Chapter 34, The Circle of Life: 2046
A/N Another one for the tissues...
At 2012 on Christmas night, 2045, as they were headed home from Tony and Ziva's house, Tim and Delilah were hit by a drunk driver. The impact crushed the passenger side of Tim's BMW. Tim was waiting to make the left turn into the parking lot for the apartment building as two vehicles came racing from the opposite direction, at a high rate of speed. The first vehicle, which was in the correct travel lane initially, clipped the front driver's side corner of Tim's car and spun it perpendicular to the road and directly in the path of the second vehicle. That vehicle t-boned the BMW and carried it towards a line of parked cars. The drivers' side crashed into the back end of the parked car at the end of the line.
Tim had seen the car coming but because of its high speed could not react in time. He had hit the side of the car with his head and there was broken glass covering most of his body. Delilah slumped towards the center of the vehicle, unconscious. She had been asleep, and the doctors later told Tim that her nap had probably saved her life. She had been relaxed and did not tense up before impact.
Tim fought to stay conscious long enough to call 911. The dispatcher tried to keep him talking after he got the important information from Tim, but Tim's battle with consciousness failed.
~TIVA~
The rescue crews checked vitals on Tim and Delilah and prepared to extract them from the vehicle. The drunk driver of the other car was deceased at the scene. The crews used saws and the Jaws of Life to cut Tim and Delilah from the car. EMTs worked to stabilize Tim and Delilah during the extraction process. One of the responding officers from Metro PD recognized Tim from working several cases with his team a few years back.
As they were working on him, Tim regained consciousness. He recognized the LEO, and asked her to take his phone and call Tony. She nodded, and took the phone to the side.
Tim was freed first and placed on a stretcher. He kept watching the teams work to free Delilah and refused to be loaded into an ambulance until she was freed.
Meanwhile, the LEO called Tony and explained that there had been an accident and that both Tim and his wife had been hurt and would be transported to Bethesda ER.
Delilah was placed in a neck brace and on a back board and then loaded to a stretcher. Tim gave the thumbs up that he would now leave in the ambulance to the crew with him.
~TIVA~
Tony looked at his phone as it rang, and wondered why Tim was calling. He answered the phone, figuring he or Delilah had forgotten something. "Ok, McForgetful, what did you leave at my house?"
"Is this Tony DiNozzo?" An unfamiliar voice asked. Tony could hear what sounded like emergency crews in the background. He face turned serious and Ziva came to his side.
"Yes, this is Tony DiNozzo."
"Mr. DiNozzo, this is Sgt. Lyn Hume with the Metro PD. Your friend Tim McGee and his wife have been in a serious accident. He asked me to call you."
Tony looked at Ziva with a shocked look on his face. She took his free hand, sensing that bad news was about to hit. "Where are they being taken?"
"Bethesda ER, they have the closest Trauma Unit."
"Thank you for calling. We are on our way." Tony ended the call and tears slipped down his face.
"Tim and Delilah; bad accident. Going to Bethesda." Tony managed to keep it together long enough to give Ziva the information.
They grabbed coats and Ziva's phone and headed to Bethesda. Tony let Ziva drive, because he was shaking too much. He didn't care if she drove like a kamikaze mad woman; he just wanted to get to Tim and Delilah. She drove as fast as she dared, trying to hurry to her brother and sister.
~TIVA~
At the ER, they were told that both McGees had been taken to the Trauma Triage for evaluation. The couple made their way to the waiting area for the Trauma Center, and Ziva let the nurse at the desk know that they were family of Tim and Delilah McGee. The nurse gave them a sympathetic look and pointed to an area that had a bit more privacy for waiting family than the general waiting area.
Tony and Ziva sat holding each other and Ziva whispered prayers remembered from her childhood for the sick and injured. Tony listened, taking comfort from the Hebrew prayers. After Ziva finished, they sat in silence with arms around each other. Tony whispered a prayer to Gibbs and asked him to guard over Tim and Delilah. Ziva wept at Tony's prayer, and squeezed his hand. "If anyone can watch over them, Abba is the one." Both took comfort in that thought.
~TIVA~
After what seemed like an eternity to Ziva and Tony, but was really about two hours, a doctor came out and asked for the family of the McGees. They stood up and walked to the doctor. "He is our brother," they said together. Ziva held Tony's hand to keep them both from trembling. They were grounding each other, as they always had done.
"I'm Doctor Evan Reese, and I have evaluated both of the McGees. Tim has four fractured ribs, a concussion and a broken ankle. We are doing what we can to make him comfortable. He is headed for a CT scan as we speak to check for brain injury. He will need surgery on the ankle, but with the concussion we will need to wait until tomorrow. We have stabilized the ankle with a temporary inflatable cast.
