A Bit Stranger Than Usual

Chapter 3

Moving in with Ziva meant Abby was able to get a long needed E injection.

"Haven't seen ya 'round here 'n a while, Abs," said the woman working at the front desk of the doctors office.

"Glad to be back." Abby smiled and took a seat in the waiting room. It was always nice to see Mary Katheryn, she reminded Abby of home. Mary Katheryn, who's friends called her Kath, and her and Abby were friends, was from Georgia. After a trip to Washington D.C. In high school, Mary Katheryn decided she would move here when she got older. She got an associates degree at a local community college and packed her moms minivan full at twenty-one and drove to D.C. without having a place to stay.

Mary Katheryn was raised southern baptist, so she'd told Abby. "Doll, they ain't too big of a fan of me no more out home. Findin' out I work with folks "like you" and all. Shame it changed their opinion of me instead of me changing' their 'pinion o' you," she told Abby once. She said she too was closed minded, but the first person to offer her a kind word in D.C. was an incredibly caring and kind black gay man who did drag on the weekend. Her first night in D.C. she slept in her car and woke to find a note under her windshield wiper reading, "here's my number! I saw you sleeping in your car and wanted to reach out, call me and we can meet for coffee somewhere. I'll pay."

Mary Katheryn called him, and met him, and live with him until she got on her feet and made a name for herself. After that her opinion of gay and trans people a like changed greatly. She could no longer understand why down south they were so hateful. Abby always enjoyed the story, and looked forward to seeing Mary Katheryn as much as she did getting an E shot.

"Abigail Scuito," called a nurse leaning out from a door that lead to the back.

Abby got up and made her way over. Even though Abby had been on estrogen shots for more than a decade, she still preferred to come in and get them done. It wasn't that she was afraid of needles, she worked with them all the time. Abby was just worried about messing up the shots.

"Nice to see you again Abby," said the nurse.

Abby nodded in agreement and followed the nurse back to a curtained off room. The nurse pulled the curtain closed for Abby and went to get what was needed. Abby pulled her skirt down, just enough to expose the skin where the shot needed to go.

The nurse arrived a moment later, with a vile of estrogen, a clean needle, and an antibacterial wipe. "All set?" She asked Abby.

"Yep!" Abby replied excited. Abby could always tell when she'd gone too long with out a shot, she had been on E for a long time though, and luckily she always managed to avoid anything getting back to more masculine attributes in the extended times between her shots.

The nurse wiped a spot on her upper thigh and then counted down. "Three, two, one," the nurse said and then gave her the shot.

"You know you don't have to count down, I've been getting these shots for the better part of fifteen years," Abby said.

The nurse sighed, "it's just nice to be able to count down for a shot without a small child wailing and attempting to run."

Abby laughed, and the nurse did too.

"Thank you, then," Abby said.

The nurse curtly nodded and Abby scooted off the bed and pulled her skirt back up. The nurse held open the curtain for Abby, who had to duck under the nurses arm to get out. "Thanks again," she said.

"No problem," replied the nurse.

Abby nodded again and left the back area of the doctors office. She waved goodbye to Mary Katheryn.

"See you soon, doll," she said to Abby. Abby smiled and waved again, making her way to the exit.

She went down to the garage of the doctors office. She, unlike most of the population of D.C., loved parking garages. It was so easy to find a hurse in a parking garage. She got in her car and head back to NCIS.

She had told Gibbs that she had a doctors appointment, Gibbs knew and understood. Tony had gone to see her in the lab that morning and was surprised when she wasn't there.

"Ziva, where is Abby?" Tony asked.

"Why should I tell you?" Ziva asked.

"So you know?" Tony asked excited.

"Gear up," Gibbs interrupted, "got a dead naval officer."

"I need to see Abby though, Boss," Tony whined.

"Well then stay behind for all I care Dinozzo, we can catch you up," Gibbs barked back, unimpressed as he usually was with Dinozzo's behavior.

"Thanks, Boss," Tony replied. Gibbs nodded and the team headed for the elevator. Tony took the stairs down to Abby's lab, not wanting to receive the glares he knew Gibbs would give him.

"Abby," he said walking into the lab.

Abby spun around from her spot in front of her work station. She had been messaging the injection spot when Tony walked in, she hoped he hadn't noticed.

"What are you doing Abs?" Tony asked.

He had noticed, Abby thought, shit.

"Oh nothing..." Abby responded.

"Didn't look like nothing," Tony teased.

"I don't really have time for this Tony," Abby said, exasperated.

"I need you to check on something for me. Undercover work Vance has me doing, need to know situation," Tony explained.

Abby nodded.

"I need you to find all you can on Petty Officer Dwight E. Johnson," Tony said, "Vance has reason to believe he may be sharing military secrets he gets from his clearance at Pentagon."

Abby stifled a laugh, "Dwight Eisenhower Johnson."

"What's so funny about that?" Tony asked.

"Dwight Eisenhower, as in U.S. President?" Abby replied, "it's funny because they gave their kid a surname as a middle name."

Tony smiles, unimpressed.

He turned to leave but before he made it to the door he turns back to Abby. Abby noticed the stopped sound of foot steps and turned to face him. "What?" She asked.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Abby raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to talk about it." Abby turned back to her work, not leaving any more room for Dinozzo's nosy questions.