Chapter Two
Gibbs demanded that Tony be taken to the nearest Naval Medical Center, which turned out to be the Naval Medical Center at Portsmouth, VA. While Tony was transported to the medical center, Gibbs, McGee, and Ziva dealt with the two petty officers and Tyler 'Murph' Murphin, who was sent to a local hospital. The petty officers brought them to the NCIS Field Office at Naval Station Norfolk for interrogation.
"Boss, they've got Turlington and Kline in separate interview rooms and two MPs are guarding Murphin at the hospital," McGee said.
Gibbs was sitting in the cafeteria debating who to call first, Ducky or Director Vance. Protocol called for calling the Director first and then Ducky, but Gibbs never liked protocol. He speed dialed Ducky.
"Dr. Mallard," Ducky answered.
"Ducky, we have a problem," Gibbs said. His voice sounded tense.
"Jethro, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Tony was injured during the undercover assignment. He was hit with a lead pipe, cracked his skull open and tossed in the water. Duck, he's…," Gibbs paused. He had no idea what condition DiNozzo was, except unconscious.
"Tell me where Anthony is, Jethro. I am his personal physician and I am also his medical proxy. I need to get to him right away," said Ducky.
"He's at the Naval Medical Center at Portsmouth," Gibbs told him. "Get there as soon as you can, Duck. He's going to need you. I don't know when we'll be able to get there."
"I'm leaving now with Mr. Palmer," said Ducky then he hung up.
Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment. As he collected his thoughts Ziva, now dressed in borrowed NCIS sweatpants and sweatshirt, came into the cafeteria. She immediately walked over to Gibbs and sat down. Gibbs looked at Ziva and did a quick appraisal of her mental and physical state. Physically, she looked fine. It was her mental state that concerned him. She looked distracted, worried, and on the verge of an emotional release. Whatever Mossad training she had in the past melted away and sitting in front of him was a woman in distress over someone she loved. He sighed.
"Get a coffee or a tea, you need something warm for your system. I have to call Vance and tell him about DiNozzo then we'll deal with interrogations," he said.
"What about Tony?" she asked with a voice that was a tad overly controlled.
"I called Ducky and he is on his way to Portsmouth to oversee his care," said Gibbs.
"We should call the hospital and check on his condition," said Ziva.
"They know to call me if there is an emergency with him. We will call them in time. First we deal with matters here then we go to Portsmouth and check on DiNozzo," said Gibbs.
"Yes, Gibbs," she said softly.
She got up and went to get a hot tea. Gibbs dialed Vance.
"Director Vance's office," Cynthia answered.
"This is Agent Gibbs, Cynthia. I have an emergency and need to speak to the director right away," he said.
"I'll get him on the line, Agent Gibbs," she said and put him on hold.
A few seconds passed and Vance got on the line.
"What's the problem, Gibbs?" asked Vance.
"DiNozzo was badly injured during the undercover op, Leon. He's at Naval Med Center at Portsmouth now," he said.
"What happened?" asked Vance.
"We were delayed in getting to his location as his backup. This left him without anyone watching his six and somehow he was exposed. I haven't been able to talk to him about it, but I hope to be able to ask him what happened sometime in the future," said Gibbs.
"What's the nature of his injury?" Vance asked with an exhalation of air. DiNozzo seemed to be prone to injuries. Either he took too many unnecessary risks with his life or he was one unlucky agent.
"Lead pipe across the back of his head cracking open his damned thick headed skull and then he was dumped in the water to drown. We got there as he was being dumped in the water," he said and allowed the information to sink in.
"How bad is it?" Vance asked after a few moment of silence.
"He was unconscious when we put him in the ambulance and he didn't appear to be waking up anytime soon," Gibbs said. "I want to get him to Bethesda as soon as we can."
"I agree. Once he is stabilized you tell them that I authorize his transportation to Bethesda anyway they see fit. If it's an ambulance all the way then drive him, and if it's air transport, then we'll get a helicopter," Vance said.
"Thank you, Leon," said Gibbs.
"You know there is going to have to be an IAD investigation into this matter. I'm sure everything will turn out fine, but an agent injured during an undercover op calls for an IAD investigation," said Vance.
"I know, Leon. It was a Goddamn accident and I wish to hell I could turn back the clock and avoid it," said Gibbs.
