Jack paced the length of the waiting room, hoping to hear something about Tony's condition. He was fully expecting Leroy to call him any minute, demanding an update. Jack initially had trouble getting in touch with his son, but thankfully Leroy had found Abby at the bowling alley and Jack had finally been able to talk to him. Satisfied that Leroy was on his way, probably with Abby in tow, Jack had come to the hospital and began the tedious act of waiting.
His thoughts turned to Tony. He recognized the fact that Anthony DiNozzo was a troubled man. It was also clear to the older man that the agent was obviously running from something; Jack had seen the same look in Leroy's eyes almost eighteen years ago after Shannon and Kelly had died. Jack sighed. He hadn't been much help to Leroy back then, but maybe he could help Tony. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Leroy wanted to help Tony, but he wasn't sure that the young man was ready to accept his help.
Staring at the clock on the wall, Jack realized that it had been nearly three hours since he had arrived and his patience was about to reach its limit. He should have heard something by now. Jack finally sat down in on e of the hard, vinyl chairs and thumbed through an outdated magazine.
After another half hour, Katherine entered the waiting room and sat down beside him. Jack noticed the fine lines of exhaustion evident in her face; nor did he miss the genuine concern in her eyes.
"So, how's Tony?" Jack eagerly inquired. "You certainly took long enough."
"He's a very sick man," Katherine answered, her tone cool and defensive.
Nonplussed by Katherine's almost frigid reply, he glanced at his watch. "It's been almost three hours and that's all you can tell me?"
"I'm still waiting for some of his tests to com back," she said, her expression softening a bit. "Right now, he's resting. He should be out for a few more hours."
"You're going to have to be a heck of a lot more specific about Tony's condition when you talk to Leroy," Jack warned. He knew that Leroy Jethro Gibbs would insist on knowing every detail regarding the agent's health.
"Hopefully, I'll know more by the time your son gets here."
"You better do more than hope," Jack muttered under his breath.
"What?"
Jack cleared his throat. "Nothing," he quickly answered. "Can I see him? That way if Leroy calls, I can at least tell him that I've seen Tony."
"He really needs to rest," she protested. "Maybe in a few hours."
"I won't wake him up, Doc. I just want to check on him."
"Jack…"
"Katherine right now, I'm all that boy's got," he reminded her.
"All right," the doctor conceded, "but only for a few minutes. He's in ICU 4."
Jack became alarmed. "ICU? I didn't realize that he was that sick."
"Between his concussion and the seizure, I wanted him monitored closely," Katherine explained. "More than likely he'll be moved to a regular room tomorrow or the next day."
He nodded his understanding as he stood and headed for the door. "I won't stay long." Jack paused at the door and pointed towards the nearly empty coffee pot. "If I were you, I'd see about getting some halfway decent coffee before Leroy gets here. He's much more bearable if he has his coffee."
Katherine smiled. "I'll make sure he gets his coffee out of the doctor's lounge."
Jack returned her smile. "Good thinking."
He made his way towards ICU. Jack nodded a silent greeting to the nurses, realizing that Katherine must have called ahead and instructed the nurses to let him in to see Tony. He would have to remember to thank her later.
Leaning against the door frame, Jack watched the even rise and fall of Tony's chest. He was relieved to see the young man was in deed, resting comfortably; something that the agent had been unable to do since he had arrived in Stillwater.
Jack quietly pulled up a chair beside Tony's bedside and sat down. Careful of the IV's and the wires that led to the monitors, he placed his calloused hand on the younger man's arm. He reasoned that even if Tony was asleep, perhaps on some level, he would know that he wasn't alone.
"You're going to be all right, son," Jack whispered, in an effort not to wake the sleeping agent.
"So they keep telling me," Tony slurred.
Jack smiled as Tony opened his eyes. "You're supposed to be sleeping."
"I was until the last time the nurse came in to check my blood pressure," Tony sleepily replied. "I've been drifting in and out since then. Mostly I would pretend to be out when they were in." A lopsided grin escaped the agent's lips. "That probably didn't make any sense."
"It makes perfect sense," Jack assured him. "You were pretending to be asleep when the nurse came in so she wouldn't ask you a bunch of stupid questions that you don't feel like answering."
