They watched with their hearts in their mouths as Tony's car started to cross the intersection. They could see the SUV barreling toward them, the lights coming on seconds before the impact.
"Oh, my God!" Tim was terrified by what he was witnessing. This was not a little fender bender. This was a major accident. He felt weak, his knees ready to buckle.
Gibbs' face lost its color, knowing he may have seen his Agents killed right before his eyes.
He came to life. "Find out where they were taken, McGee. Then get to the scene and get photos. NOW!"
They both ran to the elevator, Tim anxiously calling Metro PD to get specifics.
Vignette Eleven: Part Twenty-Two
Tim pulled up to the scene of the accident. He immediately flashed his badge, gaining access. A cop came up to him. "Special Agent McGee?"
Tim was staring at Tony's car. Tony's beautiful car; his pride and joy. He took in the glass and metal lying all over the road.
"Special Agent McGee?" Tim startled and looked at the DC officer.
"What? Yes, sorry. No trace of the other vehicle?" Tim knew it had sped off, but he didn't want Metro to know they had already witnessed the accident.
The cop shook his head. "Looks like it had some damage, but obviously it was able to be driven."
Tim nodded. They had seen the driver get out of the car and approach Tony and Ziva. Tim was sure he was going to see his friends be blown away, but instead their assailant got something from the car. The angle of the camera didn't allow them to see the man's face, but they could tell it was a male.
Tim stared again at the car and hesitantly stepped toward it, reminded of when Tony's car had been blown up. Poor Tony. This was the third car of his to be demolished. He took pictures on all sides using his iPhone, since he was not there in any official capacity, capturing every square inch. Finally, taking a deep breath, he peered inside.
The amount of blood took his breath away, and brought tears to his eyes. Not for the first time was he afraid that Tony and Ziva might be dead. They were certainly severely injured.
He swallowed the bile rising in his throat and began snapping shots of the interior. Something caught his eye, a flash of light on the floor of the passenger side. Frowning, McGee reached down and picked up the object, using his handkerchief to prevent contamination.
"What the Hell?" McGee held up the two-carat diamond, refracting light from the street lamp.
Shaking his head, he carefully folded the diamond into the cotton and placed it in his pocket. He then went to the trunk and removed Tony and Ziva's luggage. He also checked the backseat. He wondered briefly why they didn't take the time to take the luggage up to Tony's apartment rather than take it with them, but then he decided that they would rather get to NCIS and Gibbs as quick as they could.
Deciding he was as done as he could be, he thanked the cops and headed back to his car. Flipping open his phone, he punched in Gibbs' number.
Walter Reed National Medical Center
Gibbs stood in the waiting room of the Emergency Center, in almost the same place he stood four months ago. His mouth was dry and his eyes were bloodshot. They wouldn't tell him anything yet; only that Tony and Ziva had been brought in.
He considered just barging into the treatment area, but then he thought better of it. The medical team needed to be working on Tony and Ziva and didn't need him as a distraction. His phone rang, thankfully interrupting his negative thoughts.
"Yeah, McGee. Watcha' got?" He looked around.
"Boss, I'm heading to you now. I've got photos and looked around the scene. I also found something, but I don't know what it means." McGee took a deep breath.
"Have you heard anything yet?" Tim wasn't sure how he wanted Gibbs to answer that question.
"Nothing yet, McGee. Ducky's on his way here with Abby. Vance is also on his way." Gibbs ended the call and rubbed his eyes. He was getting too old for this shit. Guns, bombs…yeah that was expected. But a damn car accident?
Gibbs wondered briefly if he should call Tony's father, but decided he better wait until he had some news to share. Just then Vance came rushing in.
"How are they?" Vance looked pale and anxious. He glanced around, not wanting to be reminded of the last time he was here. He looked closely at Gibbs. "You're thinking of Shannon and Kelly, aren't you?"
Gibbs pressed his lips together and looked away but didn't answer. Vance put his hand on Gibbs' arm. "We'll find who did this, Gibbs."
Gibbs looked at Leon. "Hell yeah, we will, Leon."
Ducky and Abby arrived just then, both of them tense and drawn. As soon as Abby saw Gibbs, she rushed to him and threw her arms around him.
"Tell me they're ok, Gibbs. Tell me they're ok…" Her face was pinched and streaked with tears. She couldn't believe this had happened, not to Tony and Ziva. They had no much to live for, it just wasn't fair.
