Sorry this is so short guys. Just figured I should throw something in soon. This story is winding down though. Only one or two chapters left. I really appreciate all those who reveiw and I hope yall like this small chapter. No Beta so all mistakes are mine, sorry.

A/N: Dont own any NCIS characters.

Ziva took a steadying breath and held her head high. She had wiped furiously at her eyes to disperse the tears that had been welling up. Another deep breath. With steadfast resolution she opened up the glass door that led into Tony's room.

The strong pungent smell of antiseptics and plaster and that odd sterile smell that often permeated hospitals assailed her nostrils. She took small tentative steps into the room. Machines whirred and beeped in a cacophony of sound. As she drew closer she saw the amount of tubes and wires that connected his body to the life giving machines. He looked as though he was trapped in a forest of plastic and copper. The sight nearly broke her resolve and she had to gather every ounce of courage she had not to break down.

She stood at the end of his bed looking down at the broken body of the man she loved. His eyes were closed but she knew he was awake. His chest rose and fell in time with the machine that was doing the breathing for him. The sound of air being forced into and out of his lungs was deafening to her ears. She could tell he was in excruciating pain even if the doctor had not previously told her. His hands were balled into fists and his knuckles were white. His jaw was clenched so tightly that she was sure that he would have to see the dentist after he was released from here, if, he was released from here. His eyes were tightly shut and a fine sheen of perspiration clung to his body.

She just stared down at him. She was at a loss for words. The things she had wanted to tell him when she was in the waiting room all fled from her mind. She was a complete blank. She could not tear her eyes away from the immense bandages that covered his upper torso. They had once been a serene white but now near where they had inserted the chest tube was a dark brown. She continued to stare at him. What could she say. How should she say it?

She was broken from her shock when she heard a weak raspy voice say, "Hey…Zi…you…okay?" She looked up quickly into Tony's pain filled eyes. Am I okay? AM I OKAY? He was lying there fighting for his life and asking her if she was okay. Anger flew into her at his words.

"ME! You should not be worried about me Tony! Look at you." She shouted. "You are a stupid ignorant man, Tony! You almost died!" She continued. Tears were now freely falling down her face, whether from anger at his worry for her and not himself or for the fear of almost losing him she didn't know. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. In a quieter voice she added, "You almost left me."

"Hey." His pain filled voice said. She slowly raised her head an opened her eyes to look upon him again. He reached out his good arm for her. She went to that side of the bed and laced her fingers with his.

The quiet raspy voice sounded again, "I…am…never…gonna…leave…you. If…a…ten…ton…building…can't…do…the…job…nothing…will." He smiled up at her. Agonizing pain shot through his body and turned his smile in a grimace. The shooting pain soon went away and again he adopted a smile.

She smiled down at him and nodded. She down to him with mocking sternness, "When we get back into the field, you will never do anything that brave or stupid again." His smile grew wider and he said, "Can't…help…it. Hero…in…my…own…action…movie. Jason…Statham…be…damned." She smiled back at him in his reference. She remembered when he put forth "The Transporter" theory to McGee. How he would have gotten the case and the girl and not spilled a drop of his coffee.

His voice broke her reverie again; "Well…I…don't…think…it'll…be…a…problem…though. Can't…

Go…into…the…field…anymore." His face looked downtrodden. She knew this was hurting him worse than his physical pains. Most of his adult life was spent being a cop or an agent. It was part of his identity and now it was being stripped away.

She placed a comforting hand on his cheek and he leaned into it disregarding the stabbing pain from his body. She leaned down and placed a chaste kiss to his lips and said, "You will always be my hero, no matter what." He smiled up at her and said, "Thanks."

"How…is…the…team?" He asked. She thought about the team in the waiting room. "The usual when one of us gets hurt." She answered. "Gibbs is brooding and pissed he cannot get answers from the staff. Abby is crying her eyes out and worrying. Ducky and McGee are trying to calm her but they are doing the same inside." His eyes bored into hers for a moment until he asked, "And…how…are…you?" She tore her eyes away from his face. She asked, "The truth?" He nodded but figured she couldn't see him with her face turned so he added, "The…truth."

She gently unlaced their fingers and moved to the other side of the bed to grab a chair that was placed next to the wall. She moved it back round to the other side again and sat, lacing their fingers again. Her eyes still not meeting his she said, "I am a crash." A small chuckle escaped him but the pain that shot through him at the movement sobered him immediately. "Wreck…Ziva…Wreck." She gave him an exasperated look and said, "Must you correct me all the time?" A smile slowly spread across his face and he nodded his head for her to continue. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "When we thought you were…you know. I felt such horrible loss and pain. I have felt it before when Tali died. But it was worse. I do not know how to describe it. I knew then that I loved you more than I had thought I did." He quietly absorbed the news he was hearing and reveled in it. She continued, "I broke things off with Michael. It was not fair to him to be second in my heart." He squeezed her hand letting her know that he was sorry. She smiled up at him and said, "He took it well." He squeezed her hand again. She leaned down and kissed his hand.

"So…does…that…mean…you…want…to…be…my…girlfriend?" He asked with a sly smile gracing his face. She teasingly smiled back at him and said, "I do not know Tony. We have not even been on a date yet."

His thumb began to trace small circles on her hand. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and said,

"I'll…have…the…nurse…bring…two…trays…for…lunch."