Thanks for all the lovely reviews people, I love reading them. I thought I would just throw this in, hopefully I didn't wreck the story by doing it. Hope you like it. hehe i told ya's it wouldn't be long.
Chapter 9- It's not over yet
Out of the darkness he had succumbed to, he felt a pressure on his arm. What the hell? It had come from nowhere. Then he heard a voice, it scared him, it must be lying.
"Fight it Tony, we need you"
It was familiar, damn it was Gibbs, how did Gibbs get to him here? He struggled against the pressure trying to make it go away, it stayed, anchoring him, or at least trying to. But why? he thought, why did the voice sound concerned? Why did it care? It had blamed him for everything. Tony was terrified; he didn't know what to do, to think, which voice was genuine, which one wasn't? He wanted, needed the voices to stop. One was saying fight, one was saying give up, your not worth the trouble you cause. He had to agree with the harsh, cold one, it was true. He was trouble, he got people put in prison, got them killed, only caused his boss trouble. But it was his boss that was saying fight.
The darkness enclosed him again, he couldn't fight, his body and mind were weak. He swam out with the rest of his strength, out of the void he was trapped, his eyes opened to the word of his team, hovering around his bed, enclosing him, surrounding him, suffocation him. They were all too close, he had let them in, they had cared for him, but he had only caused them worry, hurt and pain. It was his fault. They didn't need him anymore, they could go on without him, hell they had done when he was on the ship. He'd been the last back, the unwanted one, been abandoned. It hurt, this family had cared, but now the harsh voice took over and told him, forced him to believe that they didn't and he believed it. He knew it was true.
Behind his team he saw the caused of some of the teams' pain, Kate. She stood watching him lose the fight, lose himself. She had a look of pity on her face, he called her name, knowing it would be the last time he'd say anything to his team. He missed their reactions as his eyes closed again, he moved towards the purer light where Kate was waiting. He tried to speak but she spoke first.
"It's not your time you know" she stated as if it were a fact.
"But, there's nothing to go back to." he answered, not willing to believe. He had thought he had been safe when a familiar voice had spoken before; it had only caused pain then. He was surprised to find no pain came, he was just weary. He wouldn't look at her, he couldn't, it hurt too much, had he got her killed too? His father had been right, he didn't amount to anything.
"Tony? Look at me" he didn't respond. She gently grabbed his face and looked into his haunted eyes, it scared her how much he had changed, he needed reassurance, she would try her best. "Tony, listen, I am only going to say this once" she paused, thinking that was something Gibbs would say. "It is not your time, not now, you have to fight."
"But-" he tried, there was a warmth seeping into him, was it love? Care? Where was it coming from? She wanted to hold him, erase the pain in his eyes, but she couldn't, not by being gentle anyway, she tried a different tact.
"I'm stronger than you" she let it linger, hoping he would make the leap in his memory. He had survived the plague, he had survived a lot of things he shouldn't of, he could survive this.
"Are not" he whispered, he felt a jolt to his body. He bit back a small cry of pain. She smiled at the reply, knowing he understood, she knew that the doctors were trying to bring him back.
"Are too" she baited, hoping he would get angry.
"Are not" he sounded a little surer now. Another jolt, the darkness lifted a little.
"If you are, then fight, they need you, look at them, they are lost without you" she almost shouted. He looked towards where she was pointing, he could see the whole team, they were watching his bodying jolting up and crying, what!, they were all crying, or trying to hide it, did he mean something to them? He would have to find out. He wasn't sure how but the harsh voice had gone; now he was only left with Gibbs' lingering order.
"Fight it Tony"
The warmth he felt grew, in the order was concern and care; he had only heard that tone once before, it was when he had had the plague. The voice that had been tormenting him now sounded friendly, he really was safe now.
