Disclaimer: Not mine.
Except for Monday: by Lorrie Morgan
Chapter 2: Tuesday
"Tuesday, I get a little sideways"
Tony was dreaming, he knew he was dreaming yet he couldn't seem to wake up from the nightmare playing in his head. He stood staring at the crushed and mangled car for longer than he should have, before bolting for the side door.
"Boss! Probie!" He yelled. As he reached the window and looked in he felt his insides freeze and his stomach dropped like a ten pound weight. "Oh lord almighty." He whispered as he heard Bishop catch up to him with a shocked gasp. Gibbs and McGee weren't moving, blood seemed to cover every surface. Knowing he wasn't getting Tims door open and seeing Gibbs' was blocked by a tree he hopped up onto the hood.
"Tony be careful!" She said. He felt her grab his ankles, which he was thankful for as he nearly toppled into the open car. He didn't know who to reach for first. They both looked dead. Gibbs was easier to reach, so Tony placed his hand on his bosses neck and felt the comforting, strong pulse.
"Gibbs is alive." He said as he reached for his best friend. "Come on Probie." Tony's heart nearly stopped when at first he felt nothing. Pressing harder his mind flashed to another time he had seen Tim lying on the floor, not moving, and not knowing if his best friend was still alive.
"Tony? Tony, what about McGee?" Ellie urgently asked behind him.
Focusing harder he still couldn't feel a beat under his fingers. "Tim! Come on Tim." He felt himself shaking. "Don't do this to me! TIM!"
"Tony!" Ellie yelled as she shook his shoulder. She jumped back, yet reached forward as Tony jerked and started to roll off the couch. She tried but wasn't able to stop him from hitting the floor.
"What? What's?" Tony looked around, realizing he was on the floor of the doctors lounge, Ellie half crouching next to him, hands still on his arm.
"You okay Tony?" She worriedly asked.
"Yeah, yeah fine." He said as he excepted her hand up. They sat on the couch next to each other as Tony tried to rubbed the sore spot out of the back of his neck.
"Nightmare?" Ellie quietly asked.
Glancing over at her Tony could tell she hadn't gotten a very good night's sleep either. "Yeah, something like that." Looking around he finally noticed they were the only ones still in the room. "Where's everyone else?"
"Director Vance, Abby, and Jimmy went back to NCIS. Agent Collins team got a triple murder. Needless to say Abby wasn't happy about leaving."
"I can imagine. Ducky?"
"He went to talk to the doctors about Gibbs' surgery."
Tony let the question hang in the air along with his raised eyebrow.
"Ducky said he'd talk to us when he came back. That was all he'd say." Ellie slouched back into the couch, knees up, arms around her waist.
Sighing Tony stood up. "I'm going to go to the bathroom, then grab some coffee. You want anything?"
"No. I'm good. Thanks."
Once again his eyebrow raised, only this time is shock. "You sure Bish? Muffin? Chips?"
"Yeah," Ellie said with a grin, "thanks anyway."
"Alright." Tony said as he walked out the door.
-NCIS-
"Good morning Jethro." Ducky said cheerfully as he walked into Gibbs' room. All he got in return was a patented Gibbs glare. "I see the nurses kept you awake with concussion checks all night."
"You got that right." Gibbs growled.
Looking at Dr. Jacobs, Ducky asked, "So how is our tired patient?"
"Much better. We can officially declare his concussion as mild to moderate. We'll still be keeping an eye on his progress, but for the moment all looks good. As for his leg, the swelling has gone down enough for surgery. Dr. Finley is prepping now, so the nurses will be here, in just a minute for Agent Gibbs." Walking over to stand next to Ducky, Jacobs said, "I figured you'd want to talk with him first."
"Yes, thank you."
"I'll see you after your surgery Agent Gibbs." Jacobs said as he left.
Ducky once again took a seat in the chair next to the bed. Gibbs just stared at him waiting. "Timothy made it through surgery." Ducky continued as Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and then looked at Ducky again. "His skull fracture isn't as serious as they originally worried about. There is no swelling, or bleeding, but like you they are keeping a constant watch on it. As for the surgery, his lung was more torn than punctured, so they sutured it and re-inflated his lung. He had multiple internal wounds that were causing bleeding. The doctors truthfully don't know if they got everything yet."
"What? Wait. What does that mean? "
"It means his body was too exhausted to handle being in surgery any longer." Ducky recalled the same questions the night before.
"I don't understand, if he's still bleeding?"
"I understand your confusion Director Vance. At the moment Agent McGees body is too weak to continue with the operation. We're going to continue to give him blood and fluids, and monitor him the rest of the night. In the morning we'll check to see how well his vitals have stabilized." Doctor Westen gave them a sad look. "We almost lost him a few times. We couldn't risk continuing. We'll have to hope giving his body a rest will help. And truthfully we may have got all the bleeders. He's being constantly monitored. We'll know if somethings not right."
