You've Got To Fight For The Right To Party!
Chapter Twenty Four
The familiar voice pierced the wax proof paper covering over its glass jar with the knife it cautiously kept strapped to its ankle. With a mighty tear it slashed at the paper and created a hole large enough that it could pull itself through. It might be conservative and it might be boring but it had managed to keep Timothy McGee (mostly) out of trouble his entire life. No uninhibiting super virus was going to take over his ego while he had something to say about it!
With a firm sense of purpose the familiar voice dropped over the edge of the jar, strode over to the angry voice and poked it firmly in the shoulder.
“Hey you. Get the hell out of my subconscious!”
*******************************************************************
Tim screamed again and grabbed at his head as a tearing sensation ripped through him. What the hell was that? It felt like his mind was arguing with itself, violently. Not arguing….fighting…wrestling…stabbing. He tossed his head and felt again the frustration of the handcuffs at his wrists as he tried to claw at his head.
Abby…..He had said or done something dreadful to Abby.
“No! Don’t you hurt…” Tim tried to insist to the intruder. It must understand…it was him wasn’t it? In some way? Surely it would know not to hurt his friends?
The screaming in his mind became louder and he tried to escape to ….think…to figure out whatever was going on. He couldn’t. If only the pain or…he ..could focus …he needed to do something……..
Suddenly McGee bucked again and he strained back from the table the cords in his neck standing out from the tension. It was trying to escape! No he couldn’t let that happen!
With a scream he slammed his head down hard onto the table with a sharp crack. Blood started trickling down the cut on the side of his forehead as his eyes glazed over.
Silence.
For a blissful second the pain flashed red across his eyes and then there was nothing. Tim licked his lips and croaked to the silvered glass knowing he didn’t have much time.
“Boss?”
What should he say? Did they know that this wasn’t really him?
“I don’t know what’s happening to me…I don’t know if I can stop it….”
*******************************************************************
The familiar voice battled valiantly knowing even as it did so that its foe was far stronger then it was. But there was still hope. He had to try!
Suddenly the angry voice paused and gurgled in horror as it assessed the stupid geek’s memories of the most recent minutes.
“Spaghetti”
Filled with a renewed sense of conviction the familiar voice launched itself at the weakening angry voice. There was no option of a compromise now, it was death or dishonor. With a battle cry and the knife sharp in its hand it continued its advance on the still fighting vicious invader.
“You do not mess with Timothy McGee!”
*******************************************************************
“Gibbs please”
Abby begged as she watched Tim writhe in agony against himself. Gibbs hated watching it but he knew that whatever was going on here was crucial and it was McGee himself who had to fight for his own sanity.
Tony bit his lip and jammed his hands under his folded arms. He wanted to turn away but to listen to the screaming without watching was worse.
Ziva with her head bowed was quietly murmuring a prayer for her friend as she clutched her Star of David pendant in her hand.
Tim suddenly looked up at nothing, every sense straining as he searched through his own mind. Blood started to trickle down from his nose from the pressure of whatever was going on inside his head and Abby whimpered.
“No!”
Then with a suddenly joyful grin and a flash of familiar green eyes at the mirrored glass his eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out pale and exhausted onto the table.
*******************************************************************
Tim came to with his head pillowed in Tony’s lap and the rest of his team peering down at him. He jumped as the disorientation was severe. Hadn’t he been sitting up at the table a moment ago? Or yesterday?
“Owwwwww” Tim grabbed his head as the mother of all headaches pounded through his head and made its presence felt. The team breathed a sigh of relief at this very mundane response.
“McGee? You in there?” Tony flicked his face and Tim batted his hand away and frowned at him
“What are you doing Tony?” Tim couldn’t keep the annoyance out of his voice.
“Just checking. Hey pop quiz genius. Would you rather
A, Take over the world
B, Film a rap music video with gorgeous women all over you or
C, Sing at the Eurovision Song Contest?
