Author’s Note: Angst Warning ahead…
Chapter 3: Big Scare
Two Weeks Later
Gibbs entered the house weighted down with grocery bags, to hear Tony speaking sharply on the phone with someone.
“No I don’t give a damn if you approve or don’t approve! This isn’t your decision to make! It’s my decision to make with my partner! You don’t get to tell me what to do! I don’t"” Tony’s words cut off abruptly as he was interrupted by whoever he was speaking with on the phone. Gibbs entered the room, a concerned look on his face. His eyebrows rose curiously when Tony’s face suddenly colored beet red. “MY CHILD IS NOT A FREAK YOU BASTARD,” he yelled into the phone before snapping it shut and throwing it on the counter, irritated.
“What was that all about,” Gibbs asked mildly.
Tony rolled his eyes. “My father found out his son is pregnant and was calling to congratulate us,” Tony replied sarcastically. He suddenly whimpered and doubled over as a cramp shot through his abdomen.
Gibbs was by his side in a minute. “Tony? C’mon let’s go sit down you need to calm down. Getting that mad isn’t good for you or the baby, Tony.” He helped Tony into the living room. Tony laid down on the couch, head in Jethro’s lap and looked up at him with watery eyes.
“He called our baby a freak, Jet,” Tony gasped, tears finally spilling over. Gibbs pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
“Hey shhh…sok…our baby is perfect, you wait and see. Your father’s an ass Tony; he always has been. I love you, and I’m so proud of you. You and our child are the most perfect thing that has ever happened to us. I’m so excited; I can’t wait to meet our daughter! Don’t worry about your dad Tony; don’t let him make this anymore complicated than it is. You need to focus on taking care of you and taking care of the baby. If he calls back, don’t answer it. I’ll deal with him if I need to.”
Gibbs ran his fingers through Tony’s hair, watching with a smile as Tony’s eyes slid shut and he finally relaxed. “It’s going to be alright, Tony,” he said quietly.
Anymore, that seemed to be his mantra.
Seven Months Pregnant…
As sick as Tony was, he insisted that he was alright to continue working. Gibbs reluctantly agreed as long as Tony agreed to ride the desk and not go out in the field. For a couple of months that was how the team had operated. Gibbs’ team would get a case; everyone (including Tony) would bounce out of their chairs ready to go before Tony would sheepishly lower himself back into his seat. “Habit,” he’d say and they’d laugh. But it was no secret that Tony hated riding the desk and no secret that he felt like crap. He felt so badly in fact, that most days he didn’t even complain about the desk duty. It was all he felt like doing and if he were honest with himself, it was actually more than he felt like doing.
After one particularly bad night, Tony and Gibbs stumbled sleepily into the office and Tony immediately excused himself to the head. Gibbs was concerned, but Tony was sick so often anymore, that this didn’t seem out of the ordinary. When Tony didn’t come back after a few minutes though, Gibbs started to get worried, and just as he decided to go check on him and see if he needed help, his cell phone rang.
He frowned at the caller ID and answered the phone. “Tony?”
There was no response, so Gibbs rushed off to the men’s room. He expected to find Tony in one of the stalls, heaving up his breakfast. He did not expect to find him with his face planted into the floor tiles, crying and moaning in pain and grasping his growing belly, cell phone discarded beside him. Gibbs was on his knees in a heartbeat.
“Tony? Babe you with me? You ok?”
‘Stupid question, Marine,’ he growled in his head.
Tony moaned and grabbed Gibbs’ hand, “Something…wrong…baby…” he gasped, “need…need hospital…”
Gibbs’ gut screamed"if Tony was asking to go to the hospital, then it must be bad. He ran a hand over Tony’s hair as he pulled out his cell phone.
“Sok, sok shh…gonna be ok…yeah this is Special Agent Gibbs at NCIS. I have an agent down in the men’s room on the third floor. Pregnant male, 32 years old, having abdominal pain and he’s collapsed. Yeah he’s conscious…7 months…alright.”
He hung up the phone. He gently turned Tony over so he was lying on his side, and his head rested on Jethro’s lap.
