JF2
Gibbs had told Tony everything about the unsanctioned op and that Tim'd had the idea to get them the in, that they needed. That Vance hadn't approved it but was an integral part of the op. That the only reason Tony hadn't been read in because he had been with Ellie at Quantico, doing simulations and Vance didn't want to risk Ellie finding out and telling anyone, especially her NSA husband.
Tony had been hurt, but he had understood. He now knew how Tim had felt at the time the whole team but him had been working on clandestine case a few years back. They would definitely sort it out, between them, just as soon as Tim was better, but right now they had bigger fish to fry. A fish named Benham Parsa.
Gibbs had called Ducky and Director Vance. Gibbs hadn't been in the mood to deal with Abby and for once, Tim needed to be the priority. Jimmy unfortunately couldn't be called either, or Abby would be really pissy, even worse than usual.
His daughter had called him, but he sent her call to voicemail before texting her back that he couldn't answer because he was at the hospital, but not for him, that he was OK. After a few texts exchanged, back and forth, Kelly had arrived at the hospital, bringing her dad some coffee, as well as Tony. Neither Tony, nor Gibbs had told her who or why they were there, but she had heard about the attack on the Conrad Gala on TV and was relieved to see that her father wasn't involved. But it didn't take much deduction on her part; if Tony and her father were at the hospital, but they weren't injured, then they were there for him. She hadn't seen him and wasn't sure where he was. Where was he? "Is he OK?" she had asked, and her father had given her the nod. The 'don't ask' nod. But Kelly's stubbornness kicked in again and she refused to leave.
Vance arrived, with Ellie in tow and they settled in to wait for Ducky to give a more detailed update on McGee's condition... But first, Ducky had gone to enquire about Delilah.
The three men and the two women settled into Tim's room, watching him as he slept, a medicated sleep. Gibbs and Tony closest to him, Ellie and Vance at the end of the bed and Kelly on the opposite side of the bed, resting against the windowsill.
No words were exchanged, since the girls had muttered their own introductions a while back. Gibbs was leaning against Tim's bed, his eyes closed, but definitely not sleeping. Tony had his feet propped up on the bed and leaning back, looking at the roof tiles. Ellie was sitting on the floor, legs crossed Indian style, her head in her hands and Vance was sitting in a chair, looking down at his phone. Kelly's gaze had been fixed on the gorgeous man in the bed. She didn't know him very well, they'd only just met, just over twenty-four hours ago. But it was just that morning she had been teasing him, playfully.
Ducky's arrival into Tim's room, roused everyone from their positions. "Kelly, if you wouldn't mind, my dear. Please stay with Timothy for a moment, I need to speak with Director Vance and the agents, in private." Kelly nodded the affirmative and as her father slipped out of his chair, she took a seat in it.
"I am afraid Miss Fielding succumbed to her injuries, thirty minutes ago." Ducky whispered as they had all gathered down the hall from Tim's room. "The blast had severed her spinal cord and they had operated, and she was in a coma. While she was in a coma, she had to undergo a second surgery for a blood clot but unfortunately she had a cerebrovascular accident and passed on the table." At Ellie's confused look, Ducky elaborated "That's a stroke, Eleanor."
No one reacted, no one said anything. A small bag was passed from Ducky to Gibbs. "No one tells Tim anything, until he is awake." Gibbs growled out the direct order instead of his usual bark, remembering the mixture of voices combined with the drugs and all the confusion that had followed when he had been in an explosion many years ago. "Duck, I think you'll be the best judge of when is the appropriate time to notify him."
"I'll take care of it, Jethro." the good doctor told the team leader of the MCRT. "Now we have all seen Timothy, might I suggest a good night's sleep. Start fresh tomorrow."
"You heard the man, move it." Vance agreed. He knew that Tony, Gibbs and himself had some work to do tonight. But they needed Ellie to leave, first.
"I'll be with him tonight, Tony." Ducky promised the SFA. "I promise if anything happens, I shall call." Ducky pat Tony's back. He knew that Tim and Tony had a special friendship; one that hadn't taken the usual path. That the two men were as close as brothers, now.
"Thanks Duck, come on Bish. We'll take the sedan. Gibbs, have you got Kelly?" he asked him, wondering if Gibbs was actually going to leave Tim or not.
"Go, I'll take her home." he said. But he wasn't going anywhere yet. He saw as Tony and Ellie briefly pop into Tim's room and then waved good night as they left the hospital.
As soon as the other two agents had left, Vance turned to Gibbs. "As soon as I left the van, I dumped all the data. It's on our servers, waiting for us at the yard. We've got the earwig, necklace and contact lens camera back. I can make the other two bugs that we lost in the explosion, disappear in paperwork. We took a cab here. Bishop has no idea; what we were doing, what we did. Pamela had Dorney go and get the van back. Our bases are covered, Gibbs."
