Disclaimer: Not mine.

'Except for Monday: by Lorrie Morgan'

Chapter 3: Wednesday

"Wednesday, I feel better, just for spite"

All he felt was sticky wetness coating his hands. All he saw was the blood as it soaked into his pants. All he could hear was strained breaths getting weaker. The head on his thigh shook as Tim coughed. Glancing down he saw what he already knew he'd see. Warm blood joined what was already on his pants. Taking his hand off the weak pulse, he carded it through Tims hair and over his forehead. Slowly he leaned down, trying to ignore the jack-hammer pounding into his skull. Running bloody fingers through sweat damp hair he whispered, "Shh, hold on, alright? Just a little longer." The shaking got worse and all he could hear was the wheezing as Tim tried to breathe. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen up. You, will, not, die. Understand? You do not have my permission. Remember that first day? I said you belong to me now? Well that means you do what I tell you. Meaning you don't have permission to go anywhere, or be anything, but fine. You got it, Tim?"

The words, the feelings, the sounds all blended together until he couldn't distinguish one between the other. Panic began to creep in as he tried to sort through the memories. To latch on to just one. Just as his breath started to catch in his throat, he heard Tims voice. "I heard you. I'm not going anywhere Boss. I'll see you soon." It was as if a wave of calming water crashed over him. "Tim?"

His eyes flew open as a hand rested on his arm. "Boss?"

"DiNozzo." Looking over he saw Tony sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"How you feeling?"

"I'm fine. What time is it?" He asked while rubbing the sleep, and hopefully the memories, out of his eyes.

"It's eight am. I dropped Abby off at NCIS, Ducky also went in to make sure Palmer was doing okay with Agent Collins case, said he'll be here later this morning, and Bish is down in the cafeteria getting some breakfast. Which speaking of, your nurse said she'd be here in just a few minutes to bring you yours."

"DiNozzo."

"Yeah Boss?"

"You're rambling."

"Oh. Yeah."

Silence hung in the air as Tony rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at Gibbs.

"What's wrong?"

Gibbs' question had Tony's focus snapping back to Gibbs. "What's wrong?" Tony asked forcibly. "You and Tim nearly die in a car crash, and you ask what's wrong?"

"Besides that."

Tony let out a huff as he leaned back in the chair.

"Any news?" Gibbs asked when Tony stayed quiet.

"No. Well, they won't tell me anything other than, 'No Change'. We'll have to wait for Ducky to get here later for an actual update."

Tonys eyes were focused on his fingers as he fiddled with them.

Gibbs watched him for a moment.

"I heard you. I'm not going anywhere Boss."

Gibbs felt that wave of calm again.

"He'll be fine."

"Boss."

"He. Will. Be. Fine." Gibbs stated with conviction.

Tony made eye contact with Gibbs as he said, "It's not like when I had the plague. There's no miracle cure.." He cut off at the Gibbs glare he received. Taking a deep breath he tried again, "You gave him an order, didn't you?"

"Yep."

There was a slight pause before Tony smiled, "Well, Probie's going to be just fine then."

"Of course he is." Gibbs said with a small smile in return.

Just then the nurse came in with Gibbs' breakfast tray along with Dr. Jacobs. Telling Tony he needed to do a quick check up he asked him to wait in the hall.

"I'll just go join Bish, and grab something to eat myself. I'll come back up in a little while."

"Sounds good DiNozzo."

-NCIS-

She stood staring at the car feeling completely useless. She wanted to jump in and help the firemen, reach in and pull Tim and Gibbs out of the car. She wanted to go back in time and tell them to not leave the office. "His pressure is dropping, we need to hurry up." One of the men said. "Got it." Another said as a few men lifted a cut portion of the car away. She lost track of time as it was a mad scramble to get the agents out of the car. Tim was first out and on a backboard.

"Bishop, go with Tim." Tony said as he watched the paramedics taking Tim up the hill.

"But, Tony.."

"Go!"

Ellie could see how much Tony wanted to be the one at Tim's side, but knew as senior agent on the scene, he couldn't just leave. Besides, Gibbs was still trapped in the car.

"Bish. Bish. Bishop!"

Ellie was startled out of her memories and saw Tony sitting across the table from her. He had a half eaten blueberry muffin and a coffee. Her cheeks flushed as she thought about how long he must have been sitting there while she had spaced out.

