McGee was miserable. Gibbs had been staring at him for several minutes now. Just silently staring. Tim could feel the cold blue eyes boring into the top of his head, but could not bring himself to look up. He knew that he was in trouble, and wished that his boss would just get on with it already. Yelling would be preferable to the torture of waiting. Not to mention how unnerving it was to be stared down like this.
He knew he'd screwed up, and he felt horrible about it. Not only had he told Tony that he never wanted to hear his voice again, he hadn't rushed to help his friend when he was injured in the line of duty. You will be lucky if Gibbs doesn't fire your ass right now, Tim thought. Even if he doesn't, can you ever face DiNozzo again? He probably hates you, and rightfully so.
McGee was gathering the courage to open his mouth and apologize when he was granted a short reprieve. Gibbs had been summoned to MTAC. As his boss took the stairs two at a time, Tim let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He knew it was only delaying the inevitable, but if he could find a break in the case before Gibbs returned maybe that would get him back in good graces. HA, he snorted bitterly. Good graces. I'll be lucky if it saves my life.
Down in Autopsy, Dr. Mallard was fussing over the dark, painful-looking bruises on Tony's throat. "My, my, Anthony. This looks far worse than I expected." Normally Tony would have responded with some smart remark, but since that wasn't an option he just shrugged. "Are you still in pain?" Another shrug. "I see," Ducky replied. He pulled a syringe and vial out of his medical bag. Tony began to shake his head adamantly. "My dear boy, you are almost as bad as Jethro. You're undoubtedly in a significant amount of pain whether you choose to admit it or not. This will make you feel much better." Tony continued to refuse, and when he pantomimed sleeping Ducky quickly understood. "Ah, I see your point," the elderly ME nodded. "Then how about a partial dose? That should take the edge off the pain without making you groggy." DiNozzo considered it, then allowed Ducky to administer the injection. He smiled his thanks and hopped off the table. Before Tony walked away, the doctor caught his arm. "If the pain gets worse, or if you continue to have difficulty swallowing, please come see me." DiNozzo nodded in agreement, but both men knew it was a lie. Anthony DiNozzo was the second most stubborn patient that Dr. Mallard had ever dealt with, and he had learned it from the very best.
Tony was almost through the sliding doors when he realized he hadn't gotten the answer to an important question. He attracted the doctor's attention by tapping on a nearby metal washbasin. "How long?" Tony mouthed silently, while pointing at his throat. Ducky looked him straight in the eye. "At least two to three weeks, longer if you try to push yourself too soon," was the pointed response. Tony's face fell, but he nodded his understanding and continued out the door.
McGee was combing again through information about the case, hoping to find something new that could lead them to the killer. Or Tony's attacker. At this point McGee wasn't going to be picky about which one it was. He had been working without a break since 0500 and by now had practically memorized every detail of the murdered Marine's life, including all of the man's known associates. Suddenly he noticed something he had overlooked before, and raced toward Abby's lab to double-check the evidence. This could be it, he thought excitedly.
Instead of heading directly back up to the bullpen, Tony decided to first pay Abby a visit. He wanted to get her opinion on how best to deal with Tim. Abby might be angry at McGee but Tony knew if he explained the full situation that she – unlike Gibbs - would quickly change her tune. That was one of his favorite things about the forensic scientist. She couldn't stay mad at anyone for long. I wish everyone could be so forgiving. Would make my life a hell of a lot easier sometimes. Tony was lost in thought as he rounded the corner.
Tim was so focused on getting to the lab to prove his theory that he didn't see DiNozzo step into the hall right in front of him.