By Abby's Side
"Hey, beautiful," he said softly, as he sat down at Abby's bedside and gently took her hand.
"Why don't you wake up, Abs. I haven't had a good intellectual argument since Thursday. Tony tries, but… well, he's Tony. Of course, Tony's not stupid by any stretch. We just aren't on the same wavelength often enough to really get into it intelligently most of the time. And Gibbs is fine if he's winning, but he's just scary when he feels like he's about to lose. And Ducky… well, you know Ducky's strategy. He launches into a story and by the time he's finished, he's completely thrown you off your game, and you have no idea anymore what your plan of attack was. Palmer I can only beat so many times before I get bored. Not that he's stupid, either, I mean, he's a med student, for cryin' out loud. He's just way too nervous, that's all. Throws him off. Reminds me of me when I first arrived."
He stopped talking for a moment, watching her breathe. She looked so peaceful, were it not for the bandages and tubes. He reached over and gently brushed her forehead with his fingers. Her bangs peeked out from under the bandage, and he noticed quickly that her hair wasn't quite right. "Oh, you're gonna be pissed, Abs. They really butchered your hair. But it'll grow back. I'd still love you if you were bald." He smiled sadly, reaching over and caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. He leaned forward in his chair, and gingerly rested his arm across her chest, taking her hand in his. He settled his head on the pillow close to her, then nuzzled his face into the space between her shoulder and her neck. He sighed heavily, and drifted off to sleep.