Tony's smile widened just a bit. "Yeah, that just about sums it up."
"I don't blame you. The doctors and nurses tell you to rest and then when you try to rest, they come in and start poking and prodding."
"Tell me about it," Tony mumbled. "So, why am I here?"
"You had a seizure."
"I don't remember."
"I'm not surprised. It knocked you on your ass."
"Guess so. What caused it?"
Jack shrugged. "Katherine didn't say."
Tony rolled his eyes. "What exactly did Kate say?"
He smiled at the young man. Under different circumstances, he had the feeling that Katherine Marshall would be no match for Anthony DiNozzo's sharp tongue. "She said she was waiting for some of your test results to come back. Personally, I think she's trying to get everything together before Leroy gets up here."
Jack winced, mentally chastising himself for inadvertently telling Tony that Leroy was on his way. Katherine would not be happy with him for upsetting her patient. To his astonishment, DiNozzo had remained calm; almost like he didn't hear what Jack had said. He hoped that Tony was still too drugged to realize what he had said. Jack waited for the agent to respond.
"Gibbs is here?" Tony finally asked.
So much for wishful thinking. Jack took a deep breath and blew it out. "Not yet. He's on his way. Dr. Marshall thought that he should be contacted after you had the seizure, especially since he's listed as your next of kin."
"How did she know that?"
"Your medical records."
"Oh, I see," was all Tony could manage to say.
"Kind of odd having your boss listed as your next of kin," Jack remarked.
"It was Gibbs' idea," Tony admitted. "After I started NCIS, personnel called Gibbs and told him that I had left my emergency contact and next of kin blank on my information form. He asked me about it and I told him I really didn't have anyone, so he volunteered."
"Just like that, huh?"
"Pretty much."
Jack wasn't sure how much he should push Tony to reveal, but the boy seemed to want to talk. Leroy had once told him that DiNozzo was very private person and that people only saw what Tony wanted them to see. Jackson Gibbs was finding that out to be the truth. "What about your parents? Most people would list them as…"
"Mother died when I was ten; my father doesn't acknowledge my existence," Tony blurted out.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm over it."
"How can you get over something like that?" Jack pressed.
"Years of practice."
Jack patted Tony's arm. "I'm glad Leroy can help fill that void in your life," Jack said. "I'm glad that he can return the favor."
Tony arched his brow. "What do you mean?"
"After Shannon and Kelly were killed, Leroy became a different person. Their deaths had nearly destroyed the man that he used to be. He was bitter and angry and he kept people at arms length, including me. Especially me."
"Keeping people at arms length prevents them getting too close. You can't get hurt as easily," Tony added.
"You know all about that, don't you?" Jack didn't expect an answer. "Anyway, years later, I can see that the hole that was left in his heart is beginning to heal and I have a feeling that you played a big part in that. Thank you."
"I didn't do anything."
"That's not true," Jack countered. "Leroy may have lost a wife and daughter, but he found a son."
"I guess that's why this is so hard," Tony said. "He's done so much for me and I've betrayed his trust. Once trust is betrayed, things are never the same. A son doesn't do that to his father."
"What are you talking about?"
Tony shook his head. "Nothing, forget I said anything."
Jack had just witnessed Tony slipping back behind the mask that he wore so efficiently. "Tony?"
"I'm a little tired, Jack. Do you mind?"
"No," Jack said. "You rest and I'll see you later."
"All right."
Jack stood up and turned to leave.
"Jack?" Tony called out.
"What is it?"
"Don't leave."
Jack smiled and sat back down in his chair. "I'll be right here," he promised. Within a few minutes, he was certain that Tony had drifted back off to sleep. He knew that Katherine would probably try and kick him out, but he had no intentions of moving until Tony asked him to leave. His heart ached for the younger man and DiNozzo needed to know that someone was willing to stay by his side. Jack figured that he was a poor substitution for Leroy, but just like he told Katherine, right now, he was all that Tony had.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jethro Gibbs turned off the main highway onto the two lane road that would lead them to Stillwater. He should be at the hospital in a little over an hour where he would hopefully find out exactly what was going on with DiNozzo. The team leader was well aware of the fact that his usual gruff tactics wouldn't work this time; he had to show Tony that he was willing to listen to what his senior field agent had to say.
