A/N Chapter 3 is replaced with a beta-ed one, so read that one first again. And have fun with this chapter.

Chapter 4

Gibbs' gut clenched. McGee, could he be...? Abby hung on to him for dear life, about to break down. Before his imagination could run any further away with him, the doctor continued.

"He crashed on the table but we were able to bring him back. He has several serious injures; a concussion, three broken ribs, the cuboid in his left foot is broken, and he has a torn spleen. He also has a lot of bruises, burns and flesh wounds."

Abby sensed a 'but' to this story and almost started talking, but Gibbs signed to her to wait.

"The pain Agent McGee should feel right now is very high. Too high to allow him to start healing properly. So we have put him in a drug induced coma to give his body a better chance at recovery. We've done all that we can at this point, but, I'm sorry, we are not sure if he is going to make it."

Ducky, who had listened patiently started to ask some questions ."Can we see him?"

"The doctor nodded in approval. "He might be in a coma, but he can still hear you."

Gibbs looked at the doctor, his face looking dead serious. "How are his chances?"

"The doctor remained silent. "I honestly don't know," he answered. "It is all up to Agent McGee from here."

Gibbs wanted to be the first to visit Tim. He didn't tell the others why, but he felt the need to apologize for letting Tim down. Though he hadn't told anyone on the team, he had dealt with this criminal before and he should have seen this coming. He felt he owed McGee an apology. As he started to go into the McGee's room, he saw Tony and Ziva arrive and begin questioning Ducky and comforting Abby.

When he entered the room he looked over to the bed. Lying there, in the big white bed made McGee look young and vulnerable. "How old is he anyway?" Gibbs wondered, "he doesn't look old enough to order a beer." Thinking about Tim always made him felt a little weird. He saved this 'geek' from his geeky-world and was working on turning him into a full-blown field agent. Had he not done that, McGee would probably be somewhere safe right now.

Gibbs pulled a chair over next to his bed, and sat there for a couple of minutes waiting, not knowing what to say. "I let you down McGee," he started with a sigh. He hated apologies, but he knew this one had to be made.

"I should have known that something was off, with the DVD playing and the sounds. We should have been together." He stopped talking again and just sat there, thinking about his junior agent. After half an hour he heard a soft knock on the door.

Tony was standing there. "Boss, can we talk to you for a sec?"

"I will sit with him," Gibbs heard Ducky from behind Tony. "Ah, well my boy, you remind me of a case, more than 26 years ago," Ducky started when he took a seat next to McGee.

Gibbs was sure that Ducky would be a nice company for McGee. He followed Tony to an empty exam room, and was surprised to find that the rest of the team was already there.

"We found his hiding place. It was next to the building where we found our probie. We have full time surveillance and Vance put Johnson's team on getting this bastard," he coughed a little. "Ducky also put together a brief profile about Vonk's personality " he said while looking throught his notes, then pausedwhen his phone rang. "Be right back," he said. The team waited, silently, not knowing what to say to one another.

When DiNozzo entered the room a little while later he looked several shades paler than when he went out. "Later," he told the concerned faces.

Grabbing the notes he picked up where he left off. "According to Ducky, this man is probably an only child, or was raised as one, Ducky couldn't be sure about this. He's used to getting what he wants. He is smart, -marter then we give him credit for. His grades show that he always got straight A's at school. Captain of the Chess team and one of the first to work with computers. A geek. "

Tony took a second to take a look at the notes. "Oh yeah, here it sayshe bonds immediately with the people he feels are like him. And probably hates all the others in the world. When we searched his house we found that he did a extended research about us, and the people we work with, not only Abby and Ducky but also the mailmen and the your caffeine dealer boss. " Looking at Gibbs he smiled. "You knew he is building a boat in his backyard?" Gibbs shot him a death glare, shutting Tony up.

DiNozzo continued quickly about the subject he should be talking about. "I just got a call from Agent Johnson's junior agent, Agent Meryl. The building where we found McGee had a torture dungeon. Very well hidden. McGee was lucky this bastard didn't have him any longer, The person who was going to be tortured there was in for a hell of a time. Anyway. There was a giant cake, that said. Welcome Agent DiNozzo. Implying, again, that he planned on taking me."

He took a deep breath and looked at the team. Ziva's face was red with anger. Abby looked even more pale that usual, and Gibbs, well with Gibbs you never know what he's thinking.

"According to Ducky's profile, I probably remind him of some guy that used to pull pranks on him in his college days. Ducky thinks he might have killed me if you had taken me with you instead of McGee, boss."

"I think he couldn't kill McGee because he felt that McGee was much like him. And killing one of his own would be hard." Jimmy said.

"Ziva," Gibbs said in his no nonsense voice. "You are on protection detail for Tony. You follow him wherever he goes, even if he has to take a dump." Ziva nodded obediently, not exactly knowing what 'taking a dump' meant, but understanding what Gibbs was saying. Barging out of the room Gibbs decided that it would be nice for Vance if the poor men knew what was going on in his agency.

Jimmy, who felt sorry for McGee, decided to take the next shift. He gently asked Dr. Mallard to leave and took the seat next to McGee's bed. He didn't say anything for a few minutes. Then he explained. "You may like this silence," He said, "since Doctor Mallard was here before me." He continued to be silent for a few more minutes.

Then he started talking. Not about how sorry he felt, or about how they would catch the guy. No Jimmy decided to talk about something completely different. So he talked about this thing he liked to do most: Fishing. He talked a bit, and then waited. It was almost like he wanted to give McGee an opportunity to answer. He was surprised how hard it was, he was used to talk to the dead, but the living was something else.

