Being Part of the NCIS Family

Nine

Gibbs POV
I jolted awake some hours later to the feeling of my hands being sqeezed. I opened my eyes slowly and looked over to be met by Liv's startling green eyes on one side and Ziva's soft brown ones on the other. Liv looked really worried.

"Liv?" I asked. She caught my question without my having to ask it.

"I don't have a left leg anymore, Gibbs. It stops at mid-thigh. I'm scared to look." she said, her voice shaking. I squeezed Ziva's hand and let go, turning to Liv.

"Let's look together." I said. Her brothers moved closer to her as I guided her hand to the edge of the blanket. "On three we'll lift the blanket." I said. "One, two, three!" Liv made a squeaking sound and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Gibbs, am I going to be okay?" Liv asked, peeking out from behind her fingers.

"You are going to be fine. The doctor told us you'll be fitted with a temporary prosthesis soon." I told her. "You'll be feeling better soon." There was no response. I looked at her to find her with her eyes squeezed shut. She reached out and I gave her my hand. She was squeezing as hard as she could. "Liv!" I said. She slowly opened her eyes.

"Gibbs, it all came back. The accident, being shot, combat. What's happening?"

"PTSD." I replied simply. "I have it too."  Liv looked at me, confused. "I've just learned how to manage it well. I don't have very many symptoms any more. Just nightmares." I said. The rest of the team knew, but Liv didn't. She looked shocked.

"Gibbs, I-"

"I know, Liv." I said. "I've heard it already."

DiNozzo POV
Liv had no idea about Gibbs' PTSD, but the rest of us did. Gibbs sat back in his chair, then turned to Ziva.

"Feeling any better?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Not much. Is Liv going to be alright?" she asked.

"I think you need to be concerned with your own recovery right now." Gibbs told her. She smiled wanly.

"Incidentally," Liv put in, "no, I am not going to be okay. I'm short a leg."

"I think you're just short, period." one of her brothers said. She did the thing that Gibbs sometimes did, crooking her finger in a get over here motion. The brother who'd made the short joke leaned down. They were both grinning. Liv was still grinning as she punched him in the shoulder. Her brother was no longer grinning. "OW!" he yelled. Liv smirked at him.

"I hope it hurt. Hurt me, too." she said.

"Aw, it was hard for you to punish me, mummy?" he said grinning again.

"No, it physically hurt my shoulder. Y'know, the only one I can actually use." Liv said, making a face at him. Her left shoulder had been shattered-again.

Everyone in the room shook their heads at them. They both grinned. "Don't tell me y'all expected me to be nice to my brothers because they have to see me in a hospital. I have to make sure they know that I can still whip their asses." she said. Collectively, her brothers took a step back. Liv made a face at them and stretched her arms out to them. They grinned and went in for a hug.

"Commander, are you ready to be fit for a prosthetic leg?" a voice asked.

"Is tomorrow alright?" Liv asked. "I need a little bit to settle myself." she said apologetically.

"Of course, dear. Take as long as you need." came the response from the doctor.

"Thank you." Liv said gratefully. The doctor nodded and slipped away quietly.