"I'm fine Tony, really." Tim insisted for the thousandth time as Tony sat protectively at the end of his hospital bed.
Tony turned a questioning eyebrow onto him "Really? Then why do you keep sort of blanking out on us then?"
Tim turned his head away so Tony couldn't see into his eyes. He knew that it was because Dante kept calling to him and wanted him at his side. He wanted to hold him, touch him and reassure himself that his beloved companion was unharmed. In fact it was all Tim could do to say put and not sneak out of the hospital and curl up in Dante's strong cool arms. But apart from facing Gibbs' wrath not to mention Ducky's it would also result in a lot of unanswered questions. Like where the hell had he gone as they would surely check his apartment?
It was becoming increasingly difficult to block Dante's anguished call from his mind as Tim succumbed to his own exhaustion. But he could hardly tell Tony that. So he stuck doggedly to his story
"Look I'm just in the hospital for observation. I'm a bit knocked around but that's all. You were right behind me and must have scared the guy off. I didn't see him. He must have knocked me out from behind."
Tony studied his friends face and wasn't impressed. Timothy McGee was lying about something. But what?
"Who's Dante?"
Tim jerked as if he had been jabbed with a cattle prod at Tony question as Dante's consciousness surged again to the front of his mind in response. Intense blue eyes, silky black hair, pale skin, full lips………….Tim battled to stay focused on Tony and panted and blinked his eyes.
Come to me!
"Whoa there Probie, calm down its ok" Tony grew concerned as Tim jumped and then seemed to be struggling with himself. Tony placed a calming hand on Tim's shoulder and smiled and Tim focused on Tony's concerned face. He was frightening his friend. Again. Tony didn't deserve all this weirdness. Tim suddenly found himself back in the here and now of the hospital and he sagged back against the hospital pillows.
"What?" Tim tried desperately to look unconcerned but knew his extreme response had already been noted.
"Dante? You called for someone called Dante just before you went down. I heard you."
"Uhhhhhhhh I don't….uhhhhhhh" Tim's mind swam. He didn't want to lie to Tony. Besides he wasn't very good at it. But if he told him he did know someone called Dante then what? Just casually drop into the conversation that he was bound to a blood sucking immortal?
Tony watched as Tim tried to come up with an answer. Ok the fact that he was taking so long meant that yes he did know someone called Dante. Two it also meant that Dante was someone Tim was having trouble explaining to him. Did he think that this Dante person might help him in that second of panic? Or was McGee embarrassed about calling for help from anyone, thinking that Tony might think him weak?
Tim was saved from answering by a black and red whirlwind that flew through the hospital room door and launched herself into Tim arms. And promptly burst into tears.
Tim looked up at Tony startled as he tried to soothe Abby who had climbed up onto the bed beside him and now seemed to be trying to burrow into his arms even further leaving trials of mascara over the once white crisp hospital sheets.
"Hey Abb's its ok….I'm ok. Shusssshhhh" Tim rubbed soothing circles into her back which seemed to just make her cry harder. Tim looked up at Tony who just shrugged.
"Abby? Its ok you can cry if you want to but I'm ok. Really. It was just a knock to the head. No damage done."
Tony decided to shelve the thousand responses he had to that one as it really was just too easy and besides Abby seemed genuinely upset.
"You….you were dead! I mean you were alive but your eyes …….the McGeeness was gone and it was like you were dead!" Abby stuttered haltingly into Tim's neck and grabbed him tighter threatening to choke him.
Tony decided to step in as Probie looked like he was going to have trouble breathing soon.
"Abby, Come on McGee wasn't anywhere near dead."
Tony plastered on his trademark grin and licked his dry lips as he tried to skip over that instant in the dark as he rounded the corner to see Tim's crumpled body in the gutter only to roll him over and find his neck covered in warm blood.
That would be his own personal nightmare for later.
"Abby?" Tim continued to soothe his panicked friend, holding her tight in his arms. "It was just a dream. You know how vivid your dreams can be sometimes?"
Tim remembered the many times he had held her through the night when she had awoken panicked and crying from some nightmare in the night. They would rarely speak of it in the morning but it always warmed him that she could find solace in his arms.
Abby just shook her head and snuggled up further until she was practically on top of McGee.
"Not a dream. You were chained……to a wall….and they kept coming and coming…..they would torture you to hear you scream and they would drain you for your blood…….and they kept you in the dark and they wouldn't let you go…..but they wouldn't let you die either."
The horror of her dream hit Abby again and she burst into fresh choking tears as Tim stilled beneath her.
