A/N: So this chapter should have been posted on Wednesday and it would have, had fanfiction actually let me upload it and post it. For whatever reason it kept coming up as ERROR which was incredibly depressing each time it happened. However, because I continued to type, the next chapter will be up late tomorrow or Monday, baring any complications. -keeps fingers crossed- Once again, thanks for all the reviews. I'm glad you are enjoying this story.
Chapter Five
I can't use the phone real good so when it rings, I don't touch it. Boss used it every once in awhile but he talks really short into the phone like he doesn't really want to talk on it. So I don't mind that I can't use the phone really good cause if Boss doesn't like using it then I don't think I would either.
I hit the green button once, when it started making this weird noise and a voice came out of it. I didn't know who it was but they kept calling for someone and I thought they were saying something bad and it got me really scared and I picked up the phone and threw it to make the noise go away.
Boss ran up the stairs from the basement really quick after that and I could hear his footsteps as he pounded on the stairs cause even though Boss makes a lot of noise like I do sometimes when he goes down the stairs, Boss can go a lot faster than I can and doesn't have to use his good arm to help him cause both of Boss' legs work right and he doesn't have a bad arm or bad leg cause Boss doesn't have a bad side cause Boss never got in an accident and hit his head and got lines on his head like I did.
Boss got mad that I threw his phone at the wall but after that it didn't make any noises which was good because sometimes, the noises make my head hurt but I don't tell Boss because then he would feel bad cause sometimes his phone makes noises a lot.
When I first woke up, I didn't like noises. Everything was really loud and I didn't understand a lot of stuff, unless they said it really soft and slow and then I understood but I didn't always remember how to make noises back.
I forgot a lot of stuff when I got in the accident that put lines all over my head and that gave me a bad side. Before, I didn't have lines or a bad side and I remember that I didn't need a memory book cause I only got that in therapy after my accident and since I didn't have one before, I think my memory was good before the accident too.
Now I walk funny cause my bad leg doesn't always go where I want it to go and I make a lot of noise and say wrong words and I get really frustrated till Boss reminds me to slow down cause when things slow down they make a lot more sense-like noises. Noises that are slow are easier to understand but sometimes Abby gets really happy and she starts making noises that I can't understand and sometimes it makes me scared cause I don't know what she wants or what she means.
But even when I threw the phone away Boss moved real slow and asked me why I did it. I couldn't get the noises to stop, I told him and he understood what I said and what I meant cause sometimes my mouth says stuff I didn't mean for it to say, which are bad words because they aren't what I want to say. After that, he told me to call him when the phone makes noises and I promised I would cause I hate them anyway.
But Boss' phone made a noise today and he listened to it and got really angry and stomped around a lot and I got scared cause he was making noises that I could feel in my chest and I didn't know why he was making those noises other than he was really mad at the phone.
Finally, he stopped stomping and yelled really loud before he threw the phone away and it broke I think but he didn't say anything for a long time. When he talked again he asked if I wanted to see a movie and I couldn't say anything cause I was really scared that I had forgotten something but Boss had never gotten mad at me before and he still looked mad and I didn't know why.
I shook my head really carefully cause my brain can get hurt if I move too fast cause I have to move slow and Boss bent down to sit on the couch with me and asked what was wrong and that made me really scared cause he was asking and I was suppose to know but I didn't remember and I'd forgotten and I really didn't want Boss to get more mad
I started breathing really fast and all the noises inside me head started going really fast and I tried to slow them down but I couldn't because there were noises everywhere and they made my head hurt till I closed my eyes really tight and didn't move for a long time.
Gibbs knew he earned the second "b" in his name the moment Tony closed his eyes tightly and covered one ear with his good hand and the other with the side of the couch. Tony hated raised voices of any kind and there Gibbs had gone and yelled practically for twenty minutes and then had the gall to ask Tony what was wrong.
Gibbs sighed and tried rubbing Tony's back but Tony shied away from his touch and continued to softly cry in the sofa cushion.
Gibbs felt horrible. Tony hadn't done anything wrong-it had been that evil, manipulative man that Tony shared half his genetic material with.
But Gibbs didn't want to think about that. They were leaving to a friend's beach house in North Carolina tomorrow and they had a good drive ahead of them. Gibbs had already packed for himself and after he spent a good hour or two trying to help Tony pack, Tony had become so frustrated that he had had another "meltdown" one that thankfully, Gibbs had been able to bring him out of rather quickly.
It worried Gibbs that Tony's meltdowns seemed to be increasing in nature every since they got discharged from the hospital and he wondered if maybe the trip to the beach would hinder rather than help Tony's rehabilitation.
But Tony had mentioned the beach again this morning after he had flipped through his memory book and Gibbs would be an even bigger "b" if he scrapped the trip now.
He refused to let the man whose genetic material was similar to Tony's, because Gibbs refused to view that man as Tony's father, ruin these next few days. Tony had asked in a roundabout way, which meant that Gibbs had really asked but Tony had confirmed his desire anyway, to go to the beach.
So they were going.
