Miserable
It took Gibbs quite a while to calm Robert down...but the miserable tot was still looking for his mother with tears falling down his round ruddy cheeks, he refused to eat anything, he only drank his water from his bottle; he latched on to his dad and refused Abby when she went to pick him up...Gibbs was frustrated, but he couldn't rip his tiny fists off his shirt, no way...and Robert looked at him in tears, begging him to stay with him, twice he called for his mother again...rubbing his wet face against his daddy's shirt, he found comfort in his smells.
Kate was away for a case, she's been gone for two days and they were supposed to be back this morning. Last night Gibbs called Kate on her mobile, to let her son listen to her voice, because he was looking for his usually present mommy who was not there to feed, clean or tuck him in; but it was a mistake...a very big mistake!
Gibbs recalled sadly; Robert ended up crying, yearning and screaming for his mother, not her voice. The angry boy snapped the mobile and threw it to the floor...and to make things worse, Kate ended up crying too; so they both cried on the phone, he could only hang up and console the boy in his arms, since then he was quite fussy...not his usual self, he didn't want to be left alone and quiet...
Gibbs can't wait for tomorrow...when Kate is supposed to be back, and Robert can not wait for his mommy to come back to him, instead of her voice...he misses her so much he cried again...and Gibbs misses his wife too. It was a rough night for the two of them...missing their beloved caretaker, but Gibbs has no idea of what is to come...
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So, after calming his son down but not being able to let him go without him crying furiously; he tries to trick the boy, by lying to him that he is going to the head and leaving him with Abby, but the impish angry boy sees his dad walking towards the elevator, the cold box that makes that "ding" sound and brings him up and down...which means...his daddy is going away...again!...and his mommy is not even there!...and Robert screams...a piercing cry, struggling, kicking blindly to escape from the tattooed arms that are holding him close to Abby, she tries to soothe him by kissing him and trying to grab Balboa's gun to distract the boy but the boy already has his dad's stubborn streak and absolute focus, Abby thought.
Gibbs hardens his broken heart, he needs to go to his guys in the field, and he continues his stride to the elevator, presses the button furiously...he has to work, and he is a professional...not a...
Suddenly he hears a wretched sound coming from his son, Bobby screams so loudly that he chokes and pukes all over Abby, while he cries. Gibbs stops in his tracks, turns back to Robert who is still crying furiously, his hands flying around, waiting for him to pick him up, " Sorry, Abby..." as he picks his boy up from the sad looking Abby, the techie said, it's OK and she hastily runs down for Ducky, she really wishes that Kate is there; Abby admitted to Kate that she is her rock, keeping her steady and calm, Kate doesn't panic easily, Abby does!
"Damn..." she walks back to Gibbs in a few minutes, telling him that Ducky is not there, he is out of DC for a conference and he will be back tonight. By the time Abby returned to the bullpen, Robert has stopped bawling, stuffing his sorry face on his dad chest, his arms encircling Gibbs' neck; Abby hears him call for his mother, she feels like crying herself. The Goth tells him that his mommy is coming home tonight...he understands and he nods. Abby tries to clean him but he says "no" so softly that she doesn't have the heart to force him out of Gibbs' arms.
After checking on his guys, he informs them that he is going home with Robert; Dinozzo said that he should, because McGee and him are kicking ass and they'll be fine.
That evening, he tries everything to make his son eat, but he only drinks...his mobile rings, "Kate" he calls her desperately, he recognized the ID, "I'll be home soon, ok? How is he?", " not so great, Kate, he wants you...but we'll be fine...I miss you too, hurry home..." he said to her.
"Miss you too, baby…let me talk to him..." she said "Hi Bobby...mommy is coming home...soon, OK? Now...OK? Mommy will see you soon..." Gibbs can hear her voice while she is talking to the boy. Robert just nods and calls "mommy" over and over again before he cries again; "oh God...I'll be home soon Jethro... I promise..." she sounds terribly morose, "we'll be fine Kate, don't worry...drive carefully...I've got to hang up...he is angry again..." Kate can hear her baby's angry cries calling for her as her husband hang up.
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They go to bed after he bathes him, he eats half a biscuit and that's it...so, Gibbs puts him to bed and the exhausted boy is sleeping fitfully; his dad keeps kissing him, says to his boy, he is so sorry that he couldn't provide him with a better life where his mother doesn't have to work, it breaks his old heart to see him miserable that way and he promised that he'll do his best.
Gibbs works on Kate's laptop while Robert is asleep on their bed; He couldn't concentrate; he recalled last month, he was home early which he seldom is, found Kate reading pamphlets and talking on the phone with her old friend, he sat beside her, kissed her lips...and he noticed the conversation and pamphlets, about an administrative job, a blasted boring desk job with the FBI?...oh God; his wife has let go of her career, her ego and her pride and she was looking for a job that she hates so much, so that they can afford the family and take care of their kid.
