Time heals all wounds

Chapter 18th

"Actually mother is here in the hospital talking to three of the same doctors that had worked on you earlier. She knows about you being here in ICU and the fact that Marcie is at the cabin having to be protected from the Cartel." Kelly needed to say.

"And why they have been after me for many years as well for having shot Pedro Hernandez. My team early on with Ducky, Tony and Abbey knew and kept it a secret for many years. Until the past two years when Judge Miles Deegan used it against me in order to blackmail me. However, we were able to use his own people against him trying to take him out."

"I understand that Marcie had done a large article on you and mommy until the United States intervene with stopping the story entirely?" he smiled even though feeling uncomfortable with having been injured again in the process.

"I do know daddy that she was rather pissed off that her own boss stopped it as well. Since it dealt with exposing us to the Cartel. And we do know that recently with the death of other family members caused by you are out for revenge against you?" Kelly will respond with the truth.

"As always having to be a part of my job working for NCIS. However, of late I have been thinking about retiring even though part-time working at the Academy and the gun range." he was feeling somber with the question.

"I know daddy it's a hard subject to talk about. Since Doctor Confalone knowing her work had told me that men like yourself have a hard time trying to make the changes with their lives and now that you're married hopefully for the final time will last longer than all combined?" Kelly slightly jokes in a way that she was right with himself married to Shannon for only eight years."

"She's right in many ways Kelly and right now my mind is simply on protecting Marcie from the Cartel. Even though there is a possible chance that they just might be going after me." taking a deep breath into his lungs. There was a knock on his door once again wondering whether it was Shannon. "Come," he said with the woman with all grey with a tingle of brown mixed in to be Shannon with her husband Alex Anderson of the drone systems as the CEO/Designer in California.

"Daddy this is Shannon's husband Alex and mommy of course!" she said as Alex went over to shake his hand slightly shaking a bit. However, Shannon bent down to kiss him on his cheek. "Did you finish your chat with the doctors?"

"We did Kelly. I can bet Jethro, you were quite surprised to see us both?" Shannon had to say looking thin and frail wearing a white long sleeve cotton blouse with black slacks. While she was wearing her hair up in a bun to show the contour of her features.

"I was quite surprised after 34 years for the most part. When Marcie had told me that the both of you were alive. I didn't believe her even though her report was stopped by the United States Government. She had said that she talked with Kelly in Orlando, Florida. And now the Cartel is going after all of us and why she is at my cabin being protected by my agents for NCIS." taking a deep breath as his chest was feeling heavy from the stress.

"Daddy are you alright?" Kelly said with asking Alex to call for a nurse quickly.

"Please! I am alright everyone. I am just mostly overwhelmed all of a sudden." he cried out as his breathing was beginning to cause trouble as well. As the doctor on the floor came in looking at his vitals on the computer screen.

"His oxygen levels are dropping. We need to keep his mask on until his oxygen levels go back to normal. I suggest everyone needs to leave now with the patient needing his rest."

"Understood doctor," Kelly said with touching Shannon's shoulder while she was watching his face with his color Ashton.

All three of them left the room to head for their two suites at the local hotel some 20 minutes away from Bethesda, hospital. Meanwhile, the doctor had checked his heart rate once more as with his blood pressure.

"Any orders doctor?" the older shift supervisor asks.

"Just mostly keep a closer eye on him along with his chemistry and blood count. Advised Doctor Cyril Taft in regard to the change in the patient.

Meanwhile, Doctor CYRIL Taft having to be in his office resting on this couch after such a long day. He was thinking of going home.

When there was a knock on his door. He had no idea who it was going to be. "COME." he sat up from the couch with the supervisory nurse of ICU letting him know about Special Agent Gibb's health condition with his oxygen levels dropping.

"What caused this to happen Sylvia?" he asked with getting up with putting on his coat to visit his patient once again.

"From what I can understand Doctor Taft is the fact he had visitors to cause him to be extremely upset. "I believe it was his daughter and first wife Shannon," she said.

"So the rumors were true after all that the both of them were alive after all of this time?" he said with taking off his glasses to clean them.

He walked out of his office with placing his glasses back on to have the supervisory nurse head back to the nurse's station. Knocking on Gibbs room. He walked in to see his friend with his eyes closed for the moment and his oxygen mask on his face.

"Tell me what exactly happened Jethro?" he knew that his friend really wasn't asleep.