It was nearing lunch and glancing at the clock, Gibbs estimated that it had been about fifteen minutes since Tony had clammed up after Gibbs had had his own version of a meltdown.
"Tony," Gibbs said gently, sitting carefully on the couch and tapping Tony's shoulder. When the young man didn't flinch at Gibbs' touch, Gibbs took that as a good sign, "Tony, you okay?"
"I-I don't kn-know what I-I did Boss, I di-didn't mean to m-make you m-mad," Tony whispered in-between hiccups and sniffles, "N-noise. Sl-slow. I-I tried to remember but I-I can't," Tony's last word cracked, just like his voice did and he turned and buried his head against Gibbs' chest.
Wrapping Tony in a hug, Gibbs spoke in a calm quiet voice, "Tony, listen," Gibbs started rubbing Tony's back, "You listening?"
Tony's helmet clad head moved up and down once to signal that he had heard.
"I'm not mad at you," Gibbs continued quietly, as if talking to a very scared child which at the moment, Tony sort of was, "I got mad at-at the phone Tony. I could never be mad at you."
Tony didn't move from his position for awhile, seemingly absorbing the information Gibbs had just laid upon him. Finally though, Tony mumbled something incomprehensible into Gibbs' shirt.
"What did you say Tony?" Gibbs asked gently, not wanting to upset the younger man.
"Slow. It was cause it made bad noises huh B-boss?" Tony said again, wiping his eyes and glancing at a few of the pieces of the broken phone, "I don't like it when it makes n-noises either and I-I threw it at the wall. It didn't make any m-more noises after that though, remember?"
Gibbs chuckled and patted Tony's shoulder, "Yeah, I didn't like the noises it was making. So I made them stop just like you did."
Tony smiled at this and continued to slow his breathing, his chest hitching less and less as he stopped crying. Gibbs continued to rub his back, helping Tony catch his breath and after another three or four minutes, Tony glanced down at his stomach when it let out a loud rumble.
"Break. I'm hungry," Tony looked at Gibbs with a mixture of shock and happiness.
Gibbs smiled and stood, resisting the urge to help Tony stand. It took Tony almost a minute but when Tony stood, he was balanced, "Then what's about we get some food? I'm starving too."
Gibbs woke up around six the next morning and loaded his and Tony's bags into the truck. They were planning on being gone for a week or so and while Gibbs had packed relatively light, it was almost impossible for Tony to pack light due to the many things that he still needed.
After running through his mental checklist of all things Tony would need, his medications being the most important thing, he went had woke Tony up.
"Aye uh oss," Tony mumbled and rolled over, rubbing his face into his pillow and trying to settle himself back underneath the covers.
Gibbs snorted. Even now Tony was and never would be a morning person.
"Come on bud, we got to get on the road," Gibbs lifted the covers again. He didn't shake Tony partly due to the fact that he didn't want to hurt the boy and also because it would probably scare Tony in his half-asleep state.
"Uh um in a Boss," Tony mumbled again but this time slowly moved to the vertical position. His hair was in disarray and he used his good hand to rub his eyes, "I uh ep."
"You can sleep on the road Tony," Gibbs rubbed Tony's back in an effort to awaken him a bit more. When Tony woke up, it usually took him a few moments before he could speak legibly. Before that he mumbled and while Gibbs could guess what he was saying some of the time, he often had no idea what Tony sometimes said when he had to be woken up.
"Di' um ek," Tony closed his eyes and sighed, leaning his head gently against Gibbs' chest, reminding Gibbs of a sleepy toddler that didn't want to leave the nice comfortable atmosphere of their room, "I uh leep."
Gibbs laughed gentle and patted Tony's shoulder, "Come on. Let's put you in some sweats and you can stay in those all day."
Tony nodded against Gibbs' chest and lifted his head, sleepy eyes glancing around his room.
"Here," Gibbs set the shirt and sweat pants on the bed before helping Tony out of his braces. Tony inhaled in pain when he took off the brace supporting his hand and Gibbs helped Tony stretch out his cramping hand.
"I ee um arry met," Tony spoke, still not making much sense. He had been awake for awhile now and it worried Gibbs that Tony still wasn't speaking understandably. Although Gibbs figured that since Tony wasn't use to waking up this early, that might play a role as to why Tony still hadn't woken up properly.
"Come on Tony," Gibbs coached, bending down, "Think. I don't understand what you're saying bud. Speak up."
In response Tony just made a move to lay back down on his bed, "Tired."
"Nuhuh," Gibbs smiled as he caught Tony mid-dive, "Come on. Let's just put these clothes on and I'll help you to the truck. After that you can go back to sleep."
Tony sighed again and helped Gibbs take off his pants but still couldn't manage to get his shirt off. When Gibbs had to help get Tony dressed like this, it reminded Gibbs of dressing Kelly when the little girl had been a toddler. This sleepy, Tony was still floppy and loose, much like a child was. Only Tony was not as wiggly and was instead a whole lot bigger.
A few minutes after he started, Gibbs was helping a helmet wearing Tony, because even half asleep Tony had made a grab for his blue helmet, walk out of the house and into the waiting vehicle.
