NURSEPATIENT

It was scary that one could go lie on a couch feeling like they're on the mend or something only to awake sometime during the night with Gibbs hovering over him with patting down his forehead with a facecloth before placing it on his forehead. This surprised Tony, he thought he'd actually been feeling better but it appeared that his body had other ideas.

"You're going to be sick?" Gibbs asked.

"What are you doing?" Tony asked back. He felt really cold and it seemed the damp cloth was making it worse. "Did you throw water on me or something?" He asked a stupid question.

"You need to be cooled down DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "You think you can walk?"

Tony thought for a moment. "Yeah Boss." He wasn't sure if he could get his legs to work properly but Gibbs had wanted him to go somewhere and he wasn't about to let him down.

Gibbs' strong grip stopped Tony from hitting the floor. "Whoa." He said to himself as he tried to stand up straight. "I think the floor moved."

Gibbs grabbed Tony's arm and wrapped it around the neck and placed his arm around the agent's waist and proceeded to drag the weak man's body up the stairs. "If you keep like this… I might have to drive you to the ER." Gibbs said occasionally checking to make sure he was alright.

"No look. I'm good." Tony said. "See?"

Gibbs coughed to hide a snort. "You're not good." He told him. "You're not going to help me just a little bit?"

"Sorry Boss." Tony replied as he mentally ordered his legs to go in front of each other.

"You don't need to keep apologizing DiNozzo." Gibbs said to him and placed him against the bathtub as he ran the water.

Tony sat silently as he waited for the order to strip down but he had already begun taking off his damp shirt and placed it beside him. He placed his head in his hands and sat silently. Eventually the sound of the running water had stopped. Something light touched his hair.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs got his attention.

"Boss?" Tony looked at him and was surprised to feel drops of water being flicked into his face. "What are you doing?" He asked Gibbs.

"Waking you up DiNozzo." Gibbs said before assisting Tony with taking off the trousers and made sure he got into the bath alright. "I'll be just outside. Call out if you need anything."

Tony nodded as he began trying to cool himself off. At least Gibbs is giving me some privacy. Tony thought to himself. There was something soothing about the water and he looked at the ceiling. It seemed awfully high and a very dull grey color…

Gibbs was waiting by the door listening to the water being splashed around but that was soon followed by an awful silence. "DiNozzo?" Gibbs waited to hear any sort of response. "Are you ok?" No response was forthcoming. Gibbs opened the door fully and walked in and saw that Tony was submerged in the tub. He quickly thrust his arms into the water and lifted him out.

Tony started coughing and spitting out the bathwater that hadn't totally made it through his body. "You're trying scuba diving DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

Tony didn't say anything. He acknowledged that Gibbs was there and attempted to fathom what the hell had happened. There was something in Gibbs' eyes that made Tony wonder if he had been wrong about everything. Gibbs' face was full of concern or maybe he was just mistaking it for his really pissed off look.

"Let's get you dressed." If it was anyone else, Gibbs probably would have rushed them to the ER right there and then but Tony was the sort of person you didn't treat like everyone else, he had a somewhat unhealthy hatred for hospitals. "And I'll get Ducky to come over… You do like Dr Ducky don't you?"

Tony looked at Gibbs out of the corner of his eye, he had the sudden feeling that he went through the bath and into the twilight zone or maybe he hit his head or something or something worse… Maybe Gibbs had hit his head.

"Okay." Tony said slowly.

He was eased into the bed and wanted to sleep but found that he could not. For some reason Gibbs wouldn't exactly shut up. He was trying to rest like he was told to.

"There's so much I haven't told you." Tony said, deciding to finally join in the one man conversation.

"I know." Gibbs said. He hated to take advantage of the situation... But it may be the only chance to get any real answers out of Tony. "You want to tell me something?"

Tony shivered. "Can I... Talk?" He asked.

"You know you can talk to me about anything DiNozzo." Gibbs said.

Tony closed his eyes for a moment. There was a lot he wanted to say, Gibbs deserved that much but there was also a lot he couldn't tell him. "I was really sick one time... Eight I think." Tony said. "I was so sick and I was sick on the bed."

Gibbs didn't need Tony to go any further really. His reaction and this talk had started to let things fall into pieces. "And then what?" He asked.

He'd thought that Tony had fallen asleep. "He gave me a beating and tore me down." Tony said.

Gibbs fell silent. He knew that Tony's father had put him through hell, but beating a kid for vomiting in their bed was beyond... Well it was just beyond anything imaginable. Tony suddenly sat up and gagged into the bucket.

"Even if we're sick we're not to show it." Tony said lying back down. He heard someone approaching from up the stairs. "I sure as hell failed at that."

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "You'll never be a failure in my eyes."

Tony went to say something but was interrupted by Ducky walking into the bedroom. It seemed that anybody could stroll right in. So far, nobody has dared to enter without his prior knowledge.

"How's the patient feeling?" Ducky asked. But even looking Tony he could see the effect that being sick was having on Tony. He'd lost some weight and was sweating and pale. "Have you managed to keep anything down?" Ducky asked him as he stuck a thermometer in his mouth.

Tony wasn't in the mood to have his temp taken and promptly spat it out. "I've been right..." He said. "I've kept some down."

Gibbs turned to Ducky. "He did pass out in the bath." Gibbs stated.

Tony turned to Gibbs with mouth wide open. "If you don't let me take your temperature, I'll be forced to do it the old fashioned way." Ducky warned.

"And then I'll ask Ducky to take your temperature orally for confirmation." Gibbs said.

He pouted as Ducky put it back in his mouth and he dutifully shut up. He looked into Tony's eyes and saw that they were still glassed over and he was sweating profusely. "How long was he out for Jethro?" Ducky asked, not wanting to risk Tony's nonchalant-not-quite-true answers.

"Only for a couple of minutes if that." Gibbs answered. "But he's been quite feverish before that."

Ducky frowned at the temperature. It had still remained the same and that wasn't a good sign. "I suggest you take Anthony here to the hospital."

Tony's eyes widened. "Wait... I'm good." He panicked and virtually jumped out of bed with his arms outstretched. "It's a miracle... I'm cured. Ta-Da." It might have sounded more convincing if he hadn't started swaying on the spot. "No hospitals for me." Unfortunately, he wasn't in any condition to fight off the both of them.

Tony thought all his Christmases had come at once when the doctor said he wasn't going to be admitted. Gibbs had decided to wait in the waiting room and he was eventually met up with Tony who came out of the office.

"What they say?" Gibbs asked as Tony began filling out a form.

"They gave me a needle boss." He said solemnly. "And I have some pills." Tony held up a small bottle. "And no, I'm not being admitted."

This surprised Gibbs. He wondered how the hell DiNozzo had wormed out of getting hospitalized. "What was the needle?"

"It was something to keep me from vomiting." Tony answered. "But... If I keep vomiting... They said..." Tony couldn't bring himself to say it.

Gibbs understood what he was getting at. "Get in the car."

"Yes Boss." Tony winced as he sat down.

"What's wrong DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"My ass stings." Tony stated without thinking and saw Gibbs' raised-eyebrow inquisitive stare. "Last things I said... Last things I have to take before going to bed and before breakfast." Tony held up the bottle to show him. "What did you think I said?"

A/N: You know I was really worried about the last chapter... It was rather alot sappier than I intended. But it went down well with everyone. Bit surprising. Well in the next chapter... What can DiNozzo do to piss Gibbs off again :D and will Tony reveal more about himself?