Being Part of the NCIS Family

Twenty-Five

Liv POV
When I came to, I was in a bed and I could feel oxygen tubes strung over my ears and under my nose. I looked around, and I realized I was in a very familiar place: Bethesda. I sighed.

"Good, you're awake." said a familiar voice.

"McGee!" I said. "You're alright?" I asked.

"Just fine." he promised, grinning at me. Then Ziva walked in, her brow furrowed. Then she noticed me, awake, and she smiled.

"You're awake!" she said. I smiled.

"Where's Gibbs?" I asked.

"He's in the next room." Ziva said.

"I want to go see him." I said. I tried to sit up, but the room spun. McGee pushed me back down.

"I'll see if someone will bring you a wheelchair." he said. He got up and walked into the hallway, looking for someone to flag down. Ziva came over and sat next to me.

"How are you?" I asked.

"I'm fine." she said, smiling. "Just a bump to the head. How do you feel?"

"Like I got run over by a truck and punched in the throat, but I'll be fine once I see Gibbs and my brothers." I said. "Where are my brothers and Tony?"

"On their way." Ziva said. "They had a few things to do at NCIS concerning our incident." Just then, McGee came back, followed by a doctor and an orderly with a wheelchair.

"I'm Doctor Evanston." the doctor said. "I'll check you out and then one of your friends can push you over to your friend Mr. Gibbs' room." McGee, Ziva and I exchanged looks, all knowing fully well that I wouldn't let either of them push me. I could wheel myself, thank you very much. Dr. Evanston quickly checked me out and decided I could survive a trip next door to see Gibbs. Then thee orderly gave us the wheelchair and helped McGee and Ziva help me sit up and then eased me into the wheelchair and loaded the small oxygen tank I was connected to into a pouch on the back of the wheelchair. We waited until the orderly left to leave for Gibbs' room, McGee and Ziva pretending to fuss over me, which made the orderly smile.

When we finally began heading to Gibbs' room, me wheeling myself and McGee and Ziva close behind, it was a little more difficult than I had bargained for. I had forgotten that, when I collapsed after getting stabbed, I'd fallen on my bad shoulder that had never really healed right. Not that I'd expected it to, but still.

I was able to get into the rhythm of pushing myself along anyway, and we were at Gibbs' door quickly. Ziva pushed it open for me, and I wheeled in. Gibbs was awake, staring at the ceiling, and didn't seem to notice us coming in.

"Gibbs?" I asked. He turned his head and smiled when he saw me.

"You're finally awake." he said.

"Finally?" I asked. "How long has it been?"

"Only about seven hours." Gibbs said. I sighed.

"A personal record." I said wryly. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped gently around me from behind.

"What are you doing out of bed?" came a voice with a familiar Irish lilt.

"I have permission, Andrew." I said, smiling. "I'm fine, really." Of course, I wasn't telling the whole truth. I ached all over, and I would have to try really hard not to tear my stitches. But I wasn't about to tell Andrew that.

Then another set of arms wrapped around me, and then a few more.

"Guys!" I said, laughing. "You're gonna crush me!" In return, I felt five gentle kisses on the top of my head. I smiled, and my brothers and Tony came into view. I grinned at all of them, then wheeled myself closer to Gibbs' bed. I reached up to grab his hand, and I accidentally used my bad shoulder. I must have winced.

"Are you really okay?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm fine." I said. "Really. I just landed on my bad shoulder when I collapsed after the one bloke stabbed me." Gibbs sighed.

"You should've gotten that looked at." he said.

"I'll be fine." I said, then changed the direction of conversation. "What about you, Gibbs? How are your ribs?" I asked. Gibbs sighed.

"You want to change the topic, eh?" he asked. I groaned.

"Just stop fussing over me!" I said, but smiled in spite of myself. "I'm fine." I said softly.I shifted in my wheelchair, which was a mistake. I yelped as my torso flared with sharp, white-hot pain. Tony and my brothers rushed forward, and Gibbs tried to sit up, but immediately fell back on his bed, groaning. "Guys, I'm fine." I groaned. "Just my ribs." That didn't do much to calm my brothers or Tony, though they did check on Gibbs, who waved them away. I finished shifting, and when the pain died down, I was far more comfortable.

"Are you sure you're fine?" one of my brothers asked. I smiled.

"I'm fine." I said. "Promise."