AN: I wanted to get this up earlier, but that didn't work out. Because of that, I'm giving you guys two chapters!
There were several things that happened at once. There was that awful burning racing along his veins, stealing his breath…it felt like it had lasted forever, that all he had ever known was this fire. He could feel his heart thumping painfully and knew it was close, knew that he was moments away from death. He could feel himself slipping away and didn't even notice the gunshot that rang out.
Slowly, so slowly, his mind cleared enough to realize that there was no new pain, that the current had stopped. His screams had faded, leaving him to try and catch his breath; his chest heaving with exertion. There were voices, but they just seemed to float around him. He didn't have enough energy to care what the voices were saying, he was just slightly curious as to why he was still alive. He was positive Tom had meant to kill him. Ah well, whatever was going on, he didn't care, so long as they left him alone.
Something touched his face, and he flinched, cringing away from the contact. What now? Whatever it was left his face and he felt a pressure on his shoulder. Go away…Please.
"McGee? Son, can you hear me?"
Words finally broke through and his breath caught. That sounded like… "Gibbs?"
"Yeah, Tim. It's me. Can you open your eyes?"
How had Gibbs found him? Better yet, why was he here? He should have been…been planning Tony's funeral. Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking heavily against the pain that spiked through his head at the light. His eyes skimmed across the room and he saw agents cuffing Tom and leading him away, saw Ziva kneeling by his side, saw Gibbs kneeling in front of him. "Wh-why are you here?" He croaked, eyes furrowed in confusion as he stared at the man.
The only surprise that Gibbs showed at the question was a slight lifting of his eyebrows. "Well, Tim, we thought you probably wanted to come home."
McGee shook his head, "No, that's not…not what I meant. I…It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. I should have told you…" The words were spilling from his mouth, his guilt making it impossible to stop speaking.
"Hey! Hey, it's okay," Gibbs kept his voice low, soothing and calm. "Don't worry about it right now. You were following orders…You don't have to apologize. I do. I never should have let them take you without a fight." His eyes tightened at the corners as he swept his gaze across McGee again.
"But Tony…I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Tim. Tony doesn't blame you for what happened."
McGee's blinks got even slower, his eyes closing for longer periods of time. "You…you can't know that; it's my fault, all of it. If-if I had just told you, then Tony wouldn't have…wouldn't have died." And with that, he slumped in his chair, content to let the blackness be his escape.