Chapter 7 - Reunion
Pacing the arrivals lounge, waiting for Gibbs' plane to land, Callen felt his own exhaustion settle around his shoulders. It was the first time he'd paused since yesterday evening and a night without sleep, coupled with the tensions and stresses of the past 24 hours, were beginning to catch up on him.
After the fire service had hoisted them both out of that warehouse, the paramedics had been swift in checking Abby over.
She was in no imminent danger they'd decided but nevertheless recommended that she go to hospital, which immediately triggered vigorous protests from the woman herself. She was fine. She just needed time to recover her mobility and just required rest and didn't need to go to hospital… she hated hospitals. It was only Callen's insistence and the reminder from the paramedics that they didn't know what drugs the Phantom had used, and that a full blood work-up would be needed so they could be sure there were no harmful side effects, that convinced her it would be a good idea to go.
His time sat on that damned bed in the warehouse with Abby wrapped around him had allowed his own nerves to settle.
She was finally safe.
It didn't lessen his sense of guilt and responsibility that she'd been snatched on his watch. He hadn't needed Gibbs' anger to remind him that they had taken their eye off the ball and put Abby in harm's way.
If he could find it in himself to acknowledge it, there was a certain irony in that, given the effect she'd had on him in such a short space of time. Putting her in harm's way was the very last thing on his mind when it came to Abby Scuito.
The minute they'd been introduced, there'd been an instant and strong mutual attraction. Both had felt the spark and he'd been determined to explore that further.
She'd accepted his dinner invitation, green eyes full of promise as they'd arranged to meet after she'd been to the club with Eric. He fully intended to take this further than dinner, conscious she might only be in LA for a short time.
She'd never made it, of course.
Why the hell hadn't he gone with her to the club? He'd never have let her go outside on her own… Gibbs was right about that and Callen was still furious with Eric for not protecting her.
Beyond the magnetic pull he felt towards her, Callen had also been more than impressed at her grasp of the case when they'd first met. Although he hadn't been immediately convinced by her theories, he couldn't help but be caught up in her enthusiasm and animation.
Within a few short hours, she'd proved that her reputation was well founded.
She did indeed live up to her hype.
After riding with Abby to the hospital, he'd stayed with her through the usual formalities and listened to her grumbling â€" already knowing her well enough to realize that if she was complaining about something, then she was starting to feel more like herself.
He'd spent the rest of the day debriefing and getting updates from Sam on the defusing of all the booby traps at the warehouse. He was eager to get back to the hospital to check on Abby's condition… but knew he'd have company.
Talk of the devil…
Gibbs' tall figure easily stood out from the trickle of people coming through the arrivals gate and as his friend drew near, Callen could clearly see evidence of the strain of the past day written on his face. He knew Gibbs always sought to protect his team and would feel it when any of them were in danger, but Callen was startled to see just how exhausted he looked.
He'd wondered at the cold anger in Gibbs' voice on the phone earlier. Seeing his face, drawn and tired, it made him wonder whether this was far more than just a senior agent's concern for one of his own.
As Callen pulled out into the LA traffic, Gibbs' first question wasn't long in coming. "How is she, Callen?"
"When I left she was arguing with the doctors, so she's as feisty as ever," which prompted a faint half smile from Gibbs.
"What did the doctors say? Come on Callen, give me it all."
"Well, until they get the blood work back on what drugs that bastard used, they won't know what they're dealing with." He could see Gibbs' jaw working as he tried to keep his temper in check. He knew he didn't need to spell it out to Gibbs that it wasn't just the immediate side effects she was experiencing as the drugs came out of her system that they needed to worry about, but there might be long term implications to deal with.
"Has she regained any more movement?" Gibbs asked, quietly, working to regain his composure.
"Yeah, when we got to the hospital, she could move her arms more freely and flex her legs."
"And…?" prompted Gibbs when Callen paused.
"As the feeling started coming back, she complained of pins and needles and said she was starting to feel nauseous." As the feeling started returning to her muscles, Abby had been hit with intermittent pins and needles of varying intensity and it had pained Callen to watch her struggling with it, not knowing how best to help her.
"What else?" insisted Gibbs, wanting to know it all before he saw her. He knew her well enough to suspect she would go into her 'I'm fine' routine, regardless of how she felt. They were too much alike in that respect.
"They put her on a drip to counter the dehydration," explained Callen. "She said she was unconscious from last night until she woke this morning in the warehouse." He felt his own anger rising again as he thought again about what she'd endured. "So she'd most likely been without fluid since last night. Combine that with the drugs and she was quite dehydrated."
