Chapter Thirty Five: Finding Comfort

Jen sat leaning back on the gurney of the room she had been stitched up in, with Nicole sitting leaning against her chest. Her good arm was wrapped snuggly around the girl while her chin rested on Nicole's head. The eleven year old sat quietly picking at the sheet covering the gurney below them, welcoming the comforting feel of the arm wrapped around her.

Tony stood against the wall, his head tilted back, resting against the plaster. He stared blankly at the ceiling letting the tears slide silently down his cheeks. His arms wrapped tightly around Abby's shoulders as she stood in front of him, her face buried in his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears. Ziva sat on a stool with arms crossed over her chest biting at her lower lip

Ducky had not returned with news yet and the team was fearing the worst. Their leader was down and no one knew if he was going to pull through. They didn't exchange words; none were needed as they silently prayed for the best. Nicole shuttered as she thought about the ordeal that had happened and Jen pulled her closer yet, bringing her cheek next to the girl's. Nicole closed her eyes tightly, trying to make the images stop.

Tony turned his head when he heard someone come in the room, as Abby peeked one eye up from Tony's shirt before she buried her head once more. Ziva stood from the stool, arms dropping to her sides, her left index finger finding a belt loop absently. Jen raised her head up as Nicole rocked slowly in her arms.

"I've spoken with the emergency doctor that worked on Jethro," Ducky said lightly as he came in the room looking rather drained. The look on the older man's face was enough to make DiNozzo physically ill as he felt his stomach clench. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Abby brought her head up so she could see Ducky as Ziva stepped closer to the three. Jen stared at the ME with wide eyes as they waited for his next words. Finally Ducky continued.

"There was extensive damage done to the shoulder muscles and bones. The doctor said the bullet enter through the back, tearing through the Teres Major and Minor muscles before cracking his scapula. The bullet then ricocheted breaking his clavicle from the acromion. It then exited through the trapezoid muscle, tearing it from the deltoid muscle."

"What does that mean, Ducky?" Tony asked with a heavy sigh as the others tried to make heads or tails of Ducky's explanation.

"It means, dear Anthony, that they had done what they can for him down here and have sent him upstairs with the surgeon to piece him back together," Ducky said softly.

"Is he stable?" Jen asked as she squeezed Nicole just a little bit tighter.

"They said he was in critical condition from the amount of blood loss he sustained at the scene and in transport. They are not saying either way. The doctor said it was simply too early to tell," Ducky said as he closed his eyes. "God help you, Jethro," he whispered softly.

"I want to see him," Nicole said softly her chin tucked to her chest as she clenched her eyes. Her hands were softly gripping Jen's arm as they clung to each other. Abby let go of Tony as he pushed away from the wall. He walked around her and came up next to the gurney.

"We all do, Kido, but we can't right now. When the doctors have him patched up, ok?" he said gently. Abby walked up next to Tony linking her arm in his. Ziva looked on from the other side of the gurney as Ducky took the foot end. They stood for a moment in silence as Nicole looked up at Tony with soft scared brown eyes. She then ducked her head and hid her face as a torrent of fresh tears ran down her cheeks. Tony reached out and gently laid a hand on her head as Jen moved her hand on Nicole's back in a calming manner.

A man appeared in the doorway wearing light green scrubs looking slightly nervous. Tony turned and looked at him but it was Ducky that approached the man. As Ducky came up in front of him, the man in scrubs cleared his throat and took a breath.

"I'm sorry, but we need the room," he said softly with apologetic eyes. Ducky nodded slowly and turned to the team. "There's a waiting room upstairs outside of surgery that can accommodate you."

"Thank you," Abby said as she turned with Tony. Jen slid from the gurney and gently pulled Nicole with her. The girl slumped to her knees and hugged herself, not wanting to walk. Abby let go of Tony as he came around the gurney, scooping Nicole into his arms. Jen walked behind him as the girl draped her head over his shoulder. Ziva came up next to Jen as Abby walked next to Tony. Ducky followed the man in green scrubs as he led them to the room they could wait in.

The room was small, holding ten plastic chairs, arranged in two rows of five. Each chair in the row was connected to the one next to it, making a train of sorts. They were a navy blue in color and stood out against the forest green flat carpeting that was on the floor. The walls were stark white with basic still life paintings serving as decoration. It was very dreary as they walked in, and the mood of the team made it even worse.

Ziva sat in the chair closest to the door as Ducky sat to her right. Tony sat on the other row in the middle chair as he set Nicole down to his left, Abby sat on his right her hands clenched together in her lap. Jen sat down on the other side of Nicole wrapping an arm around the girl.

Nicole leaned heavily into Jen and closed her eyes. She was extremely tired as it neared four in the morning but she knew she couldn't sleep. She knew that the old nightmares were still lurking as the new ones were just forming. The team once again dropped into a silence that personified the current mood. They had nothing to say to each other that would make them feel better, or change the situation so they kept quiet, taking comfort in the simple fact that they were together.

"I wish Tim was here," Abby said after the quiet was growing unbearable, as she picked at the hem of her shirt. Tony wrapped an arm around her and leaned over gently kissing her hair.

"I know, Abby," he said softly. Ziva had closed her eyes and leaned her head on Ducky's shoulder and appeared to have fallen asleep as Ducky stared at his feet with his hands gently clasped in his lap. Tony was anxious and agitated with the waiting, they had been in the room for hours now, at least he thought they had. He really didn't know how long they had been there.

