AN: Hey-o people! My apologies for it taking so long to update. Hurt my leg, and… other crap happened. You know… life. XD

But, ANYWAY.

The NCIS season finale. HOLY CRAP ON A STICK. I won't give away any spoilers for those of you who haven't seen it, but if anyone wants to discuss what happened, I'm more than happy to spazz with you. :D

Now then, on with the chapter!

Chapter 5

In the next hours, Ziva never left Tony's side and she barely let go of his hand. Gibbs hadn't left either, but had just left the hospital to go across the street and get some coffee, leaving saying that "Hospital coffee is just mud with water."

Either way, Gibbs desperately needed the coffee, not having it in at least an hour, and was stressed, the day's events were finally catching up to him, easily exhausting him.

Now, Ziva was alone, still clutching his lax hand.

Ziva watched the mechanical rise and fall of his chest as the ventilator forced air into his scarred lungs. The hiss the machine gave was both relaxing, and unnerving. It meant that Tony was, in fact, alive, and… maybe not healthy, but alive, still with Ziva. Yet, unnerving because of the small fact that Tony needed the ventilator in the first place, that Tony was actually hurt right now, and wasn't his usual energetic overly hyper self.

Ziva had a sudden thought, and was glad Tony had gotten the plague before her time, while Kate was still alive. She didn't know how she'd react to seeing him, drowning in his own lungs. Ziva wouldn't be able to stand to see him so… sick, vulnerable. It wasn't the Tony she knew and… loved.

Ziva remembered that McGee had said that he almost died, only a 15% survival rate.

She laughed quietly, only Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo would beat those odds. Only Tony. No one else.

Ziva sighed and brought his hand up to her lips again, kissing his knuckles softly. Ziva was bringing his hand back down from her face, when she swore she thought his finger twitched. She stopped.

"Tony?"

No response.

She shook her head, I only imagined it.

Ziva felt the slightest pressure on her hand.

"Tony?" She asked again.

Another hand squeeze, harder than the first. Ziva immediately hit the nurse's button.

"Tony? Wake up, Tony."

Another hand squeeze.

"Open your eyes, Tony," she gently encouraged.

The smallest sliver of emerald green peeked through his heavy eye lids. Ziva's hand went to his cheek and her thumb caressed it his cheekbone.

His eyes opened a little more and looked as if he was about to say something, but it was an obvious struggle. He ended up choking on the ventilator stuck down his throat.

The nurse chose that perfect time to enter the room, she quickly dashed over to Tony's side.

"Hi, Agent DiNozzo, my name's Kathy," the nurse said with a nice smile, "Okay, on three, I want you to cough as hard as you can, we'll get this out of you, alright?" Kathy winked and put her hands on the ventilator sticking out of his mouth.

"Okay… one… two… three!"

Tony coughed hard and Kathy slid the ventilator out of his throat. She put it to the side and poured Tony a cup of water, as he was still coughing very hard, with Ziva gently patting his back.

Tony eagerly grabbed the cup and stuffed the straw into his mouth, sucking greedily as the cold liquid cooled his burning throat. Kathy put her hand on the cup and gently took it away, "Slowly… you don't need a stomachache too," she said, and brought the cup back to his mouth.

Tony nodded slowly and followed her advice, drinking slowly until the cup was almost empty, though Tony's throat still felt dry.

Tony breathed deeply and leaned back to lay down, when a sharp pain shot through his chest. His hand went to his chest suddenly, and his knuckles turned white as he gripped his hospital gown. Through the daze, he felt Ziva's soft fingers running through his hair.

"Those stitches will come out soon," Kathy said and helped him lay back down, "Some pain medication might do you some good too, Agent DiNozzo."

"… Tony," Tony corrected her with a hoarse voice.

Kathy smiled again, "Well alright, Tony."

Tony smiled a smaller, and a little more pained version, of the DiNozzo Smile, and Kathy said she'd go get his doctor and walked out of Tony's room, closing the door quietly behind.

