When he returned 1 hour and 59 minutes later, the tableau in the waiting room hadn't changed, everyone still huddled and silent. He put the tray of coffee on the table and glanced at Ducky. Wordlessly, he answered his unspoken question. After a considerable amount of time, McGee was the first to reach for the offering, and soon after, Tony and Abby followed suit. Everyone seemed to breathe for the first time. Tension lingered but felt more manageable until the door from surgery opened. The doctor stepped forward, the face of calm and devoid of emotion. Gibbs wondered how many times he had had this conversation. The surgeons hair stuck up at odd angles, having just removed the protective cap, and his shirt looked pristine. Gibbs tried not to think about what the surgical apron must have looked like. He briefly closed his eyes, willing away the image of Kate's blood staining the white smock.
The doctor looked at the group. "Family?"
"Yep."
The terse reply brought a flicker of reaction from the surgeon. "Okay. I'm Dr. Simmons. Surgery went as expected. Clavicle needed reconstruction which involved a small plate and 5 screws. The humerus was crushed into her scapula and clavicle, causing a fracture in the shoulder. The larger problem was the internal bleeding. She lost a lot of blood."
Tony stood. "I'll donate."
Tim followed suit. "Me, too."
Abby held out her arm.
Simmons held out his hands, slightly taken aback at the minor onslaught. "That won't be necessary. We were able to replace everything she lost. But feel free to show up at the next blood drive."
"Prognosis?"
He looked at Gibbs, appreciating the directness. "We'll keep her for a few days to make sure the internal stitching heals as it should. She's going to be in considerable pain for the next 5 to 7 days. We'll prescribe something for it, but the healing process isn't going to be easy."
"That's okay," Abby said. "You don't know Kate."
He conceded the point with a nod.
"Can we see her?" Tim asked in his uncertain way.
"There's not much to see," the doctor replied. "We're going to let her rest before introducing the difficult task of recovery."
Reaching out for Simmons' arm, Abby said, "We just want to see her. Please."
He must have seen Gibbs' dark expression because he sighed and shrugged. "Fine. One at a time. No more than 5 minutes. A look, no more."
Abby almost burst into tears with relief. "Thank you so much."
"Room 408," he supplied, and she was gone before the words were entirely out of his mouth.
"Thanks, Doc," Gibbs said, his face softening ever so slightly.
Simmons nodded, sensing something deeper than simple gratitude. "If you have any other questions, the nurses will have all the information."
A weight lifted from his chest and it took everything for Gibbs to find the strength in his legs to keep him upright. Ducky surreptitiously took hold of his elbow.
"She's going to be all right, Jethro." When a nod was all he got in reply, Ducky muttered under his breath, "The question is, will you?"
x...x
Tony was the last one to come out of the room, letting everyone go ahead, save Gibbs. With everyone now gone, the two men stood silently outside Kate's door. Tony rocked back on his heels once, twice, then spoke.
"About what I said earlier…" He knew better than to expect Gibbs to let him off the hook so lightly. "Right. I was out of line. Won't happen again."
Gibbs' eyes went to the door. "If we're lucky, Tony, there won't ever be reason to."
The weight in his voice spoke volumes, and Tony suddenly understood that the night might have hit them all, but it pierced Gibbs the deepest. He wanted to let him know in some way that he understood, but knew there were very few who could penetrate the wall Gibbs had put around his emotions. He glanced at the room that held one of those people.
"I'll jump on that Bosman lead first thing, Boss," he said instead, hoping Gibbs would see the intention behind the words.
Gibbs shook his head even as he appreciated Tony's attempt. "I don't wanna see you in that office tomorrow. Understood?"
"Boss-"
"Which one of those words isn't clear, DiNozzo?"
"None. Clear as crystal. Just wondering about Greg Bosman."
Gibbs dismissed the concern. "I'll take care of it. I'm assumin' the info's on the paper you left all over the office floor?" Tony had the grace to look sheepish. "I'll call the locals, have 'em pick up Bosman if he's there. Let 'im sit for 24 hours and come up with a good story."
"You sure, Boss?" Seeing Gibbs' raised eyebrow, he quickly backtracked. "Yeah, what am I saying? Okay. Let me know if anything changes?" He looked at the door again.
"Sure," Gibbs replied, with less edge. "Call McGee and tell 'im to stay home, too."
