Part 9
Jethro Gibbs glanced over at his passenger, who had been unintentionally dozing on and off since they had left Tony’s apartment. Despite DiNozzo’s claim that he felt rested, he knew that the younger man was still exhausted and that he was pushing himself beyond his limits both physically and emotionally. He was truly worried about his senior field agent and although Tony would rebuff any kind of sentimental demonstration, Gibbs had vowed to make sure that he had DiNozzo’s six through this ordeal.
The team leader couldn’t help but wonder how much more Tony could handle before he reached his breaking point. DiNozzo’s fatigue coupled with his father’s constant antics were slowly chipping away at the image of the self confident man that Tony so casually portrayed; the mask was slipping once again to reveal a child desperately wanting a father’s approval and doing whatever it took to get it, even if it meant sacrificing his own mental and physical well being.
Gibbs was not prepared to stand by and watch Tony destroy himself because of his father’s selfishness. He just hoped that when it came time to intervene, that DiNozzo would be able to forgive him.
As he turned the car into the emergency room parking lot, Tony startled awake. Gibbs didn’t miss the nearly inaudible gasp as DiNozzo was forced to brace his side as he shifted in his seat. He silently cursed the older DiNozzo for placing his own son in jeopardy and if the former Marine had his way, Senior would know what a precarious position he had placed Tony in as a result of his greed.
“You all right, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked as he searched for a parking place.
Tony nodded as he slowly exhaled. “Yeah, I’m okay; I just moved too fast.”
“Maybe the doctor will prescribe something for pain.”
“You know me and pain meds, Boss; not a pretty combination,” Tony reminded him.
Gibbs permitted a grin to escape his lips as he recalled the last time DiNozzo had been prescribed pain medication; although he would probably never admit it, it had been interesting and entertaining. “No it’s not,” he agreed. “However, it may be a necessity.”
“Can I check on my dad first and see if he’s back in his room?”
“Someone would have called, Tony. Let’s get you checked out and then we’ll go see about your dad.”
Pulling into a vacant space, Gibbs cut off the engine and got out of the car, quickly making his way to the passenger’s side. Opening the door, he helped Tony to a standing position and waited patiently for him to get his bearings.
“Can you walk?” Gibbs wanted to know.
Tony nodded and began to slowly make his way towards the emergency room entrance. “I hope this doesn’t take long,” DiNozzo mumbled under his breath.
Gibbs couldn’t blame him for not wanting to be subjected to the usual lengthy wait that emergency rooms were famous for, but he was determined that Tony was not going to leave until he had been examined by a doctor. “Come on,” he urged. “Let’s get you checked in.”
He motioned for Tony to take a seat while he went and provided the necessary information to the receptionist. Gibbs took the clipboard from the lady and made his way back over to DiNozzo who was now talking on the phone. He listened to the conversation as he began to fill out the required forms.
“…I understand,” Tony said. “Tell Dr. Manning that I’ll be up there in five minutes. Thank you.”
Tony hung up and slipped his phone into his pocket. The determined expression on DiNozzo’s face sent out a warning flag to the older man that Tony was once again going to put his needs aside in order to accommodate his father. “That was the nurse and my dad’s in recovery,” Tony began to explain. “The doctor wants to talk to me about what they discovered during the heart cath.”
“Did you bother telling the nurse that you were currently in the emergency room waiting to be seen?” Gibbs inquired, not bothering to hide his frustration at what sometimes he perceived as Tony’s lack of self preservation.
“I uh…kind of forgot to mention that,” Tony sheepishly replied. “It won’t take long and I promise that I’ll come back and get checked out.”
Gibbs knew that Tony would keep his word and because of the agent’s sincerity, the team leader reluctantly agreed to allow DiNozzo this small reprieve. “All right,” he conceded. “I’ll come with you.”
“You don’t have to do that, Boss.”
“I know I don’t.”
Tony nodded his thanks. Words weren’t necessary between the two of them; years of working together and the friendship that had developed as a result had allowed them to form a bond that didn’t require words. It was a relationship that many envied and few understood but over time, both men had come to accept that they had each played a surrogate role in the other’s life.
“Let’s go,” Gibbs urged as he handed the clipboard back to the admissions clerk, informing her that they would return shortly. He joined Tony who was slowly making his way towards the elevator. It was obvious by the way that DiNozzo was guarding his side that he was in quite a bit of pain. As they entered the lift car, Gibbs watched with hidden concern as Tony leaned against the back wall.
“You okay, DiNozzo?”
“A little sore, but I can handle it.”
“Just don’t overdo it.”
“I won’t. Kind of hard to overdo it when I’m moving like an old gray headed man.”
“Saying I’m old, Tony?”
Gibbs forced himself to conceal a smile as realization dawned upon Tony as to what he had just said. “I…I didn’t mean that you were old, Boss,” DiNozzo stammered. “I was just relatively speaking and…I think I’ll just stop while I’m ahead.”
“Good idea.”