Listening was not one of his strengths; he had three ex-wives that would testify to that. Perhaps if he had taken the time to listen to the younger man, Tony wouldn't be lying in a hospital in his hometown. DiNozzo had practically been screaming inside the past few weeks for someone to hear him and Gibbs had made a feeble attempt to talk to his agent earlier this week. He allowed his thoughts to drift back to that particular conversation. The words began to replay in his mind forcing Gibbs to wonder if he had handled the situation well or if he had just permitted Tony to frustrate him so that he would leave the younger man alone.
****flashback****
Gibbs had been watching his senior field agent for the past half hour. Tony was finishing up the paperwork on their latest case, staying long after Ziva and McGee had gone home. DiNozzo would always read and sign off on the other agent's reports before he gave them to Gibbs, making sure that there weren't any loopholes that would come back and haunt them later.
He noticed that several times, Tony would close his eyes and massage his temples as if he were trying to fight off a headache. DiNozzo looked like crap. How had he missed the dark circles under Tony's eyes? Maybe he should insist that the agent take a couple of extra days off.
He stood and walked over to DiNozzo's desk. As Gibbs sat on the edge of the desk, Tony sat up and ran his hand through his slightly disheveled hair.
"Sorry, Boss," Tony apologized. "I was just taking a little break."
"It's all right," Gibbs assured him. "I know you'll get it done."
"I'm almost finished. Ziva actually gave me a report that was grammatically correct."
Gibbs smiled at the young man's jibe. Tony had accused Ziva of reverting back to her old speech patterns after returning from Israel. "Maybe she's finally getting back in the swing of things."
"Yeah, maybe."
"You want me to finish up for you?"
Tony shook his head. "I got it, Boss. Why don't you go on home? I won't be much longer."
"I'm not in any hurry," the team leader replied.
"I guess I better get this done so we can both go home."
"I guess so." Gibbs didn't offer to move, knowing that his close proximity was making the younger agent nervous.
"Is there something else you needed, Boss?" Tony anxiously inquired.
Now that Gibbs was sitting closer to DiNozzo, he could see the fine line of exhaustion around Tony's eyes and he was sure that the agent had dropped some weight. The team leader realized that he couldn't remember the last time Tony had taken the others up on the offer of ordering takeout.
"DiNozzo, are you all right?" Gibbs wanted to know. He had the feeling that he would get the same answer that he always got when Tony was questioned about his health.
"I'm fine, Boss," Tony answered a bit too quickly.
"You don't look so good," he pointed out to the senior agent.
Tony's grin didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's just nearly impossible unless you count the time I had the plague, but personally, I think it was the blue lights," DiNozzo surmised. "I don't think I've worn the color blue since then."
"DiNozzo…"
"Gibbs, I'm fine!" Tony forcefully repeated.
The ex-Marine bristled. There had been very few times that Tony had raised his voice to him. It wasn't that DiNozzo was afraid to stand up to him or disagree with him, but Tony could usually do so without losing his own temper. Of course, recent events had caused everyone's tempers to flare, but Gibbs had assumed things had settled back down. Maybe he was wrong.
"You sure about that, DiNozzo?"
Tony didn't look up from his desk. "I'm sorry, Boss. I'm just a little tired."
"A little?"
"Okay, a lot."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to say. We've worked the last 72 hours straight," Tony reasoned. "Most of us mere mortals get tired every once in a while."
Gibbs leaned in closer until their faces were just a few inches apart. "Don't try and give me the runaround, Tony."
"Just returning the favor," DiNozzo snapped.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Tony looked away. "Nothing. I didn't mean anything by it. Like I said, I'm tired and I just want to get these reports done so I can go home."
"If you have a problem with me, I expect you to come directly to me and you know that. It's not like you to beat around the bush, Tony."
"Speaking my mind only seems to get me into trouble."
"Since when?"
"Since the toothpick took over."
Gibbs sat up and stared at his senior field agent. "What are you talking about? You having problems with Leon?"
Tony snorted. "Forget it, Gibbs. It's no big deal. You know Director Vance has never liked me. I guess some days, I just take it personally."
