AN: Here's the next chapter...finally. Sorry for the delay in getting it out. I had a little trouble getting it started and then was just really busy with work, etc., etc. In any case, this chapter is a pretty long one so hopefully that will help make up for the delay. As always, thanks so much for all your feedback and support of this story. I think we're approaching the home stretch. Enjoy :)
xxxxx
When Tony awoke, his eyes automatically went to the chair where Gibbs always was. It was empty. His first thought was that Gibbs had been so appalled by his emotional display the day before that he had decided to leave. Damn...he knew he should have just kept his feelings to himself. Hell, after breaking down the way he had, Gibbs probably didn't even want him as an agent anymore. Agents who were basket cases likely weren't thought of as top prospects by NCIS. He could feel his anxiety level rising and was so distressed that he didn't even notice Gibbs getting up from the cot on the other side of his bed. Gibbs placed his hand on Tony's shoulder and the younger man jumped.
"Why so jumpy, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, looking at Tony with concern.
"I..." Tony looked at Gibbs then he caught sight of the cot. "I...I thought you'd left..."
Gibbs shook his head. "Nope, still here...In any case, I wouldn't have just left without letting you know."
"Oh." Tony nervously twisted the blanket in his hands.
Gibbs sighed, wondering what was up with his agent now. He had thought that some progress had been made, but now it seemed that Tony had taken a step backwards again. "What's wrong, Tony?" he asked and then held up his hand. "And before you say nothing, I know its something so let's just cut to the chase." Gibbs was a little bit grumpy after having spent the night on the cot, which had been sent in for him while Tony had been asleep. His back was aching fiercely and he actually thought he may have been better off sleeping in the chair.
"Nothing's really wrong," Tony said with a shrug. "I...I just thought you had left because..." he trailed off uncertainly and Gibbs understood what Tony was getting at.
"Because of what you told me?" he asked gently. "Come on, Tony...how could you think that?"
"I was crying like a little girl, boss," Tony said, clearly embarrassed by what had transpired. "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want anything to do with me anymore..."
At those words, Gibbs saw red. "You really think so little of me, DiNozzo?" he asked sharply.
"Huh?" Tony gave Gibbs a confused look. "You know I think the world of you, boss..."
"Well you've got a funny way of showing it," Gibbs said. "You think I'd just abandon you now, because of what your father did to you? Because you got emotional about everything that's happened? What kind of a person do you think I am?"
"I...I'm sorry, boss...I wasn't thinking...I know you'd never just abandon me..."
Any anger Gibbs had been feeling quickly left him upon seeing Tony's dejected look and slumped posture. He was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to get his confidence back again. "It's okay, Tony. I just hope you really do know that, because its the truth. You're not getting rid of me that easily."
"I know that...I really do...I don't even know what's wrong with me anymore. I thought things would seem a lot better today, after I got everything out...I don't know though...I don't really feel all that different..."
"Its going to take time, Tony. There's no quick fix for this. You need to be patient with yourself and just let yourself feel what you feel."
"Yeah...I know you're right," Tony said, but he didn't look as though he really believed his own words.
Gibbs ran his hand back through his hair in obvious frustration and Tony shot him a guilty look which made Gibbs even more frustrated. "I'm not upset with you," he stated, wanting to reassure Tony. "I'm just pissed off at your father..." He was basically pissed off at the whole situation. He despised what Senior had done...hated the way Tony had been stripped of all his self confidence. Now, more than ever, he felt that Tony would benefit from speaking to a therapist, but he didn't want to bring it up yet, certain that the younger man would balk at the idea. He was about to suggest that Tony should get some rest when he remembered that they had just woken up. Damn...it was going to be a really long day...
xxxxx
Abby was sitting at Gibbs' desk, gazing forlornly at Tony's empty chair, when Ziva and McGee returned to the office after conducting a field interview.
"Something wrong, Abs?" McGee asked after exchanging a quick look with Ziva.
"Hi guys, I talked to Gibbs. He said it would be okay for us to see Tony today. In fact, he actually encouraged it. Evidently, Tony's pretty down today."
"Well, you cannot really blame him," Ziva stated as she settled herself behind her desk.
"That's true," Tim nodded his head in agreement as he booted up his computer. "After all, his father did try to murder him. Its only natural to be depressed after something like that." He, himself, couldn't begin to imagine such a thing and was grateful for his own relatively normal family.
"Still, I wish I could think of something to cheer him up." Abby twirled around in Gibbs' chair as she pondered the situation.