"He's not gonna believe this," Tony said, walking away. "Hell, I don't."
x...x
It wasn't that he hadn't seen his fair share of hospital patients, and it wasn't that some of them weren't people he cared about, but seeing Kate in a bed that looked two sizes too big, in a state that was too frail was almost too much for him to comprehend. The silence that he hated about waiting rooms was broken here by the rhythmic hissing of the oxygen pump and the persistent beeping of the EKG machine. He should've found comfort in the signs of life, but he felt irrational anger at the simple machines that were measuring something so much more. He inhaled deeply through his nose, held it, then exhaled.
The doctor had been very concise with his description of the injuries, so Gibbs was well-prepared for the sling, the bandages and the faint antiseptic smell. What he wasn't ready for were the bruises and cuts that spread and sprinkled across the left side of her face. Of course she'd have them, he thought to himself. The impact was on the driver's side, and her entire left side bore the brunt of the collision. Still, to see her beauty marred in that way made him step closer, as if he could heal them with a touch and a wish. He let his fingertips gently brush across her forehead before letting his hand fall to his side.
"I'm here, Kate."
It was a statement and a promise.
A decade and a half in the Corps taught him to sleep anywhere, and hospital chairs were almost a comfort in comparison to some of the places he'd caught some shuteye. The overnight nurse casually mentioned hospital policy, knowing full well she wouldn't get much in reply beyond a terse, "Okay." She liked his eyes and the way they watched the patient in the bed, so she gave a sage nod and offered anything if he needed it. This, too, was given a simple, "Okay."
He left before shift change, but not before allowing himself the imprint of Kate's fingers in his.
x...x
He wasn't there when she was roused from her sleep by the day staff, though he had heard all about it from an excited Abby, who encouraged him to visit. He didn't, at least not in the daytime. As relieved as he was to know Kate was back with the living, he wondered if it was best if he just stayed in the shadows that darkened her room at 3 in the morning. So that's what he did. For three nights, he sat in the chair, subjected himself to the night nurse's judgmental tsking ("You need glasses if you're gonna read in the dark!") and finished up the work on the Bosman case. Breaking the murderous husband and father in interrogation left Gibbs unsatisfied; he found the usual cathartic outlet of nailing bastards to the wall empty and lacking. It was only when he settled in the hospital chair did he feel any kind of completion.
"Gibbs?"
His head jerked up so fast, he heard his neck crack. She was off the oxygen, but still on a low dose painkiller, enough that he hadn't expected to get caught. He debated staying silent and hoping she'd forget it or dismiss it as a dream, but the way she looked at him banished any deception aside. He closed the file on his lap.
"Kate."
She licked her parched lips before she said, "You look like shit."
He laughed for what felt like the first time in his life, even as he swallowed the lump in his throat. A tightness developed in his lungs and he brought a hand up to his chest. "Yeah, so I've been told, repeatedly by Jackie." He saw her frown. "The night nurse. Name's Jackie."
His explanation did little to smooth the wrinkle on her forehead. "How many nights have you been here?"
"Every." His mouth was a bit too fast for his brain. "I mean..." He waved away his stumble and the truth.
He was saved by a presence in the doorway.
"We got a lil' blip at the nurses' station," Jackie said, padding her way into the room. "Just comin' to see how you're doin'." She gently took Kate's wrist between her thumb and fingers. "Though can't say I blame you- this one here gets my heart all a flutter, too."
"Jackie," he growled.
His mildly threatening tone rolled off her back like water to a duck, especially when it got a short but genuine laugh from Kate.
"It's okay," she replied, "I know a prince can only have one princess. But maybe send that young Italian to cover one of your night shifts?"
"Jackie." His voice was firmer now.
"You're doin' great, sweetie," she said to Kate, ignoring Gibbs' growing ire. "Has the doctor said anything about discharging you?"
Kate shook her head and closed her eyes. "Not that I remember."
Jackie jotted down some information on the clipboard at the end of the bed. "Well, the good news is, Mr. Special Agent Gibbs, you probably only need to sleep in that chair one more night. Doctor'll likely have her out day after tomorrow."
"'Mr. Special Agent Gibbs'," Kate repeated with a giggle.
He gave her a side look. "That's the drugs, right?"
Jackie shrugged. "Mostly, yeah, but if I were you, I'd be careful of sayin' anything you wouldn't want to have to plead the fifth to. But that's just me. I'll see you tomorrow night. Good night, Miss Todd."
"'Night, Jackie."
The room went quiet again, and just when he thought Kate had fallen asleep, she reached out for his hand.
"Stay."
Pulling the chair closer with his free hand, he sat and let her pull his hand to her chest. She seemed to find comfort in the weight and he was soothed by the heartbeat under his palm.
"Not goin' anywhere," he promised.
x...x