"Timothy really liked that DOD analyst, Jethro. He is going to grieving her for a while." Ducky added. "Unfortunately, the emotional pain will last for some time after he has physically recovered."
"I know, Duck. Last night, Tim let me in a little." Gibbs told him as the three of them went back into Tim's room.
Inside they saw Tim was semi-conscious and mumbling incoherently to Kelly, who had perched herself on the edge of the bed. She had one hand in his and was carding her other hand into his hair along his cheek to cup his jaw, carefully avoiding the cuts, stitches and contusions. "You're going to be OK." she whispered to him, over and over.
Looking over, at the trio of men by the door. She smiled back at them. "He became agitated and distressed as soon as you all left, so I held his hand so he would know he wasn't alone. After Tony left with... What's her name? The perky blonde, cheerleader..."
"Bishop. Ellie Bishop." Gibbs supplied with a smile. He knew Kelly wasn't scatter-brained like that. Ellie must have done something to push his daughter's buttons. Judging by how close she was sitting to him now; Ellie probably touched his leg or kissed his cheek goodbye.
"That bishop woman. Tim became agitated again. He seemed to calm down when I touched his hair and his face." she said as she tried to make her escape from him.
As soon as Kelly had moved away, Tim's mumbling increased becoming incoherent again. She stepped back up to the bed and repeated her actions, lowering her voice as she repeated her words to him, again. Her voice soft like silk and sweet like honey, Tim immediately settled.
Gibbs didn't want his daughter to get hurt. He knew from past experiences that Tim's mind would be conjuring up images that he couldn't trust were real. Gibbs knew that to Tim, Kelly definitely wasn't who he was seeing, sitting before him, carding his hair, talking to him sweet, soothing tones. Kelly had thought she was doing the right thing, in comforting him. And she was... To an extent.
But he needed to be told about Delilah, so he could start the grieving process.
Morning arrived earlier than either of them wanted to admit. By dawn, Ellie, Tony and Vance had stopped by to check on him on the way to the yard. Gibbs had managed to get Kelly to swap spots with him as he used the 'dad' thumb trick to calm him down and lull him into a heavy slumber.
Gibbs arrived, carrying a large hot cup of tea for their beloved M.E, who had spent the night by his agent's bedside, as well as his usual coffee. Vance had suggested last night that Gibbs and Ducky tell Tim about Delilah's death and to take the day to support him.
That Vance would read Ellie, Balboa and Dorney into the op and they'd get a start on sifting through the data and analysing it. That he would inform Abby and Jimmy, about Tim and tell them it was his decision, not to notify them because he needed them fresh to work today.
"Mornin', Duck." Gibbs greeted him softly, handing over the tea. "How is he?"
"He woke briefly, I told him the news and he didn't really react. The doctor administered another dose of morphine and he's been sleeping since. I would say he feels numb, Jethro." Ducky to his friend. He was sure his friend could understand better than most, some, if not all of the pain their young friend must be in. "Emotionally, that is. Of course, you are aware, head injuries are quite painful, plus the gravel rash in his throat, the lacerations and contusions. I imagine he was in quite a bit of physical pain."
"He didn't react at all?" Gibbs asked, surprised. He hadn't expected no reaction at all, Tim was much more in touch with his emotions, unlike Gibbs. "Did he register your words?" he asked the doctor.
Gibbs knew from painful, first-hand experience that you needed to hear the words a few times, to make your brain react and register the words. Plus, Tim was on morphine and had a head injury.
At the shake of Ducky's head, Gibbs reassured his friend that he would take care of it next time.
Abby was fuming mad, completely steamed up and Tony had had the audacity to tell her to calm down, that it wasn't about her. She had not been told Tim was on a date, she had not been told Tim was at the gala. She didn't know about his relationship with Delilah, and she certainly did not know that Kelly knew Tim.
She was mad at the Director for not telling her and even madder at Gibbs for not telling her anyway. She had already unleashed at Tony, and she hadn't believed his attitude that it was about Tim, not her. Tim hadn't been the one who had been lied to, even if it was a lie by omission.
What had been the icing on the cake was that Gibbs had been in the building this morning and hadn't even come down to comfort her.
She sat in self-reflection, and that's where she was at later in the afternoon when Ducky had arrived to check in with both the Director and Jimmy.
"Abigail? Whatever is the matter?" he asked, finding her deep in reflection. "Timothy is going to be OK."
