After spending half an hour in the ICU with Gibbs, Ducky suggests that they make their way to the hospital cafe and get something to eat. Neither Tony nor Abby voice their concern about Leslie, each fearing that this ordeal might have been just too much for her. As they follow Ducky to the cafe, they steal glances at each other while remembering their kiss.
The cafe is brightly lit up and the chairs are arranged in 4 seater cubicles affording the patrons privacy if they so desire. A young waitress takes their order and Tony smiles at her. She smiles back at him as Abby kicks him under the table. How can you be grinning like that at another woman after the way you kissed me she thinks as she narrows her eyes at him. Tony frowns as he rubs his leg and stares back at Abby wondering, just what is going on here? As they wait for their food to arrive, Tony excuses himself and goes and stands out on the café's balcony. He watches the setting sun for a few minutes and then he removes his cellphone and calls McGee.
"McGee!" The call is answered abruptly.
"Hey Probie. Don't you sound busy. So do you finally see that being a real agent is a tough job? I hope that you have more respect for us senior agents now." Tony chirps as he tries to lighten the mood.
"How are Gibbs and Leslie?" McGee asks, ignoring Tony's banter.
Tony sobers as he closes his eyes and says, "Gibbs is in critical condition in the ICU, as a result of swelling on his brain. Leslie's still in surgery. What did you find at the scene?" McGee is silent as he digests what Tony has said. Leslie, It's my fault that you are in this situation. I should never have let him take you. I will never be able to forgive myself if you don't make it. And Gibbs, If only I had kept Leslie safe than you too would have been okay. I'm so sorry that I failed you Boss. Please God, they have to come out of this okay. McGee silently prays.
"McGee? Do you have anything for me?" Tony asks as he becomes a bit impatient and turns his back to the setting sun.
"Mm yeh, Jimmy has bagged whatever was left of Samuel. It seems that the whole building was rigged to explode but we must have disturbed Samuel as he did not finish setting all the charges. We have found a few intact explosives cartridges in the back of the building which the bomb squad in tracing back to the manufacturer. We also found what was left of a cellphone which I assume would have been Samuel's. As soon as I get back to the office I will try and trace the last few numbers that were dialed. Fornell's team is processing the car and they will forward their report to us shortly. Oh and I called Allison Keys and told her what happened."
"Good job McGee. When you are done there make your way to the hospital so that we can decide on the next step. With Gibbs incapacitated we will have to sign off on this investigation." Tony says as he runs a hand through his hair.
"Okay Tony, I'll be there as soon as I can." McGee says as he hangs up.
As Tony walks back into the cafe he notices that the food has arrived. As soon as he sits down, Abby asks, "Were you speaking to McGee?"
"Yes," Tony replies as he fills them in on what McGee has found so far. As soon as they are done eating they make their way back to the ICU waiting room.
Allison Keys dials the number for the 5th time on her mobile phone as she paces the length of her living room. Answer damn it, she curses.
"Shalom Allison, is it done?"
"Where were you? I've been calling for the last hour!" Allison asks impatiently.
"Is it done?" he calmly asks again.
"Samuel is dead. He died in the explosion." She states.
"And Gibbs?" he quietly asks.
"Gibbs and the female agent were taken to the hospital in critical condition."
"That idiot Samuel could not do one thing right. I don't know why you got him involved in the first place." the man growls angrily on the other side of the line.
"He was malleable and dispensable. With his explosives background he should have been able to kill Gibbs without all these complications." Allison says defensively.
"Well you were wrong about him. You better take care of this Allison. I will be in town by the end of the week. So you have 5 days to get rid of Gibbs. And if you can't handle it then I don't need to keep you around do I."
"Don't threaten me Ari." Allison says calmly, "I will take care of Gibbs and as a bonus I will take care of the new female agent that he seemed to have a thing for."
"Oh, really. I'm almost sorry that I will miss this. Take care of her first, in front of him just the way I did Caitlin in front of him. I want him to suffer before he dies. Don't fail Allison. You know that there can not be any link between me and Gibbs' murder. So he has to die before I arrive in town. Do you understand?" Ari says softly.
"I understand. I'll take care of it personally. Shalom." Allison says as she hangs up and starts planning her next move.
