Tim was in a personal hell. Why had he allowed the envelope to be snatched out of his hands? He would not have opened it. Would he? The fact that he did not know the answer to that question, for sure, terrified him. And why Tony of all people? Sure Tony tormented him relentlessly. There were days he wished Tony's mouth had been wired shut. But he would have never wished this on anybody. He had an intense dislike for Tony, sometimes. But he didn't HATE the guy.
Tim knew Tony took the blame for things that he had done with Gibbs. He knew Tony had taken the blame for things Kate had done too. And it wasn't that he wanted Tony to get in trouble with Gibbs, though it seemed, at times, he stayed in trouble with Gibbs. It was just that...well, Gibbs scared him and Tony in his goofball, sophomoric, frat boy kind-of-way dealt with Gibbs with a talent and skill that he did not possess and probably never would.
McGee would have never told Tony, but he knew Tony did a lot more work at SFA than he had first realized. Kate still didn't know that Tony sometimes still came back in at night to finish up all his SFA duties. Gibbs always joked that Tony did some of his best work at night and he was not at all surprised at Tony's reappearance on the NCIS security camera system at odd hours of the night.
McGee put his hands on the glass barrier. He had walked into Tony's temporary home at Bethesda only moments before. He had not known what to expect. What he saw out of one of those alien movies Tony always talked about. He was in a huge room which basically contained a smaller long rectangular room which consisted of glass walls. He spoke briefly with Dr. Pitt explaining who he was and why he was there.
McGee than turned again and looked at the sight before him. He started towards the doors of the isolation unit, but knowing he could not go in, as Tony was still not cleared, he detoured. He went around to the glass wall immediately next to Tony's bed. He stood staring in at the sight in front of him. Kind of like how a child will stand, both hands on the glass and nose pressed against it for a better view. Except before him was not a pretty Christmas display in a store window. It was more like a horror scene out of the mind of Stephen King. The man before him did NOT look like Anthony DiNozzo. He bore no resemblance to the man he knew. And if it had not been for the slight rise and fall of the man's chest, Tim would have sworn he was looking at a corpse.
Tim stood completely still. He closed his eyes against the vision before him, hoping to erase it from his mind and, more than anything. Hoping that when he opened his eyes again it would not be there. That it had all been a bad dream. He stood that way for several more moments. Thinking the longer he kept his eyes closed the more real his hopes would become.
He opened his eyes at the sound of harsh, rasping coughing. Tim saw Kate fly to Tony's beside. Emma came in seconds later from the nurses's station just outside the door. They both quickly and adeptly pulled Tony into a sitting position and held him there until the coughing spell was over. He then saw Tony collapse against Kate as she stood talking to him softly and rubbing his back. Soon Tony was asleep. Tim could hear his soft snoring even through the glass. He sought and got Kate's attention. They made eye contact for just a few seconds before she turned away and headed back to her own bed. The momentary crises over.
Kate's look told him more than he had really wanted to know. She communicated her concern about Tony. Her fears about his current condition and prognoses. He even saw the hope she was desperately holding onto that he would make it through this and be the same annoyingly-loveable Tony.
Tim realized in that moment, watching Tony struggle to breathe and cough at the same time what Tony mean to him, and to Team Gibbs. Tony was not a easy person to understand. He didn't claim to be and didn't apologize for making people work a little to get to know him. To see what made him tick. McGee was glad and still greatly appreciated that Tony did not down him or tease him for his lack of street smarts. Tony could have easily had a field day with that. But Tony knew it was something Tim couldn't really help not knowing about. Street smarts were not needed in the computer field, or in the world of suburbia were Tim was born and raised. Tim had not realized how much he had depended on Tony when he had first joined Team Gibbs. Tony had run interference constantly when Tim had messed up in his fist weeks there. Tony repeatedly telling Gibbs that Tim was taking his first Probie-steps into the big world of NCIS bad guys. Gibbs accepting Tony's explanation with an amused smile and letting Tony do his thing, knowing his SFA had the situation well in hand. Tony had helped Tim with his self-confidence, which was severely lacking, and had given him tips on how to deal the perpetual dark cloud known as Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Tim had rested his forehead against the glass wall lost in thought when he felt eyes on him. He looked up and his eyes met Tony's. Tony's mouth turned up into a smile, then he started to speak. Tim was, at that moment, very glad for the quick lesson in lip reading Abby had given him because he understood every word Tony was saying to him. A huge grin lit up Tim's face at Tony's message. He nodded and turned to leave only when he saw Tony close his eyes.
The sound of Tony's voice was in his head, repeated the message Tony had mouthed to him through the glass. "I'm OK, Tim. I'm OK." That short simple message filled him with so much hope. He was absolutely positive his friend would make it through this. He felt lighter and happier than he had in days as he left Bethesda and headed home.
THE END
Story Notes:
: I think I am beginning another series here. This is not exactly a follow-up to 'Blue Ponderings, ' but it connects. I realize that it has been many years since SWAK first aired, but it remains one of my favorite episodes. Plus, I have only written one other story about the plague. That one revolved around Requiem and was concerned with the effects could have had on Tony's lungs.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tim's thoughts during Tony's plague ordeal. #2 in the "Blue" series, though they do not have to be read in order.
Chapter End Notes:
: I think I am beginning another series here. This is not exactly a follow-up to 'Blue Ponderings, ' but it connects. I realize that it has been many years since SWAK first aired, but it remains one of my favorite episodes. Plus, I have only written one other story about the plague. That one revolved around Requiem and was concerned with the effects could have had on Tony's lungs.