Connie, not his Connie.

Without thought his hand reached out and touched her, pulling back sharply as the monitor made a shrill noise, his eyes shooting to the monitor, terrified that she was flat lining, but the rhythm calmed and settled back down. He stood staring at her hand, afraid to touch it, terrified that if he didn't touch her she would slip away forever. His hand trembling, reached out again and gently stroked the back of her hand, his eyes darting to the monitor, but no change occurred this time and he breathed easier. He stood there like that for an eternity that lasted only a moment before he bent and kissed her lips gently.

"I promise Connie, I promise to get the bastard" he murmured as he raised his head, his hands lingering on hers before he slowly stepped away and turned to leave the room, pausing at the door to look at her one last time before opening it and stepping into the hall and Ducky's welcome presence.

Ducky watched Gibbs walk out of the room, his eyes taking in everything and seeing the pain in his eyes before the wall fell back into place and he locked his emotions away again. Ducky nodded to himself sadly and stepped forward towards Gibbs

"I have spoken to Constance's physician Jethro" he told his friend softly "They are scheduling her for more surgery later today, it seems that the repair to her heart has not survived the plane ride very well, and it needs to be fixed" he paused watching Gibbs' face carefully "The prognosis is not very good I am afraid" Ducky paused at the lump in his throat and at the fleeting flash of pain on Gibbs' face "However she is young and strong and very determined, it is a miracle she has survived this long, so we cannot give up on her Jethro" he told his friend, trying to instil confidence not just in Gibbs but also in himself.

Gibbs stared at Ducky, his blue eyes piercing and intense, he knew what Ducky was telling him, but somehow it failed to register, Connie would be fine, she had to be, he had to tell her the truth. But first he had to catch the bastard who had done this to her.

He turned to McGee as Ducky made his own way in to see Constance, his face shuttered and his emotions back under control, all except the overriding anger he felt at whoever was doing this, and at himself for not being able to stop him.

"I want this bastard McGee and I want him now" he growled as he stalked down to the nurse's station to get coffee.