“Gonna be alright now DiNozzos,” Gibbs’ voice was toned so quietly Tony wasn’t even sure he heard the words or that affectionate nickname he’d given him and the baby, as his fingers continued to stroke through Tony’s hair. Gibbs referred to him as a plural now whenever he used his surname to address him. Tony found it endearing if not outright cute.
“Help’s coming; you and Little Bit just hang on a few more minutes alright?”
Tony nodded, barely conscious.
“Love you…Jet,” Tony whispered, “don’t leave me, please…I’m sorry"” he was cut off by another contraction and he nearly screamed in pain.
“Hey calm down! Shhh it’s ok I’m not goin anywhere without you. I’m going to go with you to the hospital and I’ll stay with you the whole time, alright?”
“Yeah,” Tony whispered, “’s good.”
***
That Afternoon…
Gibbs had given up on trying not to pace the waiting room. Dr. Phillips had met them in the Emergency Room and they’d been whisked upstairs to the Pre/Post-Natal Ward and Gibbs had been politely kicked out of the room and exiled to the waiting room.
That had been hours ago. Finally Dr. Phillips came out.
“Good God can I see Tony now please?!” Patience was a distant memory, in its place was worry, fatigue, anxiety and more than a little anger at being so out of control.
“Mr. Gibbs have a seat I want to talk to you.”
Gibbs flopped himself into a chair, out of character for himself, normally he moved with the grace and determination of a good marine.
“I’m concerned about Mr. DiNozzo,” Dr. Phillips started. “He hasn’t been getting enough rest, I don’t think.”
“He can’t sleep"he’s up all night being sick! He takes naps everyday though, and really tries to take it easy. I’ve been worried about him for a while though; he’s so tired, and he keep getting so dizzy…”
“I’m glad we’re in agreement then. I think the best thing for him right now is rest.”
“You mean like bed rest?”
“I want to suggest something a little more extreme than bed rest. I want to put him to sleep"”
“Is it safe,” Gibbs interrupted, “I mean, it won’t hurt the baby will it? Won’t hurt Tony?”
“I want to sedate him. The medication we will use is entirely safe with pregnancies. While he’s asleep I want to also put him on a nasogastric tube.” At Gibbs’ blank look the doctor clarified, “it’s a feeding tube. I’m concerned that he’s lost so much weight. By using the feeding tube, we can give him some very nutritional formulas that will help him regain some weight.”
Gibbs felt kicked in the gut. He didn’t think Tony would go for this. He wasn’t sure he was going to go for it. “How long do you want to keep him out?”
The doctor sighed and rubbed a hand over the back of her neck. “I’m going to say a week to start. Now let me explain. With this particular form of sedation, it is possible for him to be awakened. There will even be points when he will wake up on his own. I am not putting him into a coma; I’m simply medicating him so that he can get some of the rest he needs so badly. The sedative is in a form that will help him find a natural sleep pattern and maintain it.”
“I want to discuss this with Tony before we decide anything.”
“I really think it would be for the best. I’m also writing him off work until after the baby is born. I know he wants to work, and I know he’s been on light duty for several months now, but I really think at this point his pregnancy is too complicated to continue in the manner we’re currently operating in. He needs some serious rest and nutrition. Mr. Gibbs you’ve done an excellent job of caring for your partner. He just needs a little extra help.”
“Will people be able to visit him while he’s here?”
“That is another thing I wanted to discuss with you. Mr. DiNozzo’s blood pressure is too high. It is not so high that it’s a danger at this point, however, with additional stress that could change at any time. I would like for you and your partner to construct a list of people who will not stress him out. During the time he is asleep, his body needs to remain as relaxed as possible. If there are people who you know stresses him, those people will not be permitted to visit during that time. Visitors will be restricted only to the names on the list you will give me.”
Gibbs ran a hand through his hair. “Can I go talk to Tony about all this?”
Dr. Phillips nodded. “Right this way.”
***
Tony looked much better than he did when Gibbs had seen him last. He was resting heavily against the pillows, and the head of the bed was angled up so he was mostly sitting up. He looked…comfortable, and Gibbs breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hey Jet,” Tony sighed in relief when he saw Gibbs finally. “They wouldn’t let you back here. I begged and begged for them to get you.”
