Ducky got the glass up, and the blood, and most of the water off the floor.
As he gathered up the trash, he glanced over at Tony, still asleep on the couch.
He tied off the bag, containing the broken glass, and decided to put it outside, just off the front steps to be taken down to the bins later.
He opened the front door, carrying the bag with him.
Ducky dropped it on the ground, peering up at the protection detail he knew Gibbs had on the house.
He could almost make out the two agents in the front seat.
He sighed, taking a deep breath of the night air.
It was quiet on the street.
Protectively, he scanned around both ways, taking in the other parked cars, looking for anything suspicious.
He wondered who it was, that wanted to kidnap Tony. And why.
He thought back to finding Tony, earlier, lying on the floor hysterically laughing, broken glass and blood around him. And the suddenly wide-eyed, sobering look as he saw Ducky.
He was shivering, lying on the wet floor.
"M'sorry, Ducky. I hope you don't think I'm crazy now," he said it almost with a smile.
Ducky leaned down. Tony was trembling.
"What are you doing here on the floor, my dear friend?"
"I…" Tony's green eyes saddened for a moment, "I had another little…episode. And I must have blacked out for a bit…or something. While I was getting a glass of water…"
Ducky gently pulled the bloody hand from Tony's chest.
"Ah, well…this is going to need stitches…and maybe we should go to the ho-"
"No, Ducky! Please…I'm alright." He pulled himself up slowly, to sit up, with Ducky's help. "I just…Gibbs dropped me off. And I was, uh, a little pissed off…because I can't take this anymore. I mean, I'm a grown man, a federal agent. I shouldn't need babysitters."
"I see," Ducky said, starting to understand.
"And- I just, kind of lost it…" he said, laughing a little again, bitterly, "because look at me. Five minutes alone and look at me. Ridiculous. Right after I told Gibbs off."
Ducky smiled gently, "I think I can certainly understand all that." He decided, with some relief, not to push Tony into going to the hospital.
"I have a kit in my car, so if you like I can patch this up here. But, let's get you up off this wet floor."
Ducky stitched up Tony's hand, which luckily had just a superficial cut across the fleshy part of the palm, and made sure he went to change into some dry clothes.
After, he sat with Tony, on the couch, just a bit longer.
"Would you like to tell me, about what happened?"
Tony looked at the sincerity in Ducky's blue eyes, as they peered at him a little over the glasses.
He took a shaky breath in, and then released it. "Sometimes…things trigger me, like seeing something, or even a sound. And this time it was just the water from the faucet. I dunno, maybe because it was so quiet in here anyway…" he trailed off but then shook himself, and continued. "The sound, of the water running…it…made me hear the whispers again…I still hear them now a little, but, not so bad. I know what they're saying, of course." He shuddered. "But, I was…just not here anymore. I was somewhere else…"
He bit his lip a little and looked down at the floor.
"Tony, " Ducky said gently, "it's alright. You really can just say it. Remember, I've seen other people, victims of such heinous mind tampering…there's nothing that you can tell me that would make me think badly of you."
Tony looked up at him, "I was on a beach…" he said slowly,"and…it's so real. It's like I'm there, Duck. The sight, the sounds, the smell…so real. And I was running from a…"he looked up, and smiled, a little embarrassed, "a giant bird."
Ducky just nodded, not pulling any change in expression.
"The bird…I've hallucinated about it before…it's got a really sharp beak…talons…and it…kills people, and me." Tony swallowed convulsively, looking around the room.
"And, this time?" Ducky asked softly.
"I was…running, for a cave, for shelter. And I shot the thing. But it was still coming…and,…S-Stratton, was in the cave…holding …the knife." Tony was shaking again, voice hitching slightly. "The knife he used, to…" he faltered again, needing to breathe. "I had to make a choice. Stratton…or the bird. So I let it get me. And…then I just woke up, I guess, where you found me." Tony closed his eyes.
Ducky nodded. "Well, that all sounds rather horrific. But the more you talk about it, along with some more time to heal, I am positive it will get better. And you know, Rachel Cranston is quite excellent."
Tony looked at him, with a glimmer of hope.
"I want my life back. I really can't stand this, Duck."
"I know," Ducky put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You will be okay, Anthony. It will just take time."
Ducky had given him the Ativan then, to help him calm down some more, and sleep.
As he came back from his thoughts on earlier, went back into Gibbs' house, closing the door behind him, he noticed the couch was empty.
"Tony?"
He looked to see if Tony had gone to the guestroom. The bed was empty.
"Anthony !" he called again, searching upstairs, with building anxiety.
No windows were open. Nothing looked out of place.
He quickly returned downstairs. He walked to the kitchen, looking at the back door. He opened it easily. It was unlocked. But hadn't it been locked before ? He had checked it before even stitching Tony's hand.
"Anthony !" he called, but there was no one in the back yard.
He turned, walking back in the kitchen, and saw something in the sink, which he had just cleaned a short time ago.
The Ativan was lying in it, a little velvety distortion around it, from being held in Tony's cheek, no doubt.
"Ah ! What are you doing my boy," Ducky said, pulling out his cell phone to call Gibbs.
As it rang, he hurried down the steps to Gibbs' basement.
He hoped he was wrong about his suspicions.
"Gibbs."
Ducky sighed unevenly, a knot in his stomach.
"Jethro, we have a problem."
He was looking at the empty workshop drawer, where Gibbs usually kept a gun.