A Doctor walked in with a barely concealed frown on his face. Gibbs head shot up and he rushed over to hear what he had to say. It had been hours since they've heard anything and the rest of the team had arrived a while ago after processing the crime scene Gibbs had left them with.

"Is a mister Gibbs here? A Leroy Jethro Gibbs?"

"Yes I'm Gibbs. How is Tony. What's going on?"

"You are down as his next of kin so if you would follow me into a private room I can explain a few things about Tony's condition."

"You can explain to me and the rest of my team what the hell is going on right here right now doctor."

"I really feel it would be better to explain this to you privately sir. It might be in the best interests of the patient to keep this from his co-workers for the time being." The Doctor said this to Gibbs in a hushed voice. Gibbs had had just about enough of this man and replied in a low calm voice that made the doctor wish he had sent someone else in here.

""These… co-workers, as you so delicately put, are like a family to Tony and we feel the same about him. Now you will explain to all of us immediately what exactly is wrong with my agent."

The doctor noticeably gulped "You may want to sit down for this. Three of Tony's ribs where broken, one of which punctured the lung. We have managed to repair this damage and re-inflate the left lung. He received bruising and scrapes over most of his body and his left wrist was quite badly broken aswell, which we have managed to set back in place. All this damage is repairable and in time he would be fine but…"

"You said would be…. Not will be… but would be, why?

The doctor looked down and took a deep shaky breath. Then looked back up to deliver the bad news.

"Tony suffered severe blows to the head, first on the windscreen of the car and secondly on the floor of the parking lot. These alone we may have been able to fix and all Tony would have had is a bad concussion but together….. Together they have put him into a coma."

Gasps were heard throughout the room. Abby started crying on Ducky's should while he reached to stroke her hair in an attempt to comfort her. Gibbs' eyes turned an ice blue.

"You doubt he'll come out of the coma don't you."

"I'm afraid to say I don't doubt that he'll come out of the coma, I know for a fact that he won't. The damage done to his head is irreparable. Tony is brain-dead."

"No."

"Pardon sir?"

"No." Gibbs repeated calmly. "No he's not."

"I'm afraid to say that…"

"I said no he's not. He talked to me at the crime scene. I talked back to him. He is not brain dead and he will come out of this coma. I don't give a crap what your modern medicine says Tony is fine and he will wake up."

"He may have been able to communicate with you for a short while before he blacked out but he won't wake up. I know this must come as a real shock to you and I am truly sorry for your lose but Tony won't ever be waking up again."

"Stop talking about him like he's already dead!"

"Sir that's not…"

"Where is he?"

"Sorry?"

"I'm sorry, am I speaking to fast for you to comprehend? I believe I asked where Tony is."

"Uh right sorry. If you would like to follow me I can take you to him. Also if you would like a second opinion I will completely understand, but I can tell you now that any other doctor you ask will give you the same answers that I just gave you."

"I don't give a shit what any other doctors say. Tony is fine and he will wake up."

The doctor stifled a small sigh. This was denial at its greatest. In cases like these he knew it was better to accept the truth straight out instead of clinging to the hope that the patient might one day wake up. He hoped some of this man's friends could get through to him better than he could, because it wasn't fair on anyone to keep Tony on machines any longer than necessary. It would create false hope to everyone who visited him that there was still a chance. But they could do nothing without the next of kin's approval, and at the minute it didn't look likely they would be doing anything for a long time.



The group of people stopped outside Tony's private room.

"I'm afraid only the next of kin can stay in there with him, for as long as he likes. Others are allowed in one at a time every hour or so. Please make sure no more than two are in the room at anytime. If you have anymore questions just ask for me, Dr. Meredith."



