Chapter 44

Sorry I left a little cliff hanger but since Chapter 44 will be posted at the same time I was sure I will be forgiven. Thanks in advance for any and all reviews.

On another note, for all you Dallas fans, rest in peace Larry Hagman.

Previously on NCIS

Tony followed the gurney as far as the paramedics would let him once they got to the hospital. One of the nurses showed him where to sit. He was sitting in the waiting room when Abby rushed in looking for him. "Timmy called me Tony. How is Gibbs?" Tony just stood up and hugged her tightly. Abby noticed the tears in his eyes.

"His heart stopped twice on the way here Abbs. They had to shock him. I don't know what I am going to tell Samantha when she gets here."

Abby pulled away from him and with the calmness that normally could not expected from Abby she looked him in the eyes with all the assurance of Gibbs himself. "This is Gibbs. He is tough and he won't leave us. He just can't." She then hugged him tightly. "He does not have permission to die."

NCIS

Samantha, Jackson, Tim and Kelly rushed into the Emergency room. Tim stopped at the desk asking for Tony. "Agent DiNozzo and Miss Sciuto are in the waiting room," the nurse told him. Tim led the group into the waiting room. Samantha walked up to Tony and saw the look in his eyes. She just sat down on the sofa.

"How bad Tony? I want the truth."

"I really don't know for sure Sam." He replied seeing Kelly in the room. He looked up at Abby who took the hint.

"Come on Kelly. Let's go to the gift shop and get Gibbs something. "

"Sure Abby. " Kelly took her hand and they walked out of the waiting room.

"Now tell me everything you know Tony. I want or I need the truth." Samantha said as Jackson Gibbs sat down next to her on the sofa and took her hands.

"You're sure Sam." She nodded. "Well, we are waiting for the doctor to come out and tell us something but Sam, Jack his heart stopped twice in the ambulance. They had to shock him. When we came in here his heart was beating and he was breathing. That is all I can tell you right now Sam." He held his arms out and took her into a hug whispering into to her ears. "He was alive, Sam. Remember he promised you and Gibbs never breaks his promise."

She hugged him back and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thanks, Tony." Just then Kelly raced into the waiting room carrying a stuffed animal. She ran over to Samantha and gave her a hug. "Did you and Abby find something for Gibbs?" She smiled and looked up at Abby and signed "Like Gibbs wants a stuffed animal."

"No Abby got this for me. We did not find anything for Gibbs. Everything was to girly." That caused both Tony and Jackson to snicker a little bit. "She is so right" they both thought.

NCIS

The waiting seemed like hours. Abby was sitting next to Tim and he was holding her close. She was trying to hold it together for Sam. Tony was pacing the waiting room trying not to upset Sam by being worried. Ziva was standing by the window looking out into the night sky. Ducky had arrived so he and Jackson had gotten some coffee and were talking over in the corner. Samantha was sitting in one of the most uncomfortable chairs her rear end had ever sat in and her back was hurting her. She could not move however because Kelly was cuddled up next to her fast asleep. Holding her stuffed animal tightly in her arms.

Tony walked up to Samantha and smiled at the sleeping angel. "She's been through a lot the past 24 hours," he whispered. Samantha nodded.

Just then a doctor entered the waiting. "Family of Agent Gibbs."

"That's us," Tony walked up to him. "Could we meet over here doc? This is Agent Gibbs' fiancé." He motioned over toward the chairs. Jackson and the team moved over to Samantha. Jackson moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

The doctor shook his head at all the family. "First of all he is stable. That is what took so long in getting to you. We have given him blood and we are rushing him into exploratory surgery. Not totally sure what we will find yet. "

"Doctor, what are his chances?" Samantha replied grabbing Jackson's hand.

"Not anyway to tell right now, Miss."

"Samantha" she interrupted.

"We have no way of knowing until we get in there Samantha. " The doctor knelt down and took her hands. "We will do our best. He seems strong and healthy so keep your hopes up."

"Thank-you," she smiled.

The doctor reached out and stroked Kelly's head. "Your daughter?"

"Not exactly, I am her guardian. He father killed her mother yesterday." The doctor had a sad look on his face. "Poor baby," mouthed. "Then her father shot Gibbs, her hero. But Gibbs got him."

The doctor nodded. "The nurse will come and take all of you up to the surgical waiting room. We will keep you posted."

"Thank you doctor," the whole team and Jackson said at once.