"Kate...are you sure?...but..." Gibbs sighed, Kate cut him..."It's not that bad Jethro…and it pays very well and it's a 9 to 5 job...and I am getting old anyway..." she joked with him, she knows his pride too well; before he can answer her..."Robert is looking for you...he is upstairs...go...go see him" she distracted him with their son.
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Gibbs slams the laptop down and covers his face with his hand, he is angry with himself, he should be able to afford his family with no complication...Damn alimonies, why? Why did he marry the damned women in his life, why hasn't he prepared for his future... it's his fault no matter how he put it; he gave up a long time ago, no hope for another wife, let alone a family with a boy...that's why he never saved up or did anything, he figured he'd die young on the job anyway...until he met Kate, married her and...they had Robert.
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Gibbs smiles in between his barracking of himself, he is thankful for his life now, he wouldn't have it otherwise; he is not complaining, just... regrets! bloody hell...there is no point in regretting, he has to do his best to solve the problem, with his loved ones on his side, he can do anything he put his mind to, anything...
He is jarred back to the present as he sees that Robert moves restlessly, Gibbs switches off the light and joins his baby, patting him back to sleep, this time he tells him that he is not going to be sorry that his daddy is Jethro Gibbs, because Jethro Gibbs doesn't give up easily, not until he is buried six feet under...and he promises his son that everything will be all right, he'll take care of his every need and he sleeps with the tot in his hold.
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Emergency
It is past midnight when Special Agent Gibbs has the shock of his life. He feels his son is tossing in his sleep, he hears him calling him weakly for a couple of times, "dadiiii" very softly. He swiftly turns the light on and pulls his son to his chest, he has fever...the boy has a freaking high temperature; he calls Ducky, he should be back..."Damn it" he curses under his breath, controlling his frustration, taking care not to shout, he doesn't want to upset the sick boy even further.
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He panics, he decides to bring him to the hospital, he truly wishes his wife was here, because she is always here when any of them was sick, she knows what to do and where to go if necessary. Robert is not bawling or crying, the kid just latches on to him and sobs piteously, his face is wet and flushed; he has to take him to the Emergency Room right now.
He grabs his jeans, grabs the boy and dashes down to his car...Robert perches his head on hid daddy's shoulder. It is raining cats and dogs...he calms himself down, walks back to his room, snatches a towel and bundles his son in the towel, he is so glad that the boy just lets him do whatever without putting out a fight.
He runs with a bundled up ten month old boy through the biting rain, he doesn't bother to strap him to his baby seat, the hell with it; his son is not moving, he looks down, he is napping with tears down his face, limp in his hold; Gibbs kisses the top of his head, "I am so sorry, Bobby…it's going to be OK, daddy is here...", Gibbs fastens the seat belt on them, and he drives very carefully to the hospital with his right hand, while his left holds his boy close to him.
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Heartache
He reached Bethesda within an hour, the heavy rain and driving with one hand really takes the toll on the man; he stops a couple of times to make sure Robert is all right.
Gibbs arrives in horror, he begs the on duty nurse to take a look at Robert...but Robert refuses for anybody to touch him, let alone take him from his warm safe haven. The nurse calls the MD, he takes a look at the boy, touches his head with his palm, grabs his hands, but Robert pulls his hand away from the MD, he prefers his Ducky, and he looks at his dad and starts screaming.
The MD said they'll take the boy into the examination room but Gibbs has to wait outside, because the kid wouldn't let the staff take a look at him if his dad is around...No sound comes out from his throat...he has to let them take him, for his own good...no choice.
His anguish starts as the nurse pulls Robert away from him, the kid might be small and sick but he can latch on like a koala and screams like an angry chimp; the nurse just ignores his protests and tantrum, Gibbs wants to kill the people that are pulling the tiny boy from him...they make quite a scene.
At the end, two of the nurses grab Robert Jethro from his dad by prying his fisted hand from him, he kicks and bawls desperately calling "DADIII...DADDIIIIII" over and over again, thrashing in the nurse's harsh lock, he screams and kicks "No...No...No...dadiiii" repeatedly...until Gibbs can't see his son but can still hear his distressing cry.
He hardens his broken heart, walks away with his eyes hot from tears he is holding in, he runs out to call his Katie...desperate for help and conformation of whether he is doing the right thing...
"Todd" she answers, she is driving back home. "Katie..." he sounds terrible, Call it mother instinct, call it whatever...she knows something is horribly wrong the moment she hears his rasping gruff voice."Jethro...what's wrong?...where are you? I am on my way home" she worries.
"Bobby is sick, I brought him to Bethesda..." he tries to speak as clearly as possible, while holding his snuffle, there is no need for him to hide his feelings and vulnerability from her; but he doesn't want her to worry.
