Thanatopsis

Chapter Thirteen

AN: I've had a question about McGee's powers. Sometimes he can see the spirit as if it were standing right in front of him, but other times, he gets images, sounds, or feelings. The only way I can explain it is that seeing images is the norm when it comes to spirits who have been left behind or are reaching out from the beyond. However, the girl wasn't to that point yet. She had just died and was in the process of leaving the plane of reality that we live in. The thing about this gift is that it does not have rules that are set in stone. It changes depending on the spirit that is trying to do the talking. It's very malleable in that respect.

They arrived at the hospital in less than fifteen minutes and took the stairs slower than was really necessary. Neither wanted to willingly put themselves in a situation like this, but were determined to be there to comfort a friend. Regina greeted McGee somberly as they passed. "I'm glad you're here, Tim. I'm afraid that Doctor Mallard isn't handling it very well."

McGee nodded silent thanks and led Gibbs to the room. Daniel was awake, but only barely. "Ah, Tim." He said in a weak voice. "So sorry to have to meet again in so wretched a situation." He attempted to lift his hand, but McGee caught it before he got very far.

He held it for a moment, watching out of the corner of his eye as Gibbs went to stand beside Ducky, waiting to be introduced. "It is good to see you again, Daniel," he said. He stood up. "Allow me to introduce you to my Boss, Jethro Gibbs."

Gibbs nodded from where he was. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." He looked back at McGee. "I assume he's been told?"

McGee gave a half-amused smile. "Well, I tried." He saw Gibbs give an exasperated look. "Told you, Boss." He looked at Ducky. He was slumped in his chair, looking unbelievably tired.

Daniel spoke. "I tried to tell him to go home, but he kept refusing. What could I do?" He chuckled quietly and then started coughing. "Who'd have thought that stomach cancer would spread to my lungs so quickly?"

McGee sat down in the chair behind him. Daniel tried to talk more, but after a while had to stop when it became harder for him to breathe. He became slowly more unaware as Ducky spoke less and less. He seemed, for the first time since Tim had met him like he was at a loss for what to say. He held onto his friend's hand until the end.

Gibbs had gone to stand outside the hospital room, feeling like an intruder, but McGee could feel him standing just outside the door.

Daniel went quietly; no gasping for breath, no begging to stay. It was just like he was falling asleep. Ducky said nothing, he only laid his head down on the bed and whispered something. McGee didn't think it was a prayer; he was fairly certain that Ducky didn't believe in that kind of stuff. He was probably just saying goodbye.

McGee stood up and placed a hand on Ducky's shoulder, offering what little comfort he could. It was then that he heard a voice near the foot of the bed. "Hello, Tim." McGee looked up and gaped in surprise. It was Daniel, but not the Daniel McGee was introduced almost two weeks ago. He was tall and strong, with a tan face, and a full head of dark hair. He smiled, happily as he looked at McGee.

"Daniel." McGee said. Ducky's head shot up and look in the direction that McGee was staring.

Daniel looked sadly at Ducky. "You will tell him how good he's been to me, won't you?"

McGee nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. Daniel smiled again, and took a deep breath, he looked so happy. He said, quietly, but excitedly, "I have to admit, I'm a tad anxious. I've been waiting so long for this moment, but now that it's here…. It's quite exciting." He looked around, his eyes growing wider. McGee followed his gaze. The shapes of other people started to form around them; cloudy at first, but then they became more defined. All the people McGee had felt before surrounded them, all looking at Daniel.

One of them spoke to McGee, a woman. "Thank you for giving our Daniel comfort in his time of need." McGee nodded at her. Another spoke. "Do not fret, my dear. We're here to bring him home."

They began to fade away, but Daniel stayed for a moment. "Thank you, Tim. Goodbye."

In the end, it wasn't like Dianne. Daniel started to fade away in flashes, like cable cutting out. There was no bright light; he flickered for a moment and then finally disappeared. McGee sat back down in his chair, feeling tired. The connection had drained him. Ducky seemed to realize that it was over and laid his head back down. After a moment, McGee went around the bed and leaned down, relaying Daniel's last message. Ducky let out a small sigh, but didn't move from his position.

McGee looked up to find Gibbs staring at the spot at the foot of the bed, shock written all over his face. He was looking right to where Daniel had just disappeared. McGee stepped back around the bed, getting directly into Gibbs' line of sight. He got no response. Had he seen?