"They may have got it all. At the moment it's a waiting game. Just know he's still alive. Timothy hasn't disobeyed any orders yet." Ducky said smiling.
"And he won't." Gibbs said as the surgical nurses came into the room.
"I'll leave you for the moment in the these lovely, capable hands Jethro. I'll be here when your surgery is finished."
"Just watch over Tim for me."
"Will do my friend. See you soon." Ducky said as he watched Gibbs' bed wheeled out of the room. Taking a deep breath he headed towards the doctors lounge to repeat the same conversation with two worried teammates. He was just glad the Director was going to explain what they knew to Jimmy and Abigail. That was one conversation he was more than willing to hand off to someone else.
-NCIS-
He felt like he was floating. He didn't particularly like the feeling.
"Boss? You awake?"
His eyes snapped open. "Tim?"
"Hey Boss." Tim sat in the chair that Ducky had previously.
"What? How?"
"You okay Boss?" Tims face scrunched up with concern.
"Fine. But, I don't understand. How are you here?"
Tims whole face lit up as he laughed. "Boss, I'm not here."
Gibbs just glared.
Tims laugh turned into a cough as he tried to calm down. "Well, I am, but I'm not at the same time."
Gibbs just raised an eyebrow.
"You're still in surgery. I'm unconscious, somewhere around here."
This time both eyebrows raised.
"I just wanted to let you know." Tim shifted in the seat looking at the floor for a few seconds, before making eye contact with Gibbs. "I heard you." They stared at each other for a long moment, but before Gibbs could say anything Tim continued, "I'm not going anywhere Boss. I'll see you soon." As Tim stood up Gibbs realized there was nothing else in the room. "Thanks Boss." And then Tim was gone.
-NCIS-
He felt like he was floating. He didn't particularly like the feeling. He also had a feeling of deja vu.
"Boss? You awake?"
'Oh crap... oh wait that's DiNozzo's voice.' He thought, 'And I can hear a heart monitor.'
Opening his eyes he saw his team around the bed. DiNozzo, Bishop, Ducky, and Abby.
"Gibbs!" Abby exclaimed as she attempted to fling herself over Gibbs.
Luckily, Ducky had anticipated just that and was ready. He already had an arm in the way and easily grabbed her around the waist and gently said, "Now Abigail, no smothering him, just yet." He winked at Gibbs with the last statement.
"Hey Abs." Gibbs crocked out.
"Here Gibbs." Ellie said as she held a cup of water with a straw for him to drink from.
His throat felt much better after. "Thanks Bishop."
"You look better than you did yesterday Boss." Tony said.
"Well thank you DiNozzo." Gibbs deadpanned.
"You're welcome Boss." Tony returned with his DiNozzo smile.
"What time is it?"
"A little after six pm." Abby replied, "Honestly Gibbs, how do you feel?"
"Six?"
"Gibbs.." Abby whined.
"Abs, I'm tired, slightly sore, and still feel like I'm floating. Duck when will that go away?"
Ducky smiled as he replied, "That's the anesthesia. It should wear off in the next hour or so."
Nodding then looking at Ducky, Gibbs asked, "Six? I went into surgery at nine this morning."
"Turns out your femur wasn't just broken, it was shattered. It took a lot longer than planned to piece it back together again. And then you took longer coming out of the anesthesia than the doctors thought you would. Speaking of doctors, why don't you three go find Dr. Jacobs and then head home for the night." Ducky paused waiting for the protests to start, it didn't take long.
"What?"
"No, Ducky!"
"Come on, just.."
"Hey." Gibbs interrupted, "Go home. You can come back in the morning."
The trio reluctantly agreed. After goodbyes and goodnight's were said they left to find the doctor then head home. Though most likely they would all crash at Tony's place.
After Dr. Jacobs had come and done a quick exam, saying everything looked good, Gibbs and Ducky were once again alone. Ducky sitting in the chair watched the slight emotions crossing Gibbs' face.
"What's on your mind Jethro?"
"You know me too well Duck." The silence sat between them for a long moment. "How's Tim?"
"As well as can be expected." Ducky sighed. "He held steady all day, which is a good thing."
"But?"
"But, there was no real improvement either. Obviously the doctors don't want to have to do another surgery, but that might needs be the case." Gibbs had gone back to studying the ceiling. "What's really on your mind Jethro?"
"Nothing Duck, I'm just a little tired. I'm just going to get some sleep. Why don't you go home too? I know you couldn't have got much rest last night." Gibbs kindly told him.
"Are you sure there's not something you want to talk about?" Ducky asked one more time.
Gibbs didn't know himself if he wanted to talk to Ducky about what had happened, or not happened, during his surgery. Reaching out his hand to cover Ducky's arm Gibbs replied, "Honestly, I'm fine, just tired."
"Alright Jethro, I'll leave you with your secrets." He said with a small smile as he stood up to leave. He knew there was something on his friends mind, but obviously now was not the time he wanted to discuss it. "Sleep well. I'll see you in the morning."
"Night Duck."
"Goodnight Jethro."
