Sunday, 0816, streets of downtown Washington DC
Ziva looked over at Dr. Benoit. The other woman had actually fallen asleep on the drive back to Ziva's apartment, but now she sat wakeful and staring out the window as Ziva drove to the Navy Yard. "How are you feeling?" Ziva asked.
Dr. Benoit looked around. "Drained," she said. "Enraged. I want to give that bastard ulcerative colitis . . . the manual way."
Ziva wasn't sure what that meant. "Manual way?"
"With a toothpick," Dr. Benoit said, and Ziva got the picture. It was an oddly soothing image. "Or an ice pick."
"An ice pick is good," Ziva observed.
Dr. Benoit nodded. "Better penetration," she said.
"Definitely better penetration." They continued in silence for a moment. Ziva had her own thoughts on what should be done with Brody Harris, but she did not feel like sharing them. "How is Tony?" she asked instead.
"How do you think?" Dr. Benoit asked.
"If I knew, I would not ask. I can guess, but I might be wrong."
Dr. Benoit stared at her for a moment. "He was shocked," she said. "I don't know what else I can tell you. He seemed pretty out of it this morning, but I don't know how well he slept. I had to ease him out of a couple of nightmares that looked pretty nasty."
"You did not wake him?"
"He needed his sleep. He used to have nightmares from time to –" She broke off, blushing. Clearing her throat, she said, "It's pretty easy to get him out of them without waking him up."
Ziva was a little startled by this information. "I see." When he slept at the office, he never seemed to have nightmares, but then neither did she. One could train one's mind to keep things private, even in sleep, but if he had relaxed his mind that far with Benoit . . .
"Officer David?" she asked, and Ziva returned her attention to her. "Do you know of anyone named Jeffrey?"
Ziva shook her head. "The name does not ring a bell," she said.
"Oh."
Traffic was moving very slowly this morning. Ziva rested her head on her hand. "Call me Ziva," she said.
Dr. Benoit gave her a sidelong look. "Call me Jeanne," she replied. "How long have you known Tony?"
"A little over three years," Ziva said.
"What do you know about his family?" Jeanne asked.
"Very little," Ziva replied. "He does not speak of them often, and what he has said, I do not believe I should repeat."
"Why not?" Ziva gave her a dark look, and Jeanne shook her head. "Not trying to persuade you, I just wondered what the reason was."
"Tony talks all the time," Ziva said. "He never stops talking, in fact. When there is something a man like that never talks about, it means it is intensely private. I would not wish to betray that without his permission."
Jeanne was quiet for a few moments, then she made a sound that was halfway between a snort and a sigh. "This situation is really stretching my ethics," she said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, just yesterday I said that Brody was enough to make me rethink my stance on the death penalty."
"Why would you need to –" Ziva started, but then she stopped. "You oppose the death penalty?"
"I do," Jeanne said. She glanced over at Ziva. "I take it you don't?" Ziva shook her head, not trusting that a verbal response wouldn't get out of hand. Perhaps Jeanne sensed the reason for her reticence, because she didn't pursue the question. "Right now I want to bully you into telling me everything you know."
"You would fail," Ziva said placidly, but she couldn't fault the desire. If their situations were reversed, she could and would bully the same information out of her companion.
"Maybe," Jeanne said. "But Tony would never forgive me." Ziva shrugged. Tony was proving to be more forgiving that Ziva would ever have imagined. "Is Agent Gibbs always this abrupt?"
"Most of the time," Ziva answered honestly. "Though he does grow more so when one of the team is threatened."
"Does that happen often?"
"Oftener than I would prefer," Ziva said. She glanced aside at the woman. If she was attempting to come back into Tony's life, it might be prudent to remind her of what that life consisted of. "As the senior agent under Gibbs, Tony is often in a great deal of danger," she said.
Jeanne nodded. "I know all about that," she replied. "The guy I dated before Tony was a cop, too." She rolled her eyes. "I guess I'm attracted to men in law enforcement, whatever guise they wear."
"It does not disturb you?"
"Of course it disturbs me, but I've seen him in action. It was pretty impressive. I never saw John in action."
"Would it have made a difference?" Ziva asked.
"No, he slept with my best friend."
"Ah," Ziva said. "And you did not shoot him? He is lucky that you do not believe in capital punishment."
