Chapter 7 - Tony Finds Out

McGee awoke to a mass of noises and bodies around him. To his alarm, Ducky seemed to be having a one way conversation with him and someone was holding his head in a vice like grip. Was that Jimmy? He was pretty sure he was still alive as the ground seemed rather hard. Besides he was shaking, and he was convinced that corpses didn't do that.

"Ahh Timothy, my boy, glad to have you back," said Ducky. "I've just finished super-gluing this cut on your forehead."

McGee put his hand up and touched a gauze pad. As he struggled to sit up, he caught a glimpse of Tony, Ziva and Gibbs looking down at him over the desk.

"No, no, you'll need to lie still for a bit and let the blood flow to your head," Ducky said forcing him down again. "This ice will keep down the swelling." McGee felt a cold patch on his forehead.

"Here's the blanket doctor," came Jimmy's voice and McGee felt the warmth spread over his body, calming the shaking.

"You know in the old days, we used stitches for a cut like this," Ducky reminisced. "Then there was always the risk of infection and people dying…." McGee's eyes widened. "Oh, you're not dying today my boy," Ducky re-assured him, "although you have had a bit of a shock."

"People die of shock all the time," added Jimmy helpfully.

"Too right, Mr Palmer, and concussion, you might have a bit of that after cracking your head so hard."

"Do people ever die of boredom, Ducky," asked Tony from the desk above.

"Well, I've never known anyone to die of boredom," Ducky considered.

"Then it can't be done," Tony concluded.

Ducky raised an eyebrow at him but was denied the chance to reply by Abby's arrival.

"What's up Bossman," Abby began but she stopped short as she met his grim face.

"What did you do to McGee?" he asked gravely.

"McGee?" Abby looked confused.

Gibbs pointed to the floor and Abby peered over the desk. "McGee!" she cried as she saw him lying there pale, dazed and confused. "Are you OK?" and she raced around the desk to be at his side.

"Yeah, I'm ah fine, I think," he mumbled.

"Young Timothy here seems to have fainted at his desk," explained Ducky.

"Really?" said McGee with a combination of embarrassment and surprise.

"Yes," confirmed Ducky "Seems you had a bit of a shock".

There was a pause and then recognition registered on McGee's face. Abby looked up at Gibbs,

"OK, you were right Gibbs," she said. "I gave him the shock".

"My desk: now," said Gibbs tersely.

"Jethro, I'm not sure that's such a good idea," warned Ducky.

"Now!"

Tony and Abby helped McGee to his feet where he swayed unsteadily with the blanket around his shoulders and the icepack in his hand. Tony ducked under McGee's arm and helped him slowly to a chair at Gibbs' desk.

"So she finally told him," said Jimmy conversationally to Ducky as they started packing up.

"Yes, and about time too," Ducky replied. "I would have told him myself in a couple of days."

"I can't believe he didn't notice."

"That's why you're a doctor, Mr Palmer, and he's not."

After depositing McGee in the chair, Tony waited expectantly for Gibbs to begin.

"Dinozzo?"

"Yeah Boss."

"Why are you here?"

Tony looked from Abby and McGee and back again. "Oh, right boss", he said dejectedly and left.

Gibbs looked at the two people in front of him waiting for someone to start. "Well," he prompted.

"I.. ah, well," McGee stuttered. He was shaking again and he pulled the blanket up around his shoulders.

"I'm pregnant," Abby stated simply.

"Ahh," Gibbs fitted the pieces together instantly.

He directed his question to McGee: "And you found out?"

"About twenty minutes before I hit the desk," McGee confirmed, touching his swollen forehead.

"Well, congratulations," said Gibbs. "When are you due?"

Abby looked at him in confusion. "Due? Oh, I haven't really thought about it."

"What!" McGee looked at her.

"I was just sort of getting used to the idea I was pregnant, I hadn't really thought about the next step."

"They do come out eventually, Abs," Gibbs chided.

"Yeah, I know, I just hadn't really planned that far ahead."

Gibbs fixed her with a serious gaze. "You need to find yourself an obstetrician, a hospital, get to an ante-natal course and get yourself a whole heap of baby junk you never thought you'd ever use."

Abby looked disgusted.

"McGee, you need to help her. Do you understand?" McGee nodded energetically and then winced at the pain in his head.

"Now go," he directed. "And Abby, don't break this sort of news to my staff during work hours, that's what we have weekends for."

"Yes sir," she saluted.

Gibbs cringed. "And get back to me with your dates".

Abby nodded and bounced away leaving McGee to haul himself out of the chair.

"These are the good times, McGee," Gibbs reassured him with a sly smile. "It's all downhill from here".

McGee gave a pitiful whimper and made his way unsteadily to his desk.

When he got there, Tony was in his face.

"Spill," he said.

"Not now, Tony," McGee sighed, crawling over to his chair.

"I'm pregnant," Abby announced.

"No way," then he turned to McGee. "McGee, my man, one shot, straight in the basket. High five, buddy." And he held up his hand.

"I fail to see how anything I do reflects upon you," said McGee.

Tony lowered his hand. "You just don't understand sport at all, do you?"

"Besides," Ziva added mischievously. "It took him three shots."

"You TOLD her?" McGee asked Abby incredulously over the noise of Tony's victory dance and cries of "yes!"

McGee exhaled loudly, leant back in his chair, and placed the icepack on his throbbing head.