Chapter Seven: New Perspective
"Sit down McGee," Gibbs ordered as he watched the young man pace back and forth in front of him, worrying his lower lip with his teeth. "Driving us nuts isn't going to make them come out any faster."
"Why haven't they told us anything yet?" McGee asked, giving no indication that he'd heard his boss. "We've been here for a half an hour! You don't think...?" He trailed off, his face paling at the thought. "Oh my God."
Standing up, Gibbs grabbed his agent by the shoulders and forced him into a chair. "Sit," he said again. "I'm sure DiNozzo's fine."
"He didn't... he didn't look good. At all," he said as he lowered his head to his hands, his voice hoarse at the memory of his lover being carried out of the garage. He was fairly certain that he'd never forget that image.
"Yes well, that is the price you pay when you lose as much blood as he did," Ziva muttered as she narrowed her eyes at McGee. "What has changed?"
"What?" McGee asked, lifting his head.
"You have been snippy with him for over a week! The two of you have hardly spoken three words to one another, and even then, it has pertained strictly to work! An hour ago, you could not even look at him without giving him a muddy look, and now all of a sudden, you appear to be as concerned about him as though..." She trailed off. "What has changed?"
"Ziva," Gibbs growled. "That's enough."
Faltering slightly under the Israeli's intense gaze, McGee returned his head to his hands, swallowing hard. "Nothing's changed. Except I realize how much of an idiot I've been."
"You're not the only one who's been an idiot Timmy," Abby spat as she stomped into the waiting room, her green eyes dark and angry as she sought out her lover.
"Outside," Gibbs ordered, unwilling to have this conversation in front of his subordinates.
"No," Abby snarled. "You don't get to order me around, Gibbs. Not now. How the hell could you not call and tell me about Tony?"
"Abby."
"Don't you 'Abby' me! Palmer, J! I had to hear that Tony was in the hospital from Palmer! Palmer! I'm okay with you being mad at me, but you don't get to withold that kind of information from me! I deserve better than that! You should have called me the minute you got back into the car!"
Well aware that Ziva was watching intently as the scene folded out in front of her, Gibbs lifted his hands, his fingers moving quickly as he began to sign.
I'm sorry. My only thought was getting to the hospital. It slipped my mind.
You can't keep things like this from me just because you're mad at me, J, Abby signed back, tears stinging her eyes.
I'm sorry Abby. I don't know what else to say. I didn't intentionally not call you. Tony was my main concern.
Lowering her hands, Abby stepped into Gibbs' open arms, giving in to her tears as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"Everything's going to be okay," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.
"What happened?" She asked as she pulled away, wiping the wetness from her cheeks. "How did he get hurt?"
"He went through a window in the garage," Ziva supplied. "I believe that he lost his balance and fell on top of a piece of jagged metal. He sliced his leg open pretty badly, although Doctor Mallard had managed to stop most of the bleeding when the paramedics arrived."
"Which never would have been possible had you not found him when you did Ziva," Ducky said as he entered the waiting room, another doctor in tow. "Everyone, this is Doctor Morgan."
"How is he?" McGee asked, pushing himself to his feet immediately. He swallowed hard as he eyed the dried bloodstains on Ducky's clothes.
"He's awake," Doctor Morgan said, smiling kindly as he addressed the small group. "We're giving him fluids now, and after he's been examined, he'll be moved upstairs."
"Upstairs? Wait... h-he has to stay here? Why? What's wrong?" McGee asked, his voice slightly panicked.
"There were some... complications resulting in Anthony being unable to receive a tetanus shot. Doctor Morgan and I feel that it is best for him to kept kept under observation for a few days. Just to make ensure that his leg does not get infected," Ducky said cryptically, eyeing Gibbs and Ziva.
"Complications? What ki--"
"We will discuss that later," Ducky said meaningfully.
Frowning at the Medical Examiner, McGee turned his attention back to Doctor Morgan. "Can I see him?"
"Unfortunately, only family is allowed back at this point. Once he's been moved upstairs, you're more than welcome to visit."
"But--"
"He's family," Gibbs interrupted, nodding at McGee. "Only family Tony's got."
"Oh! I'm sorry sir. I didn't realize! What is your relationship to Agent DiNozzo?"
