AN: Thanks so much for all your nice reviews and comments. I think this chapter may have been the most difficult one to write. As I said before, I don't have any real knowledge of psychotherapy so please try to overlook any errors I may have committed in this regard. That being said, I'm happy with how this chapter turned out and hope you are too :)

xxxxx

Gibbs left the hospital and began to wander about aimlessly, trying to ignore the curious glances and outright rude stares by anonymous strangers who he encountered along his way. 'Haven't these people ever seen a few tears before?' Gibbs wondered angrily. He finally managed to get his emotions back under control and headed back to the hospital, not wanting to be away from Tony for too long. He paused for a moment outside Tony's room, listening to Ducky who was speaking.

"You are very important to all of us, Anthony. We all love and care for you a great deal. We understand why you might feel the need to shut down right now and take a rest, so to speak. No one is disputing that you have been through a tremendous ordeal. But then you need to find your way back. We need you, very much. Never forget that. You must fight this, my boy, as hard as you can. Fight your way back to us..."

Gibbs cleared his throat and stepped back inside Tony's room. "Thanks for staying with him, Duck," he said softly.

"It was no problem at all, Jethro," Ducky replied. "It is always my pleasure to spend time with Anthony."

"I don't suppose anything has changed?" Gibbs asked, knowing in his heart that it hadn't. Tony was sleeping in the exact same position he had been in before Gibbs had left.

"Patience, Jethro. This is not the kind of thing that can be rushed."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." A fit-appearing man, looking to be in his early to mid-60s entered the room. He was tan and dressed casually in jeans and a button down white shirt. "Hello, I'm Jim McCauley. I believe you were expecting me?" His gaze shifted from Ducky to Gibbs with open curiosity in his eyes.

"Jethro Gibbs." Gibbs approached the other man and extended his hand which Jim shook warmly, "This is Dr. Donald Mallard."

"Nice to meet you, Jethro, Dr. Mallard. Are you one of Tony's treating physicians?" Jim asked as he shook Ducky's hand.

"No, no. I'm afraid that most of my patients are not among the living. I'm a medical examiner," Ducky explained to Jim with a slight chuckle. "I'm strictly here as a friend. However, I do need to get back to work. You'll keep me informed?" he asked, shifting his gaze to meet Gibbs' eyes.

"I will,"Gibbs said with a nod. "Thanks for everything, Duck."

Goodbyes were said and then Gibbs and Jim were left alone with Tony still sleeping soundly. "So Jethro, Adam thought you might have some questions for me," Jim said, focusing on Gibbs with an unwavering gaze.

Gibbs looked back at the doctor, feeling more than a little bit uncomfortable. "I...not really. I'm just interested in helping Tony get well...I...well to be perfectly honest, Dr. McCauley...I'm not all that comfortable with psychologists...I guess...psychology...its not really my thing..." He shuffled his feet, feeling awkward as he glanced down at the floor. Not many people made him nervous in this world, but psychiatrists and psychologists did. He always felt like they were trying to look inside him and could somehow see his innermost thoughts.

"Relax, Jethro," Jim said with a look of amusement in his eyes. "And you can feel free to call me Jim, unless you are more comfortable with Dr. McCauley. The choice is entirely yours. Adam explained that you might have some reservations about my working with Tony."

"No...If you can help him get better...that's all that matters."

"But you're an important part of Tony's healing process. Do you think you'll be able to speak openly and honestly with me?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes. I can definitely do that."

"Okay, then. Why don't you sit down and talk to me a little bit about Tony's situation and I can answer any questions or concerns that you might have."

There were two chairs in the room, but Gibbs chose to sit on the bed beside Tony, almost as if he was providing some protection to the younger man, serving as a barrier between Tony and the psychologist, Jim noted with interest.

"Now, I've seen Tony's medical records detailing all that has happened to him as of late. He's had a very hard time of it, it seems. Are you aware if he's ever had any similar episodes like this in the past? Before his current situation, that is?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No...not that I'm aware of anyhow. "He's always been very emotionally strong. At least, that's how he seemed to me anyway."

"And this was triggered by an altercation with his father?"

"Yeah...he said some very harsh things to him...unforgivable things..."

"And how would you characterize their relationship before this conflict?"

It wasn't good...they weren't particularly close..."

"Is that all?" Jim asked as he watched Gibbs intently, sensing the man was holding back.

Gibbs remained silent. Even though he was listed as Tony's next of kin and he knew Tony entrusted him to make decisions that were in his best interest, he still felt as if he was betraying Tony's confidence somehow.

"Is there anything that you think I should know about their relationship?" Jim persisted.

"He...his father beat him when he was a child..." Gibbs whispered reluctantly as he quickly glanced down at Tony, making sure that he was still asleep.