NCIS

Gibbs surgery seemed to go on forever. Samantha was the only one awake in the surgical waiting room. She glanced up at the clock it was now 0300. They had been sitting there for over five hours. She rubbed her face and then looked around at her "family". Tony and Ziva were now cuddled up on the sofa near the window. Jack and Ducky had fallen asleep in mid-conversation in the two large chairs in the corner. Abby was lying with her head in Tim's lap and his head was resting on a pillow he had gotten from the nurse. Kelly had been placed on another couch covered up with a blanket. Samantha was standing by the window with a diet coke in her hand. "Hang in there Gibbs," she whispered. "You promised you would not leave me and I am holding you to that."

Just then the doctor walked in. Seeing her standing there he walked up to her. "Agent Gibbs?"

"Yes doctor. I am Samantha Waverly, his fiancé "she said quietly. "This is his extended family." She motioned to the sleeping team. "How is he?"

"You want to wake them, so they can hear this."

"No, they were so exhausted. I 'll tell them."

"We had to remove his spleen to stop the bleeding. Bullet nicked his lung so he has a chest tube in. We had to over sew the lung so we have him on a vent temporarily. He is breathing on his own but the vent just giving him some help. We can probably remove it in 24 hours. He had some other bleeders that needed to be sewn up." He looked and saw her face go pale. "Do you want to wake someone?"

She nodded but looking around she could not disturb one without disturbing the whole team. She then went over to Timothy McGee who was showing signs of waking. She put her hand on his shoulders with a finger to her lips as to not wake Abby. Tim saw the doctor and nodded his head. Carefully he got up and put his arm around her waist as they walked back to the doctor.

"How is he doctor?"

"As I was telling Miss Waverly, we removed his spleen and we have him temporally on a vent to help him breath. Letting his body get some much needed rest. We have given him another transfusion. He lost a lot of blood. "

"Bottom line doctor. I know he is really critical right now. Will he be ok?" Samantha asked cautiously holding Tim's hand.

"We are cautiously optimistic at this point. He is stable and his vital signs are good. We will keep him sedated for the next 24 hours and then gradually wake him up," the doctor told them.

"Can I see him doctor? I just need to sit with him."

"Give the nurses an hour to get him out of recovery, cleaned up and into an ICU bed. Then they will come get you. After you see him you need to go home and get some rest. ICU visiting hours are over."

"Not happening doctor. I am not leaving this hospital until he wakes up and orders me home. Then maybe I will consider it but I doubt it." Tim smiled at her. He helped her over to the sofa and she sat down. He knew the tears would be falling soon.

"Thanks doctor." Tim replied as he turned his attention back to the doctor. "Keep us posted one of us will be with Gibbs and with her at all times."

Doctor nodded. "She really needs to get some rest."

"She will once she sees him. Even if it is with her head on his ICU bed." Tim walked over to Samantha and took her in his arms. He knew that she was just holding on by a thread.

"He's ok Tim. He's really bad off but his is ok." She rested her head on his chest and the tears that she had fought so hard to contain began to spill out on Tim's chest. Tim just held her and let her cry.

NCIS

About thirty minutes later, a nurse came in to take Samantha to Gibbs' hospital room. "You want me to go with, Sam" Tim offered.

"No thanks, Tim. I need to see him alone. Wake up the team and Jack. After I have had some time with Gibbs, Jack needs to come in to see him." She was now stronger since she had finished crying. She had whispered when she finished that she was able to face things now. "See if you can keep Kelly asleep. She does not need to see him like this."

Tim nodded and gave her a hug. "We are all here if you decide if you need something or someone," he whispered. Samantha patted Tim on the arm and followed the nurse down the hall.

As she approached the room her resolve to be strong had a moment of weakness and she stopped in the hall. "I can do this," she thought," I need to be there for him. I know I am scared to death but his is going to get better. He has to."

"Miss Waverly, are you ready?" The nurse asked as she opened the door to the ICU room. Samantha nodded and followed her. She walked into the room with a forced smile on her face. Even though he was sedated she did not want him to know she was afraid. She wanted him to know she was going to strong for him. She was not prepared for what she saw. There was that super strong man she loved lying helpless in the bed with a breathing machine helping him breathe. The color of his skin was a pale white color from the loss of blood. They had him shirtless and she could see the blue burses near the bandages. They had EKG monitors on his chest to monitor his heart rate and breathing. Samantha put her hand to her mouth in fear. The nurse put an arm around Samantha's shoulder. "He's going to be fine. It looks bad now but he is strong and a fighter. I remember him from another visit he had in the hospital. I am Leslie, the night ICU nurse; if you need anything just ask for me."

