A/N: Almost at the end! Another chapter or two and we'll be all wrapped up. I am blown away by the number of alerts I've gotten on this story, I'm so glad that people like it. Please let me know what you think of this chapter, I hope you enjoy! -abby
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Tony wasn't sure of his surroundings at first. He felt fuzzy and thinking was a lot harder than it should have been. He could tell he was in a bed, and slowly recognized the cool feeling tracing into his nostrils as oxygen. Groggily he began to put the pieces together and realized that he must be in the hospital, the detached feeling undoubtedly caused by some serious painkillers. But why? he wondered. Don't remember…
The senior field agent risked opening his eyes a crack. Even the nighttime hospital lighting caused a sharp stab of pain and he gasped, which in turn caused him to cough.
Gibbs had been quietly watching his agent stir for the last several minutes and immediately notified the nurses' station. He placed a comforting hand on Tony's arm, then leaned forward so that Tony could see him without having to move his head too much. Tony blinked a few times, then woozily focused on his boss' face.
"Hey there," Gibbs said softly. He knew how painful loud noise would be to a man with a concussion as severe as DiNozzo's. "How ya doing?"
"Um," Tony whispered. "What...happened?"
The lead agent's brow furrowed at the question. He had been hoping that Tony would not suffer any memory loss from his head injuries, though Ducky had gently warned him that it was a distinct possibility.
"How much do you remember?" Gibbs gently probed.
Tony tried to think. He recalled being held hostage at the bank, although there were several large gaps where he knew he must have blacked out.
"Tim? Okay?" Tony found that he was having a hard time stringing words together. It seemed that his fog-filled brain was refusing to translate his thoughts into coherent sentences.
Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, Tim's fine. Couple of bruised ribs, a little stiff and sore is all. He and Abby were the ones who figured out where you and I were being held," the older man said carefully, intentionally being vague to try and gauge how badly DiNozzo's memory was impaired.
Tony briefly closed his eyes as he concentrated. He remembered Gibbs arriving at the bank...it seemed like a very long time ago. Then we went somewhere else? In a car? Tony couldn't remember too much about that part, but he knew he had felt horribly sick. A haze of pain seemed to be part of everything he could recall.
"Car?" he managed. That's very eloquent, Anthony, he thought with annoyance.
Unbeknownst to DiNozzo, his boss was so glad that he was finally awake and lucid that he would have waited all day for Tony to get out a single word if that's what it took. Gibbs patiently replied, "Right. One of the gunmen escaped from the police and drove us to an abandoned warehouse. Do you remember being there?"
Tony did remember bits and pieces, but was having a hard time putting it all together. There was a big room, he tied us up again, then there was something about…my father? Tony was confused again. That can't be right. What would my father have to do with any of this?
Gibbs watched DiNozzo silently. The younger man was obviously struggling to remember, but Gibbs hesitated to offer too much information all at once. He hoped Tony could work some of it out for himself.
The puzzlement was clear on DiNozzo's face as he quietly asked, "My father?"
Even with just two words, Gibbs knew what his agent was getting at. He gently explained to Tony how their captor had worked out his family's identity and demanded a ransom from his father. The younger man accepted the story stoically, but Gibbs had intentionally left out the part he had learned from Fornell. No point in needlessly upsetting him by confirming that his father's a heartless bastard, the lead agent reasoned. Besides, judging from what he said to me in the warehouse he knows that already. Gibbs had been so furious upon hearing Fornell's report that he had wanted nothing more than to head for Manhattan right that minute andtear the elder DiNozzo apart. The memory enraged Gibbs all over again and he pushed it aside, schooling his expression with an effort. He knew that Tony could read him like a book.
Tony sighed. He could tell that his boss was holding back something significant, but at the moment he was too tired to care. Wish I could remember everything, he thought wearily. I'm missing a lot of the story for sure, too many holes. That brought another question to mind. How long was I unconscious?
"Out?" he mumbled sleepily, knowing Gibbs would understand.
The older man rubbed the bridge of his nose as he answered. "Almost three days."
That got Tony's attention but just as he was about to respond, an attractive red-haired nurse entered the room. "Good evening, Agent DiNozzo. How are you feeling? You had us worried."
"Mmkay," Tony murmured, followed by a cough.
The nurse chuckled as she checked Tony's vitals and made notes on his chart. "I'm sure that's not entirely true, but I'm glad to see you're finally awake. Dr. Gray is on his way up, he'll be here shortly. See you later, Agent Gibbs," she acknowledged the older man with a smile on her way out the door.
DiNozzo raised an eyebrow, although it was partially obscured by the bandages still wrapped around his head. "A friend?" he quipped weakly as a ghost of a smile crossed his face.
Gibbs couldn't stifle a snort of laughter at the smart-ass comment. "Hell, DiNozzo. I haven't left your side for three days and you're gonna give me a hard time about it?"
Tony suddenly remembered a conversation from when they were locked in the warehouse. He could not recall specifics, but knew without a doubt that Gibbs had made it clear how much he cared. "Thanks," the senior field agent said sincerely.
Further explanation wasn't necessary. Gibbs knew what Tony meant, and he looked his agent in the eye and with equal sincerity said, "You're welcome. And I wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you, Tony. You did good."
The contented smile had yet to fade from DiNozzo's face when his doctor entered. Gibbs stiffly stood up and stepped over to a corner of the room while Dr. Gray examined his patient, using the opportunity to call Ducky and give him an update. The rest of his team had spent the last three days anxiously waiting for Tony to awaken, and Abby had threatened Gibbs within an inch of his life if he didn't call right away. Dr. Mallard was predictably pleased to receive the news and assured Gibbs that they would all be on their way soon.
He snapped the phone shut just as Dr. Gray finished his exam. "What's the word, Doctor?" the lead agent asked without preamble.
Gray was unruffled by Gibbs' brusque manner. He had been dealing with the lead agent since DiNozzo was brought in and was now accustomed to it. The doctor had come to realize that it was the silver-haired man's way of showing that he cared. He smiled. "Agent DiNozzo is doing quite well, considering he spent three days in a light coma. His reactions are good and his breathing has vastly improved. I don't think that chest infection is a risk any longer, and I'm comfortable taking him off the oxygen. He's still having a little trouble forming sentences, but his cognitive functions will keep improving as the swelling in his brain goes down. I feel confident in saying that he will make a full recovery."
Upon hearing those words, the lead agent felt several days' worth of tension drain from his body all at once. He thanked Dr. Gray and shook the man's hand firmly. As the doctor left, he looked down at his agent. Tony had dozed off, but Gibbs could tell that it was a peaceful sleep now and not the fitful unconsciousness that had trapped him for the last thirty-six hours. Gibbs knew that this was not over, that Tony had a long recovery ahead of him - both physically and emotionally - but for now just knowing that he would be okay was enough for the older man. The rest they would deal with together. Gibbs sat down in his now-familiar spot by Tony's bedside, and allowed himself to doze as well.