"We can bring him a milkshake," Tim suggested. "That made him pretty happy the last time we brought him one.
"Yes, we can do that," Abby said agreeably, "but we need something more than just that."
"Some new movies perhaps?" Ziva asked.
"Okay...I'll check out the new releases on my lunch," Abby said. She still wanted to do something more though. Movies and a milkshake might cheer Tony up a bit, but they needed to do something that would really put a smile on his face. Then she had a thought…something that would definitely make Tony laugh, especially if she could get Timmy to go along with it. "I have an idea," she said with a mischievous smile...if you'll both promise to go along with it. I think we can definitely brighten up Tony's day."
xxxxx
Just before lunchtime, Dr. Williams came into the room. Gibbs had gone off to get some coffee so Tony was alone. "Hello, Mr. DiNozzo, how are you feeling today?"
"I'm feeling better," Tony said. "Itching to get out of here."
The doctor nodded as she looked at Tony's chart. "No fever and your vitals have been good. I'm going to send a physical therapist to walk with you this afternoon. That will get you one step closer to going home, though you're still a few days away from that."
"How about food?" Tony asked. "Can I eat something other than scrambled eggs and Jello?"
Dr. Williams chuckled as she removed the dressing. "I think that would be fine if you're feeling up to it."
"Oh I'm definitely feeling up to it," Tony said, watching the doctor's face as she examined him. "How does it look?"
"It's looking good," she said, smiling as she put a fresh dressing on the wound. "You're coming along very nicely."
"That's good news," Tony said with a faint smile. He was really tired of being sick. He was glad that he was finally starting to get better.
"Well, you take care of yourself," she said, returning his smile. "I'm not sure if I'll see you again. Dr. Kennedy will be back on duty this evening."
"Thanks a lot," Tony said. The doctor left the room and Tony started mindless flicking through
television channels with the remote control. He was starting to get really bored. Even watching his DVDs wasn't helping all that much.
Gbbs came back into the room carrying his coffee and a small bundle of magazines which he tossed on Tony's bed.
"Thanks, boss," Tony said, sighing to himself when he realized Gibbs hadn't brought him anything to eat. "Doctor was here. She said I'm doing good. I can eat real food now too."
"Yeah?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his coffee. "Well, that's good to hear, DiNozzo."
"Yeah, so maybe you can get me something that's actually edible?"
"We'll see," Gibbs said noncommittally.
"When?"
"I said we'll see, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "Don't push it."
Tony sighed and rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything else as he began poking through one of the magazines Gibbs had brought. "A burger would be good," he said under his breath after a few minutes of silence.
Gibbs smirked as he pointedly continued to ignore Tony.
"Ice cream would hit the spot," Tony continued, still speaking softly. "A turkey sandwich or roast beef...grilled cheese maybe...Oh come on, boss. You're killing me here..."
"Patience is a virtue, DiNozzo...you need to learn to have some."
Just then, the dietary aide came into the room, carrying Tony's lunch tray. Tony picked up the dome and peered underneath, making a face. "Soup, applesauce, I don't know what the heck this is..." He poked his fork at the brownish-colored, mush-like substance on his plate, then pushed the whole tray aside. He wasn't going to eat this crap. Gibbs was watching his agent out of the corner of his eye, unsure of how much longer he was going to torture him.
"Guess I'll just have to starve to death, Bert," Tony said, picking up the stuffed hippo. "Nobody around here will go get me any real food for lunch..." He glanced at Gibbs hopefully, but the older man was steadfastly ignoring him. Realizing he was getting nowhere fast, Tony resumed his channel surfing, not that there were all that many channels to go through. He finally settled on an "I Love Lucy" rerun, and it wasn't long before he dozed off.
At that point, Gibbs finally took pity on his agent. He sprawled a note saying he would be back soon, leaving it beside Tony on the bed, then went off to get them both some lunch. On his way out of the hospital, he decided to take a detour and check in with the agent guarding DiNozzo Sr.
"Hey, Parker, how's it going?" Gibbs asked, greeting the agent.
"Hey, Gibbs. Things are quiet, real quiet," Parker replied. This assignment was about as exciting as watching paint dry. "How's Tony?"
"He's coming along pretty well," Gibbs responded.
"That's good to hear. Give him my best wishes."
"I'll do that," Gibbs replied. "I'm heading out to grab some lunch. Can I get you something?"