Gibb's returned from talking to Vance, and told his team they should go home, remind Ziva that she was to go with Tony. Ducky followed Gibb's suggestion, since he had already seen McGee and his mother was waiting for him. However, the others refused. Despite the fact that it was very late, their team-mate was more important than a decent night's sleep. Gibb's nodded in approval. This was more than a team, they were a surrogate family.

Tony asked to be the next to visit with McGee and the others agreed. When he was sitting next to the bed, Tony felt awkward. "I own you one," he said. "If the guy caught me, like he intended to, I'd most likely be dead by now, you know, just like in that movie" But he stopped talking before he made his point. This wasn't a movie, this was very, very real.

Tony grabbed McGee's hand, feeling a little ackward,but he told himself, that this was pure friendship and nothing more. "I was afraid, you know, when you came on Gibbs' team. Thought he didn't want me anymore and was going to kick me off of the team. You are so much smarter than me. So all the teasing, it was nothing more than making sure Gibbs' noticed that you weren't perfect. But now, you are like the little brother I never wanted. I love you McGee, in a very manly way, of course."

Tony suddenly released McGee's hand. "Wow, that was very Brokeback Mountain," he thought. He decided to make some small talk about the case, the torture dungeon and everything. "Well I've got to go McGee, hang in there. It kills me to see you this way. It is not so much fun to play pranks on you now, you know!" And with a pat on the shoulder he left the room.

Ziva stood at the door guarding the room. "Will you please wait with Gibbs?", she asked, "I would like to talk to McGee." Tony felt the need to tell her he could watch himself, but she looked so vulnerable that he walked to there waiting room where he knew Gibbs would be.

Ziva walked to the chair and grabbed Tim's hand before she even sat down. "I should have told you this before," she said. There was a tear sparkling in her eye. "I had a little brother, he was just like you. Very smart and a little awkward in social situations. I loved him with all my heart. Jacob was his name. One day, he was cycling around our house. Suddenly a car raced around the corner and hit him. His body was completely broken. He was in a coma in the hospital for 4 long years. Everything about a hospital reminds me of him, and it is killing me to see you lying there, because Tim,I love you as much as it is possible to love a friend, or even a family member."

Having told him that was a load off her mind. She suddenly noticed that she was stroking his hand gently. "You know what the crazy thing is about this?" she asked, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. "I know that you are going to come out of this coma, because it is just the drugs that are keeping you that way. But it feels so real."

Ziva sat there for at least a half hour, not saying anything but simply holding his hand. "I should go," she said, "Abby is waiting to talk to you." She pressed a kiss to his head and left the room.

It took Abby a while to get the courage to go into the room. She saw that Ziva, the person she had accused of having no feelings at all, had been crying. Tony did not look to good and even Palmer looked very depressed when he left the room. And she, Abby, was usual the first one to lose it herself.

When she pressed the door open she was slightly shocked by what she saw. McGee, her Timmy, was lying in that big hospital bed surrounded by beeping machines. He looked so vulnerable that it scared the hell out of her. "It's me, Timmy," she said walking into the room. "You look very geeky," she said pointing to all the machines. "Aliens would love you," she pushed the chair aside and climbed onto McGee's bed. Curling up next to him instantly made her feel better.

"You know Timmy, today I thought I was going to lose you. It was the most awful day of my life. I lost Kate, Paula, Jenny and well, many more. But losing you…almost losing you made me realize how much I love you. Yes McGee, I love you more than puppies. I love you a whole lot more than puppies. And that should tell you something, because I really love puppies. If I ever want to get married, you are my man. You are handsome, believe in chivalry and so very, very smart. I am not saying that I want to get married. Because I don't believe in marriage. But maybe we can start dating again. You know, go to concerts, LAN parties, kissing. All the usual dating stuff. Because, if I ever have to lose you, I want to know that I had the best man a woman can wish for herself. And I want to be the best girl you ever can have." After this statement she started sobbing. Her mascara trailed down her face, leaving black marks on his bedsheets.

After an hour she felt better. "I am going to leave now Timmy. Tomorrow I will be at my lab, if you wake up, please call me. I will visit you again tomorrow. I promise, but we have to catch this bastard first." Kissing him on his cheek, Abby climbed of the bed and left Tim's room.

When everybody had visited McGee, Gibbs ordered them home. It was a very long day and tomorrow they had to catch that bastard even if they had to work together with Johnson's team to do it, he thought. "Go home, get some sleep. I will see every one of you tomorrow, 8:00 sharp."

By looking at him his team knew that there was no room for an argument there. As the other's left, Gibb's was surpised to see George sneak off to McGee's room. Curious he decided to listen at the door.

George opened the door, unsure of what he was going to do, or say. Taking a seat next to the bed he started. "Hello Timothy. I am George, remember me? I would not be made if you don't. But I just wanted to tell you that you have to get better." He sighed. "I want to be on Gibbs' team" he said bluntly. "But I didn't want it to be like this" he said. "What I saw today is unique, strange, but it felt good. You guys are like a really odd family. But you work well together. I wish I could be you. But I also want you to get better, for the sake of your family. "

He didn't know how to continue so he stopped talking. He just sat there and stared at Tim for a long moment. "Take care," he said and left.

Gibbs sneaked away when he saw the George coming to the door. He had to admit, he was surprised by this kid. Talking to an agent he barely knows. He reminded him of DiNozzo, he was not sure yet if this was a good or bad thing.

A/N O ye of little faith, did you really think i could kill of McGee? Please make my happy and review.