"Why didn't he tell me about him and Delilah?" she asked, hastily wiping her eyes. "I have realised that Timmy and I aren't as close as we used to be. He doesn't tell me half of what's going on, anymore."
"Oh, my dear." he hugged her. "I think he was trying to keep his personal life separated from work."
"But he lied to me, Ducky." she whined. "It was a lie by omission, but it's still a lie." She was sobbing now. "He lied to me."
"Now you know that's not true, Abigail." Ducky lightly admonished her. "Timothy is a private man and he's entitled to a private life. He is allowed to date whomever he likes; without your permission. You do not own him. Yes, you two were together, albeit briefly, many, many years ago. That doesn't mean he has to answer to you about his life's choices."
"But..." Ducky interrupted her again by placing his finger over her red painted lips.
"No, now you're going to clean yourself up and go and have a talk with Sister Rosita. You need to re-shift your priorities, Abby." Ducky told her sternly.
"Hey" Gibbs whispered softly, sending a small comforting smile to the man in the bed. "How are you feeling, Tim?"
"Fuzzy." Tim told him. "How's Delilah?" In his mind, the whole evening had been a blur and he had only just realised he was in the hospital, not his bed or Delilah's.
"Tim, I'm sorry. She's gone." Gibbs whispered. "The doctors did everything they could, but there was too much damage. She had a stroke in the operating room."
Tim closed his eyes in pain at Gibbs' words and his soft tone of voice. Gibbs perched himself up on the bed in front of Tim. As a tear slipped down his cheek, Gibbs took Tim into his arms and pat his back in a comforting manner. As another tear and another tear fell, Gibbs' heart broke for the man in his arms... And for himself. The pain he had felt when he had lost Shannon was a pain, he never wanted anyone else he loved to go through, he didn't wish it on anyone, and here Tim was going through pain incredibly similar of his own. "It's OK, Tim. Let it out." he murmured in a low voice.
Gibbs looked up and saw Kelly at the door. At the look on her father's face, she left the coffee cup she was carrying on the tray table by the door and slipped out of the room.
Pulling back from Gibbs, Tim hastily wiped his eyes. "Thank you." He took a few deep breaths, inhale and exhaling to rein his grief in.
Gibbs pat his arm, comfortingly. "Anytime, son." he moved off the bed and retrieved the coffee Kelly had left him. "I'll give you a few moments to yourself." he added softly, knowing Tim needed to process his words by himself and Kelly was still outside in the hall. Her stubbornness and tenacity wouldn't have let her just leave without finding out what was going on.
He closed the door behind him and stepped over to his daughter, kissing her cheek in thanks. Kelly flung herself into her dad's arms. "Is he... OK?" she asked in a small voice.
"His girlfriend died in the same blast, Kell." he told her softly. "I think that Tim is as far from OK as he can be, right now."
"Are you OK?" she asked her father. "I can't imagine it would have been easy; to tell Tim about his girlfriend, I can only imagine the pain you must feel, Dad. The memories it must have bought up about mom."
"It needed to be done, Kelly. Who better to do it than his boss; his team leader and a man who's been exactly where he is, right now." Gibbs told his daughter, painfully.
"Can I do something for him?" Kelly asked, her heart pained for the man she'd just met. She may have just met him, but he was important to her dad, making him important to her.
"Just be a friend to him."
Tony came to the hospital, straight from work to find Tim being encouraged to eat a meal pureed roast chicken and gravy by a nosy orderly. "Can I get him some soup, instead?" he asked. "That doesn't even look appetising."
At the nod of the nurse who was entering the room, Tony whipped out his cell and called Bishop. He knew she and her husband were on their way in to visit and Tony wanted her to pick up Tim's favourite soup at the diner.
Re-settling Tim in the bed, Tony pushed the tray table that held the disgusting looking meal out of the room and closed the door behind him. "How are you doing? Sorry about your girl, she seemed really nice." Tony told him softly.
Tim didn't answer Tony, he just nestled down in his bed and closed his eyes, willing the tears not to fall. Tony had meant well, even Tim knew that, but he had just reminded Tim that he had survived, and Delilah hadn't.
Ellie had arrived, with her husband Jake in tow. They delivered the sweet potato and garlic lamb soup, made especially for Tim with love from Elaine. When Ellie had stopped by the diner for the soup, she found the Elaine already had a batch ready to go on Gibbs' warning. "Has he said anything?" Jake asked in a whisper, as he entered the hospital room too. Jake couldn't believe his eyes. Sure, he had only met the quiet agent a couple of times, but he'd never seen someone mute up close, before.
"Not a word." Tony answered Jake with a glare, as Tim pretended to be asleep. Tony knew Tim too well; he knew Tim was pretending to be asleep to avoid talking to visitors.
