NCIS - fanfiction: The Pieces That Are Left - Chapter Two
Fandom: NCIS
Author: Stephie (sunshine-sean/ imaginative soul)
Rating: mature
Spoilers: 2x22 SWAK, 5x07 Requiem
Summary: Gibbs was dead. And it was his damn fault.
AN: Second chapter to my project. Reviews make me happy.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Gibbs was dead.
Not brain-dead or in a coma or whatever. He was dead. And it was his damn fault.
Tony lay in his hospital bed, his eyes fixed on an imaginary, obviously extremely exciting point somewhere outside the window. Damp sweat on his forehead glistered in the cold white hospital light. It made him look even paler than he already was from all those different circumstances that caught up on him already. His once so lively eyes lacked completely of expression, of the humor it once held. The humor which drove his colleagues nuts all the time. Day in, day out.
It was a heart-breaking sight.
Especially for those who knew him well. Such as Ducky or Abby or McGee or Ziva. None of them would have ever believed that Anthony DiNozzo could loose his childlike behavior, his permanent smile and laugh. Anthony DiNozzo, king of jokes. One to enlighten his colleagues when they were badly affected by a case they had to solve. Or when they were bored because they didn’t have any ongoing case and needed something to bridge those periods that dragged on tough as gum.
But now Tony was the quiet guy no-one got to witness before. And just because they never got to know this side of one Anthony DiNozzo they didn’t know how to deal with him. How to get him to open up and talk with them. They didn’t know how to react to a Tony who was so far away from being his usual self. The young man was unreachable for everyone, even for the doctors and the nice blonde doctors who checked up on him every few hours.
It had been six days now since Gibbs was dead and Tony was stuck in the hospital ever since. The ice cold water of the river from where he’d pulled Maddie and Gibbs out hadn’t done his already damaged lungs any good. It had taken the doctors five days until they finally had brought the high fever down to lightly heightened temperature. It wasn’t back to normal, but at least it wasn’t something to be concerned of anymore. The coughing had decreased, too. So that was a good sign, at least.
And still the doctors refused to let him get home.
But Tony didn’t say anything about wanting to leave, anyway. In fact he hadn’t said anything at all, since he had gotten to the hospital. At first it had been too painful because his throat was killing him. The coughing had been bad when he had been brought to the hospital and he was on the edge of getting pneumonia. Every breath had ached, so talking hadn’t been an option, anyway. But when he had gotten better, he still hadn’t bothered to talk. It was obvious that he didn’t want to talk about what had happened that day on the dock about a week earlier, but no-one had expected him to shut up completely.
Not even Ducky.
DiNozzo would have talked, if he’d wanted to. Even when he couldn’t. He still would have tried, but for some reason he didn’t. Okay, Gibbs had died so the reason was obvious but no-one had expected him to react that badly. They didn’t know about what they shared, though. Not even Abby or Ducky even though they were much closer to them than Ziva or McGee.
Dr. Donald Mallard, who watched his young friend for a while now from the glass door of the room, sighed silently. “Oh, Anthony. What is wrong with you, my dear friend?” he said to himself. He was too deep in thoughts that he didn’t realize the figure approaching from his right. It was Dr. Brad Pitt, who’d had already known Tony from his bout with the plague. He had prevented the pneumonia which had threatened to break out this time. He had never believed that this treatment would be harder than the first one. After all, Tony hadn’t been facing death this time.
His concerns were no less than that of his colleagues, friends, who sometimes seemed like family, even. Brad had known the ever-laughing man, who had been lying in the blue light of the isolation, coughing up blood, but still lucid enough to keep the banter going with Kate. Although it was to keep his mind focused on something so he wouldn’t have to face the fact that he might die from the plague but he had at least said something. But the broken man in front of him was so different from the childish young man who’d debated over the urine of his female colleague. So different that it hurt to look at him while not being able to do something about it.
