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Chapter 3
The dreaded beep of the monitor echoed in all the corners of the room, as the doctors and nurses sadly stopped the electrical theory to bring her back.
Doctor Davison glanced around, unable to gaze at Ziva directly. He looked at the clock and started to state the time. "Time of Dea—"
Beep...Beep...
All doctors and nurses looked at the black screen; the line was straight with just a little curl to the middle and ends of the rays. Just then the line began to scatter in an up and down motion. The still noise, of the heart monitor started beeping—faster at a steady sound. The number of heart beats increased.
Every doctor in the room looked up implying a thank you to god. "We've got her!" Doctor Davison beamed.
~*~*~*~*~*
Three hours later...
The doctor emerged from the surgical room, to discover Tony pacing from side to side. When the doctors present, was noted by the team, they jumped up and immediately asked a thousand questions.
"How is she?" Tony asked with desperation.
"She's stable at this moment, she had lost a lot of blood, and need immediate blood transplant. We were able to successfully, remove the bullet from her right torso. However, she suffered from severe brain swelling when her head collided with the table.
"What does that mean is her head okay?" McGee panicked.
"At this presided moment it's hard to tell, she needs to be awake"
"What problems could occur when she wakes up?" Tony asked, his voice had the evidence of shakiness.
"Amnesia. Some traumatic brain injury-related amnesia is temporary; such patients are usually unable to recall what happened directly before, during and after their accidents. This is often caused by edema, or a swelling of the brain in response to the damage it sustained. Parts of the brain that were uninjured in a traumatic brain injury incident may not work because the brain is pressed against the skull." The doctor stated. Tony gulped, not caring about his feelings being shown to anyone; he allowed angry tears to fall down his face as he angrily punched the wall.
"This is all my fault!" he screamed as he kept hit the wall.
The team kept their mouths shut, secretly they too blamed him, he should have followed protocol, but blaming him would not help the situation.
"If she does suffer from amnesia, will she get all of her memories back?" Abby asked.
"Often, the victim's memory will return slowly as the brain's swelling decreases. This can occur over a few weeks or even take as much as several years. Memory loss, specifically temporary memory loss, can be just an emotional side effect of the TBI, which is usually stress related caused by the trauma of the injury. So only time will tell" The doctor concluded. He glanced at the team. "Any more questions you would like to know, don't hesitate to call me" he said and left the room.
Tony cursed aloud; pacing from each corners of the room. "I should have listened to her—I should have listened to my guts—it's all my fa"
Gibbs who had been standing in the corner, still in shock of the day's events, glared at the federal agent as he walked towards him. Slapping him on the head he raised his voice.
"SHUT UP DiNozzo!" he ordered. "YES! It is you damn fault, but stop feeling sorry for your self!" Gibbs furiously screamed. Abby and McGee glanced at each other, worriedly. Never had they ever seen Gibbs that mad.
Gibbs head slapped him once more. Abby let out a loud sob.
"STOP IT!" She cried.
Gibbs repeated his actions. Knowing he deserved it, Tony did not respond and just allowed Gibbs to smack his head and allowed his angry boss to continue.
Abby stepped between them and glared at them both. "STOP IT! Ziva—has just gotten out of surgery—stop feeling sorry for yourselves and work together—for her!" Abby said with slight annoyance.
~*~*~*~*~
After their anger had calmed; Gibbs sighed as the doctor walked in.
"Ms David is slowly awaking, only one person is allowed to see her for now"
They nodded. "Who's going?" Abby asked.
"I will" Tony immediately said, lifting his hand up.
"I don't think so..." Gibbs protested.
"Gibbs" Abby pleaded.
Gibbs continued to glare at the field agent. "Abs, it's his fault we are here in the first place!" Gibbs spat.
"NO it is not! He couldn't possibly know that this was going to happen Gibbs" McGee chipped in.
"Look I don't care what you think off me boss, my partner, best friend and—and, love of my life is currently on a hospital bed, I DO NOT want her waking up alone!" Tony shouted, startling the team. If they thought they never saw Gibbs as angry as he was earlier, they had not planned on Tony's anger rising towards his boss.
"What?" Gibbs asked when Tony's words sank in. "What did you say?"
"Love off my life, I love her!" Tony declared as he gazed into his boss's blue eyes. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going" he stated and left with the doctor.
Entering the room, Tony glanced around the room. It was silent, apart from the even breathing from Ziva and the occasion beeping from the heart machine.
He slowly walked towards a seat that the room provided and pulled it towards her bed, and took her pale hand in his.
He gently squeezed it, before he brushed his lips on her palm. "I'm so sorry Zee" he whispered.
He wanted to crawl under a rock and die, at the image in front of him; her usual rosy cheeks were as white as a sheet. Her long wavy hair, covered by a white bandage.
"I'm so sorry" he kept repeating.
"What are you sorry about?" a husky barely audible voice asked.
His eyes widened. Not knowing what else to do in that moment, he rapidly pushed the chair back, rushed to her side, and gently pulled her in towards him, for a caring hug.
He smiled at her. Her brown eyes dimmed in colour, but he could still see her soul. He lowered his head down towards hers, until his lips touched hers. Lingering for longer than intended, he felt her weak hands push him away. Slightly hurt he gazed at her eyes once more, but instead of seeing recognition on her eyes, he saw lost, and confusion.
"Who—who are you?" Whispered the once strong woman.
"Tony. Don't you remember me?"
With a lot of confusion on her eyes, she shook her head and closed her eyes.
'Just what the doctor said' he thought. He reached for her hands to hold, but she slide them out.
"Zee—you've got to remember me! This is just the side affect taking in, I'm your partner Zee—I love you"
She shook her head once more. "I don't—know you" she whispered.
"Zee, come on, I save you, I travelled across the world to save you, even when everyone thought you died—I didn't. I know you love me too Ziva! Just before you fainted, you were going to tell me. You've got to rememeber me" he pleaded.
Her head shook again. "No—No—No, I'd like for y—you to leave"
Tears were streaming down his face freely.
"I'll be back; this is just a side affect the doctor said it will go soon"
"No—I don't think so" was her simple words before her eyes closed once more.
TBC...
A/N: Okay so I know this has ended a little cliffy, but it is the build up to the next chapter. I bet you are glad that Ziva was not killed?! I would NEVER do that! Nevertheless, I cannot promise everything will be happily ever after, from here. All I can say is good things happens to those who wait.
~ A review would be splendid ~
