They let him stay all afternoon, sitting in the chair by the bed, then in the recliner by the window, where he took a nap while Boss napped, then back in the chair. A nurse brought him some crayons and coloring books and a few Highlights magazines. Boss helped him find the hidden pictures and read to him about Gallant and Goofus – how to act and not act. And Tony laughed at the adventures of the Timbertoes, the little wooden family who lived deep in the forest.
Ducky and Jackson stayed, too, and once Tony went down to the snack machines with Ducky to get candy and soda when Boss's doctors came. Jackson stayed. And Tony understood. Boss was Jackson's son, and dads stayed when doctors visited. Tony knew that. Boss always stayed with him when he had doctors' appointments.
When he and Ducky went back, the doctors were gone. Jackson looked worried, and Boss seemed angry. Tony just sat in the recliner for a while and colored a picture of Snoopy until Boss started talking and asking him about what he was coloring. And then Boss asked if he could color Woodstock, and Tony found a picture of the little bird and gave it to him along with a yellow crayon. And even though he was tired, he stayed in the lines. Tony told him that was good. And Boss just smiled.
All too soon, a nurse came with Boss's dinner: chopped hamburger steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and Jell-O. Boss stuck a spoon into the diced red cubes and passed the Jell-O over to Tony. Boss only liked green Jell-O. "We need to tell the cafeteria," Tony said around a mouthful, glancing over at Ducky.
"I'll make sure to do that in the morning," the older man promised, exchanging a smile with Jackson. "I'm sure they have green Jell-O. They just don't know Boss like you do."
Tony nodded and finished off the Jell-O in record time, doing much better with his snack than Gibbs was doing with his dinner Ducky noticed. He frowned when Gibbs let the fork fall back onto the tray after only a few bites.
"You need to eat more than that, Jethro," he encouraged. "Try the potatoes."
But Gibbs just sighed and pushed the tray table away.
"Ducky's right, son," Jackson tried to push the table back, but Gibbs stopped it with his hand.
"I'm not hungry, Dad," he insisted, and Tony looked up from the bottom of his Jell-O bowl. Boss had called Jackson Dad, not Jack.
Jackson had gotten out of the chair and walked over to the side of the bed, his hand still resting on the edge of the tray table. "I know. But you need to keep your strength up."
"For what?" Gibbs shot back. "Lying around in bed all day?"
Jackson nodded, the lines of his face settling into a firm expression. "Yes, for right now. Because when your therapy starts, you're going to need that strength."
"Your father's right, Jethro," Ducky agreed from the other chair that the nurse had brought in earlier in the day and placed at the foot of the bed.
Gibbs started to protest, but Ducky glanced at the recliner where Tony was sprawled and quietly said, "Little pitchers, Jethro, little pitchers."
Tony didn't know what that meant, but whatever Boss was about to say he didn't say, and, instead, he reluctantly dipped his spoon into the mashed potatoes and took another bite.
Jackson grinned and patted him on the arm, and Boss didn't shrug like he sometimes did when he didn't want to be touched.
And in the quietness that followed, Tony's stomach rumbled.
"That might be our cue to leave," Ducky laughed, getting up from his chair.
Tony shook his head quickly. "No, it's not," he objected, looking first at Ducky and then towards Boss.
Still, Ducky shook his head. "You need more than red Jell-O for dinner. Besides, we need to get you home, into a bath, and then into bed."
Gibbs nodded. "Duck's right. You have school tomorrow."
Tony's eyes grew round. "No… I'm staying here."
"Tony, you can't stay here," Gibbs explained gently. "There's no place for you to sleep. I'm sure they've already given your bed to someone who needs it."
Tony placed both hands on the arms of the recliner. "I can sleep here," he insisted.
"That won't work," Gibbs continued. "The hospital has rules – especially up on this floor. And they've already bent those rules a little bit by letting you stay so long this afternoon. Taking a nap in that chair was all right, but sleeping overnight… Well, you need to be home in your own bed."
He glanced at Ducky and his father. They'd already decided. They'd both take Tony home and get him ready for bed, and then, if he wanted him to, Ducky could stay – although Gibbs was hoping that Tony would feel comfortable enough with Jackson so that the medical examiner could go and get some much needed rest at his own home.
"Tim's coming in a little while to take you and Ducky and Jackson home."
Tim and Ziva had driven to Stillwater early that morning to get Jackson and bring him to the hospital. They'd stayed for a while, but since they limited the number of visitors on the ICU ward, they'd left before Tony had arrived.
Tony felt tears gathering in his eyes, and he blinked. He didn't want to cry again.
"But... if we leave, you'll be alone."
Gibbs smiled softly at Tony's concern, and shook his head. "Abby's coming with Tim. She's going to stay for a while." He winked at Tony. "She's more than enough to keep me company. You know that."
Tony nodded, but gave him a look that seemed to say, She's not me.
And Gibbs sighed, knowing he was right. But Tony needed to go home. And he needed to go back to the centre in the morning. He needed to be on his schedule.
As if reading his thoughts, Tony announced. "I don't wanna go to school tomorrow. I wanna come see you."
Ducky reached over and patted Tony's shoulder. "School in the morning, Anthony, and then we'll visit again after lunch."
He looked down. Gibbs could see the tears on his eyelashes. Then he looked back up, fear and uncertainty written plainly in his expression.
Gibbs pushed back the tray table and held an arm out to him. "Come here, Buddy."
And Tony went to him, let Boss hold him close to his side, his arm wrapping warmly around his shoulders, hand rubbing his back. "I'm gonna be here for a while," Gibbs said softly, lips pressed close to Tony's ear, his voice suddenly hoarse. "We gotta have some new routines. Okay?"
He felt Tony's head nod against his shoulder.
"So… you go home with Dad and Ducky."
He called him Dad again.
"Don't be scared, Boss," Tony murmured.
And Gibbs closed his eyes tight as he held the younger man even tighter. "I won't," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Tony's flushed cheek.
~vVv~