Chapter Text
Title: This Time for Sure
Fandom: NCIS
Genres: Father-Son
Warnings: None
Characters: Anthony DiNozzo, Jethro Gibbs, Abby Sciuto, Timothy McGee, Eleanor Bishop, Donald Mallard, Jimmy Palmer, Jenny Shepard, Tobias Fornell, Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane, Dr Brad Pitt, Dr Ambrose (OC)
Ratings: Teen
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the children, I just play with them every so often, and not as often as I would like or they need.
Summary: Tony is severally injured, again, due to Director Sheppard’s selfish wants, and this time he might not fully recover.
Chapter 1 ~Humpty Dumpty~
Again, he was yet again sitting in a hospital waiting room waiting to learn if his SIC would survive. This time though he was not so sure of the outcome. This time when he found Tony he stopped breathing. Jethro had begun rescue breathing immediately, while Tim called for an ambulance. The medics had called for an air evac to Bethesda and Jethro had forced his way onto the helicopter, citing his knowledge of Tony’s medical history and the fact he was Tony’s medical proxy. That 13-minute air flight had literally seemed to last hours. Tony’s heart stopped four times during the flight, and each time Jethro held his breath hoping this wasn’t the end.
Jethro was now pacing the Emergency Room waiting area waiting to hear the latest news. He kept trying to tell himself Tony was going to be ok, he was strong, young, HE WAS GOING TO BE OK!!!!! He shouted in his mind, remembering he had once again told Tony he didn’t have permission to die. But that little seed of doubt entered his mind. Just how many times could Tony come back from the edge of death?
As he continued to pace a nurse called “Family for Anthony DiNozzo?” she asked as she looked for someone to answer.
Jethro stood “Here” and walked over to her quickly closing the gap. “It’s Agent DiNozzo, I’m Agent Gibbs. How is Tony?”
“Come this way,” she said leading him through the locked door. “Dr Ambrose wants to talk to you.”
He had been led to a room just inside the busy department. “How is he?” Gibbs asked yet again using his best ‘Agent-in-Charge’ voice.
“Have a seat Dr Ambrose will be right with you.” She said quietly and quickly left the room.
This was different, he hadn’t been in a room like this since he had been informed of his second wife’s death. He didn’t like it. It made his gut twitch.
A young Doctor came into the room, his shoes covered in blood. “Agent Gibbs?” he asked. At Gibbs terse nod he sat and continued “I’m Dr Ambrose, I have been treating Agent DiNozzo. May I ask your relationship to Agent DiNozzo?”
Gibbs answered, “I am his boss and have both his general power of attorney and his medical power of attorney. Basically, I am the only family he has. How is he?”
“He’s doing as well as can be expected, considering his injuries. Can you tell me how it happened?”
Gibbs shook his head, “not really, I mean I wasn’t there. He had called me asking for backup and just as I arrived, he stopped breathing. You know the rest. Why do you need to know, what aren’t you telling me?” Gibbs barked, as only he could.
“I’m trying to get some sense of how he came to be so severely injured,” Dr Ambrose said calmly.
Grabbing his hair in frustration Gibbs growled again “what are his injuries, how bad is it?”
“Here’s what we know so far, his skull is fractured in four places, he also has three spinal fractures, one a C-7 T-1 and L-3, both his radius and ulna on his right forearm have a midshaft displaced fracture, his left wrist is fractured, his left femur is fractured and as if that wasn’t enough his right lower leg has a tib/fib fracture. The fractures of the most immediate concern are his skull, C-7 and T-1 fractures. His skull fractures consist of basal fracture, a depressed skull fracture in the left temple area, and two comminuted fractures one on top of his skull and one at the back of his head.. Basically, his skull looks like Humpty Dumpty.”
Jethro was stunned, how could Tony survive these injuries? “So, what can be done about it? Will he survive?”
“Right now, we need to decide if you want him to have surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain and stabilize the C-7 T-1 fractures. We believe currently these fractures may be causing his breathing and cardiac issues.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Gibbs interrupted.
“Well there are some considerations, he obviously is very unstable, and the surgery alone might kill him.”
“What happens if we do nothing?” Gibbs asked desperately wishing Ducky was here to decipher all this information.
“Honestly I don’t know? He could survive long enough to have the ortho surgeries he will need, or he could die in the next few hours. But as unstable as he is right now the surgery could kill him. Also, you are aware of his decreased breathing ability due to his bout with the plague?” At Gibbs nod he continued “who gets the plague now days anyway” Dr Ambrose said under his breath. “Well, that’s playing havoc with his ability to breath on his own. It will definitely impact his ability to survive any surgery we might do.” Seeing the confusion on Gibbs' face he continued “I know this is all very overwhelming but unfortunately I need an answer to the brain surgery.”
“When?” was Gibbs one-word answer.
“Right now.” Dr Ambrose answered.
Gibbs really didn’t think, there was just so much to consider. If he did nothing Tony might live but he also might die. Likewise, if he allowed the surgery, that might be the very thing that kills him. Shit, he had never wanted Duck’s council so badly as he did right now. Taking a deep breath, he mentally flipped a coin in his head, heads yes, tails no. It came up heads. “Go ahead, do the surgery.”
“Thanks, Agent Gibbs, a nurse will be right in with the paperwork for you to sign and she’ll show you where you can wait,” Dr Ambrose said.
“How long… I mean how long will the surgery take?” Gibbs asked quietly.
“Not sure, I have never attempted to stabilize so many fractures. But I would venture to guess that the longer it takes the more success we are having.” Dr Ambrose replied.
“Why do you say that?” Bibbs asked surprised.
“That’s an easy answer, the longer it takes the means Agent DiNozzo is still alive,” he said as he exited the door.
Moments later a nurse came in with the consent paperwork, Gibbs quickly signed and returned it to the nurse. Unfortunately, he had been to the surgical waiting room enough to get there on his own. She left, and Gibbs went in hunt of coffee before going to the waiting room. It was going to be a long night he sighed.