Hey you guys just wanted to say thank you all so very much for reviewing and your kind words. I'm going to try and write a long chapter because I've been away for 2 days and you all may well kill me if I don't update lol. Thanks again and here is chapter 3.
Abby had wondered why people were giving her peculiar looks whilst she paced up and down the hospital waiting room. It only occurred to her roughly 20 minutes into her pacing that they were staring because she was only wearing a skull vest top and shorts as pyjamas, Gibbs jacket and big black boots with studs on. Still, she thought it extremely rude to stare, although that hot doctor could look all he wanted, just not now when she'd heard no news of Tony. The Director and Ducky had been trying to find out information about Tony's condition for the past ten minutes but to no avail. Abby felt tears beginning to prick her eyes again. Her head was full of unanswered questions and she wanted Gibbs here. Gibbs was like the father she'd never had. He always knew exactly how she felt and how to soothe her before she even knew what was wrong with her. She could do with a big papa bear hug from him right now but she knew that would have to wait. She had to put her game face on and wait for news.
"Abby, maybe you should sit down?" Ducky asked gently.
"I can't Ducky." Abby could hear the waver in her voice and she knew if she stopped pacing her body would just give in to the tears she was holding back right now.
"Maybe Ducky's right Abby, we've got no idea how long it's going to take before we get news. I mean it's only been a forty five minutes so far, perhaps…"
"I can't Director; I just need to keep walking."
"Ok Abs, just try and tread a little lighter as you're making black scuff marks on the floor."
Abby looked at the Director after she said this and then at the floor. Dammit she loved these boots but they made such a mess. Just as she was pondering if she should try and hide the mess she'd made, the doors to the ward opened and a young male doctor approached the team.
"You must be… Miss Sheppard?" The doctor enquired in Abby's direction.
"Uh no, that's Director Sheppard," she said pointing in Jennie's Direction, "But we're all here to find out about Tony. Or Mr. DiNozzo as you might know him. And I just want to take this opportunity to say that I think its bad, so bad, that you've kept me, us, waiting so long to hear about Tony's condition. I mean we've all been – "
"Abby, breathe – I'm sure the doctor has come to tell us news of our Tony." Ducky had decided to interject after the doctors face started to turn into a look of sheer horror at Abby advancing angrily towards him.
"Yeah well…" Abby stared at the doctor, silently demanding answers right now.
"Well, you'll all be pleased to know that Tony is in a stable condition right now. Unfortunately he does have some serious injuries. His left ulna is broken and his left collar bone has a hairline fracture. He has sustained severe bruising and has multiple deep gashes where he seems to have been cut with a blade of some sort."
"Doctor, may I introduce myself as Doctor Mallard,"
"Doctor Mallard it's a pleasure. I've read many of your books."
"Well my dear boy I was wondering if it would be possible for me to undertake an examination of Mr. DiNozzo before anyone else is allowed to enter the room?" Ducky looked pleadingly at the young doctor, hoping that his reputation and gentle nature would serve him well. Gibbs has told him specifically not to let anyone else see Tony until he had examined him. Gibbs was not a person you wanted to disobey.
"Feel free Mr. Mallard. Could I be forward and ask to assist your examination?" The doctor looked at Ducky with the same look Ducky had just cast seconds earlier.
"No problem my dear chap." The two doctors made their way towards the ER ward doors and Abby was left with a look of thunder on her face.
"You have to be kidding me I mean-"
"Abby I know what you're thinking but Gibbs has given him strict orders and Ducky's going to make sure Tony's all cleaned up and coherent before we go in ok?" The Director took one of Abby's hands in her own and pulled her down into a seat next to her. "Please Abby it won't take long."
"Tony will so have a fit if he wakes up and finds Ducky examining him." Abby said half-smiling, a sign that she was calming slightly.
"Yes, that's for sure." The Director smiled back at her and took her cell out of her jacket pocket. "I'm ringing Gibbs to give him a progress report you ok here for five minutes?"
Abby shrugged and motioned towards the coffee machine. The Director took that as her cue to leave and left Abby alone with her thoughts and the vile hospital coffee.
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Ziva had interviewed about as many people as she could manage right now. She needed to speak to Gibbs, she needed reassurance that Tony was alright. More importantly she needed reassurance that Tony was alive. Ziva had seen how badly injured he was when he'd left and she knew that injuries like those could go one of two ways, one of which didn't bear thinking about. Telling McGee that she was going to help Gibbs, she made her way into the apartment. At first it reminded her of a bombing in an Israeli house, everything destroyed beyond its previous condition and full of debris. Trying to compose herself, she took a few deep breaths and made her way towards the bedroom. Gibbs was standing next to the bedside cabinet, near to the window with his back to Ziva. He seemed to be holding a picture of something but from this distance Ziva couldn't tell what the picture was of.
