Drowning

Chapter 5

McGee and Ziva were somewhat startled to see Gibbs already seated at his desk when they coincidently arrived together. Both had decided to get to work by 7.00am to get a head start. They had not expected Gibbs to be already there – not after the trauma of the night before. Gibbs had sent them home the moment Tony had been accepted into the ER, despite Ziva's protests that she wanted to wait around for news. Gibbs had promised her that he'd keep her informed, and he had fulfilled that promise by leaving a voicemail message for her while she was drying her hair: Dinozzo's fine. Tell McGee. Get some rest. Gibbs was nothing if not succinct. You could certainly never liken his style of delivery to Ducky's.

'Couldn't sleep, Boss?' asked McGee as he sat at his own desk and switched on the PC.

'Slept fine,' was Gibbs' terse reply. He didn't bother to look away from his own screen as he spoke.

'What have you got on Partington's ex-boyfriends?'

'Ah, not much,' stammered McGee. 'Nothing really, actually. But I'm going to try a few new avenues.'

'Well, I hope you're not waiting for an invitation from me,' said Gibbs. 'What about you, David?'

'I am continuing to research Officer Partington's history,' said Ziva. 'But I think it would be proper for you to tell us about how Tony is. He is my partner, is he not?'

'I called you last night!' exclaimed Gibbs, finally looking away from his screen. 'Don't tell me you didn't get the message!'

'I got it,' said Ziva, her eyes flashing with barely contained anger. 'I guess I was hoping for a little more information than fine.'

Gibbs was about to respond to her anger with some of his own, but then he remembered the expression on Ziva's face when he had opened the back of the truck at Bethesda. She deserved a little more detail. He softened his tone slightly.

'Cuts and bruises. Shock. Mild hypothermia. No lung damage as far as they can tell. He slept all night. Ducky said they might discharge him today.'

'That is good news,' said Ziva, her heart growing lighter as she digested Gibbs' words.

'He sure was lucky,' mused McGee, his face serious. 'That he got rescued, I mean. Not because he was trapped in the first place or because he's in the hospital.'

'We get it,' said Gibbs, his impatience returning. 'Now, can we get back to work?'

The three members of the team would have go back to work if Abby had not suddenly burst in and marched up to Gibbs' desk.

'What aren't you telling me?' she demanded of Gibbs.

'What?' replied Gibbs, leaning back in his chair to look up at her serious face.

'First, none of you were back here by the time I left last night. Second, no-one rang me to say that something was going on. Third, I could barely sleep last night because MY gut – yes, Gibbs, yours is not the only one that speaks – told me someone was in trouble. Fourth, Tony is not answering my calls. And fifth, Tony is not here and neither is Ducky.' Abby paused to catch her breath before ending with: 'I'm not leaving this spot until I know what's going on.'

Ziva and McGee looked from Abby to Gibbs, curious to see what his reaction would be. Normal people who wanted to keep working at NCIS did not speak threateningly to Gibbs or stand over his desk demanding answers, but this was Abby. Gibbs seemed to have a different set of rules when it came to the forensic scientist.

'There was an accident,' Gibbs told her, his voice calm and even. 'A tree fell and knocked us into a stream. Dinozzo was trapped in the water for a little while. We took him to Bethesda as a precaution. Ducky stayed there to make sure he didn't check himself out.'

'How could you not call and tell me that Tony was injured?!' demanded Abby, her pigtails bobbing vigorously.

'Abs, he's fine,' said Gibbs. 'There was no point in ringing you.'

'I would have slept a whole lot better hearing you say he's fine,' she grumbled.

'I'm sorry,' said Gibbs, to which McGee's jaw dropped open. 'It won't happen again.'

'Well, where's the audio recorder when you need it?' came a voice from above their heads. The four looked up as Jenny made her way down the stairs.

'That's six words I never thought I'd hear you say, Agent Gibbs,' she added as she joined them.

'You're here early,' said Gibbs, changing the subject. 'Luxurious breakfast meeting with the suits?'

'No,' she replied, refusing to be baited about the perks of her position. 'Agent McGee, would you be so kind as to turn on the television monitor. News channel.'

McGee obliged. As if on cue, the appeal for public help made by the director of NCIS herself appeared speaking on the screen.

'Three days ago, Dianne Partington, a 26 year old naval officer, disappeared. The last known contact received from Officer Partington was a telephone call made from the Shallow Creek recreation reserve at 6.00pm, Wednesday, March 6th. We are appealing to the public to give us any assistance it can in locating Officer Partington. If you have seen Officer Partington and/or have any relevant information, please contact NCIS or your local law enforcement agency.'

The appeal was accompanied by a photograph of the missing officer. McGee switched off the monitor. Abby smiled approvingly at Jenny. Gibbs was predictably unimpressed.

'Why didn't you ask my opinion about doing that?' demanded Gibbs.

'Because I knew what it would be,' said Jenny. 'You'd say it was a bad idea.'

'Damn straight it's a bad idea,' spat Gibbs.

'Why is it a bad idea?' asked Ziva.

'Because now we have to deal with all the crackpots, would-be investigators, concerned citizens and do-gooders that make contact with us,' said Gibbs.

'We have nothing,' said Jenny. 'We have no leads, no witnesses, no suspicions and no where to go. I have Officer Partington's parents ringing constantly for news that I can't give them. This may just well give us something to go on.'

Gibbs began muttering something about directors who interfere with the real work but was interrupted by the ringing of his cell.

'Gibbs!' he barked.

'Jethro?'

'Ducky. What's the update?'

'Well,' said Ducky, his voice lowered. 'The doctor is a little concerned about a rattle in Anthony's chest. It may be nothing, but given his medical history, he wants to keep him in for a second night.'

'And?' demanded Gibbs, suspected where the conversation was heading.

'Well, I'm afraid Anthony is being rather insistent about checking out today as was originally planned. I have pointed out that he has no clothes to go home in, but I believe he plans to sweet-talk a very obliging nurse into getting him some doctors' scrubs to wear home. Not the best look for him, in my opinion.'

'Put Dinozzo on,' Gibbs told his friend. As he waited for Ducky to pass the phone to Tony, Gibbs glared at his audience until they all prepared to be busy doing other things, apart from Jenny who looked on with interest.

'Hey Boss!' came Tony's cheery tone. 'You'll be glad to know that I'll be back on the case in an hour or two. Just getting some minor details sorted out.' Any residual exhaustion was being effectively disguised.

'Dinozzo, you do not have a medical degree. You are not going to discharge yourself. I am coming to that hospital this afternoon. If you are not in that bed in that room when I arrive, you will not have a job to come back to. Is that clear?'

During the wait for Tony's response, Gibbs imagine Tony sending Ducky mutinous looks.

'Crystal,' came the disappointed reply.

Gibbs hung up without further comment and grabbed his jacket.

'I'm going for coffee,' he announced. 'If anyone's interested in getting on my good side, find us a lead on this missing officer by the time I come back.'

'Tony said his good side was a myth,' hissed Ziva.

'I heard that, David,' came Gibbs' voice from the stairwell.

Several blocks away from the NCIS building in a small café, a woman looked up from her herbal tea to look at the television screen high in the corner. Not generally interested in the media, she found herself drawn to the photograph on the screen. Finding herself bombarded with strong images, she placed her tea cup down and placed her hands upwards on the table. She shut her eyes briefly but managed to open them in time to see the direct number to NCIS being displayed. She committed it to memory. She would soon be ringing that number as part of her duty as a concerned, responsible citizen.