DROWNING
Chapter 2
As Gibbs helped Tony to keep as upright as possible, a sloshing sound announced Ziva's arrival.
'Ah, Ms. David,' said Tony in a cheery voice. 'Won't you join us?'
Ziva narrowed her eyes.
'Tony, you are stuck beneath a tree too heavy for us to move, and the water is rising rapidly. If McGee does not return very soon, you will surely drown. How can you be so…so…so up rhythm?!'
'I believe you mean upbeat,' Tony corrected her. 'She's just a ray of sunshine isn't she Boss?' he added.
Ziva reached out and felt his face with the back of her hand.
'You are very cold,' she told him, unable to hide her concern.
'Queen of the bleeding obvious, as usual,' said Tony, with an edge to his tone. He could feel the water beginning to lap at his neck.
'Go back to the bank,' Gibbs told Ziva. 'McGee will be looking for you to indicate where we are.'
Ziva could clearly see how deeply in peril her two colleagues were and was reluctant to leave them to a watery fate. She did not immediately follow Gibbs' orders.
'You can't help us,' Gibbs told her, not unkindly.
'Count yourself lucky,' added Tony. 'There's no reason for you to wait here as well.'
'I do not feel lucky,' Ziva told him, her eyes wide with worry. And then she reluctantly complied with Gibbs' orders.
Gibbs pressed his body up against Tony's and snaked his arms around him, under the armpits, in an effort to keep Tony as upright as he could. He had seen the way the younger man was starting to tire. Where was McGee?
'Boss, didn't know you cared,' said Tony through chattering teeth as he found himself practically nose to nose with Gibbs. He even managed to waggle his eyebrows.
'Shut up, Dinozzo, 'Gibbs told him. His tone was harsh but Gibbs was secretly pleased that Tony was still being Tony. The rising water was an immediate concern, but Gibbs was particularly worried about the cold. Dinozzo's body felt like ice. Tony was definitely going to need some recovery time once they got him out.
Another flash of lightning crackled around the two men. The intense light caused Tony to start involuntarily and press his long fingers into Gibbs' arms.
'It's okay,' he told Tony, trying to reassure him.
Tony gave a slightly hysterical laugh in response. The water level was now at his chin. He could barely feel his legs. If it weren't for Gibbs holding him up, Tony knew he would not be able to keep his face above the water's surface. The rain appeared to be getting heavier by the moment. Yet, Gibbs was telling him that it was okay.
'Something funny, Dinozzo?' Gibbs asked. He was not a fan of small talk, but he was willing to make an exception in situations such as their current one. Even in the near darkness he could see Tony's lips turning an unhealthy shade of blue. He wanted to keep unwanted memories at bay for as long as he could.
'You are,' said Tony. 'There's nothing okay about this!'
'Could be worse,' persisted Gibbs. 'We know that help is coming. That tree could have killed someone outright, but it didn't. If you were shorter, the water would be over your head by now.'
'With respect, cut the crap Boss,' managed Tony. 'Since when did you become a glass half full kind of person? Let's face it, I'm not gonna make it. Why don't you save yourself?'
'Not happening, Dinozzo,' said Gibbs sternly. 'Rule 25.'
'Be a stubborn bastard right to the bitter end?' asked Dinozzo.
'Always look after your own,' said Gibbs.
'Come on Boss,' said Tony, a pleading edge to his voice. 'The team needs you. I'm not worth - Ow! What was the headslap for?'
'For what you were about to say,' Gibbs told him, his eyes steely.
A few minutes passed in silence until Gibbs felt cramp tug at the back of his leg. Still holding onto Tony, he half stood up to try and relieve it. In the process, he lost his footing and was swept a little way away from his agent.
Tony suddenly found himself totally beneath the surface. Unable to keep himself upright any longer, all he could do was flail his arms around and try not to breathe in. Black spots quickly appeared before his eyes and he felt as though his lungs would burst. Just as his panicked mind was telling him that this was the end, he felt strong arms hauling him upwards again. As his face emerged from the water, he took in desperate breaths and grabbed frantically at Gibbs.
Gibbs held on to Tony as tightly as he could, guilt-ridden that he was the cause of the coughing and sobbing that reached his ears.
'I'm sorry,' he half-whispered into Tony's ear, the words sounding foreign to him. 'I'm still with you. We're gonna make it. I promise.'
Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment to shut out the harsh conditions. When he opened them again, he found himself looking straight into the round face of Agent McGee.
'What are you doing?' he barked. 'Get that rope onto the tree!'
'It, it is already,' McGee stammered. 'I just wanted to warn you that Ziva's about to start moving it.'
'Consider us warned!' exploded Gibbs. 'Dinozzo, hang on to me.' The instruction was really superfluous, thought McGee, as Tony seemed to have a death grip on the boss. The water was now intermittently covering Tony's mouth. Mc Gee wasn't a religious man, but he prayed that the truck was powerful enough to move the tree.
When Ziva saw McGee flash the water-proof torch, she put her foot down and accelerated slowly. She was intensely grateful to be able to act after spending what seemed like an eternity worrying about Tony. If this didn't work, she did not know if she could bear the consequences.