"Oh my God...I am coming..." Kate hangs up and drives like a female Gibbs to the hospital with tears running down her face...but that's life and she has to face it, they are both struggling to keep up with their job...and their son is suffering. ------------------------------
Jethro Gibbs wipes his tears furiously, blaming himself for the situation...he needs coffee...no, no coffee...he has to wait outside the exam room, What if they mistreat Robert and he is not there to protect him?
He quickly returns to the heartbreaking noise; he stands right in front of the exam room where he can see Robert but the boy can't see him, blocked by a screen. He just needs to make sure he is not hurt...he is being held by two nurses, while the MD checks his mouth, his eyes, takes his temperature and everything else, he is still sobbing but he is not thrashing anymore.
Gibbs feels like someone has ripped out his heart and cut it in pieces as he hears the weakened continuous calls for him…"dadiiiii"; the boy's nose is stuffy from the crying, it is getting harder for him to breathe...Bobby vomits from his nose and mouth; he is agitated and uncomfortable.
The MD barks to his staff to get him...something for the boy's respiratory system, to help him breathe and clear his airways; Gibbs couldn't comprehend...then the ailing Bobby sees his dad again, and he bawls harder, wanting him...Gibbs is about to walk into the room to get to Robert when another of the hospital's staff members rushes in with something in her hand..."Sir...please...you have to wait outside...so we can do our job"...and closes the door on him.
He irately places his forehead on the closed door..."You are a horrible father Jethro, couldn't keep your marriages, couldn't take care of your wife and kid's needs...look at your son...he is miserable, your son is sick!" his subconscious voice is disturb by her voice...he is saved, everything is going to be all right...he hears her voice.
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Home
Kate is drenched from head to toe, she is soaked to her bone; she runs to the Emergency entrance, looks around in horror...then she sees him, with his head on a door..."Oh no..." she whispers to herself in fear...she manages to croak his name from her throat, "Jethro", he hears her; he snaps back to reality, walks and greets her in his arms.
She looks exhausted with fear and questions in her eyes; her eyes are red with dark circles under them; she sobs in his hold, he finds comfort in her presence.
"What happened? Where is he?" she looks up to him."Calm down Kate, he is still inside...they don't let me in because he refused to be treated when I am with him..." he mumbles as he kisses her wet hair as she sobs in his chest.
"I am his mother" that's what Gibbs hears from her, before she lets go of him and stalks to the nurse's station; the woman demands to be with her sick son...wow! She is fierce; she knows what she wants...she is going to get it! The nurses call their senior for conformation, within minutes, they let her in, "just the mother...please" the stern witchy-looking head nurse looks at Gibbs...and Kate nods at him and she follows the nurse to the exam room...while he waits outside...
Seconds later he hears his baby's voice again...not crying, but still in anguish..."mommiiiiii", he hears Kate's soft voice calming him down...he guesses she must be holding their baby right now...and he feels better...and he breathes out, releasing the tension. He waited until he hears no more of Robert's call, then he walks slowly to get coffee...lots of coffee.
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An hour later, he is sitting in the waiting room...looking at the heavy rain and wind...it looks just like what he is feeling in his heart; "Jethro..." Kate calls him as she walks towards him, he stands to reach her and they sit holding each other, "He is OK...it's OK, Jethro...he'll be all right...he cried so much his nose and throat are blocked with phlegm..." she exhales and explains to her worried husband; "We can take him home soon...he is sleeping inside...they are keeping him for another hour or so...to make sure he is OK...with his fever and all, then we can take him home..."
"I can take you home first Kate..." he looks at her damp clothes and body, "You are wet and cold...", but she refuses point blank, glares and scowls at him; he is so happy his wife is back, he kisses her angry face all over.
It is almost dawn when they take their baby boy home; he is butt-naked! Bundled in a thick towel in his mother's care; the sick boy was already cleaned and medicated; his pajamas are soiled...so Robert Jethro Gibbs is all naked and fuzzy in his mommy's arms, feeling good, safe and warm.
On their way home, Kate keeps looking at the sleeping boy..."Jethro...I think he is just teething...the fever and all..." Kate smiles to herself, glances at her poor husband.
Gibbs is looking at the sleeping boy snuggling closer to Kate's breasts, sees his son opens his blue eyes, said "mommii" and falls asleep with a smile on his face...for the first time in week, Jethro Gibbs smiles from his heart.
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-Tbc-nova2007
This Chapter of DROOL is BETA'ed by Alix33…THANK YOU!!!!!
Author's Chapter Notes:
QUOTE: "...the impish angry boy sees his dad walking towards the elevator, the cold box that makes that “ding” sound and brings him up and down...which means...his daddy is going away...again!...and his mommy is not even there!...and Robert screams....."
Chapter End Notes:
Alix33...thank you for being my BETA!!!!!
I am extremely grateful.
I am extremely grateful.