Author's note: I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update, my laptop broke and I didn't have access to another computer. I've just recently had it fixed and all seems well. I hope that everyone following is still interested, here's the latest chapter, it's not long but I wanted to give you guys something. Hope you enjoy.
Gibbs took a sip from his cup of coffee, trying and failing to get comfortable in the plastic chair that had been his home for the past 24 hours. He had long since sent the rest of his team home, promising to call the moment he had any news on the occupant of the bed that his chair sat beside.
Less than an hour had passed since the last doctor had been in the room to check on the patient, he had confirmed that Tony was doing well and that they should be seeing some signs of him waking in the next few hours. The ventilator and the chest tube had been removed that morning and a second x-ray had shown that while his lungs were still congested, they were doing far better than they had been the previous day. If all went well in the next 24 hours then Tony would be released from the hospital, on the guidance that he take it easy for the next week at least.
Gibbs smiled as he thought of the moment the doctor told him that, knowing exactly the reaction that that would have in his senior field agent. Even when having the plague he had not taken the required amount of sick leave. This time though Gibbs was going to insist that Tony take care of himself, this had to be a wakeup call to both of them, that he wasn't indestructible and that he needed to take better care of himself.
As he took another sip from the cup a noise caught his attention, the sound of the patient trying to come back to the land of the living.
"Dinozzo?"
"B...boss?"
"Yeah it's me, you with me?" Gibbs asked, placing his coffee on the table beside him and standing up so his agent could see him better.
"What...happened?" Tony said, ignoring the question and going straight in with his own.
"What do you remember?"
"Jumping into the water, pulling you...you and Maddy out," Tony took a breath and then tried to sit up. "Maddy, is she ok?"
"Not so fast Dinozzo," Gibbs exclaimed, pushing his agent back down towards the bed. "She's fine, thanks to you."
"Ow, why does that hurt so much, and why is my throat sore?"
"You weren't doing so well Tony, they had to put a tube in your chest and one down your throat. The doc took them out this morning, said that you're doing a lot better."
"How long?"
"Since you pulled Maddy and I out, about 48 hours. You've been asleep for just over a day, so it's about time you woke up."
Tony laughed at that, but soon regretted it as pain shot through his chest and a familiar tickle entered his throat. He groaned and started coughing, the pain only intensifying with each hack.
"Easy Dinozzo, just breath, it'll stop," Gibbs soothed his agent, pulling him into a sitting position, using one hand to support him and the other to press the call button.
"Oh god that hurts!" Tony exclaimed, after the coughing had subsided. He realised to his horror that he was clinging to his boss and immediately let go, sinking back down the bed bellow.
"Agent Dinozzo, it's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?" Helen the nurse assigned to the floor asked, approaching the bed on the unoccupied side.
"Like my chest is on fire!" Tony exclaimed, not caring that he was complaining. He wasn't usually one to want painkillers, but right at that moment he hadn't wanted anything more.
"I'll get you something for the pain and page Dr Pitt."
She soon left the room, leaving the two men alone. One was unsure what to do to help his agent, the other wished that the ground would swallow him up, he didn't like anyone seeing him weak, especially his boss.
"You want some water?" Gibbs asked, breaking the silence.
"That sounds good." Tony replied, realising that his mouth was as dry as the Sahara.
Gibbs picked up the pitcher from the table and poured some into a cup, grabbing a straw that had been left next to it he proceeded to place it in his agents mouth.
Tony had never tasted anything so good, he greedily sucked up the water, turning his head slightly when he'd had enough. "Thanks."
Before the silence could get too long the nurse re-entered the room, bringing with her the blessed pain relief.
"Dr Pitt is on his way," she said, injecting the medicine into the patients IV. "That should make you feel better, just let me know if I can get you anything else."
Tony smiled up at her, already feeling the effects of the medicine. "You can come back again."
Helen smiled back as she left, once again leaving the two men alone.
Gibbs was sitting back on the uncomfortable chair, trying to get his mouth to cooperate with his brain. He needed to thank Tony and tell him that he was proud of him but the words just didn't want to come out. He looked up at his agent, hoping that the words would come and saw that it wouldn't matter if they did, Tony was fast asleep, the pain medication obviously doing more than relieving the pain.