"And his father had also abducted him from the hospital and shot him?" Jim asked, just ensuring that he had his facts straight as he made some notations in a small leather-bound notebook.

"Yes..." Gibbs nodded.

"His mother is deceased and he has no siblings?"

Gibbs nodded again.

"Tony has never been married and has no current significant other?" Jim asked.

"That's right."

"And how would you define your relationship with Tony? He works for you, doesn't he?"

"Yes...he works for me..."

"But?"

Gibbs sighed. This was harder than he had expected. He wished that Tony was able to answer these questions for himself. "But..I...he's like a son to me. I care about him very much."

"And he reciprocates these feelings?"

"Yes...yes, I believe he does."

"Sounds like you're very good for each other." Jim smiled, trying to offset some of the tension in the room. Gibbs was obviously uptight, his posture tense and defensive. Jim really wished he could relax a bit. "What about Dr. Mallard?. I take it that he's close to Tony as well?"

"Yes. Ducky and Tony are close."

"Does he have any other close personal relationships?"

"He's very close to the other members of my team, Abby, Tim and Ziva."

Jim nodded, scribbling furiously. "So in many ways, your team provides a family unit for Tony."

"Yes, you could definitely say that," Gibbs nodded. He watched as Jim continued to make notations. "Don't you people just usually record this stuff?" he finally asked.

"Us people. You mean shrinks?" Jim was clearly amused.

"No, yeah, I guess so," Gibbs replied, looking embarrassed.

Jim chuckled. "Yes, many psychologists do record their sessions. I guess I'm just old fashioned in that regard. I prefer the old fashioned pen and paper approach."

Gibbs nodded. That he could definitely relate to.

"I think that's enough background information for right now," Jim said as he closed the notebook he had been writing in. "Surely you have some questions for me?" He really wanted to get the other man at least a little bit more comfortable.

"Adam said you don't use drugs?" Gibbs finally said after a long silence.

"Well, its definitely not my method of choice," Jim replied. "Medications do have their place, but I think its more important to get to the root of these types of problems. I find that medications tend to numb the pain and symptoms. In Tony's case, I think it would be more beneficial to talk these issues out, help him to come to terms with what has happened and his past rather than just mask his symptoms."

"So...how do you start?"

"Why don't you try waking him up?" Jim suggested.

Gibbs looked doubtfully at the doctor before directing his attention to Tony. "Hey, Tony?" He placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder and shook it gently. "Come on Tony, time to wake up."

Tony's eyes slowly opened and for a second, Gibbs could have sworn he saw a glimmer of recognition, but then his expression became vacant once again. At that point, Gibbs believed he had just imagined that Tony had recognized him or it was just wishful thinking on his part.

"Talk to him," Jim said encouragingly.

"What should I say?" Gibbs asked, looking at Jim for guidance. It was easy for him to talk to Tony when the two of them were alone, but he wasn't really sure what the doctor was asking of him.

"Just reassure him, let him know you're here. Introduce me to him if you'd like."

"Hi Tony. Its me, Gibbs. I know you don't really feel like talking right now, but I just want you to know that's okay. I'm right here with you and you're safe. Everything's going to be alright. I've got your six. Nobody is going to hurt you anymore."

"You're doing great, Jethro."

"Tony, there's a new doctor who's here with me today. He's going to help you get better and you'll be out of the hospital before you know it. His name is Jim."

"Hello, Tony. Its very good to meet you. What Jethro says is true. We're going to be working very hard to get you feeling better." His eyes were drawn to Bert, the stuffed hippo which was lying on the nightstand by Tony's bed. "What's that?" he asked Gibbs, pointing to the stuffed toy.

"Its Bert, Abby's stuffed hippo. She brought him for Tony."

"Give it to him," Jim instructed.

"He won't even know its there," Gibbs said, but he did what Jim wanted. He picked up the hippo and held it out towards Tony. Tony didn't respond at all, just remained staring off into space, not acknowledging the hippo in any way. "See?" Discouraged, Gibbs tossed the hippo aside.

"Give it to him, Jethro," Jim said again. "I want you to actually place it in his hands.

Gibbs sighed as he picked up the hippo again and this time he did as Jim wanted, placing the hippo directly into Tony's hands. At first nothing happened. Tony remained oblivious to the toy, but then, after a few moments, he raised it up and clutched it tightly against his chest. Gibbs looked at Jim who was grinning back at him. "That's a good sign?" he asked in confusion. "But he didn't even look at it...he doesn't even really know its there, does he?" Tony still had that same empty look in his eyes.

"Oh he knows its there, Jethro," Jim said, still smiling. "On some level, he definitely knows its there."

xxxxx

What had appeared to be a breakthrough turned into just another disappointment in terms of Tony's recovery. The days went by and as time passed, Tony's prospects for a complete recovery were growing dimmer. The team had begun to stagger their visits, coming in separately in the hopes that the more constant conversation and mental stimulation would trigger a response in Tony. It just wasn't happening though.

