NCIS Short Stories

I Can't Remember (Final Part)

                 

---------One week later---------

They were right. The day after Gibbs went into cardiac arrest, when he woke up, he had forgot three more years of his life. Then more, more, and until now, when he believes that he is 27 and has a daughter. He has no clue who any of the team is. He can't remember any of us and when we told him about Kelly and Shannon... He was devastated. He almost went into cardiac arrest but the doctors had prepared themselves and gave him something to prevent it. And now they don't think he has much of a chance to live. If he keeps forgetting they think it will go to far and he will have to be put on life support, and that means that his next of kin, me, has to make the biggest decision of my life. Go ahead and put Gibbs out of his misery, or let him slowly die.

Abby says he will make it, and I want to believe her.

But I can't. I heard Gibbs muttering in his sleep one night. He was talking to himself I think, but I wasn't so sure.

"Everything is to be left to my family," he had said. Maybe it was a little fracture of the Gibbs we knew telling me something or maybe it was the painkillers talking.

We have been allowed to see him one more time before I have to decide. First it is Vance, then Ducky and Palmer, McGee and Bishop, then Abby and I. They all go in and I can tell, tears are shed. Even from Vance.

Abby and I walk in. Tubes and wires tangle around Gibbs.  

"Hey Boss," I say. I have little to no hope he will answer. Even if he would, he wouldn't know who we are. Abby stands back just a little, "Come here Abs." I get on my knee and she does the same. I wrap my arm around her.

"Boss, I know you don't know who we are, and I don't know if you can hear us, but we miss you. The office hasn't been the same without your head-slaps and the coffee. McGee actually bought you one yesterday and set it on your desk. It's still there I think. And don't worry; no one will ever sit at your desk while I'm still there," I smile. So does Abby. She grabs Gibbs hand. And I can tell, that just barely, he squeezes it back.

"I'm...sorry..." he whispers.

"Never say you're sorry, Gibbs," I say, "It's a sign of weakness." He smiles back at us. Then it fades. And the room goes dead silent.

"You can do it now, Tony," Abby says, crying, "You can let him go."

I can't. But I have to. I call Dr. Patel and tell her that we are ready. The entire team stands out side, looking in through the window. They unplug each monitor, and the beeping stops. Gibbs breathing is shallow, but he opens his eyes one more time, and looks at all of us.

"Semper Fi." Where his last words before he stopped breathing completely. Abby collapses, sobs racking her body. I pick her up and she wraps her arms around me and gives me the biggest hug imaginable. She doesn't stop crying for nearly thirty minutes.

"I'm sorry Abby," I say in her ear shedding tears of my own.

"You have no reason to be. Gibbs told me when he made you his next of kin, he asked me if it was ok, because he knew you would do what was right, and I knew I could never do this."

I look down at Gibbs. And then I whisper something in his ear, "We're done boss." The monitors start beeping, but I swear I see him smile.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs died a hero. Semper Fi Marine, Semper Fi.