He knew that Tony was right. Vance had always seemed to have a problem with DiNozzo, but the team leader assumed it was because Tony never allowed Leon to see the real Anthony DiNozzo. But lately, the Director had been praising DiNozzo's work, leading Gibbs to believe that Vance was slowly getting used to how Tony operated.
"He's been very complimentary of your work lately," Gibbs said, hoping to bait DiNozzo into opening up even more.
"I bet he has," Tony mumbled under his breath.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Gibbs could feel a set of eyes bearing down on them. Looking up, he saw the Director leaning on the railing, watching him and DiNozzo. His steely gaze followed Vance as he came down the stairs and joined them at Tony's desk.
"Working late, gentlemen?" Vance inquired.
The team leader could sense the tension radiating from Tony. What was going on between DiNozzo and Vance? Gibbs had a feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer.
"We're just finishing up." Gibbs took the reports from Tony. "Go on home, DiNozzo. Get some rest. I don't want to see you in here for two days."
DiNozzo nodded and stood up. Gibbs didn't miss the fact that Tony had to grab onto the desk to steady himself. "Are you okay to drive?"
"I'm fine, Boss."
"You do look tired, Agent DiNozzo," Leon added. "I'm on my way home. I'll be glad to follow you to your apartment to make sure that you don't have any problems."
"I'll give him a ride, Leon," Gibbs insisted.
"It's all right, Boss," Tony said. "Director Vance is going that way any way. I'll see you in a couple of days."
"Tony, I…"
"It's all right, Boss. Just forget everything I said. It's just the fatigue talking."
Gibbs started to protest, but the edginess in DiNozzo's voice begged him not to say anything else. He nodded as he watched DiNozzo and the Director walk towards the elevator. Something was definitely wrong. The team leader decided that he would give DiNozzo a day or so to rest and then he would get some answers.
"Ah, hell," he growled as he threw down the reports on his desk. Grabbing his jacket, he headed towards the elevator. He was going to make sure that DiNozzo made it home, if for no other reason than to ease the gnawing feeling in his gut.
****end flashback****
DiNozzo had made it home that night and Vance had continued on to his house. Gibbs had pulled over and waited until he saw the light come on in Tony's apartment. Satisfied that DiNozzo was safe, he peeled off towards his own house. He now wished that he had gone up to check on his agent. Maybe Tony wouldn't be in the mess that he was in now if Gibbs had just kept after him until he wore the agent down, forcing DiNozzo to tell him what was going on.
Gibbs tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I should have known."
He hadn't realized that he had spoken out loud until Abby had said, "What?"
Taking a deep breath, he replied, "I should have known that Tony was in some kind of trouble."
"Why do you say that?"
"All the signs were there and I ignored them."
"No, you didn't. Tony is an expert at hiding things," Abby pointed out. "He always has been."
"He was trying to hide too many secrets and it was beginning to become too much for him. Vance was using him, just like Jen did and now he's paying the price again." Gibbs didn't bother to hide the anger in his voice. He knew that Abby would realize that his rage wasn't directed at her. "What gave Vance the right to do that to him? What gave him the right to force one of my agents to work undercover without my knowledge? Tony vowed never to do that again, so Vance has to be holding something over DiNozzo's head.
"I should have known when Vance started bragging on DiNozzo that something was up. Now, Vance has gotten Tony in the middle of something that…"
"That what?" Abby pressed.
"That could ruin his life."
"Gibbs, we have to protect him."
"We will," he vowed.
The two of them rode in silence for the next few minutes. Gibbs forced himself to calm down, knowing that he wouldn't be allowed to see DiNozzo in his current frame of mind. He finally broke the silence when they were about 30 minutes away from the hospital. "How did he sound when you talked to him, Abs?"
He recalled their earlier chat and she had told him how Tony had actually laughed when she told about Palmer getting a tattoo, but she had started crying and hadn't been able to finish relaying the details to him.
Gibbs looks over to see Abby intently studying her gloves. "Abs? How did he sound?" he asked again.
"Tired, maybe a little scared. He was in pain. Tony wasn't too happy that we were going through his emails, but he wasn't mad either. It was almost like he didn't care."
