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Disclaimer: "NCIS" and it's characters don't belong to me they belong to CBS and are being used without permission. Please don't sue because I have no money.
"These look like strong hands." Was taken from Neverending story as Rockbitter looks at his hands. Don't own that either.
Hands
Tony DiNozzo looked at his hands as he stood there in the bullpen and couldn't look away from them for the longest time. Gibbs had sent everyone home hours ago and he had stayed for a while and watched as Gibbs got up to go somewhere, which wasn't home because he hadn't picked up his coat. He wondered where Gibbs was going, but only for a minute. He wondered where it all went wrong. It started as a regular day. He came in at his normal time, dropped his backpack by the desk, sat down and turned on the computer. His gut didn't tell him anything was going to happen when he started his workday today. It seemed to be like another normal day.
They got a call an hour into the workday and they picked up their backpacks and made their way towards the van. Gibbs had told them that they had a jumper at Bethesda Hospital. Her name was Eileen Harrison and she was a demolition expert. The bomb had even hurt her when she realized that someone was inside.
When they got up to the roof Tony had started talking to the startled woman on the edge of the roof. He wondered why she would resort to this and had asked her after he had talked to her.
"It's my fault that he's dead. I had people check and recheck to make sure that nobody was in there. I should have gone in there to check myself."
"What happened?"
"I blew up a man. That's what happened."
"It wasn't your fault."
"Yes, it was."
The woman stepped off the ledge and Tony quickly grabbed her outstretched hand. He was glad that he was so close to her, so that he got the chance to catch her. She looked at him in shock because she didn't think that he would have caught her.
"Let me go."
"No." He said as he looked into her eyes. He was about to pull her up when she reached into her jogging shorts that she had gotten from a friend who went to her house and gotten them for her. She hated having to have only her hospital gown on. She put her knife she kept on her in the pocket before she went up to the roof. She cut him and Tony let go. He stared in horror as she slipped from his reach and he brought his other hand to his wounded arm. The blood was running down on his arm and Gibbs quickly pressed something onto it and then took him to emergency where they patched him up.
He sat there looking at his hands and felt a familiar presence and he looked up. "These look like strong hands." Tony said as he looked up at Gibbs.
"Tony, it's not your fault."
"It was."
"No, it wasn't, Tony. She had a knife on her and she cut you." He put his hand on his shoulder. Tony flinched at the contact. "Come on, Tony. Time to go home."
Tony turned off his computer and the light and made his way towards the elevator after he picked up his backpack. Gibbs watched Tony as they made their way towards the first floor. He watched as Tony went towards his own car.
"Tony, get into the car." Gibbs said as he opened the car. Tony looked up from his car and towards his boss.
"I'm fine, Gibbs."
"No, you're not. You still have a bag in your trunk?"
"Yes."
"Good. Get it and get in."
He looked at Gibbs and made his way towards the trunk. He knew that Gibbs wouldn't allow him to go anywhere else, but his house. When they arrived Tony picked up his bag and carried it into Gibbs house and put it next to the couch. Gibbs grabbed the phone and ordered pizza. When it got there Gibbs opened it and turned to Tony. "Go ahead and eat."
"Not hungry."
"You need to eat, Tony. Then take the painkillers the Doctor gave you."
"I don't need them." His arm did hurt, but he wasn't going to take them. He hated how the painkillers made him feel. He was a little goofy when he took painkillers.
"Look, Tony. She cut you pretty good and I know it hurts. You need to have a good night's sleep."
Tony picked up a plate and took two slices of pizza and sat down. Gibbs did the same thing and they both settled down to eat. When it was over Gibbs picked up the paper plates and put them in the garbage. He then took out Tony's painkillers and grabbed a cup and filled it with water.
"Take them." Gibbs said as he set both items on the table. Tony looked at them both, but knew better to argue with Gibbs and he swallowed the painkillers and drank the water. A few hours later he was tired and made his way to the bedroom. He buried himself under the covers. Gibbs had given him a shirt and sweatpants to change into. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was a pair of brown eyes who pleaded for him to let go. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He wondered if he would be able to sleep tonight and an hour later he did go to sleep. He woke up to a nightmare and Gibbs was there checking up on him.
Gibbs didn't say anything as he watched Tony toss and turn and wished that he could take his pain away, but he couldn't. He watched as his senior field agent scream as he woke from the nightmare.
"Sorry, Gibbs. Didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't." He said as he watched Tony.
"If you need me you know where I'll be." Gibbs said as he walked away. He knew that if he asked Tony to talk about it that he wouldn't. He would throw up his mask and deflect. The only thing that he said was that he would be there for him if he needed him.
"Thanks, Gibbs." Tony said as he looked at his boss.
Gibbs nodded and made his way out of the bedroom and into his own. He hoped that Tony would have a restful sleep and then went to sleep himself.
The next day Gibbs went downstairs and put the coffee on. He started breakfast and waited for Tony to wake up and make his way down the stairs.
Tony woke up to the smell of coffee and what smelled like pancakes. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got out of bed. He couldn't believe that he slept so well after Gibbs had told him if he needed him he could talk to him.
Tony came into the kitchen just as the pancakes were put on the table. Gibbs looked up from the table and looked at Tony. Tony nodded at Gibbs's look and sat down. The coffee was on the table and so was an extra cup. He poured himself a cup and put in sugar and the hazelnut creamer that Gibbs had from his last visit there, which wasn't too long ago. He picked up his fork and took two pancakes and put syrup on them.
Gibbs looked at Tony as he dug into breakfast. Tony would be okay in the future and he would help him if he needed it and Tony knew it. It might take time, but Tony would be all right.
The End