Abby's arrival at the hospital was noisy. The clomping of her big platform boots echoed in Tim's head and her exuberance, hurt his heart. Exuberance was the last thing he felt. She barrelled her way into the room and immediately hugged him tightly, squeezing his fractured and contused ribs. "Abby!" Tony said frustratingly angry at her. "Can't you see you're hurting him."
"Timmy would tell me if I was hurting him. So I'm not moving." Abby commented, the vehemence evident in her voice, as she held on to his body tightly and climbed onto the bed with Tim, despite Ellie and Tony both trying to pull her off Tim and off the hospital bed.
Gibbs and Vance had arrived with Ducky from where they had been briefing one another, in the cafeteria when Gibbs noticed Abby practically lying on top of him. Despite Tim's closed eyes, he could see the physical pain etched on his face. "Abs, get off him!" Gibbs seethed at the forensic scientist goth. "You know better than to jump all over someone who's injured like that."
"But Gibbs..." she whined, dragging out his name. Her voice shrill and high pitched.
"Everyone out!" Ducky demanded angrily. He could see that all these visitors were overwhelming the young man who was struggling.
Ducky checked Tim over as soon as the last person had left the room. Tim opened his eyes and saw he and Ducky were alone. He breathed out an audible sigh of relief. "You can talk to me, you know?" Ducky reminded the younger man. "We've all buried loved ones, Timothy. Please don't shut us out. We care for you, remember."
"OK." Tim breathed out before rolling over and facing the window, away from Ducky.
When Ducky reached the hallway, Gibbs was in his space immediately, followed by Gibbs and Vance. Tony and Ellie were physically holding Abby back from barraging her way back into Tim's room. "How is he, Duck?" Gibbs asked.
"Monosyllabic at best, Jethro. I'm afraid having everyone there is too overwhelming for him." Ducky told them.
Gibbs could sympathise with how Tim was feeling. Sometimes, everything overwhelmed you, especially in the early days. Sometimes, you just didn't want to live. Gibbs could still remember the taste of the oil on his gun, as he put the pistol in his mouth and willed himself to pull the trigger. A three and a half foot tall, strawberry blonde haired little girl had been the sole reason he'd fought that particular demon off. Tim didn't have that reason and he honestly didn't know if Tim could come back from this.
"Does he want me to see if I can get in contact with Sarah or Penny?" Gibbs asked Ducky. Vance was about to suggest the same thing.
"Perhaps you or the Director should speak with him. You both have unfortunately experienced similar trauma in your life. I think one of you could reach him better than I can."
Leon Vance put his hand up to try first, he tentatively set foot in Tim's room. He put his hand on the young man's shoulder, letting it linger in support. Gently rousing the grieving man from his rest, knowing he was feigning sleep to avoid talking to people. Leon looked down and could see the tears on his face that had been falling freely. He chose not to comment on them, as he began to speak to the agent whom he had a lot of respect for and the man who had been a quiet confidant in the two years since he lost his wife. "When I lost Jackie, I felt like I was in a room with no windows and the walls were closing in around me. The roof kept hitting my head as the space above me kept getting smaller and smaller. Until I felt like I was this big." Leon confided in him, showing his agent the space between his fingers, resembling an inch and a half. "I mourned the woman the world lost, the woman I lost as well as the wife, mother, friend and lover. I mourned what we had and what we would miss out on. In your case, you'll mourn the analyst, the brilliant scientific and analytic mind you admired, her as a woman, as your friend and I assume as your lover. But I sought comfort in those who truly cared for me and cared for my kids. My family, my friends... Tony and Ziva, Ducky and Mr Palmer and the rest of the agency, but most of all; Gibbs and you. Do you want me to call your family?"
Tim just shook his head no. There was no way he would be able to deal with Sarah's drama or Penny's overbearing, overcontrolling ways. Since the case involving his father, the two men had got together only twice and both times had ended in an argument and lots of hurt from the past had been dredged up. Tim didn't need or want to deal with more emotional hurt right now.
"Do you want to talk to me about how you're feeling?" the Director asked, feeling out the younger man. He hoped that Tim would answer him with more than one word, but he was met with closed eyes, a pained expression and silence. "I'll ask for some more pain relief for you. Just try to rest, Tim."
It was late by the time Kelly had finished dealing with the IT crisis that had plagued her day, but she had made it to the hospital, finally. She was hoping to snag a few minutes of Tim's time. Ever since her dad had told her that Tim's girlfriend had been killed in the explosion, at the gala she hadn't been able to get it out of her mind.
