A/N: Two updates in less than 8 hours. I am on a roll!
This chapter popped into my brain while I was sleeping, waking me up after all of 5 hours sleep. Inspiration strikes at the most annoying times. F.
McGee sat in the same spot where he'd spent most of the night, still holding her hand, still watching her face. If anything, Abby looked worse now than when they'd brought her in to ICU; overnight her breathing had become laboured and they'd put her on a ventilator, telling him that it was just a precaution. Her damaged lung was having trouble coping. They'd kicked him out while they'd done that, for which he wasn't sure whether to be grateful. He didn't want to leave her, but he couldn't stand there and watch them stick more tubes into her. She looked even less like his Abby now. He'd dozed on and off, kicking himself mentally every time he jerked awake again.
Her eyelids fluttered and finally opened. He caught the movement and stood, making sure he was in her vision. Seeing the fear in her eyes, he spoke, trying to reassure her
"It's ok, Abs. You're in the hospital. You're going to be just fine". He had tears running down his face, tears of relief. He quickly wiped them away. Her hands moved wildly, catching his attention. It took him a moment to realise that the motions weren't random. She was trying to tell him something. At his request, she'd been teaching him sign language. His knowledge was still basic, so it took repetition, but finally the words made sense
"Computers. Follow the money" he repeated the words back to her, making sure he had her message right.
"Your lab computers?" he asked her, watching for her positive response. He hesitated, torn between his desire to stay and the need to follow up on what she was telling him. The pleading look in her eyes before she fell asleep again decided him. He grabbed his things and headed back to his car.
...
Three hours later, they'd narrowed down their suspect list to 3 people- one from finance, one from legal, and one from cybercrimes. Still missing an agent, Gibbs joined the rest of his team in checking the movements of their suspects, concentrating on the one from finance. Interestingly, not one of their suspects had reported for work this morning, and the pool car was still outstanding. They'd put out a BOLO with the license plate number of the car, but black Dodge Chargers were common in the DC area; almost every agency used them. They needed the suspect.
"Boss?" he looked up from the file he was studying, startled to hear McGee's voice. His youngest agent was pale, with massive dark circles under his eyes. It was obvious that he hadn't slept
"You look like hell, McGee" Gibbs observed. McGee let that one pass; he had more important things on his mind
"Boss, I think I've got something. Abby woke up briefly a little while ago; they've got her on a ventilator now, something to do with fluid and her lung" the panic was back in McGee's voice. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Sorry Boss. They've got her back on a ventilator, so she can't talk. It took me a minute to realise what she was doing, but she signed something to me. I think it's important, Boss"
Tony broke in "When did you learn sign language, Probie?" Gibbs had been wondering the same thing
McGee glanced at Tony "Abby's been teaching me" he explained "Anyway, Boss, she said 'Computers. Follow the money'. I think she's been working on something, and I don't think this was a traffic accident" He took another deep breath before voicing the fear that he'd just sparked in the rest of the team
"I think someone tried to kill her"
...
Gibbs sat back in his chair, letting the information McGee had just given him sink in. Abby had been working on something? That made sense in a way; Vance often gave her side assignments when there weren't any major cases in progress. But what could she have turned up that would spark an attempt at murder?
"DiNozzo, David, we need to find these suspects now. McGee" he turned back to the young agent. He really did look like hell. "We need to know what Abby was working on. Are you up to it?" He studied McGee's face while he spoke. Under the exhaustion was determination and a burning anger. Good.
McGee nodded. He had to do this for Abby.