"Actually, he's dead," Jeanne said, and Ziva turned to her, somewhat startled. "It kind of freaked me out when I read it in the paper. He'd been sort of hanging on, and I finally told him that I had someone else and he needed to stop bugging me. I got his e-mail saying that he understood and wouldn't bother me anymore the night he died."
Traffic started moving again, but people wanted to change lanes and things got very complicated. Ziva pulled forward and focused on driving for several minutes. When she was in a clear area, moving freely, she said, "I can see how that would be distressing."
"Anyway, we should be there any time now, right?" Jeanne said in a bright voice.
Ziva glanced over at her and recognized that she had said more than she'd wanted to and was not interested in further conversation at the moment. "About ten minutes, I should think, unless traffic worsens again."
Jeanne nodded and looked out the window. Ziva wished she knew what to make of the woman beside her.
Sunday, 0834, Bethesda Naval Medical Center
Tony woke to a strange whirring sound that it took him a minute to place as the sound of the curtain being drawn back. He had watched maybe five minutes of the Lucy episode before his exhaustion had begun to catch up with him. That and the fact that he wasn't being observed or having to put on a show had made it impossible for him to stay awake. Unsure how much time had passed, he rolled over, wondering who his visitor was.
Fear clutched his vocal cords and fury surged through him as Brody leaned over the bed. Tony hauled off and punched him square in the jaw. Unfortunately, he couldn't get much force behind the blow. It barely turned Brody's head. Brody grabbed Tony's wrists and bore them back to the bed. Panic reared its head and fought with Tony's anger for control. Brody kept coming downwards, and Tony realized suddenly that the bastard actually planned to kiss him. Turning his head, he took in a deep breath to yell for help, but Brody shifted his grip on him hastily, covering his mouth with one huge hand while he held Tony's wrists in the other. Immobilized, unable to call out, Tony stared up at him, terror threading through his gut.
"I've missed you, Tony," Brody murmured, leaning close and nuzzling Tony's neck. "I've missed us." Tony wanted to inform him that there was no 'us,' but Brody was holding his mouth closed with bruising force. "I explained the whole situation about how Gibbs is keeping us apart to Agent Manton, and she got the guards to lift the ban." Brody licked Tony's ear, making him cringe. He seemed oblivious to Tony's struggles. He sat on the side of the bed, pinning the blankets down and trapping Tony's legs, and, even one-handed, he held Tony's arms down with ease. He chuckled. "Those army boys were sure glaring at me when I came in, though." Marines, Tony thought. He knew Gibbs had to be nearby, but Brody hadn't made much noise. How had he gotten past Gibbs? Brody stuck his tongue in Tony's ear, and Tony tried to yell at him. The noise that came out sounded weak and pathetic, fueling Tony's anger.
"What the hell is going on here?" demanded a familiar voice. Tony groaned. Of course it would be Brad coming in, not Gibbs or Fornell. He redoubled his struggles, hoping that Brad would go out and find help. Apparently, he didn't read minds. He tackled Brody himself. "Get off him!" he ordered, grabbing Brody by the shoulder.
Brody stood, turned and shoved Brad into a wall. Brad clutched at the wall and stood still, looking dazed. Taking advantage of the situation, Tony broke away and scrambled out of the bed. "Brody, get out of here!" he shouted. "I don't want you anywhere near me." Tony realized suddenly that his move had taken him out of reach of both the call button and the phone. Surely someone would come in soon.
"That's just Gibbs talking," Brody said, moving towards him. "You can't mean it."
"You hired guys to attack me so you could rescue me from them." Brody's eyes widened. "You paid them. That one guy almost raped me, and you paid him to do that."
Brody drew closer suddenly, and when Tony would have shoved him away, he grabbed Tony's wrists and put them in one hand. He slipped his free hand behind Tony's neck, holding him firmly and stroking Tony's cheek with his thumb. Tony ground his teeth and contemplated biting him. "Sometimes you need a catalyst," Brody said softly, and Tony was so astonished that he looked Brody squarely in the eye and saw the sincerity there. "Guys like you, something needs to happen to show you what you need."
"You're completely mental!" Tony exclaimed. "Let me –"
The sound of guns cocking made both of them stop moving. "Hands up and step back." Gibbs was in the room. Tony felt like he could breathe again. Brody's hands tightened, and Tony winced.
Before Brody could react in any other way, another voice spoke. "Detective Harris, back away from Agent DiNozzo." That was Fornell.
