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Title: Accepting Help
 "Ducky? What are you doing up here? Everything okay?" Tony and Ziva both looked up as McGee greeted the Medical Examiner in surprise. It was unusual to see him in the bullpen; if he had information for them, they normally went to him. "Oh yes, thank you, Timothy, everything is fine. I was just hoping for a word with Jethro, but he seems to be elsewhere." "He's in the head." Tony nodded in the appropriate direction. "Been in there for a while. Hiding." "Hiding?" Ducky was understandably puzzled. Gibbs didn't hide. "Yeah. You know Gibbs. Can't admit to any weakness." "Weakness?" The three agents exchanged glances. "You don't know?" McGee ventured after a moment. "Don't know what, Timothy? Is something wrong with Jethro?" Ducky was getting worried now. There was silence. "Timothy?" McGee looked uncomfortable. "Well, it's just...I mean he's...well, he's...sick." "Sick?" It was more an exclamation than a question. Gibbs was never sick. "Yeah." This was Tony. "He's been sneezing all day." "It is hardly surprising." Ziva joined in. "We have all been ill in the last few weeks, and he has spent time in close quarters with us., both at work, and when he visited us at home." She blushed a little. Unaccustomed to Gibbs' tradition of checking on any sick team members, she had not been expecting him. When she hadn't answered the door, he had 'let himself in', worried that she might have passed out, and she had given him a black eye for his trouble. Though he hadn't seemed to be angry (if anything, he'd been pleased at her reflexes), the teasing from Tony and McGee since her return to work had been relentless. Avoiding Tony's smirking gaze, she cleared her throat and continued. "He was bound to become so eventually. I do not see why he is so embarrassed." "Ah, Ziva, you just don't understand." Tony shook his head in mock pity. "You see, Gibbs is...well, Gibbs. He doesn't get sick like us mere mortals." "Everyone gets sick sometimes, Tony." "Not Gibbs, Ziva." McGee agreed with Tony. "He's never had a cold before, or the flu, or even allergies." "So he says." Ziva shook her head. "It doesn't matter. He is sick now." She turned back to the elderly doctor beside her desk, who had been watching their exchange with an expression of amusement mixed with concern. "He has not listened to our attempts to make him go home, Ducky. Perhaps he will listen to you?" Ducky sighed. "I doubt it, my dear, though I will try. Perhaps you would be so good as to send him down to autopsy when he returns? I do not think a large audience will be conducive to getting him to see reason." They all nodded. "Sure Ducky. Anything we can do?" Tony looked serious for once. Ducky chuckled. "Not unless you know of a way to make Jethro do something he does not wish to do, Anthony." Tony winced. "Not found one yet, Ducky. At least, not one that doesn't result in concussion" "Actually," They all looked up as McGee spoke. "I might have an idea. Strength in numbers, right?" "Hey, Abby. How are you feeling?" The gothic scientist appeared on the screen in front of them. She was sitting on her couch, wrapped in a fluffy blanket, thick woollen socks poking out from underneath, steaming mug of tea in one hand and bunch of tissues in the other. As they watched, she brought them up to her nose and gave a wet sniffle. Despite looking so miserable, she was grinning. "Hey Tody! Much bedder, thanks." At their raised eyebrows, she laughed. "Do, really. Gibbs cabe over yesterday and he brought me a whole bunch ob Disney filbs. Tinkerbell rocks!" "Tinkerbell?" Ziva frowned. Tony gasped. "Ziva! You haven't seen Peter Pan? You've missed out on an important part of American cult-ow!" Rubbing his head, he glared at Ziva, who looked to McGee for an explanation. "Oh, um, Tinkerbell is Peter Pan's um...fairy friend, Ziva." He winced at Tony's snort of laughter. "Fairy friend? Come on, Prob-oh, bless you, Abs." On the screen, Abby's head bobbed again as she let out another sneeze. "Hih- Tishoo! Uh..." She blew her nose. "Still sneezy. And sniffly. And snuffly. Is that even a word? Snuffly...hmmm..." "Right. Um Abby, how much cold medicine have you had?" "Tim! Are you suggestig I'b...high?" She giggled, then shook her head. "Dod't worry, just the normal dose. I'mb just happy that all the achyness has god away. I