Gibbs ran his hand through his hair. "How badly was she cut by the flying glass?"
"Mostly superficial cuts, fortunately. A couple needed stitches but the rest are fairly minor." Callen glanced across at Gibbs, "I think she's going to be okay, Gibbs, although I'll feel better when I know about those drugs."
Gibbs sighed and leaned back against the headrest. "Yeah, me too, Callen. Thanks... for getting there in time."
Callen offered, "Would never have forgiven myself, Gibbs, if we hadn't. My watch… my bad."
Gibbs nodded in acknowledgement of what Callen was trying to say. "I'm just glad she's okay… physically at least," continued Callen. "I don't think the mental strain has hit her yet… reasonably enough, she's just too busy at the moment being grateful she's still alive."
"That's why I'm here, Callen, to take her home where we can look after her."
Callen heard the 'we' but sensed Gibbs really meant 'I'… "She might need more help than that… you know that," he ventured.
Gibbs sounded weary. "Yeah, I know. I need to talk to Ducky when we get back. He'll already be working out what to do for the best."
Gibbs' cell rang and Callen listened in to his side of the call. "Yeah, DiNozzo… No, I don't know how she is yet, I haven't seen her coz I've only just got here… Yeah, Callen went with her to hospital." He looked over at the LA agent. "I'll call you when I have more news."
Gibbs ended the call in his usual abrupt fashion and they passed the rest of the journey to the hospital in silence, both lost in their own thoughts of the same woman.
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As they approached her room in the hospital, they could hear Abby's animated voice raised in argument.
"She obviously likes hospital just as much as you do, Gibbs," was Callen's wry comment. Glancing over at Gibbs, he saw his lips quirk in a smile.
That's my girl... came the unbidden thought.
Walking into the room, they were met by the sight of Abby perched on the side of the bed, arguing with one of the doctors.
Halting in mid sentence, her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the two men, their presence immediately dominating the room as soon as they entered. She started to ease herself off the bed, her face lighting up but Gibbs was across the room to her side in an instant.
As he reached her, Abby flung her arms around him as she stood up. For once, he couldn't have cared less about an audience as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her neck.
Callen watched the pair of them, intrigued by what he saw.
Gibbs was not usually one to show his feelings too easily or in public, so it spoke volumes that he was wrapped around Abby like he had no intention of letting her go. Abby grinned a hello at Callen over Gibbs' shoulder and then her eyes drifted shut as she clung onto him.
Feeling what he told himself was an unreasonable degree of envy, Callen allowed himself a rueful thought that perhaps he wouldn't need to arrange a separate room for Gibbs at Abby's hotel after all.
Eventually pulling back slightly, Gibbs gently cupped her face in his large hands, stroking his thumbs across her cheeks, breathing out her name. A brilliant smile spread across her face as she gazed up at him, leaning into his touch, green eyes roaming over his face as if she couldn't take in the fact that he was here.
They could have been the only two people in the room, so little notice did they take of anyone else.
"How d'ya feel, Abbs?" Gibbs asked, his voice soft.
He tilted her head gently, jaw tightening as he took in the livid bruise on her neck from where the Phantom had forcibly injected her the night before, and the visible cuts on her face and neck.
"I'm okay, Gibbs, really. I'll be fine when I can get out of here." She still sounded slightly hoarse but he'd never been more thankful to hear her husky voice.
Recognizing it was exactly the type of reply he would have given if he were ill or injured, Gibbs merely arched a skeptical eyebrow. He looked over at the doctor she'd been arguing with, who approached as she sensed an opportunity to gain an ally.
"You're right to be concerned. I'd feel happier if Miss Scuito remained here overnight so we could monitor if she has any adverse reaction to the drugs in her system." The doctor sounded thoroughly peeved that a mere patient was daring to question her medical opinion.
Abby's protest was equally vigorous. "I can just as easily rest at the hotel… as long as I'm not on my own, right? The stiffness is wearing off too… see." Although she paced up and down as if to demonstrate her point, Gibbs couldn't help but notice that she didn't move with her usual grace. Her movements seemed sluggish and obviously stiff.
He refrained from commenting, however. Gibbs could sense her stubbornness surfacing and knew he'd get nowhere if he tried to override her wishes. As concerned as he was about her health, he could sympathize with her wish to get out of hospital as fast as possible. She hated hospitals as much as he did.
