Five
Ziva put the car in park in her apartment's assigned parking spot and turned the car off.
"Are you okay to walk, or do you want to wait for a minute or two?" She asked.
"I'm okay. Your car really isn't that comfortable." Tony said.
Ziva smiled. "Well then it's a good thing it isn't your car."
Tony nodded. "I suppose it is."
Ziva undid her seatbelt, then Tony's and pulled the keys out of the ignition. She got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side door. She opened it an extended her hand to Tony to take. He took it and pulled himself out of the car, and Ziva helped him lean against the car for a moment so she could close the door.
"To the elevator." She said as she started to lead Tony up to the front of the building. She pulled the door open and helped Tony over to the elevator. She pressed the call button and was surprised when the door slid open immediately. They stepped into the elevator and hit the '8' button. The doors slid closed and slid open a few seconds later on the eighth floor.
Ziva lead Tony out of the elevator and down the hall to her apartment before she let go of his hand. She took her keys out of her pocket and slid the house key into the lock and turned it, then pushed the door open.
"I do not think you have been here, have you?" Ziva asked. She moved after Michael was killed – not that she really had a choice since her apartment literally exploded, and nobody from work had seen her new apartment.
"It's nice." Tony said.
Ziva nodded. "I like it." She told him. "Couch or bed?" She asked.
"Can I take a shower?" He asked.
"Are you sure you do not want to wait until someone brings you some clothes?" Ziva asked.
Tony shook his head no. "I want to wash them off me." He said quietly.
Ziva nodded. "Alright. Doctor Roberts wanted someone close when you shower in case you call, or get dizzy, so can you let me call McGee, and then I'll come with you?" She asked.
"I'm a big boy Ziva. I can shower by myself." Tony said.
Ziva could tell he was getting a bit agitated. She walked over to him and rested her hands on his hips, just above the bruises.
"I know you can Tony, but I do not want you to underestimate what a concussion, even a small one can do to you, especially since this is not your first. I do not want you to fall and be in even more pain than you already are. I promise I will be quick, okay?" She said softly.
Tony sighed. "Alright."
"Thank you. Why don't you go grab a towel and get the water warmed up? It is the last door." Ziva said.
Tony nodded. "Okay." He said before turning to walk down the hallway to the bathroom.
As soon as Ziva heard the water start running she picked up her cell phone and dialed McGee's number.
"Hey Ziva."
"Where are you right now?" Ziva asked.
"I'm just about to leave my apartment, why?" He asked.
"Can you stop at Tony's and get him some loose clothing? Some t-shirts, underwear, and sweat pants?" She asked.
"Uh, why? Isn't he going home after he's released?" McGee asked.
"He's already been released, we are at my apartment." Ziva told him.
"Oh, okay. How is he?"
Ziva sighed. "Scared, ashamed, worried." She listed.
"Is he gonna be okay Ziva?" McGee asked quietly.
"I think so." Ziva said.
"How much should I bring?" McGee asked.
"A week's worth at least. He wants to have a shower, and the doctor does not want him alone in slippery places, so I will leave the door unlocked for you." Ziva told him.
"Alright. I'll be there in about twenty minutes." He said.
"Okay. Thank you Tim." Ziva said.
"No problem." McGee said before hanging up.
Ziva walked down the hallway to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah."
She opened the door and saw Tony, wrapped in a towel waiting for her so he could step into the walk-in shower.
"Would you like me to look away?" She asked.
Tony nodded. "Please."
Ziva smiled softly and turned her back to him. She heard the door slide open and shut before Tony spoke.
"You can turn around again." He said.
Ziva turned back and leaned back against the counter beside the shower.
"Um, Ziva?" Tony asked quietly.
"Are you okay?" Ziva asked.
"Can you help me?"
"Of course. What do you need help with?" Ziva asked.
"Can you do my hair? And my back?"
Ziva stood up straight. "Okay, would you like me in there with you or out here with the door open?" She asked.
Tony shrugged. "It doesn't matter. In here might be easier, there's something for me to sit on if I need to." He said.
"Okay, um, just give me a second to get undressed and get myself a towel." She said before walking out of the bathroom and opening the door of the linen closet beside the bathroom.
She walked back into the bathroom and tossed the towel on the counter beside Tony's.
She bit her lip softly. She was hoping not to have to do this. There were many scars on her body from Saleem and his men, and she was hoping not to have to show Tony, or anyone else just yet. But Tony needed her help, so she would help him no matter what.
She stripped off her tank top and sweatpants, then her underwear, and slid open the shower door.
She stepped into the warm shower and Tony reached behind himself to hand her the wash cloth. She hung it over the rack on the door and reached for the shampoo.