Gibbs shot a dirty look at Dr. Phillips. “It would be in your best interests, doctor if you concur with my partner’s wishes in the future.”
Dr. Phillips looked uneasy for a moment then nodded. “I was merely trying to get Tony’s vitals under control, Mr. Gibbs,” she said snippily. “I have his best interests in mind.”
“If he says he wants me near, then I’m going to be here. That’s what is in his best interest. Clear?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Crystal,” she replied coldly. “I’ll leave you two to talk. You have many things to discuss.”
Gibbs shut the door behind her and leaned against it. He let out a long sigh and stared at Tony.
“How are you really? Are you alright?”
Tony nodded. “I’m ok,” he said. He looked apprehensive, “what do we need to ‘discuss?’”
“Doc wants to help you get some rest. She’s got some medication she wants to give you…it’ll help you stay asleep for longer, help your body get some of the rest it needs. She also wants to put you on naso-nasa-uh, a feeding tube through your nose, while you’re asleep to help you regain some weight.”
“So I’d have to stay here.”
Gibbs grimaced. He knew this would be a big deal for Tony who absolutely-under-no-circumstances-ever wanted to be in the hospital. Even when he’d had the plague last year he’d been fighting tooth and nail to get out as soon as he’d been able to breathe on his own again without coughing up a lung.
“You would have to stay here, yes,” he finally replied.
“But it would help the baby?”
Gibbs nodded. “She seems to think so. We could ask Ducky first if you’d like…”
“How long?”
“Would you be asleep?”
Tony nodded.
“A week to start. Maybe longer if she decides you need more rest.”
Tony’s eyes stared at the wall now. “I don’t want to be in a coma, Gibbs,” he said quietly.
Gibbs sat down on the edge of the bed. He knew Tony didn’t like not being able to watch his own six, even when incapacitated. He also knew that came from a childhood where he basically raised himself and took care of himself. Gibbs ran a hand through Tony’s hair.
“Not a coma, Tony. You’ll be able to wake up.”
Tony bit his lower lip and thought about it for a moment.
“Will you stay with me?”
“Babe you don’t even have to ask,” he said. “I promised you I’d be with you every step of the way. I meant that. I won’t leave you, not at all if you don’t want me to.”
Tony took a deep breath. “I have to do what’s best for the baby,” he finally said. Gibbs nodded. “Doc wants us to put together a list of people that you are okay with visiting you while you’re asleep. She said to make sure you leave off any people who stress you out or get you too excited.”
Tony leaned back against the pillows. Jesus this was hard! How could he pick and choose among his friends"how could he tell some they could come visit and others not? Gibbs picked up on his anxiety.
“Calm down, Tony,” he said softly, “I’ll help you. And I’ll be here, so that helps, right?” Tony nodded. “It’s going to be alright.”
***
That night Gibbs delivered the list to Dr. Phillips. “Abigail Sciuto, with supervision,” she read.
Gibbs nodded. “Abby’s amazing…but she’s also very hyperactive. Tony wants her to be able to come visit, but only if I’m there to supervise it and calm her down if need be. She’s his best friend though, we can’t keep her away.”
Dr. Phillips continued down the list of people, names and relationships to Tony and Gibbs. “Dr. Donald Mallard…Timothy McGee…Jenny Sheppard…Kate Todd…Jackson Gibbs…Mr. Gibbs I don’t see anyone listed here as Tony’s family.”
“They’re all listed there"we’re not blood related to anyone except Jackson is my father, but other than that we’ve all adopted each other I guess you can say. No one in Tony’s biological family is welcome right now. They all cause too much stress and pain for him. I’m certain he’d miscarry if any of them showed up.”
Dr. Phillips raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. “Is Mr. DiNozzo ready?”
Gibbs nodded. “One other thing before you do this…”
She stopped and turned and looked at him. “Yes?”
“I’m not leaving his room.”
“Well during visiting hours you’ll be allowed to stay as long as you want, but when visiting hours are over"”
“When visiting hours are over I’ll be sleeping on the couch in the room. I’m not leaving him. It’s that or we don’t do this. Tony’s words, not mine.”
She narrowed her eyes at him again. “We’ll see.”
TBC
Chapter End Notes:
Warning: Angst Ahead!