Title: Desperate Measures
Chapter: 05/07
Author: Ceindreadh
Email: Ceindreadh@eircom.net
Website: n/a
Permission to archive: Yes to WWOMB, anybody else, please ask first.
Fandom(s): NCIS
Genre (general, hetero or slash): Slash/Action/Angst/hurt & comfort
Pairing/Characters: Tony DiNozzo/Tim McGee
Rating: FRT
Warnings: violence/Tony bashing
Disclaimer. I don't own the NCIS characters, I'm only borrowing them, and I promise to return them in minty fresh condition when I'm finished.
Notes: Thanks to FatCat for her Beta'ing
Desperate measures
Previously on NCIS. A perp handcuffed Tony to a radiator in a burning building. McGee had to break Tony's wrist and hand in order to free him. Tony came to in hospital and originally thought that McGee had - as ordered - chopped his hand off to rescue him.
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"Whatever it is...it'll still be better than zero, which is what I'd have got if you'd a chopped it off." Tony wiped his hand across his eyes as he continued, "You can't imagine how grateful I am for that." He took a deep breath and a small grin flashed across his face as he continued, "So much so, that I'm not going to write you up for disobeying a direct order..."
McGee replied in all seriousness, "Write me up all you want...just so long as you do it with *that* hand."
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[Part 05]
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Tony reached out and stroked the side of McGee's face. McGee caught the hand and held it against his cheek for a few seconds before turning his head and kissing the inside of Tony's wrist. "I wish there'd been another way," he said softly. "I never wanted to have to hurt you."
Tony pulled his hand away and swatted McGee weakly on the back of the head.
"What was that for?" McGee asked indignantly.
"What have I told you about second guessing yourself, *Probie*! You made the best choice you could under less than ideal circumstances. And I promise you, whatever the outcome had been...I'd have stood by your decision...because...because I know you'd have made the one you thought was best."
"DiNozzo has a point...for a change."
At the sound of Gibbs's voice, both men jumped. Tony shot a quick "How long has he been there?" glance at McGee, but Tim just mouthed, "It's okay" back at him.
"Guess I should have brought three cups of coffee today," Gibbs added, as he moved over to the bed and handed one coffee to McGee. "But then I wasn't sure if you'd be still pulling your 'Sleeping Beauty' routine or not." Although Gibbs's tone gave nothing away, it was clear from the look on his face as he cast a watchful eye over Tony that he was much relieved that the younger man had finally woken up.
"How long was I out, Boss?" Tony was hoping that Gibbs hadn't been there long enough to see him touching McGee's face that way. It wasn't that he was ashamed of being with Tim, far from it, but he was aware of Gibbs's 'rule #12' and he didn't want either of them to get in trouble. Maybe he could blame it on whatever drugs he was being given...yeah right. The best thing was to maybe act as if nothing had happened and see what Gibbs did.
"It's been three days since you were admitted," said Gibbs, taking a swig of his coffee. "You've been in and out of consciousness for most of the time. The Doc said you were going to be fine, just needed time for your body to recover." He took another swig of coffee. "Of course I told him you were just being lazy." He grinned at Tony.
"Yep," said Tony, a little less tense now that Gibbs didn't seem to going to say anything about him and McGee. Maybe he'd only come into the room *after* he'd taken his hand away. Yeah, that had to be it. Tim wasn't looking worried, so that had to mean he knew Gibbs couldn't have seen anything, thought Tony. Cause Tim would be wetting his pants right about now if he'd thought Gibbs had caught them doing something they shouldn't. "I suppose all the reports have been typed up, right Boss?" he asked a little hopefully.
"You really think a broken hand is excuse enough to get out of typing reports, DiNozzo?" Gibbs landed a very gentle swat on Tony's head. "No chance. I expect you to be back at work as soon as the Doc clears you." He leaned in close to Tony's face and said in menacing tones. "And *this* time, you *will* remain on sick leave for as long as your Doctor deems necessary. Is that clear?"
"Um, crystal clear, Boss," replied Tony.
"Good," said Gibbs. "McGee," he barked, "Go home and rest, that's an order. The doc's are going to be all over Tony now that he's awake, so they won't let you stay anyway, and by God you look as if you could do with the rest. I'll drive you home."
"Yes Boss," said McGee, "I'll just be a minute."
"DiNozzo, you rest as well, that's an order. I'll be taking a statement from you in the morning, so I'd advise you to get your beauty sleep."
"Sure thing, Boss." Tony waited until Gibbs had left the room, before taking McGee's hand in his. "Whew, thought he'd caught us there for a minute."
"It's okay, Tony," said McGee, taking a sip of the coffee. "Gibbs already knows." The sudden tightening of Tony's hand on his, nearly made him choke on his drink.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
McGee's hands were shaking as he sat in the waiting room. The last few hours had been a nightmare.
After finally getting Tony out of the handcuffs, he had managed to drag him out of the room and down the hallway. But by the time they had reached the stairs, the fire was raging out of control, and their escape route was cut off. McGee had been forced to drag Tony back down the corridor, searching frantically for a room with a fire escape.
