Set S18E05.
Tony eyed the bandages wrapped around Tim's arm. Even on his small phone screen, Tim can see the corners of Tony's mouths turning downwards into a frown. Somehow, injuries on the team—his old team—still seem to shake him.
"Gibbs shot me."
For a moment, Tony wonders if he's misheard. The connection can be spotty sometimes. But as he goes to ask the question, Tony catches Ziva's wide-eyed gaze in his peripheral vision. And if Ziva heard it too…well, there's no other explanation.
"He shot me three times." Tim's face is unreadable. "Well, he shot at me three times. He only hit me twice."
"He did what?"
"He shot me," Tim repeats. "Twice."
"I need a little more context, McGee."
Now, Tim's face visibly drops. "He did what he had to do."
"That is not more context."
"My comms cut out just before Vance could tell me that the plane I was running towards was actually a bomb." Finally, Tim's expression shifts from neutrality to frustration, his free hand going up to rub his temple. "He was stopping me from getting on the plane."
"He shot you."
"Twice."
Tony has no doubt that what Tim says is true. Gibbs did what he had to do. And he doesn't disagree. Tim recovering from a couple of gunshots is better than Tim in pieces on a tarmac. Still, even for Gibbs, it seems excessive.
"I hope he gives you a raise."
A joke, because Tony isn't sure what else to say.
"I think he was just getting me back for when I fired him," Tim replied dryly.
But there's a spark in his eyes that wasn't there before, and Tony knows that he made the right move.
"It was close," Tim continues, after a beat of silence. "If the shot had been one millimetre over, I would've died."
Ah. And there it is. All of a sudden, Tony understands why Tim has called him—what Tim needs him to say. He needs to hear what he already knows. And for some reason, he needs to hear it from Tony.
"McGee," Tony says, waiting for Tim's eyes to meet his through the screen. Then he repeats his words back at him—the words he so desperately needs to hear. "Tim, he did what he had to do."
"Right." Tim offers a small smile. "Thanks Tony."
"He did what he had to do." Once more, just in case the first time wasn't enough. And again, "He did what he had to do."
And again. And again. And again.
Until finally, Tim joins in, almost sounding like he believes it too. "He did what he had to do."