He set up the parameters of the search engines and turned the machine on. Now all he could do was sit there while waiting until a match was found, if there was already DNA of his person's blood in the system.
Much to his surprise, about an hour later, the plasma dinged and the results were put up. Jimmy's jaw went slack.
"Oh, this is not good. This is definitely not good!"
Vignette Nine: "Hello, Goodbye"- Part Four
Maryland Shock Trauma
The team gobbled down the food Gibbs brought. He even brought pizza for Tony, which at first he wasn't interested in.
But the smells finally got to him and he was shoving the food in his mouth as fast as the others.
"My goodness!" Ducky said. "At least try to savor what you are eating. It is bypassing your taste buds and going directly into your gullets!"
It had been four hours since Ziva had gone into surgery. Every once in a while, a nurse who identified herself as the Patient/Family Liaison, would come out with brief updates.
She couldn't give any details, mostly that Ziva was still alive and they were still operating on her, and maybe how much longer it could be.
Finally, after four and half hours, a doctor in scrubs appeared at the surgical waiting area, where they had been directed to stay about three hours ago.
They were taking up too much space in the ED, and that's where they should have been anyway.
"Family of Ziva David?" Gibbs was pleased the doctor pronounced her name correctly.
As a group, they all stood up and walked quickly over to him. The surgeon looked at them all in surprise. "You can't all be her family?" Looking at the disparate group.
"Oh, but we are. We're one big family, all of us." Abby answered.
The doctor smiled tightly and looked at his sheet. "It says here that next of kin are Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Anthony D. DiNozzo?"
No one was really surprised that Tony was listed as Ziva's next of kin. Partners did that all the time, especially if they weren't married.
Tony had Gibbs' listed as his next of kin when he had the pneumonic plague, not his own father.
Nor was anyone surprised the Eli David was not listed as next of kin, although they knew Ziva had mentioned that their relationship was improving.
"But we're her family too!" Abby cried into Tim's shoulder. Gibbs took Abby. "We'll tell you everything, ok?" She sniffled and nodded ok, but went right back to Tim. Ducky also had his arm around her.
Tony and Gibbs stepped forward and followed the doctor down the hall into a small room. There was a table, four chairs and a lavatory.
Tony was starting to get sick to his stomach. This was beginning to look like a place they took people to tell them their loved ones were dead.
Gibbs saw his look and shook his head. "No clergy." He mouthed. Tony understood.
He guessed there would be a grief counselor or something of that nature present if they were going to tell them that Ziva had not made it through surgery.
Feeling somewhat better, but still apprehensive, he sat in one of the chairs the doctor pointed to. Gibbs took the one next to him, so that they were both facing the doctor.
The doctor took out two bottles and placed them on the table. They both contained the bullets that were removed during surgery.
Although Gibbs was interested in them, right now he was more interested in Ziva's condition.
The surgeon finally began speaking. "Well, as both of you are aware, Agent David was shot twice, once in the upper right chest and then in the right abdominal area. I understand you were both present at the time of the shooting?
Tony and Gibbs replied, "Yes." Although Gibbs was not technically there when Ziva was actually shot, he considered it a moot point.
"Good. Then you are also aware that she was intubated at the scene and received oxygen within minutes of the injuries."
"No major arteries were hit, and based on how quickly she was ventilated; I do not think we need to be concerned about a lack of oxygen to the brain and possible brain damage."
Tony sucked in his breath at that. He had never even considered that a possibility. To be told now that it was unlikely was of little consolation.
If he hadn't thought of that, what other horrible thing was there he hadn't thought of?
He felt Gibbs take hold of his arm for a few seconds and heard him whisper, "Breathe." Tony hadn't realized he had been holding his breath and let it out and started taking slow deep breaths to calm himself.
"We'll talk about the chest wound first. The bullet did cause the lung to collapse. This is called a pneumothorax."
"A chest tube was inserted in the ED to re-inflate the lung and to optimize her oxygenation. The chest tube is still in place and will remain there for at least several days."
This was the first piece of good news that they had gotten; that she was expected to still be alive "for at least several days."
