Pulled quickly back to the here and now both Steven and CJ righted their clothing, straightened their hair and stood facing each other in abject humiliation. Neither said or did anything for a long time until CJ finally spoke.
"I need to get outta here… and like NOW" her embarrassment had quickly changed into anxiety and the confined space of the basement was making it hard to breathe.
"Com' on" Steven said over his shoulder as he led the way up the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door to the garage. On the way he grabbed the keys to the car and yelled "I'm taking the car" to what seemed like an empty house but he knew better.
Driving around for a while he finally stopped driving in the mall parking lot. It was a good a place as any for CJ to vent her now building mass of steam. He didn't say anything but followed her as she paced the top level of the parkade.
"CJ it's ok… it's not like it's…" her death filled glare had him stopped in his verbal tracks before anymore words could escape.
CJ's emotions were actually quite predictable; if humiliated she would first feel embarrassed and then anxiety would set in and would at some point be replaced by anger. These situations were the ones in which Steven was witness to her full capability of the emotion. The anger was generally not directed at anyone and often was inwardly facing. Today however CJ was feeling pure seething rage. The problem with rage was that unlike other emotions it was difficult to control and direct. It was in this state that CJ found herself muttering unintelligibly and leaning against the wall.
Steven sat beside her knowing he was not going to solve this problem with words. But he was taken by surprise when CJ quickly turned on the spot and punched the wall behind her. Blood trickled down her still clenched fist and tears squeezed out of the side of tightly shut eyes.
"What did you do that for?" he asked without thinking. CJ's head tipped into his lap and she cried. Sobbing for some time CJ was able to release the pent up inexplicable anger and frustration. When her tears and senses were back under control she sat up knees bend, arms laying relaxed across the top of her knees. Smiling she turned to Steven "So what do you want to do this afternoon?"
Her non-chalance and ridiculous question had Steven laughing immediately. "Oh CJ" shaking his head he stood up and extended his hand to pull her up to. She offered him her left hand and when the movements were awkward he didn't need to ask his question out loud. The reason she wasn't moving well was that her right hand wasn't only bleeding but was already badly bruised and swollen.
"Oh CJ" he said again but this time with concern and worry in his voice. "We need to get that looked at… and like right away."
"Nah, I'm fine. I'm sure it just looks worse than it really is" her tone trying to convince not only him.
Steven reluctantly drove her back home and dropped her off in the driveway. She wouldn't even let him take her to the door. CJ gave him a quick peck on the cheek and rushed into the house and immediately up to her room.
Tony and Ziva both sitting at the table eating dinner hadn't expected CJ home so soon and her mad dash up the stairs also suggested something was a miss. The two parents exchanged looks and nods to determine who was going up to see what the problem was. The metaphorical short straw was drawn by Tony and he huffed playfully as he pushed himself away from the table.
CJ heard the footsteps approaching her room and quickly covered herself with her blanket. By the time Tony knocked on the door and waited a few seconds for an answer before entering. "You ok peanut" he asked as CJ turned to look at him over her shoulder as she lay in bed still fully clothed.
"Ya, I'm fine" she lied with a big smile.
"Really?" Tony asked unconvinced of her state of being.
"Ya, I just have …. A headache… that's all" CJ's expression softened to a more neutral look appeared.
"Oh… that's why you're home early?"
"Ya, I just had to lay down… you know how it is" she answered casually. She did have a mild headache from the events of the afternoon so it was easy to say.
"Do you want me to get you a couple of pain killers then?" he concerned he wasn't getting the whole story but maybe when she felt better it would be a more productive time to figure out the problem.
"Ya, actually that would be great dad, thanks" she said turning away thinking to herself 'not sure a couple will do the trick but we'll see'.
Tony left the room, headed to his own bathroom, rummaged through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. Dumping a couple of tablets into his hand and grabbing a glass of water he returned to his daughter's room. He held out the glass in one hand the medication in the other. CJ rolled over and sat up with her legs hanging over the edge of the bed. She instinctively took the glass with her right hand and winced uncontrollably with the effort of holding it steady. Tony had dropped the pills into her open left hand before he noticed her reaction.
She wasn't quick enough before he gently grabbed her forearm and examined her hand. Dried crusted blood covered her knuckles and the whole hand was swollen and bruised. "CJ what on EARTH happened to you?"
CJ tried to look away, tried to get control of her own arm back but to no avail. She just sat there staring back at her father. His face only showing concern and worry. When she didn't answer he asked again "What happened to you CJ?"
"Nothing. I'm fine" pulling harder she extricated herself from his grip and tried to roll back into bed.
"CJ" his voice sounding stern this time "I need to know what happened."
"No you don't" she spat back anger getting the better of her again.
He stood breathing slowly, counting to whatever number would allow him to speak calmly to his injured child. "CJ I need to know how this happened and you need to come with me. We have to go see a doctor that might be broken."
"It's not broken I can move it" CJ stated as though she had years of medical knowledge at her disposal. As far as she was concerned she had had enough bumps and scraps that she felt she should know if it was broken or not.
