"Abby?" Gibbs said, almost in a whisper. He didn't want to wake Tony. "Abby?"
Abby opened her eyes and smiled when she saw her visitor. She then noticed the other bed in the room. "That Tony?"
Gibbs nodded and moved out of the way so that Abby could see. Tony was lying on his side, facing her, snoring softly.
"He OK?" Abby asked studying her sleeping friend, and very glad to see he had made it through their ordeal.
Gibbs nodded again. "He is doing fine. He's just tired. His wound did get infected, but it was not too bad. They are attacking it with antibiotics. The doctors said you had a little infection. They have you on antibiotics, too."
Abby nodded. She hadn't even considered her wound becoming infected. It had just hurt like hell.
Gibbs stared at Abby for a moment, prompting her to speak.
"I know I should have told you about my weekend plans. I had asked Tony to come to my class reunion. I needed arm candy." Abby blushed as she explained. "Tony knew I wanted him to be my arm candy. He didn't have a problem with it. He was happy, I was happy to be going on a road trip, any road trip with him. We had been talking about it for a long time. When the class reunion came up, it just seemed like a good time." Abby looked sheepishly at Gibbs. "We...We had just planned on leaving Friday, right after work and then coming back sometime Monday morning. We would just catch a few hours of sleep and then be ready to go Monday for work." Abby sighed. "And all went as planned, until we stopped for gas...."
"Tony said something in my ear." Abby continued. "The next thing I know we are both down on the ground and he's on top of me." Abby paused. "I heard the car door slam and the guy pull off, I figured Tony had too. But I couldn't figure out why he wasn't moving. I didn't even know I had been shot, until I tried to move. Then I realized why Tony wasn't moving." Abby said, her voice shaky. "He didn't move until I have gotten out from under him. He..."
By this time, Kate and Tim had made their way into the room and were standing in the corner listening. They had visited with both Tony and Abby, at various times, since they had arrived from D.C. They had not stayed long, however, and had tried their best not to wake either up.
"He...I got up and that was when I saw he was bleeding. I touched his back and...when I touched his face, he woke up. We went inside. He wanted to check on whoever was inside. I said something about us being the walking wounded." Abby explained. "He was bleeding really badly. He...he got really, really quiet. I tried to get him to talk. I tried to get him to eat. He did eat a little. After that...he started to run a fever. He...He told me he loved me. I...at first I thought it was the fever talking. But then I looked into his eyes." Abby paused, unable to speak for a few moments. Then she continued. "He was lucid. It scared the hell out of me, Gibbs. He thought he was going to die. He...He was...preparing me. I could tell his fever was rising. He sort of passed out after that. He mumbled. He moaned, but he didn't open his eyes. He didn't even know the police had come and he didn't open his eyes in the ambulance, at all." Abby shook her head. "All I could do was hold him and keep him warm."
"You did a great job, Abby. Gibbs said, smiling at her, not betraying his pain at their ordeal. He took Abby's hand and held it. "You saved his life, Abby. He's here isn't me? What you did worked. It was exactly what he needed."
"Abs?" Came a whisper from the other bed.
"I'm here, Tony." Abby answered.
"You...OK?"
"I'm good, Tony. I'm a lot better now that you're here." Abby replied.
Tony looked at Gibbs. "She left out a few things. She kept the generator running. She made sure I was warm. She tried to keep my fever down with ice packs. She made sure I got something to eat and stuff to drink. She...She took very good care of me."
Tony got quiet for a moment. He was trying to remember something.
"The license plate." Tony said, trying to remember something. "Damnet!"
"It's OK, Tony." Gibbs said. He was eager to have whatever information Tony could provide. He wanted to find this guy and nail his ass to the wall for what he had done to his team members. "Relax, it'll come back."
Tony nodded. "It was a white ford pickup, older model...."
Gibbs took out his notebook and started writing.
"...Maryland plates." Tony added. "I couldn't write it down. There wasn't time. I...I tried to make an association."
Gibbs nodded and encouraged him to continue.
"Star Trek, that was the association." Tony stated.
"OK." Abby started throwing things out. "Captain Kirk, Starship Enterprise, William Shatner, Spock, Leonard Nemoy...."
Tony nodded. "William Shatner, W-S..." Tony paused. "...W-T-S. Damn!" Tony said, unable to remember the numbers that followed.
"It'll come, Tony." Gibbs encouraged. "It'll come."
Tony nodded, but he was still extremely frustrated.
Abby and Gibbs watched Tony until they thought he had fallen asleep. They were talking quietly when he spoke again.
"4-6...." Tony paused again. He looked at Gibbs. "...sorry, Boss. I just can't remember the last two numbers.
Gibbs shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry about Tony. You did great." Gibbs jotted the number down and handed it to Tim.
"On it boss." Tim said, going out into the hall to make a phone call.
Tim returned a few minutes later. "The plate belonged to a Craig Anthony Williams, Virginia native."
"Belonged?" Tony asked
Tim nodded and continued. "He owned a truck matching the description and had a list of priors a mile long, petty theft, larceny. He had recently graduated to armed robbery. He was shot and killed yesterday in commission of another armed robbery at a convenience store. The owner kept a 12-gauge behind the counter."
Tony nodded, glad the case was over. He was suddenly very tired. He closed his eyes and was snoring in minutes.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tying up loose ends.