Gibbs walked into the room Tony lay in, Abby followed him in. The only sign that what he saw disturbed him in anyway was the tightening of his jaw and, if possible, his eyes got even colder. Abby gave a weep and rushed over to Tony's beside. She grabbed his hand and started stroking it whispering words of comfort to him, trying to convince him, or maybe herself, that Tony was going to be just fine. Gibbs stepped behind Abby and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. He wanted to stand behind her so she wouldn't see that other one was shaking badly behind his back. Seeing Tony like this caused him such great pain. He composed himself as Abby left and the others came in, in turn. The last to enter was Ducky.

"Oh my dear boy." Ducky lifted the chart that was attached to his bed and his frown deepened as he read it.

Gibbs sunk down into a chair, not minding to show a bit of weakness to his oldest friend.

"He's going to wake up Ducky. He has to."

Ducky let out a deep sigh. "Jethro…"

"The next words out of your mouth better be ones of complete agreement with me, or I don't wish to hear them right now."

The silence seemed to stretch on forever, although in reality it was only a few minutes. In this time Gibbs had taken Tony's hand and clung to it as if letting go would somehow separate the two of them forever.

"How long have you loved him Jethro?"

Gibbs didn't even tear his gaze away from Tony's sleeping eyes.

"Since the moment he strode into NCIS like he owned the place." A small smile appeared on Gibbs' face, only to be quickly replaced by a frown at the thought that he may never get to see Tony stride into anywhere ever again. No dammit! He would! Tony was not leaving him like this, he would simply not allow it. He had no right to tell him what he had been yearning to hear from him since the second he lay eyes on him, and then turn and leave his life forever. He could not say I love you and not give Gibbs a chance to say it back!

A firm hand appeared on his shoulder, this time it was Gibbs receiving the strength from the hand instead of always having to deliver. It was nice to be able to let his guard down, even if only for a minute. Tony had always been able to disarm him with a single smile sent his way, as if he could see right through his defenses and into the layer he tried to hide from the world. What he wouldn't give to see just one more smile.

"You need your rest Gibbs. I have managed to convince the others to go home. There is nothing we can do here at the minute."

"I'm not leaving him Ducky. I won't leave him alone with people who think he's dead."

"Jethro…."

"Just don't Ducky. He is not dead. He wouldn't give up on me if the situations were reversed and I'm not about to do it to him."

"Alright… call if you need anything."

Ducky shut the door silently behind him. He knew he needed to convince Gibbs soon that Tony was indeed, not coming back. It would be better for everyone all round. But for tonight I think it might be better to let Gibbs live out this fantasy. Tomorrow once the news has sunk in he shall talk to his friend.



Gibbs reached up to stroke Tony's face, what little of it you could see through the bandages.

"Tony" Gibbs whispered. "Tony… I need you back here with me. You have to prove everyone wrong and come back. I don't know how to go on without you. I should have told you earlier, much earlier how I feel. Then we wouldn't have wasted so much time. I was just afraid I'd scare you off, and having you here not knowing how I felt was better than not having you here at all. God Tony I need to tell you how I feel. I promise if you come back I won't waste anymore time being scared about loosing you. Just please don't leave me so soon. You're not dead Tony, I refused to believe it. It hurts to breathe when I think that you might not come back. How could I live if you died? God DiNozzo you don't have to do this to prove you're point, I know I should have told you sooner. And if you come back I will tell you, over and over and over again so you don't ever forget it. I need you Tony, I need you so much please just…."

He composed himself as a nurse came in to check a couple of things. She smiled at him on her way out but Gibbs didn't return it, because he saw in her eyes the pity for him. She thought Tony was dead too. They were all fools the lot of them, Tony wasn't dead. He would wake up soon and be just fine. Then he'd laugh at them all for believing otherwise and he and Tony would take off somewhere together and get to know each other personally. His subconscious screamed at him for believing such a fantasy but he drowned it out. Tony was alive. He had to be in there somewhere.



"Please Tony, I don't want you to go….please…."

Gibbs' heavy eyes got the best of him and he lay his head down on the table over the bed and went to sleep, still clutching Tony's hand in his, fearful to let go.