Chapter 7 Rehabilitation: 2 months after surgery
Bethesda rehabilitation center: Grandpa Sal and I are at the center today, he drove me over for my sessions with Sergeant Matt Greens, US Army reservists. When he is not deployed Sergeant Greens is a physical therapist who works out of Bethesda Naval hospital. How he ended up in the Army and not the Navy still astounds me. I mean go figure an Army guy working with the Navy. I joked with Grandpa and he just laughs "that's what you get for a guy who gets sea sick", which is why he is not in the Navy. Something I think he is worse than gramps the way he pushes me. But I have come to realize that is all done for my good and future.
As I remember the drive over with Grandpa I realize a few things that I can do this. I can get better I can get my life back. Grandma Sophia keeps telling me this since I moved in with them because they have a ground floor room so I can get around easier. It is nice being with them and having their support. Especially on the bad days and believe me there were many. When I even tried her patience and she threatened to spank me. Trust me you don't want to get spanked by a 70 year old lady, she can really hit hard.
As I enter the locker room my routine today is the parallel bars. Matt says it's time for me to try walking without support, so he reminds me to leave crutches in the locker room and one of the nurses comes with a wheelchair. I have been using the crutches with my new legs for balance and now I was in the chair again and Matt was helping to lift me out. My hands are now on the bars and I hang on for dear life at first, so I don't fall on my ass again.
"Ok, Tony, up you go, now move." He ordered. "Easy does it. Ok grab the bars" watching my process as I slowly and unsteadily at first, than gaining momentum. "That's it, now one foot in front of the other. Common you can do it"
Soon I start walking to my surprise "I did it" I smile happily finally making some serious progress.
"That's right, now get to the end and I'll show you how to turn around.
Grandpa smiles as I turn to look at him.
Sal is amazed at the progress his grandson has made this past year since the accident. He was happy that he was able to start walking again and not be trapped in that damn contraption as he called Tony's tricked out wheel chair that he did wheelies with when he wasn't watching.
"Way to go Bambino" Sal said as I returned his smile and went back to walking.
A three months later….
Matt and I worked for weeks and weeks. Learning to walk somehow I managed to get all the indoor activity on flat surfaces. Now the hard part starting on real world surfaces like hills and inclines and other every day hazards. I have been doing well on flat surfaces and sidewalks, but hills were a challenge tackling them is important if I ever want to go back to field duty or do any activities like running or basketball. He found out at the last session with the progress he was making in a few more months he might be able to try out for the team. Now that was a goal he wanted to reach.
6 months later:
I graduated from working with Sergeant Matt to working with Sergeant Harrison, who is going to teach me how to run, and start building in other physical activities, so I can see what these legs of mine can really do. This would include outside training courses (hiking trails, tracks both indoor and outdoor, grassy fields, etc.). It still amazes me how much I needed to relearn. I remember learning to walk as a kid and it didn't seem all that hard.
Aside from all the therapy and moving back in with my grandparents while recovering I work at NCIS as a technical analyst for team Gibbs and other teams, as well as going back to school. I am now a doctoral candidate in the Criminal Justice school at Georgetown Law. I kind of like being at school again, and it gives me something to do when I am not tracking cold cases. My dad is proud I am back at school and the agency has given me a lot of help in my research. In another year or so, I might have my thesis done.
Oh by the way I passed my basketball tryouts yesterday and am now part of the centers team!
Chapter 8 Rehabilitation: Two years after accident
Bethesda rehabilitation center, Tony is back the center for his weekly therapy session. It has been two years since the accident, all in all he is happy to be alive and able to walk again, even if it isn't his own legs but a pair of mechanical ones. The pain of the accident has finally subsided some, but the doctors warned that phantom pain would never really go away but the doctors said that is normal. Now he turned his thoughts to the tasks at hand, as he continued his slow jog on the treadmill with his PT Sergeant George "The Tank" Harrison watching his every move. He was called the Tank because he was build that a Sherman tank, solid, all muscle and everyone cuts a wide path for him. He can be intimating at times but Tony liked him and he got it, especially when he was depressed and tried to put off his workouts.
In a few more weeks basketball season starts and after making the team last year, I am looking forward to playing again. Our teams name is A&L for Arms and Legs, since most of the players are amputees like me. Dad is one of the coaches and my biggest cheerleader next to Abby who comes to every game.
"Move it Tony" he called "Pick up the pace don't forget you have basketball practice coming up and you want to be in shape."
"Gotcha coach" replied Tony, with a grin on his face as he picked up the pace, to a medium jog. (Tank is the teams coach by the way.)