He checked his watch, only forty five minutes. He sighed heavily and shook his head; this would be the death of him he thought. The waiting game was the worst kind of game to play. Abby leaned against him and closed her eyes as the past couple days of long hours caught up with her. Tony was exhausted as well but his mind was too wound up to sleep.

Jen sat watching Nicole as the child shifted trying to find a comfortable position. The arm rest seemed to be in the wrong position for her. She whimpered slightly when she banged her hip of the side of the chair and both Tony and Jen reached for her. She shook her head making both sit back into their chairs.

Another half hour crept by feeling like ten days as they waited. There still was no news as the surgeons went about patching up their boss, their friend. Tony closed his eyes and saw Kirkpatrick's, the sadistic sneer on his face as he forced the knife to Director Shepard's neck, before flashing to the surprised wide eyed look of someone realizing they had reached the end of the line.

He had not watched the life drain from the man's eyes, though now he wished he had. At the time he had been more worried about getting to Gibbs. He had not known Mann was dead when he shot Kirkpatrick. Gibbs had some how taken care of the other man even after being shot.

Tony gritted his teeth as Kirkpatrick continued to plague his mind, filling his inner thought with pictures of the man that caused all this in the first place. He clenched his eyes and forced the images out, clearing his mind and trying to think of nothing. His shoulder was starting to tingle from where Abby was using him as a pillow but he didn't care, she needed the sleep. He flexed his hand repeatedly trying to stimulate blood flow. It didn't work but it gave him something to occupy his mind with.

Ducky's mind was cluttered with images of Gibbs from the years he'd known the man. Gibbs was definitely the most hard headed person Ducky had ever come in contact with. The man also had a soft side Ducky knew, that was genuine, caring, and loyal above all else to what he believed in. He smiled to himself as the memories floated randomly through his mind.

Ziva woke with a slight jump as her mind tumbled into darkness during her sleep. She blinked a few times before sitting up a little straighter. She checked her watch and pursed her lips noticing that not much time had passed. She looked around at the somber faces of the team members and felt their pain, first Kate now Gibbs. It was a devastating blow and if the man died it would ruin the people in this room.

She knew that they were still reeling from the loss of Kate and if Gibbs didn't pull through this latest episode of dramatics the team would self destruct. She took in a deep breath letting it out slowly as she stretched out more in the chair. Her back was starting to ache from sitting on the hard plastic for so long.

The waiting continued. Another hour passed as they sat in a room clinging to each other in silence praying for word. They didn't know what was going on, but the fact that they were still in the operation room had to be a good sign, he was most likely still alive.

McGee boarded the plane with a twisted stomach. Abby's phone call had shaken him to the core as she told him what had happened. He had looked up to find Brack coming towards the doorway with a questioning look in his eyes.

"I need to get back to Washington now," McGee said with a soft voice, afraid he would shatter his existence if he raised it. A frown crept over Brack's features as he slowly nodded.

"What's happened?" the man asked sincerely.

"My boss," McGee started but stalled thinking about what he was about to say. Finally he continued. "He was shot tonight and is in the hospital. They don't know what's going to happen."

"I'll arrange for a flight back. There are cargos going out of here all times of night," Brack said turning from the door and heading towards the phone. McGee was grateful he wouldn't have to figure out a way home.

McGee gathered his belongings as his heart hammered in his chest. He carried his small bag out to the kitchen where Brack was writing something down as he listened to the phone. When he hung up Brack looked at McGee.

"Got you on a cargo that leaves in twenty minutes. I'll take you."

"Thank you," McGee mumbled as his mind was scattered thinking about the news. Brack ushered him out the door and into the car. They headed towards the air strip.

"I'll have Malford and Deeves flown to Washington in the morning. I'll accompany them myself," Brack said as they arrived. McGee nodded his thanks before turning to the man.

"Thank you for this," McGee said.

"Be with your team, Agent McGee, you're needed," Brack said with a nod. McGee got from the car and walked to the cargo plane he was to ride to Washington. Once on board he tried to find a place in the seat that was comfortable enough to sleep on, but he found he was wide awake now. It would be a long five hours on the plane.

Time seemed to slow, then crawl, then move backwards as the agony of word dragged on for hours. The sun was peeking up over the horizon now and still no doctor had come to talk with them. Multiple times Tony and Ducky had risen and left the room trying to track down some kind of word. All they could muster was that he was still in surgery, but that meant he was still alive.

It was almost eight in the morning when someone came towards the room. Tony rose to his feet, gently sliding Abby's head to the side first. She jumped awake and looked around before standing up next to Tony. Nicole rose and came around in front of Tony as his hands landed idly on her shoulders. Jen stood and joined the group, as Ducky and Ziva stood as well.

"I'm Dr. Jared Wilson, are you Special Agent Gibbs' team?" the man said.

They all nodded in unison, no one brave enough to speak aloud. The doctor looked at each one in the eye before his gaze landed on Nicole. She looked back at him with hope in her eyes as she fought to keep the tears at bay, she was tired of crying.

"Are you his daughter?" the doctor asked her. Her heart seemed to skip a beat and the pain and memory of losing her mother jumbled across her brain before she slowly shook her head no. The doctor gave a quizzical look before he shook his head.

"What's the damage?" Ducky asked.

TBC…