Sorry it took a while to up date but I had trouble writing this chapter and I'm not 100% happy with it. So please tell me what you think! :o)
Previous. . . . . .
"What about Rhani?"questioned Gibbs, "did you find him?"
The others looked at each other before turning back to their boss, "Well boss when the search and rescue crew didn't come across anymore bodies, we went back to the satellite recording that the Director and Abby had been watching, and we noticed that Rhani escaped out another entrance just before it exploded."
Ducky sighed, "he's still out there Jethro!"
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
EMERGENCY WAITING ROOM
0830 ZULU
"Will my Ima be ok ada?" Ahelia asked as she lent back against Gibbs' chest.
"Your mother is a strong women Ahelia, and I believe that she will do anything she can to come back to you," he murmured as he played with her hair.
"Family of Officer David?" a nurse called out.
"Here!" Gibbs stood and lowered Ahelia down to sit on the chair as he and Ducky walked over to the nurses station. "How is she?" he asked with a little apprehension.
"She's not out of the woods yet, we managed to find and repair the damage that had been done to her right lung and spleen, which had also been the cause of the internal bleeding. Some of the larger cuts on her arms and torso needed stitches but other then that there will be little if no scaring. Her fingers have already begun healing but we have still placed her on some antibiotics just in case. We sent her down stairs after the operation for a CT scan and some X-rays. Her CT scan came back ok, though we were a little worried about the possibility of brain damage caused by the blunt force trauma to her head, everything looks fine so far, but we do want to monitor her for any swelling that may occur. The X-rays confirmed that she has 3 cracked ribs and one broken, it was this one that punctured her lung that caused the internal bleeding there. Her body is also covered in bruises which will cause her a lot of discomfort. But all in all, considering what she went through, I'm amazed that she doesn't have more severe injuries."
"Can we see her?" asked Gibbs.
"We are moving her into her room in the next 45 minutes, she can have visitors then," the nurse replied.
"Is she awake yet?" Ducky questioned.
"She is but she is still a little disorientated, she should be more lucid in the next few hours but that is common! At the moment she keeps drifting in and out of sleep so when you are allowed in please don't wake her as she needs her rest. Oh and before I forget, we had to take this off when she went into theatre and we all thought that you might like to hold onto it for her!" she put her hand into her pocket and pulled out Ziva's Star of David necklace and passed it to Gibbs. He clasped the item in his hand and nodded his thanks to the nurse before she turned and walked away.
Sitting down beside Ahelia he looked at the pendent in his hands, "your Ima's going to be fine princess," he murmered as he engulfed her in a fatherly hug.
"Really?" she cried.
"Yeah baby, really," sighing he look back down at the necklace in his hands as he traced the golden metal of the star. He allowed a small smile to grace his face as the worry of the last few days dissipated and the good news finally set in. Ziva was alive, Ahelia was alive, and they were safe, his family were safe.
"Is that Ima's?" Ahelia asked watching as his fingers caressed the intricate patterns. He just nodded in response as he was still caught up in his revere. Carefully she placed her tiny hand over his much larger one and halted his movements, then gently she grabbed the jewelry by the chain and held it up. "Are you watching it for my Ima?" she questioned and once again he only nodded. Kneeling on the chair beside him she brought the chain up and clasped it around his neck.
"I don't believe in a God Ahelia!" he said as he placed some of her chocolate curls behind her ear.
She just shrugged her shoulders, "that necklace is my ima's and you believed in her, and besides she would want you to ware it."
Smiling brighter he grabbed the little girl and started to tickle her, "so when did you become a wise mystic?"
"Stop. . . . .. please stop," she gasped out through bouts of giggles.
"Sorry Ahelia, I can't hear you!"
"Please. . . . . . Ada. . . . . . . Stop."
One hour later Gibbs and Ahelia were allowed in to see Ziva, Gibbs had sent the others back to NCIS head quarters to track down Rhani. Holding Ahelia's hand Gibbs opened the door and they both walked in. "Ada?" Ahelia looked up at Gibbs with tears in her eyes.
"It's ok Ahelia, you can touch her if you want, just make sure that you don't bump any of the machines," he replied.
Nodding her head she placed her hand gently on Ziva's arm, "Ima?" she whispered.
NCIS HEAD QUARTERS
WASHINGTON DC
1000 ZULU
"Anything yet probie?" DiNozzo asked.
"I just received a report of a stolen car," he typed on his computer and brought an image of said car up onto the big screen where Jenny, Abby and Ducky were also helping.
"Were not interested in stolen cars McIdiot were trying to track down Rhani, you know the crazy bombing, revenge seeking psychopath!" stated DiNozzo.
"Well if you would just let me finish," McGee continued when Tony shut his mouth. "As I was saying, the report of a stolen car was filed at the Olney police station approximately three hours ago. A witness came forward saying he saw a man smash the drivers side window and hot wired it before speeding off. It was brought to our attention as the perpetrator came back as a positive match for the photo we had faxed out to the police departments in the area. The hit was Rhani Shaphat. Sargent Harrison has emailed the entire filed report including the number plate which I have just put out on BOLO." Just as he had finished his computer started to beep.
"What's that?" the Director asked.
"That, is a positive hit on the BOLO for the car," McGee answered as he walked to his desk and sat down at the computer.
"A possitive hit already?" asked Ducky.
McGee just nodded his head, "Security found an abandoned vehicle in a car park on their routine security check. Number plate matches as does the broken window. . . . . . "
"Were not interested in the tiny details probie, just an address!" Tony barked.
"Ahh, the report came in from the Bethesda Hospital!" Tim raised his shocked face to look at the others, "Ziva's at Bethesda!"
Jenny turned to Abby, "Call Gibbs and get the security teams up to Ziva's room!" She pointed to DiNozzo and McGee, "you two get over there now! Ducky and I will follow you."
Abby scurried around to Gibbs' desk and started dialing while Tim and Tony gathered there weapons from there locked draws. "His phone is switched off and the nurses station one is engaged, someone must be using it."
"Keep trying Abby!" the Director ordered.
ZIVA'S ROOM
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
1000 ZULU
Gibbs looked over and smiled at Ahelia. After having a restless night at Jenny's she had finally fallen asleep on the chair, it was cold in the room so he pulled the spare blanket over her petite frame. Walking back over to Ziva he was about to grab her hand when there was a loud THWACK and he was hit on the head from behind. Dropping heavily to the ground he rolled onto his back to see who had struck him. It was Rhani.
"Well, what do we have here?" Rhani smirked as Gibbs tried to drag himself away from the approaching Israeli, but the pain in his head was making him dizzy and black spots kept dancing in front of his eyes. His hand was frantically feeling around for anything he could use as a weapon, as there was no way he could reach his gun that was resting in it's ankle holder without alerting Rhani. He couldn't risk it, not with both an unconscious Ziva and a sleeping Ahelia in the room.
Suddenly his hand touched the cold metal of a spare IV stand, but before he could grasp the object in his hand Rhani's foot made contact with Gibbs' face knocking him out before he had even realised what had happened.
TBC
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