"I'm his..." He hesitated, glancing back at Ziva.
"They're partners," Gibbs supplied.
"They're... partners?" Doctor Morgan asked, furrowing his brows until it dawned on him. "Oh. Oh! Well then you must be...?"
"Yeah... I am."
"Very well," Doctor Morgan nodded. "Come along then."
Frowning deeply, Ziva stood up, intent on following after McGee.
"Uh... Ziva? Where are you going?" Abby asked as she grabbed the Israeli's hand.
"I am also Tony's partner. Clearly, I should be allowed back to see him as well."
Despite her tears, Abby could barely stifle a laugh as she wrapped an arm around the confused woman's shoulders, ignoring the uncomfortable glance she threw her way.
"Ziva and I will be right back."
"Where are you going?" Gibbs asked.
"To explain to Ziva how McGee and Tony being partners is a little different than what she's thinking."
----
McGee paused just outside the room where his lover was being held, taking a deep breath as he tried to prepare himself to face Tony after a week of avoiding him.
Swallowing hard, he pushed the door open and stepped in, barely containing a gasp at just how bad Tony looked. He was laying back against the pillows, his usually tan face appearing gray against the starch white sheets.
His face was turned down in frown, and though his eyes were closed, McGee was certain that he was not asleep. Apparently, the older man had not noticed him, and McGee took the opportunity to really study him for the first time in a week.
Though he had gained some weight around the middle, his face appeared thinner and the dark circles under his eyes stood out even more against his pale skin.
"S'not nice to stare," Tony said quietly, his voice hoarse as he forced his eyes open.
"S-sorry," McGee responded as he stepped further into the room. "H-how are you feeling?"
Tony shrugged casually as he stared down at his hands.
McGee sighed quietly as he made his way over to the bed. Grabbing the plastic chair, he pulled it closer and sank down heavily, searching for the right words to say. "I am so sorry, T." For a moment, McGee was afraid that Tony wasn't going to respond or even acknowledge that he had spoken. "Tony--" he tried again.
"Me too," he said quietly.
Reaching over for Tony's hand, McGee linked their fingers together, squeezing gently. "I was... I've been so stupid, Tony. I never meant to... I didn't... I was so worried and all I could think about was that this was going to be the last..." He stopped himself, trying to ignore the sting of tears. "I'm so sorry."
Reaching over with his free hand, Tony allowed his fingers to tangle through McGee's hair, frowning as the younger man lowered his head to the bed, grasping his hand hard. "S'okay Tim."
"I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice broken and muffled.
They remained that way for a few minutes, Tony's fingers rubbing McGee's head lightly as the younger man trembled beside him. It wasn't until Tony inhaled sharply that McGee sat up, swiping at the wetness on his cheeks.
"What's the matter?" He asked as he rubbed the back of Tony's hand soothingly, frowning at the pained look on his face.
"Hurts," Tony managed, clenching his teeth against the pain.
"I'll get the doctor. We'll see if they can come give you some more medicine," McGee said as he stood, bending to press a gentle kiss to Tony's forehead.
"No," he moaned, refusing to release McGee's hand.
"Tony--"
"No," he repeated firmly, draping an arm over his rounded stomach. "The baby..."
"The stuff they'll give you won't hurt the baby," McGee promised. "Please, T. You're huring. It'll make you feel better."
"N-not 'til the other doctor has been in."
"What other doctor?"
"That would be me," a feminine voice said from the doorway. Turning, McGee was met by a petite brunette. "I'm Doctor Simmons," she said kindly.
----
"How's he doing, Duck?" Gibbs asked, keeping his voice low as he spoke to his friend.
"As well as can be expected, considering the amount of blood loss he suffered," Ducky said with a sigh. "I daresay had Ziva not found him when she did..." The ME trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.
"How's he really doing?" Gibbs pressed. "He musta taken a pretty hard fall."
"Yes well, I can't imagine it was any different this time than any of the other times he's fallen. That boy is an accident waiting to happen," Ducky said with a light chuckle, though he didn't meet Gibbs' eyes.
"Except it was different this time, wasn't it?"
"Well, if you're referring to the piece of metal that he landed on, yes. I supposed it was a bit different."