"I know. I was not expecting him to be this bad." Samantha whispered as she sat down in the chair next to the bed. She took his hand and began gently stroking it.

"You be alright in her alone or do I need to get one of his team."

"I will be fine. His father is out there so he will be in soon." The nurse quietly left the couple alone and stepped out into the hall. Samantha stood up and began to stroke Gibbs' hair secretly his eyes would open and protest the tube in his mouth. "Hey don't you ever scare me like this again." She whispered as she kissed him lightly on the cheek. Samantha then sat down on the chair next to the bed still holding onto Gibbs hand. The sounds of the machines beeping monitoring his heart rate and the sound of the breathing machine letting her know that he was alive lulled her to sleep.

NCIS

Samantha roused from her nap when the door opened as Jack entered the room. He walked up and lightly kissed her on the top of the head. "You doing ok," he replied as he accessed his son's condition. Samantha looked up at him. Her eyes were tired and red from crying. Jack quickly noticed and gently lifted her up and wrapped her in a hug. "He is not going to leave you Sam. My son is stubborn and strong. He made you a promise." Samantha looked at him puzzled. How did he know about all that? "Tim told me. He is building his strength to come back to you." Jack walked over to his son and whispered in his ear. "You need to fight son. You have a really special girl here. I like her a lot. She needs you and you need her." He walked over and kissed his son on the cheek. He walked over to Sam and gave her another hug. " Abby, Ziva and I are going to take Kelly home and put her to bed. Call if something changes with my son. Are you going to be ok here?"

Samantha hugged the older man back and looked in his eyes. "Thank you Jack. I will be fine as long as I can hear the machines and his breathing. I will call you with any news."

Jack left the room and Samantha turned her attention back to her beloved Gibbs. She walked over to him and whispered in his ear. "You dad is so special. I really am in love with him. You listen to him and be the stubborn man I know and love. I need that stubbornness to bring you back to me." She pulled the chair as close to the bed as she could get it. She grabbed his free hand and held it tightly in hers. She then laid her head on the edge of the bed using the extra pillow from the chair and fell asleep.

NCIS

The twenty-four hours the doctor initially promised stretched into thirty-six. Around 1300 on Tuesday the doctor told Samantha they had begun to taper off the medications to keep Gibbs sedated. They assured her that Gibbs should wake up in the next twelve hours or so. Samantha had not left the hospital since Gibbs had been brought in to the hospital on Sunday afternoon. She was exhausted but her one goal was for Gibbs to wake up. She knew when he did all will be back to normal. "Less than 12 hours and I will have him to lean on," she thought to herself.

Samantha tried to keep herself busy and entertained but the day just dragged on. Around 1800, Tony came by with dinner. He had been elected to stay with her that night. Nobody wanted her to be alone.

"I am staying the night here. " Tony told her. "I don't want you facing this waiting alone."

"I will be fine Tony just as soon as he wakes up." Samantha told him.

"The boss would not want me to let you totally exhaust yourself. He would want us to support you. Gibbs will wake up Samantha. I just know that."

"I know Tony. I just have to wait and be patient."

"How about I got rent a movie and we can watch it on your computer. Maybe a little laughter will ease the tension and make the waiting a little easier."

"Thanks Tony."

NCIS

After the movie, Tony had fallen asleep in the large lounge chair and Samantha lovingly took her position next to Gibbs' bed and fell into a restless sleep. The nurses came in several times to check Gibbs' vitals. They did not say anything to Samantha but his vitals were improving and he was showing signs of waking up.

It was around 0500 when Samantha began to notice that someone was gently massaging her hair. Was it a dream? She felt like Gibbs was running his fingers through her hair. If it was a dream she did not want to wake up. The feeling continued and Samantha slowly raised her head looking up into Gibbs' face. Staring back at her were the piercing blue eyes of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. A huge smile came to her lips. He was groggy but he was awake. "Where am I?" Gibbs signed.

"You were shot by Joseph, Gibbs. Remember."

He nodded his head and then signed "Why the tube? I don't need this."

"The bullet nicked you lung. They had it in to give your lungs some support. Your lung collapsed." She told him taking his hand in hers. "I am so glad you are awake."

"When can I get this damn tube out?" He signed.