Without another word he gently but still forcibly pulled CJ into a sitting position and then to standing and with her good hand caringly tugged her down the hall and stairs.
"Go wait in the car" he instructed with enough command in his tone that CJ didn't argue. At this point her hand hurt so much that she really did want to see a doctor to ask for some heavy duty pain killers. Tony grabbed his keys and then with a quick kiss on his wife's cheek headed out to the vehicle to meet his daughter.
Calling Palmer on his way to NCIS headquarters Tony asked that the ME meet them there as CJ had once again injured herself and required medical attention. Having placed the call he then returned his attention to the sullen teen in the seat next to him. "You really not going to tell me what happened?"
"Yep that's right" CJ answered with a reserved smile.
The rest of the trip was driven in silence and nothing was even said as they passed by security at the door and headed towards autopsy. Having already been in the car when they made the phone call they arrived first and had to wait for the ME to arrive. At first CJ paced the floor chewing her bottom lip as she walked. Tony who was leaning against the desk arms folded across his chest asked CJ to stop moving. When her response was simply to growl in his direction and glare he picked her up carefully under her arms as you would a young child and sat her on the closest autopsy table.
"Stay" he instructed pointing at the table and returning her glare.
Trying to show her frustration CJ forcibly crossed her arms and then gasped when her hand was touched by her own arm.
Tony self satisfied smirk told her that he had little sympathy for her current predicament. She didn't blame him really but she had been hurting long enough that she was wanting comfort and reassurance. Her stony expression and great effort to maintain her brave façade was fading slowly and Tony could see the hurt little girl hiding behind those dark angry eyes. He stood in front of her and held her cheeks in his hands. "Peanut… look at me" he waited for until her eyes met his. "Palmer is going to fix you up good… you don't need to worry."
"I'm not worried" she shouted her panic clearly audible in her declaration.
"Then why are you yelling?" he smiled jokingly.
CJ laughed through the tears that started to fall. "I'm NOT yelling" she said with a mock toddler voice.
The swoosh of the sliding doors interrupted their conversation and Palmer entered removing his jacket and scarf at the same time. "Hello DiNozzo family. What happened this time CJ?" his admonishment not particularly serious.
Palmer washed his hands before approaching his patient and then he stood beside the special agent pushing him aside to get a better view of the girl on the table.
"OOooo CJ… you really did a good job this time didn't you?" he looked at her face waiting for an answer.
"Yep… you know me… I do the best I can" her smile forced through gritted teeth.
"How did you do this?" he asked in his doctoral tone.
CJ looked to her father and then to Palmer and then back again. Tony stood just off to the side hands in his pockets eye brows raised waiting to see if his child would answer the question or not.
"It doesn't matter how I did it… please just fix it" CJ responded looking more to her father then Jimmy.
"I do need to know CJ I need to know what sort of accident caused this much damage I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't find out." The ME explained sympathetically. CJ just stared at her father and remained silent. Palmer quickly got the hint that with Tony in the room this conversation wasn't going to go anywhere.
"Tony could you please give us a minute? Maybe wait up in the squad room? I will bring her up when I'm finished or if I need you I'll call you back down." There was then a stare down between the two men. Normally Tony wouldn't have allowed Palmer to win but knowing that his daughter needed care and that wasn't going to happen with him in the room he reluctantly turned on his heel and stormed towards the elevator.
Once both sets of doors swished closed Palmer returned his attention to his patient. "Now you gonna tell me what happened?"
"I punched a concrete wall… hard…" she grimaced as she looked at her dangling feet.
"YOU WHAT?" his raised voice surprised her as she rarely heard him speak that way.
"I… punched… a … wall" she tentatively answered again.
"What possessed you to do that?" forgetting to shield his incredulity. CJ huffing loudly looked towards the exit doors and wished she could just leave. Tears of frustration welling in her eyes.
Calming down and putting back on his professional face Palmer asked "Why did you punch the wall CJ?"
"It doesn't matter" she whispered under her breath.
"You had to have punched it pretty hard to do this… did something happen… is everything ok?" he said setting up the portable xray machine as he continued to talk to her.
"The reason I did it isn't medically relevant….it won't change the outcome or treatment so you don't need to know" talking to the machine rather than the man.
"It may not be medically relevant but I want to know if there is something you need help with" his sympathetic tone evident that he was more than just CJ's attending physician.
"I don't need anything except to find out if it's broken and maybe a few pain killers would be nice" she said with a grin.
He returned the smile before getting down to work. Several xrays later and a bit of analysis had Palmer calling Tony back down to autopsy.
"Why you calling dad?" CJ's panic building once again.
"I just need him to help me" Jimmy answered trying to sound as calm as possible.
The next 30 minutes were very unpleasant as Jimmy with Tony's help set the 3 broken bones in CJ's hand. The teen was not the only one leaving autopsy with bruises that night. Both DiNozzo's were exhausted when they returned home. CJ more so as the pain killers Jimmy had given her were very strong and had her fighting to keep her eyes open for the short trip home.
Everyone crawled into bed glad that the day was finally over.