“He’ll get through this, Ducky.” The word were said in such belief that it was almost impossible to think that Pitt referred to DiNozzo. Even he wasn’t sure, if it would ever be true. That Tony would be okay again one day. “You know Tony. It won’t be long and he’ll annoy you all like hell. Just like he did before.” A laugh escaped the doctor that sounded false to his own ears. But it was a try. Giving hope was part of his job description after all, even if it was one of the harder parts.
By the chuckle he received from Ducky Pitt knew he’d said the right thing. “Young Anthony has a tendency to bring people over the edge, indeed.” Another chuckle was being released, before the Medical Examiner grew serious again. “To be honest I have never seen him so vulnerable. He looked up to Jethro from the very beginning. I always wondered how someone who moved on to another agency every two years can actually settle down with someone like Jethro but I think my people skills must have fainted with age. I obviously missed a connection that instinctively bonded him to Jethro. I realized that when Gibbs left for Mexico.”
Ducky smiled sadly at the thought. Surprisingly so did Brad. Tony’s behavior had indeed been odd when Gibbs had given him his badge and weapon to tell him he would lead the team from thereon. “Yeah, I remember that”, Pitt admitted quietly and sighed.
“Oh, it seems that you stayed in contact with Anthony after his infection with the plague?” Brad turned to the elder man and nodded, a small smile gracing his lips, when he though about the times they had met on occasional weekends or sometime after work. One time hadn’t been too happy, though.
“Yeah, we did. Met a couple of times, caught up on college years, when we played football and I broke his leg.” He chuckled and shook his head, amused. “We also met shortly after Agent Gibbs made him temporary team-leader. Although that was rather accidentally and not to the delight of either of us.” His expression became serious again. “Did you know that Tony visited a psychologist once?”
By the confused look on Mallard’s face Brad could tell that he obviously didn’t. “No, I never knew about that. How come?”
Dr. Brad opened his mouth, almost spilling the beans, but shut it again when he realized that he was about to break his honor. To tell Ducky wouldn’t be right. Not only because Tony was a friend, but mostly because he had to follow the rules, to maintain doctor-patient confidentiality. “Let’s sit down, Ducky.” He took the Medical Examiner by the arm just above his elbow and led him to a row of chairs nearby.
Tbc...
Author: Stephie (sunshine-sean/ imaginative soul)
Rating: mature
Spoilers: 2x22 SWAK, 5x07 Requiem
Summary: Gibbs was dead. And it was his damn fault.
AN: Second chapter to my project. Reviews make me happy.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Gibbs was dead.
Not brain-dead or in a coma or whatever. He was dead. And it was his damn fault.
Tony lay in his hospital bed, his eyes fixed on an imaginary, obviously extremely exciting point somewhere outside the window. Damp sweat on his forehead glistered in the cold white hospital light. It made him look even paler than he already was from all those different circumstances that caught up on him already. His once so lively eyes lacked completely of expression, of the humor it once held. The humor which drove his colleagues nuts all the time. Day in, day out.
It was a heart-breaking sight.
Especially for those who knew him well. Such as Ducky or Abby or McGee or Ziva. None of them would have ever believed that Anthony DiNozzo could loose his childlike behavior, his permanent smile and laugh. Anthony DiNozzo, king of jokes. One to enlighten his colleagues when they were badly affected by a case they had to solve. Or when they were bored because they didn’t have any ongoing case and needed something to bridge those periods that dragged on tough as gum.
But now Tony was the quiet guy no-one got to witness before. And just because they never got to know this side of one Anthony DiNozzo they didn’t know how to deal with him. How to get him to open up and talk with them. They didn’t know how to react to a Tony who was so far away from being his usual self. The young man was unreachable for everyone, even for the doctors and the nice blonde doctors who checked up on him every few hours.
It had been six days now since Gibbs was dead and Tony was stuck in the hospital ever since. The ice cold water of the river from where he’d pulled Maddie and Gibbs out hadn’t done his already damaged lungs any good. It had taken the doctors five days until they finally had brought the high fever down to lightly heightened temperature. It wasn’t back to normal, but at least it wasn’t something to be concerned of anymore. The coughing had decreased, too. So that was a good sign, at least.
And still the doctors refused to let him get home.
