Tony was lying in the passenger's seat of the NCIS vehicle as Gibbs sped down the rode going to the hospital. The seat was down and his breathing was a little shallow. Kate and McGee were in the back taking care of some of the more minor injuries.
"Boss, I really don't need a hospital." Tony sighed as Kate patted his head with a damp cloth cleaning out a wound. He winced as she pressed a little hard and she quietly apologized.
"DiNozzo, can you sit up?" Gibbs asked not even looking at his agent.
"Well… how far up is up? Oh ow." Tony asked sitting up a few inches.
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "When you can fully sit up without pain I'll tell you, you don't have to go to the hospital. Until then shut up and sit still."
"Got it, Boss." Tony said and closed his eyes.
They arrived at the hospital a few minutes later and Gibbs got out from the drivers side and went around to help Tony get up. Tony grunted in pain as he was lifted up by Gibbs and McGee.
They went up to the front of the hospital, they saw some of the others that were there being wheeled away in stretchers or chairs as they were being taken care of. A man walked over and bought a stretcher up to Tony, Gibbs, McGee and a few orderlies helped him up with a few grunts from Tony from his ribs.
They took him away to a room and finally The NCIS agents were told to stay behind and wait until they were done looking him over.
Almost an hour later Abby and Ducky had joined them in the waiting room waiting to hear about Tony's current condition. Abby was worried about him and sat restless in her seat, she bought along one of her many stuffed animals from her lab to cheer him up and she was hugging it close to her chest. Kate was next to her sitting perfectly still and staring at the wall in deep thought, every now and then she would bit her nail or twirl a piece of her hair absent mindedly but other then that perfectly still. Same went for Gibbs, he didn't move he did say a word. He was trying to find out all possible ways on how this could have been his fault, if he didn't force Tony to stay home, or if he had been there for him more. Almost every possible way he could be blamed he thought of. McGee was fidgeting in his seat twirling his fingers tapping his foot, anything to try and pass the time. Ducky was sitting still as well, waiting patiently for the doctor to come over; he always did have a lot of patience.
Finally after what seemed like forever to the group Tony's doctor came over. He didn't look sad, that must have been a good side. Gibbs got up immediately and met the doctor half way he was followed quickly by the rest. "Agent DiNozzo's going to be fine, a few cracked ribs, nothing entirely serious, but for that he will have to stay here for a little while they set. He has some deep wounds but they didn't get infected and should heal without worry." He said.
"Can we see him?" Gibbs asked right away.
"I'm sorry Agent Gibbs, only family as of right now." The doctor said with an apologetic look on.
"We are his family." Gibbs said.
The Doctor nodded. "Not all of you can go in at once, he's still a little out of it from the anesthetics and will probably be sleeping it off for the next few hours."
"That's okay, I want to see him." Gibbs said.
"Very well, you know his room number."
Gibbs nodded and then turned to the rest of his team. "Go home, get some rest. I'll call you when he wakes up." He said to them
"Give him this?" Abby said and held out the stuffed animal.
Gibbs smiled and nodded.
"And this." She said and hugged Gibbs.
"I will Abbs." He kissed her on the head and she smiled.
"You promise you'll call?" Kate said with a pleading look in her eyes.
"Have I ever not kept my word, Agent Todd?" He asked her raising an eyebrow and she shook her head without saying anything further.
"Tell him we wish him well." McGee said and the team reluctantly started heading out of the hospital.
"I believe I will talk with the doctor for a moment before my departure. And be sure to tell young Anthony when he wakes that I wish him a speedy recovery." Ducky said and walked over to the doctor, no doubt to find out every little detail about Tony's condition.
Gibbs walked over to Tony's room and slowly opened the door, there was a nurse in there checking his IV's and tucking in the sheets. Probably just stalling time so she could stay in the room longer with him. When she heard him walk in she looked up surprised and blushed slightly. "He's sleeping." She whispered. "I'll get out of your hair." Gibbs thanked her for her help and she nodded as she left the room.
Gibbs walked over to his sleeping agent; Tony looked so young in his sleep. So youthful, not the cocky overactive person he was but he was vulnerable lying there in the hospital bed with the white sheets and the beeping of the various machines. Gibbs placed the stuffed animal on the bed and sat down in a chair he pulled up next to the bed. He patted Tony's arm and sat down and rested his head on his hands and closed his eyes. Before he knew it he was fast asleep in the room.
The room was blurry when he opened his eyes, everything was out of focus. He blinked several times to try and clear his vision but he quickly learned that his one eye was swollen although he couldn't feel the pain it was hard to open fully. He reached up to touch the bandages on his face and he saw an IV in his arm and bandages on his torso. That's right, I'm in the hospital. He thought to himself.
