Severed Connection- Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Tony spent over one week on the ventilator. His residual scarring from his bout with the plague complicated his course in the ICU.
The doctors had removed the breathing tube two days ago. Ducky, Jenny, and Jethro were elated at the news. Tony, although breathing on his own, still seemed quite sedated. He was not acutely aware of his surroundings yet. The three took turns and tried to be at Tony’s side as much as possible. Even though Jenny had tried to keep them off rotation, duty did call.
*
After another exhaustive evening meeting with Sec Nav, Jenny sat by Tony’s bed. She was reading reports when she heard him groan slightly. She placed down her materials and turned to the Senior Agent. “Tony?”
His eyes fluttered open as he felt a pain in his right side. He weakly tried to grasp at the offending agent but was stopped by a gentle hand.
“Tony. Try not to grab at your chest tubes.”
“Hurts…” Tony whispered as Jenny placed his hand back at his side.
“It’s okay. Let me get the nurse to give you something for pain. She’s right outside.”
“No!” Tony tried to grasp her hand. “Don’t leave.” His voice was shaky.
“Okay, I’m not leaving, Tony.” She tried to reassure him. “I’ll use the call button.” She reached over and pressed.
Almost right away, the door opened and Tony’s nurse walked in.
“Well, Agent Dinozzo,” she began with a smile, “happy to see you with us!” The young nurse said enthusiastically.
“Tony…” He answered through gritted teeth as he fought against the pain.
“Okay, Tony. My name is Betsy.” She responded. “How about I get you something for pain?”
Tony nodded and let out a deep breath. After she left the room, he turned to the Director. “What happened?” His brain felt fuzzy and his body was so weak.
“You had pneumonia and it was complicated by pus in your lungs. They did a surgery to drain most of it and they placed the chest tubes.”
His voice was quiet. “I remember coming to the hospital…but surgery?” His eyes were wide with disbelief. He tried to clear his throat but it felt dry and raw. “Throat?”
“You had a breathing tube placed for almost one week.” She grasped his hand. “We were all so worried.”
The nurse returned and injected some medication into his IV. As it was taking affect, Tony turned to Jenny. “Thanks.”
“For what, Tony?” She replied.
“For being here; I know you’re busy and all…” He trailed off as he felt his face flush.
“Nonsense. The whole team has been worried sick about you. When I couldn’t be here, Ducky was or Jethro.”
At the mention of Gibbs’ name, Tony shuddered slightly. “Why?” He asked.
“Why what, Tony?”
“Why was Gibbs here?”
“He cares, sweetie.” She said gently.
“Doubt that.” He answered quietly in a raspy tone. Tony knew he sounded like a baby, but he didn’t care.
“He’s coming tonight, after they wrap up a case.”
Tony ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I…I…just can’t. Not yet. I’m too tired…” He paused as he tried to compose himself. “Please, Jenny. I’ll see Ducky or you…but no one else. Please.” His eyes watered as they pleaded with her.
Jenny wanted to argue with him, but Tony looked so exhausted and so sad. She nodded her head and then he slowly drifted to sleep. She sat back heavily as she wondered how she was going to break the news to her former partner.
*
Jenny was getting ready to leave the floor, when she saw Gibbs walking up. “Visiting hours are nearly over tonight, Jethro.” She began quietly.
“How is he?” She had called him earlier to tell him that he was talking and more awake.
“He’s tired. But, he is doing a lot better.” She paused as she saw him eyeing Tony’s room with concern. “Why don’t you buy me a cup of coffee, Jethro?”
“I’d like to see him, Jen.” He noticed she had looped her arm in his to lead him away from the room.
“The doctors think his visits should be minimized. It will cause less stress and all.” She just couldn’t tell him the truth. “I really need some caffeine. We can go to the Starbucks down the street.”
Gibbs’ eyes narrowed as he looked at Jen’s face. When she couldn’t hold his gaze, realization dawned on him. “He doesn’t want to see me.”
