There was a strange man in his room when Gibbs woke up. As he reached under his pillow for his gun, his brain caught up with him, and he realized that he wasn't at home.
Damn it all.
"Who are you?" Gibbs asked gruffly.
"I'm Dr. Connor... do you remember what happened to you?"
Gibbs nodded.
"I'm here to talk with you about it."
"Don't want to talk about it," Gibbs said hoarsely. Dr. Connor handed him the cup of ice sitting on the tray by the bed. Gibbs took it gratefully.
"Your chart says that you tried to shoot yourself in the head."
Gibbs remained silent.
"Agent Gibbs..."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"I'm going to be honest with you, Agent Gibbs. When the hospital receives a patient like yourself, a psych consult is required before they let you go home. That's what I'm here for."
Gibbs went to cut him off, but Dr. Connor continued without missing a beat.
"Don't even try to ask me to sign off so you can leave. It's not going to be that easy."
Gibbs sighed, annoyed. Dr. Connor smiled.
"I'm not here to browbeat you, Jethro. I'm here to talk about what's bothering you, and see if there's anything I can do to help."
Gibbs nodded.
"Let's talk about your profession. Your chart says that you are a Federal Agent?"
"I work for NCIS."
Dr. Connor wrote something down, and looked back up at Gibbs.
"I imagine being a Federal Agent is a high-stress occupation."
"It is."
"Do you do anything to unwind after work?"
"Woodworking. In my basement."
"That's a great hobby... what kind of things do you build?"
"Boats."
"In your basement? How do you get them out?"
Gibbs grinned.
"Ah, a secret. Okay, I'll leave that question for another time. So, do you find that building boats takes your mind off of things?"
Gibbs didn't respond, and Dr. Connor wrote on his notepad again.
"Do you spend any time with friends?"
"A little."
"Do you have friends who are also co-workers?"
"Yes."
"Do you often get together outside of work?"
"No."
"Okay, Jethro. I'm going to ask you some different questions now, and don't be afraid to respond, okay? Remember, I'm just here to talk. That's all."
Gibbs nodded.
"Can you tell me about last night?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Don't want to talk about it."
"It's the reason you're here, with a bandage on your head."
Gibbs mumbled something incoherently.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said, Jethro. Could you repeat it?"
"I shouldn't be here at all! Is that what you want to hear! I wasn't supposed to miss!"
"Agent Gibbs..."
"I don't want to talk anymore! Get out!"
Dr. Connor sat there for another few moments, and when Gibbs' angry glare did not waver, he got up and left the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Vance sat up and rubbed his eyes when the ER doors finally opened again. Tim and Tony had fallen asleep in their chairs.
"Agent Gibbs?"
Vance stood up and held out a hand.
"Director Leon Vance."
"I'm Dr. Loren Connor, his psychiatrist."
"How is he?"
"Physically, fine. Mentally... he's going to need a lot of help."
"Can he go home?"
"I'm going to keep him here for 72 hours for psychiatric evaluation. When a patient comes into the hospital under these circumstances, we require they be evaluated before we let them go back home."
"I understand. I'm sure he's already giving you a hard time."
Dr. Connor grinned.
"He's going to be a tough nut to crack, but I have faith that we can break through."
"Can I go and see him now?"
"Sure... I'll take you to his room."
Vance followed Dr. Connor through the ER and into the hospital. It took a minute or two, but they finally came to Gibbs' room.
"He's in a volatile state right now, so take it easy with him."
"Noted."
Vance entered the room alone. Gibbs was sitting up in bed, staring at the wall.
"How are you feeling, Jethro?"
"Fine."
"Trying to blow your own head off qualifies as fine?"
"Why are you here, Leon?"
"What's going on? Why didn't you call me if you were feeling this way?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Your psychiatrist begs to differ."
"I don't need a damn psychiatrist!" Gibbs snapped. "I need get out of here and go home!"
"You're not going home today, so get that out of your head right now. Dr. Connor is keeping you here for a 72-hour evaluation. If you try to leave, I'll instruct the nurses to handcuff you to your bed. Are we clear?"
Gibbs crossed his arms and pouted.
"Yeah."
"Good." Vance's features softened. "Get some rest. I'll come back tomorrow to visit again, okay?"
Gibbs nodded.
Vance sighed and left his Agent alone. Dr. Connor was waiting outside the room.
"You'll keep me posted on his condition?"
"Of course, Director Vance."
Vance pulled a business card out of his coat pocket and handed it to Dr. Connor.
"If he tries to leave, handcuff him to his bed."
Dr. Connor grinned.
"We won't let him leave... trust me."
Vance looked at his watch, and held out a hand for the Doctor to shake.
"I'd better go and send my other two Agents home. Thank you for taking care of Agent Gibbs."
"That's what I'm here for. I'll keep you posted on his progress."
"Thank you, Doctor."
Vance made his way back to the waiting room, where he found Tim and Tony awake.
"How is he?" Tony asked immediately.
"He is being held for a 72-hour evaluation. He's in good hands."
"Can I see him?"
"That wouldn't be wise, Agent DiNozzo. He's not in a very good state of mind. He's angry."
"That sounds like him," Tony said sarcastically.
"Listen, both of you, go back to NCIS. Under the circumstances, I'll give you both desk duty for the time being."
"Yes, Sir," Tim replied, picking up his coat.
"Oh, and one other thing," he said, stopping them both. "You have to decide which one of you is going to tell Ms. Sciuto about this."
Tim and Tony exchanged glances. That was easier said than done.
TBC...