Part 6
Abby’s eyes drifted between Gibbs and Tony as both men continued to sleep. The team leader had finally given in to his own exhaustion when he had become convinced that Tony was settled and no longer trying to fight the effects of the pain reliever. Both of them had been asleep for close to an hour, leaving Abby to her thoughts and the unspoken duty of watching over her friends.
Tony and Gibbs were more than her friends; they were part of her family and family always looked out for each other. She found it odd that up until a couple of years ago, neither Gibbs nor Tony had ever spoken about their perspective parents. Abby had known a few things about Tony’s parents, but only what he had wanted her to know. She hadn’t even realized that Gibbs’ father was still alive until a case had forced the former Marine to return home.
She had been immediately taken with both Jackson Gibbs and Tony’s dad; their distinctive charm had captivated her from the first moment she had met them. However, their sons didn’t seem as impressed as everyone else, but over time, Gibbs had become more at ease with his father, but Tony was still guarded.
No longer content to sit and watch the two men sleep, Abby rose from her seat and stepped out into the corridor. Glancing up and down the hallway, she watched the flurry of activity with mild interest as the nurses and doctors made their rounds. After observing their level of dedication, she felt a twinge of guilt for arguing with one of the nurses earlier; the nurse had been doing her job and Abby knew that she had not taken that into consideration when she was demanding answers about Tony.
Knowing that she owed the nurse an apology, Abby began to make her way towards the nurse’s station, hoping that the woman would overlook her outburst. She had allowed her worry for Tony to consume her and she had taken her concern and frustration out on the first person who had the misfortune of crossing her path.
Abby couldn’t help briefly glancing in each of the rooms as she walked down the hallway; she wasn’t around sick people very often and she found herself curious about them. One man in particular caught her attention and a smile danced upon her dark lips as recognition dawned upon her.
She softly rapped on the door and peered into the room. “Mr. D?” Abby called out.
A familiar smile greeted her, a smile that she had seen Tony wear a thousand times before. “Abby! What a pleasant surprise! Please come in,” the elder DiNozzo insisted.
Abby walked in, her eyes darting between the man lying in bed and the monitors attached to him. “I heard what happened,” she informed him as she sat down in the chair beside him. “How are you feeling?”
“The pain has eased up quite a bit,” he admitted. “I’m a little restless, but other than that, I guess I can’t complain; I’m still alive.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less; DiNozzo’s are tough.”
“You bet we are.”
“Can I get you anything?” she asked the ailing man.
“I could use some company,” Senior suggested.
“That I can do.”
Happy to feel useful, she made herself comfortable in the chair and then captured Senior’s hand with her own. “I would tell you to rest, but it’s been proven that no one can truly rest in a hospital. I remember when Tony was in the hospital with the plague, he complained about not being able to sleep because the doctors and nurses were all the time coming in and checking on him; Tony would put on this fake smile but underneath it, you could see that he had just about had all that he could take.”
“I know the feeling.”
“You and Tony are a lot alike.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Well, it’s true. I’ve always wondered what Tony would look like when he was older and now I know.”
“He’ll still be handsome and charming,” Tony’s dad teased.
“And modest.”
“Of course.”
Abby didn’t miss the flicker of concern that danced in the older man’s eyes. “Is Anthony all right? The nurse said she had to give him something for a migraine.”
“He’s sleeping,” she informed him. “He’s on the couch in the waiting area and Gibbs is asleep in one of the chairs; they’ll both probably wake up as stiff as a board. But I guess if I had only had a few hours of sleep in the past four days, I’d be able to sleep anywhere too.”
“I noticed when Junior was in here earlier that he looked tired.”
“Yeah, he pushes too hard sometimes, especially if the case was as high profile as the last one; whenever Gibbs slept, Tony slept. Most of the time they’d catch a few winks at the office. I don’t think either one of them went home.”
“What were they trying to prove?” Senior asked.
Abby shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just the way they are.”
“Is Junior happy in his job?”
“I think so, at least most of the time.”
“He’s obviously good at what he does or a man like Gibbs wouldn’t have kept him around.”
“Tony’s the best.”
“That’s good to know,” he grinned. “There were times when Junior was growing up that I wasn’t sure if he was going to even make it long enough to decide what he was going to do with his life.”
“What do you mean?” Abby inquired, her curiosity piqued. She knew very little of Tony’s childhood and the prospect of catching a glimpse of her friend as a boy was more than a little tempting.
Senior cleared his throat. Abby didn’t miss the hinting expression of regret in his voice as he spoke. “Anthony had a…difficult time after his mother passed away. We certainly had our share of ups and downs. There were days that I didn’t even know my son and there was nothing that I could do or say to him that seemed to make a difference; he was like a stranger.”
“That must have been so hard on you.”
“I finally had to resort to seeking professional help for Junior; as a father, it wasn’t an easy decision to make, admitting your child to a psychiatric hospital.”
