Hi folks!
So sorry for not replying to any reviews this time. My excuse is a terrible one but nonetheless the truth. That heatwave/fire last week made me so miserable that I wasn't replying to anyone about anything. When I got back to the world of the living, my inbox was full and I decided to work on this next chapter rather than spending the time to reply to everyone.
I figured y'all would appreciate a new chapter more. ;o)
Once again, thanks for all the reviews, messages, alerts, favorites, etc. I love every single one of them.
So here's the new chapter. I'm thinking maybe one or two more chapters and this story is done. I know how I want to end it, now I'm just figuring out how to get there. LOL.
Enjoy!
-Moki
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Chapter Eleven
"Me too, DiNozzo. Me too."
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As he stood there by the bed, Gibbs almost swore he saw Tony's demeanor change after he said those words. Tony didn't move, didn't awake, but Gibbs thought he saw the other man relax slightly. It wasn't much, but Gibbs knew that he'd been heard.
"Get well, that's an order. I need my Senior Field Agent back," he smiled slightly, knowing how much Tony loved it when he called him that, which he did very rarely.
A nurse came to the doorway then, looking at him pointedly, and he knew his time was up. Acknowledging her with a nod, he reached out a gentle hand and put it on Tony's head. "I have to go. Be back as soon as I can."
Once again he felt the reaction from the other man, a relaxation of muscles, a slight sigh in his breathing. Tony had heard him and understood.
Gibbs got back to the waiting room, finding Ducky and Abby already there.
"Can I see Tony?" Abby asked.
"He's asleep but I think they'll let you in, just show them your credentials and tell them you're on my team." Gibbs replied.
As Abby went on her way, Gibbs followed Ducky back to McGee's room. Already feeling drained, he didn't know how he would handle seeing a second agent injured on his team. Luckily when they walked in the room, they found McGee looking a lot better than he had earlier.
McGee's arm was bound securely in a sling, his head wrapped in a bandage. His color was much improved, thanks to the line in his arm supplying him with the fluids he needed. He was on concussion watch, but the nurse had been in to check on him not that long ago. He was being allowed to sleep comfortably for the moment.
Ducky stayed back, allowing Gibbs to walk up to the bed.
The team leader felt strangely awkward. Surprised, he found that he didn't quite know what to say to the younger man. Gibbs had known instinctively what to say to Tony, his gut always knowing exactly what the feisty Italian needed to hear when he was down. Whether it was gruff reassurance, an order to survive or even a soft headslap, he had no trouble knowing what to do when it came to DiNozzo.
It puzzled him that he didn't have the same response with McGee injured. Perhaps it was because he felt slightly out of place. McGee had a father, Gibbs had spoken to the man just after arriving at the hospital. Both of his parents were being given updates from the nurses on their son's condition and the two of them would be there as soon as they could.
He didn't just feel out of place, Gibbs also felt unnecessary. McGee didn't need kind words and reassurances from him. His parents would be there soon to provide those. He didn't need a pseudo father, not like Tony did.
As Gibbs stood there looking at the younger man sleeping, he realized that there was something that McGee might need from him. Something that his parents couldn't provide.
He may not be the younger man's father but he was his team leader. His mentor. Right then, McGee might be seeking something other than being told he was going to be okay. He just might need to hear that his partner was okay, too. After all, it was the last thing he'd been worried about when he'd gone down.
It was also the one thing that his own father couldn't tell him.
Leaning forward, Gibbs touched McGee's uninjured arm, repeating almost the same words that he had just said to Tony a few minutes ago.
"Tony's gonna be okay, McGee. You did good. Both of you did good."
Just as he had with Tony, Gibbs was sure that he felt McGee relax under his hand. The younger man sighed in his sleep. He too had heard Gibbs and understood.
In the doorway, Ducky smiled.
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Abby went looking for Tony and soon was being told by a severe looking nurse that she could only stay a minute, but she would be allowed to see the injured man.
Walking into the room, Abby thought how small Tony looked lying under the light hospital blanket. His long frame was laid out on the bed and looked nothing like the vigorous man who came to her lab and played along with her silly games. His breathing was slow and even, wires connected to almost every piece of flesh she could see. Machines beeped softly from either side of the bed.
Even though he was lying right there in front of her, standing in that room made Abby miss Tony even more. It felt like the person in the bed was someone else and she wanted the old Tony back.
Opening her purse, Abby walked closer to the bed and pulled out a fluffy object.
"I brought you someone to keep you company and watch over you until you wake up," she said, looking around for a place to put the item. Not wanting to disturb anything, she finally settled for the tall rolling table at the end of the bed.
"He'll guard you and help keep you safe." Abby said quietly, walking up to the head of the bed. Leaning down ever so slowly she placed the gentlest of kisses on her friend's forehead.
"See you soon," she whispered.
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Tony's eyes opened and his foggy vision slowly focused. He blinked as the images swam, waiting for them to settle down. When they did, he saw something that made him smile. Sitting at the end of his bed, perched right in the center of the table was a familiar sight.
"Hey Bert," he whispered.
Then he heard a voice that made his smile grow wider.
"Nice of you to join us, DiNozzo."
Tony turned his head, wincing as he accidentally moved more of his body than he should have. The motion catching wires, stitches and pulling on his sore shoulder. Forcing himself to be still and only move his head, he found Gibbs sitting in the chair next to his bed.
"Hey Boss."
Gibbs put down the paper he'd only been pretending to read, watching as Tony looked around the room, obviously looking for someone.
"McGee? He's okay, right?"
Gibbs nodded, wondering how much Tony remembered from their rather one-sided conversation earlier. "Dislocated shoulder, crack to the head and a concussion, gonna be fine. He's down the hall."