Gibbs stood in the doorway to Daniel's room. It didn't feel like it was his place to watch a stranger die, but he still watched. He passed slowly, but calmly. His eyes just closed. Tim stood and laid his hand on Ducky's shoulder when his head collapsed to the bed.

Then, all of a sudden, Tim looked off to the right. "Daniel." He said, in a soft voice. Gibbs didn't know what to think. He knew what McGee had told him, but accepting it was another story. Ducky raised his head and looked in the direction McGee was facing. Gibbs sincerely hoped that Tim wasn't just hearing voices, but for right now, if it helped Ducky then he would try his best to see it as a blessing.

McGee nodded slightly, stood still for a moment, as if listening, then turned to the left, facing another direction and nodded again. Gibbs could see beads of perspiration forming on the back of his neck. Surely seeing things that weren't there didn't take that much out on a body.

He was about to step in when he saw a flicker at the foot of the bed. He froze. Surely, it was just a reflection of light that glimmered when he moved. He looked harder, trying to figure out just what had a reflective surface in that area, but, standing completely still this time, it happened again. It looked like…. It couldn't be. A shape. A man? The shape flickered once more, then came into focus, only enough to make out a tall humanoid figure looking at McGee. It was fuzzy around the edges and very cloudy, but it was there. It said something to Tim, and then it glanced in his direction. Even with his obstructed view, Gibbs could tell it was smiling. Suddenly, it flickered again and disappeared.

Gibbs could only stare in shock. He couldn't believe that Tim was right. Or if Tim really was just off his rocker, and had somehow infected him with the insanity bug. Well, that sure as hell doesn't sound possible. He continued to stare in the same direction, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He took in a sharp intake of breath and came face to face with a pair of concerned green eyes. McGee appeared to be saying something.

"Boss. Are you alright." He was trying to stay quiet, wary of Ducky, who was still in the background. McGee pushed him lightly out of the door. He guided him past the nurses' station, saying something to the pretty brunette nurse behind the desk. She nodded, wiping her eyes. Before too long he found himself sitting in the uncomfortable chairs that made up the waiting room.

McGee sat down in front of him and placed his hands on Gibbs' knees. "Boss. What did you see?"

Gibbs looked at his agent's long hands for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. "I – I'm not sure."

"Gibbs," McGee said a little louder causing him to look him in the face again. His eyebrows rose expectantly, "Was it Daniel?"

Gibbs' lungs stopped working momentarily. He hadn't been so unsure in years. Could this really be happening? Could McGee really see ghosts? Gibbs had been haunted by memories all these years, was it so hard to believe that the real thing could actually be out there? After a minute he nodded.

McGee let out a breath, giving a small knowing smile.

"What the hell are you smirking at?"

"Trust me, I know how you feel." He shook one of Gibbs legs, excitedly. "So what did you see?"

"It was just a figure, a shadow." He didn't really know what to think. The trouble was coming up with the right adjectives to describe it all. Staggering seemed about right. "Do you think I'm…."

Tim seemed thoughtful for a moment. "No," he said. "What I can see is very defined – or – something. Stuff like that happens. Normal people see ghosts sometimes. I don't suppose you've ever watched those ghost hunter shows?" he shook his head. "Yeah, I didn't think so. It's always very vague. Shadowy. It's just easier for me." He gave Gibbs a trivial look. "I know how crazy it seems, but it's true."

Gibbs sighed. McGee didn't lie, not unless he really had to. "Alright, Tim. I guess I believe you." he sat back tiredly. "I don't suppose I have a choice."

Eventually everybody had to find out why Ducky had been gone for so long. It was rather wonderful the way they all gathered around him, offering words of comfort to the sore heart. McGee hung back, thinking about what he had seen; there were really no words to describe what he felt at seeing Daniel. McGee hadn't thought much about the afterlife, not for years. He didn't really believe in anything; for a time he didn't even think that there was an afterlife, just hoped. But after today… how do you get more proof than that?

He went to sit at his desk, but stopped, noticing Gibbs at his own, staring at the floor. He changed his course and planted himself on Gibbs' desk, facing the man. He had been where Gibbs was before.

"'Are you okay?' Tim asked.

Gibbs seemed to snap out of his reverie, taking a deep breath, almost a yawn. He blinked for a second, and then looked up at McGee, half-smiling. "It's kind of beautiful, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Death. You don't have to deal with the pain of living anymore. You're completely free. Like Daniel." He shook his head and looked back to the floor. "That wasn't living. I'd hate to be trapped in my own body like that." McGee saw him unconsciously rub his left knee.