Gibbs' rubbed her back soothingly and kissed her temple. "I haven't heard anything yet, Abbs. But I'm sure they'll be fine.
Abby shook her head. "You can't say that, Gibbs. I saw the car. They were creamed. No one could walk away from that, no one…" She sobbed again and hid her face in his shoulder.
"I didn't say they walked away. I said they will be fine. And you're right, I don't know for sure but I'm going to believe it. It's the only way I can think right now."
Abby pulled back and looked at Gibbs, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Oh, Gibbs." She whispered, hugging him again.
"Duck." He indicated Ducky should take Abby and settle her down. Ducky had been listening to the exchange. He couldn't fault Gibbs for trying to be positive for Abby. But he had seen the damage done to frail, soft human bodies by tons of steel and a high speed. It certainly didn't bode well for Tony and Ziva.
Ten minutes later, McGee showed. "Any news?" He asked anxiously. He looked around and saw Abby being consoled by Ducky and Vance pacing.
"Nothing yet, Tim. What did you find?"
McGee brought out his iPhone and handed it to Gibbs, with the photos already open and viewable. Gibbs' stomach tightened as he saw the interior of the car, the amount of blood. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Nothing on the driver?"
McGee shook his head. "So far, the local LEO's have nothing. When I get back, Abby and I will go over every square inch of the crash footage, to see if we can identify anything.
Gibbs grunted. He was sure the SUV had dummy plates just like the one that had been watching the NCIS agents that had been sent to that hotel in Baltimore…
"McGee, can you least figure out if this was the same SUV from Baltimore?"
McGee's eyes got large at that. "But Boss; that would mean that Mossad…"
"I know, McGee. I know." Gibbs didn't like it either. Orlie Elbaz had seemed quite sincere in her desire to kill Bodnar. It didn't make sense for her to be behind this crash. And as far as he knew, that Israeli faction left from Delaware early yesterday.
"Agent Gibbs?" A doctor stood at the sliding doors leading into the treatment area.
Gibbs nodded and walked as fast as he could toward the man. "How are my Agents?"
The doctor looked serious. "In here, please." The doctor indicated that Gibbs should follow him into a small conference room. Gibbs heart sank at that. They only took people into these rooms to tell them that their family member was dead.
Vance had come up as soon as he had seen the doctor. He sensed Gibbs' dread, feeling it himself. Putting a hand on Gibbs' back, he helped to guide him to follow the doctor. Tim went over to sit with Abby and Ducky, taking her hand.
"Have a seat." The doctor said.
"I would prefer to stand." Gibbs said.
"I would prefer you didn't. Please, I have a lot to share with you and would like to sit. If you stand, I will have to. Please." His hand was outstretched toward a chair.
Gibbs sighed and sat heavily. "I've seen a video of the car crash. I know it's bad. You can skip the preliminaries and just tell me how serious it is." Gibbs interjected before the doctor could even speak.
Vance looked sharply at Gibbs. He hadn't told him he had seen the whole crash, just that they had located Tony and Ziva using Homeland's cameras.
"Ok, fair enough. I will start with Agent David. The SUV impacted her side of the car. She is lucky in that she did not receive a direct hit, as the car hit more toward the front of the car. I would say she was not aware of the impending collision, or did not have any time to react."
"Why do you say that?" Vance asked, curious.
"From her injuries. When a person knows they are about to be hit, they subconsciously tense and brace themselves. Her body was more relaxed. That's not to say she was not injured, because she was. She has a concussion and a severe head laceration that required stitches. She also has a dislocated shoulder, broken ribs and another severe laceration on her right hand and forearm. She has not regained consciousness at this time, but her pupils are equal and reactive. Still, we are sending her to CT to rule out a fracture and brain injury. We are also ruling out a severe neck injury; I expect at least a whiplash."
Vance frowned. "And at worst?"
The Doctor sighed. "With this type of collision and the body literally being thrown about inside the car, it is not unusual for there to be some kind of internal derangement to the cervical area."
Gibbs' eyes opened wide at that. "English, Doc. Please."
The Doctor nodded grimly. "Yes, sorry. At worst a cervical fracture with spinal cord involvement. But having said that, I don't believe that is what we'll find in Agent David's case. She has all of her reflexes and she is responding to painful stimuli."
