Newbie: An NCIS Fan Fiction

Chapter 12 - Recovery

I sit up and feel a rush in my head. The room starts to spin and I fall back onto the table. Everything goes black.

I blink open my eyes to adjust to the bright light above me. I look around and find myself laying in a strange bed. Palmer is sitting to my left and Ducky to my right. I see the rest of the team through the window on the door.

"Where am I?" I ask.

"Hospital recovery room." Palmer says.

"Why am I in a hospital?"

"Well. When you were hit in the head it caused a blood clot in your brain and you had a stroke." Ducky says calmly.

"What did they do?"

"They did a laser surgery to remove the clot." Palmer explains.

"When will I be able to go back to doing normal things again?" I ask knowing that it normally takes ages.

"Since it was a laser surgery a week."

"Really?! Only a week? That's great!" I try to sit up but both Ducky and Palmer push me down.

"You are to weak to sit up on your own right now." Ducky says.

"Can the others come see me?"

"I'll go get them." Palmer smiles. He walks into the waiting room and I see him talking to everyone. They follow him back to the room.

"How you feeling?" Abby asks as she gives me a gentle hug.

"Good, I guess... My head doesn't really hurt, but my eye, nose and lip do." I grin.

"That was quite some hit you took. I have to admit, at first I thought it killed you." Tony says.

"Well apparently not. I'm still here." I smile, causing the stitches to pull and I moan as a tear rolls down my cheek.

"It's ok swe... Ashton." Palmer slips up.

"What did you say, Palmer?" Gibbs asks. I shot Palmer a look.

"I said Ashton."

"No you didn't. Don't lie to me."

"I said... Sweety."

"Palmer. You should know better. You know my rules. And Ashton, I know I can't expect you to know my rules, but still."

"I'm sorry. It's my fault."

"No, Gibbs. It's mine. I asked him to show me around, kissed him, got him to fall in love with me. Don't get mad at him." I say. Palmer looks at me his eyes wet from holding back tears.