"I thought I asked you to question the neighbours," Gibbs said softly. Ziva let out a sigh and moved closer to Gibbs, trying to catch a glimpse of the picture. Gibbs immediately tucked the picture into his back pocket and Ziva knew better than to ask why.
"What happened tonight Gibbs? Does Tony know who did this?"
Gibbs tried to think of an answer that didn't give away too much but sooner or later Tony's past would come out. He didn't like withholding the information but Tony was like a son to him; he didn't want to betray him.
"Abby asked Tony what had happened and he couldn't give her an answer." At that moment Gibbs cell began to ring.
"Gibbs – ok tell Abby I'm on my way." With that Gibbs replaced his cell to his pocket and turned to face his field agent. "If you were being attacked Ziva, what one item would you be looking for to help you?"
"My seal… I mean cell phone," she was getting better these days at correcting her incorrect phrases. "Why do you ask Gibbs?"
"You tell me Ziva." Gibbs looked towards the blood stain on the carpet and moved closer to it. "Tony was in this position." Gibbs lay down parallel to the blood stain and demonstrated to Ziva how Abby had found Tony. Gibbs had purposely left Tony's cell exactly where he had found it. He wanted his field agents to figure out what he had figured out when he first got here.
"He is in a position which would be going away from his cell phone. In which case how did he call Abby?" Suddenly it dawned on Ziva what Gibbs was trying to make her see. "Tony didn't call Abby, someone else did. That would be why they didn't answer when she called back."
Gibbs nodded. Ziva had an amazing mind and could figure out a crime scene quickly. Gibbs only hoped that her inquisitive nature led her to investigate Tony's past before he had to tell her.
"I'm going to the hospital. Ducky is examining Tony as we speak – I want you to take pictures and collect the trace from the bedroom and once McGee has finished taking statements I want him to process the lounge."
"Yes Boss…." Ziva paused knowing she had to ask the question that was burning inside her. "Boss? Why do you think Tony's attacker called Abby?"
Gibbs shrugged, "That I can't answer Ziva." With that he turned his back and made his way out of the apartment and into the cool, fresh air of the morning.
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Tony had specifically asked the Doctor not to let anyone see him just yet. He wanted a little bit of time to try and get his head around what had happened in the past few hours. What Tony loved about hospital staff is they pretended to listen and then did the exact opposite of what you asked them to do. Tony sighed as Ducky came in. At first, he questioned whether he was actually dying and Ducky was here to ascertain the cause of death to save time in his 'office', but he knew he was just being paranoid.
"Dear boy, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Ducky looked pitifully at Tony. Tony hated that look more than anything in the world. He'd had it more times than you could imagine when he was a kid. Now, when he thought he had everything sorted in his life, that same look was coming back to haunt him and he loathed the feeling it gave him, deep in the pit of his stomach.
"I had an argument with my pet fish, vicious things Ducky…" Tony attempted the half-hearted joke but Ducky saw straight through it and Tony could see it. "Gibbs has sent you to examine me hasn't he?"
"Yes, the young doctor before may not have been as thorough as me. He may well be observing in a moment but I told him you needed a specific type of bandage due to allergies so hopefully he'll be gone a little while searching for those." Ducky had a wry smile on his face and moved right up next to Tony. "I will be gentle, but I do need you to co-operate with me Tony, ok?"
Sighing and realising he had very little choice in the matter Tony managed to lever himself up with the one arm, swung his legs over the side of the bed and waited for the inevitable. At first Ducky did everything routinely, asking which parts hurt most and enquiring about the broken bones. It was only when he started to examine Tony's back that Ducky drew in a gasp of horror. Tony grimaced and tensed up immediately. He knew that Ducky would examine his bruising and gashes first but that he wouldn't fail to notice the old scars under the fresh wounds and sure enough, as Tony knew he would, Ducky moved next to the forearm not covered by a cast.
"Tony dear boy, do you have something to confide in me?"
"Ducky… just…. Just examine the new bruises and cuts…. There's nothing else to see ok?" Tony felt physically sick. No-one else had ever seen his old scars, some self inflicted, some certainly not. He could feel his eyes starting to burn and he bit his inside lip until he could taste the tell-tale metallic flavour of blood. He needed to cry so badly but he couldn't let himself down and do it in front of anyone else.
"Tony?" Ducky could tell how upset his young friend was becoming but he wanted to try and find answers. He knew what types of scars these were and he wanted Tony to confide in him. He couldn't just leave his friend wallowing in his emotions and his past when perhaps he could help him.
"Ducky just leave...just go. And I don't want to see anyone else. Not just yet." Tony lowered himself back down on the bed and rolled over; despite the immense pain it caused him, so that his back faced Ducky.
"Jethro will get it out of him." Ducky reassured himself silently. With that he turned on his heel, and with one last look at Tony, he made his way out of the room. Feeling a slight sense of failure he made his way back to the waiting room, not sensing Gibbs waiting just paces away to enter Tony's room. He had intended to see Abby first but he knew that Tony needed him more right now. Thinking that his marine training was still useful, he braced himself, made sure the picture from Tony's apartment was still in his back pocket and walked into the room.