"Oh yeah, that'd be great." Parker gave Gibbs his lunch order and Gibbs started to head off when Parker called him back again. "Not sure if you know already, but word is they're going to be releasing DiNozzo Sr. tomorrow."
"No...I actually didn't know that...Thanks for letting me know..." Gibbs headed off again, though this time he was troubled. Of course, getting Senior back behind bars where he belonged was a good thing, however, he knew Tony wanted to confront the man and he wasn't sure he was mentally ready to do so. He could just keep quiet about Senior leaving, but he didn't really feel right about doing that either. Gibbs sighed as he continued his inward debate. It seemed that nothing was ever easy.
xxxxx
"That's good...You're doing very well Tony," Ann Marie, the pretty physical therapist, praised him as they turned around to head back to his room.
"Thanks," Tony said a little bit breathlessly. He didn't feel like he was doing well, but if she thought so, who was he to correct her?
Finally, they reached Tony's room and he gratefully collapsed onto the bed. Damn. He felt like he had just run a marathon. He felt really out of shape. "Hey boss," he said, noting Gibbs had returned from wherever he had gone. "This is Ann Marie, my physical therapist."
"Jethro Gibbs," Gibbs said, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Ann Marie said with a smile. "Tony and I just took a walk. He did very well." She turned her attention back to Tony. "I'll be back to see you again tomorrow. I encourage you to sit up as much as you feel comfortable and take short walks, just not by yourself."
Tony nodded. "She's really nice," he said to Gibbs after the young woman had left.
"She seemed nice," Gibbs said as he took a healthy bite of the sandwich he was eating.
Tony looked around quickly, but saw nothing other than Gibbs' sandwich and drink. "You didn't bring me anything?" he asked with a crestfallen look.
Gibbs shrugged. "I didn't want to wake you up and I didn't know what you wanted."
"I'm not exactly picky," Tony grumbled, shooting an annoyed look at Gibbs. He couldn't believe he hadn't brought him anything. It was just plain mean. "You know, Dr. Williams really did say I could eat something other than mush, just in case you don't believe me, because that's the only reason I can think of that you didn't bring me something...anything. You can just ask her if you think I'm lying."
"Relax, Tony. It's in the drawer," Gibbs said, realizing that with Tony's current mental state, he might have pushed things too far. He opened the drawer to the bed stand and pulled out a wrapped sandwich and a soda then handed them to his agent.
"Sorry, boss..." Tony said sheepishly. He should have realized Gibbs was playing with him. He couldn't even take a joke anymore.
"It's okay, Tony."
"Thanks..."
"The team will be coming over later after work," Gibbs began, trying to ease the awkwardness that had sprung up between them. "I was thinking of having them bring over dinner from Molly's, if that's okay with you." Molly's was a little restaurant that specialized in very good home cooked meals.
"Sure, boss, that sounds great." Tony unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite, relishing the flavor of real food. "Mmmm...this is good, boss."
"Now that the tension had eased, Gibbs decided this was definitely not the right time to bring up the subject of Tony's father leaving the hospital. Maybe he'd tell Tony later on...or maybe he wouldn't. He still hadn't made up his mind.
xxxxx
The rest of the afternoon was spent relatively quietly. Gibbs engrossed himself in a book and Tony had watched a mini Magnum marathon which had kept him fairly content. A dinner tray was brought in at around 5 o'clock, but Tony didn't even bother to see what it contained since he knew dinner was being brought over. At a little after 6, Ducky arrived, carrying a bagful of takeout containers from Molly's.
"Hello, Anthony. You're looking a good deal better than when I saw you last."
"Hi Ducky, I'm feeling pretty good."
"And how are you, Jethro?"
"I'm doing good, Duck. Where are the others?"
"They'll be here momentarily," Ducky said with a smile.
"Hey, Ducky?" Tony looked at the older gentleman with a serious expression on his face. "I want to apologize to you for lying about what I wanted that money for...I shouldn't have done that..."
"No, Anthony. You shouldn't have," Ducky stated. "But, I dare say that you've been punished quite enough, my boy. I don't want you to fret about it anymore. I forgive you."
"Thanks, Ducky," Tony said with a relieved smile. "I promise never to take advantage of your friendship like that again."
"And I intend to make sure he keeps that promise," Gibbs said. "We will be having a long discussion about what he did."
"Oh Jethro. I do believe the boy has learned his lesson," Ducky protested
"It's okay...I deserve it." Tony gave Ducky a faint smile.
