Disclaimer: Not my character. I don't own NCIS, Don't sue and all the other things one says at the start of a fan fiction.
The Wrath of Gibbs
Bethesda Naval Hospital
"Where is she?" Gibbs demanded as he ran into the emergency room trailed by Ziva, McGee and Tony.
"They're examining her now." Hollis explained, walking over to Gibbs. His eyes were cold as he starred her down. She had never been on the receiving end of his rage before and she actually felt frightened.
"What did you do Holly." Gibbs asked Hollis, his voice horse and his faced rigid.
"She didn't do anything." Jenny said
"You're the one who allowed this." Gibbs pointed at Jenny. "Abby doesn't go into the field. End of story."
"You let her go that one..." Said Ziva
"She was surrounded by federal agents that time." Said Tony, looking almost as angry as Gibbs, "She was out there on her own with no weapon."
"We left her alone for a minute." Hollis said, "I had no way of knowing that the owner was in on it. He and Abby seemed to be getting along."
"Apparently not." Gibbs shouted, "Since he shot her!"
"You left her alone?" Ziva asked, shocked.
"Agent Gibbs?" Said a women wearing scrubs and a doctors coat, "I'm Dr. Morgan. You're just as Abby described you."
"She's OK?" Gibbs asked anxiously.
"She's consciouses. Strong vitals." the doctor explained, "The bullet penetrated that abdomen. Doesn't appear to have hit anything vital but we need to retrieve the bullet and take a look around.
"Can I see her before she goes in." Gibbs asked
"Ordinarily we wouldn't allow it, but she won't sign the consent forms until she sees you." The doctor showed Gibbs to Abby's room. She signed the forms and handed them to one of the three nurses who stood next to Abby's bed, fawning over her.
"See that wasn't so hard." Abby said to the doctor horsely.
"I'll see you in the operating room." The surgeon smiled at Abby, "I'll be the one in the mask." It was clear to Gibbs that Abby has already won over the doctor and most of the nurses on the floor.
"You get five minutes." The doctor said, "Then we're taking you into surgery." The doctor left and the nurses took that as a sign to leave the room.
"Don't be mad at anyone" Abby said horsely, "I wanted to go. I wanted to help. So if you're going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me."
"I'm not mad Abby" He stroked her hair.
"I'm scared" Abby admitted, her eyes were large and she seemed so small in the bed. Gibbs held her hands and kissed them, one at a time.
"I'll never let anything happen to you ever again Abbs. I promise."
"You can't keep that promise"
"I always keep my promises." The door opened and several people arrived to take Abby into surgery. He walked with Abby, next to her gurney, holding her hand until the last possible second. A nurse led him to a private waiting area.
"Doctor Morgan thought you would be more comfortable waiting closer to the operating room but if you want your friends are down the hall."
"Thank you ma'am." Gibbs sat down, "This will be fine."
"Jethro!" Ducky shouted as he hurried down the hall. "I came as soon as I heard. I've got her shooter on a slab in the morgue. Hollis put three bullets in him."
"Ducky!" Said a tall doctor walking towards them is surgical scrubs. "Good to see you-- sorry about the circumstances."
"Who are you?" Asked Gibbs bluntly.
"Jethro, this is Mark Kemmel he's the Chief of Surgery and a good friend."
"As I was about to tell Ducky." The doctor continued, "I've got my best trauma surgeon working on her. The entire team is top notch down to the orderlies who wheeled her into the operating room. And if you would like to join me Ducky, I was just about to scrub in." Ducky looked at Gibbs and waited for his reaction. Gibbs nodded curtly.
"I'll take you up on your offer." Ducky said following the chief of surgery into the locker room to change.
"Take care of her Ducky." Gibbs whispered
Three Hours Later...
Gibbs sat, staring straight ahead. He hadn't moved since the nurse had brought him here after watching Abby go into surgery. One by one the team joined him. First McGee nervously walked into the waiting room, setting a large cup of coffee next to Gibbs. It sat next to him untouched and growing cold. Tony and Ziva followed shortly after. Gibbs wondered if they had sent McGee as a scout to judge whether Gibbs would allow them to stay in the room with him. Gibb's felt oddly comforted by their company.
"Jethro!" Called Ducky, smiling,
"How is she Ducky?" Gibbs asked anxiously. The entire team jumped to their feet and surrounded Ducky and Abby's Doctor
"She's going to be fine." Dr. Morgan answered. The team looked to Ducky for conformation.
"She'll be in pain for a few weeks but she'll be back to herself in no time." Ducky confirmed, "Abby is strong, not to mention the fact that she had an incredibly talented surgeon." Ducky smiled at Abby's surgeon who blushed and smiled back.
"Where is she?" Gibbs asked
"She's in recovery." Dr. Morgan said, "We'll bring her to room 228 in an hour or so.
"When can I see her?" Asked Gibbs.
"You can wait in her room if you want. It's down the hall on the right." Dr. Morgan said to Gibbs, "But the rest of you have to wait until tomorrow." The doctor left and Gibbs turned to his team.
"Go home." Gibbs said to his team, "Get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." After they left Gibb's turned to Ducky, "Thanks, for being there with her." Gibbs said quietly.
"I'm sure she would have preferred you." Ducky said, "I couldn't help but notice that Hollis isn't here."
"Not now Ducky." Gibbs said warningly.
"She wasn't the one who shot Abby."