"You are also dehydrated," the doctor continued, with an air of finality.
If possible, Abby looked even more annoyed, her face taking on a familiar stubborn set. "Which you've dealt with already. I've been on a drip since I got here, Gibbs, they've only just taken it out. I can make sure I drink plenty of fluid just as easily elsewhere as I can here."
Sensing this was becoming a verbal tennis match, the doctor was beginning to sound exasperated, "I'd rather you weren't alone in a hotel room, Miss Scuito."
Gibbs' quiet voice broke the tension. "She won't be alone." He was rewarded with another smile, surprise on her face as she took in what he might mean by that.
"You see," Abby gestured at him, turning back to the doctor. "If you tell us what symptoms we need to be worried about, Gibbs can look out for me. Then it won't just be me on my own. Help would just be a phone call away."
"If you discharge yourself, Miss Scuito, it will be against medical advice."
"What were the drugs in her system?" asked Gibbs, attempting to head off a brewing explosion from the medic.
Turning towards Gibbs with relief, the doctor began her explanation. "The blood work came back and it looks like the main chemical agent preventing her from moving was a neuromuscular blocker." The doctor spoke as if Abby wasn't present and Gibbs could see exactly why she'd only ended up antagonizing Abby with her attitude. "As the stiffness wears off, there will probably be pins and needles, but Miss Scuito will also experience nausea from the drug used to knock her out. We've already prescribed something to help with that. What we need to monitor for is if the paralysis begins to return or the pins and needles get worse."
The medic looked from Gibbs back to Abby, "I'll leave you to decide but I really hope you at least consider what I've told you." She nodded at Gibbs and marched out of the room.
Abby rolled her eyes and turned back to Gibbs. "Let me look, Abbs," continued Gibbs, before Abby could speak. He reached out to cup his hand around Abby's neck, distracting her and cutting off what she was about to say.
He tilted her head once again so he could see the cuts on her neck from the flying glass. The cut on her arm was the deepest and he ran his fingers gently over the skin on her wrist next to the stitches covering the wound, not missing the slight shiver than run through her at his actions.
"Gibbs, it's just some minor cuts, it's nothing," came Abby's soft voice, watching as his thumb ran gentle circles over her skin.
Callen's voice broke into the moment. "It could have been a lot worse."
It was the first time he'd spoken and his voice drew Abby's attention back to him. A smile broke out over her face and she launched herself at the LA agent, wrapping him in a warm hug.
"Hey, G. Callen. My hero of the hour."
Callen returned her hug, conscious of Gibbs stiffening beside him. "You stood me up, A. Scuito," sensing she was also using this greeting as a way of moving the subject away from her health.
Abby grinned, delighted to see him again.
G. Callen was a fox.
Not quite a silver-haired one but a fox nonetheless. He reminded her of Gibbs in many ways.
She'd felt the chemistry between them as soon as they were introduced and had eagerly accepted Callen's invitation to a late dinner. She had been looking forward to seeing the club with Eric, and she wasn't blind to the fact that the young tech was attracted to her… although infatuated might be a better word and she'd have to be careful not to hurt his feelings.
But it was Callen's bed she'd been more interested in falling into later that night.
Abby had given up hope that Gibbs would ever reciprocate her feelings and had almost reconciled herself to that over the years. Although there was an expression on his face and a look in his eye just now that had her intrigued. His breath on her neck as he wrapped her in an almost desperate hug had had the usual effect of raising goosebumps all over her.
His quiet promise that she wouldn't be alone in her room tonight had also made her wonder… but she could have driven herself insane from all the mixed signals he'd sent her over the years. He'd had ample opportunity in the time they'd known one another to act on his feelings… if he felt anything for her beyond friendship. She'd waited long enough… and given him enough hints, or so she thought.
She hadn't dated anyone in a while, tired of being disappointed in virtually all the men she went out with. None of them even came close to Gibbs. It was far easier not to even bother. So she'd spent far too many long, lonely nights lately with only her fantasies of a certain silver haired Marine to keep her company and a bedside drawer full of toys to take the edge off.
So by the time she'd met Callen, she'd been more than tempted. She was tired of being alone. If she couldn't have Gibbs, perhaps she could develop something with the LA agent… or at least have some fun.
"Yeah, sorry about that, G. I was kinda held up," she teased, grateful for him trying to lighten the atmosphere. His sense of humor being only one part of him she was attracted to. "Will you take a rain check on dinner?"