"Don't worry, I won't be too rough on him," Gibbs inwardly agreed that Tony had been punished more than enough. He just wanted to make sure Tony understood the seriousness of what he had done.
Just then, Abby came prancing through the doorway. She was dressed in a clown outfit, complete with face paint and was carrying a half dozen balloons.
"Wow, you look great, Abby," Tony chuckled as he admired Abby's costume. His grin broadened when Ziva entered the room behind Abby, dressed similarly. He would have never expected the former Mossad agent to have dressed up as a clown. "You both look fantastic."
"You're looking pretty fantastic yourself, Tony," Abby stated, amazed at how much better Tony appeared.
"I'm feeling much better, Abs"
"I am glad you are doing better," Ziva said as she leaned over and gave Tony a kiss.
"I think that's the first time I've ever been kissed by a clown." Tony said, smiling at Ziva. "So, where's McGee? Couldn't he make it?"
"What?" Abby turned around in surprise. "Timmy, you get in here right now, Mister!"
Gibbs and Tony both waited expectantly for McGee to come into the room and when he did, both men burst into laughter. "Oh man, McGoo...you're the saddest looking clown I've ever seen," Tony gasped. "How'd you ever let her talk you into it?"
"It wasn't easy," Abby smiled in satisfaction. She had done a lot of arm twisting to get McGee to agree, but the look on Tony's face now was definitely worth it. She had known McGee dressed up as a clown would be a success.
"Somebody needs to take a picture," Tony demanded, still laughing. "This is going to be my new screen saver when I get back to work."
Abby pulled out her cell phone and handed it to Ducky. "Take our picture, Ducky."
"No way!" McGee attempted to escape from the room but was thwarted by Ziva. "Don't be a sorry sport. This is making Tony happy," she whispered.
"Spoil sport." McGee sighed as he resigned himself to his fate as a clown on Tony's desktop.
Pictures were taken and then the meals were distributed. Tony appeared happy and relaxed and Gibbs was very pleased with the success of the evening. Moments like these gave Gibbs hope that eventually Tony would be able to recover both physically and mentally from all that had happened.
"Man...I am stuffed." Tony gave a contented sigh as he drained the last bit of his milkshake. "That was so good. Thanks a lot, guys."
"You're welcome, Tony," McGee said.
Tony grinned at the younger agent, but was consciously keeping himself from making any Mc-clown or Mc-Bozo comments. He knew Tim had only done this to try to cheer him up and he didn't have the heart to taunt him about it. He unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn. Although he was feeling a whole lot better, he had to admit his usual stamina was still lacking quite a bit.
"Oh my, look at the time." Ducky was the first one, besides Gibbs, to notice Tony's heavy-lidded eyes. "I think it's about time we get going, besides, visiting hours are just about over."
Gibbs gave Ducky a slight nod of approval as the others readied themselves to leave. "You take care of yourself, Tony," Abby said, hugging him tightly.
"Thanks for everything, Abs." Tony returned her hug and smiled. "And thanks for letting me borrow Bert too. He's been more helpful than you know."
"He tends to have that effect on people."
"Goodbye, Tony." Ziva gave him another hug and kissed his cheek. "I will try to come back and visit tomorrow."
"Thanks, Ziva." Tony's eyes sparkled as he gazed back at her. "You really do make an adorable clown."
"Try to keep out of trouble," Tim said as he gently patted Tony's shoulder.
"I will. Thanks, Probie." Tony mentally congratulated himself when he was able to look at McGee without laughing.
"Keep on improving like this, my boy, and you'll be home before you know it," Ducky stated, affectionately rumpling Tony's hair. "I will see you soon, Anthony."
"I'll see you, Ducky. Thanks for coming."
"See ya, Duck," Gibbs echoed. "Thanks everyone."
"That was really fun," Tony commented as he tried to arrange his pillows more comfortably after everyone had left, then chuckled. "I still can't believe McGee."
Gibbs sighed softly, hating himself for what he was about to do, especially when Tony was so relaxed and at ease. He knew if he kept it from Tony, his agent would be angry and resentful and would likely try to go off half-cocked the way he had before. At least this way, he would be able to have some control over the situation. "Tony...there's something I need to tell you..."
"Yeah, boss?" Tony looked back at Gibbs unsuspectingly, a half smile on his lips.
"I..." Just get it out, Jethro. "I found out earlier that your father is getting released from the hospital tomorrow...If you want to see him before he leaves, you're going to have to do it really soon..."