Ziva stuffed the cell back in her pocket as strangers rushed up to Gibbs' truck. She glanced down at Gibbs as he moaned again and thought good he is waking up; then looked out the cracked windshield. Her mind went to the blood she had seen dripping down the masked man's arm.
"Hey, lady, I am just here to help," a stranger said as he approached the open door on Gibbs' side of the truck. "Don't shoot, ok? Can I help get you two out of the car?"
"No," Ziva responded. "We should wait for the paramedics but you can do me a favor. Keep cars and people off of the blood stains on the pavement. Can you do that?"
"Yeah, sure, I'll do my best," the stranger nodded then turned and looked down at the ground. "Hey, folks," he screamed. "The lady wants everyone to stay back and stay away from this blood! Can I get some help directing traffic?"
Ziva nodded as she saw the stranger and a few other guys begin to cordon off the area that held the trail of blood. A few moments later a police car barreled onto the street and the officer's voice squeaked over his speaker telling the strangers to move but thankfully they refused and she heard the officer slam his car door and scream at them. They pointed to her.
"Officer!" Ziva screamed and got the man's attention. He rushed up to Gibbs' open door and looked in.
"Ma'am, stay calm, an ambulance is on the way," the officer said.
"This is Special Agent Gibbs and I am," for a moment Ziva wondered how to identify herself then decided she was still an agent, "I am Agent David. There are blood stains on the pavement that need to be preserved as evidence. Do you understand? Those men are cordoning off the area on my direction. I need you to make sure no one disturbs that blood," she ordered. "No cars, no people contaminating the scene. And make sure the paramedics have a clear shot here. And get any cell phone video you can."
"Yes, ma'am," The officer said and jumped into action as other cops joined him at the scene. In moments they had the yellow tape up and were pushing bystanders back as the ambulance arrived on scene. Ziva hoped they grabbed anyone who videoed the scene.
Ziva looked down at Gibbs' head on her lap. She was worried because he had not opened his eyes, only moaned. She gently touched his head, "Come on, Gibbs," she whispered in his ear. "You are OK, right?"
The first paramedic rushed up to the truck," Hi there," he said. "Are you hurt?"
"No," Ziva answered. "I am fine but my friend here hit his head on the glass. He has been unconscious since the accident but has moaned. The blood seems to be clotting."
"Ok," the paramedic said. "We are going to get a neck brace on him and move him out slowly."
Ziva nodded as the paramedics arranged the backboard then one climb as far into the truck as he could, gently lifted Gibbs' head off her lap and placed the neck brace on him before the two paramedics pulled him out of the truck onto the back board. A moment later they had him on the gurney and moved him into the ambulance.
Ziva undid her seatbelt and scooted over to the driver's side. One of the paramedics, Ted, he said his name was, ran back to her.
"You sure you are alright?" he asked.
"Yes, I am fine," Ziva answered.
"Are you going to ride to the hospital with us or are you staying to talk to the cops?" asked Ted.
The first police officer stepped up just then, "Can you stay? I'd like to get a report while things are fresh in your memory, Agent David."
"Yes, I can stay but what hospital are you taking Gibbs to?" Ziva glanced at Ted.
"Uni," Ted answered.
"Ok," Ziva said. "Thank you." Ziva looked at the officer, "Would you mind getting my wheelchair from the back of the truck?"
Ted had started to back away when he heard her say wheelchair and then he turned right back to her, "You are in a wheelchair?"
"Yes," she answered annoyed as she swung her legs out to face the officer.
"And you are an agent?" asked the officer.
"I am on disability," she explained.
"I think I should take you into the hospital, Ma'am," Ted said. "If you have a preexisting injury we need to have you checked out."
"You need to get Gibbs into the hospital," Ziva ordered. "I will be fine."
"Ziva!"
She heard Gibbs' bellow and was suddenly relieved he was awake. A second later the other paramedic ran up to her, "He's awake and doesn't want to leave the scene without you," he said.
"Tell him I am fine," she instructed the paramedic then turned to the officer, "would you please bring down my wheelchair?"
The officer nodded and quickly climbed up on the back of the truck to unstrap the chair.
"Ma'am," Ted started, "I really think it would be best to get you into the ambulance with your friend.