Gibbs felt himself sag into the chair. "A broken neck?" He had never considered anything like that. All he thought was they were hurt badly or they weren't, not the specifics.
Gibbs let out his breath. "So, she's alive?"
The doctor smiled. He knew from experience that most family blocked out most of what he had to say and only focused on one of two things: dead or alive.
"Yes, she's alive. And I don't anticipate any complications from her injuries and she should heal nicely, assuming of'course the scans all return negative." The doctor frowned again.
"I understand from the Paramedics that Agent DiNozzo's car was not equipped with air bags, or they did not deploy. Airbags certainly could have lessened the injuries."
Gibbs wasn't sure if he was being lectured or not, but he felt compelled to speak on Tony's behalf.
"Tony has a vintage Mustang that was restored. I have a Charger and mine doesn't have airbags either, I guess. Frankly, I never thought about it."
"I guess you will, now." The Doctor said sympathetically.
Vance nodded and sighed. He wasn't sure what he would do if Agent David had been killed. They were bound by the recent events, a tie that would remain for the rest of their days. He just didn't expect those days to be short.
"And Tony?" Gibbs asked. The doctor stopped smiling.
"I believe Agent DiNozzo did know that the crash was coming. He is severely injured." He let that sink in before he continued to inform them of his injuries.
"By the nature of his injuries, he was facing Agent David; perhaps they were talking since I believe she was facing him. He may have seen the car. It would seem that he tried to shield Agent David from the crash. He was hit by a lot of the glass. We have already ruled out a neck injury beyond whiplash and soft tissue damage, but he does have a stable fracture at the T-12 level that will not require surgery."
Gibbs felt tears prick his eyes at that. "His back is broken?" He could envision Tony in a wheelchair, Tony no longer in the field…
The Doctor took a sip of water. "That is such an archaic term, and it used to refer to a spinal injury with paralysis, so in that sense; no, he does not have a broken back. He also has a concussion, his left arm is broken and he also has multiple rib fractures. He was having trouble breathing when he arrived on sight, so we intubated him to give him oxygen support." The Doctor glanced down at his notes. "From his medical records I see that he had the pneumonic plague in 2005." He looked up.
Gibbs frowned. "Yeah, he almost died. But he didn't. Is this important?" Gibbs didn't understand why the doctor brought it up.
The Doctor nodded. "It could seriously impact his recovery. His lungs are already in, well I don't know if I want to say bad shape, but they aren't perfectly healthy. Compound that with a chest injury and he is at risk for complications. He has a history of concussions. There is only so much trauma that the human brain can handle. He also has a very nasty gash on his face that will require the services of a Plastic Surgeon."
Gibbs sat quietly. "Is he going to make it?" He managed to get out.
Vance sat up, rigid. His dread had increased as the doctor continued to recite the litany of injuries Tony had sustained.
The doctor looked at the two men. "I'm not going to sugar coat this. Agent DiNozzo is in very serious condition. The next twenty-fours will be critical. If he remains stable, or hopefully improves, then I can offer you a more favorable outcome. Of immediate concern is his pulmonary status. Having said that, we are treating his injuries and medical status aggressively and I anticipate a good outcome. But I can't make any promises."
Gibbs put his head in his hands. He finally looked up. "Can I see them?" The Doctor looked hesitant, but then changed his mind.
"Yes, of'course, come with me." Gibbs followed the doctor, with Vance trailing behind him. The doctor pulled back the curtain. One of the nurses looked up and smiled.
"This is Agent Gibbs and Director Vance. Let them spend a few minutes with Agent DiNozzo, and then they can see Agent David."
"Sure thing, John." The Nurse replied. Gibbs walked stiff legged to the side to the stretcher, taking in the still, pale form that was Anthony DiNozzo. "Aw geez, Tony." Gibbs murmured.
Tony looked at lot worse than he had imagined. Of'course he didn't have the experience of seeing himself in similar circumstances all those years ago, so in reality, Tony actually looked somewhat better.
Gibbs grimaced at the large bandage on Tony's face, thinking how the cut would mar his features. Then he remembered the doctor mentioned a Plastic Surgeon. That made him grin slightly, knowing at least Tony's looks would be preserved.
"He looks bad, Leon." Gibbs said quietly.
"He's a fighter, Gibbs. He'll live." Vance tried to sound as convincing as he could.
Gibbs nodded. He didn't know how he was going to tell the team. He leaned over and spoke into Tony's ear.
