Gibbs comes into the squad room. He pulls off his shirt, when he reaches his desk, and changes to another one. He looks around the squad room. David, present, DiNozzo, check. Where was McGee? He looks at McGee's empty desk. He looks at the other two. They stare at each other, from behind their desks, in silence. What was going on? Was he missing something? He takes a seat, at his desk. The elevator doors open. He finds Abby racing towards him, with a look of panic, on her face.
"What's wrong, Abs?"
"Only everything."
"Everything? What do you mean?"
"There's been an accident."
"An accident? What kind of an accident?"
"A car accident."
"Who?"
"McGee is in the hospital."
"Is he ok?"
"I don't know."
Gibbs looks at Tony, "Have you seen the director?"
"Not yet, boss."
"He's en route," Abby reveals.
"Abs, do you want to wait?"
"Wait? No, Gibbs, there's no point."
"No point? What do you mean?"
"He's not coming with us."
"You don't think he would want to go see McGee?"
"He can't," Abby answers, with tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.
"Why not?"
"Because he was in the other car. He's en route, to autopsy."
"He's dead?"
"McGee hit him. He flew into a semi. His head was severed."
"Abby calm down."
"Calm down? Gibbs, everything is going wrong. This day just keeps getting worse."
"Getting worse? How did it start out?" he wonders.
"It doesn't matter. Can we just go visit McGee?"
"Ziva, you're driving."
Tony, and Abby look at him. Tony asks the questions, "So we can all die together?"
"So we can get there fast," Gibbs replies.
He tosses Ziva the keys, and they all head for the elevator. The car doors are barely closed, when she speeds out of the garage, towards the hospital. They reach the hospital in five minutes. A drive that took nearly fifteen, more in traffic. Ziva pulls into a parking space, and Abby jumps out, racing to a nearby trash can, to hurl.
He opens his eyes, and finds a room, full of his co-workers. Most of them stare at him, in disbelief. Ziva elbows Abby. Abby turns, and gives her a dirty look. Ziva points. Abby looks at McGee. She smiles. Gibbs heads for the door, motioning for Tony, and Ziva to follow him. Outside McGee's room, in the hallway Gibbs gives them some instructions.
"Why don't the two of you go get some coffee? We're going to be here a while."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to go talk to Leon's wife."
They nod in agreement, and slink off to the cafeteria. As they make their way down the hall, neither of them say a word. They step into the elevator, and Tony reaches for the button. The doors close. Ziva just stares at her partner, from behind.
"I can feel your eyes boring through me," he tells her, without turning around.
"Sorry."
"If you have something to say, just say it."
"I don't know what to say. I would hate to say something that I will regret, later."
"Is that what you think?"
"Tony, I don't really know what to think. I know that now is not the time to discuss it, though. McGee is in the hospital, and Vance is..."
"Do you think Abby is ok?" He changes the subject.
"I don't know."
"I've never seen her so upset."
"It's McGee."
"She threw up. I've never seen Abby throw up."
"It was my fault. I shouldn't have been so erratic, in my driving."
"It wasn't that bad."
"Maybe you've just gotten used to it."
"I doubt it."
"What else could it be?"
She takes a seat, on a chair, next to his bed. She looks at him, but doesn't say a word.
"Abby, say something."
"Do you know how worried you had me?"
"I apologize."
"Don't."
"Ok, I take it back."
"Do you know what happened?"
"I hit someone. I was in a hurry. I..."
"Vance is dead."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"You hit Vance. He crashed, into a semi. He's dead."
"I killed him?"
"It was an accident."
"Abs are you ok?"
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"
"You don't look ok."
"I thought that... I would never see you alive, again."
"Are you sure that's it?"
"No."
"You want to tell me about it?"
"No. Now isn't the time."
"Are you sure about that? I mean I can't go anywhere."
"I don't want to talk about it, not now, not here."
"Abby what's wrong?"
"You almost died today. Vance is dead. I... I just, I can't handle anything else, right now."
"Anything else? What else?"
"Nothing," she lies.