Nurse/Patient pt 2

Tony moaned as Gibbs darted in and out through traffic to get home. He had promised to take the driving easy because he didn't want his car soiled by the sick agent. It didn't seem like he was taking it all that easy and Tony was grateful when they finally pulled up to his apartment building.

"Thanks for the ride." Tony said quietly still fighting the wave of nausea.

"Keys DiNozzo." Gibbs held out his hand.

"I think I can make it to the lift myself." Tony opened the door and was about to enter the car.

Gibbs rolled his eyes before giving him one of his famous glares. Either he was growing immune or he was too sick to take it on. "Keys DiNozzo." Gibbs repeated, "I'm picking up your clothes and taking you to my place... Keep the door open, if you want to be sick, be sick outside."

"Yes Boss." Tony still had the glassy look and his giving in was more disturbing than his previous stubbornness. He watched Gibbs enter his apartment building and closed his eyes for a moment. This wouldn't be the first time Gibbs had him stay over at his place... Actually this would be the third. Once for a concussion, the second for a gunshot wound to the shoulder and now for being as sick as a dog. Then a thought came across his mind and he pulled himself out of the car and headed indoors.

It was easy to find things in Tony's apartment, it was a two bedroom of simplistic design with one large wardrobe. It was a scary thought for Gibbs as he tried to think of what clothes Tony would want with him. The collection of clothes was extensive and almost had something for every occasion.

"To hell with this." Gibbs mumbled as he began stuffing clothes into a gym bag that he'd found on Tony's bed. He closed the bag and locked the door and waited for the elevator to come to the floor he was on.

The doors swung open and Gibbs was seriously pissed but not surprised when Tony was doubled over coughing his guts up. Finally the awful coughing fit had stopped. "I told you to wait in the car DiNozzo." Gibbs snapped.

Tony sniffed his stuffy nose. "I had to make sure you packed the right clothes." Tony said and went to grab the bag.

"Step back into the elevator." Gibbs said to him stepping in the elevator.

"Open the bag." Tony tried to say with authority but hardly got the words out since his mouth was totally dry.

"I've packed you your clothes DiNozzo." Gibbs said, "Face front and shut up." He looked at the agent and noticed how much the trip to his apartment had taken out of him. That was starting concerning and it was impossible to assume how bad he was since there was no way, Tony was going to tell him.

Tony wasn't sure how long he had been asleep in the car when the unrelenting headache woke him up. "Hmm." Tony moaned.

"You need me to pull over DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked. Tony shook his head and regretted it since it just made the headache worse it had reached down to his neck.

"Just a headache." Tony answered very quietly.

Gibbs pulled the car into the parking lot, "I'm going to get you some panadol." Gibbs said as he stopped the car.

"I'm fine Boss." Tony attempted to sound convincing.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Gibbs asked but expected the same typical DiNozzo response of nothing.

Tony lowered his eyes and swallowed hard. It was almost like swallowing a golf ball.

"Spit it out DiNozzo." Gibbs ordered.

"Can I have a bottle of water?" Tony asked in an almost child like tone.

"Sure." Gibbs ruffled his hair and left.

When Gibbs came back, the door was still open and DiNozzo was sound asleep with his head somehow resting against the seatbelt. Besides the rasping noise of his labored breathing, he was almost to peaceful to be woken up.

"Boss?" He asked blinking.

"Here you are DiNozzo." Gibbs broke out a couple of panadol and handed it to him.

It seemed that the only thing that went down easily was the pills and the water seemed to get stuck in his mouth with only one way to go... Out! He had the choice of whether to spit it out at Gibbs or the windscreen... The windscreen sounded like the better choice. Tony fought hard to remove the seatbelt and managed to push his way passed Gibbs and to the nearest bin.

"You sure you ok DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as Tony made his way back to the car as if he had been drinking.

"The headache's gone." Tony said sheepishly as he rinsed his mouth out with some water.

Gibbs eyed him suspiciously. "I'm going to call Ducky and get him to give you a check up." He said pulling out his phone.

"Oh come on Boss." Tony said, "His bedside manner is boring... He'd probably bore me to death."

He was greeted by the infamous stare. Wrong thing, Ducky and Gibbs were close friends but his glare soon softened.

"Might not be a bad idea DiNozzo." Gibbs didn't quite smile. If he was better he'd probably slap him into the middle of next week. "You could do with a natural sedative."

Tony scoffed which invited more coughing. "Thanks Boss."

Gibbs put Ducky on the speaker as he drove through the traffic. "Ducky. This is Gibbs." Gibbs spoke in the direction of the phone.

"Hi Jethro. Caitlin said that you had left work with Anthony." Ducky said.

"That's right... Are you busy?" Gibbs asked.

"Not really Jethro. I'm done for the day unless something unexpected comes up." Ducky answered in his usual round about away.

"Hey Ducky." Tony said into the phone.

"You sound awful dear Anthony." Ducky observed.

"Thanks." Tony replied trying to sound better than he felt, "He doesn't miss a beat does he?" Tony whispered to Gibbs.

"Want to make a house call Duck?" Gibbs asked ignoring the comment from Tony. "I want you to come over and do a checkup on Tony."

"I'll be right over Jethro." Ducky replied.

Tony stirred as soon as the car stopped but refused to open his eyes until he felt something tapping his face. Something cold.

"Wake up DiNozzo." The faraway voice said to him.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Wake up." Gibbs said to him. Tony was hot to touch. "You're really hot DiNozzo."

"Last person who said that to me was Lilly Anne." Tony said as he attempted to smile and step out of the car. Nonchalantly, Gibbs steadied his senior agent with a hand on the shoulder. He shuddered, this was going to be one hell of a ride.

"Sit on the couch DiNozzo." Gibbs ordered when they entered the house, "If you move from that spot for any reason other than going to the head, I'll make you feel worse than any flu could. Is that clear DiNozzo? I'm going to make your bed."

"Yeah Boss." He planted himself on the couch to await further instruction.