"Did he say that?"
"No, not in so many words," she replied. "He just said that he was tired of everything. I've never heard him sound so lost, Gibbs."
"We'll just have to help him find his way back, Abs."
"What if we're too late?"
Gibbs reached out and squeezed her hand. "Positive thoughts, Abs. Positive thoughts."
"I'm trying, Gibbs. I'm really trying."
"I know."
He turned the car into the hospital parking lot. "We're here," he informed her. He shut the engine off and stared at the building in front of him. "It's changed a little since the last time I was here."
"When was that?"
"When my mom died," he quietly answered.
Gibbs smiled when Abby laid her head on his shoulder. "Are you all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine. Right now, our main concern is DiNozzo."
Abby nodded eagerly. "Then let's go see our boy!"
"Sounds like a plan."
Gibbs stepped out of the car and waited for Abby to join him. Together they walked towards the entrance of the hospital. He knew that Abby anxious to see Tony, but Gibbs had to admit to himself that he was a little nervous. What was he going to say to DiNozzo to make the young man believe that everything was going to be all right? How could he even make that promise to Tony when he wasn't sure he believed it himself?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
McGee sat in front of his typewriter, but he had yet to type a single word. Glancing at his watch, he realized that he'd been at home for over four hours and all he had managed to do was sit and stare at the blank piece of paper in front of him. Frustrated, he jerked the paper out of the typewriter, crumpled it up and tossed it in the trashcan. He could almost hear Tony saying, "Nice shot, Probie!" Of course, DiNozzo would probably follow the compliment with a sarcastic remark of some kind, ruining the moment as only Tony could do.
But, that was part of Tony's charm, a part that had been slowly disappearing ever since he returned from the Seahawk. The first week DiNozzo was back, it had seemed like old times. McGee couldn't pinpoint an exact moment that he started noticing the subtle changes in Tony's personality: but surely if he noticed the shift in the senior field agent's demeanor, others had as well.
He hated to admit that he was truly worried about his colleague. Tony was someone who never seemed to let things bother him on a deeper level, or so McGee had assumed. He had worked with Tony for almost six years, but he knew very little about him. He knew that Tony's mom was dead and that his father had disowned him. The agent also knew that he loved movies and did a decent Sean Connery impression; DiNozzo was also a damned good investigator and excelled at his job as Gibbs' senior field agent.
McGee shook his head in disgust when he realized that even after working side by side with Tony DiNozzo for several years, he hardly knew the man. But there was one thing for certain; Tony had been a good friend to him. How many times had DiNozzo covered his mistakes and taken the blame so he wouldn't have to experience Gibbs' wrath? McGee would never forget the time that Tony had come to his apartment after he had shot that cop. DiNozzo had revealed a very personal detail of his life in an effort to make him feel better. Yes, Anthony DiNozzo had been a good friend to him, but he wasn't sure that he could say the same.
Lately, he'd been down right snobbish to Tony, and now he was beginning to regret the careless remarks and hurtful words. McGee began to wonder if he was partially to blame for the change in Tony's behavior.
His door bell rang, bringing him out of his self-imposed reverie. With the exception of Abby, McGee had no idea who would be coming to see him at this late hour. Abby would often stop by on her way home from a party, but he knew that she was with Gibbs and they were on their way to Stillwater. He tentatively peered through the tiny peephole to discover Director Vance standing outside his door.
"Oh no," he muttered. "This can't be happening."
McGee knew that he couldn't keep Vance standing in the hallway indefinitely, but he wasn't sure that he was ready to face the inquisition that was coming. Vance was desperate to discover DiNozzo's whereabouts and the Director probably figured that he would be able to break McGee easier than Ziva.
He chafed at the thought that Vance saw him as weak. Again, he could hear Tony's voice in his head. "Suck it up, McProbie! Show Vance what you're made of!"
Having a renewed sense of determination, McGee unlocked the door and swung it open. "Director Vance," he greeted, not bothering to disguise the coolness in his voice. "It's kind of late for a social call. I was just on my way to bed."
McGee gestured for the Director to come inside his apartment. "Then I won't keep you long, Agent McGee," Vance replied.