Damn, McGee thought. He put his hand on Gibbs shoulder. It was kind of a strange role reversal, Gibbs leaning on him, letting out his fears. McGee felt like a kid getting the surprise of his life, figuring out that dads got scared too. He breathed out a laugh as he stood up and went back to his desk.

Tony caught up with McGee in the elevator as they left for the day. "So I guess that's what you've been hiding, huh?"

"That obvious?"

"Uh, yeah." He tapped his own chest in the well-known 'duh' hand sign.

McGee rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, Tony. It was Ducky's business to tell."

Tony slapped McGee's back. "Ah, how can I blame you for being trustworthy. What did Gibbs do? Threaten to take away your little techie toys?"

"Ha ha."

"So… does Gibbs know?"

"Yeah."

Tony nodded. "That's good. At least from now on if you get something, it'll be easier for us to get clearance to investigate."

"Yeah, I guess." He was quiet for a moment. He couldn't stop thinking about this morning.

"Hey, man. You okay?"

"Yeah."

"So. What did you see?"

"Just Daniel. He looked so healthy, and alive. It was… incredible. He was..." he thought back to what Gibbs had said earlier, "free." He took a breath, thinking about something that had crossed his mind a few days before. "Daniel showed me something a couple weeks ago. He used to have a friend like me. He said people like me could sometimes connect to spirits – that's what happened at the crime scene last week – and that even rarer, we might be able to connect to living spirits."

Tony seemed to catch on. "So you want to try that?"

"If you want t—"

"Yes. I still have yet to see—this —" he gestured at McGee as a whole, "up close."

Tony was intrigued by what McGee had suggested. Intrigued, because most people didn't get the opportunity to explore what truly fascinated mankind. No matter how closed off you acted like you were, everybody wondered about the supernatural. That's why people liked going to see all those scary movies; it was the socially accepted way to show interest.

He looked around his apartment, trying to figure out how this was supposed to go down. He moved the coffee table away from the couch and replaced it with his recliner. He was attempting to determine how dim the light should be when there was a knock on the door. He ran to the door.

"McPsychic! Fancy seeing you here."

McGee stepped past him. "Shut the hell up, DiNozzo." He dropped his coat on the couch. "You ready to do this."

Tony said, jokingly. "Let's get it on."

"Tony."

"Sorry. I'm just trying to be enthusiastic." McGee shook his head. "Come on." He pushed McGee towards the couch. "So, how exactly does this work? Wait—you're gonna be okay, right? You looked a little…faint last time."

McGee shrugged. "That's the most that's ever happened." He sat down on the couch, Tony taking up a position facing him, gesturing expectantly.

McGee narrowed his eyes. "Take my hands." He held them out.

Tony had to fight back an inappropriate comment about not getting foreplay, as McGee rolled his eyes, yet again. "Sorry," he breathed. He took McGee's hands in his own. "What do you see, oh enlightened one?"

McGee snorted quietly. "Damn it, Tony. I can't do this if I can't focus."

"Sorry."

McGee closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gripping Tony's hands a little firmer. Nothing happened for a moment. "McGee?"

"Shut up. Don't distract me."

Tony nodded, even though he knew McGee couldn't see him. He tried to breathe evenly. Perhaps if he was relaxed, it would calm his friend.

Suddenly McGee's hands tightened slightly. Tony looked closer at him. The creases around his eye made themselves clearer as a bead of sweat ran its course along his hairline and towards his jaw. He started to shift his shoulders as if he was uncomfortable, his eyes tightening. After another deep breath, McGee suddenly jolted, clenching Tony's hands tightly, the muscles in his arms and shoulders straining with the effort.

Tony was afraid to say anything. "Tim?" he asked weakly. No response. "Tim." A bit stronger. Still nothing. He was absorbed in what he was seeing.

That was when everything went wrong. Quicker than a flash, McGee went limp, and the only thing keeping him falling on the floor was Tony's quick reflexes. He lifted him back up the couch.

"Tim? McGee?" Tony slapped his damp face urgently. Fuck. This isn't supposed to happen. Tim's face was flushed red. Tony felt his forehead, hot as hell. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He jumped up and ran to his kitchen, grabbing a frozen bag of vegetables from the freezer. Hang on, that didn't seem right. He threw the bag on the floor and grabbed a rag from a drawer, running it under the faucet.

He placed it gently on McGee's face, at a loss for what else to do. "Tim, you gotta wake up, man."

Nothing. Shit.

AN: Thought I'd give you guys something special for my birthday. What's wrong with a little cliffhanger?