"Wait!" came a cry from the dockside. Gibbs looked in the direction of the sound and saw PC Palmer waving frantically.

"It's Jimmy," said Winston and he gestured to the pilot to hold off for a moment.

"What happened?" asked Jimmy as he jumped aboard.

"Looks like PD's been swimming," said Winston laconically.

Jimmy bent over Tony and then stood to call to one of the constables still on the dockside. "Get on the phone! Call Dr Pitt at St Thomas's! Tell him we're on the way with PD! Get an ambulance to wait at Westminster Bridge for us!"

The constable nodded and run off to find a phone box.

"Let's go," said Jimmy to Winston. Percy once again directed the pilot and then turned to Jimmy,

"What should we do?" he asked.

"Help me to get him to sit up. He'll breathe better that way. And get some blankets, we need to warm him up," ordered Jimmy. He looked at McGee and Gibbs, "And you two, you need to get warm too."

"We're fine," said Gibbs but Tim accepted the blanket another member of the crew offered him. "What's the matter with him?" he gestured to Tony.

"Water doesn't agree with him," said Jimmy. He was patting Tony's face trying to get him to wake up but with no luck.

"How come you all turned up?" asked McGee.

"When Gibbs didn't show at the Cross Keys, Tony called in and ordered that everyone available should come to the docks," said Jimmy.

"Ordered the launch in as well," said Percy.

"He came on ahead to see what was going on," said Jimmy, "Something must have happened to make him decide to go it alone."

"He found us," said Gibbs.

"We were about to drown," explained McGee.

"Why'd you let him dive in if water's bad for him?" asked Gibbs.

"We weren't here," said Percy with a hint of irritation, "It was him blowing on his whistle that told us that something was going down. We followed the sound of the blasts."

Gibbs nodded abstractedly as he listened to the account of Tony's preparedness and continued to watch Jimmy take care of Tony. It didn't take long for the launch to reach the Bridge where they could see an ambulance waiting.

"Winston," said Gibbs, "We need to go back out on to the river. Lambert, our murderer, is likely to be there somewhere with a huge cargo of wines and spirits."

"Gibbs," said Jimmy, "You need to come to the hospital too. You and Tim are both cold and the Thames isn't the healthiest river to go swimming in."

Gibbs was about to argue but noticed that Percy and his crew were gathering menacingly and somehow he thought he wouldn't be allowed to stay on board.

"OK," he said sulkily, "But you need to get out there and search for him!"

Winston gave him a measuring look and then nodded.

XXXXXX

Somehow Gibbs wasn't surprised to find Ducky also waiting at St Thomas's Hospital.

"Come," he said, "Bradyn is waiting. How is he, Jimmy?"

"He hasn't regained consciousness," said jimmy, "And his breathing is laboured. I don't think he swallowed any water … or not much, anyway. We kept him sitting up as much as possible."

"Good work," praised Ducky, "Now let us get our patient to the respiratory ward. Gibbs, McGee: you should come too. We need to get you checked out as well."

Ducky strode off with his entourage in his wake like ducklings. When they arrive at the ward, Gibbs and McGee saw a handsome doctor awaiting them.

"I thought he'd learned his lesson," said the doctor to Ducky as he took a stethoscope out to listen to Tony's breathing.

"You know Anthony," said Ducky with resignation. "What do you think, Bradyn?"

"We need to get him out of these wet clothes and warm and dry. I've got an oxygen tent waiting. We need to give him as much help with breathing as possible," replied Bradyn. "And that goes for you two as well," he added when he spotted Gibbs and McGee still leaving puddles on the floor. "Although we'll do without the oxygen tent for the moment." He grinned and extended his hand, "Bradyn Pitt. I'm the consultant in respiratory diseases here."

"Pitt," acknowledged Gibbs. "Is he going to be OK?"

"I don't make hasty diagnoses," said Pitt, "I've learned it's better to be cautious. Tony's in good hands now …"

"Jimmy was on the launch with him," said Ducky.

"That will have helped. Good work, Palmer," said Pitt.

Jimmy blushed, "Thank you, Dr Pitt."

"Now," said Dr Pitt, "I'm going to get to work. I suggest you two get changed. Nurse Wilcox will find you some hospital pyjamas and something warm to drink."

"I will telephone to PC Jenks and ask him to go to your boarding house and bring you some dry clothing," said Ducky. "But," he said sternly, "It may take some time."

Gibbs suspected that Ducky might make sure it took time as he seemed determined to make sure that he and McGee received medical attention. In other circumstances he might have protested but he still had a headache from the blow to his head and was feeling cold so decided to wait for a more opportune time to make his escape.

XXXXXX

Sometime later, as they waited for news about Tony, Ducky became concerned about McGee.

"Timothy," he asked, "Are you quite well?"

"I'm fine, Ducky," said McGee in surprise.

"It is most unwise to conceal any medical condition, my boy. If you are feeling unwell, I urge you to share your symptoms with me," continued Ducky.

"I'm fine, Ducky. Really."

Ducky peered at McGee distrustfully, "You look as if you might be running a fever. Your eyes are very bright." He put the back of his hand on McGee's forehead to check his temperature. "Hmm, your temperature seems to be normal. In fact, you are still a little chilled. How strange."

Tim cast a furtive look at Gibbs who appeared to be dozing in the corner of the room, "Actually, Ducky … there is something."

"Yes, Timothy?"

"It's odd."

"Yes, Timothy? You need not be anxious about sharing your concerns with me," said Ducky.

"Well, it was … exciting."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The rescue. Even the being captured, it was exhilarating," said Tim. "I mean; I was scared … very scared but it was exciting at the same time."

"Ah," said Ducky, "I understand."