Once seated, Tony tried buckling himself in but was becoming frustrated. It was a chore for Tony to buckle his seat belt when he was fully awake and in his sleepy state, Gibbs knew that Tony would have a hard time with it.
"Let me help," Gibbs reached over and clicked the cinch into place. Tony just sighed and looked at Gibbs with a mixture of frustration and sadness.
Gibbs gave Tony a comforting smile and squeezed his shoulder before Tony returned the smile somewhat and closed his eyes, leaning back into the seat. Gibbs went back inside to grab some pillows, especially the body pillow that Tony liked to lay against, and propped them around Tony so the younger man could sleep peacefully for a few more hours.
Closing Tony's door, he walked back to the house, grabbed Tony's hand and leg braces and locked the door behind him, realizing that this was the first vacation he had taken in a very long time.
He hopped in the truck, checking the fuel gage. He would fill up when Tony woke up so they could stop and get some breakfast. It would take them about five hours to get to New Bern NC, where the beach house was and taking in to account pit stops and breakfast and lunch, they should get to the house around 2 in the afternoon.
Boss doesn't like some noises which is good because that means that I don't have to worry about those noises being made when Boss is around. One of the noises I don't like is the radio, at least sometimes. It makes my head hurt so when I woke up in the truck today, Boss turned the radio off. When he did that I got really scared cause I didn't remember getting into the truck but Boss said that I was asleep when I got in so that was okay because I didn't forget anything cause I was just asleep when it happened.
After I woke up, Boss stopped and we got to eat some breakfast so I could take my medicine that keeps the seizures away and the other medicines that keep the pressure in my head okay.
When we stopped, I tried this weird sandwich and I liked it a lot so Boss gave me my memory book so I could write it down. After that, I flipped through it and before I even got to the page I remembered where we were going and I told Boss and he smiled cause that meant my memory was getting a little better even though I still have trouble with it.
After that Boss put gas in the truck and I stretched my bad hand and leg cause I didn't want them to hurt. My seat in the truck is really comfortable so they weren't really stiff but my hand kept cramping no matter how much I stretched. I started crying even though I didn't want to because it started hurting really bad but then Boss gave me another one of my medicines that made my hand stop cramping which was good because sometimes, when my hand doesn't stop cramping, I get the shakes and I really hate getting seizures.
But my hand stopped cramping and Boss helped me back in the truck cause the pill he gave me to make the cramping stop sometimes makes me tired but I asked Boss to move the pillows away cause I didn't want to go to sleep.
Boss started driving after that and I looked out the window because even though I remembered that I had been this way before, I didn't remember how it looked like and some parts were really pretty with trees and stuff and other parts were really sad looking cause of all the buildings.
I fell asleep I think cause Boss woke me up and said that we had to eat lunch and that we were almost there. I was glad we stopped cause I had to go to the bathroom really bad but the medicine I took made me wobbly so Boss had to help me to the bathroom and one day I hope that Boss won't have to help me so much even though I don't mind so much right now because I know I would fall if he didn't help and I don't like falling.
After we ate lunch, Boss drove for awhile and then we pulled up in front of a house. It had stairs on the outside but it didn't look like my apartment from before at all. Boss told me there were stairs on the inside too and I didn't believe him till we walked inside. It smelt like wood and salt and Boss' phone made a noise when we walked in only he smiled when he talked into the phone so I think that the noises the phone made were good cause he laughed but I looked around and didn't see anything funny.
After that Boss helped me find the room I was going to sleep in and I was happy when we walked in cause the room was blue, not like the blue I like but lighter and bed was smaller than my bed at our house in DC. After that we took all the clothes out of my suitcase and I went downstairs with Boss. He was looking at some papers and was talking on the phone again but this time he had a frown on his face and he was getting frustrated so I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder and told him it only made things worse when you get frustrated and he smiled and his eyes got all wet and he closed the phone and gave me a hug.
Before my accident, Boss didn't give a lot hugs to anyone but Abby but Abby gave hugs to everyone. Now though, Boss gives me hugs like he gives Abby hugs and I don't mind because Boss always smells like wood and coffee and I like that smell. It reminds me that I'm safe.
After he gave me the hug he put all the papers away and pressed a button on his phone that made it to where the phone didn't make any noises. Then he stood up and he showed me where his bed was just in case I needed help anytime.
I hope I remember but I don't think I'll need to cause most of the time Boss knows when I need help and comes and helps me before I have to ask which is good sometimes. Sometimes, I get frustrated that I need so much help but I remember that getting frustrated doesn't help with anything.
We went outside on the big porch but had to go back in after a bit because it started raining really hard.
I like the rain and the thunder but not the lightning. The lightning hurts my eyes so I keep my eyes close when it rains but I like the noises that the rain and thunder make. Rain always makes a cool noise when it hits the roof and thunder always reminds me of the rumble Boss' chest makes when he laughs or talks while I'm giving him a hug.
I laid down on the couch and I could hear Boss making dinner in the kitchen but I kept my eyes close even though I wasn't tired.
Sometimes, noises are a lot better if you close your eyes and just listen.