DISCLAIMER: I don't own NCIS.
***
McGee sat along with Ziva on the couch in Director Vance's office. Gibbs was seated in a chair opposite the director. Fornell and his team were lined up against the door, all hoping for a quick retreat. They spent the last few hours typing up their reports and waiting for news about Tony when Vance called them up.
"I want to let you know that what you guys did back there was a good thing."
Ziva looked at the director, eyes narrowed in confusion, McGee doing the same, both thinking about how Vance never really liked Tony.
"Not only did you successfully bring Agent Dinozzo back, but you cooperated with TRU. A relationship that hopefully will last a good long time," Director Vance pulled a toothpick from his lip and pointed it at Gibbs. "Thank you Agent Fornell for your assistance."
Repressing the urge to roll his eyes, McGee sighed. He was wondering if he would try to stop Ziva from attacking the director or plead self-defense. Fornell took the statement as a dismissal and took his team before giving the NCIS agents a nod.
"I am glad to know that DiNozzo is safe," Director Vance continued. "He may not be back for some time though. I warn you, if the only thing he had to recover from was physical injuries I would clear him as soon as his doctors.
"However, it seems he may have to go through some therapy before a psych eval to come back. I want to know if you want to be taken off rotation or not Gibbs."
Gibbs sat silently staring at Vance as McGee and Ziva shared glances. Following Gibbs' lead, they stood up and met him at the door. With his hand on the doorknob, Gibbs turned to Vance and said,
"Take us off. We have to bring back a lost agent."
Vance nodded at them as though he had suspected the answer, already marking something down. McGee and Ziva followed Gibbs to the bull pen where Fornell stood waiting.
"Bureaucratic bullshit," he said in greeting.
A chuckle sounded from Gibbs' chest, "Yeah, well, that's their job."
Fornell nodded, "Any director. I expect to get the same cock from my director when we get back. So, you on your way to see DiNotso?"
"Yeah," Gibbs answered. "Thanks for the help Tobias."
"Say nothing of it," Fornell glared at the two agents behind Gibbs. "At all."
Then Fornell turned and exited the bull pen. The three agents all went to their desks and pulled out anything they would need the next few days. They each drove separately to the hospital, each preoccupied with thoughts of how they would deal with Tony. Again. It seemed that Tony had every possible thing go wrong for him at the same time. And now the team was left to deal with the broken pieces.
"I told you I'm fine," Tony's voice bellowed.
"Sir, if you'll just calm down," a nurse's voice tried to appease the patient.
Gibbs smirked a bit when Tony threatened, "Don't call me sir!"
"Fine! Just let me administer the pain medication Mister DiNozzo!"
Gibbs rushed into the room just as Tony glared menacingly at the cute nurse. God, why was it they always made the mistake of calling him Mister DiNozzo? Gibbs immediately reassured the nurse before Tony got so worked up they would have to sedate him,
"Don't, pain meds make him loopy. He'll be fine."
The nurse looked at him suspiciously, "You his father? Either way, the doctor told me to administer them to Mis-"
Gibbs gave her his dangerous smile, "Nurse… Matlock? You'll just have to let the doctor know that he refused them."
Tony growled from the bed causing the young nurse to look over her shoulder at him slightly disturbed. After looking at Gibbs again, Nurse Matlock nodded shortly and all but rushed out of the room. McGee had to make a quick hop to the side so as not to hit her. Ziva glared after the blonde as she entered, cutting off McGee.
"So," Gibbs looked pointedly at Tony. "When are they letting you out?"
Tony shrugged, "Don'no"
"Ah, I thought I wouldn't get here before you all," a voice said from the doorway.
"Doctor Pitt," McGee shook his hand as Brad Pitt entered the room giving a cursory glance at the man lying down. "Nice to see you."
"You too Agent McGee," Doctor Pitt smiled at Gibbs and Ziva who nodded. "I talked to your doctor Tony. Says they'll keep you over night because of the concussion, but you'll be free to go tomorrow morning."
"Great," Tony said.
"But," Doctor Pitt winced apologetically. "You'll have to meet with a psychiatrist twice a week…"
Tony sighed, "For how long?"
The four stared at him surprised that he was being so calm about therapy. Doctor Pitt shrugged finally saying,
"Depends on the psych."
Nodding at the answer, Tony pulled his sheet up a little more and rolled onto his side facing them. He closed his eyes saying,
"Abby brought stuff. It's by the window, help yourselves."
Looking over to the table, McGee chuckled when he saw Bert, a Caff-Pow!, and chocolate bars. McGee took a glance at Gibbs before opening a candy bar, because he hadn't eaten pretty much all day. Ziva he noticed had brought a nutrition bar with her. Gibbs crossed his arms and stared at Tony, who was humming softly.
To his right, Ziva shook her shoulders slightly before humming with Tony. It was familiar, McGee decided. He definitely heard it before, but he was so tired it didn't really matter to him all that much. McGee looked at Tony's eyes and stilled, chocolate bar half-way up to his mouth. They were completely dead, the eyes, no sign of the pain he must be going through. Whatever his father had said to him completely obliterated the Tony DiNozzo Timothy McGee had come to respect as a friend.
Gibbs must have noticed too, because he looked nauseated. McGee wondered what they thought they would do, because right now they all seemed as lost as the man in the bed. And for some weird reason McGee felt that Tony wasn't as misplaced as they were. He was the one who needed help, however he didn't seem too upset.
"Tony."