"Let me call the nurse and see what we can do about that." Samantha hit the call button and Leslie the nurse poked her head in the door. "Gibbs is awake Leslie and he wants the tube out."

"I will call the doctor." Leslie replied. "He just came on duty."

Gibbs and Samantha just spend the next minutes just staring at each other. Samantha had sat down on the bed next to him. Gibbs then had several questions that could not wait until he got the tube out. "Where's Kelly?" he signed.

Samantha smiled and spoke quietly as to not wake a sleeping Tony. "She is at the house with Abby, Ziva, Tim and your dad."

"Dad?" Gibbs questioned.

"He got her Sunday afternoon right after you called." She chuckled. "I pulled my sidearm on him."

"You pulled your gun." Gibbs signed.

"Yes," she giggled. "He had the ok to come on it but came into the house after Tim called me. He used his key and came into the house before I got Tim's call and then you know what happened."

"I am so sorry Samantha."

"It was fine. We had a good laugh after we got all things settled."

Just the Dr. Pitt came into the room and looked at Gibbs' vitals on the machine. "Ready to get that tube out Gibbs." He asked.

Gibbs signed yes.

"Ok just a little cough and we will have it out." Gibbs coughed a couple of times and Dr. Brad Pitt pulled out the tube. The nurse handed Samantha a cup of ice.

"Give him some of these to suck on it will help. Gibbs, don't try to talk just yet. Just continued to sign." Dr. Pitt checked the stats. He reached up and put in the nasal candela onto Gibbs' nose.

Looking at Samantha, "We will keep that in for a few hours. Things look good Sam. Really good."

Samantha smiled and looked at Gibbs. "Thanks Brad."

After the doctor left, Gibbs finally looked over at the sleeping form of his senior agent. "He on the Samantha watch tonight." He signed.

"Yes. I have been well taken care of."

"Well I am back on that duty now. Wake him up and send him home."

"I agree." She walked over and gently woke Tony. "Tony, why don't you go to the house? Gibbs is awake." Tony's eyes popped open.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Boss. " Tony walked over to the bed. "Wow, Boss you need to get some rest you look horrible."

Gibbs motioned with his pointer finger for his senior field agent to come over to the bed. Gibbs reached up and gave him a head slip. "Ya think, Tony," he whispered hoarsely.

"Sorry Boss. Sam, you be ok if I got back to the house and inform the team."

"I told you Tony I would be fine when he woke up." Samantha gave the agent a hug. "Thanks for being here."

"That's what family is for, Sam" Tony replied kissing her on the cheek. "Call us if you need anything." She nodded.

When Tony left the room, Gibbs looked into the eyes of his fiancé. He smiled at her. The look in her eyes told him that she had put up a huge wall holding in her emotions. He winked and patted the empty spot in the bed next to him. He signed "Come over here. I think you need something."

"Ya think." She smiled. Samantha carefully sat down on the bed removing her shoes as she pulled her feet up on the bed. Gibbs held out his free arm and she snuggled into it laying her head on his chest. She put her hand over his heart. Gibbs leaned over and kissed her on the top of her head.

"You can let go Samantha. I'm here" he whispered. "I am not going anywhere sweetheart."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." Just then the dam started to break first a trickle with just a few tears coming down Samantha's cheeks. Gibbs held her closer and then began to rub small circles on her back and her crying intensified. He felt as her crying became more than just tears and turned into sobs. Gibbs just held her and whispered terms of endearments to her reassuring her that he was fine and was not going to leave her.

Finally, Sam's breathing leveled out. She was slowly crying herself to sleep. Gibbs knew she needed the rest. What little sleep he knew she had had was not restful. After she was finally deeply asleep he pushed the call button calling Leslie the nurse.

"Hey Sam, what do you …?" she asked entering the room. Gibbs put his finger up to his lips. "Oh Gibbs, what do you need?"

"Blanket," he whispered. The nurse nodded and went to the cabinet. After Leslie helped Gibbs get the blanket to cover them both up she whisper. "She needs this Gibbs. She is a pretty strong lady. She really loves you."

"I know" he whispered.

"She has not left your side," the nurse told him.

He smiled and pulled Samantha closer. "She's a marine after all."

Leslie nodded her head. "Now you get some rest along with her. I'll leave a note for the nurse's not disturb you unless you call or there is an emergency."

Gibbs just smiled and held her laying his head over on top of hers. Samantha's gentle breathing was a comfort to him as sleep over took him.