"We repaired the damage to the lung, and did not have to remove any portion of it. And I as said before, no major artery was hit, which is extremely lucky because they are several main arteries in that vicinity."
"A few smaller vessels were damaged and again we were able to repair them. I don't anticipate this to be a problem."
"However, she did have significant blood loss and required transfusions. She received four units of whole blood." He paused as he continued.
"What I can tell you about the first gunshot wound was that she was probably moving when she was shot, or the shooter was a really bad shot."
"The second shot is interesting because the track of the bullet is at an upward angle, which indicates Agent David was already falling backward to the ground when she was shot the second time."
This bit of news infuriated Gibbs. If Ziva was clearly taken down by the first shot, the second shot was unnecessary, unless the intent was for her to die a slow, painful death.
A single tap to the head would have done the job. This told Gibbs volumes: that the shooter was inexperienced, and probably panicked, which made the case against Mrs. Vance even more confusing.
He turned his attention back to the doctor, who was showing a diagram of the body's anatomy.
"The bullet entered here," He said, pointing to a place on the right side about two inches below the ribs."
"It traveled upward, grazed the liver, hit a few minor blood vessels and lodged in the intercostal space between the 7th and 8th ribs."
"She was very lucky. If it had continued its path, it could have hit her aorta or spinal cord." Gibbs and Tony digested that for a few minutes.
The surgeon cleared his throat. "I'm afraid there is a bit of bad news. The shock and trauma were too great and we were not to keep the pregnancy viable."
Tony and Gibbs looked at each other. Tony's eyes were bugged out and he looked white as a sheet. "Wha…What did you just say?"
"I said we did our best, but despite our efforts, Agent David miscarried. Again, I am so sorry."
Gibbs stared down his Senior Field Agent. Tony was silent, staring back at him; working his jaw muscles like he always did when he was upset, or hearing something he didn't want to listen to.
Suddenly, he jumped up and ran into the lavatory, slamming the door behind him. The sounds of him retching could be heard.
The doctor looked sympathetic. "I guess he was the father?"
Gibbs started to retort, "You think?" but remembered this surgeon was not a member of his team, and he had no right to snap at him.
"It doesn't look like he knew. It's possible she didn't either, it was very early on."
"Doc, can we keep this last part quiet? I mean, can it be expunged from her record?"
The doctor looked confused. "Are you asking me to alter a patient's medical record?"
Gibbs swore at himself. "No, not really. But I know Ziva would not want anyone else to know about this."
"This is something private between Ziva and Tony, and I don't want people talking about it around the rest of my team, or anyone for that matter."
"Can anyone get a copy of her medical records?" He asked, switching gears. He could picture Eli David demanding a copy.
"Only the patient may request a copy of their own medical record. If they are incapacitated, then their medical proxy's, which you and Agent DiNozzo are, would be entitled to copies if requested."
The surgeon was not the best resource for these types of questions, and was getting uncomfortable.
"What about her father?" Gibbs asked quietly.
The surgeon looked surprised. "She has a father? Then why is…never mind, none of my business."
"My answer is the same. Only Agent David can get a copy of her own medical record and she would have to do it in person, with a picture ID."
"Why are you concerned her Father will want a copy?" He couldn't help himself and asked the question.
"Because he is a high ranking official in a foreign country and this could be embarrassing for him." Gibbs lied.
He didn't care if Eli David was embarrassed or not. His only concern was Ziva's welfare.
"I see." The surgeon really didn't, but he also didn't have the time to discuss such matters.
Despite Tony's incapacitation, he veered the conversation back into his corner.
"Well, continuing on; Agent David is now in the recovery room, which I anticipate she will be for a minimum of two hours. She will then be transferred to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit."
"Will the rest of my team be able to see her there? We really are all her family." The surgeon looked at him. "I'll see what I can do."
"The nurse's run the unit, I don't. But I seriously doubt they will get to see her tonight. You and Agent DiNozzo might, if you are still here."
"Tony will want to stay with her. Would that be allowed?" The surgeon looked hesitant. "He'll be here even if he has to sleep on the floor."
