Quick A/N: I just want to thank Cyndie for the inspiration to post this today; thanks for your spectacular reviews over on AO3; they really helped get me moving.

Tony poked his head around the corner into the Intensive care unit and realized he would have to enter the large, open, area in order to locate Tim hidden away in one of the rooms that circled the nurses' station as they closely monitored all their patients.

His eyes roamed over the orchestrated bustle of the nurses as they masterfully weaved and zigzagged within perfect unison of each other, entering and exiting patients' rooms with trays and charts and stacks of folded sheets. Patients' visitors were mindful of their actions as they stayed out of their way. Tony's gaze stopped short and held onto a man dressed in a dark, blue jumpsuit lurking on the other side of the nurses' desk. He made eye contact with the brown-haired man until the stranger raised a folded newspaper in front of his face, demonstrating deep concentration on an article. Tony felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise but dismissed it when he saw the man enter another patient's room. A nurse distracted Tony when she placed a warm hand on his arm.

"Who are you looking for sweetie?"

"Uh, Tim…Timothy McGee; a stab wound victim-"

"Oh, are you here to visit?"

"Uh…Yeah-"

"All of a sudden he seems to be popular here; we were worried that he wasn't going to get any visitors…He's so young. You would think at least a parent would be by." The short, blonde nurse pointed to a room to Tony's left. "A man is in with him right now; room four."

Tony flashed her a toothy grin then proceeded towards the open door to Tim's room. He took a deep breath then craned his neck around the doorway. Gibbs was standing over Tim, tousling his hair and quietly speaking, low enough that Tony had no idea what he was saying. He was astonished to see that Tim was even awake, nevertheless, talking. But, his eyes were heavy; as he struggled to focus. Tony could see the determination in Tim as he tried to answer Special Agent Gibbs, coherently but couldn't quite master the articulation he needed. Within a few seconds the kid was out cold and Gibbs remained, watching over him. Tony felt like an intruder; as if he walked in on a private moment between a father and a son. He admired their closeness and desired a part of it; lacking that in his relationship with his own father. He entered as he cleared his throat, startling Gibbs and gaining his attention.

"He woke for about two minutes but I don't think he will remember me being here."

"I dunno…I think he will." Tony walked into the room as he spoke, "As exhausted that he is, I could tell he admires you."

"Well…I'm just glad he's going to be okay."

"Does he remember anything?" asked Tony.

"Nah. Not yet. He's too out of it. That was a close one. If you hadn't been there-" Gibbs looked at Tony directly. "I heard through the grapevine a complete replay of all the risks that you took to save him. You really made an effort and put your life on the line." Gibbs reached out and squeezed Tony's shoulder then released his grip and sighed. "Can you tell me why you're here and his cousin isn't?"

Tony shrugged, slowly shaking his head detecting accusation and resentment towards Danny in the man's voice. "He had to leave…Something about a class he signed up for-"

"Class?"

"He enrolled in some night courses at the community college-"

"Really? He doesn't strike me as the academic type."

"Well…"

"Hey. I know he's your partner and all…But, something seems hinky to me." Gibbs mumbled.

"Uhhh…Hinky?"

Gibbs added a friendly, impatient shrug with a nod, a gesture expressing the notion that Tony should know what the term meant. "Yeah…You know. Have you noticed any strange behavior from your partner, lately?"

"I dunno, I, I can't remember-" Tony stuttered, hesitant to agree with Gibbs' suspicions that he felt were spot on. Many times, at the precinct, Danny would tell Tony he was taking a trip to the head only to find him minutes later in the hall, huddled in a corner on his cell. Or the time he took off for a few days but refused to volunteer any details to where he had gone.

"I…Uh…Well-"

"Rule 5. Keep your eyes open."

"Five? Is there many more?"

"Yeah, but, I gotta go." Gibbs handed Tony his card. "Keep in touch." Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder then squeezed. Tony was touched with the sincerity in the older man's look and somewhat shocked when he felt a strong sting behind his eyes.

"I'll be back. You watch your back and if you see anyone lurking-"

Tony silently gasped when the word 'hinky' came to mind, "There was a man…but he went into another patient's room about a minute ago-"

"Blue jumpsuit?"

Tony was unable to hide his admiration for the navy cop and the feeling they were on the same wavelength; he felt a quick connection to the man. Tony answered with a breathy, "Yeah." as he grinned.

Gibbs winked, "I'll make a sweep of all the floors on my way out."

Tony shrugged, "It's probably nuthin'-"

"Rule 35. Always watch the watchers."

