Gibbs rode in the same elevator with Tony and the transporter as they made their way up to the fourth floor. He hadn’t let go of Tony’s hand since they’d brought him back to the room in the ER after his CT scan and X-rays.

"Boss."

"Yes, Tony?"

"I feel like shit."

"Well, you look pretty bad."

"Oh, thanks, make a man feel good."

The transporter smiled at the byplay between the two men. The door slid open with a "ding" and Ducky was already there, waiting for them. He followed as the transporter took Tony to his room.

After Tony was transferred to the bed in his room, she said, "Nice to have met you, Mr. DiNozzo."

"Sure I can’t get your number?" Tony asked, eyebrows raised.

Shaking her head, she smiled and walked out of the room.

"You know you might have to stop that."

Tony looked at Gibbs. "Stop what?"

‘Tony, if you haven’t gotten the clue yet, I’m hoping to be part of your life."

"Jethro," Ducky said, "I will be outside. I feel rather like a third wheel."

"No, Ducky, don’t go. Tony and I will have this conversation when he’s feeling more up to it and might remember the whole conversation."

"Boss, I-"

Tony stopped when a woman in her mid-40s walked in, her white nurses shoes squeaking a bit on the floor. Posture military straight, she looked like the kind of nurse you didn’t mess with, no matter who you were. And he was right. She ran the floor with an iron fist, but she had the sweetest Southern accent and personality to match as long as you didn’t piss her off.

"Well, hello there, cutie. To what do we owe the pleasure? What are you in for?" she asked, taking his chart and looking at it. After reading the chart she walked over to the corner where there was a blood pressure machine and brought it back to the bed where Tony lay.

"Okay let’s see about getting a BP."

She put the cuff on Tony’s arm, looking at him from under her eyes when he flexed his muscle.

"Honey," she said, patting his rock-hard bicep, "it’s going to take more than that to impress me."

Tony grinned and relaxed his arm so she could take his blood pressure reading. She made a note of the reading on his chart, then took out the digital thermometer and put the probe in a new plastic sleeve before putting it in Tony’s mouth.

"Under your tongue please."

"Is that all it takes to keep you quiet?" Gibbs asked, making a joke about Tony not talking.

Tony started to say something but the nurse said, "No, Mr. DiNozzo, not till you’re done."

Tony rolled his eyes but didn’t try to speak again.

Looking at the good-looking silver-haired man she said, "You must be Special Agent Gibbs."

"Yes, ma’am." Gibbs was brought up right. He extended a hand for shaking, pleased when the nurse took it with a firm grip. A handshake could say a lot about a person.

"Dr. Craft said you would be staying with our young stud here."

Tony grinned around the probe.

"Yes, ma’am."

"One rule: stay out of the way and listen to what the doctor says. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, ma’am," Gibbs answered. He’d met a woman like her once before, when wife number three had hit him over the head with a golf club.

The thermometer beeped. The nurse checked the display as she removed the probe from Tony’s mouth and ejected the plastic sleeve.

"Okay, your temp has come down a little. It’s only 101.8 now. That’s down more than two points since you first came in. That’s good." She patted the back of Tony’s hand. "I’ll be back in a minute with an IV kit so we can get you all hydrated and run some antibiotics through you to be safe. With your history the doctor doesn’t want to leave anything to chance."

When the nurse left, Gibbs looked at Ducky.

"Antibiotics?"

"Yes, Jethro. I told Dr. Craft about Tony’s history with Y-Pestis and he is just being precautionary. They will also give him some steroids as well and an IV solution for getting fluids back into Tony."

"Boss, can you get me-"

Before Tony could finish he began to vomit, a small amount of the yellowish liquid splashing on Gibbs. Ducky quickly handed Gibbs a basin to hold under Tony for whatever else might come up. Gibbs held Tony with one hand and the basin with the other.

"Boss, I’m sorry," Tony said after he was lying back on the bed.

"Shh, don’t think about it at all, you got me?" Gibbs said, making eye contact.

Ducky brought over a small glass of water. "Here, Anthony. Wash your mouth out with this and take a small sip. The doctor is going to give you something for the vomiting and the acid that has affected your esophagus."

"Boss, I’m tired."

"Okay, try to get a little sleep, but I will be waking you up soon to ask you the questions."

"Yes, Mom." Tony scooted down a little, still holding onto Gibbs’ hand.

The nurse walked back in, noticing the wet spot on Gibbs’ shirt and the basin on the nightstand next to the bed.

"Special Agent."

"Just Gibbs."

"Okay, Gibbs. You can go out to the nurses’ station and ask for a scrub top if you want."

"Thanks. After we’re done here I might do that."

The nurse took Tony’s left hand, the one Gibbs didn’t have. This woke Tony up from the momentary nap he’d just had.

"Okay, cutie, let’s get the IV in."

Tony squeezed Gibbs’ hand harder when the nurse stuck Tony with the butterfly needle. She attached the IV and then hung up a bag of saline. She injected something else into Tony’s IV.

"Okay, cutie, all set. Try to get some sleep and I’ll be back in half an hour to ask you a few questions."