The surgeon nodded and again said he would look into it, shook Gibbs' hand and left the room.
Gibbs went to stand by the lavatory. Tony had stopped retching, and now the sound of water running in the sink could be heard.
When that stopped, Gibbs knocked once and opened the door. Tony was leaning against the sink, his head down.
He slowly raised his head and looked at Gibbs' face reflecting back in the mirror.
Tony couldn't tell if Gibbs was pissed, worried or in shock, but he couldn't describe how he felt at the moment either. Looking at his Boss in the mirror, he put on his widest DiNozzo grin.
He turned around to face his Boss. "DiNozzo." Gibbs said quietly.
Tony continued his bright smile. "Hey, Boss! I just found out I'm going to be a father!" He walked into the room and waved his arms in the air.
"Tony…" This time, his tone was softer and with a bit of concern. Tony stopped and looked at Gibbs. His smile slowly disappeared and his face appeared to crumble. "Hey, Boss. I just found out I was going to be a father."
With that, he slid down the wall into a sitting position and put his head in his hands. Gibbs took a few deep breaths, and then went over and joined Tony on the floor.
He put his hand on the back of Tony's head, not as a slap, but as a sign of comfort. Tony sat still, not moving, trying to not let the tears he could feel tracing down his face slip through his fingers.
He sat of the floor, his Boss beside him, mourning the loss of a child he didn't even know about.
They sat there for about ten minutes until Tony was spent. Gibbs slowly got up. "I've got to go say something to the team. They must be hysterical about now. Well, Abby will be." Tony nodded numbly.
Just then the surgeon appeared again. He looked around, and then saw Tony on the floor. "You can go back to recovery to see her now if you would like."
"I've arranged it with the nurse's in ICU that you can stay, as long as you realize you may get kicked out periodically and you don't try to dictate her care."
Tony jumped up like he was shot from a cannon and followed the surgeon. He stopped and looked at Gibbs. "Thanks, Boss."
Gibbs looked confused. "Thanks for what?"
Tony hesitated. "Thanks for not getting angry at Ziva and me for well, you know."
"Well, you'd probably only be angry at me, but thanks anyway for not… aw Hell." Tony couldn't go on.
"Oh, I'm madder than Hell, DiNozzo; but we have bigger things to worry about right now. Go!"
Tony looked really worried at that, but took off with the doctor. Gibbs watch him leave and smiled sadly, remembering when Shannon told him...Gibbs quickly stopped that train of thought, and headed back to the rest of his team.
When he reached the surgery waiting area, he expected to be tackled by Abby, but they were all huddled over in a corner talking. Tim looked up and noticed him first.
"Boss!" He looked grim. Abby and Ducky also looked unhappy.
Gibbs walked over to them. "What's happened?" He had a sinking feeling that Mrs. Vance had been found dead.
Abby spoke. "We got a call from Jimmy while you and Tony were back there. Where is Tony, by the way? Never mind."
"He was able to run the blood sample Dornie gave him and got a DNA match." Abby continued.
"And?" Gibbs prompted.
Tim answered. "The blood belongs to Agent Riley, one of the two Agents who were supposed to be guarding the back."
"And nothing came up for Patrick?" Gibbs asked. Abby shook her head. "All samples taken from the scene came from Agent Riley."
Gibbs turned to McGee. "Tim, go back to the scene tomorrow in case they missed something." McGee nodded.
"Take Tony…never mind." Gibbs had to reconfigure his team. "We'll figure out someone else to take with you. Right now my brain hurts." He handed the two containers with the bullets to Abby.
She solemnly took them from Gibbs and placed each in an evidence bag. "It was nice that they marked where each bullet came from." She tried to sound casual.
Ducky cleared his throat. "Ok, now that we have that piece of news out of the way, can we please hear how our Ziva is doing?"
"Would you like to sit, Jethro?" Gibbs shook his head. "I've been on my ass too long today already." At that, they all had to smile a bit, but the mood quickly became serious.
"Well, first of all, Ziva came through the surgery ok, and is currently in the recovery room. That's where Tony is now."
