Chapter 4: An Unexpected Visitor
“Are you ready for me to administer the medication now Mr. DiNozzo?”
Tony looked from the doctor to Gibbs and back again. “Did you tell her, Jethro,” he asked tiredly.
Gibbs nodded. “I told her. I’m not leaving. You make me leave and Tony’s going with me,” he promised the doctor.
Dr. Phillips nodded. She didn’t agree with it, but she knew these two well enough to know they weren’t kidding. She had no doubts that Mr. Gibbs would carry an unconscious Mr. DiNozzo out of the hospital if she tried to make him leave. Maybe it was just as well though. They seemed to be good for each other"Mr. DiNozzo certainly did a lot better physically when he was close to Mr. Gibbs than he did when he wasn’t around him"this morning had proven that.
“Alright Mr. DiNozzo…I’m going to start you on the bag of medication. It will take probably 15 or 20 minutes to really begin making you drowsy. Tomorrow while you’re asleep we’ll insert the nasogastric feeding tube. Sound good?”
Tony took a deep breath and steeled himself. He had to take care of the baby. He nodded. “Good to go, Doc.” She hooked the bag up and he watched as the fluid started dripping toward his vein. He looked at Gibbs.
“Jet,” he said quietly as Dr. Phillips left them alone.
“Right here Tony,” Gibbs sat on the edge of Tony’s bed and pulled his hand into his lap. “You’re gonna be alright. I got your six, Tony.”
The two sat in the stillness for a few minutes, not really saying anything, when Tony started blinking heavily.
“Jet,” he said again, even quieter this time, but Gibbs heard the apprehension and fear in his voice.
“You’re alright Tony, it’s the meds…you’re just getting sleepy is all…just rest Love…just relax…”
“Will…hold me…please…?” Tony slurred, his eyes already starting to drift shut.
Gibbs crawled up in the bed with Tony. Tony rolled to his side and planted his head on Gibbs’ shoulder. “Love you,” he whispered, eyes finally closing and remaining so.
“I love you too Tony,” Gibbs whispered, fingers tracing through his hair, “I love you so much.”
***
Three Days Later…
It was going like clockwork. Tony was able to come up out of the sedation for a few minutes each day. Mostly, though, he remained asleep. He didn’t dream, he didn’t really even move around much. The insertion of the nasogastric tube had been painless, not even drawing a flinch from Tony. Already his color was improving and he seemed to be faring the pregnancy much better. Gibbs was relieved that his partner was finally getting some rest, and had finally stopped throwing up.
Everyone on the visitor list had dropped by at least one time to visit Tony, after checking in at the nurses’ desk. Gibbs spoke with Director Sheppard when she came to visit and he explained to her that Tony was out of work until after the baby was born. She nodded her head, understanding.
“I want to take off as much time as I can to be with Tony,” Gibbs told her.
Sheppard nodded her head without hesitation. “He’s going to need help,” she agreed. “You certainly have enough leave saved up. I think you could take almost a year off without any problem,” she’d said with a laugh. “Take as much time as you need Jethro,” she said seriously. “You two are my two best agents. Do what you need to do.”
It was Saturday afternoon; Tony had been asleep for three days and Gibbs was thankful there had been no mishaps. No one not listed on the visitor list had showed up, there had been no drama, there had been no fireworks. Everything was calm and peaceful"exactly what Tony needed.
Which was probably why Gibbs’ gut was churning.
Dr. Phillips checked on Tony regularly and was very pleased with the progress he was making. “Mr. Gibbs would you step with me down to the nurse’s desk for a moment,” she said. “I want to discuss our next steps with you, and I think it would be better if we don’t disturb Tony’s rest,” she said.
Gibbs looked at his sleeping lover. He looked so much healthier now. “Only for a couple of minutes,” he said. “I promised him I’d stay. If he wakes up and I’m not in here…I’ll be in deep shit,” he said with a grin. He followed the doctor out of the room and down the hall.
It was the first time in seventeen years he ignored his gut.
***
Dr. Phillips expressed over and over again how pleased she was with Tony’s progress. She and Gibbs talked about taking Tony off the sedative after the allotted week and monitoring him for a few days. “It’ll give him a chance to see his loved ones too and talk with them. Then if we decide we need to let him sleep some more we can do that,” she explained. Gibbs agreed.
Five minutes after he left he walked back into the room that was completely different from the way he’d left it.
***
The overhead fluorescent lights were on; when he left they hadn’t been. Gibbs’ gut lit up and he rushed into the room. In a million years he’d never expected to see Tony’s father standing over Tony’s bed. He’d never expected to see Tony’s eyes open wide in fear, trying to gasp or yell for help, but still too drugged to accomplish it. He’d never expected to see Tony’s father hitting him…over and over…ruthlessly…in the stomach…right on the baby…
Tony was groaning, his hands were trying to bat away the assault, but his movements were slow and sluggish. Gibbs sprang into action.