feel so much bedder, you know?" They nodded. Once their aches and weakness had gone, the cold had been pretty much over, with just the sneezing and congestion hanging on for a few more days. Abby continued. "I was godda cobe in today, bud Gibbs said I had to take the rest of the week off. Hey," She leaned in towards the camera. "Where is Gibbs?" Ducky stepped forward. "Actually, Abigail, that was what we wanted to talk to you about. We need your help..." "Doctor Mallard and Special Agent DiNozzo to see you, Dir...Direct....Di..He-tshooo! TSHoooo!!! Oh, excuse be. Director." Jenny Sheppard looked up from her work, puzzled. What could Ducky and Tony want? They had no current case, as far as she knew. "Thank you, Cynthia. Buzz them in, please." "Yes Director." "Oh, and Cynthia?" "Yes, Director?" "Go home. You've obviously caught that cold I had last week. You sound terrible." "He-TSHooooo! Ugh...are you sure, Director?" "Absolutely, Cynthia. Go home and rest. Let Andrew pamper you." "Okay, Director. Thag you." As Cynthia shuffled home to her fiancé, Ducky and Tony entered the office. "Quite right to send her home, Director. " Ducky beamed at her. "The poor girl looked quite miserable." Jenny nodded, smiling back. "Yes, I know. She's been ever so good, not wanting to leave me to all the paperwork, but enough is enough. She's really not well enough to be at work. I'll just have to manage. Ah well, that's life." She raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "What can I do for you both?" "Actually, Director, we were wondering of you would be so kind as to repeat your action on somebody else..." Jenny nodded, standing. "Jethro? I thought he looked a little pale yesterday." "Yeah, he looks like cra- uh, he looks terrible, Director. And he's being, well..." "Gibbs?" Jenny filled in. "Yeah. He just slapped me when I said he should go home." She squared her shoulders. "You're not his boss." As the elevator made it's way down to autopsy, Gibbs leaned his aching head against the wall, the cool metal soothing his burning skin. Shivering, he cursed. He didn't get sick, damnit! But there was no denying it. Normally he clamped down on any sign of illness so hard it fled in terror. Not this time, though. He felt terrible, head and throat throbbing, body trembling, sneezing and coughing to wake the dead, and black spots clouding his vision whenever he moved too fast. He wanted nothing more than to go home, crawl into bed, and not move again for several days, but that would mean admitting weakness to his team, something he swore would never happen. And besides, he didn't have the time to rest. He had reams of paperwork to complete, for one. Of course, he had to make sure his team didn't push themselves too hard for a while, as they were still recovering, so he'd taken some of their work, not that they knew. And there was Ducky to check on - his friend was not recovering quite so speedily these days - and Abby to visit and take care of, and he just couldn't be sick. "Hur-ESHoooo! Huh...huh...HUH- SHooooooo! Hur-ESHOOOOO!!!!" But damnit all, he was. "You wanted to see me, Duck?" Gibbs strode into autopsy, sending an inquiring glance at the Medical Examiner. "Ah, yes, Jethro. Just a minute, if you please." As he pretended to fill in a form on his desk, Ducky watched as his friend took in the presence the others in the room. "Director. DiNozzo." Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?" They were saved from answering as the autopsy doors slid open again to admit Ziva and McGee. Joining Ducky at his desk, McGee hit a few keys, and a second later, Abby's image appeared on the plasma. Gibbs took all this in in silence for a moment before speaking. "Okay, what's going on?" "We're repaying a favour, Boss." Tony stepped forward. "DiNozzo." Gibbs growled, though it was more of a rasp. He was not in the mood for games. "We're sending you home, Gibbs." Ziva clarified. "You have obviously caught the same illness that we have all suffered." Gibbs coughed roughly into a fist, frowning. "I'm fine." "Hardly, Jethro. It would seem that your team did not exaggerate. You look quite terrible, my friend." "Yeah, Gibbs, you look crappy." This, unsurprisingly, was Abby. "Nod that I cad see you very well, 'cos you're all at the wrog angle, bud-" "Feeling any better, Abs?" Gibbs interrupted. Abby scowled at the screen. "You dow