Apologies for the long delay in getting this chapter out.

Chapter 7

Gibbs took the opportunity to grab a coffee while they were transferring Abby to another room. He wasn't tired, at least he wasn't tired enough to leave her alone for very long.

He inserted his coins into the coffee machine, not caring what type of caffeine he received. As long as it was hot and black, though he spared a thought for his own personal brew sitting in an air tight container in his kitchen cupboard.

The cup dropped down and black liquid spurted out or the nozzle. He looked up into the waiting room and saw McGee asleep by the window. He looked back into the filling cup. Pulling it from it's resting place he took a sip and went over to McGee. He watched him sleeping silently, a look of concentration on his young face.

"McGee." He said it gently.

He stirred slightly, opening one eye and suddenly remembering the situation as his eyes fell on the emergency doors. His attention snapped towards Gibbs.

"Is she okay?" He jumped up, waiting tensely for the answer.

"She's fine McGee. You should go home and get some rest." He had no edge to his words, not today.

McGee shook his head. He couldn't just leave her here.

Gibbs understood how he felt, he knew the relationship between the two was very close. He supposed that was why he let them work together so often.

He tipped his head in the direction of Abby's new room and started walking, McGee caught up and got into step with him.

"They've moved her out of ICU." He took a sip of his coffee.

"That's good." McGee looked at Gibbs face then at the floor as they walked, his level of concern managed to drop slightly. He felt the nervous knot in his stomach loosen a little.

They reached Abby's room and saw Dr. Carmen at the foot of her bed, her chart open in his hands but his eyes looking lovingly at her face. Gibbs stepped into the room and broke his concentration.

"Special Agent Gibbs." He remained unperturbed.

McGee took note of the tension in Gibbs' body as he stood next to him, guarding his precious Abby.

"Timothy McGee," He offered to the doctor who looked over at him questioningly, they nodded at each other when it became clear that he wasn't going to move forward to shake his hand. McGee didn't want to use his title, he didn't want to join the testosterone spray down that appeared to be advancing upon the two men.

"She's still being carefully monitored, but as I've already said she'll be ready to go home in a week or two."

McGee's eyes held fast to the doctors face until the end of his sentence, they flitted to the spidery limbed girl with no hair. McGee unconsciously moved towards her bedside as he saw that they'd shaved her. He lay a hand on the side of the bed.

Gibbs and Dr. Carmen watched him float towards her.

"Who will she be going home with?" Dr. Carmen asked, already sure of the answer.

"Me." Gibbs said shortly.

Carmen nodded, their gaze remaining steadfastly on the scene before them.

"Are they very close?"

"They are."

Dr. Carmen nodded.

Suddenly the spell was broken and he dropped the clipboard into the holder at the end of the bed, and with a slight nod in Gibbs' direction once more he departed.

Gibbs felt obliged to nod back, after all he had saved her life, even if he was falling in love with her.

McGee was whispering things to Abby in her ear.

Gibbs took the nearest chair and sat down with his coffee. Any attempt to get him back to work in the next two weeks would be futile, or to remove him from the hospital for any reason. Abby was under his protection, he'd let her down once, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let it happen again.