"Paralyzed?" repeated Abby. "What is going on?" asked Abby walking into the hospital room carrying flowers for Tony. She walked over to the other side of the bed and set the flowers down.

McGee followed her lead and walked into the room but didn't ask any questions. His eyes shot back and forth from Tony to Ziva and then back to Tony. He had never seen the two of them in a standoff like this.

Ziva crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, Tony…what is going on…"

McGee said "Gibbs should be here for this." "He would want to know too.." "And Ducky…" "They are both in the waiting room."

Tony looked at Ziva and then back at Abby. Tony said "McGee…why don't you go and get them…so that I only have to tell this once…please."

McGee nodded and said "Okay I will be right back." McGee sat down the gift basket of movies he had been carrying and walked down the hall to the waiting room. He spotted Gibbs and Ducky talking to one another but both men stopped talking seeing the look on McGee's face.

Gibbs spoke up. "What is wrong Tim?"

"Tony…has something to tell all of us…you and Ducky should be here for it too." said McGee not giving anything else away. He didn't know if his mouth would work right even if he tried.

Gibbs and Ducky didn't waste any time getting up and making their way to Tony's room that was beginning to seem a little crowded.

Gibbs looked at Tony expectantly.

"What is going on Anthony?" asked Ducky with a concerned look.

"I don't know how to start this…so I am just going to say it…I am paralyzed. I can't feel my legs." "When the doctors took me out for testing earlier…one of the tests…was to ensure that I could feel all of my extremities." "I can't feel either of my legs…" "I can't feel any sensation at all…" "I was shot three times…two of the bullets were through and through. But the third bullet lodged itself against my spine." "The surgeons removed it but there is swelling in the area now..and possibly a mass of scar tissue developing." "The doctors won't know the seriousness of my paralysis or a plausible prognosis until the swelling in the area goes down." "Until then…we will be playing it by ear."

The silence in the room was deafening as everyone stood around looking at Tony.

Ducky said "I have a number of friends that I can call to take a look at your case." "They are all top notch surgeons…" "When the time comes that can tell you what is going on."

Ziva felt the tears burning in her eyes threatening to spill over. Ziva refused to cry in front of everyone. She cleared her throat and said "Tony and I will be getting married the day after tomorrow." She looked over at Tony and saw the shocked look on his face. "We will have a bigger wedding once Tony recovers and is out of the hospital." "But we will want all of you here for it." "The doctors probably won't let Tony out of the bed to go to the chapel but we will get someone that is willing to conduct the wedding right here in his room." She said "So I will need help from all of you." "Gibbs…I need your help pulling some strings to get a marriage license in the next 48 hours." "McGee, I need your help setting up a webcam feed for Tony's dad." "There is no way he will make it back from Monaco in time to for the wedding." "And Abby I could really use some decoration in this hospital room…" "It sort of reminds me of a prison."

Abby said "Ziva we will all help you get this done. Whatever you need we will do."

Gibbs said "Getting a marriage license shouldn't be difficult." "I do have a friend or two that can speed up the process."

Ducky said "So do I…I am friends with a few people over at the county."

Tony looked around at everyone seeing that they were all willing to do whatever to make this happen. He said "I appreciate all of you helping us." "And I don't mean to sound rude." "But could I talk to Ziva alone…for a minute…"

Gibbs nodded and said "Sure. We will all be out in the waiting room."

Everyone filed out the room closing the door behind them and leaving Tony and Ziva in the room alone.

"Ziva you do not have to do this if you don't want to." "I am sorry if you feel like I was trying to trick you into carrying me." "That wasn't the case at all." "I just didn't want you to worry about this…"

"You think that is why I am upset?" asked Ziva. "Tony, we are going to marry one another which means we are partners." "You can't keep something like this from me." "I would marry you if you were paralyzed from the neck down." "I love you and I would take care of you." "But if we are going to have a successful marriage you have to be honest with me." "You can't hold important things back…that is why I am angry with you."

Tony reached his hand out for her."Please come here…"

Ziva walked over to Tony and took his hand. She climbed into the hospital bed with her gently. "I love you Tony and nothing is going to change that. But you have to be honest with me. That is the only way this thing is going to work."

"You really want to get married here in my room?" asked Tony looking into her eyes.

"I'd marry you at a crime scene if that is what it took Tony." "Just…be honest with me from now on. We have to be able to trust one another." said Ziva.

Tony was quiet a minute and said "You have my word that from now on I will tell you everything." "I will not hold anything back from you." "I just didn't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" "You don't think that I am already hurting?" "I sat here for three days wondering if you would ever open your eyes again. And I knew it was my fault because you got shot saving me." "I think we are a little beyond hurting." "But I have you now and you are awake and whether you walk again or not..you are going to be okay." said Ziva.

"Hey, it would not have been your fault." "I made the choose to save you because I love you." "We are going to be okay." corrected Tony reaching for her hand and interlacing their fingers. "Are you really going to let Abby be in charge of the decorations?" "I expect black roses and skulls everywhere." said Tony laughing.

Ziva chuckled at the thought. "I had not thought about that." "But I guess choosers can't be beggars." "And this room is a prison gray."

"Beggars can't be choosers…is the saying." said Tony laughing. "You are an American now you have got to get better with the turn of phrases."

"Close enough." said Ziva with a smile. "As long as I remember the phrase I do…" said Ziva with a smile.