"Thirty-five? Should I be writing these down? How many do you have?" Tony talked to the man's back as he left the room.

"Enough." Gibbs called back over his shoulder.

"Humphf." Tony pulled up a chair to Tim's bed then sat at the edge of the seat, hovering over the patient as he glanced over his still form. He was covered in tubes and bandages with bruises and cuts hiding beneath. Tony felt an aching twinge in his chest that when he rubbed would not subside. But…looking closer, under the signs of trauma, were his features…a filled-out, round face, full bottom lip and short-cropped, dirty-blonde hair. Tony wondered over the crease that developed between his thick eyebrows conveying frustration. He desired the answer to ease his unconscious, troubling thoughts. "I hope…" The next word caught in his throat then released in a heavy breathe. "I hope you're going to be okay." He whispered.

A nurse entered the room, patting his back as she passed, "He'll be fine. Now, don't you mind me. I just have to change his IV."

"It's okay. He doesn't have much to say right now, anyways." said Tony.

She switched the full bag of saline for the empty one. "You know, feel free to talk to him all you want. We believe they can hear us while they're unconscious and hearing your voice will quicken his healing." Tony looked at Tim's lifeless body. "Really?"

"Oh sure. It looks like you have a lot to say to him, as if it's very important and its right on the tip of your tongue. Are you both close? Brothers maybe?"

"Uh-"

"I mean, you don't look much alike but I am feeling a deep connection between the two of you."

"That's funny…I just met him tonight. But so far…It has been both memorable and stimulating." Tony answered, rolling his eyes.

The nurse glanced over Tim's injured body then raised her eyebrows. "Well, to say the least."

Tony proceeded to watch as the nurse checked Tim's vitals. When she was finished she fixed his blanket, smoothing it out. She grabbed a corner of the blanket then wiped the corner of Tim's mouth with it.

"Ahh. A drooler. Me, too. Shows signs of a good, deep sleeper…Wouldn't you say?" asked Tony.

"He is highly-medicated. But, yes…He is resting peacefully for the time being." said the nurse.

Tony could feel his face warm when the nurse winked at him then left the room leaving them alone. He was surprised to feel a bit shy and awkward sitting alone with Tim, even if he was unconscious, but he eventually mustered the courage to speak to him anyway.

"Uh…Danny would be here but he had a class. Um, I, uh…thought…well." Tony stared at Tim waiting for a reaction. "Maybe if I actually talked coherently, you'd be interested enough to wake up and listen to what I had to say, huh?"

Tony hesitated then bounced on his seat excited, "Okay. I got a joke." He stretched his arms then cleared his throat. "This mushroom walks into a bar and sits next to a girl seated at the bar." He leaned over Tim, "With me so far?"

No response.

He sat back down scratching his head. "The mushroom says, 'So. How about me and you hook up?' The girl answers, ' But you're a mushroom.' The mushroom says, "So, what? I'm a real fun… guy?' Tony chuckled. "Get it? Fungai? You see…Mushrooms are fungus or what scientists call-" Tony's eyes widened when he saw a slight smile stretch across Tim's lips. The kid's eyebrows relaxed and the severe crease blocking them smoothed over. Tony couldn't help but smile with pride. "Yeah. I have a feeling me and you should get along, nicely."

"Hey look. I gotta go. But I'll be coming back. I have basketball with the guys tomorrow night-" Tony pressed his lips together then looked at the door of Tim's room remembering how the nurse was excited because he was here to visit the kid. "Oh. Uh, never mind. I think it was cancelled this week. So, I'll be by right after work tomorrow, okay?" Tony stood. "And I expect you to be up and at 'em by then, right?" He leaned in close then patted Tim's shoulder, his voice growing serious. "See yah, later kid. Take care."

Tony left the room and waved to a couple nurses that noticed him leaving. He decided to take the stairs to keep his eye out for any lingering 'watchers' as Gibbs had called that man they had both noticed in the blue jumpsuit. He gingerly descended the flights of stairs to the ground floor, going through his head how he would explain his night to Wendy when he got home. He froze when he heard a small cry of anguish then took each flight of stairs by grasping the railings and swinging himself to each landing to get there quicker. After he had covered a few flights he found Gibbs sitting up on the floor near the door to the ground floor lobby. "Gibbs?"

The man moaned, rubbing his head. Tony squatted beside him seeing blood on his right temple. "Blue jumpsuit?" asked Tony.

Gibbs nodded, his eyes closed as he moaned, again.