"You do?"

"Indeed. It is nothing to be concerned about I assure you."

"It's not?"

"No," smiled Ducky. Somehow he thought that Timothy would no longer be content to be an office bound researcher. A new part of McGee had been unleashed and Ducky wondered if the Office of Naval Intelligence let its civilian employees be investigators in the field.

Shortly after this, Dr Pitt returned.

"Tony's temperature is elevated," he said, "And he seems rather feverish but I think the oxygen tent is helping and he is breathing better. I think he will be all right with a couple of days' rest."

"May we see him?" asked Ducky.

"If you keep him calm. He is awake now and I think seeing Mr Gibbs and Mr McGee might help reassure him," said Pitt. "Come this way."

Dr Pitt led them to a dimly lit room where they could just about see Tony propped up beneath a small tent made of a rubberised material.

"Tony," said Pitt gently, "You've got some visitors."

Tony opened his eyes and saw Gibbs and McGee standing by his bedside in their hospital issued pyjamas.

"That's a good look on you," he gasped, "Although you look like you've just escaped from the Scrubs."

"Scrubs?" asked McGee.

"Wormwood Scrubs," said Gibbs, "It's a prison." He seemed to sense his companions' surprise, "Hey, I know stuff too," he said.

"You two all right?" asked Tony.

"We're fine," McGee. "How are you?"

Tony shrugged and pointed to the tent, "Getting there," he said. "That was good work with the guidebook, Tim."

"Oh," said Tim.

"What?" asked Tony as he sensed some embarrassment.

"It was accidental. Sort of," confessed McGee.

"How?" asked Tony.

"When I was on my own. Before Gibbs found me, I thought about lighting a fire. I tore the pages out of the book but before I could start … well, Gibbs arrived. I stuffed the pages into my coat pocket 'cos I didn't want Lambert and the others to take them away."

"Sounds good," said Tony.

"And then, when we were put into the water, one of the pages fell out and floated away. And I thought it might be a way of making a signal … and I realised that I could just about reach my pocket with my teeth and I pulled some more out … pages, not teeth."

"Guessed that," said Tony.

"So I carried on as long as I could. And Gibbs tried to move to create waves to push them away," said Tim.

"Good thing you did," said Tony, "Might not have seen you otherwise."

"It was just luck," said McGee modestly.

"Sometimes you need luck to solve a case," said Gibbs. "And you used what was at hand, that's good, McGee."

"In fact," said Ducky a little severely, "I would say that there has been a lot of good luck involved in the solving of this crime. If Lambert had not been so determined to prevent anyone picking up any clues, well, I think the case would still be unresolved."

Gibbs shrugged. "We made the most of what we had," he said.

Tony coughed, "And I'm not sure all the luck was good," he said plaintively.

"Indeed," said Ducky, "You have a point. And I think Bradyn wants us to retire …"

"Can't trust what he tells you," said Tony.

"You certainly bear a grudge, don't you," said Dr Pitt with a smile.

"What?" asked McGee, suddenly alarmed about the doctor's capability.

"He breaks people's legs," said Tony with relish.

"What?" said McGee again.

Dr Pitt sighed; Gibbs and McGee got the impression this was a well-worn conversation between Tony and Pitt.

"Rugby," said Pitt, "Cardiff University against Cambridge University. PD here ran straight when anyone with an ounce of sense would have swerved …"

"Ran straight?" asked McGee.

"Into me," said Pitt. "And our prop, Owen Rees. 22 stone, he was. Man, he was a sight to behold. Took a while to get going but once he was running … well, he was difficult to stop. But PD managed that day … or rather, his leg did and it came off worst."

"Don't remind me, Brad," winced Tony, "And who'd have thought you'd end up being my doctor in London? Wasn't it enough to half kill me once?"

"Now, now, Anthony," said Ducky reprovingly, "You know that Bradyn is an excellent physician … and you have much to be grateful for. Why, I remember …" he peered a little more closely at the patient and smiled with satisfaction, "Excellent, he has dropped off to sleep. Come along, gentlemen."

Once again, the others assembled behind Ducky and allowed him to lead them back to the waiting area. McGee's adrenalin rush finally dissipated and it was his turn to fall asleep on one of the uncomfortable chairs.

"So," said Gibbs to Ducky, "Was he gassed?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"DiNozzo. In the trenches … his two months in the trenches … was he gassed?"

"Yes," said Ducky.

"Should've guessed."

"Indeed?"

"His office is the only one that doesn't smell of smoke," observed Gibbs. "And he didn't want to meet me in the tap room of that pub," he decided not to mention the time that Tony showed up at the pub as Gibbs began to drink himself into a stupor. Gibbs wondered if Tony had taken him away partly to avoid staying in the smoky room.

"Yes," said Ducky, "I have observed that a clean environment is better for Anthony's lungs. Unfortunately, we cannot always regulate the atmosphere in which he finds himself. It has led to a number of problems … although hopefully we have hit upon a solution."

"Mustard gas?" asked Gibbs.

"No, fortunately or not, Anthony was exposed to chlorine-phosgene. And before that, from what I can ascertain, he was extremely fit. Most of the time he is quite well but he is always susceptible to respiratory problems."

"Lambert said that DiNozzo was on his way out. And I heard the Deputy Commissioner mention something about DiNozzo winding down. That sounds to me like he's quitting … unless winding down has a different meaning in British English to American English. So, what' going on?"

"I don't believe that is my story to tell," said Ducky primly, "And," he added hastily to prevent further discussion, "I think you should take Timothy back to your lodgings. The excitement has finally caught up with him. You can speak with Anthony tomorrow."


AN: I think there's just one chapter to go in which loose ends can be tied up …