Chapter 16

"Boss… if you don't… get me out of here, I'll sign… myself out," Tony gasped, trying to control his body as the coughing fit ended.

"You can't leave yet Tony," Gibbs spoke calmly.

"When can I leave?"

"You need to start eating on your own and gain some strength before you are discharged."

Tony was desperate to have the feeding tube removed. No matter how slow they fed him or if they gave him small quantities, Tony kept getting sick. Doctor Pitt determined that it was the nutrients in the mix that were making him throw up and though he wanted to take Tony off it, the young man could barely stay awake long enough to eat and he couldn't feed himself. His pneumonia was getting better and he was actually coming off one of the drugs. Tony sighed in defeat. Gibbs looked at the downtrodden face on his face and frowned. The younger man had been in the hospital for six days and he was getting desperate to leave. Ziva entered the hospital room and gave Tony a smile, setting her bag down on the empty chair.

"Hey Ziva," Tony greeted.

"Hello Tony, how are you feeling today?" Ziva asked, sitting beside him.

He made a funny face. "Let's see… I still can't leave and they fed me an hour ago, so I'll probably be sick soon."

Ziva frowned, but quickly smiled at him to cover her concern. Gibbs stood up and told Tony he would be back in a few hours. He was headed home to get a few hours of sleep and something to eat other than flavorless hospital food. Tony dozed lightly as Ziva took Gibbs' place, wishing that he had got better sleep the night before. Gibbs had been up with him whenever he woke up from his nightmare. He woke up from his nap almost an hour later and saw that Ziva was doing a crossword puzzle in the chair with her legs pulled up. She seemed more relaxed than previous days.

"Did you bring them?" Tony asked, getting Ziva's attention.

Ziva gave him a puzzled look, but suddenly remembered. "Oh yes, I brought you a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. Just like you asked."

"Thanks Ziva… can you get me something to drink?"

Ziva stood up and prepared to pour him cup of water from the pitcher on his side table. Tony put up a hand, getting her attention.

"I was thinking… of trying a little fruit juice from the cafeteria. I need something with flavor."

"Of course, I will be right back."

She paused, looking back at him as his eyes dropped closed. Tony was up to something, but Ziva couldn't tell what it was. He had asked for clothing, complaining that he felt exposed and uncomfortable in the hospital gown. She smiled as his eyes closed and he relaxed.

As soon as the door closed, Tony opened his eyes and sat up in the bed. He only had a few minutes before Ziva would return, though he hoped she would stop and get something to eat to give him more time. He grabbed the bag beside the bed and pulled out the clothing. Tony froze, realizing the flaw in his plan. He'd have to remove the feeding tube by himself. He slowly peeled the tape off his cheek, holding the tube in place and took off the nasal canula. It wasn't good. Tony pulled the tube from his nose, almost throwing up at the strange sensation. Once it was out, he tossed it to the floor, feeling very good to be free of it. He moved his attention to the IV in his hand. Tucked under the blanket were several bandages that he had been stashing. Tony carefully pulled the needle out and wrapped his hand.

"That was the easy part," he muttered to himself.

Tony slowly got up from the bed and carried the clothing into the bathroom, changing as quickly as he could. It was more difficult than he originally thought it would be. His body was weak and tired. For the first time since he fell ill, Tony looked at his reflection in the mirror. It was obvious that he had lost weight and his skin was pale, with a day's growth of stubble on his chin. He didn't look like himself. Tony gripped the sink tightly as he coughed, trying to remain upright. He managed to get his breathing under control and slowly snuck to the door.

Peering into the hallway, Tony didn't see any nurses or doctors in sight. An older woman was walking down the corridor with a young boy, but they didn't say anything as he stepped out of the room. Looking down the hall, it seemed farther to the elevator than he remembered. He was a little dizzy as he started sneaking down the open space. It was like the Fugitive, except not. Tony barely managed to make it to the elevator as his strength disappeared.

"Tony!" Brad called from down the hallway.

Tony smiled as the elevator closed. He slid to the floor, relaxing against the cold elevator wall. It took him only a moment to realize that he couldn't move and his plan to escape was over. The air felt thin and it was difficult to breathe. He tried to focus. DiNozzo doesn't pass out. It wasn't working. Tony coughed, fighting for oxygen and actually missing the little tube that had been helping him. The elevator dinged and he realized that he never pressed a button, but he was on the first floor. The two doors slid open and he could see the exit. Tony sat up, but the spinning pushed him back down.

"Tony!" Ziva exclaimed.

He opened his eyes at the sound of his name. Ziva was holding a small cup and a fruit cup that actually smelled really good. Tony waited for her to yell at him for his escape, but she didn't. Ziva sat down next to him as the doors closed. She set down the cup and put her arms around Tony, drawing him close. He relaxed against her and concentrated on breathing. Tony realized that she understood what he was doing and though Ziva was worried, she wasn't angry with him.

"Hey Ziva… I'm the fugitive," he joked, trying to ease the tension.

Ziva smiled, pulling back and looking at him.

"It took you this long to figure it out?" she asked.

"Not fair… I've been sick…"

"I know you have Tony. You still are sick. This will not help you get better."

Before he could protest, the elevator opened and Doctor Pitt was standing outside the door with his arms across his chest. Ducky was beside him with his hands on his hips.

"I'm in trouble," Tony commented.

"Oh Anthony, you should not be out of bed," Ducky spoke, kneeling beside the younger man. "You don't have the strength right now and your body is not up for this."

"Sorry Ducky."

"You're forgiven," Brad added. "Let's get you back to your room."

Tony smiled weakly. "I hope you plan on… carrying me back to my bed… or I'm not moving."

Brad and Ducky helped Tony to his feet, tossing his arms over their shoulders and supporting his weight as he staggered down the hallway. About twenty feet from the room, his legs gave out and they basically dragged his feet along. Tony tried to take a deep breath as they lay him down on the bed and reattached the nasal canula to assist his lungs. Ziva stood in the doorway watching and smiled as Tony winked at her. Brad picked up the IV and Tony frowned.

"No."

Gibbs finished taking a shower, got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. McGee was sitting in the dining room, reading the newspaper and struggling to eat with only one hand. His shoulder was still in the sling, making him dependent on others. Gibbs flipped the page for him and stepped into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and some toast.

"How was Tony this morning?" Tim asked, taking a bite of his cereal.

"He had a rough night, but he's doing alright. He thinks he's ready to come home," Gibbs replied, sitting across from his agent.

"That sounds like Tony. He probably has some plan made up in his head on how to escape from watching all of those movies."

Gibbs smiled. His phone vibrated and he saw that Ziva was calling.

"Speaking of Tony, Gibbs."

"Tony tried to escape," Ziva simply stated.

"What?" he demanded, raising his voice slightly and causing McGee to listen closely.

"He asked for a cup of juice and I went to get it for him. I thought he had fallen asleep, but I got in the elevator to go back up and he was there, sitting on the floor. Doctor Pitt and Ducky convinced him to get back in his bed, but…"

"But what?" Gibbs interrupted.

"Tony needs you here. I am sorry to bother you, but he will not let Ducky or Doctor Pitt replace the IV or the feeding tube. The nurse is not allowed in the room. Tony is refusing medical assistance and demanding to go home."

I only have limited medical knowledge and I admit that Tony would probably have a catheter… but I'm not mentioning that. I hope you don't mind that I didn't. :)

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, especially to the really sweet ones that made me smile! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Please review!

Emma