Gibbs felt something cold settle in his chest at her words. Dinner? Dinner with Callen? She'd not mentioned that in her phone call yesterday when she'd spoken about going to the club with Eric.
Gibbs also couldn't help but notice that, even in a few short days, she'd developed a nickname for Callen… and he for her. There was an air of easy intimacy about them both as they talked that worried him more than he cared to admit.
Risking ratcheting up the death glare that he could feel being directed his way from Gibbs, Callen moved to hug Abby again, unable to resist wrapping his arms around her.
At least if the big guy took him apart, ER would be close by…
"I'll hold you to that, A. but in the meantime you really need to listen to the doctors."
"Oh, not you as well." Abby huffed at him. "Look, nothing the doctors have said has convinced me that I need to stay here. I'm not being irresponsible, Callen." Abby moved out of his arms and started to pace. "All I need is rest and time to get these drugs out of my system. I'm very tired and I'm not likely to get much rest here, am I? I'll sleep far better at my hotel… as dodgy as the mattress might be."
"He's right, Abbs." Gibbs joined in.
She looked from one set of vivid blue eyes to the other. "Are you sure neither of you were mother hens in a past life?" Gibbs snorted and shook his head. She was incorrigible.
Looking back at Gibbs, she continued, eyes narrowing, refusing to back down. "And this advice from the guy who won't let a bullet wound keep him in hospital. You two might as well accept that I'm discharging myself and taking a cab to the hotel if I have to. And if that argument doesn't sway you, you might like to remember that I haven't had caffeine since yesterday and I'm not going to be held responsible for the consequences if I'm forced to stay in here while I go cold turkey… and on top of all that, this hospital gown really isn't my color."
With an air of finality, Abby put her hands on her hips.
Callen suppressed a smile as Abby and Gibbs faced off. He'd bet good money on Abby being the one person who could get Gibbs to back down. It was amusing as hell to watch the hard assed agent, and the strongest man he knew, crumble under the weight of an adorable pout and a pair of green eyes.
Gibbs knew what was Abby doing. She was attempting to give the impression she was fine, a bright smile in place, acting normally… all in order to get discharged.
She was giving a performance and it would be a darn good one to anyone who didn't know her well.
Fortunately, Gibbs could see straight through it, but that didn't mean he wasn't sympathetic. It was the same strategy he used… except where she used smiles and coaxing, he used brooding silences, glares and threats to get the same result.
He raised his hands and signed, knowing she wouldn't lie to him if he did it this way.
I know what you're doing.
Abby looked startled but smiled at him as she signed back, And I know that you know.
Is it safe for you to leave hospital? Be honest.
That was the bottom line. He would take her out of there if it was okay for her to leave, but he'd fight her and make her stay if discharging her too early would in any way harm her health.
She nodded, signing I think it is. Trust me, eyes softening as she knew he was just trying to take care of her.
His signed reply warmed her heart. Always.
One of the nurses, Julie, approached and Abby greeted her with a smile. It was only the doctor's recalcitrant attitude which had annoyed her. The nurses who'd treated her had shown her nothing but kindness, and they in turn had warmed to Abby within minutes of her arriving.
"If it helps at all, Abby, the type of drugs in your system are not dissimilar to those we use in surgery." She looked over to the two men as she elaborated. "We use muscle immobilizing drugs sometimes to prevent spontaneous movements of muscles during surgery, typically for things like abdominal or thoracic surgery. The other drug he used on you is fairly similar to that used in general anesthesia, so I think you can expect the usual nausea which affects some people after they receive a dose of that."
Abby pulled a face. "Oh, yeah, I'm already getting that." Gibbs unconsciously stepped closer.
Julie continued. "The muscle paralysis drug, the one that will give you pins and needles, should wear off completely by tomorrow, so your stiffness will disappear. You might get intermittent pins and needles still over the next few days, but plenty of rest and massaging the muscles will help."
"Well, I can live with regular massage as a treatment," eyes twinkling as she smiled at the nurse, she looked up at Gibbs, who rolled his eyes at her.
"Yeah, I can imagine," Julie glanced over at the two men. "As for the nausea, just keep watching your diet for a few days and the pills will also help."
"Thanks, Julie. I'll be good, I promise." Abby surprised her with a hug.
Callen picked up the bag he'd brought in with him. "I picked up some fresh clothes from your hotel room, and there's your toothbrush in there too."
"That's great, G, just what I need." She rewarded him with a smile and a kiss on the cheek before turning to pick up a plastic bag from her bed. "In exchange, you'll need my clothes for evidence and," she glanced at Gibbs, hesitating, knowing how he was going to react before she said anything, "can you get them examined for semen."