“Tony was in a psychiatric hospital? I never knew that about him.”
“I can’t imagine that he would share that with anyone; he doesn’t like to talk about that time in his life.”
The thought of Tony having to see a psychiatrist at such a young age was almost inconceivable to Abby. It wasn’t surprising that DiNozzo had seen a shrink, but it bothered her that he had seen one as a little boy. Little boys were supposed to be playing sports and chasing girls, not going to therapy.
She knew that as an agent, Tony had to submit to annual psychiatric evaluations and as far as she knew, he had always passed with flying colors. Of course, her friend was quite the expert at containing his feelings; something that evidently he had mastered years ago.
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked, silently questioning his motives.
“I don’t know. I guess I was just thinking out loud,” he sighed. “I think having this heart attack has put things in perspective, especially my relationship with Junior.”
“Maybe you’ve been given a second chance.”
“I think I used up my second chance a long time ago; I’m probably up in the hundreds by now,” Senior retorted.
“I doubt that. Tony doesn’t really hold grudges, well except for Trent Kort, but that’s a whole other story. Just tell him what you told me about putting things in perspective and that you want to get to know him. Tony’s a great guy and as his father, you have a lot to be proud of. I know that Gibbs certainly is proud of him and…”
She saw Tony’s father tense at the mention of Gibbs’ name. Something was definitely hinky between Gibbs and Senior and Abby had a feeling that Tony was going to be caught in the middle of their private war. “Did I say something wrong, Mr. D.?”
It didn’t escape her attention how quickly Senior managed to plaster his smile back on his face. Abby had seen Tony do the same thing many times and she now understood from whom he inherited that ability from.
“No, Abby,” he assured her. “I just remembered something that I need to take care of. By the way, did my nurse inform Agent Gibbs that I wanted to speak with him?”
“She just did.”
Abby and Senior glanced up to see Gibbs making his way across the room. Uncertain as to whether she should leave or stay, she made the snap decision to remain firmly planted in her seat until Gibbs told her otherwise. She had the feeling that she was going to have to play referee between the two obstinate men.
“Gibbs, I thought you were asleep,” she stated, in an attempt to slice through the tension in the room.
“I was,” the former Marine answered, his gaze fixed on Tony’s father. “I woke up when the nurse came to check on Tony; she told me that Mr. DiNozzo wanted to see me.”
“Is Tony still asleep?” Abby had no idea why she had even asked such a unnecessary question. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that if Tony were awake, then he would have done everything humanly possible to keep Gibbs from confronting Senior.
McGee had told her about the panicked expression Tony had worn when Gibbs had volunteered to give the elder DiNozzo a ‘tour’ during his previous visit. She hadn’t been able to understand why Tony had been so worried, but after talking with Senior, Abby was quickly beginning to realize why he had been so stressed out; the obvious tension between the two men was nearly unbearable and things between them could only end badly.
“Yep. Why don’t you go on back and sit with him?” Gibbs suggested. “I won’t be long.”
“Well, um…if he’s still sleeping, I…” Silenced by Gibbs’ infamous glare, she rose from her seat. “I’ll just go sit with Tony for a while. What do you want to tell him if he wakes up?”
“Tell him the truth.”
“Which is?”
“His father asked to see me.”
“Right,” Abby sighed as she hastily exited the room.
She was tempted to stand outside the door and listen but Abby knew that Gibbs would know that she was there; sometimes that sixth sense he possessed was more of a curse than a blessing. Abby walked back down the hallway to the waiting area to find Tony sitting up on the couch, cradling his head in his hands. Quietly sitting down beside him, she began to gently rub circles on his back. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll live,” he mumbled.
“Maybe you should lie back down and try and go back to sleep.”
“I need to check on my dad first.”
“Uh, he’s fine. I just came from there and he’s resting,” she informed him, hoping that he would be satisfied with her answer. “He’s worried about you.”
“I’m sure he is,” Tony sighed.
“He is,” she repeated, her tone taking on a sharper edge. “Give him a chance.”
She swallowed hard as Tony stared at her through pain filled eyes. “I see that you’ve been swept away by my father’s charm; pretty soon, you’ll be president of his fan club.”
“Tony, he’s your dad and he’s all alone. I think that having his heart attack is making him reevaluate his priorities.”
Abby’s observation was met with silence. As Tony lay back against the cushion, she could see the fine lines of agony and fatigue etched in his handsome face; she knew that she had done nothing but add to his stress by seemingly siding with his father. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…”
He smiled at her, reaffirming what she had told his dad earlier; Tony didn’t hold grudges and for that, she was thankful. “Don’t worry about it, Abs,” he said. “It’s no big deal.”
She laid her head on his shoulder and the two of them sat in silence. Within a few minutes, Abby noticed that Tony was lightly snoring, once again succumbing to the effects of the pain medicine he had been given earlier. Afraid of waking him, she remained still but her mind continued to wander.
