Chapter 12.
The day turned into night and as the team taken to Bethesda Naval hospital. Tim, Tony and Gibbs were released within a few hours, they all found themselves waiting impatiently outside Ziva's room. She was currently in x-ray and the team was getting impatient. Akiva was also brought in, she was in surgery, she had crashed three times on the way to the hospital. They put the two of them in the same room but both of the women were off in different ends of the hospital. Ziva had remained mostly unconscious during their trip, only phasing in and out, murmuring things in Hebrew.
Abby came jingling down the hallway, she had just gotten the call a half an hour ago when Gibbs was released, she came to a skidding stop pulling Gibbs into a bone crushing hug. Ducky came around the corner shaking his head.
"Ab-by." Gibbs gasped slightly in pain. Abby jumped back, apologizing before moving on to Tony and McGee. Both men whimpered but accepted the hug. Ducky looked at Gibbs waiting for answers. Gibbs crooked his finger walking away from his team. He walked a ways down the hall; stopping in a small alcove causing Ducky looked up at Gibbs expectantly.
"They tortured her Duck." Gibbs voice was low and raspy, his mind reliving the time he first saw Ziva hurt while in his care, the day she almost died while undercover for him. Ducky waited patiently for Gibbs to continue. Gibbs wiped a hand down his face looking at the ceiling searching for something. "Electrocution, blades, his fists, a pipe, anything he could get his hands on." Ducky put his hands on the taller mans shoulders.
"She has survived worse Jethro." Gibbs nodded more to himself then anyone, "Akiva…She was injured, shot through the heart, sniper." Gibbs tapped the left side of his chest. Ducky furrowed his eyebrows.
"I did as you requested and found what I could about her medical records." Ducky tapped Gibbs chest in the identical spot. "Akiva has a rare medical condition." Gibbs furrowed his eyes down at Ducky. "She has dextrocardia Jethro." Gibbs shook his head and lifted his hands.
"What?"
Ducky sighed and continued, "Her heart is on the opposite side." Gibbs eyes widened in understanding, she hadn't been shot through the heart, just through the lung.
"Would she had known?"
"Doubt it, it was in a file used for her evaluations when she started her Mossad service over 20 years ago, it never showed up again. They probably hid it, even from her."
"That's good news Duck." Gibbs hit him on the shoulder with his finger, walking back towards his team, also explained why they couldn't get a read on the heart monitors in the ambulance.
The team stood up straight, as a small team of doctors wheeled Ziva back towards her room, she was woozy, and disoriented, her arms were wrapped in gaze, cords and monitors hooked up all over her. The nurses pushed her back into her room placing her on the side by the window, the team filed in one by one, as the nurse finished hooking Ziva up to the IV's, heart monitor and morphine drip. She quickly left the room. Gibbs, Tony, Tim, Abby and Ducky all crowded around her bed, Gibbs on her left, Tony on her right, Tim and Abby at her feet and Ducky off slightly to the side.
Ziva's noses picked up the sterile smell of the room she was in, she quickly deduced that she was in a hospital, and now that she was finally not moving; she tried opening her eyes to help with the spinning feeling her head was giving her.
"Hey there sleepy head." Tony whispered with a big smile. Ziva groaned at the sudden noise, her head pulsing, her eyes were only open a hair. She moved the fingers on her right hand, Tony moved his to cover it.
"A-ki-va?" Ziva's voice was a mere whisper, her breathing was shallow and slightly painful, even with the morphine. Tony stroked her hand with his thumb, they hadn't gotten any word since she had been brought here.
"She's one tough ninja chick." Tony gave a nervous laugh, truthfully, he had no idea if Akiva would be returning to the room or if she was cooling on a slab down in the hospital morgue. Ziva groaned and her eyes rolled back, her head went limply to the side.
"Boss?" Gibbs hit the call button, a nurse came in almost instantly, she pulled the stethoscope off her neck listing to Ziva's lungs and heart.
"She is fine, the morphine is probably putting her to sleep." The nurse nodded to the people in the room and excited again.
The team stood quietly watching Ziva sleep, the door to the room opened again, a team of doctors and nurses pushed Akiva's bed to the empty space. She looked horrible, she was intubated, blood was being added to her system via IV, cables and wires, came from everywhere, the room was filled the soft hum, of the breathing assistant, her heart monitor was on mute, but they could see that her heart beat was strong, her oxygen levels were low, but steady. Gibbs and Ducky followed the doctors out into the hall.
"How are they doctor?" Gibbs stood at his full height looking down at the young looking doctor.
"You next of kin?" The doctor looked over the files in his hand.
"Yea." The doctor gave him a wary look but didn't argue.
"Agent Dah-vid-"
"Dah-veed."
"Dahveed," The doctor repeated, "She has severe burn marks on her stomach, and had a mild heart attack, her lungs will be very sore for a while, the cuts are deep but not infected although I am worried about the placement of the one over her womb. Her leg will be severely bruised and may be difficult to walk on, but there should be no lasting damage. We are most concerned with her damaged lung tissue. The electricity she was exposed to caused her nervous system to miss fire, we had to basically reset her system. Her ribs are heavily bruised with a crack on her sternum that will have to heal on its own, it shouldn't cause any problems although it will feel uncomfortable for a long time."
