AN: Thanks, as always for your comments and reviews. You're an incredibly supportive group of readers and I can't thank you enough. For this chapter, things have finally taken their toll on Tony mentally, which I don't think will come as a surprise to anyone. Not a very happy chapter. I don't have any real knowledge of mental health treatment and apologize in advance for any errors that I may have made. That being said, I'm doing the best I can to make this believable and hope you are able to overlook any inaccuracies.

xxxxx

Tony collapsed into the wheelchair. He was trembling and seemed to be unaware of his surroundings,

"Is he alright?" Jerry asked. He had just returned to his post and was watching Tony with evident concern.

"He will be," Gibbs said. "I just need to get him away from here." He could still hear Senior bellowing at the top of his lungs from his room. "I'll see you later, Jerry." Gibbs then rapidly pushed Tony away from Senior's room, breathing a sigh of relief when the man's voice was no longer audible. He was appalled by what had just happened. He was proud of the way Tony had stood up to his father, but at what cost?

Finally, they made it back to Tony's room. Gibbs squatted down in front of Tony's wheelchair and faced the younger man, trying to make eye contact. "Tony? Tony, can you hear me?" Tony looked zoned out and did not respond to Gibbs at all. "Come on, DiNozzo, snap out of it." Gibbs deliberately sharpened his voice and gave Tony a light smack to the back of his head, hoping to jar his agent into some form of awareness. Gibbs found himself getting more and more upset with Tony's detached state. He patted the side of Tony's face, snapped his fingers, even tried pinching the skin of Tony's arm. It was all to no avail though as Tony did not respond at all.

"Shit..." Realizing he was getting nowhere on his own, Gibbs pressed the nurse's call button, hoping and praying someone would be able to pull Tony out of this state..

xxxxx

"I don't understand," Gibbs kept saying, watching as Adam examined Tony, who was now back in bed. "I mean it was upsetting and his father said some really harsh things, but after everything he's gone through, why would this happen now?"

"That's just it, Jethro. After everything he's gone through... The human mind is a funny thing. People can be amazingly strong at times, getting through horrific events that you would think were impossible to get past, but anyone can get overloaded and just shut down. I think that's what has happened to Tony. He's retreated into himself as a way of coping with all that has happened to him."

"So what do we do?" Gibbs asked with a tremor in his voice and looking very much on the verge of tears. "How do we help him?" He knew that Tony seeing his father, while still in a physically and emotionally fragile state, had been a bad idea, but he couldn't have just forbidden him to do it. He couldn't just order him around like a child. Tony was an adult and had the right to make his own decisions.

Adam finished his exam and turned to the understandably distraught man. "Well there's no question that he needs professional help now." He was already regretting that he hadn't pushed the issue sooner. If he had, maybe this could have been avoided. Gibbs had mentioned that maybe Tony should see someone back when he had been unable to remember what had happened to him. At the time, Adam had thought it was an overreaction, but in hindsight, it would have been a very good idea.

Gibbs nodded. He wasn't about to stand in the way of anything that could possibly help Tony. "Do you have anyone particular in mind?" he asked. He trusted Adam implicitly and at this point would go with whoever he recommended.

"Yes. There are two different ways we can go with this. We can try treatment with or without drug therapy. What do you think?"

Gibbs shrugged, looking a little bit lost. "I don't know, Adam. What do you think? Which is better?"

"If Tony had the ability to choose, which route do you think he would take?"

"Well, he'd definitely go the drug free route if he could. If that could work..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Adam said with a nod. "I have a friend who's very good, Jim McCauley. He's a psychologist. He specializes in trauma, abuse, PTSD type cases. I think he'd be able to help Tony."

"Okay, okay, that's fine, Adam," Gibbs said, nodding. "I just want Tony to get well. Whatever it takes." He took a long look at his agent who appeared to be lost in his own little world. "Could he just snap out of this, whatever it is, at any time?"

"Yes. Yes, he could, Jethro, but even if he does, Tony needs help. He needs someone to talk to, a professional who is trained to help him sort through everything that's happened."

"I know he does," Gibbs said quietly.

"He also needs you," Adam continued. "I think it would be helpful for you to work with Jim, give him your input. It would be invaluable. You know Tony better than anyone. I also think its important for Tony to know you support this."

"I do support it. I'll do whatever it takes...anything..." Gibbs' eyes were watery as he lightly ruffled Tony's hair, wanting to see a smile or some tiny acknowledgment that signified Tony knew he was there, but there was nothing.

"Hey." Adam put his hand on Gibbs' shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. "I know things don't look too good right now, but Tony can get through this. You just need to have faith. I'll go give Jim a call now. I'll explain Tony's situation and hopefully get him in to see Tony today, if possible."

"I'll be here," Gibbs said in a choked voice as he resumed his seat by Tony's side and took the agent's hand in his own. "I'll be right here..."

xxxxx

Abby hung up the phone, looking as if she was about to burst into tears.

"Abby? What's wrong?" McGee asked, looking at her with concern. "Did something happen?" He and Ziva had come down to the lab to get some information from Abby about a case.