"I only have my girly shampoo." She told him.
"It's fine. It smells good." Tony said.
Ziva smiled and opened the bottle. She poured some of the soap into her hand and rubbed her hands together for a moment.
"Are you ready?" Ziva asked, wanting to warn him before she touched him.
Tony nodded and Ziva began to work the shampoo into his hair gently. He tensed slightly, but after a few moments, relaxed into Ziva's hands.
"Would you like to rinse, and then I can do your back, or would you like me to do your back and leave so you can do the rest?" Ziva asked.
"I'll just rinse first." Tony said. He turned around and leaned back slightly under the water.
Once he was sure all of the shampoo was out, he turned back around and Ziva picked up the wash cloth and her body wash and started to work gently on his back.
"If it hurts, tell me." Ziva told him as she began to wash the bruised areas.
"It's actually helping." Tony said.
"Okay." Ziva said as she finished soaping his shoulders. "Can you do the rest?" She asked.
Tony turned under the showerhead and let the water fall onto his back.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea." He said.
"Why?" Ziva asked.
"Because I'm pretty sure if I start scrubbing, I'm not going to stop." He said.
Ziva nodded. "So, what do you want to do?"
"Can you do it?" He asked.
"Are you sure you're comfortable with that Tony?" Ziva asked.
"No, but I need to feel clean Ziva." He pleaded.
Ziva nodded. "If I hurt you, or if you start to feel uncomfortable, tell me, and I will stop, okay?"
Tony nodded and closed his eyes, waiting for her to start.
Ziva worked her way over his body fairly quickly, and when she was finished his legs and stood up, his eyes were still squeezed shut.
She brought her hand up to cup his uninjured cheek.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
Tony nodded.
"I figured you might want to, um, finish?" Ziva asked, referring to his penis, which she didn't touch.
Tony nodded and took the wash cloth from her. He rinsed it and cleaned himself off thoroughly before he gave it back to her to hang up.
"Are you ready to get out?" Ziva asked.
Tony nodded.
"Okay, um, you first." She said. She took his hand, so she could help him step out of the shower carefully. He reached for his towel and wrapped it around himself, then handed Ziva hers.
"Thank you." Ziva said. "McGee should have dropped off your clothes by now, I will go grab you something to put on." She told him. She walked down the hall to the living room where she spotted Tony's go bag sitting on the coffee table.
She opened it and dug out a pair of underwear, sweatpants, and a t-shirt, and she walked back down to the bathroom.
She held the clothes out to Tony.
"I'm not sure I should be bending over." Tony said quietly.
"Would you like me to help?" Ziva asked.
Tony nodded. "Please." He said, looking away from her. He finished drying himself off and leaned against the counter.
"Do you want these?" Ziva asked, holding up the underwear she had pulled from his bag.
Tony shook his head no.
"Alright." Ziva said. She grabbed the sweatpants off the counter and unfolded them. "Can you lift your right foot?"
Tony put his hands on Ziva's shoulders to steady himself as he lifted his right, then his left foot, and allowed Ziva to pull the pants up, settling them on his hips.
"The shirt?" She asked.
"Moving my arms above my head hurts." He told her.
Ziva nodded. "Okay, so you don't wear a shirt." Ziva stated.
"If that's okay with you." Tony said.
Ziva smiled softly. "It is fine Tony."
Tony nodded. "Okay."
"Do you want something to eat?" Ziva asked as she led him back down the hallway to the living room.
"Umm…"
She turned to look at him. "Tony?" She asked.
He looked up at her.
Ziva walked over and took his hand. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"I'm hungry, and I need to sit down, but…" He trailed off.
"But what Tony?" Ziva asked.
"It's stupid." He told her, looking down at their joined hands.
"Tony look at me." Ziva told him.
Tony looked up.
"If it is bothering you, it is not stupid." She told him as she helped him sit down on the couch.
"I don't want you to be in a different room for that long. It's nothing. I'm just being clingy, it's fine." Tony said quietly.
"Why do you not want me in another room for that long?" Ziva asked.
"You keep me calm." Tony said.
"What do you mean?"
Tony shook his head. "I don't really know. I just, last night before you go to the hospital, I was jumpy, and scared, and I couldn't let anyone touch me. Not even a nurse. They wanted to do an IV, and I said no. I just didn't want to be touched, I was too scared. And when you got there, you didn't even have to touch me. I just didn't feel scared, or jumpy, or alone anymore. You make me feel safe." Tony told her.
Ziva blinked the tears out of her eyes before they could start to fall. "There is a café down the street, they have fantastic pancakes, and they deliver. I can call them if you want." Ziva told him.
