Gibbs hadn’t known what to do with the knowledge—and he didn’t have much. Ducky’s conversation with him had brought forth more questions, but Gibbs hadn’t stuck around. Some urgency in Tony’s voice had twisted his gut in knots, and Gibbs drove home, trying to avoid looking at the blood packs.
And what they meant.
Tony’d done something extraordinary today. McGee might have been too shell-shocked to realize, and Ziva too resolute to be in anything but denial, but Gibbs had known something had happened. Tony’d taken a massive hit to the head—the blow should have killed him—but he’d swayed and stayed on his feet, though he’d been groggy for a while.
No skull fracture—hell, his pupils were fine too.
That’d been the first clue.
The second had been when Ducky’d huddled with DiNozzo, shooing Gibbs and Palmer away. There had been something to their conversation hat had caused Gibbs’ gut to start cramping, and it hadn’t stopped yet.
He pulled into his driveway, going inside slowly. What was he supposed to do with these packs, drain them into a glass?
Was Tony a…
No, those things didn’t exist. Gibbs chuffed out a laugh, wanting to headslap himself, and made his way upstairs.
Gibbs hesitated a moment in the doorway, watching Tony. He was stretched out on his side, the afternoon light shining over him. He was so still and peaceful, a state Gibbs rarely saw him in.
Unless he was sick…or hurt.
“DiNozzo?” he asked, his voice a little unsteady.
“M’here, Boss.” Tony sat up slowly, looking from Gibbs’ face to his hand, all the blood draining out of DiNozzo’s face, his features horrified for a second, until he slapped his mask back on.
“Where’d ya get those?”
“Ducky.”
Tony blinked several times, hand coming up to smooth his hair down. “Ducky told you? No, he couldn’t. They…” Tony trailed off, swallowing hard. “I trust you with my life, Boss, but I gotta…” He gestured to his phone, giving Gibbs and apologetic look.
Gibbs nodded, waiting DiNozzo out. This was his bedroom and he wasn’t gonna leave. If Tony wanted to have this conversation away from Gibbs, he’d have to move.
But he didn’t, just watched Gibbs as he spoke into the phone. “Ducky, Gibbs is here with blood packs. What did you… Oh. If it was just me, I would have told him...” He looked away then. “Yeah. I’m willing to take the punishment. Just make sure they don’t use the barbed whip on me… Ducky, he’s worth it.”
Tony closed his eyes, his sigh resonating through the room. “Thanks, Ducky. I’ll make it okay.” He closed his phone and looked at Gibbs.
“Give me those and sit down. I’ve got a story to tell you.”
“I’m all ears,” Gibbs replied. Whatever Tony had to say, he was ready for it. And they’d deal with it together.
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All Ears
Date: 2012-08-22 03:27 am (UTC)Sequel to Tony’s Secret.
http://taylorgibbs.livejournal.com/102508.html?view=1125228#t1125228
Gibbs hadn’t known what to do with the knowledge—and he didn’t have much. Ducky’s conversation with him had brought forth more questions, but Gibbs hadn’t stuck around. Some urgency in Tony’s voice had twisted his gut in knots, and Gibbs drove home, trying to avoid looking at the blood packs.
And what they meant.
Tony’d done something extraordinary today. McGee might have been too shell-shocked to realize, and Ziva too resolute to be in anything but denial, but Gibbs had known something had happened. Tony’d taken a massive hit to the head—the blow should have killed him—but he’d swayed and stayed on his feet, though he’d been groggy for a while.
No skull fracture—hell, his pupils were fine too.
That’d been the first clue.
The second had been when Ducky’d huddled with DiNozzo, shooing Gibbs and Palmer away. There had been something to their conversation hat had caused Gibbs’ gut to start cramping, and it hadn’t stopped yet.
He pulled into his driveway, going inside slowly. What was he supposed to do with these packs, drain them into a glass?
Was Tony a…
No, those things didn’t exist. Gibbs chuffed out a laugh, wanting to headslap himself, and made his way upstairs.
Gibbs hesitated a moment in the doorway, watching Tony. He was stretched out on his side, the afternoon light shining over him. He was so still and peaceful, a state Gibbs rarely saw him in.
Unless he was sick…or hurt.
“DiNozzo?” he asked, his voice a little unsteady.
“M’here, Boss.” Tony sat up slowly, looking from Gibbs’ face to his hand, all the blood draining out of DiNozzo’s face, his features horrified for a second, until he slapped his mask back on.
“Where’d ya get those?”
“Ducky.”
Tony blinked several times, hand coming up to smooth his hair down. “Ducky told you? No, he couldn’t. They…” Tony trailed off, swallowing hard. “I trust you with my life, Boss, but I gotta…” He gestured to his phone, giving Gibbs and apologetic look.
Gibbs nodded, waiting DiNozzo out. This was his bedroom and he wasn’t gonna leave. If Tony wanted to have this conversation away from Gibbs, he’d have to move.
But he didn’t, just watched Gibbs as he spoke into the phone. “Ducky, Gibbs is here with blood packs. What did you… Oh. If it was just me, I would have told him...” He looked away then. “Yeah. I’m willing to take the punishment. Just make sure they don’t use the barbed whip on me… Ducky, he’s worth it.”
Tony closed his eyes, his sigh resonating through the room. “Thanks, Ducky. I’ll make it okay.” He closed his phone and looked at Gibbs.
“Give me those and sit down. I’ve got a story to tell you.”
“I’m all ears,” Gibbs replied. Whatever Tony had to say, he was ready for it. And they’d deal with it together.