"Ma’am, if you would like I will be happy to do that for you. No need to bother you with them."

Ducky was watching the interaction between Gibbs and the nurse, then picked up Tony’s chart and began to read.

"Sir, that’s privileged information," the nurse said sternly, giving him a hard look.

"I quite understand, but I am young Anthony’s personal physician, Dr. Donald Mallard."

She looked him over once again as if to judge him for the truth, then turned her attention back to Gibbs. "You’ve obviously done this before, Gibbs."

"Yes, ma’am."

"Okay then, for the time being wake him up every half hour. After a few hours, if he is still okay, we can go to every hour. Think you can handle that?"

"Yes, ma’am, just inform me please when we can change the times."

"Oh, joy," Tony muttered, glaring at Gibbs. "How can I get the rest my poor abused body needs if you’re waking me up every half hour?"

"You’ll know what abuse is, DiNozzo, if you don’t behave."

Tony grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "Is that a promise, Boss?"

The nurse smiled. "You two are cute together. I’ll have someone come clean this up " she said as she left the room.

"Well, Jethro, I will be heading out as well," Ducky said as Tony drifted to sleep again. Before he could leave, Abby and McGee were walking into the room.

"Boss-man, here’s your clothes," she said, putting the bags down on a chair and Gibbs’ shoes on the floor.

"Thanks, Abby, Tim." Gibbs was still holding Tony’s hand.

"He, okay, Gibbs?" Abby asked, worried that Tony was so out of it that he didn’t even hear them come in.

"Yes, he’s just sleeping for the time being. I think they gave him some pain meds in his IV."

"Yes, they did," Ducky confirmed. "The drugs might make him drowsy. Just make sure he wakes up to answer the questions."

"Thanks, Ducky."

"My pleasure, Jethro. I think it is time for us to leave. Abigail, Timothy, can I interest you in dinner, perhaps?"

"You’re on, Duck-man," Abby accepted with a smile.

"Thanks, Ducky," McGee added.

Abby walked over to the bed and kissed Tony’s forehead, then kissed Gibbs’ cheek.

"Take good care of him, Gibbs."

"You think I won’t?"

"Nope, just worrying about both my men," Abby said, taking one of Ducky’s hands and one of Tim’s as they walked out of the room.

Gibbs was alone with Tony once again, something he’d wanted for a very long time, only not in a situation like this. He stood there, looking down at the man, the marvelous man in front of him. As he watched Tony began lightly thrashing about again.

"Gibbs, no, watch out!"

"Tony, I’m right here," Gibbs said, pushing the damp hair off Tony’s brow.

"Gibbs, oh no, not you." Tony started crying again and woke up with Gibbs looking into his eyes.

"Hey, I’m right here."

"Don’t ever go anywhere."

"I’m here to stay if you want me to," Gibbs vowed.

"Have for a while," Tony said, holding onto Gibbs hand more tightly.

"Want to tell me what your nightmare was about?"

"Nothing."

"Tony," Gibbs said warningly, not letting go of the younger man’s hand but stretching out and pulling a chair closer to sit down, "want to try that again?"

"It’s stupid. You’ll make fun of me," Tony mumbled, blushing.

"You never know, DiNozzo. Try me and see. Till this morning, I’m guessing you never thought I would be holding your hand and kissing you like we have today."

Tony smiled hugely. "About that, think I can get another one?"

"How about you tell me and then I’ll think about it." Gibbs cracked a smile of his own since they both knew they would be kissing again.

"Really, it’s nothing."

"Tony, it’s not nothing if you get all worked up and end up crying."

"You’ve seen that?"

"Yes."

"Boss," Tony said, not really sure what to say. He licked his lips. "I’m just worried about losing you like we did Cait."

"Tony, I worry about that same thing every time I send you out in the field. It’s why I made you tail Ziva that night."

"Boss, every time I have the dream, it’s you dying, not Cait," Tony admitted, tears once again bringing a sheen to his beautiful hazel eyes.

"Shh, don’t go losing anymore water. The nurse will come in here and make me leave," Gibbs said, trying to help Tony not think about his dream. "She’s pretty scary, you know."

"Stop," Tony said, smiling. "Jethro Gibbs wouldn’t be afraid of a nurse. He’d be more apt to terrorize her."

"Please. Even I’m not stupid enough to mess with her."

Tony snickered suddenly. "I bet McGee was petrified having to go through your clothes."

"Yeah, I bet he was," Gibbs agreed with a smile. Standing, he stood up and leaned over the bar to kiss Tony. Once again it wasn’t much but it was tender and filled with love.

"Boss, I can’t wait to get out of here and do that for real."

"Tony, you think you can call me Jethro?"

"I’ll try, but it’s a habit and the nickname fits. It’s not a kink, not some thrill I get from nailing the boss or anything, but I do hope it comes with a few perks."

"Like?" Gibbs questioned, still smiling.

"Well, I’m sure I can show you a few of them after I get out of here, unless you want to lock the door now and try out a few things."

"You’re too much, Tony." Gibbs kissed him again "I’m telling you this now; I want to be part of your life and you part of mine."

"Me too, Jethro, me too."