A long night loomed for Tony and Ziva. Gibbs took the girls for the night, so that Tony could stay at the hospital. Hard decisions were awaiting the couple in the morning. Choicest that no parent should ever have to make. The kind of choices, that made sleep impossible. Ziva who had not slept the night before, had fallen into a fitful sleep but Tony lay awake. His heart filled with dread at what morning would bring.
Marley was officially having the worst day of her life. AJ was sicker than she had ever see him. Gibbs had told her that he probably wasn't going to make it. It seemed harsh but at least somebody had cared to tell her the truth. Then to top it off she was stuck staying with Gibbs. She used to love staying with her Grandpa Gibbs. Then Logan came along and it became a nightmare. Logan was the epitome of a jackass. She still could not believe he had caught their backyard on fire. Even worse he was acting like he was the victim. All because he had to do work to pay off the debt. Marley was heading back to her bedroom, after brushing her teeth. She passed Logan's room and breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was bunking with Lily and Alyssa. She didn't even mind that she had to sleep on the air mattress. She was just glad she was not stuck bunking with Logan. Of course while she wasn't sharing a room with Logan. She did still have to share a house with him. The door to Logan's room opened and the preteen stepped out, wearing only his boxer shorts.
"Evening, Marley" Logan greeted.
"Get out of my face, arsonist." Marley scoffed.
"I just want to say I am sorry about AJ." Logan replied.
"Oh well thank you." Marley replied, taken aback.
"So are you going to lobby for his room after he kicks it?" Logan asked.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Marley demanded.
"He's dying, deal with it. I wish somebody had warned me." Logan scoffed.
"You are a jackass and I wish that it were you in the hospital instead of AJ." Marley spat.
AJ's condition did not improve over night. Tony and Ziva weren't expecting a miracle but were hoping for at least some improvements. First thing in the morning he was taken back for an MRI. This scan was literally life and death. The results would determine if they continued life-support for AJ or turned off the machines and let nature take it's course. The waiting room was spinning around Tony, he was literally sick from fear. Ziva sat beside him, clutching the arm rest so tightly, that her knuckles were ghostly white.
"How much longer?" Tony asked.
"I don't know, they will find us." Ziva replied.
"Should I call Gibbs to bring the girls?" Tony asked.
"Not until we know something." Ziva replied.
"And when will that be?" Tony asked, forgetting he had asked the same question just seconds before.
"Don't you listen?! I said I don't know!" Ziva snapped.
"Right, sorry" Tony apologized.
AJ's decline could not have come at a worse time. The flashbacks had stayed at bay and Tony did not get enough sleep for nightmares, but he couldn't shake his feeling of terror. He hated the heart palpitations and constant trembling. He hated how weak he felt and how he couldn't be strong for Ziva. He looked at his watch and shuddered. Enough time had passed, they would be getting the results of the MRI any minute now. Tony couldn't handle such an ordeal. He excused himself to the restroom and bolted from the hospital. A crushing feeling of guilt washed over him as he made his way through the sliding doors. What if this was the last time he had with AJ. He couldn't let the guilt take over. He just kept running until he collided with another man.
"Tony are you alright?" Gibbs asked.
"I had to get out of there." Tony wheezed.
"That bad?" Gibbs asked.
"We are still waiting but I just I can't handle it." Tony stammered.
"It's never easy getting bad news but if you run away. You are going to drive yourself crazy wondering what happened. Better just to face the music with somebody you love." Gibbs explained.
"Where are the other kids?" Tony asked.
"Lily and Jack are with Breena, everybody else went to school. Marley insisted." Gibbs explained.
"If we get bad news will you get Marley for us?" Tony asked.
"Anything you need." Gibbs replied.
Reluctantly Tony returned to the waiting room. He wanted to forget this had ever happened but Gibbs was right. He would never be able to forget. Besides Ziva did need his support, so did the girls, and so did AJ. By the time he returned the doctor was already talking with Ziva.
"Tony?" Ziva called.
"Sorry I needed air." Tony apologized.
"It's alright, I just got here." Dr. Johnson assured.
"What's the verdict?" Tony asked.
"The good news is that AJ is responding to treatments. The bad is that the bleed did significant damage to his brain. He has brain function but he is at the same stage he was at after the explosion. We also noticed increased seizure activity." Dr. Johnson explained.
"Is there hope for recovery?" Ziva asked.
"Any recovery would be minimal. The bleed damaged the same areas as the initial injury. The odds of further recovery are next to none." Dr. Johnson explained.
AJ's prognosis was as grim as it was expected. If they chose to keep him on life-support he would require a tracheotomy. He would have a hole in his neck and be tethered to a machine for the rest of his life. He would require round the clock care and only trach trained individuals would be able to care for him. Further testing showed that he was in congestive heart failure and his kidneys were shutting down. Tony and Ziva were left disheartened by the developments and summoned their family together to announce their plans. Everybody had gathered into a private room at the hospital to hear the news, there was not a dry eye in the house as Ziva began to speak.
"The news we received this morning was far from positive. AJ is back at square one, a year and a half of work down the drain. He is not going to recover this time. He is also in heart and kidney failure. In short there is no hope. His body cannot handle anymore treatments or procedures. Tomorrow we are going to have him transported back to our home. There we will turn off all life-supports and stop all medicine with the exception of pain management and let nature take it's course. The doctors said that he could last for several days but more than likely it will be a matter of minutes or hours." Ziva explained, her voice cracking.
"This isn't easy but it's what's best for AJ. He is not getting better. He has fought this battle long enough. He deserves to be free." Tony added, he could not keep it together.
A/N: How will the family cope with AJ's death Sad as it is his body is shutting down and anything they do is just a stall. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.