"DiNozzo, I want you to listen to me. You are going to live. You are going to be fine, do you hear me? You have a lot of people waiting for you, including a crazy Israeli who for some reason loves you. Ziva's waiting for you Tony. Don't you dare disappoint her."
Tony's heart rate picked up a bit for a few beats then settled back down to its slow rhythm. Gibbs touched Tony's hand and squeezed it. He was positive that Tony squeezed it back, but he may have imagined it. He looked curiously at his right hand.
"What kind of cuts are these? It almost looks like a bite mark." Gibbs looked at the Nurse in utter confusion.
She smiled and walked over to Tony's right side. Silently, she slid her hand underneath Tony's and closed her fingers through his. Gibbs' eyes widened, seeing her finger tips, and fingernails, in the exact same position as the cuts on Tony's hand.
"They were holding hands at the time of the crash." She said simply.
Gibbs digested that, wanting to head slap Tony for driving with one hand and being distracted by holding Ziva's. But he knew that was not what caused the accident. That explained the Doctor saying he thought they were looking at each other.
Gibbs straightened up. "Ok, can I see Ziva now?" The Nurse smiled and nodded.
"Over here." She opened up the other curtain. Ziva had been on the other side. Gibbs traced the cut on her head with his finger, following it from the edge of her scalp down behind her ear. Her eyes were blackened and swollen, and there was a bruise on her cheek. The oxygen mask hid most of her face, but Gibbs could see that it appeared to be free from severe cuts.
He looked at the monitors, and the IV's. Repeating what he did with Tony, he spoke quietly to her, trying to soothe her and to maybe get her to wake up. Much to his surprise, she started to open her eyes.
"That's it, Ziva. Come on, wake up!" Gibbs growled. Ziva's eyes flew open and she gasped. She tried to sit upright but the pain in her ribs was so excruciating she couldn't move.
"TONY!" She gasped. Her eyes were wild, looking around in confusion. Gibbs grabbed her face, trying to get her to focus.
"Ziva! ZIVA! Look at me! Focus-on-me!" Gibbs commanded.
Ziva heard his voice and found his face. She looked at his mouth watching him speak.
"Breathe slowly, take your time. I got you, Ziva. I got you." Gibbs murmured, stroking her cheek.
Ziva's body relaxed, her brain processing what Gibbs was saying to her.
She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. She turned fearful eyes toward Gibbs. "Tony?" She whispered.
Gibbs took a deep breath. "He's hurt, Ziva. Just like you are. We saw the footage of the accident. We know it was intentional."
Ziva looked at Gibbs in horror and shock. "We were in an accident?"
Gibbs looked at Vance. "You don't remember what happened, Agent David?"
"I remember we were driving to the Navy Yard, and we were talking. Then there was this bright light and Tony yelled out. That's…that is all."
Vance shifted on his feet. "It's probably a good thing you don't remember, Agent David." Ziva looked upset at that.
"How bad is Tony hurt?" Her voice broke.
"Broken bones, concussion, cuts. The main problem is his lungs." Gibbs wasn't sure how much he should say.
"His lungs?" Ziva was confused.
"From the plague, Ziva. It's causing problems." Gibbs spoke softly.
Ziva started, and then wince as the unnecessary movement caused pain. Tears formed in her eyes, tracing uneven paths down her cheeks. "I want to see him."
Gibbs cocked his head. "You can't, Ziva. Not right now. I've seen him and I've told him to get better."
Ziva brightened at that. "He is awake then?"
Gibbs bit his lip. Damn, he should have never said anything. "No, Ziva. He's not. But I still told him."
Ziva closed her eyes. Suddenly they flew open. "The diamonds!"
Gibbs and Vance looked at each other, confused. "Diamonds? McGee found one, Ziva. What does it mean?"
Ziva was agitated. The Nurse came back and was ready to kick them out. "No! I must tell them before it is too late." She looked desperately at Gibbs.
"Ilan emptied all of his bank accounts and converted the cash into diamonds."
Vance looked alert at that. "How do you know that, Agent David?"
Ziva looked at him. "My friend Monique. She took them from Bodnar, and then gave them to us as we were leaving Reckhan. Did I have them? Are they in the car?"
Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. He used his finger to bring the nurse over. "Where are Ziva's personal effects?"
