Disclaimer on chapter one.

AN: Here you go the next chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter Twenty Seven

McGee knew something was wrong when the paramedic stopped talking to him and started attending to Gibbs once again. McGee squeezed the bag rhythmically, feeling his own chest starting to tighten. John suddenly put his fingers to Gibbs' neck and McGee felt a wave of nausea sweep through him.

"Shit," John mumbled as he started chest compressions. McGee swallowed hard.

"What's wrong?"

"His heart stopped," John said while continuing the chest compressions. McGee could only watch as the paramedic frantically used the equipment around him to keep Gibbs alive. Time seemed to be slowing down, as everything appeared to be happening in slow motion. McGee felt his eyes filling with tears, blurring his vision.

"How much longer?" McGee heard himself asking John, but the other man didn't answer. John was reaching for the paddles and McGee fought to hold his emotions in check.

"Pull the bag back!" John yelled and McGee leaned as far back on the bench as he could. John then shocked Gibbs. McGee watched Gibbs' body jolt up off the gurney for a moment before becoming still once again.

John felt for a pulse and swore, before shocking Gibbs a second time. McGee closed his eyes and prayed, the tears rolling down his cheeks. He heard John shock Gibbs a third time before he opened his eyes and watched.

John had his fingers on Gibbs' neck again and was counting while watching his watch. McGee leaned forward and John motioned he should put the bag back in place. McGee resumed his squeezing of the bag as John spoke into the headset to the pilot.

"We're gonna lose him, Jeremy. Have them ready when we land."

"They know he's critical."

"Make sure they're READY, dammit, I don't want to lose him."

"How much longer?" McGee asked once again and John looked at him.

"Too long," John replied before giving Gibbs something by IV. McGee licked his lips and nodded, before leaning down by Gibbs' ear.

"Come on, Boss, you gotta pull through this," he whispered before pursing his lips and pulling away. He let out a sigh and continued to put oxygen in Gibbs' lungs. The chopper seemed to be simply hovering and McGee was beginning to wonder if they would ever make it to the hospital. Finally John reached over and touched his shoulder lightly.

"Five minutes out," John said with a nod. "Strap yourself down."

Just as McGee was fastening the belt over his hips, John was swearing again. McGee looked and saw that Gibbs' heart had stopped again. McGee pulled the bag away from Gibbs' face as John set to shocking Gibbs again.

After two more shocks John seemed satisfied with Gibbs' rhythm and McGee let himself breath again. He swiped at his eyes, dampening his sleeve, as he felt the helicopter start to descend. John was chattering into the radio but McGee tuned him out, they had reached the hospital.

Dusty was quiet in the back of the ambulance riding with Zack. He had let the paramedics do their job as he rested. The night had drained him and he was seriously worried about Levi. He didn't know if anyone went with him, and that bothered him.

He was also worried about Grayson. The concussion could have been compounded at the cabin when Jonas had hit him. He learned that they were all going to the same hospital, except Levi and Gibbs, so he let himself be driven. He would find a way to the other hospital once he was sure everyone with minor injuries was all right.

Zack was coming around once again and Dusty sat forward slightly watching him. The younger man blinked a few times and Dusty could see the confusion in his eyes. Laying a calming hand on the younger man's shoulder, Dusty smiled softly at him.

"Everything's all right," he said quietly and Zack seemed to understand.

"Where's Grady?"

"In a different ambulance. You're both going to the same hospital."

"He's ok though? Right? He didn't get shot did he? He's…"

"Going to be fine," Dusty said reassuringly. Zack nodded slowly and closed his eyes. Dusty settled back against the wall again and waited. It was turning into one hell of a night.

Grayson was in a fog. He wasn't sure which way they were headed or who was with him. They had injected something into his arm when they strapped him to the gurney and now he was sure it had been some form of pain medication.

Someone was sitting on either side of him, but he couldn't register their faces. His eyelids continued to blink rapidly as his mind attempted to climb above the muffled fogginess that was his consciousness.

Slowly he started to comprehend parts of sentences, small words filtered through. They were talking about what had happened. The voices were a mixture of noise to him though and he was having immense trouble concentrating. After attempting to move his head to the side, he found he had been taped to a backboard.

Swallowing the dry lump sticking in his throat, he sucked in a deep breathe, as his mind started to clear a little more. Someone took his hand and he tried to work his eyes to see who it was. The pain in his leg was intense and he wondered how much damage he had done running through the woods.

"Grady?" a familiar voice asked. He blinked twice and fought the fog as a face materialized over him.

"Aunt Janie," he said hoarsely earning a smile. She nodded slowly as she scanned him.

"How are you feeling?" Another voice chirped from his other side.

"That's a dumb question," Grayson said with a wince.

"Can you answer a few questions for me?" the strange voice asked again. Grayson struggled to see who was talking to him. "Don't move around too much, you're securely attached to the backboard."

"Who are you?" he asked in a scratchy voice. He was sinking back to the fog and he didn't want to.

"My name is Sharon McGillis; I'm the paramedic assessing your injuries."

