A Cry for Help Part 29b
Yep, I was right...I hope you enjoy the rest.
He watched Anthony walk behind his father as the pair made their way back to the resort that they were staying at. Jethro Gibbs’ instincts were to follow the teen to make sure that he was going to be all right, but he had Kelly with him and he couldn’t risk her getting hurt. He felt a gentle tug on his hand. Looking down at his daughter, he smiled at the young girl.
“Who was that boy you were talking to, Daddy?” she asked.
“His name was Anthony.”
“He looked sad.”
“Yeah, he did.”
“Why was he sad?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think he gets along with his dad too well.”
“Oh. Is his dad mean to him?”
“I don’t know. I hope not.”
“Well, if his dad is mean to him, then we could just bring him home with us. It would be cool to have a big brother,” she grinned.
“It would?”
“Yeah, cause he could kill the spiders and bugs while you’re away.”
Gibbs laughed. “I thought that was your job.”
“It is,” Kelly said, “but I don’t like doing it. I just do it because mommy’s scared of spiders.”
“I see.” He shook his head in amusement. There was something about the innocence of a child that touched his heart. “Speaking of mommy, we better get back. I’m sure that she’s almost got breakfast ready for us.”
“Then after breakfast, we can make her necklace and bracelet!”
“Yep. Are you ready?”
Kelly grabbed his hand and the two of them headed back down the beach to their own hotel. As he listened to his daughter ramble on about their plans for the day, Jethro found his mind wandering back to Anthony. There was something special about that boy, but it was apparent that his father didn’t agree.
Deciding that he would take a run later on that day, he planned to make a detour to the resort that he saw Anthony and his father enter and check on the teen. His gut was screaming at him that the young man desperately needed help and he could not turn his back on Anthony.
Jethro Gibbs sat up, cursing under his breath for permitting himself to fall asleep. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to clear his mind. The ex-Marine had pushed so many memories of Kelly and Shannon to the far recesses of his mind and he couldn’t figure out why he would be dreaming of the summer that they had gone to Virginia Beach.
As he played back the memory, he realized that he wasn’t really dreaming about Kelly and Shannon; he was remembering a lonely young teenager who was crying out for help. Why had he never made the connection? That young man that he had met on the beach had been none other than Anthony DiNozzo. It sickened him to think how different Tony’s life could have been if he had only managed to go back to the resort before Tony and his dad had checked out.
“Agent Gibbs?”
The team leader stood up as Dr. Marshall entered the waiting room, mentally noting that everyone was accounted for. “How’s Tony?” he anxiously inquired.
“His ulcer had perforated resulting in internal bleeding,” she explained. “It was touch and go with his blood pressure for a while, but I did get the bleeding stopped and repaired the damage. He’s still in recovery where he’ll stay for a few more hours. Tony was having a difficult time handling the affects of the anesthesia, which is not that unusual. I’ll be moving him to ICU after that where he’ll have to stay for several days.”
“Can we see him once he gets settled in ICU?”
The physician sighed. “One at a time and only for 15 minutes at a time. You have to adhere to the ICU visiting rules.”
“But one of us has to stay with Tony at all times,” Abby interjected. “Hospitals freak him out.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not making exceptions this time,” Katherine stated. “Tony needs to rest and he doesn’t need any added stress. He lost a lot of blood and it’s going to be awhile before he’s back on his feet. I’m just doing what’s best for him.”
“No, you’re not,” Abby challenged. “You’re denying him his friends, his family.”
“I’m trying to keep him alive,” Katherine snapped.
Gibbs put his finger on Abby’s lips and shook his head. “We’ll abide by your rules. We just want to be able to see him and let him know we’re here for him.”
“He asked to speak with you Agent Gibbs, so after he’s settled in ICU, you can see him.”
“Thank you.”
After Katherine left, Gibbs turned and faced his team. “She’s right. Our top priority is Tony and what’s best for him. We’re going to get him through this and we’ll do it together.”
Knowing that his team would not question his decision, he walked over to the Director. “You’re still not off the hook. I have enough to put you away for a long time. But there’s still some missing pieces and once Tony is better, he’ll be the one to drive the final nail in your coffin. He deserves that privilege after the hell you’ve put him through.”
“I think you have it wrong, Agent Gibbs. I’m not the one DiNozzo should be worried about,” Vance said. “He has many enemies, some that he doesn’t even know about. Isn’t that right, Officer David?”
Gibbs clenched his fist, struggling to control the rage burning inside him. He glanced at Ziva, who appeared to be confused by the Director’s insinuations. “Ziva, go and try and call Ducky and let him know that Tony’s out of surgery,” he ordered.
Ziva stood her ground. “I want to know what Director Vance meant by his last comment.”
“Not now, Ziva,” Gibbs growled, his icy tone daring her to challenge him.
The team leader breathed a sigh of relief as Ziva nodded and left the room. He turned his attention back to Vance. “You will not break up my team again, do you understand me?”
“Agent Gibbs, I…”
He cut off the Director with an angry glare. His phone rang and he saw that it was McGee. Knowing that he needed to take this call in private, he quickly excused himself from the waiting room and hurried down the hall. “Gibbs,” he answered.
“Hey, Boss.”
“McGee, are you all right?” the former Marine asked.
“I’m fine, Boss. I’m here with Secretary Davenport and he wants to talk to you.”
“To me?”
“Yeah, Boss. He wants to make a deal.”
“A deal, what kind of deal?”
“I’ll let him explain it to you.”
Gibbs shook his head in frustration. “I want you to explain it to me, McGee!”
The next voice he heard was that of Secretary Davenport. “Agent Gibbs, as I was telling Agent McGee, I have a deal to offer to Agent DiNozzo and I think he’ll be more than willing to accept it. If he is reluctant, I’m sure that you can convince him to take the deal.”
“If this deal is so good, why am I going to have to convince DiNozzo to accept it?” Gibbs pressed.
“I have a way to clear Agent DiNozzo’s name and to get rid of Leon,” the SecNav announced. “Are you interested?”
“I’m listening.”
“Not over the phone. I’ll be sending Agent McGee with the details. I’ll expect Agent DiNozzo’s answer within 12 hours.”
“Tony just had surgery and is on his way to ICU as we speak, sir. I don’t think he’s going to be up to listening to any kind of deal,” Gibbs pointed out.
“12 hours,” Davenport repeated.
The line went dead and Gibbs shut his phone and slipped it back in his pocket. “Damn it.”
Images of young Anthony DiNozzo sitting on the beach began to play in his mind once again. He was still admonishing himself for not being able to make the connection between the cynical young boy and his senior agent. He had buried so many memories after Shannon and Kelly died, believing that he was keeping his heartache at bay; but what had his selfishness cost Tony?
“Well DiNozzo, I guess we have more to talk about than I thought.”
He started to head back to the waiting room when he saw Ziva standing at the other end of the hallway, talking on the phone. She was supposed to be calling Ducky but Gibbs had a feeling that she wasn’t talking to the ME. Ziva’s movements were agitated, almost frantic as she spoke in Hebrew. Gibbs had a feeling that she was talking to none other than Eli David.