"All right." McGee closed the door and leaned against the wall, mentally steeling himself for what could be a nasty confrontation.
"Let's just get right to the point, McGee," Vance suggested.
"I'm not sure what you mean, Director."
He silently admonished himself for the barely noticeable quiver in his voice. The agent couldn't let Vance intimidate him; McGee had a feeling that Tony's safety depended on him being able to withstand the scrutiny of Leon Vance.
"I think you do, Agent McGee. I need to know where Agent DiNozzo is," the Director insisted.
"Director, I'm on vacation," Tim pointed out. "I don't usually spend my time keeping track of Tony."
"I'm well aware of the fact that you and Officer David are on vacation. I find that rather convenient, but I'm not here to debate if your time off is warranted or not. But even though you're on vacation, you are still a federal agent." A small grin escaped Vance's lips. "For now."
McGee swallowed hard. "For now?"
"For now," Vance repeated. "If you want to continue working for the federal government, I would stop withholding information that is vital to a case."
"What case?"
"That is none of your concern," the Director growled. "Now, I'll ask you one more time, Agent McGee, where is DiNozzo?"
McGee took a deep breath and slowly released it in an effort to calm his frazzled nerves. He really hadn't expected Vance to threaten him with his job. Tim knew that Tony would never ask him to sacrifice his career, but McGee couldn't shake the feeling that if their situation were reversed, DiNozzo would protect him at all costs.
Squaring his shoulders, McGee met the Director's hard glare. Gibbs' rule number seven was echoing in his mind; be specific when you lie. "We think Tony went to Ohio," he quickly blurted out.
"Ohio?" Vance pulled a toothpick out of his pocket and placed it between his teeth. "Tell me Agent McGee, why would he go to Ohio?"
McGee shrugged. "I don't know. He went to school there, maybe he's visiting one of his frat brothers."
He watched with baited breath as Vance sat down on his couch. The Director leaned back and crossed his arms. McGee felt the bile catch in his throat when Vance asked, "You don't really expect me to believe that he's on some frat holiday, do you Agent McGee?"
Tim stammered, "Uh…well, actually…"
"I didn't think so. So, I'll just make myself comfortable until you decide to tell me the truth."
McGee looked at his watch again. It was clearly evident that Vance was not planning on leaving anytime soon, or at least until he got the answer he was looking for. Tim decided that there was only one thing that he could do. Turning off the light, he headed towards his bedroom. "Good night, Director Vance. You can use that blanket on the back of the couch if you get cold."
He didn't have to look back over his shoulder to know that the Director was fuming. McGee smiled as he closed his bedroom door and crawled into bed. He had a feeling that Gibbs and Tony would have enjoyed that rare exhibition of defiance. As he closed his eyes, he could hear Tony once last time saying, "I never knew you had it in you, McGoo…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It didn't take long for Gibbs to discover that Tony was in ICU. He and Abby had quickly made their way to the floor housing the intensive care unit. Gibbs had managed to convince Abby to stay in the waiting area until he actually saw how Tony was doing. Jethro entered the ICU and was stopped by a nurse.
"I'm here to see Anthony DiNozzo," he informed the young lady.
"He has someone in there with him at the moment. If you would like to go back to the waiting area, I'll let you know when you can see him."
Gibbs simply glared at the nurse.
"Or not," she quickly said. "I'll go and ask Mr. Gibbs how much longer he'll be."
"I'll ask him myself."
The ex-Marine dismissed her with a curt nod and entered Tony's room where he saw his dad sitting in a chair next to DiNozzo's bed. Although his senior agent was asleep, Jack was recalling a tale from his days of working the coal mines. It reminded Jethro of his childhood when his dad would come in and tuck him in at night, sitting by his side and telling him stories until he fell asleep. He hadn't thought about that in years, but seeing his dad with Tony, had allowed those wonderful memories to resurface.
He took a step forward and put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Last time you told that story, I believe that it was 40 tons of rock that covered that opening."
Gibbs smiled when Jack looked over his shoulder. "You got here quicker than I thought you would. Must of taken some of your famous shortcuts," his dad quipped.
"Yep." Jethro nodded towards Tony. "How's he doing?"
"He's sleeping. The boy's worn out."
"He looks it."