The nurse went to the chair and lifted a large plastic bag. Gibbs grabbed it and went through the clothes. Ziva felt nauseous when she saw the bloody remnants of her jacket, top and pants. Gibbs came up empty. "What were they in, Ziva?"
"A black velvet drawstring bag, Gibbs." Ziva answered, her eyes getting heavy.
Gibbs looked at the Nurse. "Do you know if a black velvet bag came in with Ziva?" She looked surprised.
"I never saw one. I can ask the paramedics when I see them again."
"Yeah, ok, thanks." Gibbs turned to Ziva.
"I think that's why you were hit. Someone took something from the car, but we couldn't make out who it was." Gibbs eyed Ziva closely, knowing this was a low blow for her, on top of everything else.
"No…"Ziva closed her eyes. "Now he can disappear. He's won."
"Nope, no one's won yet, Ziver." Gibbs grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
"I want to see Tony. I need to…" Ziva looked at Gibbs in quiet desperation.
"Not right now, Ziva. Let the doctors fix him up, and then you can see him." Ziva closed her eyes in submission, not having the strength to fight. Gibbs kissed her temple.
"I love you, kid. You're going to be ok, Ziver." Gibbs whispered in her ear.
Ziva smiled at the reminder of being one of his "kids". She was so worried about Tony, but her brain would not let her focus. She was so tired, and she just wanted to sleep…
"Ok, I think that's all for now." The Nurse said gently.
Gibbs nodded and turned to leave. He took one last look at his Agents and then step back out in the waiting area.
He saw the others waiting quietly for him to approach, the tension palpable. Standing stoic, he revealed what the Doctor had told him and what he saw.
Walter Reed- the next day
Much to the relief of his Doctors, Tony had continued to improve through the night. They were able to extubate him and began using a mask with humidified oxygen for pulmonary support. Around seven a.m. he started coming around.
At first he was very lethargic and the medical staff was concerned, even though the brain scans had all come back negative for a bleed or swelling. Finally, he started to focus and become aware.
Just as Ziva had done, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on him. "ZIVA!" He cried out hoarsely, grimacing in pain as his back, chest and lungs felt like they were on fire.
The Nurse had to hold him down and was getting ready to sedate him, but he calmed down. He looked at the Nurse with pleading eyes.
"Please tell me Ziva is ok." The tears in his eyes were heart wrenching. If she didn't already know these two were probably in a relationship, she certainly did now.
"She will be ok. She was injured, but she will be ok." She said soothingly.
"I need to see her! Please let me see her…"
The Nurse shook her head. "You aren't going anywhere, Agent DiNozzo. You have a fractured vertebra and several cracked ribs that are going to keep you in bed for a few days."
"Fractured vertebrae?" Tony wiggled his fingers and toes experimentally and blew out a breath of relief that he had full motion and feeling.
His hand flew to his face, as he could feel the tightness and bulkiness of the dressing. "Do you have a mirror?" Tony wasn't sure he really wanted to see what damage was done, but he had to know.
The Nurse considered the question, and nodded. She slid open the over bed table and flip up a compartment. Attached was a mirror, for patients to use was they shaved or brushed their hair.
Tony looked at his damaged face critically, taking in the large blood stained bandaged across his right cheek and nose.
"That's going to leave a scar." He said unnecessarily.
The Nurse smiled. "We have a Plastic Surgeon following you. He stitched the laceration with very fine sutures. Any scarring should be minimal."
Tony looked again at the bandage, remembering when he and McGee were assigned to guard the Belgravian Defense Minister's daughter and they had crashed into a fire hydrant. The resulting impact gave a nice cut to Tony's forehead. He had made the same remark about a scar then and Ziva had stated it would give him character.
He smiled. He knew no matter what, Ziva would not mind. He was the one who was bothered by the lessening of his self-proclaimed good looks.
He closed the tray, and took stock of his injuries. The cast on his left arm, other bandages, his right hand…
He looked curiously at the cuts, understanding at once what had caused them. He looked away, concern flooding his features. He turned back to the Nurse. "I really do need to see Ziva."
She sighed. "I'll see what I can do."
Ziva had slept through the night, mostly with the help of medication. She woke up around eight a.m., not really surprised to see Gibbs sitting at her bedside.
"Have you been here the whole time?" She asked softly, surprise in her voice.
"Most of it." He answered tiredly. "They let the others come in a get a peek at you before we were all kicked out. I refused to leave."