"That was Gibbs," Abby said, sniffling. "He...He doesn't want us to come to see Tony today."

"Why not?" Ziva demanded sharply. "Has Tony taken a turn for the worse?"

Abby nodded, then quickly shook her head when she saw the looks of fear that crossed Ziva and McGee's faces. "No. Tony is still doing okay, physically...just not so good mentally..."

"Did something change?" McGee asked worriedly. "He seemed to be doing really well."

"Tony went to see Senior this morning," Abby stated quietly. "I guess he said some horrible things. Tony just shut down. He's not responding to anything or anyone..."

"Tony has been through so much, ever since he and Gibbs were abducted," Ziva said. "How could a father treat his son so badly?"

"I have no idea..." McGee said.

"As far as I'm concerned he's not Tony's father. Gibbs is." Abby's eyes were flashing angrily. "He doesn't deserve to have Tony for a son."

"Gibbs must be taking this very hard," Ziva commented.

"Bossman sounded so sad," Abby said, nodding. "Tony means the world to him. This is killing him."

"Maybe we should still go?" Ziva asked uncertainly. "It is possible one of us could get Tony to respond, is it not?"

Abby shook her head. "Gibbs said that Dr. Kennedy is calling in a specialist to look at Tony. I don't think that's such a good idea, not today anyway." She wanted to see Tony in the worst way, but did not want to do anything that could impede his progress.

"Hopefully he or she will be able to help," McGee said.

"Tony will be alright, Timmy," Abby stated with a note of certainty in her voice. "We all know how strong he is. He'll get through this. He just has to..."

xxxxx

Gibbs had been sitting with Tony ever since Adam had left, going on almost two hours now. There had been no sign of recognition from his agent, basically no movement whatsoever. Gibbs found Tony's stare to be almost eerie. He was not used to seeing Tony so quiet and lifeless. It was almost as if someone had come and somehow taken possession of the younger man's irrepressible spirit, leaving only an empty shell behind.

"I'm right here with you, DiNozzo." Gibbs gave Tony's hand an encouraging squeeze. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to help you get through this. We'll fight this together, Tony. I know we can."

"Jethro?"

"Hey, Duck."

Ducky handed Gibbs a steaming hot cup of coffee he had brought and turned his attention to Tony. "Hello Anthony. You're looking very well, my dear boy." If Ducky was at all distressed by Tony's lack of a response, he didn't show it.

"I guess Abby told you what happened?" Gibbs asked, taking a sip of the coffee.

Ducky nodded. "Yes, she told me. Its truly despicable the way that man has treated the boy, Jethro. Its beyond my comprehension."

"Yeah, its beyond my comprehension too," Gibbs agreed. "He's a real bastard alright."

"I take it there has been no change in Tony's condition?"

"No." Gibbs shook his head. "None at all. He just lies there, staring off into space. Its like his body is there, but his mind isn't."

"Oh Jethro, Anthony has been through a great deal. Unfortunately, I just think this was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. I have no doubt that Anthony will persevere though, Jethro. He's a very strong and determined young man. There is no reason to believe he won't get through this."

"I know, Ducky, but it just seems every time I think he's getting better, something else comes along to knock him back down."

"He has a lot of people pulling for him."

"Yeah I know, but is that going to be enough?"

"We have to believe it will be."

"He did so well...he stood up to his freak of a father and I couldn't have been more proud of him. I can't imagine what kind of a hellish childhood he had...that son of a bitch beat the hell out of him, Duck...I have no idea how he was able to get through it."

"He did though. Anthony was able to overcome his horrendous childhood and he will overcome this as well. It is just going to take some time."

"Everyone is saying that, but no one knows for sure. There are no guarantees. Maybe he just couldn't take it anymore. Maybe...maybe he's just going to be like this forever..." All of this had been triggered by him inviting Tony to his house for dinner. Though intellectually he knew it wasn't his fault, he couldn't escape the fact that if he had just let Tony go home to his own apartment that fateful night, none of this would have happened. Sure, maybe he, himself, would be dead or still locked away in that room by Bellingham, but Tony would have been safe and unharmed. "I never should have taken Tony home with me that night," he whispered.

"Do you think Tony would agree with that, Jethro?" Ducky questioned gently. "You know the way he looks up to you. He loves spending time with you. Given his choice, I firmly believe he would have rather been with you than not, in spite of what has happened."

"Ya think?" Gibbs asked with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. "How'd that work out for him?" He looked at Tony whose eyes were now closed and he appeared to be sleeping soundly. Gibbs fussed with the covers, pulling them up higher and smoothing them out.

"Its still true. That boy would be crushed if anything happened to you."

"And this is better?" Gibbs asked. "If something happened to me, he'd get over it. This...this..." He couldn't even continue the thought. "Duck, can you sit with him, just for a few minutes?" he asked in a choked voice. "I...I need to get some air. I...I'm just going to take a short walk outside."

"By all means, Jethro. Take your time."

"I won't be long." Gibbs gave Tony one more tortured look before quickly leaving the room, unable to hold back the tears that had already started to trickle down his cheeks.