Tony looked up at Brody. "Let me go," he said.
"Tell him, Tony," Brody said, turning and dragging Tony with him. "Tell Gibbs how you really feel." The position improved Tony's angle. He brought his foot up and smashed the heel down on Brody's instep, jerking his wrists sideways at the same time. Gibbs and Fornell surged forward to grab Brody by the arms. Brody turned towards Tony. "Tell them to leave me alone, Tony. Tell Gibbs." This last was said with a violent jerk on the arm Gibbs held. Tony took a step back when he managed to get partially free.
Two men stepped across in front of him, startling him, and for the first time, Tony noticed how many people had entered the room. The guys in front of him were Dr. McLean and another doctor he didn't know. Agent Manton stood near the door, looking appalled, and two of this floor's nurses had come in. One of them was talking on a radio. Brad sat on the bed, looking a little the worse for wear, and Gibbs and Fornell were still fighting with Brody.
"Get your hands off me, you controlling bastard!" Brody growled, shoving at Gibbs. It was Tony's instinct to go to his aid, but when he started to move, Dr. McLean put a hand on his shoulder. Then the door opened to admit two large Navy corpsmen. Between them, Gibbs, Fornell and the two corpsmen got Brody, still fighting and yelling, out of the room. Ella came to Tony's side with the other nurse and tried to guide him back to the bed.
"No way," he said. "I am leaving."
"Agent DiNozzo, you need to let me look you over again," Dr. McLean said.
"Hell no, I'm done. I . . ." He realized that he was shaking, but he didn't want to sit down or admit to any form of weakness. He couldn't stand the idea of another night in the hospital, and after being attacked in here, he wasn't sure he could stand another minute in this room. Tony turned to Ella. "Can you find out for me if they've gotten Brody out of the hall?"
"Agent DiNozzo, you need to let the doctors see to you," Agent Manton said.
Tony turned on her. "I don't want to hear one more word from you," he said. "Or wait, one more. Was Brody lying when he said you arranged for him to be allowed in? Yes or no?"
"No," she said, her eyes wide, and Tony's anger exploded. He had to get out of here.
They had to shove Harris against a wall to get the cuffs on him. Gibbs restrained himself the best he could, but he really wanted to pound this guy to jelly. Seeing him with Tony, manhandling him that way, had urged his anger up several notches. DiNozzo was not a small man, but Harris made him look like one.
Once the cuffs were on, Harris tried to shake them off. "Fine," he snarled into the wall. "You've got me. I won't fight."
"Smarter not to," Fornell replied. "You guys got him?" he asked the two corpsmen.
"Yes sir," replied one, and Fornell took Gibbs arm to pull him away.
"That's it, Gibbs," he said softly. "I don't want you touching him again." Gibbs glowered at him. "I know," Fornell said in response to the look. "God knows, I'd feel the same, but if he can convince one person you're the bad guy here, he stands a chance of convincing more."
"After that display?"
"Brought on by an excess of emotion after having been kept away for –" Gibbs cut him off with a single emphatic word, and Fornell shook his head. "I need to call for back up," he said. "Stay away from him."
Gibbs crossed his arms and stared at Harris, trying to fathom what drove the man. As though he felt Gibbs' eyes on him, Harris turned and scowled back at him. "This is all your fault, old man," he said. "I'll get Tony back, you can't keep him away from me forever."
Gibbs gazed at him a moment longer, then slowly turned his back. He walked over to the door to DiNozzo's room and overtly ignored Harris while keeping an eye on him covertly.
A voice from inside the room at his back made him forget Harris. "Gibbs!" It was DiNozzo, loud and sounding halfway to panicked. He slammed through the door, ready to kill someone. He stopped just over the threshold, heart still pounding in his chest, but his murderous impulse dimming somewhat. DiNozzo, eyes wide and a little wild, stood surrounded by medical professionals, and Agent Manton was staring at him, looking slightly stunned. "Get me some clothes!" DiNozzo ordered. "I'm getting out of here now."
"Agent DiNozzo!" Dr. McLean exclaimed anxiously. "You need –"
Gibbs ignored him. "Sure, DiNozzo, we can go," he said easily.
The little doctor turned to him. "Agent Gibbs, I need to check him out."
"I am going," Tony said, anger and agitation making him sound almost irrational. Gibbs wanted to get him out of here before he got any more overwrought, but McLean started to speak again.