"Ducky I told you …"
"It's not Ducky." Gibbs replied gently, noticing how Tony visibly relaxed in his bed.
"Sorry Boss I just don't think I can talk right now."
Gibbs knew Tony well and knew that pussy footing around would get him nowhere, so going straight for the jugular, Gibbs asked, "He gave you the scars on your back didn't he?"
"How did you…?" Tony knew that Gibbs probably hadn't had time to speak to Ducky so how did he know about the scars?
"I saw them on your back at your apartment DiNozzo. So answer the question – did he give you those scars on your back?"
Tony didn't want to answer but he felt like he had no choice. The emotion of whole ordeal making him feel extremely weak, he mumbled, "yes."
"Tony, I hate the fact that I went behind your back to find out about your past but I wish you'd come to me sooner about what happened." Gibbs went to reach for the picture but thought now was not the time to bring it up.
"It doesn't matter Gibbs,"
"You deserve a head slap for that DiNozzo!" Gibbs erupted. "Your father did this to you tonight in your own home and you tell me 'it doesn't matter'?"
This time it was Tony's turn to become irate. "So what Boss? My father used to beat the seven bells out of me all because I wouldn't let him beat my mom. She stood back for years and took whatever beating he wanted to give her 'cos she was too scared to fight back and eventually I got sick of seeing her with two black eyes at breakfast. Those scars on my back? None of your business Gibbs, I can handle myself now. You have no right to judge me!"
Gibbs chastised himself for the way he was handling this. He wasn't mad at Tony he was mad for what had happened to him, for not protecting him from what Gibbs had guessed might come when Tony's dad was released from prison.
"Tony he came after you after spending 15 years in jail, you really think he's going to give up now?" Gibbs paused. "Confide in me Tony. I'm here for you and I can help you and I will help you but you need to tell me what's going on."
"It started when I was 14, I just got so fed up of hearing mom cry and seeing the way he used to beat her…. I knew I couldn't let her live like that. One night he came home blind drunk and stumbled up the stairs and started laying into her. I rushed into their room and screamed at him to stop. He left my mom alone and beat the crap out of me instead. That was the norm after that. I could take the beatings so long as mom was ok. That went on for about 2 years until the worst beating of them all came." Tony paused. He hadn't moved from his foetal position and Gibbs, not wanting to scare him or make him feel claustrophobic, despite the white, airy nature of the room, had kept safe distance but slowly moved around the bed closer to Tony. "My mom had been staying at my Auntie's house for the weekend. It was my Aunt Rita's birthday and mom decided to go, after getting permission from 'dad' of course. I'd overslept when I was supposed to be helping at one of my father's battle re-enactments. When he got home he dragged me out of bed and down to the basement. He tied me to some of the pipes and beat me and then, he cut me with a kitchen knife. I've never felt so much pain in my life. Not because of what he was doing to me but just because the guy who was supposed to be my 'dad' was actually doing this to me to begin with. He untied me and left me locked up down there until my mom came home. By that time I was old enough to run away from home and I stayed over at friends houses, got a few part time jobs and then when the time came I left for college and never went back."
"What about your mom?"
"She saw me when she came home and after all the years I'd taken the beatings for her and protected her she just did nothing. She stood by him. I don't think I've ever quite forgotten the look in her eyes that day."
"Tony, I'm sorry. I knew your dad was violent. I knew about the police being called out for domestic disturbances and I checked your medical report. I put everything together and …I'm going to find him though Tony. I will protect you."
"It's funny really that he didn't even go to jail for that. He went down for the drugs. I wish I'd had the guts back then to make him rot in jail for what he did to me but I was just a kid. I know it's not my fault."
"It still isn't your fault Tony. Your mom should have stuck up for you. I'm betting his finger prints are all over your place and the DNA collected off of you should tell us everything we need to know. I will hunt him down."
"Gibbs I'm worried. Why did he call Abby? She wasn't on my numbers last called list and I doubt he wanted anyone to find me so why?"
"I'm not sure yet, DiNozzo. But we'll soon find out. Ziva and McGee are processing your apartment as we speak. I'm sure I'll get Ducky's examination results as well. The Director is suspicious right now so don't be surprised if she starts on the trail of your past." She should've stayed a field agent, Gibbs added silently.
Gibbs cell interrupted the quiet of the room. Looking at the caller I.D he rolled his eyes. Talk of the devil, he thought. "Gibbs,"
Jen's voice was frantic on the end of the phone, "Gibbs we have a huge problem."
"Jen, what's wrong?"
"It's Abby. Gibbs she's gone missing."
Well I hope that was ok and I want loads of reviews. Lol only kidding. Sorry for the slight delay in that chapter but I did make it longer to compensate. Until next time )