~ The Next Day ~
It was nearly noon the next day before Dr. Connor came back for the final session in Gibbs' evaluation. He found his patient in his usual seat, by the window. Dr. Connor sat down in a chair next to Gibbs, and sat with him in silence, staring out the window.
The room was quiet for ten minutes. Gibbs and Dr. Connor just sat in companionable silence, staring out the window. Gibbs knew he was there; he didn't want to give the psychologist the notion that he wanted to talk. He was content just sitting there, staring at the city.
"Are you looking for something out there, Jethro?" Dr. Connor finally asked.
"I don't know."
"Tell me what you normally do after a tough day at work."
"Work on my boat."
"You like to sail?"
"Nope."
"Why build boats, then?"
Gibbs shrugged.
"Do you build anything else in your basement?"
"Sometimes."
"Like what?"
Gibbs didn't answer him. He could hear Dr. Connor writing on his notepad.
"Do you ever talk to anyone after a hard day? A friend?"
Gibbs chose not to answer him again.
Silence filled the room as Dr. Connor sat, writing in his notepad. Gibbs shifted his gaze from the window to the Doctor, wondering what he was writing. When Dr. Connor stopped writing, Gibbs quickly turned back to the window.
"Okay, Jethro. Here's the deal. I'm going to release you today, but I don't want you to go home alone."
"I'll be fine, Doc."
"You're definitely a lot more stable than the day you came in, but I don't like the idea of you being alone just yet."
"I don't need a babysitter."
"Mr. Gibbs, you either stay with someone when you leave here, or I can extend your stay in the psychiatric ward. Take your pick."
"Fine. You win."
"Good. Do you know who you want us to call for you today?"
Gibbs thought for a moment.
"Call Leon Vance."
"Okay, will do. I'll go give him a call and be back in a bit."
"Okay."
Dr. Connor left his patient and went down the hall to his office. He shut his door and pulled the shade, indicating that he did not want to be disturbed. He skimmed his notes on Gibbs as he sat at his desk and picked up the phone. He found Director Vance's phone number in his patient's file, and dialed the number.
"This is Vance."
"Hello Director, this is Dr. Connor from Bethesda. I'm calling about Agent Gibbs."
"What's he done now?"
Dr. Connor chuckled.
"On the contrary, I'm calling to let you know that I'm ready to release him today. He asked if you would be the one to come and pick him up."
"I-all right. I can come. When?"
"This afternoon."
"That works for me."
"I need to speak to you about his state of mind, Mr. Vance."
"You're afraid he might make another attempt?"
"I can tell he's trying to open himself up to help, but he's got a long way to go. In the meantime, I'd feel better if someone were with him... just in case."
"He won't be alone. I'll ensure it."
"Thank you. I have another appointment right now, but we'll talk later and I'll give you more specific instruction before you take him home."
"Thank you, Doctor."
"You're welcome."
Dr. Connor hung up and sat back in his chair for a moment. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was going to be a difficult patient, but he could see how broken this man was, and he was determined to help him.
~*~*~*~*~*~
-Later, about 5:00 p.m.-
Gibbs was sitting on his bed when Dr. Connor came in with his discharge paperwork.
"You're almost out of here," he said with a smile. "I just need to go over your discharge paperwork with you, and your friend can take you home."
"Good."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to have him in the room while we go over the paperwork, as it will involve your care after you are discharged."
Gibbs nodded, and Dr. Connor went to the door. He made a hand motion, and Vance stepped into the room. He and Dr. Connor pulled up chairs and sat down by the bed.
"All right... so there are a few things we need to cover before the discharge papers are signed. First is outpatient treatment." He turned to Gibbs. "I'd like to see you once a week. We can schedule your first session before you leave today."
Gibbs opened his mouth to protest, but Dr. Connor held up a hand.
"It's not debatable, so don't try to fight me, Jethro. I have to submit this to Director Vance for official purposes. If you want to return to work, you need to stick with me. Okay?"
Gibbs nodded.
"Good. The second thing we all need to talk about is medication. I'd like to start you on an anti-depressant." He wrote a prescription and handed it to Gibbs. "You can fill this right here at the hospital before you leave. Make sure you take it every day."
"Okay."
Dr. Connor smiled.
"All right! Just sign right here, and you're a free man, Jethro."
Gibbs scribbled his name in the signature box.
"Excellent. For your first session, how about we start on Friday at 3 PM?"
"Works for me."
"Perfect. I'll get you down on my schedule. You're free to leave now. Take care of yourself, take your meds, and I'll see you on Friday, okay?"
He offered a hand, and Gibbs shook it.
"Thanks, Doc."
"You're welcome."
Dr. Connor left them alone. Vance went and picked up the bag he'd left by the door, and set it on the bed.
"Get dressed."
~*~*~*~
Gibbs was quiet until Vance merged onto the beltway, away from Bethesda.
"My house is North, Leon."
"You're not going home."
Vance smiled when he heard his friend sigh, annoyed.
"You heard Dr. Connor. You're not going home alone."
"So where are we going, then?"
"You're staying with me. Don't argue."
Gibbs crossed his arms and looked out the window as Vance drove toward his home, just outside of the District.
A half-hour later, Vance pulled into his driveway and killed the engine on his SUV.
"You can sulk all you want, Gibbs, but you're staying here until Dr. Connor tells me that you can be on your own again."
Gibbs didn't reply. He reached into the backseat, grabbed his duffel bag and got out of the car. He slammed the door behind him and skulked up the front walk. Vance sighed and followed him. This wasn't going to be easy by any means.
Vance led him down the hall to the guest bedroom. The room was immaculate, as if Vance expected guests all the time.
"You can stay in here. The sheets are clean and you can use the dressers for your things."
"Thanks, Leon."
"Listen, I'm going to go and try to find my kids, and we'll fire up the grill, cook up some steaks for dinner. Sound good?"
"Absolutely it does," Gibbs said with a grin. Vance clapped him on the shoulder and left him alone to unpack.
TBC...