“You need to give him time, Jethro.” She said to Gibbs’ retreating back as he walked down the hall. There was a set of chairs near the elevator and Gibbs sat down heavily. He ran his hands through his salt and pepper hair. Jen observed him and then sat next to him. She had never seen him so rattled except when he awoke from his coma calling for his family.
“God, I screwed up.” He mumbled to himself and then stood abruptly and punched the down button for the elevator. Jen followed him in and they rode silently down to the lobby. He began to walk briskly and they found themselves in front of Starbucks. They each ordered a coffee and Jenny made him sit at a table.
“Talk.” She demanded quietly. “I know it’s not your strong suit, but I think you need to.” She looked at her friend with concern.
“What do you want me to say?” He practically growled.
She leaned back and threw her hands up. Gibbs always appreciated candor, so she’d give it him. “Don’t take this out on me. This is between you and Tony.”
He nodded and sighed. “I screwed up. I didn’t notice that my senior agent was deathly ill. I didn’t know he spent every holiday alone! I didn’t realize how much of a dick I was when I left and when I came back!” He paused as he breathed heavily, trying to get a rein on his emotions. “I thought I’d have more time…I thought…”
The Director sat stunned at the sheer amount of words that Jethro just said. Her eyes widened briefly as she said softly, “You love him…”
“What?” He responded in a higher voice. “No…I mean…he’s a member of my team…so…” He lamely added.
Jenny smiled. “Don’t deny it, Jethro.”
Gibbs gulped at his coffee and looked down at his cup. “Shit, Jen.” To hear someone acknowledge his feelings was almost too much to bear.
“Jethro…” She began in a sad tone.
“How can I fix this?” Gibbs sounded so lost; so unsure of himself. Jenny was not used to seeing this from him.
She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Just give him time. He’ll come around.”
“What if he decides to leave?”
“I don’t know what his plans are right now, Jethro. Let’s just focus on his recovery.”
Gibbs nodded his head, not able to speak anymore. The pain in his heart was too great. He just hoped he would get the chance to make it up to Tony before the man he loved walked out of his life forever.
TBC…
Continue to Chapter 8
Tony spent over one week on the ventilator. His residual scarring from his bout with the plague complicated his course in the ICU.
The doctors had removed the breathing tube two days ago. Ducky, Jenny, and Jethro were elated at the news. Tony, although breathing on his own, still seemed quite sedated. He was not acutely aware of his surroundings yet. The three took turns and tried to be at Tony’s side as much as possible. Even though Jenny had tried to keep them off rotation, duty did call.
*
After another exhaustive evening meeting with Sec Nav, Jenny sat by Tony’s bed. She was reading reports when she heard him groan slightly. She placed down her materials and turned to the Senior Agent. “Tony?”
His eyes fluttered open as he felt a pain in his right side. He weakly tried to grasp at the offending agent but was stopped by a gentle hand.
“Tony. Try not to grab at your chest tubes.”
“Hurts…” Tony whispered as Jenny placed his hand back at his side.
“It’s okay. Let me get the nurse to give you something for pain. She’s right outside.”
“No!” Tony tried to grasp her hand. “Don’t leave.” His voice was shaky.
“Okay, I’m not leaving, Tony.” She tried to reassure him. “I’ll use the call button.” She reached over and pressed.
Almost right away, the door opened and Tony’s nurse walked in.
“Well, Agent Dinozzo,” she began with a smile, “happy to see you with us!” The young nurse said enthusiastically.
“Tony…” He answered through gritted teeth as he fought against the pain.
“Okay, Tony. My name is Betsy.” She responded. “How about I get you something for pain?”
Tony nodded and let out a deep breath. After she left the room, he turned to the Director. “What happened?” His brain felt fuzzy and his body was so weak.
“You had pneumonia and it was complicated by pus in your lungs. They did a surgery to drain most of it and they placed the chest tubes.”
His voice was quiet. “I remember coming to the hospital…but surgery?” His eyes were wide with disbelief. He tried to clear his throat but it felt dry and raw. “Throat?”
“You had a breathing tube placed for almost one week.” She grasped his hand. “We were all so worried.”
