Being Part of the NCIS Family

Twenty-Nine

Liv POV

The next morning, I got ready with help from my brothers, who had gotten good at helping with the stuff I couldn't do in a wheelchair the last time I had been in one. Gibbs came to pick me and the dogs up since my brothers weren't going into work that day, either.

"Liv, what happened?" was the first thing I heard when wheeled into the bullpen that morning. "Liv, oh my God!" A frantic McGee hovered around me, looking horribly worried. The dogs were snuffling at his hands and arms, wanting to be scratched behind their ears.

"I'm fine." I assured McGee. "They had to keep my leg for a couple days to fix it, so they gave me this chair." Once McGee had calmed down, he reached down to pet the dogs. "I'm going to take them to Abby's so they can hang out with Clifford and Luna." I said. I wheeled over to the elevator and went down. As the doors were closing, Gibbs lunged in. "What?" I asked. In lieu of an answer, Gibbs reached over and shut the elevator down. The dogs started whining. "Gibbs." I said. I could hear my voice getting dangerously low.

"I know, I know. You're claustrophobic." I rolled my eyes.

"No, I-" I cut myself off. How could I tell him that anytime I wasn't moving, when I was still, and especially in a dark space like this elevator, I was plagued by awful memories. That was true anyway, but especially now, being in a wheelchair again.

"What?" Gibbs asked. I shook my head. I couldn't cry. After last night, one more episode and Gibbs would probably take me out of the field for the rest of my career. "Liv, I need you to tell me what's going on." Stubbornly, I turned away, and the dogs came around to the front of me, putting their heads on my lap. "Liv, I'm not going to take you out of the field for having emotions. Or a horrible past. None of that is your fault. But I'm going to need you to tell me what's going on so I can help." said Gibbs, squatting down to my eye level.

"Anytime I'm not busy, anytime I have to stay still or stay home from work, all the awful memories come flooding back, especially now while I'm in a wheelchair." I said reluctantly. "And this small, dark elevator isn't helping." I glared at Gibbs.

"Do you know where my house is?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah." I said. "Why?"

"Promise me something." Gibbs said. I nodded, looking at him quizzically. "Next time you're overwhelmed by memories, come see me." he said. "Even if you just need to talk." I nodded.

"Thanks, boss." I said gratefully. Gibbs smiled slightly, and I pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you." I muttered into his ear. Gibbs just squeezed tighter. When we pulled apart, he petted the dogs and stood up.

"Why don't you get these guys to Abby's and then come back to the bullpen. Then you can start looking for leads." Gibbs said. I nodded, and Gibbs turned the elevator back on. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

When I got off the elevator, I was greeted by loud music and excited barking.

"ABBY!" I called. The music stopped, but the barking didn't.

"Oh my God, Liv!" Abby exclaimed. "What happened? Why didn't anyone tell me anything? Why are you at work?"

"Abbs, calm down." I said, laughing. "My leg's getting repaired, so I got stuck in a chair again." Abby descended for a hug, and I squeezed her tightly. "I'm here to drop off the dogs, then I've got to go work on our case upstairs." She nodded and followed me to her office, where she kept the dogs. "Hey guys!" I greeted Clifford and Luna. They greeted me with excited kisses, and after I let Athena, Poseidon, and Mason off their leashes, I was able to slip out, unnoticed by the dogs.

"How long will you be in a wheelchair?" Abby asked.

"Not sure." I said. "They gave me a pair of crutches, so I've got those at my desk. I'll use those in the field."

"The field?" Abby said in disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"If Gibbs will let me, I'm going. Even if I have to do next to nothing." I said. Abby sighed.

"Well be careful." she said. "My goal is to not be at the hospital for at least a month and a half." I grinned. "At the very least, not for you." I laughed.

"I will try my very hardest." I said. Bzzt! Bzzt! I pulled my phone out of the pocket on the side of my wheelchair. "It's Gibbs." I said. "Reynolds, what?" I answered.

"We have a hostage situation involving several marines, a few naval officers, and an NCIS agent." Gibbs said.

"I'll be right up for my crutches and bag." I said.

"No." Gibbs said. "MTAC."

"Absolutely not." I said. I could hear Gibbs sigh, then he covered the mouthpiece.

"Fine." Gibbs finally said. "Get up here and grab your stuff."

"Th-" I started to say, but Gibbs hung up.

"Gotta go, Abbs, hostage situation." I said.

"Be safe." Abby said, hugging me tight. "Who's in there?" she asked as I left.

"Naval officers, Marines, and an NCIS agent." I said.

"Who?" Abby asked, paling.

"Don't know." I said. "Gibbs is a functional mute, after all."

"Well be safe and keep me updated, okay?" Abby said.

"Of course."

When I got to the bullpen, Ziva and Tony were waiting with Gibbs.

"Someone give me a hand." I said. I rolled to my crutches and grabbed them. Then I clipped my phone to my belt. "Lift me out and hand me my bag." I felt a pair of hands grab me under the arms and lift me so I could grab onto my crutches. Then my bag was lifted onto my shoulders and I adjusted it and turned around. "Thanks guys."

"You want me to fold up your chair?" Tony asked. "We can toss it in the truck." I nodded. Tony quickly folded my chair and pushed it to the elevator, me close behind on crutches. As we rode in the elevator, something felt off.

"Where is McGee?" I asked. As the words left my mouth, a horrible sinking feeling settled over me. I looked at Gibbs. "No." I said, my stomach knotting up. Gibbs just nodded. "He's the agent in the hostage situation?" I asked. Gibbs nodded again.

The rest of the elevator ride and the jog to the van seemed like forever, especially with me in the rear on my crutches. Finally, we were in the van and Gibbs was driving as fast as he could. When we got to the site of the hostage situation and got out of the van, my breath caught.

"They had to have planned this." I said. "The D.C. Armed Forces Assistance Base is the only building with a front made fully out of glass.They wanted people to see this." Gibbs nodded. "But why is McGee in there?"

"Part of what Armed Forces Assistance Bases do is help veterans find jobs, and NCIS is one of the places that has a deal with them to get veterans seeking work. McGee was there to pick up files of potential new recruits and drop off a few files for them." Gibbs said. I nodded, peering through the glass to see what I could see. That was a terrible idea.