"She left Abby alone, Ducky. You don't leave a lab technician alone in the field. There was no reason for her to be out there in the first place."
"It was a mistake."
"Are you sure?
"Surely you are not suggesting..." Ducky lowered his voice and stepped towards Gibbs.
"A mistake that sloppy. It doesn't fit. Hollis is many things, but she is not sloppy." Gibbs and Ducky began to walk towards Abby's room.
"Perhaps she was distracted."
"By what?" Asked Gibbs's
"By whom." Ducky corrected
"Have I told you lately how glad I am that you got a degree in psychology?"
"No."
"Good."
"Jethro."
"Not now Ducky. Please." Gibbs held his hand up and looked away, "Just not now."
"Go, be with Abby." Ducky put his hand on Gibbs's shoulder.
"Thank you Ducky." Gibbs shook the older man's hand before heading into Abby's room.
Meanwhile, in the other waiting room...
Hollis and the director sat next to each other without talking. Jenny was pale and she looked, frankly terrified. Abby was still in surgery and they hadn't heard anything for hours. Hollis stared at the wall, expressionless She screwed up. She wondered how many of them thought that she did it on purpose. She hadn't been thinking and now she saw the consequences of that moment of neglect. Half of NCIS seemed to be waiting for news, worry clear on there faces. Agent Lee and Jimmy openly held hands. Even the members of her team that had known Abby for less than a day, sat in a quiet vigil. It didn't help that she was currently looking at a picture of a smiling happy Abby in a candy striper uniform, under the heading "Volunteer of the month"
Gibbs and his team disappeared hours ago to find news. Hollis knew it was over the moment Jethro looked her in the eyes. It was clear to anyone who was watching that they were finished. She wondered if she should even wait for the formality of a conversation. She wondered if you really wanted to hear what he had to say to her. She felt the director touch her arm gently before pointing out Tony, McGee and Ziva walking towards them, smiling. Jenny and Hollis jumped up, eager for news.
"Doc says she's going to be fine." Tony grinned and enveloped Jenny into a welcome hug. Hollis watched as the group wrapped there arms around each other and even Ziva inconspicuously wipe away tears.
Hollis watched, relieved that Abby was going to be fine. She looked down the hall, waiting in vain for Jethro to come back to her, at least to say goodbye. She was surprised at how painful it was when she realized that he wasn't coming.
Abby's Hospital Room
Gibbs sat in a chair, next to Abby's bed, watching her breath- unable to sleep until he saw her open her eyes, until he heard her voice. He couldn't look away for more than a second before having to look again to make sure that he really hadn't lost her.
"Hi" He smiled
"You're here." Abby croaked,
"Yes."
"Thank you." Tears slid from her eyes. He leaned over, kissing her forehead gently. He breathed deeply, shocks that the corner of his eyes where wet.
"Abbs." His voice caught,
"Shh" Abby put her arms around him, holding him gently, "You don't have to say anything." He traced her jaw line softly with his finger tips, too afraid to touch her anywhere else.
"I'm supposed to get the nurse when you wake up."
"Not yet." Abby said, holding on to Gibbs with surprising strength.
"I need to be sure that you're Abbs." Gibbs looked at her pleadingly. She reluctantly pushed the call button.
"Abby" Said the nurse excitedly, "We were worried sick about you. Dr Morgan is..
"Right behind you". Morgan walked in, "Welcome back. I just need to take a quick look and than we'll set you up with some ice chips and a morphine pump. Only benefit of getting shot."
"Caf-Pow." Abby said
"No Caf-Pow Abby, I told you that in the emergency room when we admitted you ."
"Please." Abby looked at Gibbs and smiled sweetly, "Just one?"
"I'll get you ice chips..." Gibbs said, relieved to have a reason to not be there for the examination. He wasn't ready to see the full extent of the damage that the bullet caused. When he rounded the corner to the ice machine he saw that Jenny hadn't left with the rest of the team. She sat alone in the waiting room, looking forlornly at her laptop.
"Don't you have a government Agency to run?" Gibbs asked as he pushed the buttons on the ice machine, trying to figure it out.
"With the laptop Abby built for me, I can pretty much do it from here. I wanted to talk to you." Jenny closed the computer and placed it in her bag. She slung it over her shoulder and walked over to Gibbs, "Please let me do this." She said taking to cup from him.
"I think it's broken." Said Gibbs staring at the machine with spite.
"I screwed up Gibbs." Jenny said as the ice machine began to work. "I need you to know that I realize that.
"Bringing a lab tech into the field is a decision a lot of directors would have left up to the lead field agent." Gibbs said evenly.
"She shouldn't have been out there." Jenny handed Gibbs the cup of ice.
"She wanted to go, Jenny." Gibbs sat down, suddenly exhausted. It was surprising to see Gibbs this way. He looked defeated with his head in his hands, "She wanted to go. Whose decision was it to not tell me about the mission?"
"Abby's"
"Of course." Gibbs sighed, "You trusted your lead field agent. It's usually the right choice to make."
"You're being unusually reasonable." Jenny crossed her arms and studied Gibbs "Abby never should have been left alone." Jenny said, "I can't overlook that, Jethro."
"I didn't say that you should." Gibbs said. He looked around, noticing for the first time that Hollis was no where to be found.
"She's not here." Jenny leaned towards Gibbs, "She's offered her resignation."
"Take it." Gibbs said before walking back towards Abby's room.
TBC