The nurse returned and injected some medication into his IV. As it was taking affect, Tony turned to Jenny. “Thanks.”
“For what, Tony?” She replied.
“For being here; I know you’re busy and all…” He trailed off as he felt his face flush.
“Nonsense. The whole team has been worried sick about you. When I couldn’t be here, Ducky was or Jethro.”
At the mention of Gibbs’ name, Tony shuddered slightly. “Why?” He asked.
“Why what, Tony?”
“Why was Gibbs here?”
“He cares, sweetie.” She said gently.
“Doubt that.” He answered quietly in a raspy tone. Tony knew he sounded like a baby, but he didn’t care.
“He’s coming tonight, after they wrap up a case.”
Tony ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I…I…just can’t. Not yet. I’m too tired…” He paused as he tried to compose himself. “Please, Jenny. I’ll see Ducky or you…but no one else. Please.” His eyes watered as they pleaded with her.
Jenny wanted to argue with him, but Tony looked so exhausted and so sad. She nodded her head and then he slowly drifted to sleep. She sat back heavily as she wondered how she was going to break the news to her former partner.
*
Jenny was getting ready to leave the floor, when she saw Gibbs walking up. “Visiting hours are nearly over tonight, Jethro.” She began quietly.
“How is he?” She had called him earlier to tell him that he was talking and more awake.
“He’s tired. But, he is doing a lot better.” She paused as she saw him eyeing Tony’s room with concern. “Why don’t you buy me a cup of coffee, Jethro?”
“I’d like to see him, Jen.” He noticed she had looped her arm in his to lead him away from the room.
“The doctors think his visits should be minimized. It will cause less stress and all.” She just couldn’t tell him the truth. “I really need some caffeine. We can go to the Starbucks down the street.”
Gibbs’ eyes narrowed as he looked at Jen’s face. When she couldn’t hold his gaze, realization dawned on him. “He doesn’t want to see me.”
“You need to give him time, Jethro.” She said to Gibbs’ retreating back as he walked down the hall. There was a set of chairs near the elevator and Gibbs sat down heavily. He ran his hands through his salt and pepper hair. Jen observed him and then sat next to him. She had never seen him so rattled except when he awoke from his coma calling for his family.
“God, I screwed up.” He mumbled to himself and then stood abruptly and punched the down button for the elevator. Jen followed him in and they rode silently down to the lobby. He began to walk briskly and they found themselves in front of Starbucks. They each ordered a coffee and Jenny made him sit at a table.
“Talk.” She demanded quietly. “I know it’s not your strong suit, but I think you need to.” She looked at her friend with concern.
“What do you want me to say?” He practically growled.
She leaned back and threw her hands up. Gibbs always appreciated candor, so she’d give it him. “Don’t take this out on me. This is between you and Tony.”
He nodded and sighed. “I screwed up. I didn’t notice that my senior agent was deathly ill. I didn’t know he spent every holiday alone! I didn’t realize how much of a dick I was when I left and when I came back!” He paused as he breathed heavily, trying to get a rein on his emotions. “I thought I’d have more time…I thought…”
The Director sat stunned at the sheer amount of words that Jethro just said. Her eyes widened briefly as she said softly, “You love him…”
“What?” He responded in a higher voice. “No…I mean…he’s a member of my team…so…” He lamely added.
Jenny smiled. “Don’t deny it, Jethro.”
Gibbs gulped at his coffee and looked down at his cup. “Shit, Jen.” To hear someone acknowledge his feelings was almost too much to bear.
“Jethro…” She began in a sad tone.
“How can I fix this?” Gibbs sounded so lost; so unsure of himself. Jenny was not used to seeing this from him.
She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Just give him time. He’ll come around.”
“What if he decides to leave?”
“I don’t know what his plans are right now, Jethro. Let’s just focus on his recovery.”
Gibbs nodded his head, not able to speak anymore. The pain in his heart was too great. He just hoped he would get the chance to make it up to Tony before the man he loved walked out of his life forever.
TBC…
Continue to Chapter 8