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Sasha gets all her instruments ready on the bunk next to Tony's. Tony watches her, noting that the pain although bad, is bearable now. He has started shivering as a result of the fever. As he lifts his head and sees the surgical kit laid out on the bunk, he shallows the lump in his throat. Those scalpels remind me of ‘Nightmare on Elm Street.'
Gibbs approaches him and helps him up into a sitting position as he holding a hot cup of coffee to his lips. Tony is surprised by the concern and compassion Gibbs is showing him, but he keeps quiet and sips the coffee enjoying the warmth that spreads through his limps.
"So, how … bad is it?" Tony finally asks as a shiver racks through him and Gibbs pulls his jacket tighter around his shoulders. Everyone exchanges glances before Gibbs looks at Tony and says, "It's not good, but it's not that bad either and we are going to take care of it."
The poison is a myotoxin because it's attacking the Tony's muscles. It doesn't appear to be a haemolysin or neurotoxin as it isn't attacking his blood cells or nervous system. Although it could be doing some damage there and we wouldn't know it. A myotoxin can affect Tony's kidneys, lungs, heart, any one of his major organs so we have to work fast. Gibbs remembers Sasha's informing them.
"Tony, we think that you were bitten by a spider or an insect that was venomous." Sasha says as Tony swallows the lump in his throat. Tony looks at Gibbs, fear evident in his eyes. Gibbs reacts by placing a supporting hand on Tony's shoulder. Kate takes his hand into hers and squeezes it trying to offer him comfort. McGee starts removing everyone's belts from their backpacks. He feels nauseous thinking about what Sasha is about to do to Tony.
"We are going to have to drain the blister on your leg to remove the poison and prevent it from spreading. You will probably be ill for a few hours but in a few days, you should start feeling much better." Sasha says as she nods to Gibbs and McGee.
"Tony, we need you to lie on your stomach. I'm going to sedate you now and give you another shot of morphine for the pain. And Tony, I promise you, you're going to be okay." Sasha vows as she continues setting up everything that they will need. This is all my fault. He has to survive and be okay. I won't let him or anyone else die... Sasha swears as she looks at the fear and worry in all the agents faces.
"Mmm, Boss… Can't we wait … until we get out of here… You can take … me to the …hospital and … I won't complain for a second." Tony asks while looking at Sasha's frightening instruments. This is bad, really, really bad. Tony fears as another shiver racks through him.
"Tony, we have to do it now. And come morning, you will be going to the hospital." Gibbs says.
"Okay…" Tony nods as he takes a deep breath. He realizes that he is outnumbered and it is too late to run.
"Let's do this already. I need … I need to be … sorted out by… Tuesday because … I have … a date … with the …new clerk in …the legal … department…" Tony says between shivers as he turns over onto his stomach. Kate covers him with the sleeping bag as Sasha prepares two hypodermics. Kate watches Tony as she caresses his head. She can sense his fear and wishes that she could lessen it.As Sasha administers the shots into Tony's butt, he winces and Kate squeezes his hand and kisses his brow. Soon the medication starts to take effect. That is when Gibbs and McGee use the belts and bind Tony's legs down on the bunk.
"Hey… What…." Tony mumbles as he feels the restraints.
Kate whispers, "Shhh" in his ear as she continues to caress his head.
"Tony just relax. We're going to take care of you." Sasha quickly says. Then she uses warm water to clean the area around the blister. Tony squeezes his eyes shut and gasps as a throbbing pain slices up his leg.
"Oh God, This is going to be bad, isn't it!" Tony unconsciously voices out loud.
As Sasha gently probes the blister, Tony resists the urge to try and pull his leg away. Besides, the restraints are pretty tight so pulling away would likely cause more pain. Sasha and Gibbs look at each other, knowing that a procedure like this should be done in theatre under a general anesthetic.
"Okay Tony, take a deep breath and we'll do it on the count of three. I'll try and do it as quickly as possible." Sasha says as McGee leans across Tony's upper body and Gibbs holds his thighs and legs down.
"One…." Sasha says as she poises her hand with the scalpel over the blister, while holding his leg with her other hand. Tony swallows hard and takes a deep breath. The morphine has mellowed him out, but he knows that what's about to happen is probably going to be worse than anything his ever experienced before. Sasha takes a deep breath and than nods to Gibbs and McGee.
"Two!" With that Sasha cuts into the blister. Tony's entire body goes into spasm as he screams out in pain. Kate's eyes fill with tears as she continues to caress his trashing head and he squeezes her hand tightly. McGee and Gibbs use all their strength to keep Tony pinned to the bunk, each wishing that there was some way to make this more bearable for Tony. As Sasha cuts the top of the blister open, Tony continues to cry out in agony as tears roll down his cheeks. His leg feels like it has a hundred red hot pokers stuck in it and the pain which was tolerable only moments ago, becomes a raging inferno now. The blister starts to ooze blood and pus and Sasha uses surgical swabs to clean up the muck. Then she starts to press the flesh around the blister and force the remaining infected blood and pus out of the wound. When Sasha presses a particularly sensitive spot, Tony jerks violently and shouts out as he looses consciousness.
Everyone sighs in relief as Tony's body goes limp. Gibbs and McGee stand up while Kate wraps the sleeping bag more securely around Tony's upper body and thighs. Sasha continues to work on draining the blister. Only once the blood runs clear of pus does she stop pressing around the wound. Gibbs watches her, noting the perspiration on her forehead and the tears on her cheeks. He don't say anything as he hands her the antiseptic, which she applies liberally to the open wound and surrounding area.
"I can't stitch it up. It's got to form a scab and heal on its own." Sasha says as everyone watches her. Then they untie Tony's legs and Gibbs elevates it so that Sasha can dress and bandage it. They than roll Tony onto his back and settle him inside his sleeping bag. They know that the next few hours are going to be critical especially if Tony's fever gets worse or if the open wound becomes infected.
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