Chapter 12
Gibbs didn't say anything, but let Tony and Ziva go up to their desks while he went down to the morgue.
"Gibbs, I was just going to call you. I think you need to see this."
"What is it, Ducky?"
"I misjudged on the lieutenant's wound. It wasn't done by the same person as the other six."
"Are you sure?"
Ducky pulled out Lt. Rivens' body. "Yes. It was a copycat, intentionally trying to mimic the exact same stroke. There's a shift in the angle that I think is accounted for by someone shorter than our serial killer slitting the throat. It was someone else that killed Lt. Rivens, Gibbs, I'm sure of it."
"Someone else? Is it still related the serial killer?"
Gibbs and Ducky turned to see Tim with a pained expression on his face.
"I don't know, Timothy. It can't be a coincidence that the deaths are so similar."
Gibbs looked closely at Tim. He must have been losing weight during the week. "McGee, go home."
"Boss?"
"Go home."
"No, boss! I have to finish the case!" Tim was positively panicked at the thought of leaving.
"Why, McGee?"
"Because she has know. I have to be able to tell her."
"Who?"
"Liz Rivens. She has to know what happened. She can't keep thinking it was her fault. I told her that we'd find out what happened. If we have to start over, then it's going to take that much longer. I can't leave now."
"You're too close to this one, McGee."
"No!" Tim started to take a step toward Gibbs to argue with him, but as he did, his eyeballs rolled up in head and he fell to the ground.
Gibbs and Ducky were by him in an instant. "I told you he would collapse. Let's put him on a table." They lifted him up and were both surprised by how light he was. "I wonder if he's eaten at all this week."
"It sure doesn't feel like it. Or else you and I are getting stronger."
"I doubt that," Ducky said, smiling. He looked more closely at Tim's haggard face and sobered. "I think we should get him to a hospital."
"Is it that serious?"
"I think so."
"Okay. Let's go."
Ducky and Gibbs managed to sneak the unconscious agent out of the building, without anyone noticing the limp figure, and to the nearest hospital. Ducky explained the situation to the residing ER nurse. She looked at Tim and whistled.
"He's the worst I've seen in a long time." She hooked him up to an IV as quickly as she could. "He's to stay here for the next few hours at least. Then, he can go home, but he shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting or athletic activity."
"Gibbs, I'll sit with him for now. He'll be less embarrassed, I think."
Gibbs smiled ruefully as he left. "He'll definitely be embarrassed this time. He's always embarrassed."
Ducky chuckled in respone and then settled in to watch over Tim until he woke up.
----------------------------------------------------------
Tim opened his eyes, but the world spun around him and he closed them again.
"Back with us again, eh Timothy?"
"Ducky?"
"Indeed. How long has it been since you ate anything?"
"I had dinner last night."
"Did it stay down?"
As embarrassed as Gibbs and Ducky had predicted, Tim blushed and shook his head. "No."
"I thought not."
Tim looked around. "Where am I?"
"The hospital."
"Why?"
"Because your body was shutting down. We had to build up the nutrients you need to function."
"It wasn't that bad."
"It was that bad, Timothy. You're going home after you get the go ahead from the nurse and you're not coming to work tomorrow."
"Ducky!" Tim sat up and sank back, dizzy.
"Timothy, I don't often get angry, but you are trying my patience. I have no interest in having your body on a slab in my morgue. I will be taking you home and you are not to stir out of your apartment for the next 24 hours. Understood?"
Tim opened his mouth to argue again, but he retreated. "Okay."
"Good."
Tim was released a couple of hours later. As he had said, Ducky left him at his apartment and he went inside. Sarah wasn't there yet because he was home earlier than he had planned. Tim felt stronger, but he was still so tired. He collapsed onto the chair to rest for a moment but fell asleep instead.