He looked around and noticed the stuffed animal at his side and laughed to himself a little, must be from Abby. He then turned his gaze to the person sleeping in a chair next to the bed. He grinned. "Hey, Boss." He said and was surprised at the weakness of his voice. "Wake up, sleepy." He said after he swallowed a few times.
Gibbs stired and opened his eyes to come face to face with his agent. "DiNozzo, you're up."
"So are you."
"Yeah waiting for your sorry ass to wake up is a long process." Gibbs said sitting up in the chair more. "So, how are you feeling Tony?"
"Great, Boss, I can go back to work tomorrow."
"Tony." Gibbs said and glared at the younger agent.
"Okay, fine you win. I feel and probably look like crap right now. My ribs hurt, my legs, or maybe leg really hurts, my face hurts, my arms hurt… ya know, hell with it everything hurts." Tony said wincing.
Gibbs took all of that in, it was to be expected. "On the plus side DiNozzo, the nurse that was in here a few hours ago was checking you out." He said.
"Well that's just unavoidable ain't it, Boss?" Tony asked shrugging and then suppressing a look of pain across his face, "Ya know my pay should get docked for this." He smiled along with Gibbs but then his smile faded. "B – Boss, do the, do the doctors know?" Gibbs gave him a look of confusion. "I mean do they know, what, what I am?"
Gibbs looked down and nodded. "They do Tony, but they don't care, these are good people. They really don't."
"But how do you know? I mean can you read their minds?" He asked.
"Well I can't but I'm sure they don't care they treated you just like a regular patient."
"They did that because they have to." Tony said. "If they didn't have to –"
"They would have anyway." Gibbs interrupted him. "Tony, sure people will be prejudice," he leaned forward and looked at Tony. "But since when do you care? As long as I have known you, you could care less what people think of you. And besides from seeing the way the nurses were looking at you hen you came in, they really don't care." He smirked.
Tony nodded a little and smiled. "You're right, Boss. Thanks. Really I mean it, I'm glad everything worked out." Gibbs smiled and nodded. "So, " Tony said wanting to change the subject. "How is everyone?"
"Fine, as you can probably tell Abby told me to give you that… she also told me to give you a hug but I think it'll mean more coming from her directly."
"Aw, Boss." Tony said with a sly grin on. "Don't you love me?"
Gibbs gave him a playful glare. "Kate, McGee and Ducky wish you the best and a quick recovery by the way."
"Ohhh, Kate. How's she doing? She worried about poor 'ol Tony?" he asked with a stupid grin on his face.
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which I have to call them, I'll be right back. And I'll get the doctor and tell him you're up while I'm out." Gibbs said taking out his cell phone and exiting the room for a few minutes.
Tony watched him leave and smiled. He got out of that one unharmed, well not unharmed but at least not dead. His friends stayed by his side and that was something he really didn't expect to happen when this first happened. They not only stayed with him but he also made some new friends, maybe when he got out of this place all of his NCIS family and all his new mutant friends. Not all he had to do was survive in this hell hole hospital until his ribs healed fully. The doctor said it's not as bad as it must feel but he still had to stay there a few days. Not fully broken just cracked slightly, and he was thankful for that on so many levels.
Gibbs walked back in followed by the doctor; Tony moaned and protested as the doctor began examining him. Gibbs told him that the rest of the team would be here to see him momentarily. The doctor finally finished looking him over and he told them a few things, Gibbs seemed to be listening but Tony was zoned out not caring in the slightest about what he was saying, hell if he even understood half of it.
About twenty minutes later McGee was the first to show up, then Abby, Kate and Ducky. They stayed the entire day, even the Director stopped by to check on him and to warn him not to come into work until the doctor said it was alright, and then Gibbs said it to him again later that day. I don't think anyone quite understood that he may have a cracked rib, broken nose, and sprained ankle but he didn't go deaf.
AN: Okay not really how I wanted to end but it's an end. I wanted a bit more Tate was it's there… kinda, ya just gotta kinda look for it but it's there. I thank everyone who reviewed everyone who read this story had a great run! And I may write more NCIS stories based off this or ones not but I'm fairly sure this is not the end for me Tony was to much fun to write, and if I do write another one I swear there will be more Tate. But don't get your hopes up for another one too soon, I have a few more stories about other things planned and then maybe another one. But I am rambling, I'll just miss this story, okay I'll stop now, thanks again for your support I never would have gone this far without you guys!