She was relieved when she stepped out onto Tim's floor and there wasn't a single NCIS staff member in sight. She stopped by the windows outside Tim's room and peeked inside. She was happy to finally find him alone and extra happy to see that Abby or that Ellie woman wasn't with him.
She knocked on the door, before slipping inside his room. Tim looked up at her surprised to see her. It was the first time that the two of them had ever been alone together. "I know we don't know each other well, but I rely on you so much and you don't even realise it." Kelly told her father's agent. "I rely on you... And Tony and Ellie to make sure Dad comes home safe every night. That's not an easy job, you work for him, you know how insufferable he is."
Kelly pulled up the chair that had been resting against the far wall since Gibbs left earlier that night and took it over to sit by his bed. "We've all lost someone we love before, but I can't imagine the hurt you must be feeling from losing a partner, not to mention your physical injuries. But I know the frustration of everyone wanting you to talk about it with them, to talk about the pain, when you're just not ready." Kelly took a sip if her travel mug. She had made a fresh cup of her favourite tea before leaving the office. "Don't be afraid to tell them to 'shove off' because quite frankly, no one can understand. But remember, your feelings are valid."
Kelly took another sip of her tea. She was about to continue when Tim looked at her. "Is that a flowery tea?" he asked softly.
"It's called Hippy Sippy Citrus tea. It's got hibiscus, rosehips, lemon myrtle, orange peel, apple pomace, sweet blackberry leaves, strawberry and safflower petals in it." Kelly replied with a small smile. "Want to try it?"
Tim used the monkey bar overhead to sit himself upright some more and Kelly offered her travel mug to him. His shaky hands taking the offered mug of tea from her. Her hands lingering nearby, not wanting the injured man to burn himself on it. "It's delicious, thank you." Tim whispered to her.
"I'll bring you some in the next time I visit. It can help sooth your nerves enough to help you sleep. I enjoy a cup before bed." Kelly confided in him. "It makes my brain settle and my body relax. Otherwise, I am wired for hours."
He was surprised to see Kelly come and visit him; she was practically a stranger. She had spoken about grief, just like everyone else had but he had felt compelled to ask about her tea. All of a sudden, he felt a catharsis in his body at discussing something so mundane as a type of tea.
"I like to type. I'll listen to some jazz, set up my grandfather's typewriter and I'll free write. Some of my best stuff comes from a free-writing session." Tim replied.
"A typewriter?" she asked, amused by that fact. "For a tech guy, I expected a laptop or a Dictaphone. Certainly, could have used your tech expertise today in my office. I swear my IT guys are totally useless."
"What happened?" he asked and Kelly proceeded to tell Tim all about the IT crisis that had taken the entire day and was still not fully resolved. Tim slipped his IT hat on metaphorically and began making suggestions for her to follow up on.
Tony had arrived at the designated time at the hospital, after practically begging Ducky and Gibbs for a second chance while the two of them did some work on the case.
He stopped short of the entrance to Tim's room and stood off to the side and out of sight. He listened as Tim and Kelly discussed a myriad of random topics and listened in as Tim said more words to their boss' daughter than he had said to anyone else since the explosion.
Tony resisted the urge to record their conversation as proof that no matter how much Tim had been monosyllabic with them, that Kelly had managed to make him talk. Even if it was about nonsensical stuff.
He had been standing there for almost half an hour before he realised, they had once again changed topics and were currently discussing the various authors and their philanthropic contributions to society. Both had been big fans of something called The Imagination Library and were discussing the true contribution of the program and the impact it had made in the community.
Tony decided that Tim was in good hands with Kelly and decided to double back to work. The more work they could get done on this case, the quicker it would be solved, and it would help Tim heal too.
"What the hell are you doing back here, DiNozzo?" Gibbs bellowed, causing Ellie and the Director to look up and see Tony back in the bull pen.
"Trust me when I say, Tim is fine. I just left him, and he was having a normal, conversation about everyday things and was using more than one-word answers." Tony explained with a chuckle.
"Penny Langston? Sarah McGee?" Gibbs asked, thinking maybe Ducky or Vance had made the call anyway, despite Tim's insistence they not call his family.
"Kelly Gibbs." Tony crowed. "I stood there for twenty-seven minutes, and they had discussed so many different things. When I left them, they were discussing some literary philanthropic project they both knew about. I didn't even know they knew each other that well."
"They don't." Gibbs frowned. "They only met the day before the attack."
"Well, they were chatting like old friends and sharing a travel mug of something Kelly had bought in with her. She even managed to get Tim to eat the soup, Ellie had delivered."
Vance and Gibbs exchanged smirks and Gibbs hid a grin behind his paper cup.