Years ago, it would have been a task Gibbs relished. A hike across a national park to a crime scene: Backpacks, maps, compasses, a team of eager, fit marines who would gladly give their lives for the good of the team.
The vision dissolved before him. Instead there stood a prima donnas athlete more familiar with 5 star hotels than rough terrain, a bright eyed slightly overweight boy scout who struggled to climb the stairs at work and a female mercenary who would cannibalize them all in a heartbeat if the need arose.
He drew their attention to the chart on the wall. "This is our crime scene", he pointed. It should take us most of the day to get there IF", he stressed glaring at McGee; "we keep up a good pace". McGee nodded his head energetically. This actually worried Gibbs more than if he'd admitted he might have a problem.
"We will dine on rations," Tony crinkled his nose, "and we will travel as a team. Your arse is only safe if all arses are safe" He held Ziva's gaze for a moment.
He turned back to the map. "We have a storm expected through some time tomorrow. In theory it should pass to the south but I've doubled the rations just in case we get stranded."
He looked at the three faces. In his minds eye they turned into crack marines. Then they morphed back into agents. Ah reality: you gotta hate it. "Let's go."
The pace was starting to get on Gibb's nerves. This trek should have taken 5 hours maximum with breaks but it was stretching out to 6 or possibly 7 with McGee dragging along behind. The other three were taking more rest breaks just to wait for him to catch up and Tony took great delight in leaping up just as McGee plonked himself on the ground saying "Well, enough resting".
"When we get back, you are hitting that gym every morning," Gibbs warned McGee. McGee was nodded glumly.
Tony was thoroughly enjoying himself. If it weren't for the bugs and piles of animal excrement lying about, it might be perfect. When Gibbs was this annoyed at Probie, he had no time to be mad at him. He was the golden child who could do no wrong and he milked it for all it was worth. He even pretended to be interested in the map Gibbs and Ziva were studying, sneaking glances as McGee to make sure he appreciated how much he was being ostracised.
Gibbs was relieved at the mid-afternoon stop. With any luck, the next stop would be the actual cabin and then they might even have a few hours of daylight to search the perimeter. He tossed down his backpack and pulled out the map once again. He checked the distance: it wasn't far, even by McGee's standards. Tony and Ziva were unloading their packs beside him. Then all three of them stood, looking out into the trees waiting for McGee's plodding footsteps and tortured breaths.
"Come on McGee", Gibbs encouraged wearily.
"Here he comes", said Tony hearing the clumping through the soft ground.
McGee wondered when this nightmare was ever going to end. Every single muscle in his body ached and he was pretty sure he had grown some new ones specifically to provide more pain to the ensemble. The ground was soft and uneven, and covered in pine needles and hidden pine cones so that his ankles kept wrenching one way and then the other. He'd thrown up twice so far on this trip and he was sure that if he had the energy, he'd be doing it again.
His chest felt so tight he couldn't take a proper breath. There was a burning through his lungs which made it impossible for him to stand upright. Hunching slightly meant the weight of the backpack started to crush him. Adding to his overall discomfort he seemed to have developed a strange squeaking noise in his chest which continued after he had taken each breath. He was wondering there was a native bagpipe-fly in the region which he had inadvertently swallowed. He'd look it up when they got back.
He looked up and saw them all waiting for him: again. He couldn't stand the looks of derision. It was like high school cross country races all over again. They'd pay. Next time they wanted him to help with a misbehaving computer he'd suddenly develop a need to fulfil his gym requirement and then they'd be the ones sweating and panting.
He debated how close he should bother to get to them. Dropping where he was would seem too premature but too close and he could hear Tony's taunts. He chose a tree a few meters away from the others and collapsed to the ground, not even bothering to remove his backpack he leant his back against it, still remaining hunched to avoid the pain in his chest.
Gibbs, Tony and Ziva watched McGee gasping painfully on the ground in mild amusement. Tony took a breath and opened his mouth but Gibbs held up a warning hand. They stood in silence for a minute before Gibbs looked at Ziva.
"And I thought they were going over board with that first aid kit', he muttered, "Where did that go?"
Ziva dug through her backpack and found the first aid kit. She tossed it to Gibbs who undid the zip and searched meaningfully.
"Ah ha!" he held up a small plastic tube with a canister inside.
He strode over to where McGee was sitting hunched and wheezing painfully.
"And you didn't mention you had asthma because…?" he prompted removing the canister from the plastic tube and then using the tube itself as a spacer.
"Haven't…had…asthma…since…I…was…a…kid", McGee wheezed.
"It's called EXERCISE INDUCED asthma", Gibbs enunciated clearly, "it requires actual exercise". He gave the device a shake and a couple of introductory puffs.
"Here", he handed the device to McGee. "It's a strange kind of spacer but unless you're a pro, you're better off using it."
McGee regarded the device with a puzzled expression for a moment then shrugged and gave it a suck while pressing on the puffer. It made a strange harmonica noise which surprised him. Breathing wasn't any easier yet so he took another puff. This time the squealing in his chest evaporated. He waited a moment and then took a third. This time the tightness in his chest vanished like magic and he could straighten his back and breathe without pain. He held the puffer back out to Gibbs who shook his head.
"One more: four for attacks, don't you people ever listen in those first aid classes we send you to?"
McGee took another puff and coughed. At least it didn't hurt. He took an experimental deep breath and it came without trouble. "Wow, they should market this stuff", he said in awe.
Gibbs whacked him on the back of the head. "That's for not telling us and you're still going to those gym sessions."
Tony laughed. McGee was still in the bad books. His status was safe.