One final lasting jot, he fought with all he had, he was no longer trapped, unaware on the outside that the doctors had stopped over a minute ago, leaving his team with the prospect that he was dead. the energy from the jolt had been enough, Gibbs' words had been enough, Kate's words had been enough, it had all been enough to save him. He would fight even though the Doctor and nurses had given up, it felt like forever but the darkness finally dissipated
x-X-x
The team stood rooted to the spot, watching as the doctors fought for Tony's life. When he had spoken Kate's name they knew what he was seeing, it was the end of the line for him. Abby's sobs were heart wrenching, the steady beep echoing around the room. The Jots convulsed Tony's lifeless Body, each jolt hurt them, tore at their hearts, brought them closer to losing part of their family. They wanted to turn away and not believe what they were seeing, but they watched as he slipped away with a morbid fascination. The Doctor and nurses stopped; there was nothing more they could do.
Abby clung onto McGee, wrecked with uncontrollable sobs, the rest were in a shock silence as the doctor spoke the words they never wanted to hear.
"I'm sorry, there's nothing more we can do." The doctor couldn't look upon the family in the room; it broke his heart to watch the reaction.
"Try again" Gibbs ordered his resolution strong.
"Agent Gibbs, we have been trying, there is nothing more we can do." The Doctor looked towards Dr Mallard hoping for confirmation, reassurance that he had done the right thing, but all he got was a stern look that could kill, saying don't give up on this agent. The room settled back into tense silence, nobody making a move.
Beep……………Beep……………Beep……………
They turned towards the sound shocked, had Tony found the strength he need to fight, they didn't want to get their hopes up. They moved towards the bad hoping to see his eyes open, but the Beep was only weak.
Beep………Beep………Beep………
It became stronger, they got more hopeful.
Beep……Beep……Beep……
It became more normal and steady. The doctor checked Tony's vitals, mumbling 'I don't believe it' under his breath.
Beep…Beep…Beep…
The monitor chirped steadily. He was back, but how? 'Aw hell I don't care how' thought Gibbs; he relaxed even more as Tony's eyes opened, was that hope he could see now? Was Tony really back? The doctor moved away so the family could talk but told them that they weren't to tire Tony. Abby was the first to speak.
"Tony!" she squealed.
"Hey Abby" he whispered, the catatonic state gone. She was overjoyed to hear his voice, it was strained but she didn't care. She went to lightly punch Tony in the arm for scaring her, when Gibbs lightly tapped the back of Tony's head. Tony flinched at the touch he would have to get used to touch again but he knew that it was Gibbs' way of making him wanted; he had missed the head slaps if he was honest.
"What was that for" Tony wined. Gibbs couldn't help but smirk at DiNozzo's usual tone returning. While his green eyes were still a little haunted, there was hope and a glimmer of mischief.
"For scaring the hell outa everyone" Gibbs replied.
"Oh right, sorry boss"
"DiNozzo, what have I said about apologies" Gibbs asked in mock anger, Tony smiled a little at the mock anger, only he could bring that out of Gibbs in a way that didn't get him hurt. Everything was normal again. Tony looked around the room tiredly, he spotted McGee and Ziva, they looked a little guilty. He wondered what was wrong but was stopped when Ziva spoke
"We can't leave you alone for long with out you getting outside trouble."
"It's, 'in trouble' Zi-vah and hey it wasn't exactly my fault" he corrected, she smiled lightly at him correcting her and his use of her name.
"Trust you to get kidnapped and tortured by someone you tried to save" McGee chirped up, the looks he was sent for such an insensitive comment could have killed; he had just been baiting Tony into his old self. They all waited with baited breaths to see how Tony would react. To their surprise Tony just chuckled, this caused a chain reaction. The comment had been funny and true, it could only happen to Tony. They all relaxed in to each other presence, as if the weeks of tension hadn't happened.
Gibbs settled into the hard plastic chair that had been his home for two days. Tony drifted to sleep as Gibbs shooed everyone out of the room. The last thing Tony heard before he drifted asleep was the words 'I got your Six Tony'; he slept without dreams, the first time in a week and a half.
x-X-x
Swain had sent one of her hired help into Tony's hospital room, he had been pretending to be a Nurse. He returned the morning of the third day, telling her the next part of the plan could continue. She whispered under her breath.
"It's not over yet Tony"…
TBC
Another cliff-hanger hehe, what is she going to do, you will have to wait and see.
