Chapter 32
(**Flashback**)
'Plague' Ducky barely said.
At the autopsy…
"The powder carries bubonic plague?" Gibbs asks, with his voice quiet and weak.
'pneumonic is more likely' Ducky sighs.
"Wait, there are multiple plagues?" Gibbs says in complete shock.
'Oh there are three, actually. But pneumonic is the most dangerous. It can be spread just by inhaling the Y pestis' Ducky explained.
"Tony must've inhaled some" Gibbs looked at his feet. He suffered a lot in his life. Too many losses. He's not going to let some bastard kill one of his best agents.
'Don't worry. It may not be alive as well. Y pestis needs a host of moist to keep him alive for a few of hours' Abby shows up on the screen. Gibbs fixes his eyes back on the screen again.
"Plus, it was irradiated when it was in Post office, boss" McGee encourages him.
"I got Honey Dust, McGee!" Gibbs retorts.
'If I can isolate the strain, Bethesda can hit it with a specific antibiotic' Abby says. She disappears for a second and comes back, with her back slouched.
'Gibbs, antibiotics won't work!'She complained.
"Tell Ducky to visit Bethesda" Gibbs replied unhappily to Abby, who was jumping like a kid on his screen.
'Got it' She disappears again. She comes back.
"Remember, just because there's swak on t, doesn't mean it's not a bastard, not a bi…" He starts, but Abby interrupts.
'Gibbs, you are so right! I have this friend who's a transvestite, her lips could outswak Angelina Jolie's! Remember McGee, at the birthday party' Abby said.
"Yeah, the low-cut dress and build-in plastic…" McGee started, but Gibbs whacked him at the back of his head.
'I saw that, Gibbs' Abby teases.
"Read, or you'll feel it!" Gibbs threatened.
'Not while you're down there…' Abby murmured.
"What!?" Gibbs exclaimed.
'However, there is a…" Abby continued, squeaking like a mouse. Let's let them talk, while we see Tony and Kate.
Tony and Kate…
The night has already fallen. It's very quiet in the isolation room. Kate and Tony are both just staring at the ceiling. Tony suddenly starts snapping his fingers in his own rhythm, which seemed to annoy Kate.
"You know what does it feel like?" He suddenly says.
"I'm afraid to ask" Kate said, ironically.
"I feel like the king of cool" He replied
"Really?" Kate laughed.
"Aha" He nodded.
"Like Elvis, you mean?" Kate asks.
"No. Kate, please. Elvis was the king of rock'n'roll. You know who's the king of cool?" Tony keeps talking.
"Please. I'm dying to know the answer" She continued with sarcasm.
"Travolta" Tony said.
"Aha" Kate says as she was listening.
"He's the king of cool" Tony corrected her over and over.
"Jeez, thanks for the explaining!" She rolls her eyes.
"And you know why I feel like him?" Tony turns to her.
"I'm sensing a movie coming…" She turns to his side.
"The Boy in a Plastic Bubble" He says, gesturing with his hands.
"Lovely" Kate turns to her back again.
"He lives in a giant plastic bubble. He has a lack of immunity" Tony starts explaining.
"Tony" She says.
"And that was before…" He tries to continue, but shuts his mouth when Kate nearly yells.
"Tony! Please" She looked at him.
"What?" He whined.
"Please, tony. We're stuck in here, together. Can we just make a pact? Until we get out of this horrible place…" She said.
"I'm listening" Tony crossed his arms.
"Look. I won't make fun of all your stupid things, and you stop telling your movie scenarios. Deal?" She said.
"Deal" He agreed.
Next day…
Emma was holding Tony's hand while he talked about his movie stuff again. Kate groaned and covered her head with a pillow. She peaked a little. She observed Emma. Aldo, she was a good nurse, she was just the same as the other girls. Giggle at Dinozzo's stupid jokes, and fall for his charm. She was used to that feeling. But she had her Dwayne, anyway.
"And Cary Grant in the…" His voice was ringing in her head, literally. She waited for the night to arrive.
Later…
Tony was investigating the lights like crazy.
"What are you doing?" Kate chuckled as he stared at the light.
"Do you really think they kill the bugs?" Tony said after short silence.
"What?" Kate sat.
"The blue lights" Tony points to the lights.
"Seriously?" Kate laughed.
"Yeah. Ever heard of placebo, Katie?" He asked and moved on with the light observation.
"Tony, placebos are for psychology" Kate rolled her eyes.
"Well, how do you know that they aren't here just to make us think that it helps? Huh? Ever thank about that?" He grinned.
"Well, maybe they kill all the bugs in the air, Tony" Kate rolled to her right side, facing the wall.
"Maybe you're right" Tony finally lowered himself on his pillow.
"You're afraid" Kate said suddenly, not turning around.
"Come on. Have you ever seen me afraid?" Tony said.
"Well, not on the work. But now, we can only hope that we're not infected" Kate said back to him. She turned to see his face. He was looking at her.
"Now who's afraid?" He broke the silence easily.
"Anyone with a half of a brain, maybe. Wait, I take that back" Kate sighed.
"You better" He muttered.
"You're not afraid" She caused him to turn back to her.
Outside of the room…
"All the results came negative, excluding Agent Dinozzo's. He's infected with Y Pestis" Dr. Brad Pitt whispered to Emma.
She looked at him, shocked.