Gibbs stepped to her side, hand reaching up to her shoulder, feeling nausea roll through him as he processed her words. "Abbs?"
Abby laid her own hand over his. "It's okay, Gibbs. I don't think I was raped," seeing him flinch. "I mean it doesn't feel as if I was raped, I'm sure I'd know... but I've no idea what he did while I was unconscious and that's… " she struggled for words, "that's freaking me out."
She swallowed and Gibbs could see the fear and dread flash across her face, knowing he was seeing a genuine reaction from her for the first time since setting foot inside the room.
Abby looked from one to the other. "I really need to know what he did, guys, if anything, and my clothes might tell us."
The fact that Callen hadn't shown any surprise told Gibbs that he suspected something already. Gibbs didn't want to confront Callen now but would get it out of him when Abby wasn't in earshot. He was holding something back… they both were. But pushing Abby now wouldn't achieve anything other than her clamming up on him.
Callen locked eyes with Abby, both remembering the sticky residue on her clothes.
He'd felt it as he held her but hadn't commented on it at the time. He knew he shouldn't be surprised that she'd been aware of it too. She was a scientist for Christ's sake, of course she'd seen it… or been able to smell it. She would have analyzed enough semen stained clothes in her career to not even need a formal analysis to tell her what the substance was.
Abby broke the tense silence. "Now scram the pair of you while I shower and get dressed." Nodding, Gibbs leaned forward and pressed his lips to her temple before leaving. Callen squeezed her hand as he passed.
She let out a sigh of relief when the two left. Keeping up the front of being okay was taking its toll, even if she knew Gibbs wasn't fooled. She just wanted to get out of here, get back to the hotel and rest.
Julie put her hand on Abby's arm, her expression concerned. "Are you okay, Abby?"
"Yeah, just tired I guess. I'll be happier when I can get out of here… no offence intended, you've been great."
"None taken. I'm not surprised you want to get out of here though. I would if I was being collected by those two."
Abby laughed, shaking her head. "It's not what you think."
"Oh, don't ruin my fantasy fodder for tonight, Abby." Julie kept her tone light, sensing Abby needed distracting and was rewarded by a laugh as she continued. "Those two are way too hot. We don't get many alpha males turning up in here… never mind two in one morning. You've cheered up all the nurses at any rate."
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After grabbing coffee from the vending machine, Gibbs and Callen had found a quiet corner to talk while they waited for Abby. Gibbs took a sip and grimaced, before throwing the cup in the nearest trash. "What's on her clothes, Callen… or do I even need to ask?"
Callen had been prepared for the question, knowing Gibbs wouldn't beat about the bush. "It looked like semen stains down the front of her clothes."
Gibbs closed his eyes, cursing under his breath as his imagination filled in the details… he thought he'd done with adding images to the memory bank of horrors today. He should have known it wasn't that easy. "Why didn't you tell me? You knew, didn't you?" he demanded.
Callen nodded, "I suspected, yeah. I noticed it when I held her... afterwards. And would it have really helped to know any earlier, Gibbs, to torture yourself?" he demanded.
"Stop trying to protect me, Callen, I need to know it all." Gibbs took in a deep breath, trying to calm down before continuing after a few moments, "Was there any earlier footage from that video feed?"
Callen shook his head, already knowing what he was thinking. "Don't know, Gibbs. When Eric found the feed and tuned in, it was already running. Eric said he'd got it rigged to record straight onto the hard drive of his PC, so there could be hours of footage, from the night before. I'll get Eric to check."
"Wanna know what that bastard did to her, Callen," rage clearly audible in Gibbs' voice.
"Me too, Gibbs. Me too. It makes me sick to my stomach to think what he might have done. He held her all night... whatever we saw in the morning may only be the half of it."
"Whatever you find, I'd like Ducky to see it… and I need to see it too." It wouldn't be easy, it would kill him to watch it but he knew he had to… he couldn't help her if he didn't know what the Phantom had done.
Callen hesitated. "Are you sure you want to put yourself through that, Gibbs?"
"There might be nothing but if there is, I need to see it… I need to see what the bastard did."
Callen was more grateful than ever that he'd killed the Phantom outright. Judging by the cold hatred in Gibbs' voice, if he'd been still alive, the Marine would have found a way to finish him… even if that meant breaking the law and ending up in Leavenworth himself.
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