"Come on, Duck. You really gonna try to lie to me?"
Cocking an eyebrow at his oldest friend, Ducky sighed again. "I should have known that you were aware of Anthony's condition."
"How is he?" Gibbs asked again.
"Concerned for the exact same reason you are. Apparently, he did fall quite hard. He's been experiencing some tightness in his abdomen since he came around, and while I tried to explain to him that it's most likely nothing, he didn't seem to be convinced. I've called in the doctor I recommended and she's agreed to stop in and give him a quick examination."
"He'll be okay?"
"I'm confident that he will make a full recovery."
Gibbs sighed heavily and turned away from Ducky as Abby stepped back in the room, Ziva in tow. Pushing himself to his feet, Gibbs made his way over to her, accepting the cup of coffee she offered before draping an arm around her thin shoulders.
"Everything okay?" Abby asked her lover tentatively, the worry evident in her green eyes. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, squeezing her gently.
"Yeah," he said simply as he led the two women over to the waiting Medical Examiner. "Yeah, everything's gonna be okay."
They sat down in the vacant chairs near Ducky. It wasn't long until Abby lowered her head to Gibbs' shoulder, closing her eyes as he traced soothing circles on her back.
It was forty five minutes later when McGee came back into the waiting room, his face more relaxed than it had been for over a week. "They're moving him now," he announced as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"When can we see him?" Abby asked as she sat upright, pulling away from Gibbs' embrace.
"Another fifteen minutes. They want to get him settled in and then they said he can have visitors."
Abby sighed in relief as she relaxed against her lover's side again. "Thank God. And... everything is okay?" She asked meaningfully.
"Uh... yeah. I actually... boss? Do you think I could... talk to you for a minute? In the hallway?"
Untangling himself from Abby's embrace, Gibbs pushed himself to his feet, nodding towards the hall. "Let's go," he said.
Taking a deep breath, the younger man followed after him, wringing his hands nervously in front of him.
"What is it McGee?"
"I just... there's something that we... I need to make you aware of. Before Tony comes back to work."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah... the thing is... he needs... well, he's going to have to go on restricted duty."
"For the leg injury?" Gibbs asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yes. I mean no. I mean..."
"For how long?" Gibbs interrupted.
McGee hesitated as he made a mental calculation. "For at least... nineteen more weeks, I'd say. And then he'll need to be off for awhile."
Gibbs had already figured as much. "You plan on telling me why?"
"Tony's... well... he's..."
"He is pregnant!" Ziva gasped from the doorway of the waiting room, having overheard the conversation. She had been watching Tony closely from the moment she had found him in the bathroom months ago. Something had been different, though until this moment, the pieces hadn't connected for her.
McGee turned a dark shade of red as he glanced over at his Israeli friend before he turned back to his boss. "Yeah... what she said."
"I take it the two of you WERE planning on telling me at some point?"
"We didn't find out about it until last week and then we had that stupid fight and I just... We were going to tell you... eventually."
Narrowing his eyes at the young agent, Gibbs studied him for a minute before he nodded. "I'll put the paper work into Vance. Gonna need Tony to sign off on it."
Breathing a sigh of relief, McGee nodded before he turned to Ziva. The young woman stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her brown eyes narrowed.
"I suppose a congratulations is in order. Even though as usual, I am the last the know. I did not even know that you and Tony were seeing one another!"
"I'm sorry."
"I will forgive you this time. Though I would like to know when the child is actually born and not six months later, if you think that can be managed."
"You'll be the first to know."
"Well let us not kid ourselves, hmm?I will settle for sixth. Just as long as you promise to tell me before Jimmy and Carl the janitor."
"Deal."
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: You guys were awesome with all the reviews! They seriously made my day! I'm sorry I'm posting this later than intended, but I got stuck at the DMV for a billion hours today and by time I got back home, I was in serious slacker mode! You'll all be pleased to know that there's no horrible cliffhangers at the end of this chap! I figured I've tortured y'all enough for this weekend! A huge thanks yet again to my bffl Kelley because I'm telling you, she's amazing. 3 you chica! Thanks again for all the amazing reviews! Keep 'em comin'. I swear they help me write!