"Keep me abreast of DiNozzo's condition. Call any time, day or night," Vance said then he hung.
With a tea in one hand Ziva returned and placed a black coffee in front of Gibbs. He looked up at her and nodded his head with appreciation.
"He will be fine, Gibbs. He has to be. We need Tony," said Ziva preferring to use the personal pronoun we instead of I at the moment.
"I know, Ziver," said Gibbs.
NCIS
Although he didn't mean to bring her along when Abby heard Tony was hurt she demanded to come to Portsmouth with them. They drove in Jimmy's 2010 Ford Taurus because it allowed more room than Ducky's Morgan Roadster. It was a three and half hour ride, but once they were there Ducky was able to get information in short a period a time, as Jimmy and Abby waited. As people walked by the pair they stared at them since Jimmy looked preppy in his chinos, shirt and sweater with glasses and she looked like a Gothic, sexy Catholic school girl in pigtails. Ducky joined them with a concerned look on his face.
"He has a skull fracture, a posterior cranial fossa," sighed Ducky.
"How bad, Dr. Mallard?" asked Palmer.
"Moderate, GCS 9-12," Ducky answered.
"Okay, what does that mean?" asked Abby. "I'm a forensic scientist not a medical doctor. I need to understand what you are talking about."
"Brain injury is thought to be moderate and his Glasgow Coma Scale is…," Ducky was explaining.
"Ducky, Tony is in a coma. Please don't tell me that Tony is in a coma," Abby said sounding as if she was going to cry.
"The doctors expect him to become more responsive as he slowly comes out of his coma, Abby," said Ducky.
"So he won't stay in the coma?" she asked. "He is going to be Tony again, right?"
"He is slowly coming out of it," said Ducky in his most understanding voice. "Alright, my dear?"
"Yes, Ducky," she said.
"Is that all that is wrong with him?" asked Jimmy.
"He swallowed water when he was thrown in the water. They are pumping him with antibiotics to avoid him getting pneumonia. With his Y Pestis scarred lungs, he can't afford to be fighting off a bout of pneumonia in his weakened condition," he told them.
"Is that all, Ducky?" asked Abby.
"They won't know the extent of the neurological damaged he incurred until he is fully awake and can be given a thorough exam," he said.
"Ducky, he's going to be alright, isn't he?" asked Abby.
"Time will tell, my dear; time will tell," he said.
NCIS
Turlington turned on Kline and both men gave up Murphin as they realized the extent of the trouble they were in. It took several hours, but Ziva, McGee, and finally Gibbs were able eventually to even find out about Frizz, who was the one who exposed Tony. He had seen Tony in uniform talking to the Petty Officers at a bar and warned Murph. They arrived at the medical center to find Abby asleep with her head leaning on Palmer's shoulder and Palmer dozing off. There were several other people in the waiting room, who were talking in low voices. Ducky, the usually loquacious and gregarious medical examiner, though, was in the corner by himself brooding.
Gibbs sat down beside his friend: "Duck, how is he?"
"Ah, that is the question, Jethro. We will not know for some time," he said.
"He didn't look good the last time I saw him, Ducky," Gibbs said.
McGee sat down and didn't say anything. Guilt was starting to sink and gnawing at his stomach lining. When he saw the blood and the way Tony looked when they pulled him out of the water, it started to occur to him that it was his fault. He was the one who drove into pothole. Ziva or Gibbs probably would have anticipated the holes, but he drove right into it and ended up three minutes too late.
"Can we see him?" asked Ziva.
"They will allow his next of kin to sit with him," Ducky said.
Gibbs started to stand up, but ducky placed a hand on his thigh.
"It appears that Anthony has amended his next of kin on his personnel form from you alone, Jethro, to you and Ziva. You are both his next of kin now," he said.
"I did not know he did that, Gibbs," she said.
Gibbs looked at Ziva, who still wore the baggy NCIS sweat gear. Her eyes were pleading with him to let her sit with Tony. She needed to see him and touch his hand to make sure he was alive.
"Ziver, take care of him. I'll check in on him later," said Gibbs.
She offered him a small smile then left to find the nurses' station so she could go to Tony's room. One of the on duty nurses took her in hand and escorted her to Tony's room. Ziva stared at Tony. His hands were restrained as she saw that he was intubated.