"Delilah has a severely injured spinal cord and multiple fractured vertebrae, and may be paralyzed from the neck down. She also has a concussion, but not as serious as Tim's. She is being prepped for surgery as we speak. Tim will be moved to ICU shortly. The nurse will let you know when. Do you have any questions?"
Still in shock, both Tony and Ziva shook their heads no. The nurse directed them to the ICU waiting area and they walked there in a daze. When they got to the nurses' station in ICU, the nurse on duty asked them if they were there for Tim McGee. Tony nodded yes and Ziva replied, "He is our brother."
~TIVA~
As they waited, Tony and Ziva discussed when to call family, and who to call. Leon and Abby and Jimmy and Breena were in New Mexico with Jared and Tori, although Jimmy and Breena would be back later in the morning. Anthony and Katie would need to be notified as well as John and Rivka. With little information to give to the kids, and given that it was now just after midnight, they decided to wait to call unless one of the McGees took a turn for the worse.
Around 0200, the nurse gently woke the dozing couple. "Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo?" Tony and Ziva opened their eyes, instantly alert from years of needing to be on the ball at NCIS, no matter how tired they were.
"Delilah is out of surgery and in recovery. She will be there for several hours. The surgeon put three rods in her back to support her upper thoracic region, but the prognosis is not good at this time. We will have to see what happens over the next forty eight hours before something definite is known.
"Tim is coming round from the initial dose of pain meds and he is asking for you two. You may go in together, but if he starts tiring, be mindful and let him rest."
They nodded and followed her to Tim's room.
Tim heard them come in and opened his eyes. He had an IV line in each hand and monitors of all kinds attached to his body. He smiled a weak smile seeing his brother and sister.
"Tim, man, you look awful," Tony joked. Then his expression turned serious as he neared Tim's bedside. "We're here for you, bro." Tim reached his hand for Tony and Tony clasped Tim's hand in his own, mindful of the IV line. Ziva placed her hand on Tim's arm.
"Stay, please?" Tim looked at both of them, almost pleading. They nodded and Tony moved the small loveseat to the bedside.
"We are not going to leave, Tim. We will stay as long as you need." Ziva reassured him. "I would hug you, but I am afraid I would hurt you." Tim smiled and nodded in agreement. He closed his eyes, knowing that his brother and sister were with him and felt safe for the first time since the accident. He let the pain meds lead him to sleep.
As Tim drifted into drug-induced sleep, Tony and Ziva put their outer hands on him and then held their hands that were together. Instinctively, without words, they had moved into this position, each feeling a need to complete the circle to help Tim. Ziva recited the Hebrew prayers softly.
~TIVA~
The head nurse looked in on Tim to check his vitals at 0530, and found the three still in the circle of connection and Tony and Ziva asleep and leaning on each other. The nurses' assistant who was her helper that night looked at the three, "they must be a really close family." The head nurse nodded and got a blanket and draped it over the sleeping couple.
"I wish all our patients had family like that."
Tim briefly woke up around 0600 and felt the hands on him. He looked at Ziva and Tony sleeping side by side and felt a peace wash over him. He smiled and whispered, "I love you two more than you know." He closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
~TIVA~
While Tony went to get some coffee for himself and Ziva and something to eat, Ziva stayed with Tim. As Tony came back with bagels and coffee, the surgeon entered the room. He checked Tim's vitals and charts. He asked Tim if he had a headache or any visual or hearing disturbances. Tim responded negatively to the questions.
"Good. Good. We will schedule for surgery on the ankle at 1400 today. I will be putting in several pins to hold the bones in place while they heal. Best case scenario is that you will be able to go home tomorrow as long as you have someone to stay with you."
"He will be staying with us," Ziva spoke up and Tony nodded at her. Whatever Tim needed, the couple would be there to help. "Family takes care of each other."
Tim wiped the tears from his eyes as the doctor nodded, "I wish all my patients had family like yours, Mr. McGee."
~TIVA~
Since Tim would be having surgery, he was not brought any breakfast or lunch. Tony and Ziva tried not to eat in the room, knowing he was most likely hungry.
Delilah's doctor came to Tim's room to give him an update. She was in another part of the ICU and being kept in a medically induced coma. They had to intubate during surgery and she was on multiple monitors. Because Tim was being prepped for his own surgery, the doctor recommended that Tim wait to see her. She could only be visited by one person at a time and the visit was limited to ten minutes. Tim insisted that he needed to see her.
Tony agreed to walk to Delilah's room as Tim was wheeled over. The doctor consented, since Tim had emotional support with him. As they neared the door, Tim hesitated. He looked up at Tony with a panicked look.
"What if this is the last time I see her?" Tim had tears running down his face.
Tony took his brother's hand, "Tim, she is strong; you know that from the last time she was injured. Go to her; tell her that you love her. Let her know you are fighting for her, and you will come back as soon as possible." He squeezed Tim's hand. "You can do this for her, bro."