"I'm glad you're here, Leroy. I have a feeling that you're the only one who can help him. He's really hurting."
Gibbs sighed. "If Tony thought I could help him, he would have come to me first instead of running. So either he thinks I can't help him or he doesn't want my help."
"Don't be too quick to jump to conclusions," Jack warned. "He may think he doesn't want your help, but he does."
"We'll see."
He stared at the still figure lying in the bed, Tony's complexion as white as the sheets. Gibbs could see shades of deep purple peeking out from the under the bandage on his head. Tony was dressed in a hospital gown which made his weight loss even more noticeable. The dark circles under DiNozzo's eyes were a dead giveaway to the level of exhaustion the young man was experiencing. Gibbs couldn't understand how he had missed the signs.
"Where's his doctor?" he finally managed to inquire.
"I'll go and make sure that she knows you're here," Jack said, rising from his seat.
Gibbs moved to take his dad's seat. "She probably already knows. I'm sure the nurse informed her that I was here."
"I take it you made another good first impression." Shaking his head, Jack headed towards the nurses station. "I'll go see if I can smooth things over for you."
"I don't need things smoothed over for me, dad. I just need some answers from this Doctor Marshall."
"I'll see what I can do. By the way, did you bring Abby with you?"
Jethro grinned. His dad really liked the Goth; he was always asking about her during their phone calls. "She's in the waiting room."
"That's where I'm headed as well," Jack happily replied, "as soon as I make sure Katherine is on her way."
Gibbs nodded his understanding, his gaze never breaking from the gaunt face of his senior agent. "DiNozzo, you look like crap," he muttered.
"So, I've been told."
Jethro sat up at the sound of DiNozzo's voice. Tony was barely speaking above a whisper, but Gibbs was simply grateful to hear the young man's voice. "How long have you been awake?"
Tony licked his parched lips. "Long enough to know that you've probably made some young nurse cry…forcing her to reexamine the reason that she…went into nursing."
"Smart ass."
"I've been told that…as well."
Gibbs picked up a cup of ice chips from the table beside Tony's bed. "Want some?" he asked the young man.
Tony nodded, accepting the ice chip without complaint. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." He sat the cup back down, unsure of what to make of the silence between them. The banter had been forced, but Gibbs had been willing to accept that. At least Tony hadn't thrown him out of his room…yet.
"How are you feeling?" the team leader wanted to know.
Tony weakly grinned. "Like crap."
"Care to be more specific?"
"Not really. I don't know a whole lot except for the fact that I'm hurting. If you want details, you'll have to wait on Kate."
Gibbs stared at his senior agent. "Kate?"
"Her real name's Katherine, but I think she looks like a Kate," he explained. "She doesn't look like our Kate, but she's got a lot of fire, if you know what I mean."
"You're on a first name basis with your doctor, DiNozzo?"
"I always have been. Ducky, Brad, and now Kate."
Gibbs had to smile at the younger agent. It was good to see a little of the injured man's spirit shining through the fog of despair that seemed to be surrounding Tony. "Tony, we're going to have to talk about…"
Tony raised his hand. "I know, Gibbs. I know. Just not now."
"Tony…"
"Please," Tony begged.
"One question and then I'll leave you alone until you're ready," the team leader vowed.
"The undercover op," Gibbs began. "What happened?"
He wasn't certain that Tony was going to answer him, but if Gibbs was going to protect him from Vance, he had to know what was going on. "Tony?" he gently called out to the hurting man. "You've got to be honest with me; you've got to tell me what happened."
Tony closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, Gibbs didn't miss the look of desolation in his agent's eyes.
"It went to hell, that's what happened," Tony snapped. "My cover was blown and…"
Gibbs easily sensed DiNozzo's internal struggles. The pain of everything that had happened to him was still fresh in his mind and Gibbs knew that he was forcing Tony to reopen those wounds before they had barely started to heal. "And what?" he pressed.
"I had some bad intel regarding some of the players. No one bothered telling me that there was another fed that had been undercover several months before I got in; this agent sold out to the drug cartel. I guess the lure of all that money was too much for him." Tony scrubbed his face with a trembling hand.
"Take your time, Tony," Gibbs encouraged him. "You're doing fine."