Tony jerked and stopped humming, Ziva continuing a few seconds more before stopping as well. She sent Gibbs a look.
"Yeah?"
Gibbs spoke, "What happened?"
Sitting up, Tony took a deep breath and coughed as Pitt checked his lungs. Pitt frowned slightly before switching from his chest to his back. Tony hissed. They all tensed as Doctor Pitt pulled the hospital gown apart in the back and looked at his back. Ziva craned her head to see.
"Checking out my butt Ziva? I'll have you know it's a perfect ten," Tony joked before hissing again as Pitt touched his back.
Ziva frowned, but not at Tony's remark, his back looked like he had been beaten with a crowbar. In some spots there were punctures but the rest was the color of raw meat, purpling. Bile rose in the back of Ziva's throat and she pursed her lips together. Pitt glanced at the others signaling for them to back up and let him look over Tony.
McGee immediately spoke, "I'm getting coffee, boss, Ziva?"
Gibbs raised an eyebrow, "Think you can find the good stuff MahGee?"
McGee stammered a second before saying resolutely, "If I have to threaten my way to it, I will boss."
Gibbs' lips twitched, nodding in approval. McGee looked at her questioningly, but Ziva shook her head. Instead of stepping back like Gibbs did, Ziva knelt next to Tony and grabbed one of his hands. Looking him in the eye, Ziva tried to reassure Tony. Pitt sighed slightly before removing Tony's other arm from its sleeve. The bile that was still in Ziva's throat doubled and she barely could keep it down.
Tony didn't seem to notice the trouble she was having though. He kind of passively allowed her to hold his hand and let Pitt check his upper body. Suddenly, Ziva's eyes found the bandage around his ribs. Her mouth was working to keep the vomit down; looking into his eyes once again finally she rushed out of the room. Running to the closest bathroom, Ziva cupped her mouth.
Banging into a stall, Ziva heaved. Only bits of the nutrition bar and water came up. She heaved again and again finally sitting there dry heaving, back arched. Flushing the toilet and wiping at her mouth, Ziva went to the sink and turned the faucet on before rinsing her mouth and face. Looking in the mirror, she saw a middle-aged woman glancing at her.
Sighing, Ziva stared at herself in the mirror. The last time she did this was when she saw her sister's body on the street. It wasn't like it was anything she hadn't seen before on others. But for some reason, whenever she saw Tony with injuries it made her stomach churn uncomfortably. She had shrugged it off to being worried about her less lethal partner, but it wasn't that exactly.
Blinking, Ziva breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. Tony's eyes looking at her popped into her memory. The sick feeling came back. That was it, Ziva realized, the combination of the completely black and blue torso and expressionless eyes from the usual exuberant man. Shaking her head, she pushed herself up and made her way back to Tony's room.
Gibbs stood in the hallway waiting for her. Looking around, Ziva didn't see McGee, Abby, Ducky, or Palmer in Tony's room. Confused Ziva looked at Gibbs.
"You alright?"
Ziva nodded, "I'm fine."
Gibbs stared at her unbelievingly. Ziva tried to ignore it until finally she broke down,
"His skin reminded me of the time I went to the butcher with my mother when I was small. He was using a heavy mallet to tenderize the meat."
Gibbs seemed to understand what she was getting at because he placed his hands on her shoulders and said,
"They're just bruises. A couple broken ribs, but he's physically okay."
"It's amazing," Ducky interjected startling Ziva slightly. He walked up to them and continued talking, "Yes, considering, he could have had problems with internal bleeding. However I think Doctor Pitt is checking his lungs right now. I can't say they are okay, being in a basement for a week."
Almost as though he had been summoned, Doctor Pitt appeared in the doorway before closing it behind him.
"Doctor Mallard, his lungs are fine. He has a little fluid in them but with the antibiotics and staying warm and dry, he'll be one hundred percent in a few days."
The three sagged in relief until Doctor Pitt held up a hand.
"However, and since I'm not a psychiatrist I can't tell you certainly, it seems Tony has cut himself off from… pain, people. I'm concerned."
McGee walked up with Abby and Palmer trailing behind them. They wore concerned looks on their faces seeing everyone converged in the hallway.
"What's going on," Abby demanded. "Is something wrong?"
"No Abs," Gibbs answered. "Just talking about Tony's psych visits. Bi-weekly, every week."
Abby nodded slowly as though she knew something was being kept silent but decided she didn't want to know.
"Can we go in?"
Doctor Pitt shrugged, "As long as you don't over whelm him. I suggest three at a time. Well, I'll come back to check on him before I leave."
Then nodding to them he walked off. The group decided to let Abby, McGee, and Palmer go in first. Abby opened the door exuberantly, and then stricken, she cautiously entered the room.
Gibbs listened as Tony assured her he wasn't about to run off because she slammed the door open. Ducky suggested they get something from the cafeteria, so he and Ziva followed Ducky's lead. Glancing at the liaison officer, Gibbs felt something akin to sadness that she had been so affected by Tony's predicament. Supposing it was because she herself knew what it was like to have a hard father, though he doubted Eli David actually physically hit her, Gibbs also knew it was because the two had a bond, an understanding between the two.
It wasn't easily explainable except that it just existed. As they went through the line, he ordered Ziva to pick something more substantial than a banana. She sent him a glare when he turned away, but he didn't mind. As long as she kept up her strength. The group of them had a hard next few weeks, he supposed, though Gibbs didn't know what Tony was like after an encounter like this with his father.
And that scared him.
A/N: It's longer because it took me so long to update. Enjoy!