Back in the ICU waiting room another 45 minutes passes with no news about Leslie. Even Ducky starts showing the strain that the waiting is having on him. Tony starts pacing again and Abby alternates between watching Ducky and watching Tony and twirling her pigtails around her fingers. At the same time McGee rushes into the hospital and makes his way to the ICU waiting room hoping to find the rest of the team there. As he enters the waiting room, he nods his head in greeting and goes and stands next to Tony.
A second later the door to the waiting room opens again and a tired Dr Johnson walks steps in.
"Dr Mallard, Agents" Dr Johnson greets as he takes a seat next to Ducky.
"Doctor, Is Leslie?" Tony swallows, "How is Agent Burnett?" he continues a moment later.
The Doctor looks at all of them and then focuses on Ducky as he says, "Her injuries are extensive and she has lost a lot of blood. Coupled with that, there are bruises and abrasion almost everywhere on her body. She went into hypovolaemic shock on the table." Ducky closes his eyes as he hears this. Tony goes and stands behind Abby.
"Oh God, What does that mean? Is she alive? Is she going to be okay?" Abby asks anxiously unable to bear the tension. Tony places his hands on her shoulders and squeezes gently. McGee stands to one side and silently prays for a miracle.
"Hypovolaemic shock is when a patient goes in to a delayed shock reaction as a result of not having enough blood circulating in the body. But we have managed to stabilize her for the time being." Dr Johnson says and everyone sighs out in relief.
"Thank goodness." Ducky says as he leans back in his chair.
"As you can guess she is in critical condition. We are giving her blood and fluids to help increase her blood pressure and reduce the risk of a cardiac arrest. She will shortly be moved into the ICU ward where Agent Gibbs is. If she pulls through tonight then her chances for a full recovery are good." Dr Johnson reassures them.
"Doctor thank you for all that you have done." Tony says as he recovers his ability to speak.
"It's my pleasure. You should all go home and get some rest. They will need you once they wake up."
"Thank you Doctor, We'll just look in on Leslie and then we'll leave." Ducky says as he shakes the Doctor's hand.
"How is Gibbs?" McGee asks once the Doctor leaves. Abby stands up and lets Tony's hands slip off her shoulders. She walks up to McGee gives him a hug and takes his hand as she says, "Let's go and look in on him and I'll fill you in." Tony feels a jolt of jealousy as he sees the two of them leave the room hand in hand. Stop it Tony. What the hells the matter with you? he reprimands himself as he tries to shake of this uncomfortable feeling.
As McGee and Abby enter the ICU ward, McGee is taken aback by how vulnerable Gibbs looks lying in this white room with all the monitors beeping around him. Abby drags him further into the room and next to the bed. Gibbs' face is pale and he has a band aid across the left side of his forehead.
"Abby I need a few minutes alone with Gibbs." McGee says. Abby understands that this is a very emotional time and she also knows that McGee is not the type of person to express his feeling in front of anyone so she hugs him and says, "I'll be waiting outside when you are done." And then she leaves the room.
McGee stares at Gibbs and his emotions just bubble up inside him. He hesitates as he takes Gibbs hand into his. Gibbs has been such an inspiration to him and he can not believe that he has let him down so badly. He is not normally a talker but he feels like he has to tell Gibbs what he is feeling, so he allows the words to flow out of him.
"Boss you need to pull through this so that you can kick my butt for screwing things up so badly. I will understand it you want me to leave your team. God alone knows that I should have stuck to my desk job as I was not cut out to be a field agent. I'm so sorry Boss." McGee whispers as he closes his eyes and allows the tears to run silently down his face.
He suddenly feels Gibbs hand twitch. At first he thinks that he has imagined the sensation and then Gibbs does it again. McGee reciprocates by squeezing Gibbs hand lightly.
"Gibbs can you hear me?" he asks hopefully as he leans over Gibbs.
Where the hell am I? What's wrong with me? So heavy and weak, Gibbs wonders as he hears a voice but he can not make out what is being said. He feels like he is floating and all his limbs are disjointed and separate. He feels a drum beating mercilessly against his forehead and the pain is radiating down his cheek and up around his head to his neck. Everything feels tightly held down and he can not move. But most of all he feels dazed and like he has no control over himself. I have to get up. Need to move. What is wrong with me? he wonders. He tries to open his eyes and that's when McGee sees his eyes flutter for a split second before closing again.
"Boss can you hear me." McGee asks again.
So tired and so weak. I need to…. Gibbs drifts back into the dark abyss where pain and confusion no longer exist.
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