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Title: Caring
 "How cobe your not sick?" Tony grumbled as Ziva entered the bullpen, sending her a bleary glare. "You spent just as buch tibe with that guy as I did. How cobe I'b the odly ode who...caught ...hih...his...cold...HIH-tishooo!!! Ugh..." He plucked a handful of tissues from the box on his desk and gave his nose a strong, gurgling blow. Ziva cringed. "I have a strong immune system, Tony. And I do not consider speedy food to be the only source of nutrition." "It's fast food, Ziva." McGee corrected as he entered. "Woah." He glanced at Tony, and did a double take. "You look horrible!" "Thangs, Probie." Tony sniffled wetly into the tissues. "You're lookig as girlishly dashig as ever." McGee rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Tony, shouldn't you be at home?" Tony gave a hoarse chuckle. "I wish. The Director wants this report in by... HIHT-shoo!...the end of the day. Id's gonna take be ages, even if we dod't get a case..." he swiped miserably at his streaming nose. McGee frowned. "I'm sure she'd let you go if she knew you were sick, Tony. Especially with-" But Tony was already shaking his head. "She already dows, Probie. She wants the inforbation in this report ASAP. I've beed here all dight already. Dot allowed to go hobe until I've finished." He snapped forward with two wet sneezes, groaning as he sat back afterwards, soggy tissues pressed to his nose. "Ughhh...if I could just plug by doze with a cork, I would." "How about plugging your mouth?" Gibbs swept down the stairs from MTAC. "The Director tells me that she's assigned you an extra report." He stopped in front of Tony's desk and gave him a scrutinising glance. "You look like crap, DiNozzo. You seen a Doctor?" "Just a coh...hoh...haaahhh....HA-TCHOOO!!!!!! 'Scuse be. It's just a cold, Boss." "You didn't answer my question, DiNozzo." "Sor- uhmm...right Boss" At the glare from Gibbs, Tony cut off the apology. "Dot yet, Boss. Bud I'b fide, really." He coughed, lightly, but it turned into a fit when he couldn't stop. In a flash, Gibbs was beside him, carefully bracing him as he gasped for air. Calming circles were rubbed on his back, and the coughs eventually trailed off, leaving him lying limply against his boss' chest. He was aware that he was being stared at, but he couldn't find the energy to care. Suddenly the sleepless night, sore throat, aching body and stuffed nose all piled on top of him, and it was all he could do to stay awake. He heard Gibbs' voice beside him. "Ziva, McGee, we got a case. Navy Lieutenant found dead in an alley off 42nd Street. He's had both hands cut off and his tongue torn out." He ignored McGee's wince. "Get out there and start bagging and tagging. I'll join you there." Tony struggled out of the firm arms around him, and cleared his throat painfully. "What about me, Boss?" Gibbs got to his feet with a wince as his bad knee popped. "You're coming with me, DiNozzo. We're going to pay Ducky a visit." "Well, Anthony, It seems you're in luck." Ducky stepped back from his patient, pulling the stethoscope from his ears. "So far, I believe you have managed to avoid your usual bronchitis. At the moment, you are simply suffering from what is one of the worst colds I've ever seen. My instructions, therefore, are equally simple." He fixed Tony with a stern glare. "You are to go straight home, my boy, and get into bed. You are to stay there until I say you can get up." Tony opened his mouth to protest, and instead sneezed, violently. "Hehhhh- ESHOOOOO!!!" He blew his nose gingerly, flinching as the rough tissues made contact with the sore skin. He looked pleadingly at Ducky. "But I have so buch work to do! The Director wants this report, and dow we've got a case, and- ow!" He was cut off by a surprisingly gentle slap to the back of the head. Gibbs, who had been silent up to now, was suddenly in front of him. "You let me worry about that, DiNozzo. All you have to do is decide whether it's home or the hospital you're going to." Tony sighed, though he was secretly relieved. "Hobe. Hah-ESHOOOO! Ugh...why does this always happen to be?" "DiNozzo, go and stay with Abby for a few moments. I just need to have a quick...word...with the Director before we go." Gibbs looked grimly determined. "Oh, do Boss, id's okay. You dod't hab to drive be hobe..." "That wasn't a suggestion, DiNozzo." "Right Boss." "Tony!" Abby flung herself on him as soon as he entered. After a moment, she stood