Ziva sighed in frustration, she wished her damn legs were working. Then she looked up and saw Sportelli climb out of one of the arriving cars. "Sportelli!" she called out.
A moment later Detective Sportelli of Metro PD rushed up to her, "You ok, Ziva? I was nearby when I heard there was gunfire."
The uniformed officer managed to get her wheelchair out of the truck bed and was trying to figure out how to open it next to Sportelli. "You know her?" asked the officer.
"Yeah," Sportelli nodded. "Agent David, NCIS."
Ziva threw Sportelli a half smile, "That blood evidence needs to get to Abby," she told him. "And we'll need the cell video-"
"Ziva," Sportelli glanced at the paramedic walking towards her from the ambulance and could hear Gibbs calling her. "I think you better get to the hospital. I got the scene covered. I promise, Abby will get the evidence. You go cause I don't want to get it from that guy in there," he pointed his thumb towards the ambulance.
"Ok, fine," Ziva said as the officer finally opened her chair. "And here," she handed him Gibbs' gun. "I shot the assailant but he was wearing a vest. But I managed to nick his arm," she said indicating the blood.
Sportelli pulled out a glove and snapped it on before taking the gun from Ziva. "Got it." Turning to the patrolman, "Go canvas the crowd and get any video." The patrolman nodded and rushed off.
Ziva looked down at her chair and gauged the distance between the chair's seat and where she was. The truck was tilted cockeyed since the other side was smashed into the parked cars.
"He won't leave without you, period, he said," the second paramedic announced the moment he reached the truck.
"Can you walk at all?" Ted asked as he extended a hand to Ziva.
"No, she can't," Gibbs said as pushed the other paramedic aside. Ziva noticed he took off his neck brace and sighed. "Sportelli, you got this?" He said.
"I got this, Gibbs," Sportelli responded as he took a step back to allow Gibbs room to get to Ziva.
"Sir," Ted said, "we can help her."
"Well, she is here and not in the ambulance so I will help her," Gibbs stated before picking her out of the truck and getting her into her chair.
"Your head, Gibbs," Ziva said as she touched his cheek to look at the bandage they'd put on him.
"It is still attached," he nodded. "Let's go."
Ziva closed her eyes for a moment, completely frustrated by Gibbs. He pushed her chair to the ambulance where Ziva drew the line and ordered him to get on the damn gurney or she wasn't going anywhere. Gibbs scowled at her but did as she asked and Ziva allowed the paramedics to place her on the second gurney. They collapsed her wheelchair and stowed it inside. In less than ten minutes they were both inside University Hospital's emergency room.
Gibbs was taken for a CT scan and Ziva insisted that everyone was just being overly protective of her. She was not injured in the crash. The emergency room doctor said he just wanted an x-ray and told her he'd inform Dr. Kenneth of what happened. They put her behind a curtain were she waited aggravated that she wasn't at the scene.
"Tony!" she called out when she heard him asking for her a short while later.
Tony pulled back the curtain and rushed to her, "What the hell?"
"I am fine, Tony," Ziva said, "And I have said that a hundred times since the accident."
Tony nodded and squeezed her hand, "Where is Gibbs?"
"Here," Gibbs said from the gurney behind Tony. The curtain between him and Ziva was open.
"You OK, Boss?" Tony asked.
"Yeah," Gibbs nodded.
Tony turned back to Ziva, "What exactly happened?"
"Everyone, OK?" McGee asked breathless as he slid into the curtain area behind Tony.
"We're good, McGee," Gibbs stated.
Ziva explained what happened and McGee said he'd get a hold of Sportelli shortly. She felt Tony tense up while she had been telling them the story and could swear she heard a low growl from Gibbs' direction.
The doctor came in after she told them about the scene and explained that Gibbs' had a mild concussion and should take it easy for a few days but otherwise he was fine. He also said that Dr. Kenneth was on his way over to check out Ziva himself.
"Let's do this sooner rather than later," Gibbs said after the doctor left the area.
"Can't be soon enough for me," Tony stated.
"Are we ready?" Ziva asked.
"We are ready," McGee answered. "Tomorrow would make sense."
Gibbs nodded.