Warming the Heart 3/4
The waiting room at the hospital was strangely quiet in comparison to the storm raging outside. Abby had arrived about an hour earlier, obviously terrified, but determined to stay in control of her fears. She'd brought warm sweats for them and had conned one of the nurses to look the other way as Gibbs and Tony took advantage of the showers in the staff locker room. Now she was tucked against Gibbs on one of the couches, waiting for word, as she stared at the stark white bandages around several of Gibbs' fingers.
Ziva arrived shortly after Abby, having had to wait with the crime scene until another team arrived. Quietly, she gave her report to Gibbs. The attacker, officially identified as Angela Shaw, was killed instantly when her car rolled. A broken neck appeared to be the cause, but final determination would have to wait for Ducky, who was in the ER with McGee. Night vision binoculars and photographs of her and McGee suggested that she blamed the entire team for her brother's death, not just Tony. Report complete, she tentatively sat next to Tony.
"I am sorry for Angela's death, I had hoped to stop the car and arrest her."
The circumstances were eerily similar to when Tony had shot Michael dead, but Tony had the luxury of knowing how twisted Angela truly was before she died. Wrapped in a blanket, he threaded one arm out to wrap around her shoulders and pulled her close. "You did what you had to do, Ziva. I get it, really."
She let herself be pulled against him, resting her head on his shoulder and tucking the blanket back around him. Tony had escaped hypothermia in his rescue of McGee, but he was certainly cold. They had just settled into a comfortable position when Ducky returned from the ER.
"Duck, how is he?" Gibbs was instantly on his feet, Abby next to him, while Tony was still untangling himself from the blankets.
"Remarkably lucky." Ducky looked pleased with news. "Mild concussion, heavy bruising on his leg, a few cracked ribs, moderate hypothermia and, of course, the water in his lungs."
"That does not sound so lucky." Ziva had not seen McGee when he was brought in, hadn't seen the rushing torrents the ditches and culverts had become.
Tony shook his head, remembering the frantic rescue and clutching his Probie's limp hand through the metal bars to prevent him from being washed away. "Yeah, Ziva, it was. So, he'll be okay?"
"Yes, Anthony." Ducky smiled at their worried teammate. "They'll continue to monitor his condition here for the rest of the night. If no complications arise overnight, we may take him home in the morning. He will need to be watched carefully for several days, but I have assured his doctors that we can do that at home as well as here."
Gibbs nodded at Ducky's pronouncement. There was no doubt that 'at home' meant his house and he was already making mental plans. Abby, however, had more immediate concerns.
"Can we see him, Ducky?"
"Of course, my dear, but only for a few moments. He's quite exhausted after his ordeal."
The team filed into the warm room behind Ducky. McGee was completely wrapped in a cocoon of heated blankets, a bag of warmed fluids dripping into his arm while a mask allowed him to breath warmed oxygen. A look from Gibbs and the two ladies paused, letting Tony be the first one to Tim's bedside.
"Hey, buddy, how ya' doing?" Only the slightest fluttering of the green eyes showed that McGee was aware of his visitors, but Tony took that as a positive sign. "Yeah, I know you're tired, so you get some rest and we'll be here when you wake up."
Abby and Ziva were next, both kissing him on the cheek. Ziva backed away to give Gibbs space, while there was no doubt that Abby wasn't going anywhere. Smirking as Abby claiming her spot, Gibbs moved closer for his turn.
His eyes searched the battered face, taking in every bruise and scrape. Of all his 'kids', McGee had come to him with the least training and experience, giving the older man a deep sense of pride in the agent he'd helped form. Gibbs leaned down to whisper in Tim's ear, resting his hand on the blanket covered head. "You did good, Son, rest easy. You're safe now."
It might have been his imagination, but it seemed like McGee relaxed at Gibbs' words, bringing a smile to the older man's face. He looked over his shoulder at Ducky. "You're sure we take him home in the morning?"
Ducky glanced down at his watch, remembering the short conversation he'd just had with Director Vance. "The doctors want to observe him for a few more hours at least. I'd suggest you return to the Yard to write up your statements as I'm sure Agent Fornell is waiting for them. By the time you return, we should have a better idea as to his long-term prognosis and how soon he can be released."
"But I though you said..."
Smiling at the worry in Tony's voice, Ducky rushed to reassure him. "As I said, we expect him to be ready to come home with us in the morning. The doctors are just being cautious until he is more awake and aware of his surroundings."
Gibbs laid a steadying hand on Tony's back. "Come on, let's get this done so we can concentrate on McGee."
Abby piped up from Tim's bedside. "I want to stay here, Gibbs."
Gibbs hesitated and Ducky told them the rest of what he'd heard from the Director. "The original victim was not actually Navy, Jethro. He was someone she'd dressed up in a Naval uniform. Under the circumstances, Agent Fornell and the FBI have taken over both that case and the attempt on Timothy's life, since they tie into their ongoing case. Because the only suspect in both attacks died at the scene, the rest of the case is a mere formality."
Ducky winced at his own choice of words, but Tony seemed more concerned with McGee than with Angela's death. Knowing the younger man would not appreciate an apology on the subject, he pressed on. "According to Vance, as soon as your reports are filed, the team will be taken out of the rotation until after Christmas."
"Good." Normally, Gibbs was not one to push for much holiday time, but one look at the relieved faces told him this time it was the right thing to do. "Okay, Abby, you stay here, let us know if there's any changes. The rest of us will go back to the Yard. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we'll be back."
That got Tony and Ziva moving and after a last check on the sleeping McGee, they filed out the door behind Gibbs and Ducky, leaving Abby to watch over Tim. As soon as the door closed behind them, she snuggled as close as she could, resting her head on his pillow so she could watch him breathe.
sesasesasesa
Fornell was waiting for them at the Yard. "How's the kid?" Before any of them could answer, Sacks piped up with his own comment.
"Yeah, I hear he got shaken, not stirred."
Tony was immediately in his face. "No, 'Slacks'. He got hit by a car, thrown into freezing water, dragged into an underground pipe and survived a near drowning. All because he was watching my six."
"Whoa, easy, man." Sacks stepped back, lifting his hands in an apology. "I like the kid, okay? Guess it's too soon for a movie reference?"
Forcing a calm he wasn't feeling yet, Tony scrubbed his hands over his face. "Way too soon."
Ducky had already gone downstairs to sign off on the paperwork Palmer was preparing for the transfer of the bodies, so Gibbs gave a brief recap. "Bruised, battered, got a concussion and some broken ribs. They're still getting him warmed up and his lungs dried out. He got lucky, it was close." Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment as he remembered the feel of pulling McGee's limp body free. "Too damn close."
Hearing the words and seeing the effect they had on the other NCIS agents made Sacks feel even worse about his ill-timed joke. A peace offering seemed to be the best option. "Why don't I make a coffee run for everybody?"
After Sacks retreated to the coffee stand, the bullpen was quiet as the three quickly wrote up their incident reports. Succinct and to the point, Gibbs was finished first and quietly showed Fornell on a map just how far McGee had been swept away by the storm. Fornell shook his head. "That's one lucky kid you've got, Gibbs."
Seeing it in black and white was a stark reminder of how badly it could have gone that night. The location of McGee's rescue was the last opening before a twenty foot drop. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the outcome could have been very different. Even Sacks shuddered after looking at the map when he returned with coffee.
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