Golden Child

Hi! Lovely reviews – thank you for your generosity and your patience. Only a couple of chapters left of this one before I do a few more M&F's. Zan. X

Chapter 8

Without another word to his team, Gibbs was handing Ziva a scribbled location on his way up the stairs. The Mossad agent looked as though she was going to say something to either Tony or McGee, but appeared to change her mind before hurrying out. Abby gave Tony a wave goodbye and mouthed BE NICE to McGee as she left, leaving the two agents alone.

Tony leaned back in his chair and studied the ceiling. McGee pretended to stare at his computer screen. An awkward silence descended upon them.

McGee, besides feeling like he had been dudded by Gibbs, was wondering just how difficult Tony was going to be. Like it or not, McGee had been given a mission and he was expected to carry it out to the letter. If Tony refused to budge, there would be precious little McGee could do about it, besides enlisting security to physically move him out of the building against his will. It would be just like Tony to carry on and make life difficult for him. All the same, the older agent's usually cocky mouth had, amazingly, remained shut. Maybe he really was having a relapse.

Tony was amazed at how palpable and tangible some emotions were. He could almost see the resentment emanating from McGee. And really, could he expect anything less? If he were in McGee's position he'd feel like he'd landed a crap deal. He leaned forward in his chair as a fresh wave of pain made its way through his ring finger.

'It's okay, McGee,' he said quietly. 'I'll just take a cab.'

The comment struck McGee like a bolt of lightning. Tony really believed he wouldn't drive him to the hospital – but worse than that, Tony was actually going to hospital voluntarily!

'No. no,' stammered McGee, getting up and reaching for his jacket. 'I'll take you. You heard Gibbs.'

'Gibbs doesn't care how I get there,' continued Tony. 'As long as I get checked out, your ass is safe. I'll call a cab?' He reached for his phone and began dialing.

McGee quickly covered the distance between his desk and Tony's and pressed the CANCEL button on the phone. Tony looked up and met McGee's eyes.

'I don't care if Gibbs doesn't care how you get there,' said McGee. 'I want to drive you the hospital.'

Tony held McGee's gaze for a while, trying to see behind the younger agent's words. It was true that this might just be a clever ploy to get him to comply, but there was a possibility that McGee was being genuine. And he really didn't fancy traveling by cab. A luxury sports car was so much more comfortable.

'I don't know, McGee,' he ventured carefully. 'Our first date didn't turn out so well.'

'Oh, just shut the hell up,' McGee told him as he broke their mutual gaze and began walking to the elevator.

'Interesting start to a second date,' remarked Tony as he followed him, the corners of his mouth rising in amusement.

…………………………………………………..

Abby's fingers flew over her keyboard as she sought the answers she desperately needed. She was short on time and short on answers. She was so intent on her task that she didn't notice Ducky enter the lab.

'Abby, my dear,' he said in greeting. 'Are you already busy processing evidence? I'm afraid Mr. Palmer and I haven't received the body as yet.'

'What?' asked Abby, her face confused as she turned her head to look at him.

'The murdered FBI agent,' Ducky explained. 'I'm still waiting for the body. Given your frenetic activity, you're clearly already working on your side of the case.'

'No,' Abby told him, returning to her task. 'I'm trying to find out as much as I can before the evidence, whatever it is, gets here. Because after it gets here I won't have any time to do this, unless I get sneaky about it, and I don't really want to because I know how much Gibbs will want this one solved, but I'm really worried that it's something serious that the doctors will miss, and as much as I would really like to put toothpaste on Tony's toothbrush for the rest of his life, I'd rather it not be because he can't physically do that task on his own.'

Ducky raised his eyebrows at the revelation at the end of Abby's rambling, but then he quickly filed it away to ponder over at a later time. There appeared to be a more pressing matter to attend to.

'Abigail, my dear, what has you so concerned about Anthony?' Ducky enquired gently.

'His hand is hurting,' she explained as she scrolled through the information on the screen. 'It started bothering him last night and then again this morning. It shouldn't still be hurting, Ducky. Ziva said it could be a blood clot, and it says here that blood clots can travel from a wound site to the brain and cause lots of damage. Or maybe it means that his fingers aren't going to heal properly and that his right hand is going to be permanently messed up and then he won't be able to fire a gun and so he won't be able to work here anymore.'

Ducky reached out and stilled her hands with his own.

'Abby,' he soothed as she shot a panic-stricken look his way. 'As touching as it is to see you so concerned about a colleague, I most certainly do not recommend searching for medical diagnosis on the internet. A person can convince themselves they have even the most improbable conditions simply by trawling the internet. In fact, I know of a woman in her seventies who convinced herself she must be pregnant, despite being celibate for ten years, simply because she Googled food cravings and the urge to spring-clean. If you're worried about Anthony you should convince him to see a doctor.'

'I have,' said Abby. 'Well, strictly speaking I convinced Gibbs who gave McGee a direct order to take Tony to the hospital.'

'Well there you are then,' said Ducky, giving her hands a reassuring squeeze. 'It's most likely a minor issue that will be well in hand, pardon the pun, by the evening.'

Abby rewarded the elderly M.E. with a small smile and logged off, just as a courier arrived with the high priority evidence.

'Will you call the hospital later to speak with the doc who sees Tony?' asked Abby as she signed for the packages.

'Absolutely, my dear,' said Ducky as he moved toward the door. 'I best be getting back. Our guest may have already arrived.'

As he made his way back to Autopsy, Ducky thought about Abby's toothpaste comment. He had to admit that it made him smile. I wonder if Jethro knows about this he mused.