"I was down in Norfolk, meeting two men on the inside, Tompkins and Currin were their names. When I got there, I..."
"Tony?"
Gibbs heart nearly broke when he saw a tear escape his senior agent's eye. "Tony?" he called out again.
"I told Vance that I thought my cover was in danger of being blown and he didn't pull me out," Tony yelled. "Damn it! If he had pulled me out, none of this would have happened!"
Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's arm. He could hear the sound of the monitors in the background beeping excitedly as DiNozzo became increasingly agitated. "Tony, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you. Just relax."
The team leader was pushed out of the way by two nurses and a doctor, the latter he assumed was Dr. Marshall. He positioned himself at the foot of the bed, making sure that he was in Tony's line of sight as the doctor barked orders to the nurses. Gibbs saw something being injected into Tony's IV and within a few seconds, the young man was drifting towards unconsciousness.
He met the frigid glare of the doctor with his own resolute gaze. She motioned for him to follow her out of Tony's room. Gibbs spared one last glance at Tony, trying to tamp down the guilt that was plaguing him. He knew he shouldn't have pushed DiNozzo, but he wanted answers.
She was waiting for him at the nurse's station. "It would probably be a good idea if we had this conversation somewhere else," she suggested.
"All right," he quietly agreed.
He followed her out of ICU and down the corridor, neither of them uttering the first word until they were safely within the confines of her office walls. Katherine slammed the door behind him. "Are you trying to kill him?" she demanded to know.
Gibbs could feel his own temper flaring. "What kind of question is that?"
"A logical one it would seem. He's in ICU for a reason! He's not up for an interrogation!"
"I wasn't interrogating him!" he protested.
"Then what do you call it?"
He clenched his jaw tightly. "I was trying to help him."
"Well, if that is the kind of help that you're going to offer him, I suggest that you just go back to D.C. Now, if you want to stay, it will be on my terms, not yours."
"And what are your terms?"
Katherine's eyes narrowed. "I'll let you know," she promised. "Right now, I think you would be more interested in finding out what exactly is wrong with Agent DiNozzo."
"You're right," he conceded.
He sat down in a chair across from her desk and waited for her to take the opposite one. Gibbs forced himself to calm down as he waited on Katherine to join him. He looked around the office. "Do you have any coffee?"
She nodded and poured him a cup. He nodded his thanks, taking the steaming mug from her. "How'd you know how I liked my coffee?"
"Lucky guess," she said as she took her seat.
Taking another sip, he set the cup down on her desk. "So, how's Tony?"
"Not good," she said, opening up what Gibbs assumed to be DiNozzo's chart. "He has a severe concussion, but according to his CT scan, there's no sign of bleeding or of any kind of fracture. Tony has unfortunately been experiencing many of the common side effects of a concussion, but I think with some proper rest, he should start to feel better in a day or two.
"Agent DiNozzo also has quiet a few bruises on his chest and back, resulting in two bruised ribs and a bruised kidney, which should heal in time. What concerns me is the fact that he does have an ulcer and if he's not careful, it could start bleeding. Like I told Dr. Mallard, this didn't happen overnight and it's not going to get better overnight. Tony has already lost a considerable amount of weight. I'm hoping that we can heal his ulcer with medication and a strict diet, if not, well, we'll just have to see."
Gibbs took another sip of coffee. "What about the seizure?"
"It could have been the cumulative effect of the concussion and the physical punishment that his body has been subjected to."
"But you don't think that's the cause, do you?"
"No," she replied. "I think that his seizure was caused by emotional stress coupled with his physical injuries. Right now, he can not physically or mentally handle any pressure coming from you or anyone else."
"When will…" Gibbs couldn't finish his sentence.
"I don't know. We have to take it a day at a time."
"Can I go back and sit with him? I just don't want him to be alone."
Katherine smiled. "All right, but let's go over those terms we spoke of earlier, shall we?"
Grinning, he downed the rest of his coffee. He had no doubt that Tony was in good hands with Dr. Katherine Marshall. She certainly had his agent's best interests in mind and he knew that she had what it would take to pull DiNozzo through this crisis, at least physically. Mentally and emotionally was another story.