Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. Duh.

Well, this is chapter number three. Kinda slow, but the next chapter is better. I actually like it. I've written the next couple already, so review if you want more!

As always, enjoy!

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs didn't remember anything after stepping out of the car. There was just a blank spot in his head, and as much as he tried he just couldn't seem to fill it. He'd woken up to commotion, screaming, and heat. Intense heat. He'd tried to move, but found himself unable. He tried to speak, to yell, but he couldn't even open his mouth.

"On three lift."

Voices! He tried to crane his neck in their direction, but they seemed to be all around him. He felt his eyes fluttering open, and was surprised by the pain that accompanied the small action.

"One. Two. Lift!"

And then he felt weightless. And he was moving. Moving. Moving?

"His eyes are opening!"

A face blurred his obscured his vision, but everything so blurry... he couldn't make out... the sirens were beating into his mind... sirens?

"Special Agent Gibbs. You've been in an explosion. You're on the way to the hospital. We're going to take care of you."

Explosion. No. They'd been at a scene. There was no-

Suddenly, a terrible thought gripped him as he forced a word out, his voice raspy and urgent, "McGee!"

There was a pause. Only small, but there. God, he wished her could see properly.

"The other agent was taken in another ambulance. I expect they'll be arriving a short time before we do."

Gibbs tried to speak again, but the paramedic shushed him.

"Don't speak, Agent Gibbs. You need to relax. We'll take care of you. Just try not to fall asleep. That's important."

Gibbs didn't bother nodding or acknowledging that he'd heard the man. The pain had dulled slightly, but he still wanted to cry out. As the sirens continued on, paramedics fussed over his wounds, and the ambulance drove on; Gibbs wondered when it had all gone wrong.

"You're going to be fine, Agent Gibbs," the attending nurse was saying. "We'll need to keep you here a week or so for observation and to continue attending to your wounds, and we need to run a few more tests, but you should be able to leave next Wednesday at the latest. Until then, we'll keep you on medication, so you can't leave the room without permission."

"I didn't ask that," Gibbs growled, "and you know it. Just tell me how he is."

The nurse hesitated. "You're not in good condition right now. I've been ordered to keep stress levels at a minimum."

Gibbs pushed himself up, ignoring the pain. "I will get up and go see him myself if you do not tell me his condition."

"Agent Gibbs. You can't leave this bed. You need time to-"

Gibbs scowled and pushed himself up further, to demonstrate his intent. The nurse creased her brow worriedly.

"Okay," she said resignedly, her voice slightly high-pitched. "Just give me a minute."

Gibbs lay back down as he waited for her to return. It was just as well she did go; he wasn't sure he'd even be able to make it out of the room in his current state. Whoever planted that bomb sure wasn't messing around.

The nurse stepped back into the room, closing the door softly behind her. Gibbs didn't miss the look of concern that crossed her face as she turned back to him. She held up a file.

"I have his notes here. I can't go into details; you aren't family."

"Good or bad?"

She looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"His condition," Gibbs said. "Good or bad?"

The nurse sighed, holding the file to her chest, and took a step toward the end of Gibbs' bed. "He suffered extensive injuries. When he fell he broke his right collar bone, and a burning piece of debris that landed on his clothing gave him burns from his left ankle to just above his knee. They aren't as bad as we originally thought, but risk of infection is still quite high." She paused as Gibbs absorbed the information. Then she went on, "He also received several cuts and bruises, and received a bump to the head. We aren't sure of the damage just yet; he needs to wake up before we know more."

"He isn't awake yet?" Gibbs was no expert on medicine, but her knew when someone hadn't woken after a head injury it generally wasn't good news.

"He regained consciousness briefly just after he arrived here, but was disoriented and confused. He tried to talk, but nothing made sense. The doctors thought he had a concussion."

"And now you think it's something more serious." It wasn't a question.

Hesitation. "Yes."

Gibbs nodded and fell back against the pillows, thoroughly drained. He couldn't believe it. Only a few weeks ago he'd been sitting in the squad room watching his agents bickering playfully. He'd, of course, pretended to be exasperated by their behaviour, but secretly he enjoyed it. Now one of them was overseas and hadn't made contact, one depressed, and the other unconscious with serious injuries. Gibbs closed his eyes and spoke resignedly,

"Is there a phone I can use?" He opened his eyes and focused his gaze on the nurse in the corner of the room, who looked thoroughly uncomfortable, and, much to Gibbs' dismay, sympathetic. He couldn't explain it, but he'd always hated sympathy.

"Of course," she said gently, walking around to the other side of the bed where there was a small table that he hadn't noticed before. On the table was a phone. He mentally cursed himself for being so unobservant. The nurse picked up the receiver and handed it to him. He ignored the pain in his arm as he took it from her. "Just dial zero and then the number you wish to call," she said.

He nodded and she left the room. Gibbs took a breath and dialled. It was picked up almost instantly.

"Agent DiNozzo."

"Tony." His voice was rough.

"Gibbs! Where are you?" came the worried voice of his senior field agent.

"I'm at the hospital. There was a bomb-"

"Gibbs. I know," Tony interrupted. "Are you alright?"

Gibbs did a double-take. "How do you know?"

"Explosion in a suburban area? It's all over the news. Mulvaney came up and told us it was the house you'd just been to. Harvey's team has gone over to process the scene now." He paused, and then said deliberately. "You didn't answer my question. Are you alright?"

Deep breath. "You should get down here, Tony. Bring Abs and Duck if you can. I'll handle Vance."

"Gibbs, what-"

"Bethesda, Tony. Now." And he hung up.

Tony stared at the phone in his hand for only a second before getting up. He was about to race down to the lab when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Gibbs' unopened letter from that morning. On a whim, he grabbed the envelope, before running down to get Abby and Ducky.

A/N: So, envelope is important. Any guesses as to what's inside? As always, thanks for reading, and review for more!