Tim nodded and wiped his face on his sleeve. He let Tony wheel him in to Delilah's bedside. Tim took Delilah's hand in his, carefully, and Tony moved to the door.
"Delilah, honey, I'm here for you. I'm fighting for you, and I'll be back by your side when I get done with my surgery. I love you more than words can say."
Tim looked at his wife, and gently squeezed her hand. He motioned to Tony to come get him. Tony wheeled him back to his room. The nurse's assistant helped Tim get back in bed and left the three to sit together.
"Tim, how do you want to notify the kids?" Ziva asked him gently. "We will do whatever you want and ask."
Tim thought about it for a few minutes. "Call John and Katie and tell them what we know as of now. Tell them we will get updates as quickly as possible. As far as the rest of the family, I'll leave that up to you."
Ziva nodded. She and Tony would go make calls in a few minutes as Tim's IV had started to make him sleepy in preparation for surgery. She kissed Tim's forehead and promised they would have any updates on Delilah for him after his surgery. "I love you, Tim." She squeezed his shoulder and moved so Tony could talk to his brother.
"I could go all Gibbs on you and order you to get well," Tony smiled and ruffled Tim's hair. Tim smiled at the memory. "I love you, bro. See you on the flip side."
~TIVA~
As Tim was wheeled to the OR, Tony called John and Rivka in Atlanta and Ziva called Anthony and Katie. Ziva took some time to convince Katie that she would be better staying with her family for now and that her parents would need her later in the day. Anthony supported his wife as she sobbed while Ziva promised to update them as soon as she could. Katie couldn't talk any longer and Anthony spoke with his mother for a few more minutes. "Anthony, love her and let her cry it out. When the time is right, I will let you know and you can bring her here. I love you both."
Tony had talked to John and Rivka. They both were crying as he told them what he knew. "We'll update you as soon as we can. Love you both."
Ziva called Tali and then LJ. Tali offered to get Anthony, Kelly and Shannon and keep them at her house if needed. Ziva told her that sounded good, but it would be up to Anthony and Katie to decide. LJ and Savannah were upset and asked to be kept in the loop and offered whatever they could do to help Tim and Delilah.
Tony called Abby and Leon. Leon answered the phone, for which Tony thanked the Man Upstairs. He explained the situation to Leon and asked him to break the news to Abby. Leon assured him he would and offered whatever support they could give. Tony promised to update them as soon as they had more information.
Ziva then called Beth and Charles, and since she had called them at work, Breena also got on the call. Breena offered to call Jimmy and Ziva agreed. She was just not sure how many more of these calls she could make.
She and Tony went by Delilah's room and repeated the Hebrew prayers, holding each other tightly and wiping eyes and noses. As they finished up, Jimmy called Tony and said that he was headed to the hospital. He offered to pick up changes of clothing and anything Tony and Ziva might need from home on the way. Tony thanked him, and he and Ziva went to sit in Tim's room.
~TIVA~
Jimmy arrived about an hour later and immediately hugged Ziva and Tony. He handed them their old "go bags" with clothing and toiletries. "Jimmy, you are a life preserver." Ziva hugged him again.
"Life SAVER, Zi!" Tony got a smile from both Ziva and Jimmy. "And I KNOW you know that idiom. You did that on purpose!"
"And you know me too well, my love." Ziva took her bag and went to the ladies' restroom near the waiting area to freshen up, as Tony gave Jimmy more details on what they knew about Delilah's condition.
~TIVA~
Tim was brought back to the room around 1630, still groggy but awake. He waved at Tony and Ziva, and pointed to his leg. His ankle was now in a regular cast and Tony went to find some Sharpies so he and Ziva could be the first ones to sign the cast. Ziva rolled her eyes, and Tim made her laugh when he commented, "He never changes, does he?"
While he was on the Sharpie hunt, Tony called Anthony and gave him the updates. Tali was there, picking up the kids to take them to her house for the night. Katie and Anthony would be at the hospital within the hour.
Tony called John and updated him on his father's surgery. He convinced John and Rivka to wait to head north until they had more information on Delilah. Since the doctor had told Tim she would be in the induced coma for at least forty eight hours, and more likely, seventy two hours, Tony didn't want them driving upset and in a hurry. He promised to update with more news when he had it, no matter the time of day.
He found several colors of Sharpie markers in the gift shop and bought one of each color, including the neon green and neon pink.
~TIVA~
Anthony and Katie arrived around 1800. Anthony hugged his Ima and Abba as Katie went over to her Dad. "Daddy," Katie looked at Tim with tears in her eyes. He held her hand as she laid her head on the bed and cried. He stroked her hair, "Princess, it'll be okay. Mom is strong, she is a fighter. I love you, Katie." Tony, Ziva and Anthony moved outside the room to give father and daughter some time alone.