Ziva could well imagine that he did. "McGee and Abby have looked at the footage of the car, analyzing it frame by frame. You were hit by a Jeep Grand Cherokee, bogus plates. It was not the same car that watched our Agents as they were tracking down information on Mantel."
Ziva digested that. "So you do not think Mossad is behind this. I do not either. It is Ilan. I know it."
"You think he's here, then?" Gibbs asked, searching her eyes.
"It is possible. He had over twenty four hours ahead of us to get here. I doubt he was driving the SUV, though. He would not risk injury to himself."
She looked at Gibbs. "Did you review the video he left for me?"
Gibbs nodded, his lips pressed together. "Do you know what he means, Ziver? Is he trying to confuse the issue, or is he really saying he's not the only one responsible?"
Ziva closed her eyes, and then looked away. "I am not sure now. I know he paid to have my father killed, that he arranged it. And I know he has help. But who is helping him exactly? Certainly others from Mossad."
"The only one they have identified as rogue is Mantel." Gibbs said. "So if there is another Mossad Officer in league with Bodnar, they don't know about it."
Gibbs rubbed his neck. "Tony's awake, Ziver."
Her eyes flew to him. "Why did you delay telling me this? I must see him now!" She struggled to sit up.
He held her down. "I waited because I needed to talk to you first as an Agent. I needed your input and I didn't want you distracted by your concern for DiNozzo."
Ziva bit her lip, acknowledging that was a legitimate excuse. But now that she knew, nothing else held her thoughts.
"How is he? Is he in much pain?" Ziva was scared, not really knowing the full extent of his injuries.
"Demanding to see you." Gibbs smiled in exasperation. "Worried about you, what else?"
Ziva smiled softly at that. "Please let me see him, Gibbs."
Her plea broke his heart. "Hey, it's not up to me. But I will ask. Be right back."
Gibbs went to her Nurse and asked if it would be possible for her to see Tony. After discussing it with the doctors, they agreed she could be put in a wheelchair and taken to his room.
Ziva was lightheaded as she was sat up on the side of the bed. Painfully, she was able to transfer to the wheelchair. The Nurse wheeled her to the next room from hers.
Ziva gasped when she saw Tony, taking in the neck brace, the huge bandage across his face and the cast on his left arm. He turned his head when he heard her voice.
"Oh, my God Ziva!" The Nurse pushed her up to his bedside and lowered the railing so they could get as close as possible.
Ziva grabbed his hand and kissed it, seeing the marks her fingernails had made. "I am so sorry…"
"Hey, it's nothing. The 'Mark of Ziva', you know, like the 'Mark of Zorro'. I've been branded." Tony grinned.
Ziva shook her head, although she was slightly amused by his movie reference. That showed her that he was somewhat himself.
"No, I meant for this." She looked around. "This is all my fault."
Tony frowned. "How is this your fault?"
"For including you in this quest of mine. If you had not been with me, you would not have been injured."
"Well, in that case; I was the one driving. I should have paid better attention. I should have been able to veer out of the path of the other vehicle. If anyone is to blame, it's me Ziva." Tony looked distressed.
Ziva stroked his cheek. "I cannot bear to lose you, Tony. I have lost so much. Everyone I have ever loved, or been close to has died. I cannot take that risk with you."
Tony frowned. "What are you saying?"
Ziva sighed and looked down. "I do not know. This changes everything. They have now tried to kill you. I cannot let that pass, Tony. I will seek Bodnar, and make him pay."
Tony grabbed her hand and held it tightly. "You do what you need to do, Ziva but promise me you will do it with Gibbs and McGee. Do not go rogue and take this on by yourself. The risks are too great."
"And you are not quitting 'us', I won't allow it. We've come so far, I'm not letting this be another damn obstacle that stops what we have and where we are going. I won't."
The unshed tears in Ziva's eyes fell unchecked. She loved this man so much, but she truly believed that she must be cursed and that to be with her was tantamount to a death sentence. She laid her head down on his bed, allowing him to stroke her hair. She listened as he murmured soft endearments and encouragement to her, knowing it wouldn't last.
I don't think they will bring up Tony's plague days, although it has been brought up since. I do think Tony is the more seriously injured of the two, but we will see. I will post again tomorrow or Tuesday my take of the rest of "Revenge" before it airs. I don't want these chapters to be too long. Thanks for staying with me and encouraging me to continue.