Tony leaned back on the gurney, glad for the quiet and the fresh air coming into the ambulance through the open doors. He could breathe a little easier now, though he was still coughing too much.

"Alright, Tony, I'm going to give you some oxygen now. It should help you, but we will be taking a trip to the hospital tonight. A respiratory specialist will need to make sure that there's no further damage to your lungs," said Amber.

"Brad," Tony said, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

"Who's Brad?"

"Brad is Dr Pitt, at Bethesda. He's Tony's pulmonologist," said McGee. He was standing at the doors of the ambulance.

"Okay, we can go to Bethesda. It might be too late for Dr Pitt to be working, though. You might have to see someone else."

"Brad... on call this weekend..." said Tony.

"That's convenient. How did you know that?" Amber asked Tony curiously.

"My... friend..."

"You're friends with your doctor? He must be really good at his job for you to be friends with him."

"They've been friends a lot longer than Dr Pitt has been Tony's specialist," said McGee, climbing into the ambulance to sit with Tony. "They met through college football, apparently."

"That's pretty cool," smiled Amber.

Tony gave Amber a tired smile in return. He was feeling slightly better now that he had the oxygen mask on, but he was also tired, and he knew that he wouldn't stay awake too much longer if they kept talking instead of heading to the hospital.

"Amber?" asked Tony.

"Yes?"

"Hospital? Now?"

"Right, yes. I'm just waiting on Agent Gibbs to join us. He needs to be checked out too."

"Gibbs... won't come. He never does."

"I think he will this time."

"Don't bet on it," said McGee. "It takes him a very long time to see a doctor when he gets injured, let alone just for smoke inhalation. He won't see that as a good enough reason to visit the doctor. He'll probably just visit with the ME at NCIS, and even then he'll give trouble."

"That's really not good."

"We know. Tony will probably kick his butt later when he goes back to work," McGee said with a grin. "I am so glad that Tony and I have made up, otherwise, I would probably be receiving a few kicks as well."

"You still might," said Tony as Amber closed the doors and let the driver know that they could leave.

"I deserve it, Tony. But, I really am sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

Tony sighed. "I forgive... you, Tim. I'm just not ready... to get over... the consequences yet." He closed his eyes, ending the conversation for the moment.

Gibbs was feeling lightheaded by the time he got back to NCIS, but he refused to admit that he should have gone to the hospital along with Tony. He wanted to put the guy that he had in custody behind bars for everything he had done to people in the city, and this was his one chance. He couldn't let that chance go by. He had meant it when he said that he would get looked over, but he had meant by Ducky, not a doctor. He didn't really have a problem with doctors, but he preferred to see Ducky, knowing that the man was his good friend and would never do anything to harm him.

"I just got the most interesting phone call, Gibbs," said Vance as Gibbs reached the interrogation room where his suspect was being held.

"What would that have been about, Leon?" Gibbs asked.

"You refused to get checked out after inhaling too much smoke. As I understand it, Agent DiNozzo is being transported to Bethesda as we speak for a checkup, accompanied by Agent McGee. He is following protocol. You, on the other hand, are not. Why didn't you get checked?"

"I have something to do first."

"No. An interrogation is not as important as making sure you are fit for work. Dr Mallard is waiting in Autopsy for you. I have already briefed him on the situation."

"Leon..."

"No. Go, now, or you won't be conducting any interrogations for a long while. And, when you get back," he added, "we will be having a discussion about you disobeying my orders."

"Talking about Tony, are we? Good. I can't wait to have that conversation. There is so much I need to say about your actions towards him." Gibbs turned and headed back to the elevator, knowing that he wasn't going to get his way this time. But, at least, he was going to get something fixed after seeing Ducky.

Tony found himself tensing up as doctors ran past him to their various tasks. He wasn't sure if Brad had actually started his shift or not, he had just hoped that he would get his way. He didn't trust any other doctor to look after him properly. McGee had promised to go and find Brad for him, but was yet to return with any kind of an answer. It was boring, waiting alone in an otherwise empty emergency department exam room.

"Hi, Tony. It's been a while," said a woman's voice.

Tony looked up. He knew that voice, but he just couldn't place it. He needed to see the person before he could work it out. He had his hopes up for it to be the one nurse that he had ever actually liked, but, for some reason, he just didn't think it would be her. They hadn't seen each other since just after Brad had cleared him to return to work after the plague incident.

"Don't you remember me?" asked the woman in a mock sad tone. She came over to the bed that Tony was resting on.

"Of course I do. Emma," said Tony through his oxygen mask.

"What happened to you?"

"Smoke inhalation, most likely."

"Have you been seen by a doctor yet?"

Tony shook his head. "I know Brad is working tonight... Has he started yet?"

"I have started my shift," said Brad from the doorway. "Just now, actually. I bumped into Agent McGee and he filled me in. I told the nurses that I would take over your care."

"What care? Doesn't someone have to check me first?"

"Good point. Well, let's check you and work out a care plan for you. How does that sound?"

"No overnight stay?"

"We'll see. It depends on how you are." Brad grinned as he approached Tony. "I think we might need an overnight stay though."

Tony groaned. "Brad..."

"Don't worry. I'll see what I can do to get you out of here tonight." Brad smiled. "Let's start your checkup."