"Agent Daveda?"
"I can only say that she is critical, her mother and grandmother are coming to take her back to Ohio later this evening." Gibbs nodded knowing there was nothing more the doctor could do, Ducky and Gibbs went back into the room.
Two hours later, two women came into the room, the team groggy with sleep, looked up at the new visitors. A woman with long brown hair that flowed down her back in two long braids, came into view, even with the dim lights, Gibbs could see her radiant green eyes, a smaller, little heavier woman came in behind her, very similar in features, her grey hair shinning in the light. They instantly went to Akiva's bed side, murmuring words between each other in Hebrew. Gibbs went over to the two woman, the younger looking woman looked up at his approach. Gibbs nodded his head to the woman who gave a grim smile in return.
"You're a marine." Her voice was heavily accented as she took in Gibbs appearance. He nodded and offered his hand.
"Jethro Gibbs ma'am." The woman took it, holding it firmly.
"Vidette Daveda." She motioned to the other woman, who was currently brushing some of Akiva's hair from her face.
"My mother, Sye Furei." The older woman looked over at Gibbs giving a small nod. He nodded back.
"They didn't tell me much about her condition." Gibbs nodded over to where his team were asleep by Ziva's bed. Vidette, looked over at them, her eyes snapping to Ziva.
"Ziva?" Her voice was a hushed whisper, she went around Gibbs going over to Ziva's bed. Vidette stood next to a sleeping Tony, her hand going to Ziva's face, her fingers gently stroking her cheek. "Will she be ok?" Gibbs shadowed her keeping his voice down.
"The doctor's say so." Vidette nodded and moved some of Ziva's hair from her face, she leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Gibbs moved as Vidette retreated back to Akiva's bedside, looking at all the equipment. The doctor came in holding the transfer papers. Vidette took them and signed without reading them. Sye sat down in a nearby chair holding Akiva's hand. Gibbs looked at the two woman, they seemed worried but reserved, like this was something they do a lot. Gibbs went back to Ziva's side of the room giving the women more time with their child. He looked at Ziva, suddenly feeling a pang in his heart, Akiva had a family waiting for her, Ziva had a useless father who couldn't have cared less that she was in the hospital near death. Gibbs felt himself as somewhat of a father to his team, but more so to Ziva.
Soon enough, Akiva was removed from the room and an empty bed was put in her place, Vidette gave Gibbs her cell phone number, and told him to call anytime. Gibbs took the number and accepted a hug from Sye, she patted his shoulder but said nothing to him. He watched them retreat back out of the hospital.
Gibbs sat himself down on a nearby chair, he looked around at his team, McGee and Abby were sharing a chair, Abby sitting in McGee's lap her head resting on his shoulder, Ducky was snoozing in another chair close to the window his glasses in his hands, Tony's head was resting on Ziva's bed, his body was leaned over, he had been given pain killers for his dislocated jaw. He was lucky to still have all his teeth after the blow he received. Gibbs eyes fell back to Ziva, her face was contorted in discomfort as she slept, her eyes moving beneath her lids. He watched her heart monitor, taking a sip of his stale hospital coffee.
Around dawn, the team stirred, Tony sat up yawning widely then quickly regretting it, his hands going to his jaw. He mumbled something then left the room, looking for some more pain killers. McGee shifted uncomfortably in his chair causing Abby whine softly as he shifted. Ducky cleared his throat, standing and stretching puting his glasses back on. Ziva groaned, her body shifting, she opened her eyes glaring against the morning sun.
"Akiva?" Ziva moved her head to the side looking over to an empty bed.
"Ziva?" Tony jogged over to the side of the bed, his jaw ached every time he talked but he didn't care. "Ziva how do you feel?"
Ziva's eyes moved to him, she furrowed her eyebrows at him, "Tony?"
"Yea, Hey I've been waiting to ask you a question." Tony gave her a classic DiNozzo's smile, "Did Akiva ever take gymnastics?"
"You are an idiot." That was Tony always had to make her laugh when the situation sucked, Ziva gave him a weak smile and Gibbs gave a gruff laugh.
"Yea." Tony smiled back, although a little less wide, Ziva's eyes went over his shoulder back to the empty bed.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye." Ziva's smile quickly faded as her eyes started to glaze with tears. Tony looked over his shoulder, then to Gibbs. Gibbs put a hand over Ziva's.
"When your better, we'll take you to see her." Ziva's head rolled to the other side looking Gibbs in the eyes. Ziva gave another small smile and a weak nod.
"When can I leave?" Ziva tried sitting up, but she wasn't able to even move her arms the way she wanted, they merely slipped against the blanket.
"In a few days. When the doctors say you can." Gibbs soothed rubbing her arm, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Ziva closed her eyes, and felt his warmth; she felt protected, safe, and most importantly, loved.
End Chapter. Sorry I thought I uploaded this already!