DiNozzo POV
"Metrie!" Liv exclaimed. "What in hell are you doing here?" Then, turning to us, she said, "Everybody, meet Demetrius Manfeld. He and I worked closely in the Navy and the Marines.""How's that work?" I asked.
"We started in the Marines, but then we were transferred. I ended up being transferred into the unit that somehow had all of my brothers in it. Then I somehow ended up in both branches because they both needed me. Still don't know how that happened." Liv said, shrugging. "Anyway, Metrie and I are really good friends." She turned back to Demetrius. "Shouldn't you be in Iraq right now? I heard that our unit got sent out there on a mission." Demetrius nodded.
"They did, but I was honorably discharged." he said. Liv looked him over and demanded he tell her why. Metrie blushed. "Uhm." he coughed, and then lifted his left pants leg, revealing a blue metal leg.
"Why does everyone have metal legs?" she demanded, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Me, my brothers, UGH!" she cried.
"Wait, you? Back up one goddamn minute." Metrie said. Liv sighed and pulled the covers off of her left leg. What was left of it, anyway.
"I got fitted for a temp this morning." she said glumly. "Also, that's the same shade of blue I picked for mine!" Liv said more brightly. Demetrius grinned. "It's even my left leg. Looks like we'll be twins now."
"When were you discharged?" Demetrius asked.
"I think it was a little over a year and a half ago, but I'm not sure. I work at NCIS now, but I've been in the hospital so much I lost track of time."
"Wait. Hold on. WHAT?" Metrie cried.
"Well, I was shot in the chest and the shoulder, and attacked. I was also shot a different time, but it just went through the back of my calf. Nothing terrible." Liv said. There was one thing we all knew she was holding back that had taken up four months of that period, and then another thing that had taken up another several months. Metrie knew she wasn't telling everything, though.
"You're not telling me everything." he said, squinting at Liv. She sighed.
"I was kidnapped." she said quietly." Metrie buried his face in his hands. "They held me and tortured me for four months. I was in a wheelchair for a few months after they" she said, gesturing to me, Ziva, Tony, and Gibbs, "found me." Liv took a deep breath. "Then, just after I recovered, we had a case. We went to go pick up a suspect and-" Liv faltered. One of her brothers stroked her hair until she took a deep breath and continued, "and when Ziva kicked the door open, the house blew up. We were all in the hospital for a while, and between the broken legs and temporary paralytics," she said, gesturing to me and Tim, "we were all in wheelchairs. it wasn't fun." Liv finished, taking a deep breath and sighing. Metrie sighed too. "Anyway, how'd you find out I was in the hospital?" Liv asked.
"Derek called me and told me what had happened. He called me again this morning to tell me you were clear for visitors. I got here as fast as I could. I live in Maryland." he explained.
Liv POV
I couldn't believe he had been so close to where I was! I felt like I should have kept tabs on Metrie, but I told myself that we Marines hate being checked up on. But still- I thought, and then chided myself. I knew deep down that this wasn't the best way to be reunited with an old buddy, and certainly not the only way, but it was what had worked out and that was that, I supposed.About a week later, I was less and less thrilled with hospital food, and so was Ziva.
"Liv, I'm going out to get real food. What do you want?" Gibbs asked.
"A burger and fries. And a Coke. All large." I said, hoping Gibbs didn't know that there was caffeine in Coke.
"Liv, no Coke, because you shouldn't be drinking caffeine yet." Tony said as Ziva gave her order. Just then my doctor walked in.
"Am I allowed to drink caffeine?" I asked, hoping the answer was yes. She thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Caffeine shouldn't present a problem, as long as it's not excessive amounts, alright?" I nodded, smirking at Tony.
"Gibbs, can you change that to a medium black coffee please?" I said. Gibbs smiled and turned to leave and get food. As he left, my doctor came up to me, holding my temp.
"It came!" she said. "Physical therapy starts in a day or two, but you can get accustomed to it with help in your room if you like." I sat on the edge of my bed and reached for the sock thing. I slipped it on and then started pushing the prosthetic onto my leg, standing as I went. Tim came to steady me, and then my doctor left, saying it was obvious I was in good hands.
"You ready?" Tim asked. I nodded and lifted my left leg, taking a step. Then came the tricky part. Putting my weight on the prosthetic. Tim had stationed himself at my left side, which was much appreciated and obviously strategic. I felt his grip tighten and his arms tense up to better support me as I put my weight on my left leg. I stumbled a little and Tim pushed me back up. I tried again and again until I could put all my weight on the prosthetic without stumbling.
After I could take a couple steps, I shooed Tim's arms away, but let him stay next to me. I took one step, then put my weight on the prosthetic. I teetered a little, but stayed upright without Tim's help. Ten minutes later, I could walk almost all the way around the room before exhausting myself. Tim scooped me up and carried me back to my bed. I pulled my prosthetic off and sat back in bed again with my prosthetic leaning against the nightstand. My ribs were still healing and I was now exhausted, but I still felt great. I was walking again!
Fifteen minutes later, I felt better. Then I felt even better twenty minutes later because Gibbs finally came back with food.
"Service was unbelievably slow, but it was worth it because it's yours and Ziva's absolute favorite. As Gibbs rolled my tray over and set my food down, I crooked my finger, telling him to bend down. When he'd bent far enough, I craned my neck and kissed him on the cheek.
"You deserve it." I said. He grinned and kissed my forehead. Ziva did the same thing I had done, and he gave her a kiss on the forehead, too.
"Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs!" Abby cried, pulling out her cell. "You have to watch this!" Abby walked over so I could see it, too. She had a video pulled up-one of me. Gibbs and I looked at her. She pressed play. It was me walking with my prosthetic. When the video was over, Gibbs was smiling more than I had ever seen him smile, and Abby hugged me as tight as she could without hurting me. Gibbs leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.
"Sorry I didn't wait so you could see, but she brought in the prosthetic and-" Gibbs cut me off there.
"I'm glad you got right to it. You're so much like me." and then, to himself, he muttered, "So much like Kelly." I didn't know much about Gibbs, but Tony, Tim, and Ziva had told me about Shannon and Kelly and all three exes. I how much he must be hurting inside, but he was right. I was so much like him. So I knew, as a fellow Marine, how much we keep bottled inside.
Right at that moment, I vowed to get him to trust me enough to tell me things, to open up to me. I promised myself that even if it soured our relationship before it strengthened it, I would weasel his feelings out.

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Being Part of the NCIS Family
FanfictionSequel to: Another Probie Olivia is loving her job. But when new problems and more tragedies arise,how will she and her PTSD cope?