Tony sighed in relief. "Good. I knew you'd kill me if he didn't come back in one piece."
Why Tony didn't think that he'd also kill McGee if Tony himself hadn't come back in one piece, he didn't know, but Gibbs chose to ignore that for the moment.
"You did good, Tony," Gibbs said quietly, wanting to make sure that his Senior Field Agent heard it for sure that time.
Tony smiled wide. "Why Boss, was that an actual compliment I just heard?"
"Don't get used to it," Gibbs said, sitting back in his chair and reaching for his coffee.
A nurse came in then and seeing the patient awake, called in a doctor to check on Tony. With all the hustle and bustle, Gibbs slipped out of the room to check on his other agent.
He found Abby sitting in the chair by McGee's bed, her head lolled back and arms hanging loosely by her sides. She was snoring softly and Gibbs couldn't hide his grin as he caught McGee's eye.
"Hope she didn't wake you," Gibbs said, tipping his head at the figure in the chair.
McGee started to shake his head, then thought better of it as pain made sparks go off behind his eyes.
"No, the nurse woke me up a few minutes ago for another concussion check. Abby didn't even budge," he replied with a smile for his dozing companion.
Thinking that Abby would probably prefer being awake to being talked about, Gibbs gently touched her shoulder.
"Huh…..what?" Abby snapped awake and sat up straight. Seeing McGee's shy smile from the bed, she launched out of her chair.
Fully aware that the last thing the younger man needed just then was one of Abby's patented bone-crushing hugs, Gibbs caught her just in time. "Hey, down tiger. How many times have I told you he's not a toy, Abs?"
Giggling, Abby let herself be restrained. "Okay Bossman, I'll be gentle, promise. Permission to hug the invalid?"
Nodding in approval, Gibbs let her go. "Granted."
As Abby's arms were wrapped carefully and gently around his neck, McGee grumbled good naturedly. "Aren't you supposed to ask the hug-ee that, Abs?"
Once Abby was reassured that McGee was okay, she turned back to Gibbs.
"Is Tony awake?"
"Yes," Abby made to launch herself from the room and once again, Gibbs grabbed her just in time. "but," he held up a finger. "you keep the hugs down to less than bone-crushing, got it?"
"Yes, sir!" she replied, saluting him with the wrong hand as always.
"Don't call me sir, Abs," Gibbs replied absently.
"Yes, ma'am!" and she was out the door before Gibbs could do more than shake his head.
Walking over to the bed, Gibbs took up residence in the chair just vacated by his forensic scientist. "How you feeling, McGee?"
"Okay, Boss." McGee replied.
Gibbs knew what was coming next and sure enough, McGee didn't disappoint.
"Is Tony okay?"
"Fine. Had some touch and go moments last night but made it through surgery and is getting stronger by the minute."
"He saved me."
"I know. You saved him to. You did good, McGee." Once again, Gibbs wanted to be sure the younger man heard it that time.
Gibbs was beginning to think that it might be easier to have both his men in one room. After all, if they were going to keep asking how the other was doing, it might be easier if they could just ask each other.
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A few hours later, Gibbs got his wish. After being sent back and forth between Tony and McGee's rooms with messages from each of them, the doctors and nurses decided they'd had enough. The doctors observed that rather than allowing them to rest, keeping the two men separated was apparently just stressing them out more.
"Now, we don't usually do this," the nurse said, pushing Tony's wheelchair down the hall. "I mean usually an ICU patient isn't moved to this ward for at least 24 hours. But since you two are making us crazy, we've decided to stick you in with Agent McGee."
Tony hid his grin, not wanting to let anyone know how happy the arrangement made him. Not only because he never liked being in the ICU unit (too many people watching your every move), but he was also looking forward to seeing his partner for himself. Despite Abby's and the nurses' fervent promises that the younger agent was fine, Tony wanted to make sure.
Plus, it would be way more entertaining having the Probie to play with, rather than being cooped up all by himself.
"McGoo!" Tony called happily, as he was wheeled in to the room.
McGee smiled slightly, not so sure if he liked the new arrangement but thinking that company would be nice. Abby had to gone back to work and Gibbs would be leaving soon. He had heard that his parents were coming, but he hadn't seen them yet. McGee finally understood why Tony and Gibbs seemed to avoid hospitals at all costs, even going so far as to allow Ducky to treat minor injuries in autopsy. Truthfully he hadn't been looking forward to a long night alone. Maybe having DiNozzo there would make him feel a little better.
"Hey Tony."
A doctor followed behind the nurse and between the two of them, they got Tony settled into bed and hooked up to an impressive array of machinery.
"You know, I think I might need my oil changed and a tire rotation. Think you guys can handle that too?" Tony asked with a wink for the nurse, eyeing the various pieces of equipment.
She smiled back, tucking the blankets around him. "Just be happy you don't need the foley catheter any more."
Tony actually looked embarrassed, his face reddening ever so slightly. "Good point."
After the medical staff left, the two man sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. In a way, they'd been "speaking" all day – sending messages back and forth through nurses, Abby, Ducky and even Gibbs.
Being in the same room felt odd though and both men suddenly found they didn't know what to say. So much had happened in the past 48 hours, what could they say after that?
Finally deciding enough was enough, Tony opened his mouth to speak. Across the room, McGee chose that exact moment to do the same.
"Thanks."
Both men chuckled as they realized they'd said it at the same time.
"I mean it, McGee."
"Me too, Tony."
"Then we're even."
"Looks that way."
"Good, cuz the last thing I wanted was to have to be in your debt, Probie."
McGee grinned wider, happy that the awkwardness was over. He was also happy that his anger had evaporated too.
"Me too, DiNozzo. Me too."