“YOU SONOFABITCH WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO TONY?!?! GET OFF OF HIM YOU BASTARD!!! HE’S PREGNANT!!!”
Several security guards heard the ruckus and entered the room in time to see Tony’s father land one last punch on the startled incapacitated man, and quickly restrained and escorted him out of the room. The doctor came rushing in, her eyes wide with shock.
“Ohmygod,” she whispered, “I can’t believe this happened…”
Gibbs flipped around on her, rage full blown. “How the hell did that sonofabitch get in here?! He wasn’t on the fucking list!! We made sure NOT to include Tony’s father on the goddamn list for this very reason!! What the fuck just happened?!”
Her eyes lowered and Gibbs thought for a moment that he just might kill him a doctor.
“I added his name to the list,” she whispered, lifting a shaking hand to cover her mouth. Gibbs eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped just slightly. “He told me he was concerned, that he missed his son, wanted to be a part of the baby’s life…I thought…I thought maybe you all were overreacting…I…I’m sorry…”
Gibbs’ eyes darkened, but before he could say anything Tony moaned softly in pain and Gibbs immediately turned back to him. “Hey Tony, you with me? You’re gonna be alright,” he spoke quietly to him, fingers through his hair, “gonna be ok,” he said. Tony’s eyes were wide with shock and pain and he clung desperately to Gibbs’ fingers; he was still heavily under the influence of the medication, trying desperately to stay awake and understand what had happened. Gibbs schooled his expression and made sure to stay in Tony’s line of sight.
Dr. Phillips made a move to examine Tony. Gibbs blocked her. “I suggest you find him another doctor. And I suggest you do it quickly. You’re off Tony’s case.” Without another word he turned back to Tony, and Dr. Phillips slipped out the door, quite certain that her career had just ended.
There was a quiet knock on the door a couple of minutes later. Gibbs barely looked up to acknowledge the new presence in the room; all of his attention was on Tony, wiping the sweat from his forehead and the tears from his cheeks. He did a double take when he saw who had come in the room.
“Now how did I know that eventually I would see the two of you in here again?” Brad Pitt smiled at the pair. “Though I didn’t expect it to be under these…conditions.”
“Pitt can you help him? Please somebody needs to help him! His father was here…hitting him in the stomach…I got him off Tony but I think I was too late…I think Tony’s hurt bad…”
Gibbs turned back to Tony; his lover’s face was almost gray with pain lines running deep around his eyes and mouth. Brad put a soothing hand on Gibbs’ shoulder.
“I specialize in male-pregnancy as well as pulmonary conditions,” he explained quietly, “I should be able to help. Let me just get in here and do a quick check…”
He pulled the sheets up from the foot of the bed and uncovered Tony’s lower half. Tony groaned in pain as the doctor examined him and squeezed Gibbs’ hand and Gibbs pushed his hair back from his forehead and looked straight into his eyes.
“Shh sok, gonna be alright, just relax and breathe honey. You can do it, c’mon control your breathing.”
Tony tilted his head towards Gibbs and squinted his eyes in pain. “Hurrttttttsssssss,” he moaned.
“Tony you’re looking alright. From what I can tell the placenta hasn’t been damaged. Now your body is beginning to show signs of going into labor, so we may need to get that under control. How far along are you?”
“Too early,” Tony panted, his voice barely a whisper. “It’s too early, Doc, you gotta stop it, it’s too early.”
Brad smiled gently. “How far along, Tony?”
Tony let out a shriek of pain. “Seven months,” he finally ground out.
Pitt relaxed. “Tony if it comes down to us having to deliver, you are far enough along that your baby should be fine. Now I want you to try and relax. I know you were under heavy sedation. I’m going to take you off the sedative and add something to your IV that should stop your contractions. I would normally prescribe magnesium sulfate to stop your contractions, but one of the side effects is a build up of fluid in the lungs. With your history of illness I don’t want to do anything to build up pressure or fluid on your lungs. No instead I’m going to give you a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, or PSH, to stop your labor contractions.”
Gibbs looked at him. “Side effects?”
“Tony you may experience some nausea or some heartburn.”
“And the baby?” Gibbs asked.
“It may raise the baby’s blood pressure and we’ll have to closely monitor lung, kidney and liver activities after the birth. However, we monitor those things anyway. Do you know if you are having a boy or a girl?”
Gibbs smiled slightly. “Girl.”
Tony shrieked in pain as a contraction gripped him suddenly. Brad patted Tony’s ankle. “I’m going to go get that IV I’ll be right back. Try and relax.”
Gibbs sat with Tony on the edge of the bed, holding his hand and rubbing his arm. He reassured him over and over that everything would be alright. A moment later, Brad stepped back into the room carrying another IV bag.