"Why is he restrained?" she asked.
"They didn't want him to pull his breathing tube out," said the nurse.
"Oh," she said. "Can I sit with him and talk to him?"
The nurse grabbed a comfortable chair and moved it beside the bed then motioned her to seat down.
"Talk to him and touch his hand. Make your presence known. He will know you are here," she told Ziva.
"Thank you," Ziva said then she sat down and looked at Tony.
His face was scrunched up as if he was having some sort of febrile nightmare. She reached over and touched his restrained right hand and started to talk to him.
"You have me worried, Tony. I don't like to see you like this, so pale and so weak," she said. "I am sacred, yes, scared and you usually calm me when I am scared. I thought we would not make it in time to save you. I was afraid I was going to lose you. You once said that you cannot live without me, well; I am not too sure that I can live without you."
His arms started to strain against his restraints. She stroked the top of his right hand with her right hand. It seemed to calm him down, which brought a smile to her lips. She could calm him, which somehow gave her strength.
"Oh, Ahuvi, I have never met a man like you before I came to NCIS. You were a good man but you hid it under so many masks that at first I wasn't sure I even liked you. But, then you risked your life for me when we undercover and I realized there was so much more to you, so much you hid," she said. "Oh, Tony, ani ohevet otcha."
He was now completely calm and Ziva finally allowed herself to cry.
NCIS
Gibbs arranged for a motel for them for the night. Ducky was going to question the doctors in the morning about when they could transport him to Bethesda for care. It was a restless sleep for everyone. They arranged to meet a local dinner for breakfast at seven in the morning.
Gibbs was seated at a table waiting for the rest of the NCIS crew. He had received a call from Ducky telling him that the hospital called him because Tony was awake and being difficult. Ziva and McGee were the next two to show up.
"Where is Ducky?" asked Ziva.
"The hospital. Tony woke up," said Gibbs said. "He was being difficult so they asked for Ducky's help."
"We should go to the hospital," said Ziva.
"No, we should wait for Palmer and Abby and have breakfast then go to the hospital. It is going to be a long day," said Gibbs.
"Yes, boss," said McGee.
"Yes, Gibbs," added Ziva.
It was then that Palmer and Abby strolled in. She ran over to the table hug Gibbs then Ziva and then sat down beside McGee and put her head on his shoulder. Palmer sat down near Gibbs.
"I was telling these two that we have breakfast then hospital," Gibbs said.
"Yes, Gibbs," said Abby.
NCIS
"How is the nausea, Anthony?" asked Ducky.
Tony was lying with his bed in a half seated position not moving.
"If I move I want to vomit, so I'm not going to move if I can help it," he said.
"Do not worry, Anthony, it will subside in time. A grade three B concussion can cause nausea and headaches. You must be aware that relapses can reoccur in the future. You got quite a hit to the back of your head. It's best for you to avoid any more head injuries for a time, dear boy," Ducky lectured him.
"I understand and I don't think we have to worry about that, do we, Ducky?" he said allowing bitterness to enter his tone.
"Now once the headaches and nausea subside, you can be transported to Bethesda, Maryland and Walter Reade, closer to home," Ducky said.
"Okay, Ducky, whatever you say," he mumbled.
"I can check to see if everyone is here Anthony. They are looking forward to seeing you, especially Ziva. She sat with you yesterday while you were comatose. She is very upset about, my lad," he said.
"Ducky, I don't want any visitors," he said softly.
"Are you sure, Anthony," Ducky asked. "Do you think it best to push those who love you away at this time?"
"Yes, Ducky, and you know why," Tony said. "Please, Ducky, I can't deal right now. Please, go. I'll talk to you later."
"Alright, my boy," he said.
Ducky walked over to Tony's bedside and patted his hand then he walked out of the hospital room. He saw the NCIS crew walking towards the room, so he walked towards them and stopped them.
"Anthony doesn't want to see any visitors," Ducky stated.
Everyone could hear the sadness in his voice. Gibbs took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He knew this wasn't going to be good news Ducky was going to give them.
"Why does he not want to see… us?" asked Ziva.
Ducky sighed: "He woke up several hours ago, my dear. Right now he has a splitting headache, nausea, and… and Anthony is blind."