I am silly, but you're dot. Stop trying to distract be, it's dot goin to...ah...goig...to...Hi-TSHooo!" "Bless you, Abs. You should be resting." "So should you. And I'b lonely. I need sobe company. I'll even cobe round to your house." She stuck out her bottom lip, and Gibbs gave a rasping chuckle. "I'll be with you after work, Abs, but I'm fine. I don't need to go home." "You don't have a choice, Jethro." Jenny stepped forward at last. "I'm taking you off duty for the rest of the week. At least." When he opened his mouth to protest, she held up a hand. "Ah ah ah. No arguments." Her face softened a little. "Jethro, over the last few weeks, you've sent all the members of your team home at some point, including Abby and Ducky. You even insisted that I go home, remember? Well, we all had the same bug as you have now, so if we needed to go home, then you certainly do. Oh, and bless you." He scowled at her as he turned away, eyes closing in preparation for a sneeze. "HUH-RUSHooooo!!!" It was strong enough to bend him almost in two with the release, and he staggered for a moment, dizzy, before regaining his balance. "That does it. Go home Jethro. Now. Let Ducky check you over and then DiNozzo will drive you-" "I'm fine, damnit!" "Umm, Boss?" McGee sounded nervous, but held his ground, even under Gibbs's glare. "You're uh, holding yourself up with the table." Snarling, Gibbs pushed himself away from the reassuring metal, standing straight as proof that he was fine. Or at least, he tried to. His head swam at the sudden movement, and it felt like his stomach had just dropped several feet. His legs crumpled, and it was only quick action from Tony and Ziva that kept him upright. "Yeah, Boss, you're the picture of good health." Tony ducked the weak head slap that came his way at that comment. The Director continued as if there had been no interruptions. "And then DiNozzo will drive you home, where I believe Abby will meet you?" She sent an inquiring glance at the screen, and received an enthusiastic nod in return. As Gibbs opened his mouth to protest once more, she met his eyes firmly. "That wasn't a suggestion, Agent Gibbs." She softened the words with a small smile. Trying to protest, Gibbs was again snapped forward with several harsh sneezes. "Huh - ESHooo! Huh - RUSHooooo! Ha-CHOOO!! Hah...hah...hah - RUSHooooo! HUH-RUSHOOOOO!!!" Head and throat screaming, he blew his sore nose into his battered handkerchief, head hanging wearily. "C'mon, Boss." Tony's voice was unusually gentle. "It's alright to take a break every once in a while. And besides." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I don't think Abby's feeling as recovered as she says. She could use someone to make her rest." The look Gibbs gave him let him know that his boss knew that he was being played. Gibbs opened his mouth to tear Tony a new one, but paused. He glanced up, and saw the worried faces staring back at him. Perhaps, just this once, he could give in, just a little. The paperwork would still be there tomorrow. He swallowed a cough, and privately amended that to the following day. Or maybe the one after that. He paused, then nodded, reluctantly. "Fine." The cough fought it's way out, painfully. "But we're stopping for coffee." Hours later, sitting back on his own couch, Gibbs smiled a little. Admittedly, he felt like crap. But he had tissues, tea (to his disgust, Ducky had forbidden coffee once he'd arrived home, but tea was not actually as terrible as he remembered), and a warm blanket. Abby was curled up in his lap, snoring lightly with congestion, wide grin on her face. She'd enjoyed taking care of him, he thought. He'd tried to make her rest, but she'd stuck her tongue out at him. "Gibbs, shud up! You've beed taking care ob be all week, and dow it's by turn. Led be care for you. Or I'll sic Bert on you." Waving the stuffed hippo at him threateningly, she'd bounced off to get him some herbal tea. He'd poured it into a nearby plant pot as soon as her back was turned (herbal was going too far), but she didn't know that, and he wasn't telling. Truth be told, maybe it wasn't so awful that his team had discovered his weakness. Being able to help their boss seemed to do them all good. He wasn't going to make a habit of it, but, just this once...he smiled as he joined Abby in sleep. END
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