Gibbs sagged just slightly as Kate and Abby hurled question after question his way, though Ducky was certain that he was the only one who'd caught it.
"Can I see him now?"
"Abs…" He started, sighing heavily as he looked to the ME for some form of help.
Across the room, the older man shrugged helplessly before he pushed himself out of his chair and made his way over to the pair, dropping his hand to the anxious woman's shoulder just as Tony's doctors stepped into the private waiting room. "Ah, Abby. Meet Doctors Michaels and Reid."
She turned toward the two men, frowning darkly. "Where is he? I wanna see him."
"Ma'am, we'd actually like to speak with all of you before we allow anyone back to see Agent DiNozzo."
"Why? He's fine, isn't he?" She turned her attention back to Gibbs, her green eyes concerned. "You said he was going to be okay!"
"Dammit, Abby. Just sit down," McGee growled from the corner, his voice gruffer than she was used to.
A look of hurt flashed across Abby's features and just as quickly as it had come, all the anger left the younger man as he slouched back down into his chair, dropping his head back to his hands. Though he wasn't sure what the doctors had come to tell them, he was positive that if their faces were any indication, it could not be very good.
Sinking down into a chair near the door, Gibbs pulled Abby down with him, squeezing her hand gently. "Just listen to what they've gotta say, then you can see DiNozzo."
"You promise?" She asked, her voice thick.
"I promise."
Abby nodded, turning her attention back to the doctors as she tried to mentally prepare herself for whatever might be coming.
"Agent DiNozzo has a long road of recovery ahead of him and he's going to need as much support as he can get," Doctor Reid started, looking over the anxious group.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kate snapped, glaring at the shorter of the two doctors.
"Kate," Gibbs warned, squeezing Abby's hand again as she turned her face into his shoulder.
"We did as much as we could during the surgery, but unfortunately, we were unable to repair his knee fully. With strenuous physical therapy, he'll be able to walk again, but not without some form of assistance."
"Oh God…" Abby whimpered, pressing her face against Gibbs' shoulder as she stifled a sob. "He's… Gibbs, how is he gonna deal with that?"
"We're gonna help him, Abby."
"But… He…" she found herself unable to find the words she was looking for as a hoarse sob escaped her before she pushed herself to her feet and hurried out of the waiting room.
In a split second, Gibbs was on his feet as he followed her out, the waiting room door slamming shut behind him.
Doctor Reid glanced down at his hands, releasing a quiet sigh. "I'm very sorry," he said.
"When can we see him?" Kate demanded, already on her feet despite the tears stinging her eyes.
"Agent DiNozzo has asked that we limit his visitors to Agent Gibbs for the time being."
"He did what?"
"Caitlin," Ducky said quietly, pushing himself to his feet before he made his way across the room, dropping a gentle hand to her shoulder. "As difficult as this is to process, imagine how hard it is for Anthony. It's not uncommon for those in his situation to need some alone time."
"But Duckyâ€""
"We will respect his wishes," the older man warned, guiding her over to a chair.
"I did not just spend twenty four hours in this waiting roomâ€""
"Thirty-one," McGee responded, his voice hoarse.
"What?"
"It's been thirty-one hours. Well, maybe thirty since he was brought in, but…" he trailed off, his eyes burning as he pushed himself to his feet.
"Timothy, perhaps it would be best if youâ€""
"I need to get outta here for awhile, Ducky," he responded, his voice cracking. "Tell Abby... Well, I don't know what to tell Abby… Just…" He swallowed hard. "Tell her I'll be back later?"
The medical examiner nodded, watching helplessly as McGee slipped past the two doctors and headed out of the waiting room, leaving him alone with Kate.
"As soon as he's ready for more visitors, we'll let you know," Doctor Michaels promised as the pair stepped out of the waiting room.
"Do you have any idea what this is going to do to him?" Kate asked after a moment, her voice thick with unshed tears. "Even Gibbs would handle something like this better than Tony and Gibbs has no life outside of this job."
"Caitlin…"
"What's he supposed to do now? How is going to be able to cope with something like this, knowing that when it's all said and done, his life will never be the same again?"
"It will not be easy, but you need to give him more credit than that. Anthony has a way of overcoming his challenges. This one may take a little longer, though I'm confident thatâ€""
"I'm not talking about some blonde bimbo who won't give him her number, Ducky! This isn't… He's not…" She trailed off, a sob escaping her as she leaned forward, resting her head in her hands.
Leaning over, the old doctor wrapped his arm around her thin shoulders, rubbing her back gently as he tried to comfort her as much as possible, given the unfortunate circumstances.
::::::
Kate hesitated slightly outside of the door to Tony's room, rethinking whether or not she really wanted to go in and see her partner.
"Go on," Gibbs urged, nudging her shoulder with his. "He's not gonna bite."
"I didn't think he would," she retorted, her voice surprisingly steady despite her hesitancy. "I just… I don't think he wants me to see him like that."
The older man took her by the shoulders and steered her into the room, sitting her down in the chair next to Tony's bed before she had an opportunity to protest.
"He's pretty drugged up," he explained. "Can't imagine he'll care if you see him or not. Besides, you were in here last night. What changed?"
"I didn't have to worry about him waking up then," she responded, her eyes never leaving her partner's pale face. "Gibbs, I really don't think…"
She trailed off at the sound of the quiet moan that reached her ears. On the bed, Tony shifted just slightly, forcing his hazel eyes open slowly.
"Kate?"
