The good news with Tony was that he could see. He could hear. He knew everybody, but he had other lapses in memory. He knew which building he lived in, but he didn't know which floor or the apartment number. He knew he worked for NCIS, but didn't know where he sat, those types of things.

Tony also had to relearn some things, like walking and feeding himself. It wasn't so much that he had forgotten. It was that his balance was off and his hands shook a little.

Physical therapy was excruciating. Tony had it almost every day. By the time the soreness went away from the last session he was back at it again. But he was walking much steadier and his hands had nearly stopped shaking.

"I'm doing better?" Tony asked Wayne Preston one of the physical therapists assigned to him on a rotating basis.

"Much, Tony." Wayne said.

"When will I be finished with all this?" Tony asked, meaning the physical therapy.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves yet, Tony. There are two parts to PT. First, we bring the body part up to the appropriate level of function, which is what we are doing now. Secondly, is to maintain that level of function. That part is harder. You won't have me around all the time to make you, push you. You will be largely on your own for that part." Wayne paused. "What you have truly in your favor is the fact you are a runner." Tony slowly took another step as Wayne watched. "That means you already have good muscle tone in your legs. It will not be hard or take long to build those muscles back up." At this point, Tony stopped walking. Wayne brought the wheelchair up behind him and he lowered himself carefully into the seat. He was breathing hard and his back hurt.

"Will the pain ever go away?" Tony asked.

Wayne smiled and nodded. "It will, Tony, in time. You're working muscles that are not used to all that work. You gave them a month's rest and they got used to it really quick."

Tony leaned back in the chair, grateful when Wayne called it a day and wheeled him back to his room. Abby was there waiting when he got back. She helped Wayne get Tony back in bed. "How is Tony doing, Wayne?"

"Better every day, Abby." Wayne said, as they both help arrange the covers over the patient.

Abby nodded. "Tony, how was…?" Abby stopped midsentence when she looked down at Tony and realized that he had already closed his eyes.

"He's tired." Wayne explained. "Our session wasn't as long today. He pushed himself pretty hard, so I thought I would cut it short."

Abby nodded again. She slipped her hand into Tony's and used the other to brush the hair off his forehead.

"He's lucky to have a friend like you, all of you." Wayne said as he turned the wheelchair around and left the room.

Kate and Tim entered as Wayne was leaving. "How is he?" Kate whispered to Abby.

"He's good..." Abby brushed the stray hair from his forehead again. "…just tired from physical therapy."

Tim motioned to Abby and they all went out into the hall.

"What's going on?" Abby said, glancing back at Tony's sleeping form through the open door. "Why did we need to come out here?"

"Gibbs." Tim stated.

Kate continued. "Gibbs showed up at work today. He went straight to Director Shepard's office, stayed about 20 minutes and then left. He didn't come down to see us."

Tim picked up the story. "He didn't go see Ducky. We just talked to him before we left to come here. Ducky and Jimmy are on their way, by the way."

Abby shook her head. "Well, I didn't see him today either." Abby looked back in on Tony. "I heard he is selling his house."

Kate nodded. "I drove by the other day. There is a 'For Sale' sign in the yard."

"Gibbs told Ducky he couldn't live there because he couldn't walk into that basement and not think about what happened to Tony." Tim stated.

"We need to get back in there. Tony will think something is wrong." Kate said and they all reentered Tony's room Abby resumed her position from before and Kate took Tony's other hand.

"What's wrong?" Tony asked when they all got back into the room.

Nobody said anything at first. They didn't know he even knew they were gone.

"Talk to me, Kate. What's wrong?" Tony asked, looking up at her.

"Nothing." Kate answered, not quite meeting his gaze.

"Uh, huh." Tony said, giving Kate an appraising look. He turned his penetrating, green-eyed gaze to McGee. "Alright Probalicious, what's going on?"

Tim smiled and laughed.

"WHAT is so funny?" Tony asked, clearly annoyed.

"You haven't called me Probie since…." Tim explained the huge grin on his face. "I was actually starting to miss it."

Abby began. "We haven't told you about this before, because we weren't sure what to make of it." Abby paused and then looked up at Tim and Kate before she continued. "Gibbs has been out on leave, since you…your accident. He's stayed by your bedside, day and night. Director Shepard had to reassign someone to run the team. Since you woke up he still has not been back to work. Director Shepard told Ducky, Gibbs had 6 months leave-time accumulated. She asked Ducky about Gibbs' state of mind. Ducky didn't have a clue." Abby paused to let what she said soak in.

Tony looked at Abby confused. "But Gibbs loves NCIS." Tony paused. "At least, I think he loves it. That's what I remember."

"He loves you more, my dear boy." Ducky said, having caught the last couple sentences of what Abby had said. He and Jimmy entered the room and came up to the bedside.

"What?" Tony said surprised by Ducky's sudden appearance, and by what he had said.

"Gibbs is fond of all of us. We each are important to him." Ducky paused. "But you, Tony…you're special."

"I don't understand…." Tony started.

"You are, to him, like a son. He loves you like you're his." Ducky stated. "It may be misplaced affection, because of Kelly. But it is very real, Tony. When you landed on that basement floor, it nearly killed him. He felt like he might as well have just put a bullet in your brain, himself." Ducky said, unable to stop himself.

"Ducky?" Tony said. He was getting visibly upset.

"Anthony, I am so sorry. I did not mean to upset you, my dear boy." Ducky said. He motioned for Kate to move back and stepped into her spot. He stood quietly for a moment, taking Tony's pulse and watching him breathe. When he was satisfied Tony's vitals had returned to normal, he continued. "I should never have told you that now. It could have waited for a later date. But…I don't know. I just felt like you need to know." Ducky paused. "The Gibbs you used to know is…missing. I don't recognize my old friend."

"Gibbs is Gibbs, Ducky." Tony said, sounding like his old self.

"Tony, your accident hurt him." Jenny said, walking into the room. She had heard most of what Ducky had said. "Ducky is right. I don't want to upset you either. But Jethro is hurting. He blames himself for what happened to you. He said he didn't know if he pushed you, or if you just fell against the railing, but it was his fault. He is not in a good place right now."

"What does that mean?" Tony asked and he did not miss that fact that they all exchanged glances before answering.

Jenny sighed. "Let's just say. I have his gun locked up in my desk until he returns from leave."

They all were standing shocked and surprised, by this new information.

"What!" Kate asked.

"I asked him to bring his gun into me, and he agreed." Jenny explained.

"Just like that?" Tim asked, stunned.

"Yeah, Tim, just like that. Believe me. I was surprised too." Director Shepard said. She moved over to Tony's bedside and Abby moved back so that she could get closer. "He needs you now, Tony. He is in a dark place. I…" Jenny paused.

"What?" Tony asked, wanting her to answer, but still afraid he knows what she is going to say.

"I was…I am afraid he will hurt himself." Jenny paused. "I know he probably owns other guns. If he doesn't, he could get his hands on one easy enough." She sighed. "I just wanted him to know I was aware of what was going on with him."