"Don't worry about it." Tony said.

"About what?" She asked as she sipped her now cold coffee.

"The memories will fade." He gave her a sympathetic look, "Not right away. But eventually."

"Get me a chest tube."

"What's his vitals?"

"How much further to the hospital?"

Ellie shook her head to try and get rid of the flashes of the ride to the hospital out of her mind.

"Bish."

"I didn't think he'd make it. The paramedics.." Ellie stopped, wiping an unwanted tear from her cheek.

Tony gave her a moment then confidently stated, just as Gibbs had done for him, "He'll be fine."

Ellie stared at Tony for awhile before nodding her head. "Okay."

"Okay? That's it?"

"You want me to argue?"

"No. I just.." Tony stuttered to a stop and Ellie giggled.

"Funny. Real funny."

Smiling Ellie replied, "If you say Tim will be fine, then he will be."

Tony swallowed before answering, "Gibbs said he'd be fine. I'm not arguing with Gibbs."

"No, I don't think that would be a good idea."

Smiling at each other they sat silently as they finished their coffee's.

-NCIS-

After Dr. Jacobs had finished his vitals check and Gibbs had finished his breakfast, he was left alone. He hadn't wanted to think about the dream or vision or whatever it was that he'd had yesterday. While yes, it brought comfort to think Tim had heard him, and was fighting to stay alive, he didn't know what to make of his hallucination.

"I heard you. I'm not going anywhere Boss."

Gibbs' thoughts were interrupted by the door opening.

"Good morning Jethro."

"Hey Duck."

"I spoke with Dr. Jacobs just now. Obviously your leg will take awhile, but your concussion is healing well."

"Yeah, he said. Have you spoke with Tims doctor yet?"

"Not yet I'm afraid. Dr. Westen comes in this afternoon. I'll speak with him then. I did find his morning nurse and she said Timothy is still holding his own."

Gibbs didn't like the look on Ducky's face. "What exactly does that mean?"

"I'll have to get more information from Dr. Westen, but I would have thought there should have been some change from yesterday. For better or worse."

"I heard you. I'm not going anywhere Boss."

"He'll be fine." Gibbs stated once again.

Unlike Monday evening when Ducky has seen a hint of fear in Gibbs' eyes, now Ducky could tell Gibbs was totally confident in his words. "Jethro, I do not want to doubt you, but how can you be so sure."

"Besides the fact that I didn't give him permission to be anything but fine?"

"Yes, that." Ducky said seriously.

Gibbs laid there silently for a moment, trying to decided what to say to his friend. Ducky would either believe him, think he'd gone nuts, or say it was a hallucination caused by his concussion. Truthfully he didn't know which one he wanted to be true. Gibbs looked over at Ducky and saw he was patiently waiting.

"During my surgery yesterday, I saw Tim. We talked."

Duckys eyebrows raised, "You talked."

"Yep."

Ducky leaned back to get more comfortable in the chair, "And what did you talk about?"

"What did.. Duck, aren't you going to say it was a hallucination from my concussion or that I've gone nuts?"

Chuckling, Ducky responded kindly, "No, I don't think you are going nuts, and it may have just been a hallucination from the concussion or anesthesia, but I do have a question for you."

Gibbs just stared at Ducky.

"Do you believe it happened."

Somehow Gibbs knew that was going to be Duckys question. Sighing he looked up at the ceiling. There was quiet as Gibbs thought.

"I heard you. I'm not going anywhere Boss."

Turning to look at Ducky, Gibbs quietly but confidently said, "Yes Duck. I do."

Smiling slightly Ducky replied, "Then that is all that matters."

-NCIS-

Later that afternoon Ducky, Tony, and Ellie were gathered in Gibbs' room as Dr. Westen talked to them about Tim.

"I had hoped to see some improvement by now, but that's not the case."

"What does that mean?" Ellie asked.

"During surgery we knew there was a possibility that we missed a bleed or two. We were hopeful they were small enough his body could compensate and possibly heal them himself. With the way his vitals are, I'm guessing that's not the case."

"What now?" Tony asked, sneaking a peak at Gibbs. His boss didn't look as concerned as Tony felt.

"For the moment we wait. If he's not improving by tomorrow, we may have to go back in and find the cause."

They spoke with Dr. Westen for a few more minutes before he was called for another emergency.

"He'll be fine." Gibbs stated once again. No one questioned his belief.