Within twenty minutes of his visit, the techs came in to take Gibbs for his CT. Tony watched him rolled away until he was behind Radiology doors, and then made his way back out to the waiting room.

Abby was pacing, and as soon as she saw him, she ran up to him and hugged him. "How is he?"

"Going to get a CT," he told her, and as he looked ahead, he saw McGee and...someone he hadn't expected at all. "Jack?" Abby pulled away from him.

"How's my boy look, Tony?" Jackson asked as they approached him.

"He looks...good, considering," Tony told him. "How'd you get here so fast?" he asked incredulously.

"Was already here," he supplied, considerably calmer after Tony's small insight on his son. "Came to spend Christmas with my boys. How're ya holdin' up, Tony? I'm sorry about your old man." He placed a hand on Tony's arm.

"Thanks, Jack," Tony whispered. "It's...good to see you; circumstances aside."

"Don't you worry too much about Leroy," he said as he gave a small smile. "He's a tough kid to break. But you all know that already, don't ya?" He glanced around the group.

"Yeah, we do," Abby replied for them.

"I'm gonna go use the restroom," he told them. "I had one too many cups of coffee on the flight here, and the traffic held us up for so long, I can almost taste it in the back of my throat." He scooted past them toward to bathroom.

Once Jackson was out of sight, McGee look over at Tony again. "Did he really look good?"

"If unconscious and bleeding from a skull fracture looks good..." Tony's words had a bit of bite to them, and he saw the pang of hurt in his probie's eyes before the younger agent looked down at the floor. "Look...Tim, I'm sorry. I'm just..."

"It's okay, Tony," he replied.

"No, it's not," he retorted. "This isn't your fault, and you said nothing wrong. I was just..." He looked away from his friends as he clenched his jaw. What was he, again? Oh right...scared.

"Good lord, the traffic!" Ducky said as he entered into the hospital and approached them. "How is he? Has anyone heard?"

"Skull fracture," Tony told him. "They think he may have some bleeding inside...They're running him through a CT now; just took him down."

"Then...I suppose there's nothing to be done for at least half an hour," the M.E said. "Except wait, of course."

"There's coffee in the cafeteria," Tim said. "I can go get some for everyone...I think they have tea, too, Ducky."

"That, they do," he said. "I'll accompany you there. No sense in making you carry so much up here by yourself, especially since we've got a bit of a wait on our hands. Abigail, would you like something?"

"I'll go with you...but can we wait for Jackson to get back from the restroom? He might want something."

"Jackson's here? So soon?" Ducky asked.

"He flew in for Christmas," McGee explained just as the man in question came back into the waiting room.

"Is that Ducky?" Jackson asked knowingly as he approached the group.

"Good to see you, old boy!" Ducky shook his hand. "Not in the current setting, though, of course. We were about to head down to the cafeteria for tea and coffee, if you'd care to join us?"

"Someone should stay up here...just in case they need permission for something," Jackson hesitated.

"I'll stay," Tony said. "I was planning to anyway, and I'm authorized to make medical decisions for him as well. Go ahead; you should take a load off, and your mind off of all this for a little while, at least." He gave Jackson's shoulder a light squeeze.

"Well...all right, Tony. If you're sure."

"I'm sure. And I'll call once he's out of the CT."

11 00 11 00 11

Fifteen minutes into the scan, Tony found himself restless as he sat in one of the waiting room chairs. He was about to call McGee and request a coffee be brought back with them for him, when Gibbs' radiologist came through the double doors and headed toward him.

Tony stood to meet him once he was certain the man was looking at him.

"Agent DiNozzo, there's been a discovery midway through the scan. We need to get Agent Gibbs into the O.R immediately for emergency surgery..."

Tbc...