"My leg hurts, my head…pain…in the forest," Grayson mumbled as he felt his stomach clench.

"Stay with me, Grady," Sharon said and Grayson let his eyes roll towards her but he was starting to fade out again.

"I feel sick," he said in a harsh whisper. Someone was scrambling next to him to un-strap something, as Grayson felt his stomach let loose. Just as the vomit was reaching his mouth, his entire body was rotated to the side and a tub was placed near in front of him.

When he was done the backboard was settled back into place and Grayson felt his head spinning. The lights above him were suddenly too bright and he closed his eyes tight to avoid the sharp pain. His ears hummed as he felt faint.

"Stay with me," Sharon said, the words so far off that Grayson had a hard time understanding them. He opened his eyes and scanned the area above him but the lights made his skull ache and he closed them again.

"What's wrong with him?" Grayson heard his Aunt Janie ask frantically. Someone had a hold of his wrist now but Grayson was starting to lose control in the fog.

"He's going unconscious again," Sharon's voice echoed in his ears.

"Why?" Janie sounded frightened now.

"It's his head injury. The doctor's will know more when we get him to the hospital," Sharon said, the words sounding like a whisper to Grayson. He opened his eyes once more, felt a blinding wave of dizziness sweep over him before everything was quiet and black.

Tony finally had the director on the line and reported the events of the night. He felt exhausted and drained. All he wanted to do was close his eyes, tap his heals together, and say 'there's no place like home'. But he knew it wouldn't change a thing.

"No, Sir, I haven't been able to get in contact with Agent McGee. He went with Gibbs to a hospital in Denver," Tony said with a drained voice.

"What about Agent Todd?"

"The doctor said that the bullet tore her leg muscles up and the bullet ricocheted off the bone fracturing it. They have her in surgery right now."

"And the two young men?"

"Grayson is getting a cat scan done, he's still unconscious. Zack had a GSW just above his hip. They're assessing him now."

"And the dead man?"

"I left him in the charge of the sheriffs on the mountain side. I know I should have stayed with it but I couldn't let Kate…"

"It's ok, Agent DiNozzo. I've sent another NCIS team to the location to take care of things."

"Have you told Ducky or Abby yet?" Tony asked the weariness and lack of sleep taking a heavy toll on him.

"They're being informed as we speak."

"I'll expect their phone calls then," Tony said with a heavy sigh.

Tony closed the phone not wanting to talk to the director any more. If the director had a problem with it he would deal with that later. Right now he wanted nothing more than to talk to McGee and find out that Gibbs was ok. That was the only thing that matter to him at the current moment.

He dialed McGee's number over and over, but the younger agent never answered the phone. Tony felt the anger building in his chest and realized that it was all mixed up with the fear he was feeling. His head felt like it was going to explode and his chest was in a vice. He dialed McGee one more time and let it ring until his voicemail picked up. Instead of snapping the phone shut like the other times, he left a message.

"Dammit, Elf Lord, answer your phone," Tony said through gritted teeth into the phone. He then snapped it shut and stalked back and forth in the parking lot.

Stopping and taking a deep breath, he swallowed and looked at his phone. Deciding that the message may have been a little harsh, and realizing that McGee was most likely still either in the helicopter or in the hospital with his phone shut off.

"That last message was a little harsh, McGeek. Just give me a call as soon as you get this," Tony said with a sigh as he got McGee's voicemail again.

When Tony turned around Dusty and Janie were coming out the doors towards him. He could tell Dusty was looking for an update, and Janie looked tired and worried. He leaned against an ambulance and closed his eyes wishing it was all over.

"Any word?" Dusty asked in a low voice. Tony opened his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"No, I can't get a hold of Agent McGee," Tony said the frustration heavy in his voice.

"I'm driving up there," Dusty replied and stared at Tony as an invitation. Tony looked back at the hospital trying to decide what to do.

"I can't leave, Kate. McGee's already there. Just let me know what's going on," Tony said and Dusty nodded once sticking his hand out. Tony gripped it tightly.

"Soon as I find your man I'll have him call."

"Thank you."

Dusty then disappeared and Janie and Tony walked back towards the hospital. They were quiet until they got to the OR waiting room. Tony slumped into the plush chair in the corner, draping his legs over the arm while Janie sat on the couch.

"How's Grayson?" Tony asked with his eyes closed.

"Still unconscious. They're doing a cat scan right now to see how bad the swelling is. Dusty said he took another blow to the head at the Gladstone cabin and the doctor said that they may have made the previous concussion worse."

"Did they look at his leg?"

"Yes, he needs surgery to repair all the damage he did to his knee, but they can't operate until he regains consciousness and is in stable condition."

"And his brother?"

"They took Zack into surgery to remove the bullet and repair the damage to the muscle."

Tony nodded but didn't say anything more. The fatigue of the day was catching up to him but he knew he couldn't sleep. He shifted in the chair trying to find a comfortable spot, but failed miserably. He swallowed an urge to scream as he thought about everything that was happening.

"You better pull through this, Gibbs," he mumbled under his breath as he waited for McGee to call him.

TBC…

AN2: woo hoo...I'm having fun...are you?