Another Probie

Chapter Two

My whole body erupted with pain. I could vaguely hear shouting, but I was fading fast. "I guess I won't make it out without a body bag." I thought sluggishly. I felt myself being lifted by strong hands and placed on something soft. A hand holding a cloth pressed tight against my right side. That must be where the bullet ran me through. I felt a strong, calloused hand grip mine.

"You stay awake, you hear?" I tried to nod, but my body wouldn't obey. I squeezed the hand holding mine instead, hoping the person attached to it understood my message. Whoever was attached squeezed back, and with that, I slipped away to a black, painless world.

Gibbs POV

"You stay awake, you hear?" I demanded of the girl in the bed. She tried to nod, but settled for squeezing my hand instead. I squeezed back, but she slipped away. "Guys, on her, stat. She fell asleep." I said. None of the medics' faces held much hope, but they did as I asked because they know me. They know that if I say something, it's done.

DiNozzo POV

The girl being wheeled away looked disturbingly familiar. WHAP!

"Sorry Boss." I said automatically.

"Stop gawking and get to work. Take your pictures. I shouldn't need to tell you this." This was punctuated with another headslap, which I figured I deserved. I still couldn't shake the feeling that I knew that girl.

McGee POV

We were in the car on the way back and Ziva was driving. Needless to say, I didn't feel great at the moment. Tony wasn't looking too good either. Boss, however was doing just fine because he drives like a madman too. Maybe I should start doing that. Naw, Delilah would have my head. Oh, man, Delilah. I hadn't called her like I said I would when we were out of the warehouse, hopefully with the kidnapped marine. I pulled out my phone.

"Whatcha doing, McGoo?" Tony asked, leaning over. I palmed his face and shoved.

"Calling Delilah. I promised I would." I said, knowing he wouldn't leave me alone until I said anything. Tony looked like he wanted to comment, but kept his mouth shut. He was turning slightly green.

Delilah picked up on the first ring.

"Tim?"

"It's me, honey." I said. I could hear her shallow breathing even out on the other end.

"Oh thank God, Timmy. I was really scared." she said, her voice shaking. "When you didn't call-" she trailed off. I could hear her voice tremble. "I heard that two had gotten shot and a twenty-eight year-old man was killed. Tim, you're twenty-eight. Oh my God, Tim. Oh my God."

"Delilah, calm down. I'm alright, not even a scratch. The man who was killed was one of the kidnappers. Both of them are dead, actually. One of them was African-American. So, not me. It's alright, Delilah. I'm fine."

"Oh, Tim." I could hear shaky breathing on the other end. "I love you so much, Tim. So much." more shaky breathing.

"I've got to go, Delilah, we've pulled up to the NCIS building. I'll be home as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay, Tim. I love you."

"Love you more." I said. I heard quiet laughter on Delilah's end. "Bye dear."

"Bye hon." With a click, the line went dead. I drew in a long breath and got out with the others. Tony could barely walk, and Ziva, Gibbs and I were laughing at him. Tony attempted to smack the back of my head, Gibbs style, but I ducked and he got an actual Gibbs headslap instead. By this point, we were all inside.

"Keep your gear on, DiNozzo and McGee take your car and I'll drive Ziva. Our Marine is fresh outta surgery." We all filed back into the elevator and went back to ground level. I got into the passenger seat of my car and handed Tony the keys as he got in. I could see Ziva doing the same with Gibbs.

We all got to the hospital real fast. We wanted to meet this young marine who couldn't have been any older than Ziva, probably a few years younger. She was a small thing, too, and I was amazed that she'd survived. She had been missing for a few months. From what I'd seen, she'd been treated terribly every waking moment, and probably hadn't slept much. She had gashes and lash marks all over and her shirt had been torn and bloody.

"Special Agents Gibbs, McGee, DiNozzo, and David here for Naval Commander Olivia Reynolds." Naval Commander? Wow. The nurse nodded and led us to a room, cautioning us that she hadn't woken up yet and that she was looking pretty rough. We just nodded and thanked her. Ziva took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

We all filed in. Tony got the weirdest look on his face, and suddenly it was like he exploded.

" I know her!" He exclaimed quietly. "I met her in Israel on an NCIS assignment." Gibbs looked puzzled. "Long time ago. During free time." I explained.

"Knew I shouldn't've let you off on your own." I heard Gibbs mutter. Just then we heard a groan and a weak "Wha-" from the bed.

DiNozzo POV
Liv. I hadn't known her full name. We had met at an Israeli bar and shared drinks until curfew, assigned to me by Gibbs himself. We'd hit it off and she invited me to her house. I couldn't go, of course, because Gibbs hated any of us being out after curfew because Israel was such a dangerous country, still is. We had a few run-ins with terrorists on that mission, in fact. Neither of them had been planned. We did find the people we had needed to find, though, and that was that. I still thought of Liv occasionally, but hadn't imagined I'd see her again.

She had reminded me of Ziva so much, and I guess that kind of attracted me.

Ziva POV
I could tell that Tony was deep in thought. I remembered that trip to Israel, how could I forget it? We'd been so close to where I'd grown up.

As I was thinking, Olivia stirred in her bed. She tried to sit up, but Gibbs pushed her down.
"Relax." he said. "Let us do the work here. You just need to answer some questions and then we'll go." Olivia nodded. I could see her scanning the room and studying us. Then her eyes fixed on Tony.

"Tony?" she asked quietly, hoarsely almost. DiNozzo nodded.

"It's me, Liv. When did you come to the states?" he asked.

"Years ago. Many years, almost right after we met. You and I were so young in that Israeli bar, I think we were barely of legal drinking age here. Israel has no such laws that I know of." Tony smiled.

"That we were." he said, chuckling. "That we were." he says softer, wistfully. "Are you feeling any better, Liv?" Olivia smiled wanly.

"As good as I can be with a bullet hole in me and a sliced-up everything." she said sarcastically. Gibbs cracked a smile at that. "I only wish-"

"What?" Tony asked. But Olivia couldn't answer. Her eyes had rolled back and her head sagged. Then we heard that dreaded sound--the sound of her heart monitor flatlining.