"Can I come with you, Tony?" Dr. Pitt asked, cutting the other doctor off.
Tony turned towards him. "Sure," he said, blankly, as if the idea was unexpected.
"He's a witness," Manton pointed out.
Gibbs saw Tony stop dead. He turned his head slowly towards the woman. "And if he went with us, you'd tell me that it would appear that Gibbs had influenced him."
"Agent DiNozzo," she said, and her tone split the difference between concerned and condescending.
"Save it," DiNozzo snapped, and she stopped talking. "Brad, please stay here and give Fornell your statement. Don't tell her anything."
"Sure, Tony, but you do need to see a doctor."
"Ducky," Tony said shortly, and Pitt nodded. "Gibbs, let's go."
Fornell hung up the phone and turned to see one of the doctors who'd been in the room with DiNozzo walking towards him. Manton was next to him, talking to him, but he appeared to be ignoring her. As they approached, she said, "Can you at least tell me who Ducky is?"
"NCIS Medical Examiner," Fornell said. "What's going on?"
"This man won't give us a statement," Manton replied.
The doctor's face grew cold and his tone arctic when he turned to her. "No, ma'am, I won't give you a statement." Turning back again, he said, "Are you Fornell?"
"I'm Special Agent Fornell."
"I'm Dr. Brad Pitt. No relation."
It took Fornell a moment to realize what he meant, but then he shrugged. "Why won't you talk to Agent Manton?" he asked curiously.
"Tony asked me not to," Pitt said, and Fornell raised his eyebrows. That was an interesting development. "Do you realize that she let that person into the hospital?"
"What do you mean?" Fornell asked, a suspicion forming. He wanted to hear exactly what Pitt had to say first.
"I heard her tell Tony that she arranged for that . . . whoever he was . . . to be allowed in."
Fornell looked over at Manton, who looked defiant. "You did what?"
"It was Agent Gibbs who put him on the do not admit list, not Agent DiNozzo."
"It ever occur to you that DiNozzo didn't put him on it himself because Agent Gibbs already had?" Fornell demanded.
"Or maybe because he was unconscious when he was admitted?" Pitt said. Manton flushed, but she didn't lose her defiant stance. Pitt turned to Fornell. "Look, the only reason I didn't go with Tony is because I'm a witness, and there's some question of Agent Gibbs 'influencing' me, whatever that means. Can you please take my statement? I still don't know why Tony wanted me here in the first place."
Fornell considered explaining, but decided against it. "Agent Manton, why don't you go over there –" He indicated a phone on the other side of the nurses station. "And report in your findings," he added sarcastically. "You can be sure that I will be doing the same shortly."
She walked off, her back ramrod straight, and Fornell turned to Pitt. He pulled out a pad of paper. "Please, tell me what happened," he said.
"I got a call telling me that Tony had an emergency, that he needed my help as a friend." Fornell nodded. "I opened the door and I saw that . . . person . . . leaning over him, restraining him, and I –"
"Restraining him? In what way?"
"He had Tony's hands held in one of his, and he'd put his other hand over Tony's mouth." Pitt's eyes narrowed as if with thought. "He was . . . my God, I think he was biting his ear."
"Go on," Fornell said, slightly sickened.
"I tried to make him stop, and he shoved me off so hard that I hit the wall. It dazed me for a minute, but once I recovered, I saw him cornering Tony by the window." He paused, eyes distant. "They were talking. Tony told him to go away, and the man said something about it being Gibbs talking and that Tony couldn't mean it."
"Can you remember exact words?"
"Not for that, I was on the phone, trying to get help," Pitt said. "Then Tony . . ." His eyes widened. "He said something about that guy hiring someone to rape him."
"And then what?"
"The guy said . . . 'sometimes you need a catalyst.'" He shook his head. "What the hell is going on here?"
Fornell was writing. It wasn't an absolutely ironclad admission of guilt, but it was good enough for a warrant. "Anything else?"
"Yeah, 'Guys like you need something to happen to show you what you need.' What kind of a loon is he?"
"A dangerous one. Anything else?"
"You and Agent Gibbs came in then."
Fornell nodded. "Okay. If you think of anything else, here's my – Dr. Pitt, where are you going?"
"NCIS. Tony has your number, I assume."
Fornell nodded and watched the man disappear into an elevator.