"I have to go inform Tony about his test results." Brad finally said after moments of silence.

"I will go with you, I want to see Tony." Robin replied.

Tony had only been asleep for 30 minutes when he woke up suddenly and shot straight up trying to catch his breath. Sonny rushed from his chair by the window to Tony's bedside. Sonny helped Tony to catch his breath.

"Tony, easy; it's okay. Slow your breathing down. Deep breaths. In and out." Sonny kept repeating until Tony's breathing had returned to normal, well normal for Tony.

Brad rushed in while Sonny was trying to calm Tony down. "Robin, please go get some oxygen."

Robin rushed out of the room and came back with the oxygen followed by Patrick and Steve. The doctors got the oxygen mask on Tony and his breathing finally settled down. Tony was too busy trying to breathe to ask any questions about his results. So Sonny asked.

"What happened?"

"His lungs are having trouble functioning. He is in the beginning stage of pneumonia." Brad started to explain.

"Pneumonia?" Tony gasped out as he removed the mask to talk.

"Keep the mask in place. If you don't remove the mask, in about 2 hours we will change the mask for a nose canal." Brad ordered.

Tony nodded and listened to what the Doctors had decided. Tony waited until Brad took off the mask so he could talk.

"How does this affect my ability has a field agent?"

"We will see in a month. You have your week of vacation and then 3 weeks of desk duty. Between the antibiotic and the oxygen mask, we will just wait and see how your lungs are functioning at that time. One more thing Tony; since you are on oxygen you will need to stay with someone, preferably Gibbs."

Tony nodded he usually stays at Gibbs when he is sick or hurt. The most he has ever stayed with Gibbs was a month. "For how long?"

"Forever Tony, Forever. The antibiotic and the oxygen mask at night are forever. It is the only way to keep your lungs in working order." Brad explained.

Tony didn't hear anything past the word "Forever". All he could think about is how because he was the idiot who broke protocol and opened that stupid letter, he is going to ruin the rest of Gibbs' life.

"This is all my fault." Tony started.

"No Tony, don't blame yourself for this." Brad tried.

"I was the one who broke protocol. I opened that letter without knowing what was in it. Now I ruined Gibbs's life." Tony cried.

"Tony this is not your fault. You were the one who almost died. You had no idea that the letter contained pneumonic plague." Brad argued.

"It doesn't matter. I should have known better, in fact I did know better. I am the Senior Field Agent. I have been to all the lectures about what to do if a mysterious letter comes into the office. It goes directly to the Team Leader and taken down to the forensic specialist to be radiated and examined. But all I saw was that the letter had lipstick on it. No one else should have to pay becuase I was being stupid." Tony cried out and was hysterical by the time he finished and gasping for air.

"I am going to have to sedate him; he is not doing his lungs any good by being this hysterical." Brad whispered to Sonny.

Brad called for a sedative. Steve and Robin brought it in and inserted it directly into Tony. He was too busy trying to remember how to breathe to notice. Once Tony was out, Brad put the mask back on.

"You can take him back to your place and let him rest. I will stay for a while to keep an eye on him."

"You know he isn't going to be any calmer when he wakes up. Tony is not one to be dependent on anyone for anything." Sonny informed.

"At this point, I think the only one he is going to listen to is Gibbs. But this is his only chance at the possibility of remaining a field agent."

"For Tony's sake, I hope that he can go back to the field. If not, this will destroy him." Sonny replied. He knows his nephew and if Tony can't go back to the field he will become very self destructive trying to prove he can survive this all on his own. Sonny knows one thing for sure the next month is going to be extremely nerve wracking worse than when he has been on trial for murder.

Brad went to the phone in the room and called Gibbs.

The team was just wrapping up a case so they could have the weekend off.

"It sure is quiet without Tony; it reminds me of when he was Agent Afloat." Ziva stated as she finished up her last report.

"It reminds me when Tony was on sick leave while recovering from the plague. It was so quiet that time passed so slowly and the days dragged on forever. At least with Tony here, he keeps morale up." Tim added.

Gibbs listened to how his agents miss Tony. He misses him too, even though he knows that Tony was in need of a vacation. Work is just no fun without his surrogate son around.

The room was so quiet that when Gibbs phone rang, everyone jumped.

"Gibbs"

"Gibbs, it is Brad. I need to talk to you about Tony."

"What is going on?"

"It will be better to tell you in person. I am in Port Charles at Tony's uncle's house.

"What is wrong with Tony?" Gibbs repeated again.

"In person is better." Brad repeated.

"Fine I will leave ASAP and will be there tonight." Gibbs answered and hung up. He has this awful feeling in his gut that something is terribly wrong with Tony.

Gibbs went straight to talk to Ducky. He wasn't surprised to see Abby in Autopsy; she misses Tony almost as much as he does.

"Brad called. He is with Tony in Port Charles and something is wrong. I am driving out there tonight." Gibbs informed them

"Bossman, I am coming to. I just can't sit around while Tony needs me." Abby stated.

"Jethro, I will come to. Then at least I can drive Abby back, if you decide to stay for awhile." Ducky added.

"Fine, we leave in 10 minutes." Gibbs stated and then hurried to dismiss the rest of his team. He couldn't wait to get to Port Charles and see Tony.

Brad hung up with Gibbs. "We should be going. Steve, if you will help us get Tony to Sonny's car. I will stay a few days until I know everything is under control."

Patrick and Steve wheeled the gurney with the sedated man out to the entrance. Sonny brought his car up to the door. The men loaded Tony into the car.

What his future holds only time will tell.