back, frowning. "Hey...you look terrible!" Tony laughed, hoarsely. "Hey, Abs...UH-Chooo!" He sniffled. "would you like a cold? You cad hab it for free..." Abby giggled ."Awwww, Tony, you're sick? That sucks. Is Gibbs taking you home?" She was well aware of how protective Gibbs could be, especially with Tony. Ever since his but with the plague, every sniffle had the potential to become something more, and he often ended up with bronchitis and, once, pneumonia. Tony nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah, I guess. He's talkig to the Director. She wants be to stay ad fidish a report for her..." "Gibbs will win." Abby said, confidently. "You want some cold medicine? I've got all the good stuff!" Tony chuckled at this. "Yeah, Abs, that'd be...Huh-ESHooo! Huh- ESHHHHOOOOO! HUH-ESHHOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Ugh...that'd be great." He gratefully accepted a fresh handful of tissues and pressed them against his streaming nose. He hoped his Boss won fast. He felt like crap. "Uh, Boss?" Tony sniffled, wetly. He dabbed his nose, wincing. A second later, there was a clean white hanky in his lap. "Uhm...thanks Boss. But, Uhm...this isn't the way to my place..." "Ya think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs didn't take his eyes off the road. There was silence for a moment, and then. "I figured you might want an actual bed to sleep in, rather than your couch." Tony gaped. "How did you...?" It was true; he'd put his bed in storage in preparation for Jeanne moving in (they had decided that her bed was the more comfortable of the two), but the move had been delayed when she'd suddenly been sent to a three week conference to Colorado, and he'd been sleeping on the couch for the last two days. But how the Hell did Gibbs know that? "You're nod gonna tell be, are you, Boss?" Tony knew the older man well. He would probably never find out how much he knew. Gibbs just grinned. "Bless you, DiNozzo." "But I didn't ... huh...HUR-ESHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" "You dow, you should really ged another tv, Boss.." Tony mumbled as he staggered into Gibbs' guest bedroom on wobbly legs. "Then you could watch...stuff...and...things. With pictures and...stuff." He was lowered onto the bed, and a cool hand pressed against his forehead, and then his eyelids were prised open, one by one. He heard the sound of a phone dialling, and thought that it sounded like Probie singing on the shower. He told Gibbs that. It seemed important. "Abs?" He heard his Boss' voice as if far away. "Just how much cold medicine did you give him?" There was a pause. "Right. And did you happen to check the alcohol content?" Another pause. "Yeah, but he hasn't eaten in nearly 24 hours." A slight chuckle. "Yes, oops. Nah, he's alright. Little giddy, but I think he's feeling pretty good, actually. No, I'm not going to take pictures. He's not a pet." There was a click, and then there were hands, rolling him over. He coughed, and it hurt, but not as much as before, and it stopped fairly easily. He blinked, and suddenly he was in the bed, wearing just his boxers. Soft sheets were pulled up over him, cool on his aching body, and he sighed happily. The last thing he heard was a soft chuckle from his Boss. "Sleep, Tony. You'll feel better soon." When he woke up, everything seemed a bit clearer, and he blushed when he remembered his earlier giddiness. Damn Abby anyway. He was so getting his own back, just as soon as he felt - "HUH-Chooooo! EH-Choooo!" - better. Rolling over, he spotted a note on the table beside the bed, propped up against a small stack of handkerchiefs and a glass of water. He fumbled it towards him, along with a handkerchief to blow his nose. He was pleasantly surprised at how much softer the cool cloth was on his abused nostrils. Putting it aside for the moment, but leaving it within easy reach, he read the note, scrawled in his Boss' unique chicken scratch. DiNozzo. Bless you. *How the hell does he do that?* Food is in the Fridge. Help yourself. More hanky's in the top drawer if you run out. Sleep. If I find out you were out of bed for anything other than food or the head, you'll be seeing stars for a week. I'll be back once we wrap up the case, LJG Tony grinned, snuffling into the hanky. His Boss was nothing if not to the point. Safe and warm in the knowledge that someone cared, he snuggled back beneath the sheets, and closed his eyes. | |||||
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