Blood slave! Dante hissed in Tim's mind.
The dream walker has seen the truth. Come to me I must protect you! Come to me NOW!
Tim felt the part of Dante's mind that he had kept closed off to him breach under the weight of Abby's words and he felt himself flood with wordless horror.
Blood. The lash. Pain. Fear. Chained. Torment. Endless terror. Alone. Cold. Insane hunger. Eternity.
No! Dante cried and swooped in and gathered him up in his arms wrapping his wings around him and cocooning him in his ancient consciousness.
Tony stepped back and watched alarmed as Tim's face paled and then his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out.
"Doc! Docter? Anyone!!! Abby get off him something's wrong! What did you say to him! Help? Nurse please my friend…he was ok but he's passed out……..McGee???"
Tony grabbed a nurse passing by the door who quickly checked Tim's vital signs while he hauled Abby off the bed.
"What did you say to him? Abby? What did you do?"
Tony's panic caused him to shake Abby hard by the arms and she looked up at Tony with horror struck eyes, her eyelashes spiky with tears. What had she done?
***************************************************************
"They want to keep him in for another night Boss. He should be fine but they are worried as he sort of blacks out. They want to do some more tests….Possible swelling to the brain or something. I told him that brain of his was too big… "
Tony tried to keep the tone light and not show Gibbs how freaked out he had been when McGee had passed out in front of him. Although being Gibbs he probably already knew.
"Tony?" The groggy voice from the bed called and Tony's heart leapt.
"Gotta Go Boss. Yeah he's awake" Tony snapped the call shut and turned to his friend with a grin.
"Man you scared me there for a minute McGee. Again."
Tim nodded "Sorry Tony….I …."
Tony shook his head "Nothing to be sorry for. You're sick. Must have been a bigger crack over the head than they thought. They want to keep you here and keep an eye on you though for a bit longer than we first thought."
"WHAT?? No no they can't I ….I need to go home" Tim was positively distraught and Tony blinked in surprise.
"Hey it won't be so bad. No work, cute nurses…"
"No Tony I need to go home!"
Tim knew he couldn't explain it. The Doctors wanted to keep an eye on him as he 'blanked out' and even passed out but he knew that would only get worse if he couldn't get to Dante. It was a vicious circle. The longer he was away the more agitated Dante got and the more tired he became the more 'sick' he appeared.
"Please? Get the Doctor Tony? I will discharge myself if I have to but I'm going home"
Tony glared at his friend.
"Are you nuts? What's got into you? First Abby acting all crazy and now you too?"
"Abby? Abby! Yes that's it. Get her in here and the Doctor too."
Tony frowned and made a mock bow "Oh your wish is my command" before returning a moment later with a rather unnaturally timid looking Abby and a Doctor in tow.
"Look I want to go home. Now I know I passed out before but that's because I received some very distressing news from a friend. Isn't that right Abby?"
Abby nodded uncertainly, not really sure where Tim was going with this and simply grateful that he seemed to be talking to her at all. She had rather unthinkingly dumped a big Abby sized freak out on him while he was in hospital after being attacked. Not really the smartest thing to do.
The Doctor just looked doubtful as Tim plunged on.
"I know that I'm fine. And I hate hospitals so I will be much better off at home. Now I know you will probably refuse but if Abby here stays with me and keeps an eye on me all night in case something does go wrong?"
The Doctor frowned and looked down at the man who suddenly seemed so animated.
"As you say it will be against my recommendation…."
Tim grinned "Right Tony…hand me my pants I'm getting out of here"
*******************************************************************
Tony stood besides Abby car in the car park and kept calling instructions through the window.
"Abby, make sure he stays warm and don't let him stay up all night playing computer games. No junk food and no freaking him out with weird dreams either. Play quietly. I still can't believe you checked your self out against medical advice McGee. That's not very smart…"
"Will you please stop clucking over me like a mother hen Tony? I'm going to be fine. Abby's going to be with me. Now why don't you go home and get some sleep?"
Tony watched the two of them drive off towards McGee's apartment wondering at the change in always logical McGee's behavior. And he still hadn't answered his question as to who this Dante person was? And what was up with Abby? Hinky, Hinky, Hinky.
I'm coming
Tim turned to Abby with a nervous smile on his face.
"Abby? There's someone I would like you to meet"
(Sorry about the wait real life caught up and visitors meant writing at night was impossible. But as of Tuesday I can have my computer back. Thanks Precious .Oh I can't wait for the next chapter!!! Claps hands.)