Tony lolled his head over in Ziva's direction, his voice soft he said, "Why, hello there, Ziva."

Ziva smiled, the first real smile the whole day, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

Ziva menacingly narrowed her eyes at him.

"Okay, okay. I'm a tad less than fine."

Ziva's eyes lost their menace, but were still narrowed.

"Okay! Fine! I don't feel… my best," Tony said. "That's as far as I'll go though!" He said with finality.

Ziva nodded her head, "Good enough."

Tony sighed, and adjusted himself on the hospital bed, in a futile attempt to get more comfortable, he eventually just gave up.

"How long have you been here?"

"As long as you have been, hours," she answered simply.

Tony shook his head, and gave himself a mental head slap, as the shaking of his head worsened his headache. Now that Tony thought about it, giving himself a head slap wouldn't help much either…

"You didn't have to do that…"

"I know," Ziva told him, "I wanted to. I have become quite the worry pimple."

Tony chuckled, "Wart, Ziva."

Ziva cocked her head to the side, wondering if she should be offended or not.

"Worry wart," he elaborated, "not worry pimple."

"… Oh," Ziva said and smiled slightly. This was most definitely still Tony.

Tony was starting to get tired, why he was tired after all he did was sleep, he had no idea, but all he knew was that he didn't want to go to sleep. Not yet. Not while Ziva was still there. But Tony couldn't stop his eye lids start to weigh at least 2000 pounds, and for Ziva to notice.

Ziva ran her fingers through his soft brown hair again, not realizing it was making Tony's job of staying awake much harder.

"Mmm…"

"Go to sleep, Tony," Ziva gently ordered.

Tony nodded, slowly and sleepily, his eye lids finally dropping close.

"I will leave if you want, Tony," Ziva told him.

Tony shook his head slowly, as green poked through his eye lids again, "No… stay…"

Ziva smiled, "I will need to figure out a way to get comfortable in this chair, then."

Again Tony shook his head, leaving Ziva confused.

"You can sleep in my bed…" Tony more or less mumbled to her.

Ziva assumed that in his half-asleep phase, he wasn't even a little aware of what he was saying, but Ziva sure as hell wouldn't argue with his request. She gently climbed onto the bed at Tony's side, and rested her head on his good shoulder. It made a good pillow, Ziva thought to herself.

Ziva assumed Tony was asleep, and she was finally letting herself wind down and letting her eyes close, when she heard Tony mumble, "… Love you… Zee…" and then his breathing evened out, and quiet snores told Ziva that he was definitely asleep this time.

But, still knowing he was asleep, she whispered back, "I love you too, Tony," and finally letting the exhaustion of the day catch up to her, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

When Tony and Ziva woke up, they would realize it was the best sleep they've gotten in…

Ever.

~~N~C~I~S~~N~C~I~S~~N~C~I~S~~N~C~I~S~~N~C~I~S~~

From the small rectangular window in Tony's door, Gibbs looked into the scene displaying in front of him. Ziva's Mossad façade completely gone, tucked next to Tony's side, sleeping with a small smile on her face with Tony's arm holding her tightly to him, almost protectively.

Gibbs smiled, and drank some of the coffee he just got and left the window to go home and take a long, hot shower.

Gibbs left, got in his car, and drove home, where he did take that hot shower.

But what Gibbs didn't know, is that someone else looked into Anthony DiNozzo's hospital room, through the same exact rectangular window. Not even minutes after Gibbs had left.

The man watched Anthony DiNozzo, the way he still had trouble breathing, his shoulder still messed up.

The man smiled sickly, and walked towards the doctor's lounge, some poor guy was about to lose their scrubs.

He always did want to go to medical school.

AN: dun… dun… DUUUUN.

Okay, I really liked the ending honestly. Very intense. I won't keep you guys waiting too long (hopefully) for the next chapter!

As always, please send back some feedback! And remember, review or PM if you want to spazz over the season finale too. :D

~ Goddess of the Flock (Jamie)