A/N: Talk about an overwhelming response! I have an iphone, which I use to check my emails. It displays 50 emails to a page. Between alerts and reviews, I have more than one page of replies to the first chapter of this story. So thank you, very much.

If anyone reading this is interested in beta reading for me for this story, it would be greatly appreciated. I think I'm going to need it. F.

They waited in silence.

Gibbs had been the first to arrive, riding with McGee in the ambulance, leaving Tony and Ziva to secure the scene until Balboa's hastily mobilised team could take over. By the time they'd arrived at Bethesda, Gibbs had been joined by Abby, Ducky and even Palmer. They sat close together in the hard plastic chairs of the surgical waiting room. It had been hours since McGee was rushed into emergency surgery.

Tony sat with head bowed, his eyes blank. Ziva watched him covertly, concerned about her partner. Once the ambulance had left the storage yard, he'd clammed up, becoming strangely quiet. He'd practically snatched the roll of crime scene tape from her, pacing out the cordon with fury evident in his every step. At her attempts to reassure him, he'd snapped out "This is my fault" and turned away. Apart from a terse explanation of the circumstances surrounding the bomb blast in response to Gibbs' questioning at the hospital, he hadn't spoken since.

Abby leaned against Gibbs' shoulder, unnaturally pale. She'd gotten up occasionally to pace as impatience overtook her, but soon returned to either Gibbs' or Ducky's side, taking comfort from the older men who constituted her father figures. Even Ducky had been reduced to silence by the oppressive atmosphere of nerves stretched to breaking point.

Abruptly the door opened; they all turned towards the newcomer, taking in the green surgical scrubs and the clipboard he carried

"Family of Timothy McGee?"

Gibbs answered

"That's us. How is he, doc?"

The doctor ignored him, asking "Is there an Abigail Scuito present?"

At Abby's nod, he went on

"You're listed as secondary next of kin, is that right?"

She nodded again "How is he? Is he going to be ok?"

"Agent McGee is stable, for the moment. I believe it was a bomb?" He looked around, seeing the team nod in confirmation "The shrapnel penetrated his left arm, shoulder and side. The side wounds are less serious; we've managed to stop the bleeding. Luckily none of the shrapnel hit any internal organs. The damage to his arm and shoulder is far more extensive however. We're concerned that we may not be able to save the arm. We've been unable to contact his primary next of kin; we need your permission to amputate should it become necessary"

...

Amputate

She looked around wildly, searching for someone that could help her. She couldn't make this decision by herself

"Gibbs" she pleaded "I can't do this. What about his family? Sarah?"

"Sarah's underage" he reminded her gently. He looked up at the doctor "Do you need permission now?"

"I'm afraid so"

Abby had sunk down into a chair, her face buried in her hands and her eyes wide with horror. Gibbs squatted in front of her, making her look at him

"Abs. You've gotta do this. Just do what you think he'd want"

"You know, most people adjust to the loss of a limb, learning to compensate with the other side" Palmer blundered in "He'd still be able to do most things normally"

He was quelled by a combination of Gibbs' stare and Abby's almost wail

"He's left-handed, Palmer"

Her words triggered a flood of memories. McGee in full computer mode, hands flying across the keyboard; helping her in the lab even when she didn't need it, because he liked to; driving the silver Porsche he was so proud of... all things that he'd lose along with his arm.

"No"

The word came out softly, too quiet to be heard clearly even in the silent room. She cleared her throat

"No, I don't give permission"

The doctor nodded, tucking the clipboard he held under his arm

Gibbs fixed the doctor with an icy blue stare

"Doc?"

"We'll do the best we can"