Hi everyone! So here is finally an update on this story! Thank you so much everyone for the reviews, and for reading And also thanks to my beta!
Chapter 10
Gibbs listened intently when Abby explained what she had witnessed on the tape from the security camera; how the wife of the murdered naval officer on their last case, Susan Andersson, had placed the water bottle on Tony's desk. He felt his hand shake with anger when he ended the call and put the phone in his pocket. He watched Tony, who was also shaking, but for other reasons.
"How is he, Doc?" he asked, stepping a bit closer to Tony's bed.
"Well, it seems like the poison somehow has affected his skin. He's in a lot of pain," the doctor answered quietly, his attention on Tony. "I'm going to go and see if the test results are ready yet. They should be in any minute now. As soon as we know what we're dealing with, the better can we help Tony. I'll be back as soon as I know." And with that he left the room.
Tony lay on his back, as still as he could. His back was on fire, as were his legs, and his skin burned. It felt like he had been sunbathing a couple of hours too long without any sun protection. Even his closed eyelids burned. At least it gave him something to think about other than the pain in his stomach.
"Tony, how are you feeling?" Ziva asked.
"What do you think?"
"You don't seem that well," she started to answer him. She wanted to talk to him, to get him to think of something else. It was hard for her to see Tony suffer like he obviously was.
"McGee, Ziva," Gibbs interrupted. "I need you to go and pick up Susan Andersson right away. She's the one responsible for this." He was met with three pair of eyes looking at him. "Now. Go!" He added.
Ziva and McGee hurried out the door.
"Susan Andersson, the wife of the murdered naval officer?" Tony asked, looking up at Gibbs, breathing hard.
"Yes, DiNozzo. It was the wife." Gibbs sat down in the chair again.
"I should have known." He pressed his eyes together when a new wave of pain hit him.
"We're going to get her now," Gibbs stated before he turned around and pulled the plastic chair closer to Tony's bed and sat down. He watched his agent for a while. Tony didn't say anything else about Susan Andersson and Gibbs didn't want to do so either.
"You don't have to stay, Gibbs," Tony panted after a few moments of silence.
"Not going anywhere."
"Don't you need coffee or something?"
Gibbs took a closer look at his agent. He was lying very still and breathing hard through his nose.
"Do you want me to go?" he asked. Tony slowly opened his eyes and met Gibbs'. Gibbs nodded and stood up. He understood now that Tony wanted, no, needed to be alone. He didn't want his boss to see him like that.
"I'll be back in a few minutes, I'm going to give Ducky a call," he said and left the room. He sat down on a bench in the waiting room and dialed. Ducky picked up on the second signal.
"Jethro, I've been expecting your call. How is Anthony doing? Abigail said he has been poisoned."
Tony felt himself relax a bit when he heard the door close. He knew Gibbs only wanted to help, but he had already cried in front of the whole team once now, and he was not about to let that happen again any time soon.
His whole body burned, everything was on fire, and while Gibbs was there in the room watching him, he felt like he really needed to keep it together. But as soon as the door was closed he let out a low moan. He had never hurt this much and this bad before. He just wished for it to be over. He moaned again as a wave of pain hit him.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he became aware that the door opened. The pain only seemed to get worse. He couldn't control anything anymore, and even though he tried, he couldn't stop the moans from coming out of his mouth.
Gibbs had been talking to Ducky for a few minutes, updating him on Tony's condition, when he heard moaning coming from Tony's room.
"Duck, I have to go," he said and disconnected the call. In a few steps he was at Tony's door. As soon as he saw Tony, his stomach made a jump and he silently cursed himself for leaving the room, leaving his agent alone.
Tony was lying sweating on his bed. He was shaking badly and breathing hard. His eyes were closed and he was moaning in pain.
Gibbs was next to him instantly. He leaned over his agent, hesitated, but then grabbed the younger man's hand.
"DiNozzo, Tony. Hey, listen. I'm here. Just breathe. It'll be okay." Tony's hand locked around Gibbs' hand and held on so hard it hurt. But all Gibbs did was to squeeze back, and continue to mumble soft words.
Gibbs couldn't remember the last time he had felt this helpless. There was nothing he could do to make Tony feel better. He wasn't even sure that DiNozzo was aware of his presence.
Suddenly, Tony made an attempt to sit up. Startled, Gibbs put a hand on the ailing man's shoulder and pushed him back down on the bed. As he did so Tony cried out in pain, and Gibbs remembered the doctor's word about the poison affecting Tony's skin. He quickly removed his hand. Tony's eyes were open now and Gibbs said his name. Their eyes met.
"Hey, DiNozzo. You with me?"
"B-boss…"
"Yeah. I'm here."
"Oh god, it hurts. Please, please make it stop."
At those words whispered from his agent, Gibbs almost felt ill. There was nothing he could do to make it stop! He leaned forward, closer to Tony.
"I'm working on that, DiNozzo. You hang in there."