~TIVA~
Tim was discharged into Tony and Ziva's care twenty four hours after his surgery. Because of his rib injuries, he would be in a wheelchair for at least two weeks. Tony had taken the wheelchair they bought for Gibbs out of storage and had Anthony help him set up the bed Gibbs had used in the same room as Gibbs had been in.
Tim had felt weird about using Gibbs' things, but after he slept well on his first night, he was okay with it. He had dreamed that Gibbs was cradling him in his arms and rocking him to sleep. Tim shared the dream with Tony and Ziva, and they assured him that Gibbs was watching over him.
Tony helped Tim dress and bathe for the first three weeks. Ziva had opened the inner leg seams on several pairs of Tim's jeans and had bought him some sweats with wider legs to wear. They had selected shirts that would be easy to help Tim into without hurting his ribs too much.
Every day, one or both of them would take Tim to visit Delilah. She had two more surgeries due to fluid build-up around the spine, and slept almost all day. She was being fed via IV and had the breathing tube for almost a week before the doctor ordered it to be removed.
Tim was with Delilah when she opened her eyes and comprehended where she was for the first time. She looked at Tim, and gave him a smile. "Hey," Tim touched her face and caressed her cheeks.
"Hey, yourself," she whispered back.
Tony came back from getting Tim a soda and saw Delilah and Tim looking into each other's eyes. Tim was holding Delilah's left hand in his hand and she was trying to hold his hand. Both had tears in their eyes. Tony quietly backed out of the room and called Ziva.
"She's awake." Ziva sighed in relief. She had been with Anthony, Kelly and Shannon for the day while Katie and Anthony were at work. Their school had a day off that day for a teacher workday. Anthony was due home shortly, and Ziva would head to the hospital after sharing the news with him. Katie's school did not let out until around 1500.
~TIVA~
Delilah was transferred to rehab a week later and began physical therapy to build strength in her left hand and arm, the only limb she could move. She had lost most of the fine motor skills in the arm. Her new wheelchair had more support for her spine and a motorized control on the left side that she learned to use fairly quickly.
Tim, Tony and Ziva visited daily and encouraged her. Katie and Anthony visited at least three afternoons each week and John and Rivka came to visit over a long weekend.
~TIVA~
LJ and Savannah married on 14 February 2046 with Tony and Ziva and Clayton and Ellie as their witnesses. They opted to have Jimmy perform the ceremony in the DiNozzo family room.
~TIVA~
Tim continued to heal and began using crutches about the beginning of March. He stayed with Tony and Ziva since his doctor would not approve him being alone yet. Delilah made improvements and learned to feed herself and move her wheelchair with her left hand. She often tried too hard to get the other arm to move and tired herself easily. After three months in rehab, Tony and Ziva brought her to their house in the first week of April.
Tim was cleared to go home to the apartment near the end of April and he and Delilah entered their home after nearly four months in hospitals and the DiNozzo house. Tim cared for Delilah each day and Tony and Ziva would often go over to give him some time to get out of the apartment for a break. Anthony and Katie brought the children over each weekend. John and Rivka visited on holidays.
After John, Rivka, and Adam left for home after the Fourth of July holiday on Sunday, 8 July, Delilah complained of a headache about mid-afternoon. Tim helped her into the bed and gave her one of her pain meds. He held her as she dozed off and continued to hold her in his arms.
Around midnight, her breathing became shallow and Tim called Tony. He was worried about her. Something did not feel right. Tony and Ziva headed to the apartment, letting themselves in with their own key. They found Tim in the bedroom cradling his wife, tears running down his face. Her breathing was shallow and her pulse was weak. Tony called Jimmy, "It's time." He and Breena headed over.
Ziva sat with Tim, making him as comfortable as she could. Tony nodded to Tim. Delilah and Tim had agreed that when it was time, she would be allowed to pass in her own bed and in her own home. She had made her goodbyes with Katie and John on Saturday.
Tim held his wife in his arms while Tony and Ziva each held a hand on Tim's shoulders. Jimmy and Breena arrived and Tony let them in and led them to the bedroom. Tim acknowledged their presence and the four siblings formed a circle around Tim and Delilah. It was how she had asked Tim to let her leave the world.
Tears ran freely as Tim caressed Delilah's face and kissed her head. He whispered "I love you" over and over. At 0329 on 9 July 2046, Delilah Fielding McGee took her last breath in the arms of her husband, surrounded by her brothers and sisters of the heart.
Jimmy made the official pronouncement, noting the time, and then he, Breena, Tony and Ziva quietly slipped into the living room to allow Tim to have time alone with his soulmate's earthly visage. Breena and Jimmy quietly made calls for the funeral arrangements and pick up of the body.
Tony and Ziva sat in the kitchen and held each other and cried together. Later, they called the family with the sad news and helped Tim finalize the plans for the visitation and services.