"Leave it to you to go and get hurt, DiNozzo," she responded automatically, feeling the tears burning at the back of her eyes. "I guess you'll never let us forget this one, huh? We'll be hearing this story for the next thirty years… or at least whenever a pretty new intern starts."
The Italian said nothing as he blinked in an attempt to clear his hazy vision.
"How ya feelin', DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he eyed his agent carefully.
"Never… never been better, Boss," he managed.
"Of course he's fine," Kate declared. "Don't encourage him to milk this, Gibbs. We'll never hear the end of it when he gets back to work."
Despite the fog he found himself wrapped in, Kate's words were like a swift kick in the crotch, and without warning, Tony could feel the tears welling up in his eyes.
"Kate!" Gibbs barked sharply, his eyes narrowing in warning as he glared at the brunette woman.
"'M not… 'm not comin' back to work, Kate."
"Like hell you're not! Even if I have to kick your ass back into shape myself, you'll be back! Do you hear me, Tony?" Pushing herself to her feet, she leaned over the railing of the bed and gripped his chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her. "Do you? You're not getting off that easy, so you can justâ€""
"Enough!" Gibbs roared, crossing the room as he gripped Kate's arm roughly, pulling her away from Tony as a dry sob escaped the injured man. "Get the hell outta here!"
"I'm not letting you give up this easy, DiNozzo! When have you ever settled for doing what someone else told you what you can or cannot do? Never! And you damn sure better not start now!"
"OUT!"
Gibbs could see the tears sliding down the woman's cheeks as she hurried out of the room, leaving the two men alone.
"Tony--"
"I c... I can't do this, Boss."
"Hey!" The older man growled. "Don't wanna hear you talkin' like that. It'll be an adjustment, but you'll be fine."
"Too much of an adjustment," Tony muttered, running a hand over his face slowly.
Gibbs reached out and smacked him upside the head, not hard, but enough to get his attention. "Knock it off. You're comin' back to work if I have to carry your ass around."
The Italian rolled his eyes, looking away from his boss. "Can...can I get a few minutes, Boss? Then maybe send Abs in if she's still here. As much as I don't necessarily want to see her right now...I'm afraid of what she'll do if I don't let her come back."
"That's a good point Tony. I'll send her back in 20."
Tony watched as Gibbs left the room and released a shuddery breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His entire body hurt despite the ridiculous amount of drugs flooding his system and he wanted nothing more than to...
He shook his head, clearing the dark thought from his mind as he leaned back against his pillow, closing his eyes.
Kate's visit had been hard, but he knew it wouldn't compare to seeing Abby. While Kate had seemed almost angry about what had happened to him, he knew he would prefer that over the looks of pity he was sure to receive from his favorite Goth.
Shifting just slightly on the bed, he cried out as he jarred his leg, tears blurring his vision. "Son of a bitch," he managed, his voice hoarse.
"Tony?"
Swallowing hard, Tony blinked back his tears as Abby stepped into the room, McGee lingering behind her.
"H... Hey, Abs."
"How're you feelin'? Wait, that's a stupid question. I'm sorry, I just--"
"I'm fine," he responded, his voice as sharp as possible given the amount of pain he was in.
Abby could feel the tears burning her eyes as she stepped closer to the bed, though she forced a smile for her friend's sake.
"I uh... I brought you a couple of magazines and McGee grabbed a couple shirts and pairs of sweatpants from your apartment. It'll probably be a few days before they let you wear them but at least they'll--"
"Yeah, thanks," he interrupted, glancing over her shoulder at the Junior Agent. "You alright, McGee?"
The younger man opened his mouth to speak when Abby cut him off. "I thought maybe I would bring my laptop to you later if you wanted to give me a list of movies you--"
"God dammit, Abby! I don't want anything but to be left alone!"
A quiet sob escaped her as she backed away, a tear sliding down her cheek against her will. "I'm... I'm sorry," she whispered.
Tony watched helplessly as she turned and bolted from the room, the sound of her cries reaching his ears.
"Fuck."
"She didn't... She's upset right now," McGee said by way of explanation.
"Go to her," Tony responded, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at her."
"She knows that. It's been... It's been a long couple of days."
Tony said nothing, choosing instead to close his eyes in an attempt to forget the last two days. It wasn't until he heard the sound of McGee's footsteps on the hard floor that he released a quiet sigh, forcing himself to open his eyes again.
"Hey, Tim?"
Pausing at the doorway, McGee swallowed hard as he turned back to his partner, ignoring the sting of tears behind his own eyes. "Yeah?"
"You're… you're okay?"
"Yeah, Tony. I'm… I'm fine."
Forcing a smile to his face, the younger man waved dumbly before he turned and hurried out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Leaning against the wall just outside of Tony's room, he sagged heavily, trying to ignore the painful ache in his chest.
McGee took a moment to collect himself before he pushed off from the wall, schooling his face into the indifferent mask he'd been wearing for the last thirty-three hours as he made his way into the waiting room to face Tony's friends.
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Hello, hello! So sorry for the wait on this one, you guys; it's been a pretty crazy week and as depressing as this darn story is, I have to be in a certain mood to work on it! That being said, this chapter is a little shorter than the other three, but I promise after I get all this stuff out of the way, the chaps will be longer, so just hang in there, huh? Thank you so much to Kelley for all of her help on this chapter, she is amazing like always! Also, a huge thank you to everyone who took 3.4 seconds after reading the last chap to send me a nice review! Make sure you keep 'em coming!