The two men rode in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Gibbs knew that Tony was hiding the fact the he was terrified to hear what the doctor had to tell him. He had to admit that he admired DiNozzo’s loyalty to his father; in his opinion, the elder DiNozzo didn’t deserve such devotion. The team leader knew he had to let Tony take the lead on how to handle his dad, but he refused to stand by and watch his friend destroy himself physically and emotionally because of one man’s selfishness.
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The few seconds that he had permitted his body to relax only served to reinforce the fatigue that was beginning to take up permanent residence in his muscles and joints; of course, the fact that his body had been subjected to several hard punches from Brewer’s men only added to his ever increasing level of exhaustion. He had intended to go home, take a hot shower, and catch a quick nap in hopes of rejuvenating his spent reserves, but unfortunately his father’s past had intervened with those plans.
Tony could sense that Gibbs was watching him but he didn’t acknowledge the silent demonstration of concern. He truly appreciated all the team leader had done for him, including forcing him to seek medical attention, but DiNozzo was still wary of involving him in the twisted relationship between him and his father. Gibbs was insistent that he was going to remain by his side; Tony just hoped that when push came to shove that the team leader would know when to step away. His father did not condone outsiders knowing his personal business and Gibbs seemed determined to make sure that he knew everything there was to know about Tony DiNozzo, Senior.
The elevator doors opened and the two agents headed down the corridor. Tony forced himself to stand tall and walk unguarded; he was here to talk about his father’s condition, not to cast concern upon himself. He graced the nurse with a smile and wink as she pointed them in the direction of Dr. Manning’s office; his father wasn’t the only one who could charm the ladies.
“Easy, DiNozzo,” Gibbs mumbled.
“Sorry, Boss”, he grinned. “Focusing.”
Tony knocked on the door. He took a deep breath and blew it out before entering the office. Tony usually considered himself to be stoic regarding most things but there was something about waiting to hear about his father’s medical condition that truly unnerved him. His dad had never been sick a day in his life and in an unexpected turn of events was now possibly facing open heart surgery.
“Come on in, Agent DiNozzo,” Dr. Manning insisted.
He cleared his throat and introduced the team leader, who was standing beside him. “This is Jethro Gibbs; he’s my…he’s a good friend of mine.”
“Good to meet you, sir. Marine?”
Gibbs nodded. “Yep.”
“I thought so. My father was a Marine; he was killed in Desert Storm.”
“We lost several good men over there.”
“You were over there?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for your service, Mr. Gibbs.”
“Thank you, but I think Tony wants to hear about his father’s condition,” Gibbs insisted.
Tony nodded in agreement. Although he normally wouldn’t have minded the display of gratitude towards his Boss, he was thankful that Gibbs was able to steer the conversation back on track. He really didn’t trust his voice to speak at the moment, the lump forming in his throat was the only thing preventing him from throwing up.
“Of course,” Manning stated with a hint of apology as he moved to sit behind his desk.
Taking the seats opposite of the physician, Tony leaned forward so he could absorb every word that Manning spoke. If he was going to help his father make any kind of decision regarding his health, he was going to have to make sure that he understood all the options.
“First off, let me assure you that your father came through the catharization without any problems. He will be in recovery for a little while and then he will be moved to his room but he will have to lay flat for six to eight hours,” Manning began.
Tony swallowed hard. “All right. So, does that mean that you didn’t find anything?”
“On the contrary, we found several problems that need to be rectified.”
“Such as?”
He watched with baited breath as Dr. Manning furiously typed something on his keyboard. The physician turned the monitor around so Tony could have a visual of what he was talking about. “This is a video of the catharization and it details what I discovered.”
Tony studied the artery that the doctor was pointing to as he listened to Manning continued to explain his findings. “This particular artery is almost 95% blocked while this other one here, is about 93% blocked. He also has some partial blockage in two other arteries but I feel confident that with a stint and medication that they can be resolved. It’s the two major blockages that we are going to have to do bypass surgery on.”
Nervously licking his lips, Tony stared at the monitor. “Bypass surgery? When?”
“I’d like to schedule it for tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Couldn’t you do the stint and medication for the major blockages?”
“Truthfully, your father is a walking time bomb. The two major blockages require immediate action. After seeing the results of the cath, I’m surprised that he’s still alive. He was fortunate that you were with him when he had his heart attack.”
“How long will the surgery last?” Tony wanted to know.
“Probably around 4 hours. After your father’s had a little time to recover, I’d like to talk to both of you together so you’ll know what to expect.”
“All right.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a moment to process everything that he had learned about his father’s condition. “Can I see my dad?”
The doctor glanced at his watch. “He should be on his way back to his room. Give the nurses a few minutes to get him situated. In the meantime, do you have any other questions for me?”
“I uh…don’t know,” Tony admitted. “I guess I’m just trying to get my head around everything. My dad’s never been sick a day in his life and now he’s facing surgery; it’s a little overwhelming.”
“This didn’t happen overnight,” Manning reminded him. “I would venture a guess and say that your father has a rather extravagant lifestyle.”
“That’s probably the understatement of the year.”
