Gibbs was a little surprised to find DiNozzo up and dressed for work by the time he'd stumbled into the kitchen in search of coffee.

"Thank God for timers," mused Tony good-naturedly as he listened to Gibbs inhale his first cup. "I can't imagine what you did without them."

Gibbs noted Tony's own half-filled mug. "You should talk."

Now that the first burst of caffeine had chased away at least some of the fog in his brain, Gibbs could see that Tony had looked ... better. At least he didn't look as ragged as he had the night before, but his eyes still looked tired, the skin under them slightly purpled. The cane Tony had used temporarily after the beating had made a reappearance, too. Although Tony slid it surreptitiously from his view.

"You okay this morning?"

The question was met by the usual dismissive wave. "Just fine." Tony cocked his head, doing some studying of his own. "You?"

"Fine."

"Oh," said Tony, looking unconvinced. "Good."

The cane had disappeared by the time DiNozzo limped to the car, leaning more heavily than usual on Rufus. Gibbs opened his mouth to suggest Tony take a few hours, come in later, but Tony shot him a kind of precognitive don't-even-think-of-saying-it look and he shut it again.

Gibbs was vaguely aware that Tony had chattered the entire fifteen miles to the office but, later, he realized he hadn't heard a word the other man had said. Although he was pretty sure he'd grunted in most of the right places.

After that he'd gone one way, to a meeting with the combined task force committee, and Tony had gone the other, limping with painful slowness.

Gibbs was pretty sure he'd heard very little of what was said in the meeting either.

It was something of a relief to go downstairs and find Tony again surrounded by an attentive crowd, only this time it was the entire rest of the staff haunting his desk. For once not scattering them, Gibbs took a seat at his own workstation, doing a little quiet, covert eavesdropping of his own.

"So it could be a love triangle," surmised Kate.

"Could be a square," put in McGee, making Gibbs think again that the young agent was spending far too much time with a certain lab technician. Thinking non-linearly had its place, but one Abby was quite enough. "The wife's still alive isn't she?"

"Ewww," Abby screwed up her face. "A threesome is pleasantly kinky. A foursome is like a travel-sized orgy."

Gibbs had to keep from smiling as you could hear McGee draw in a sharp breath.

"Could I see you?"

This voice was much closer but Gibbs didn't look up. "You're seeing me, Duck."

"Privately," he clarified.

Gibbs did look up at that. "Something about the case?"

"Liken it to doctor-patient confidentiality."

"You're not my doctor."

The ME inclined his head in Tony's direction.

"Oh," said Gibbs softly.

By the time Gibbs escaped from Ducky's clutches, Tony was alone, squinting with difficulty at the screen in front of him. Gibbs watched him a moment before he leaned over. "Tony."

The object of his examination startled then smoothed the frown from his face. "I think I can find him."

The first fifteen minutes of the ME's lecture had been about inadequate computer support and it was spiced with so much technical mumbo-jumbo that he knew it had to come from Abby or Kate or McGee or possibly all three in concert. Anyone but the practically computer-phobic Englishman. Although the vague threats about reporting violations of the ADA were probably Ducky's own.

Even now the scolding was still ringing his ears. There was something about a lecturing Ducky that always made Gibbs feel like he'd been dressed down by a commanding officer. If DiNozzo had said he needed a new computer, he would have gotten him one in a heartbeat. Only DiNozzo hadn't said anything.

And what was Tony talking about anyway? "Who?"

"The third member of our trio."

Gibbs sighed. "You want to go back to the bar."

That had been the second fifteen of Ducky's address. That somehow he'd misunderstood Ducky's admonition about letting Tony try to keep on working on and apparently the ME had only meant in the safest possible conditions. "Let's give it a couple of days."

Tony squinted, this time, as if it were Gibbs he was trying see clearly. "Since when did you put the brakes on a case?"

"I'm not putting the brakes on the case."

Tony closed his eyes. "I knew it. I knew you were going to be uncomfortable."

Gibbs leaned in, lowering his voice. "I was telling the truth last night. I wasn't uncomfortable."

DiNozzo pressed his lips together. "Then what's this about?"

"Ducky came to see me."

"Oookay."

"You need to take it easy."

DiNozzo finally opened his eyes, but he wouldn't look in Gibbs' direction. "He ratted me out, didn't he?"

"He just suggested that you might be overworking a little. He also said your doctor suggested you take some downtime and ---"

"He ratted me out," confirmed Tony.

"Okay, he ratted you out. By the way, I've put in a requisition for a new computer with voice recognition."

This last piece of information transformed Tony's soft replies into a decided hiss. "I'm fine, Gibbs. I don't need special treatment."

"We'll get you what you need to work. Whatever you need to work. But you gotta keep me in the loop here. If nothing breaks on the case in a couple of days, you can go back to the bar." Gibbs paused. "Provided you do what your doctor says."

"I hate this," muttered Tony.

Gibbs found himself putting a hand over the one worrying the keyboard aimlessly.

"I know."

Tony sat perfectly still for a long moment, then he disentangled his hand.

Gibbs hunkered down beside the desk, his own voice even softer now. "I need you to talk to me about this."

"Because you're my boss," acknowledged Tony. "I know I haven't exactly been playing fair, here. I just..."

"If the only way I'm going to get you to tell me what you need is as your employer, I'll take it. I can demand it, and will, but only if I have to. I'd rather you just tell me."

"There's a 'you' somewhere in there, boss?"

Neither of them could muster the energy to make the weak attempt at banter work.

"Somewhere."

Tony nodded and sighed. "You want to do it here?"

"Only if this is where you feel most comfortable."

"I could go for your couch."

Tony felt the touch on his hand and held himself remarkably steady as Gibbs' warm fingers clasped his own.

"It's a date."

A weak but reassuring grin crossed Tony's lips. "For God's sake, don't let Kate hear you say that. I'll never hear the end of it."

The warmth encircling his hand briefly tightened, then his fingers were released with a brotherly pat.

"See you at five."

Tony flexed his now chilly fingers. "'kay."

(tbc)