Tim groaned “uhhh None of the above. I would like an aspirin and a shower and to be able to go to sleep. Oh and for you to stop talking”
Tony grinned at his friends “Oh yeah McGee’s back all right”
Gibbs knelt closer and looked deep into McGee’s eyes.
“Are you ok McGee? Do you remember what happened?”
Tim felt suddenly very nervous as everyone eagerly peered at him.
“Uh the last thing I really remember ….we were in the car and I was hot and Tony was annoying me. Something about Bees? Did someone get stung by a bee?”
Gibbs smiled while Tony rolled his eyes.
“Seriously McGee, that’s no fun. You shut down the yard remember? Dosed everyone’s water? Put porn up in MTAC? Threw a party in the gym?”
Tim just blinked at him while Ziva dabbed away the blood from his face.
“Why would I put porn in MTAC? I mean the Director would be furious!”
Gibbs smirked at Tim’s confusion.
“Yeah you might say that. Come on let’s get up.”
Gibbs reached down and helped pull McGee to his feet where he swayed for a moment.
“Wow I feel like I am still falling…..” Tim suddenly trailed off and looked at Tony in horror.
“Oh my God. Did I jump off something really high up? Like really, really high up? You tried to grab me and I just …let go…I should be dead!” Tim trailed off aghast.
Tony laughed. “Yes you should be except for the spot of crowd surfing you also did.”
Tim grabbed Tony’s arm clutching it in his.
“Oh Tony I’m so sorry. That was terrible of me. You must have thought I was out of my mind”
Tim looked anxiously at him and Tony patted him consolingly on the back
“Ah don’t forget McGee you kind of were out of your mind. But I thought you couldn’t remember?” Tony asked suspiciously
“I can’t not really….just getting sort of flash backs”
Tony grinned “Well don’t worry about it. You will be apologizing to …well everyone for the next few YEARS so try not to let it bug you too much. Do you remember the Circus Elephant?”
“The what?” Tim suddenly felt very pale and then Abby elbowed Tony in the ribs.
“Don’t worry McGee. There wasn’t a circus elephant. I mean there was practically everything else but no circus elephants.” Abby grinned happily and Tim tried to feel reassured.
“Oh. That’s good then.” He whispered and then with an alarmed look he slowly edged away from Abby. Had he really handcuffed her and duct taped her to her lab table? Oh my god she was going to kill him. He bumped into Ziva and whirled around to face her and his eyes grew round.
Ziva smiled at him “Are you sure you are ok McGee?”
Tim couldn’t form the words and he stood staring at her with his mouth working soundlessly. All he remembered in that instant was kissing Ziva in Interrogation, his fingers tangled in her long hair…Wait that was a fantasy wasn’t it? Or was it in the gym that they kissed? He couldn’t really remember. Or did she kiss him? Why would she kiss him? Ok definitely the drugs talking
Tim looked at Ziva nervously and she laughed. It was a relief to have the slightly nervous McGee back again.
“Did we…….did we kiss?” He asked nervously
Ziva grinned “Was it good for you?” she purred lightly running her fingertips up his chest and Tim wondered if he might just faint.
She was teasing him right?
Tim stumbled back shaking his head trying to sort the truth from reality. Bees? Real? Dirty dancing? Must have been imaginary. Who the hell was Travis? Crowd surfing?? Tony said that was real. Kidnapping Cynthia??? Please God let that be imaginary. The program that he……
“Ah Boss?” Tim looked up at Gibbs nervously and Gibbs narrowed his eyes.
“What McGee?”
Gibbs was not reassured by the sweat he saw suddenly break out on McGee’s brow but he resisted the urge to shake him knowing that the young agent had already been through a hell of a day. They had only just got him back. It wouldn’t be a good idea to kill him now.
“You might want to …uh…..get the air conditioning…at the …Uh ……Pentagon checked out?” Tim trailed off with a squeak and he flushed.
Gibbs groaned and put his head in his hands.
Not again.