“Well, he’s going to have to tone it down for a bit, but I promise that if he does what he’s supposed to do, he’ll be back on his feet in no time. I’ve seen people in worse condition than Mr. DiNozzo who are living healthy, normal lives.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“For now, keep him calm and don’t expose him to any unnecessary stress,” the physician suggested.
“I can do that.” Tony stood up and extended his hand. “Thank you, Dr. Manning. I’m going to go to see if my dad’s back in his room.”
He felt as if he were in a trance; nothing seemed real but yet life seemed to continue on around him. Tony scrubbed his face as he left Dr. Manning’s office. His mind was so occupied with his father’s health that he paid very little attention to the fact that Gibbs had yet to follow him.
How was he going to break the news to his dad? How would his dad react? How was he supposed to react? A conundrum of variables swam through his jumbled mind, his over active imagination creating a series of worst case scenarios. He had to be strong for his dad; he didn’t have a choice.
It was only a few seconds before Gibbs joined him; he usually found the team leader’s presence comforting, but for some inexplicable reason, he was apprehensive around the team leader.
Gibbs shattered the awkward silence between them. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I’m fine. Just worried about how my dad’s going to take the news.”
“He’s strong; I’m sure he’ll be all right.”
“He’s scared.” Tony winced as he shifted slightly; he had temporarily forgotten about his injuries but a sharp pain shooting through his side quickly brought them to the forefront. He couldn’t think about himself at the moment; his thoughts were completely consumed by his father’s well being. “He told me he was scared; I’ve never seen him scared.”
“I guess he has a right to be scared.”
“Yeah, I guess. I guess it’s just that this is a side of my dad that I’ve never seen and it’s a little…weird.”
“I imagine so.”
Ignoring Gibbs’ forced concession, Tony continued pondering the mystery that was his father. “I mean, this is a man who always comes out on top, even when he’s flat broke. Now all he has to show for the charmed life he’s led is a bad heart,” he mused. “When I was younger, I used to wonder if he even had a heart; how crazy is that? Everybody has a heart…”
“Some people’s hearts are just bigger than others,” Gibbs quietly insisted. “Let’s go back down to the ER and get you checked out.”
Tony shook his head defiantly. “No, I need to talk with my dad first.”
“DiNozzo…”
He visibly bristled at the former Marine’s attempt to interfere with what he had to do. “No, Gibbs! I gave you my word that I’d go and get checked out, but I’ve got to do this first. I need to see my dad.”
“You’re not going to do your dad any good if you don’t take care of yourself.”
“I know but I need to do this. What would you do if it were your dad?”
Tony didn’t wait for him to answer. “You’d make sure he was okay and that’s what I’m doing for my dad.”
Gibbs didn’t have a chance to respond before his father’s nurse came out of his room and informed Tony that he could go in. “It’s probably best if you stay out here,” he suggested, knowing the intense dislike that Gibbs and his father had for each other.
“I’ll be waiting right here if you need anything,” Gibbs assured him.
“I know.”
Tony entered the room to see his father laying on his back, the usually vibrant man was too still. “Dad?” he softly called out.
“Junior,” the older man rasped. “I was wondering where you were.”
“I was talking to Dr. Manning.”
“It’s bad, isn’t it?”
Despite their tumultuous relationship, Tony could never lie to his father. “Yeah, but you’re going to be okay. Dr. Manning said that when they’re done, you’ll be good as new.”
“I guess the old ticker finally gave out.”
“Nope, it just needs some fine tuning. The doctor’s going to come by a little later and talk to us about what to expect.”
“I have a feeling that you already know what to expect.”
Tony sat in the chair beside his dad’s bedside. “He wants to do surgery tomorrow. You’ve got two major blockages and two minor ones and…”
Senior’s head began to thrash back and forth. Tony stood up, ignoring the pain that was still consuming his side. “Dad, you’ve got to take it easy; getting upset isn’t going to do anything but cause your heart rate to go up and create more problems. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Surgery? I can’t afford surgery.”
“Dad, don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it. You just concentrate on getting better.”
“I can’t ask you to do that, Junior.”
“You’re my dad; you don’t have to ask.” Tony brushed a stray piece of hair off his dad’s forehead. “Right now, you just worry about getting better.”
“I’ll pay you back, Junior. Every dime.”
Tony forced himself to bite back a sharp retort. There was no way that his dad would ever be able to pay him back monetarily; he would simply settle for the man acting like he wanted to be his father and that he wasn’t a matter of convenience.
“Just get better; that’s all I want.”
His dad grabbed onto his wrist. “You’re a good son, Anthony. Thank you.”
He wasn’t sure why he felt the urge to place a kiss on top of his father’s head, but he did. AS he stood back up, he gasped as he was provided with a cruel reminder of his earlier altercation with Sam Brewer’s hired muscle.
“Junior? Are you okay?” Senior inquired.
Tony couldn’t tell his dad about Brewer; at least not yet. They had to make it through tomorrow and then once his dad was on the road to recovery, he would ask about his dealings with Sam Brewer. Until then, he figured that he would be safe at the hospital because that’s where he intended to stay until he was sure that his father was going to be all right.
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