But Tony didn’t say anything about wanting to leave, anyway. In fact he hadn’t said anything at all, since he had gotten to the hospital. At first it had been too painful because his throat was killing him. The coughing had been bad when he had been brought to the hospital and he was on the edge of getting pneumonia. Every breath had ached, so talking hadn’t been an option, anyway. But when he had gotten better, he still hadn’t bothered to talk. It was obvious that he didn’t want to talk about what had happened that day on the dock about a week earlier, but no-one had expected him to shut up completely.
Not even Ducky.
DiNozzo would have talked, if he’d wanted to. Even when he couldn’t. He still would have tried, but for some reason he didn’t. Okay, Gibbs had died so the reason was obvious but no-one had expected him to react that badly. They didn’t know about what they shared, though. Not even Abby or Ducky even though they were much closer to them than Ziva or McGee.
Dr. Donald Mallard, who watched his young friend for a while now from the glass door of the room, sighed silently. “Oh, Anthony. What is wrong with you, my dear friend?” he said to himself. He was too deep in thoughts that he didn’t realize the figure approaching from his right. It was Dr. Brad Pitt, who’d had already known Tony from his bout with the plague. He had prevented the pneumonia which had threatened to break out this time. He had never believed that this treatment would be harder than the first one. After all, Tony hadn’t been facing death this time.
His concerns were no less than that of his colleagues, friends, who sometimes seemed like family, even. Brad had known the ever-laughing man, who had been lying in the blue light of the isolation, coughing up blood, but still lucid enough to keep the banter going with Kate. Although it was to keep his mind focused on something so he wouldn’t have to face the fact that he might die from the plague but he had at least said something. But the broken man in front of him was so different from the childish young man who’d debated over the urine of his female colleague. So different that it hurt to look at him while not being able to do something about it.
“He’ll get through this, Ducky.” The word were said in such belief that it was almost impossible to think that Pitt referred to DiNozzo. Even he wasn’t sure, if it would ever be true. That Tony would be okay again one day. “You know Tony. It won’t be long and he’ll annoy you all like hell. Just like he did before.” A laugh escaped the doctor that sounded false to his own ears. But it was a try. Giving hope was part of his job description after all, even if it was one of the harder parts.
By the chuckle he received from Ducky Pitt knew he’d said the right thing. “Young Anthony has a tendency to bring people over the edge, indeed.” Another chuckle was being released, before the Medical Examiner grew serious again. “To be honest I have never seen him so vulnerable. He looked up to Jethro from the very beginning. I always wondered how someone who moved on to another agency every two years can actually settle down with someone like Jethro but I think my people skills must have fainted with age. I obviously missed a connection that instinctively bonded him to Jethro. I realized that when Gibbs left for Mexico.”
Ducky smiled sadly at the thought. Surprisingly so did Brad. Tony’s behavior had indeed been odd when Gibbs had given him his badge and weapon to tell him he would lead the team from thereon. “Yeah, I remember that”, Pitt admitted quietly and sighed.
“Oh, it seems that you stayed in contact with Anthony after his infection with the plague?” Brad turned to the elder man and nodded, a small smile gracing his lips, when he though about the times they had met on occasional weekends or sometime after work. One time hadn’t been too happy, though.
“Yeah, we did. Met a couple of times, caught up on college years, when we played football and I broke his leg.” He chuckled and shook his head, amused. “We also met shortly after Agent Gibbs made him temporary team-leader. Although that was rather accidentally and not to the delight of either of us.” His expression became serious again. “Did you know that Tony visited a psychologist once?”
By the confused look on Mallard’s face Brad could tell that he obviously didn’t. “No, I never knew about that. How come?”
Dr. Brad opened his mouth, almost spilling the beans, but shut it again when he realized that he was about to break his honor. To tell Ducky wouldn’t be right. Not only because Tony was a friend, but mostly because he had to follow the rules, to maintain doctor-patient confidentiality. “Let’s sit down, Ducky.” He took the Medical Examiner by the arm just above his elbow and led him to a row of chairs nearby.
Tbc...