Her thoughts flashed back to the conversation with Tony’s father and the revelation of the younger DiNozzo’s difficulty after his mom had died. She couldn’t begin to imagine how life had been in the DiNozzo household, but according to Senior, it hadn’t been easy. Abby knew that many people had the misconception that by coming from a wealthy family, that Tony had a life of ease, but as she found out, that wasn’t the case.
Abby wanted to talk to Tony about it, but it was obvious that now was not the time. Giving Tony’s hand another squeeze, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep knowing that she would have to wait and maybe do a little investigative work on her own.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After making sure that Abby was out of earshot, Gibbs sat down in the chair that she had just vacated and met the hardened gaze of Anthony DiNozzo, Senior; he knew that he would never like this man even if he was Tony’s father. “What did you want to see me about, Mr. DiNozzo?”
“I have a favor to ask of you,” Senior coolly stated.
“And what would that be?”
Senior pushed the remote button, allowing him to sit up straighter in his bed. “I appreciate all you’ve done for my son these past few years; I know that he looks up to you and that he thinks the world of you.”
“I assure you that the feeling is mutual.” Tony had definitely earned Gibbs’ respect and devotion, but more importantly, the young man had reminded him the significance of having a family.
“I gathered that from our last conversation.”
Gibbs allowed a tiny smile to escape his lips as he shifted in his seat. “Mr. DiNozzo, you and I are both too old to play these games. Why don’t you get to the point?”
“Very well,” the older man growled. “I want you to back off.”
The former Marine arched his brow. “Back off?” he questioned.
“Yes, back off and give me a chance to be Tony’s father.”
“You had your chance,” Gibbs flatly replied.
“But he still needs his father; I’m sure you can relate to what I am saying. After all, it was only recently that you reconciled with your father and you’re in fact still working on rebuilding your relationship. Am I right in my assumption?”
Gibbs quickly realized that Senior had obviously been doing some digging of his own. “My relationship with my father isn’t any of your business.”
“Then why is my relationship with my son any of your business?” Senior wanted to know.
The team leader visibly bristled. If Tony’s dad wanted to play rough, so could he. Gibbs was normally considered to be a man of few words, but he could not pass up this opportunity to make sure that Anthony DiNozzo, Senior understood exactly where he stood.
“I could’ve gone home at any time and would have been welcomed; Tony couldn’t. I didn’t have my achievements taken forgranted and I didn’t have my insecurities trampled upon by arrogance and irrational demands, but Tony faced this every day of his life while he was living with you. My dad was never too busy for me, but you were so busy that you left him in a hotel by himself for 2 days. Does that sound like a good father-son relationship to you?”
“Maybe I should talk to your father and get things from his point of view,” Tony’s father fumed. “It wasn’t easy being a single parent; I tried to help Junior…”
“Don’t go there,” Gibbs warned. “This isn’t about you. It’s about Tony and why your very presence seems to put him on edge. He’s trying to help you; it’s about time you learned to help yourself and quit relying on other people’s fortune or misfortune to bail you out.”
Gibbs was taken back when Senior quietly answered, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time. But I can’t make amends with Junior with you hovering around; that’s why I’ve asked you to back off and let me learn to be a father.”
“You can’t learn it overnight,” Gibbs pointed out. “You asked me to back off and if Tony agrees, I can do that; but just so you know, I’ll be watching you. If I even think that you’re going to hurt him again, there’s nowhere you can hide that I won’t be able to find you. Tony’s putting a lot on the line for you and you better remember that.”
“I know and I appreciate everything he’s done for me. I was wrong to become angry about the money he’s been putting into my accounts; I plan to apologize for that as soon as Tony feels up to seeing me.”
Senior leaned towards him and motioned him to come closer. “Now that you’ve had your say, I want you to listen to me.”
Gibbs leaned forward. “I’m listening.”
“Don’t get in my way because like you said, the only person who will get hurt is Tony and neither of us wants that to happen. Tony is my flesh and blood and that goes deeper than any foster bond that you feel that you may have with my son. So, if I were you, I’d watch my back, Agent Gibbs; things could get nasty.”
Rising from his seat, Gibbs headed towards the door, knowing that he couldn’t stand being in the same room with Tony’s father any longer. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Threaten me all you want, Mr. DiNozzo, but I won’t make this easy for you. If you want Tony’s respect, you’re going to have to earn it and we both know that earning it is easier said than done.”
Not waiting for a reply, Gibbs left and headed back to the waiting room. Stopping mid-stride, he leaned against the wall. Regret consumed him as he realized that somehow Tony had once again become a pawn in the game of life. He had no right to do this to his senior field agent and although his intentions were good, Gibbs knew that he couldn’t make Tony’s decisions for him.
Tony had to come to his own conclusions about his father and Gibbs could not influence him. After all was said and done, he knew that the only thing he could do was to be there to pick up the pieces again and hope that there was enough left of Tony to put him back together one more time.
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