"Not bad, ready for me to speed this up"
"No, but, you are going to anyway"
"Yup"
As he continues the work out, his grandfather Sal enters the room, saluting a few people he knows and coming to stand next to Tank.
"How is he doing Sergeant?"
"Not bad sir, he could use to pick up the pace a bit" he barked at Tony
Not answering Tony continued to pick up the pace as he continued his jog, now under the watchful eyes of two pains in his rear, but he smiled, happy his grandfather was there.
Since the accident they became a lot closer, he is a lot like Dad. As Tony was coming to terms with his injuries he found it easy to open up to the older man. Given his military experiences he understood well the traumas Tony experienced and was ready with a shoulder or advice. Sometimes on the bad days his grandmother Sophia would cheer him up with cookies and milk.
"Antonio, good work" Sal said as Tony continued to jog faster. There were one or two missteps but he managed to catch his balance without falling this time. Tank looked pleased to.
"Ok, Tony, five more minutes at this pace and then will slow down to a fast walk and then a slow."
"Ok" as all he said as he continued to concentrate on moving.
After the work out is done, Tank ask "so when do you start back at work?"
"Already at work, part-time for the time being from home mainly, and going to the office twice a week, so I can see you every day."
Tank smiled at him "Go hit the showers."
"I'm going, see you in a few Grandpa" Turning he leaves for the locker rooms to shower and change.
"How is he really doing Tank" ask Sal.
"Amazing well, he tries harder than most of my patients, he really has the drive to get his life back, especially so he can get back to work. I think joining the basketball team was a real turning point for him.
"Yes it was, he loves physical activities and was tired of being sidelined."
"Really, this good news, he has changed so much since working with you, I don't know what you did to motivate him but thank you." Also sounding pleased with the progress is grandson has made these past few months. Prior to working with Tank, Tony wasn't trying to do much of anything, no matter what people would say, he would stay at home and stare at the walls or watch movies. This was a welcome change that he and his grandmother had hoped for.
Tank responded "Motivate him I threatened to kick his boney ass a few times if he didn't stop feeling sorry for himself, I just had to remind him of a few things especially if he wants to get back to work as an agent, he will need to be able to walk and run again. It does seem to have worked"
"It certainly has."
Chapter 9 Three years after the accident Back at NCIS for very special agent Anthony Gibbs-DiNozzo
Tony has finally returned to work at NCIS as a full-time senior field agent even if his time in the field is extremely limited. For the most part, he has been working as a technical/foreign analyst for team Gibbs. Since the accident and his recovery he was able to contribute to several cold cases and a few current researching and reevaluating new evidence. His grandmother was right all those months before he could put his skills to new uses, he would have to remember to tell her at Sunday dinner.
He also had some good news to share with his teammates his doctoral thesis accepted and was due to graduate in a few weeks from Georgetown Law schools PhD program in Criminal Justice. Since his injury and all the time on his hands, his grandfather had talked him into going back to school, so he entered an accelerated program for people with life experience in criminal justice or law enforcement, it turns out all his research on cold cases and hard work paid off. Now all he need was enough invitations to graduation for everyone. It seems that really can teach an old dog new tricks, he chuckled as he entered the elevator as the doors were about to close, he heard "hold it"
Pressing the open door button in came Ziva, it had been a few weeks since they saw each other she had been on an undercover operation with Gibbs when he visited last. At first she didn't recognize him.
"Tony?"
"Hey Ziva, good to see you" exchanging hugs.
"You are looking well, you are back then?"
"Yes, first day, full-time starting today."
"Field work"
"Some, Tank, says I can do some limited stuff for the time being, sketches, photos, no running after bad guys."
"Good, we have missed you" giving him another hug before exiting the elevator.
"Same here" as they exited the elevator Tony was immediately attacked by Abby with one of her hugs.
"Tony! TONY! TONY! Your back"
"Good to see you too Abs, as if I didn't see you a few days ago"
"That wasn't the same and you know it."
"Yeah, thanks Abs." returning the hug
"Tim" he called as McGee walked towards his desk he saw the smile spread across his features.
"Tony! Man it's good to see you." Giving him a slap on the back, "good to have you back"
"Same here" moving to drop his things at his desk, his desk he thought, it has been a long time.
Next to come in was the Boss man himself, with coffee in hand, upon seeing his son back he smiled and said "DiNozzo"
"Boss"
"Welcome back"
"Good to be back" and he added softly as Gibbs slapped him on the back "dad". The team still didn't know their relationship, though the only other person to know was Vance and Ducky.
A/N just a little more – next graduation for Dr. Gibbs-DiNozzo PhD.