Chapter 3-Hospital Air
Slowly she started to come back from her abyss, it was dark and comforting, but she was still missing something, Gibbs, she needed for him to tell her she was safe. She needed his arms around her shielding her from the world. But most of all she needed him. She knew she was in the hospital, she heard the familiar beeps on the heart machine,the familiar smell and she could feel eyes on her, but she didn't want to wake up yet, she didn't want to face that she messed up. That she let Gibbs down, and in her darkest hour thought bad thoughts about him. She didn't know if Gibbs would forgive her, but she knew that if he didn't it would kill her, and a part of her was already dead she could feel it, and with Gibbs mad at her she would have nothing left, nothing to fight for, with that thought she let a sob rack her body, the minute it left her she felt a presence by her side, grip her hand. The presence leaned in a whispered "I'm sorry Abby, please forgive me." She knew in her soul it was Gibbs but she couldn't face him yet so she pretended to be asleep until he went away. She lay there thinking about all that had happened to her, she couldn't remember alot, she was only awake for some of it, but that wasn't the part that scared her, what scared her was what happened when she was unconscious, it scared her more than she was willing to admit.
Gibbs
He hadn't left her side since they found her, except to get a cup of coffee. She looked so small in that hospital bed, she looked more vulnerable than he had ever seen her. When he was gazing upon her battered face, all he could think was we found her, but she ever be the same Abby again? He heard he whimper in her sleep, he slowly grabbed her hand, whispering over and over "I'm sorry Abby please forgive me". With that, he layed his head in his hands and fell asleep for the first time in 4 days.
The team hadn't left the hospital since she was admitted. Dinozzo was doing everything he could to make her comfortable, he went to her house and got some essentials that she might need, toothbrush, nightgown, underwear and he had to make a stop to HQ to pick up Bert. When he walked into her room, he could see his boss was asleep, so he put the stuff down and lifted Bert out of the box, he walked over to Abby, taking her all in, slowly lifted the arm without the cast and put Bert in her grasp. He lent in and kissed her on the forehead, saying to her so quietly "We missed you Abby, even Bert.... Your safe now.. no one is going to hurt you". Saying that he left the room, went straight past the team and kept walking, he needed to be alone, Abby was like his little sister, and he was going to do whatever it took to get her back, body and mind.
Abby
She had felt Tony come in, and when he lifted her arm she about screamed then she realized what he was doing. Giving her Bert, she could feel she was missed, and she had Bert to keep her company, it took all her will power not to squeeze him, but she knew if she did it would wake up Gibbs, and she wasn't ready for that. She knew she had to wake up sooner or later, so she just opened her eyes, letting her eyes adjust to the harsh light of the hospital, careful not to make a sound, she turned her head and looked at Gibbs sleeping with his head in his hands, he looks so tiredshe thought, she so wanted to see his blue eyes, she had to know if he hated her or not. So she opened her mouth and thought about what she was going to say to him. Her voice squeaked bearly a whisper, she said the only thing she could think of "Gi...bb..s".
Gibbs
She said his name! Well at least he thought she did, so he opened his eyes to find her staring back at him, she looked so weak and he just wanted to wrap her in the biggest hug possible out he knew he couldn't it was too much too soon. He went to her careful not to touch her just to let her know he was there. "Abby, I'm here baby, your alright nothing is going to happen to you again." He watched her as his words sunk in, she looked like a child taking a test, he thought he had said something wrong until the tiniest smirk played across her face, "Sorry I was late boss". He let a smile come across his face, he knew it would take time, but at least Abby was safe, know they just had to worry about how this was going to affect Abby as a person. They would worry about that later right now he was more interested in catching up on what Abby had been through these past couple days.
She didnt want talk she just wanted to look at him, she didnt want him to touch her she just wanted him near. There was so much she wanted to say but she didnt know how to even begin. She wanted to know if he hated her, but she as too scared to ask. She hurt down to her soul but she would never let him see that. She didnt know if she was even happy she was alive, she didnt know if she was strong enough to deal with this but what she did know is that she almost died without telling Gibs she loved him, she was bound and deterimned to tell him, but right now she was just happy to have him near and nothing could pull her away from him, not nobody not no how.