The smoke had been getting thicker and McGee's eyes were streaming by the time he'd finally found what he'd been looking for.
But the fire escape was rusty and looked barely able to hold a single person's weight, let alone two and McGee wasn't sure that he'd be able to carry Tony safely down what steps remained in the ladders. Unfortunately there was no other choice and McGee heaved Tony out onto the metal platform, hoping that this would at least buy them enough time until the fire brigade arrived. He tried dialing 911 again, but his hands had been cut when smashing through the window and McGee could only watch as the phone slipped out of his grip and went crashing to the ground below. "Hold on, Tony," he said to his unconscious partner as he held him tightly. "Fire brigade will be here soon."
The firemen had indeed arrived in the nick of time. Flames were licking round the edges of the window as McGee and Tony were loaded into the cherry picker and brought to safety. McGee had refused to let Tony out of his sight as the paramedics took over and even when they reached the E.R., he still wouldn't leave.
It took a direct order from Gibbs before McGee allowed himself to be led away and examined for injuries, and even then, as soon as the Doctor had cleared him, he had hurried upstairs to wait until Tony came out of surgery.
"Here McGee, you look as if you need it."
McGee looked up to see Gibbs holding out a cup of coffee. He took it, his hands shaking so much that he nearly spilled it. "Tha...thanks Boss," he said, sipping it slowly.
"What did the Doctor say?" asked Gibbs as he sat down beside McGee.
"It's too early to tell if they'll be able to save his hand," McGee, swallowed hard. "The surgeon said he'd do his best...but there was so much damage..."
"I wasn't talking about DiNozzo's doctor, what did *your* doctor say?"
"What? Oh...oh, I'm fine...just some cuts and burns on my hands...a little smoke in my lungs. I'm fine, really."
A door was pushed open at the end of the corridor, and McGee looked up hopefully, only to be disappointed when the surgeon that came through passed by without looking at him.
"It could be another few hours before DiNozzo is out of surgery," said Gibbs, watching McGee carefully. "And even then, it'll be hours before he's able to talk. You should go home and get some rest, maybe get cleaned up a bit."
McGee absently brushed at some smoke stains on his jacket. "If it's all the same, I...I'd rather stay...at least until I know To...DiNozzo's going to be okay."
"You did what you had to do, McGee."
McGee shook his head, "I should have been able to do more...I messed up Boss, I shouldn't have let Tony go in alone."
"Tony's a big boy now, he can make his own decisions. Just like you have to." Gibbs took a swig of his coffee before adding. "You know the real reason behind rule twelve...it's so that you'll never be put in the position of having to make a decision like that about somebody you care that much about."
McGee had just taken a mouthful of coffee as Gibbs said this. He couldn't have looked more like a rabbit caught in the headlights if he'd had big furry ears and whiskers.
"Either spit or swallow, McGee."
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"You gonna spit or swallow that, McGee?" Tony asked lazily as McGee lifted his head. Not that he really cared much one way or the other...not after that mind blowing blow job that Tim had just given him.
McGee reached for a towel and wiped it across his mouth before using it to clean up Tony. Then he crawled back up the bed and pulled the bedclothes up to cover their naked bodies. This was the best bit as far as he was concerned. Not that he didn't enjoy the sex...far from it...sex with Tony was the best he'd ever had. But it was these shared moments after sex, when the warm glow hadn't faded yet. These were the moments when Tony was at his most open, and a question asked now would get a more serious and honest answer than at any other time.
"So, how would you rate my performance out of ten *this* time?" teased McGee, even as he gently stroked Tony's chest.
"Ooh, I don't know Tim, I think I lost track of the marks I was giving...maybe I need an action replay just to make sure I'm not marking you down." Tony laughed, and then yelped as McGee pulled a little too hard on his chest hair. "Okay okay, it's ten out of ten...again!"
"Good."
"Well I think that your continuing expertise in the subject is really down to the excellent tuition you've been getting." Tony leaned over and kissed McGee on the nose.
"Hmph, well you certainly don't get ten out of ten for modesty."
Tony flashed a grin at McGee before leaning back against the pillows. "Some days I can't believe how lucky I am to have you."
McGee propped himself up on one elbow and looked at Tony. "Really? But you could have any guy or girl you wanted?"
"But I don't want anybody else...just you." Tony reached up and stroked McGee's face. "I never thought you'd be interested in a guy like me...somebody who barely knows how to turn on a computer."
McGee took Tony's hand and kissed it. "And I thought you were just interested in anybody you could charm into bed with the least effort possible. It wasn't until..." his voice trailed off.
"Until when?"
"Until that day on the rooftop...when I heard the shot...all I could think about was whether you were okay."
Tony pulled McGee into an embrace. "I was just so glad that you hadn't been there. All I could think of while looking at Kate was thank God it hadn't been you."
"I don't think I could bear seeing you hurt."
"I don't think I could bear seeing me hurt either." Tony squeezed McGee tighter.
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To be continued
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony has been in a lot of dangerous situations, but this had to be one of the worst.