Then one morning, Adam entered Tony's room with a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He supposed this was why doctors weren't supposed to become emotionally involved with their patients.

"Good morning, Jethro," Adam said as he went over to Tony's bedside and took a look at the chart. There were no changes. Tony's vital signs had stabilized nicely and physically he was improving by leaps and bounds.

"Good morning, Adam..." Gibbs was watching Adam closely. There were tension lines around his mouth and he was studiously focused on Tony's chart, seemingly unwilling to look Gibbs in the eye. "What's on your mind?" he asked after a few moments of tense silence.

Adam raised his eyes from the chart and looked back at Gibbs with such an expression of guilt that it immediately sent Gibbs' heart racing. "What is it?" he whispered.

"Tony's coming along really well," Adam stated, gazing back at Gibbs meaningfully.

"And that's a bad thing?" Gibbs asked with a relieved smile. "God, Adam, you scared me. I was beginning to think something was really wrong." He glanced at Tony who was sitting up, clutching Bert and then back at Adam and then the realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh..."

Adam nodded miserably. "I'm pushing this as hard as I can, Jethro, but at most I can only keep Tony here for another two days, possibly three...we don't want to get into an issue with the insurance company...I'm really sorry..."

Gibbs felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. He had always known on some level that this was going to happen, but he had pushed it into the back of his mind. Tony getting released from the hospital was supposed to be a happy event. Now it was anything but. "So...what are Tony's options?" Gibbs asked, looking back at Adam apprehensively.

"I think we need to make arrangements to have Tony transferred to a long term care facility..."

"A mental institution?" Gibbs asked as he shook his head adamantly. "No...no way, Adam. I won't do that to him."

"Calm down, Jethro. I didn't say that. I'm talking about a skilled nursing facility, not a mental institution."

"A nursing home," Gibbs stated grimly.

Adam sighed softly as he gave Gibbs a few moments to digest the information. "There are some very good ones out there. I'll help you find the best one possible to meet Tony's needs..."

Gibbs turned to look at Tony again. He was so totally unaware of anything that was going on...locked away in his own little world. The thought of this once vibrant, active, intelligent young man wasting away in a nursing home tore him up inside and his eyes filled with tears. "I...can we talk about this later, Adam?" he asked gruffly, only barely managing to keep himself together.

"Yeah sure, Jethro," Adam replied, feeling like the biggest heel in the world as he left the room. Some days he hated his job and this was one of those days.

Only seconds after Adam had closed the door behind him, the flood of tears Gibbs had been holding back for so long finally overflowed in a rush of emotion. He grabbed a pillow from Tony's bed and buried his head in it, wanting to muffle the sobs that were tearing through him. He sobbed as if his heart would break, sobbed in a way he had not allowed himself since the day he found out that his wife and little girl had been brutally taken from him. Finally, utterly exhausted and emotionally spent, he fell into an exhausted sleep. Tony continued to sit beside the sleeping man, having absolutely no idea of what was transpiring around him or the potential consequences to his own life.

xxxxx

"Once you're released from the hospital, you'll be coming home with me. I'll cook you whatever you like, cowboy style steak, pizza, blueberry pancakes... You can introduce me to some of the movies that you love so much."

He spoke this way to Tony several times a day. He supposed it was his way of denying the inevitable, Adam had found what was supposed to be a very nice nursing home which was only a 20 minute ride from Gibbs' house. Tony was being transferred there the following morning. Gibbs had gone to see it and it didn't seem so bad, not as those types of places went, in any case. He just still had such a hard time imagining Tony living in that kind of a setting. He had even gotten a second opinion from another doctor who had recommended drug treatment along with electroshock therapy. The unlikelihood of success and potential side effects hadn't convinced Gibbs that it was the best option though, at least not yet. He would revisit the idea after a bit more time had passed, perhaps. Both Adam and Jim had convinced him to give Tony at least a month or so before resorting to more drastic measures and Gibbs had agreed without hesitation. He was very reluctant to cause Tony any more potential suffering. He had gone through enough.

"I'll let you help me with my boat...you'd like that, wouldn't you, Tony?" Gibbs asked wistfully.

He glanced over at Tony, halfheartedly hoping for a response, but knowing he wasn't going to get one. This time it was different though. Tony seemed as if he was looking right back at him. "Tony?" Gibbs asked, his voice breaking. He was unable to believe it might be true, certain that he was imagining things as he had done so many times over the past week. "Tony? Can...can you hear me?"

Tony stared back at Gibbs for what seemed to be an endless moment before he slowly nodded and then uttered the words that meant more to Gibbs than just about anything, other than when Shannon had accepted his proposal and the doctor had announced he had a baby girl.

"Yeah...yeah, boss...I can hear you..."