“I’m going to hook this up to the IV you already have going. We’ll watch you for an hour Tony, maybe two. If you’re still having the same amount of pain and if your contractions have not stopped, we’re going to have to deliver.”
He hooked up the bag and adjusted the flow. “Just relax. Try to get some rest.”
He left the room and a moment later was back with an Oxygen Concentrator and nasal canula. “I think this might help you rest a little easier Tony,” Brad said, slipped the canula into place around Tony’s nose and ears. Tony nodded; his eyes were pressed tightly shut and occasionally a tear would leak out. “Now if you need me call me. I won’t be far.” Brad smiled at Gibbs and Tony. “I’ve got your six gentlemen.” Gibbs and Tony smiled.
“Thanks Brad,” Tony whispered.
Two hours later, Gibbs was ready to pull his hair out. Tony’s pain hadn’t gone away at all, now he was throwing up on top of everything else, and he was still having contractions. Brad assured Gibbs that the vomiting could be an extreme side effect of the medication.
“Think of how he reacts to painkillers,” he said. “This is a walk in the park, Gibbs.”
Gibbs smiled at that. Pitt was right. Tony started heaving again and Brad grabbed a basin and positioned it under Tony’s mouth just in time to avoid him hitting the bed. Brad frowned when he saw Tony had started to vomit blood. He turned to Gibbs.
“Has he done this before now?”
Gibbs shook his head no, eyes wide. “Doesn’t that mean…”
Pitt hit the call button for the nurse’s desk. “It means you all are having a baby today Jethro.”
A nurse came into the room. “Please alert OR-1 that I have a patient coming in for an emergency cesarean. Be advised patient is male, and tachycardic.”
Tony’s eyes were wide. “What,” he panted. “What’s that mean? I’m what?”
Brad smiled at Tony. “Your heartbeat is a little fast and your blood pressure is a little high, Tony,” he said gently.
“Does that freakin surprise you, doc?”
Brad shook his head. “No not at all. But at this point it’s become enough of a concern that I think we should deliver your baby.”
Tony lay back against the pillows. “Can Jet stay with me?”
Gibbs looked at Brad. He would do whatever Tony needed, but there was a part of him that didn’t want to be anywhere near OR-1. Mortal wounds in a battlefield were one thing to witness…a surgical operation, Gibbs fought down a shudder; that was an entirely different ballgame. Brad looked from Tony to Gibbs.
“Gibbs may stay with you until you fall asleep, but he’ll need to stay in the waiting room while we deliver,” Pitt decided.
Tony nodded. “Will he be there when I wake up?”
Brad nodded. “Absolutely. He’ll be with you so the two of you can meet your daughter together.”
Finally, Tony smiled. Today he would get to meet his baby girl.
The anesthesiologist came by then and started hooking Tony up for surgery. Gibbs sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his thumb over the back of Tony’s hand. Tony was blinking hard, scared to go to sleep, not knowing what was going to happen.
“Don’t fight it babe,” Gibbs whispered. “You’re gonna be fine. You’re so amazing. I am so proud of you. I’m so proud to call you my lover.”
He pressed a kiss to Tony’s slackening lips and watched as Tony’s eyes crossed and then began to slip shut.
“I love you Tony,” he whispered.
“Love…too…Jet…” Tony slurred. Then he was asleep.
Gibbs let out a long breath and stood up. Brad put a hand on his shoulder.
“The surgery should take about an hour. If I feel like it will take longer, I will have someone let you know. At the very least you have time to go get a cup of coffee Gibbs. Try and relax some. Tony’s going to need you when he wakes up. It might be a long night.”
Gibbs nodded and with a glance back at Tony one last time, he slipped out of the room.
He thumbed open his phone and punched 2 on the speed dial.
“Hello Jethro,” Ducky’s lilting voice echoed into Gibbs’ ear. “What can I do for you?”
“Tony was attacked by his father. It’s sent him into preterm labor. They’re having to do an emergency c-section. Can you…”
“My word Jethro that’s terrible. Let me speak with Madam Director and I will be there within the hour. Shall I bring anyone else with me?”
Gibbs ran a hand through his hair. “Not for now, no. Tony’s pretty scared and understandably so. Dr. Pitt is taking care of him.”
“Is he having trouble with his lungs?”
“No Duck turns out Pitt specializes in male-pregnancies too. After everything that happened, I insisted they find Tony a new doctor. They sent us Brad. Thank God. If we had known, he’d have been in charge the whole time.”
“You will have to fill me in on the details when I arrive Jethro. For now let me go and I will join you shortly.”
“Please hurry Ducky,” Gibbs said quietly and ended the call.
Across town at NCIS Ducky looked at his phone in awe. Gibbs saying please and speaking quietly…never a good sign.
TBC
Chapter End Notes:
Hold on to your hats folks…it’s gonna be a bumpy ride…