A/N: Sorry for the long delay in getting a chapter of this one out. I've been writing so much on 'Downfall' that my other stories got a little neglected. More soon :)

Abby was possibly the worst patient ever, McGee decided as he clambered awkwardly back into bed. She'd never reacted well to being woken up, and having to wake her up every hour, on the hour, had made her grumpy and irritable. It hadn't been too bad the first few checks; but as it got closer to dawn, the lack of sleep was taking its toll on both of them. He lay his head back against the pillows, making sure he'd set an alarm before closing his eyes.

...

A strange sound woke Abby. She thought at first it was McGee's alarm, waking him to come and ask her more stupid questions. Then she realised the noise was human, not electronic. She swivelled her head carefully, not wanting to trigger a headache worse than the one she already had. As her eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, she could see McGee tossing and turning. The strange noise came again, and she realised that it was Tim, whimpering in his sleep. She got unsteadily out of the bed, making her way to stand beside his. He had tears running down his face; it was obvious that he was having a nightmare. As she debated whether or not to wake him, he started shaking his head. The few words she caught pulled at her heartstrings. "Not Abby, no..."

She shook his good shoulder, wanting to stop whatever his mind was putting him through. He startled awake, looking frantically around the room and then relaxed when he saw her. "Abby- what are you doing up?"

"You were having a nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. Come on; let's get you back into bed." He struggled up and guided her back to her side of the room.

She let him help her back into the hospital bed and closed her eyes, knowing that he'd stay beside her if he thought she wasn't going to go back to sleep. He was protective of her; it was one of his more endearing traits. She waited until she heard the creak of his bed as he lay down before she opened her eyes. The nightmare he'd been having was obviously a bad one; McGee was a lot tougher than he looked, and she'd rarely seen him with tears in his eyes. She wondered what he'd been dreaming of, and how often he'd been having nightmares. His physical wounds were healing; but now she started to worry about his mental ones. She needed to talk to Ducky when she returned to headquarters.

...

McGee crawled back into bed, feeling shivery and sick from the after effects of the nightmare. This one had been the worst one yet. It was bad enough that he constantly dreamt of his own death, but now he was dreaming of Abby's. The only people he was closer to in this world were related to him; seeing her sprawled on the ground, eyes wide and lifeless, was horrifying. He choked back an involuntary sob at the thought. He lay back against the pillows, turning his head so he could see Abby. He'd stay awake for the rest of the night if that's what it took; he didn't want to see her like that again.

...

Tony knocked on the door before swinging it wide and entering the room. Abby was leaning against McGee's pillows, his good arm around her shoulders. Tony took it in his stride; he'd long ceased to be surprised at them. They had a strange relationship, closer than friends but not quite romantic; the team had just learned to accept it. They both looked a little worse for wear; Tony put it down to the broken sleep, though McGee looked worse than Abby.

"I've come to spring you, Abs" he announced. "Morning, Probie."

"Hey Tony; I was just saying goodbye to McGee." Abby slid down off the bed. "Got your stuff?" Tony looked around. "Discharge papers?"

"Probably at the nurses' station." She disappeared out of the room; they could hear the buckles on her boots jingling down the hall.

"You two look cosy" Tony commented idly. He was surprised at McGee's reaction. "Don't start that, Tony. Abby and I are just friends." The words were vehement, almost angry.

"Calm down, McCranky."

McGee let out a frustrated breath. "Sorry, Tony. It's been a long night." He paused. "How bad is it?" Tony knew he was asking about the Yard. He shook his head. "It's pretty bad, McGee. They've found six bodies so far; Ducky's been working all night. And there's too much evidence for just Abby to handle, so the Director called in some favours and the FBI lab's helping out. The Director also borrowed some lab techs."

McGee winced. "Abby's not going to like that. So who's gonna tell her?" Tony gave him a speculative look. "No. No way, DiNozzo."

"Come on, Probie. She's gotta know before I get her back to headquarters."
"Not gonna happen, Tony." They both turned as the door opened; an orderly came in, pushing a wheelchair. "Besides, I can't- I'll be late for physio." He smirked at Tony as he settled in the wheelchair. "Good luck."