"He also wrangled his way in to stay with her when she is transferred to her room. I don't know how he does it, but he always manages to get his way."
"What unit will they be taking her to Jethro?" Ducky asked.
"The surgeon said she would be in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, which I guess makes sense since she just had surgery. I don't understand these things." Gibbs shrugged.
"From what I could understand, her most serious injury is the chest wound, which collapsed her lung. She will have the chest tube for several days."
"Both bullets missed vital this and vital that; all I know is it could have been a lot worse, but it also didn't have to be this bad."
McGee looked confused. "What do you mean, Boss?"
"According to the surgeon, the trajectory of the second bullet indicated she was going down after the first shot. There was no reason for the second shot."
"Her first shot was pretty bad in the first place, so she is not an experienced shooter, in my opinion; though she has shot and killed in the past."
He saw their confused looks. "Lee Wuan Kai? About three or so years ago? Anyone remember that case?"
"Even if Mrs. Vance did shoot her, I can't imagine she meant to kill Ziva."
Ducky interrupted. "Jethro, I'm not sure you can make the claim that Mrs. Vance did not intend to kill Ziva or Tony for that matter, had he been the one to go back. To me, the second shot would indicate a desire to finish the job."
Gibbs sat down, suddenly tired. "Maybe Ducky, but this surgeon seems to have a lot of experience with gunshot wounds."
"He said Ziva must have been moving when she was first shot, because if she was standing still, the shooter was totally inept."
"I think she panicked and shot off the second round. This leads me to be more inclined to think that she has been coerced into running off like she did, as opposed to being some covert operative working with some terrorist, trying to get extracted."
"Hell! The person who knows more about this than any of us can't talk to us right now."
"You mean Ziva." Ducky said quietly.
"And Mrs. Vance!" Gibbs was pissed.
"Dammit! And now with Agent Riley's blood being found at the scene and no sign of Agent Patrick, I'm beginning to think this may be a grudge thing against the Director."
"And what better way to get to the Director than by going through his family?" Tim added. "But Boss, even if he threatened to kill her children or even Director Vance, why did she have to shoot Ziva?"
"Couldn't she just tell her what was happening and ask Ziva to let her go? We could have put a trace on her phone."
"Which any NCIS Agent with the minimum brain cells required would know, McGee!" Abby pointed out.
She turned to Gibbs. "But I agree, I don't see why she had to shoot her twice, unless this Agent Patrick, if he is the one involved, told her to kill anyone who tried to stop her and she tried to do what she was told to do, but couldn't do it."
"I want everything there is to know about Agent Eric Patrick. Put out a BOLO. I can't imagine he would still be in one of our cars, but we need a tracer on that was well." Gibbs barked out.
"DC metro and Homeland Security for traffic cams, you know the drill. I'm calling Fornell and filling him in."
"He has his own teams at the Safe House as well. Agent Patrick knows where the Safe House is. We need to move them all, now!"
While Gibbs was talking to Fornell; McGee, Abby and Ducky headed back to NCIS. No sleep tonight.
Fornell listened intently as Gibbs updated him on the latest developments. "So now we've gone from a rogue needing extraction to a pissed off NCIS employee?"
"Sometimes you look so hard, you miss the obvious, Tobias."
"The obvious being that every employee at NCIS should probably for some reason or another be pissed off at Director Vance, and therefore would resort to this type of terrorism, because that's what this is, even if it is only centered on one family.
"Think Tobias. What could be the one possible reason someone at NCIS might have a grudge against Vance?"
It hit Fornell like a ton of bricks. "The bomb. It was his car."
Gibbs nodded. "Even though he didn't put it there, we didn't do our job and Dearing was able to pull off something he never should have been able to."
"Since I was the Lead Agent, I would think I would be the target, but I have no family to lose…"
"You have your father; and the members of your team." Fornell said quietly.
For those wondering about the shooting reference: Season 7 Episode "Endgame." Thanks as always for the great reviews. This is going to start having more investigative stuff, so if it sounds totally wrong and implausible, that's because it is- haha.