Category: NCIS hurt/comfort angst fic

Rating: This part PG - Tony owies

Characters: Everyone gets a line or two…

Series: Yes

Spoilers: None intended but anything might get a mention

Summary: Tony is in the hospital

Archive: Just tell me where it's going

Additional `stuff': WARNING WARNING WARNING: Dark to match the mood I was in when I wrote it. I've read several fics on the subject of who the NCIS would choose as their `call in case of emergency' person. This is mine (fic not person!). I made the hospital name up.

Title: Strangers in the night - One

`Gibbs.'

`Agent Gibbs? I'm a Doctor at Mercy General.'

Gibbs' mind filled with all of the awful possibilities those words hinted at. `Uh…yeah.'

`We have one of your staff here. Anthony Dinozzo.'

Feeling his heart thud in his chest, Gibbs rasped: `What happened?'

Gibbs looked around, catching Kate's eye, waving his hand at her to come over.

`We're not sure. He's unconscious.'

Gibbs was on his feet, heading for the door, phone still held to his ear. `I'm on my way.'

`Gibbs?' Kate grabbed her backpack and jacket and ran after the boss.

`Tony's in the hospital.'

`What happened?'

Reaching his car, Gibbs shook his head. `Get in!'

Kate had barely pulled the car door closed when Gibbs was already gunning the engine, the squeal of tires resounding in her ears as they sped off.

Gibbs' snapped at several hospital staff until one pointed at a room down the corridor. `Three-twelve. Are you family?'

Gibbs was already striding down the linoleum-lined corridor as the nurse finished the question, leaving Kate to reassure the woman that they were on official business.

Gibbs pushed the door open and steeled himself for the sight of an injured Tony Dinozzo. Despite his outward gruffness, Gibbs cared for each of the four younger agents and Ducky, and he took any attack on them personally. Very personally.

Tony lay under the bedclothes, face pale between the darkening bruises. Eyes closed, and, more worryingly as far as Gibbs was concerned, silent, one arm in a cast, the other dotted with IV lines.

Even as he lay on the ground in the parking lot, drugs coursing through his system, Tony had managed to continue to speak until completely overcome. That was classic Dinozzo, Gibbs thought.

The silence, punctuated by the bleeps of the machines monitoring Tony, made Gibbs uncomfortable and he stood awkwardly for a moment until he felt Ducky's hand on his shoulder. He turned, the pain in his eyes raw and obvious to his friend. `How bad is he?'

Ducky decided it was pointless to lie. `Unconscious when he was found. Multiple injuries and he hasn't regained consciousness since he was picked up outside a nightclub by staff leaving after it closed. Jethro, you need to call his parents.'

Stubbornly, Gibbs shook his head. `No.'

Ducky sighed. `Jethro, it can't wait.'

`I can't. I can't call them. I…just…can't.'

Ducky nodded understandingly. `I'll do it. Go on.' He nodded at Tony and gave Gibbs a gentle shove into the room.

Tony's parents were on vacation. After several hours, his father called Ducky. Ducky gently explained how badly hurt Tony was.

Mr Dinozzo was apparently unconcerned. `Unconscious? Well then he's not gonna know if we're there or not is he.'

Shocked at the reaction, blaming the shock of the unexpected call in the middle of their vacation, Ducky agreed and asked when they would be flying home.

`We've still got three weeks of our vacation Dr Mallard.'

Ducky ended the call as quickly as he could and called Kate for an update on how she and McGee were doing finding the people that hurt Dinozzo. Anything to delay having to tell Jethro that Tony's parents weren't exactly rushing to their son's bedside.

Gibbs pushed open the door, frowning at the closed blue curtain around Tony's bed. He could hear Ducky's voice, soft and reassuring, and he pulled the curtain back. Tony's upper body was exposed, bedclothes folded back neatly and Ducky was washing Tony's right hand, carefully avoiding the plaster cast.

`You see, I told you he would be here...' Ducky's commentary wasn't affected by the one-sided nature and he nodded at the towel on Gibbs' side of the bed. `Jethro will make sure you're all nice and dry this side while we get on with your legs…'

Gibbs picked up the towel and dabbed ineffectively at Tony's shoulder, unaware of Ducky's scrutiny until the older man's hand covered his and he felt his hand moved more firmly against Tony's shoulder. `He's not made of glass Jethro.' Ducky reassured.

Gibbs dried Tony's arm and shoulder then looked up. `They don't have nurses to do this?'

Ducky nodded. `Yes. But there is nothing I can usefully do in the office, so I thought I would spend some time with Agent Dinozzo.'

Gibbs couldn't resist. `You know they say that even when you're unconscious, you can still hear what's going on around you. There's always a possibility Tony's awake but he's keeping his eyes closed in the hope you'll stop with the anecdotes.'

Ducky chuckled. `He should know better Jethro.'

Gibbs folded the towel. `What if…what if Tony doesn't…'

Ducky closed the distance between them, dropping his voice to a whisper. `Jethro…if we stop hoping, Tony will know.'

Gibbs huffed. `Spare me the pop psychology Ducky.'

Ducky turned back to the bed. `He doesn't mean it Tony. He's just concerned for your welfare.'

Leaving, Gibbs closed the door behind him.

Continued in Part Two…

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