"Would you? I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so clingy, it must be getting annoying. Actually, forget I said anything." Tony said as he tried to push himself off the couch.
Ziva tightened her grip on his hand and brought him back down to the couch. She wrapped her free arm around his waist and started to massage the bruises on his back and sides.
"You are not annoying me Tony. I am actually shattered." Ziva said.
"Shattered?" Tony asked.
"Yes, I think that is the right word. I am honoured, that you feel so safe with me. Nobody ever has, and if they have, they certainly never told me." Ziva told him.
"I think you mean flattered Zi." Tony said.
"Flattered! Right! At least I was close." Ziva said, smiling.
Tony laughed, and Ziva found herself momentarily captivated by his smile. Even though he had been laughing and joking around yesterday at work before they left, it had been too long since she'd seen him smile.
"So pancakes?" Ziva asked.
"Alright." Tony said. "Can I use your computer for a minute?" He asked.
Ziva nodded. "Go ahead."
He grabbed the laptop off the coffee table in front of the couch and opened it.
Ziva walked over to the cabinet beside the television and opened the drawer. She pushed through the abundance of take-out menus until she found the one she wanted.
She dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.
"Grinder's Café, this is Max, how can I help you?"
"I would like to place an order for delivery please." Ziva said.
"Sure, what would you like?" He asked.
"Two orders of pancakes, one with no bacon, one with extra bacon, two hash browns, and two small bottles of orange juice please."
"Alrighty, your total will be fifteen dollars and eighty-four cents."
Ziva gave him her address and hung up the phone.
"He said it should be here in about ten minutes." Ziva said as she dropped the menu back into the drawer.
"I am going to put some clothes on." Ziva said, looking down at the towel she was still wearing.
"Alright." Tony said.
Ziva turned and walked down the hallway to her bedroom. She grabbed a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top out of her dresser and pulled them on quickly before walking back out to the living room. She sat down on the couch beside Tony, who was looking at a website in Hebrew.
"What are you doing?" Ziva asked.
"I thought I should keep myself busy, so I'm learning something." Tony said.
"Hebrew?"
Tony nodded. "I think it's interesting."
Really?" Ziva asked.
Tony nodded.
"Most people consider it a dying language." Ziva said.
"I don't." Tony said.
Ziva smiled.
"So, teach me something." Tony said.
Ziva laughed lightly. "What do you want to know?"
Tony smiled. "Thank you." He requested.
"Toda."
Tony nodded. "Toda." He repeated.
Ziva smiled. "Tov me'od, Tony."
"What's that?" Tony asked.
"Very good." Ziva told him.
"How about please?" Tony asked.
"Bevakasha."
"Beva… what? Slow down." Tony told her.
"Bevakasha." Ziva repeatedly, slower.
"Bevakasha?" He asked.
Ziva nodded. "Exactly."
Tony looked back at the computer screen, and Ziva's eyes followed his.
"Why are you reading about the new Chief of Staff of the IDF?" Ziva asked.
"You can actually read that?" Tony asked, running his finger along a sentence.
Ziva nodded. "Just as well as you can read English."
Tony laughed lightly. "Fair enough."
Tony jumped slightly when they heard a knock on the door.
"It's just the food." Ziva said softly.
Tony nodded and turned back to the computer. He exited the tab he was looking at and closed the computer, then put it back on the coffee table.
Ziva grabbed her wallet out of her jacket and took out a twenty. She looked through the peep hole, to make sure it actually was the food, and she opened the door. The woman at the door handed her the bag with the food.
"Fifteen eighty-four ma'am."
Ziva handed her the twenty. "You can keep the change."
The delivery girl smiled. "Thank you. Have a nice day." She said before turning and walking back toward the elevator.
Ziva closed the door and put the bag down on the coffee table. "I'll grab some plates."
She walked into the kitchen and grabbed two plates from the cupboard and returned to the living room.
Tony had already ripped into the bag and had the containers out on the table.
"They brought us forks and knives." He told Ziva.
Ziva smiled softly. "The bacon is all yours." She told him as she handed him a plate.
Tony nodded and tore open one of the small plastic packages the forks were in, and piled bacon and pancakes onto his plate.
"There is a hash brown in there for you too." Ziva told him as she stabbed two pancakes of her own.
Tony smiled and reached for the hash brown.
"When was the last time you ate?" Ziva asked as Tony shoved almost half a pancake into his mouth.
"Lunch yesterday." Tony told her.
Ziva nodded. "Okay, well you need to slow down, because I do not want to end up having to give you the Heimlich while you are covered in bruises." Ziva said.
Tony nodded and began to chew slower.
"Thank you."