Tony sickfic

Chapter 3

especially since Ducky had that look on his face, the look that said I know this will hurt but it's good for you.

"Tell him, Jethro," Ducky whispered.

"I love you, too, Tony," Gibbs said, afraid to say it too loudly. He'd just said it. Out loud. He hadn't really admitted it aloud to anyone, not even Ducky or Abby. Who would have thought three little words could make him sweat so much?

"Glad to hear it, Boss."

Tony was lying in the bed. Gibbs put a cool, wet cloth on his brow but stood up and got out of the way so Ducky could do his job.

Ducky was putting on latex gloves and peering at Tony over the top of his glasses. "Now let's see what is the matter, Anthony," Ducky said as he got out his stethoscope.

Tony kept drifting in and out of consciousness, so Gibbs helped him sit up, propping him against the pillows.

"I'm fine, Ducky. You didn't need to come."

"I will be the judge of that if you please."

Tony shivered when Ducky put the cold stethoscope against his chest.

"Now take a deep breath."

Tony tried but started to cough. Ducky didn't like what he heard in Tony's chest.

"Again please," Ducky instructed, moving the piece of equipment over different parts of Tony's chest, each time asking Tony to breathe. Then he moved to Tony's back.

After he finished listening to Tony's chest, Ducky touched the inside of his wrist to Tony's forehead. His skin was still very warm to the touch, too warm. Ducky put a thermometer under Tony's tongue, not even having to use a watch to know how long it needed to stay in. Tony's temperature was back down to 102 now.

Gibbs was watching the older man's face and the expressions he was making. It didn't seem to be good thus far. He swallowed when Ducky took out a needle and a vial for taking blood.

Tony was semi-awake during the examination, and he became agitated when he saw what Ducky was doing. "No. No needles."

Gibbs slipped in behind Tony again, leaning him back against his own body, hand in the center of the lightly furred chest to hold him still. "Relax, DiNozzo."

His other hand began rubbing Tony's back. The soothing circular motion seemed to help. Tony was sick, and it hurt Gibbs to see it. He couldn't help but remember when Tony had been under the blue lamps with Y-Pestis. He'd wanted to hold Tony then but hadn't been able to.

"Boss?"

"Yes, Tony."

"Don't leave me."

"Not planning on it."

Tony relaxed when he heard the surety of Gibbs' statement and put out an arm. Well, it wasn't so much that he put it out as it was that Ducky took the arm without Tony trying to fight him. Gibbs was grateful for the gentle way Ducky put a tourniquet around Tony's arm and cleaned the area where his arm bent before carefully drawing two vials of blood.

"I will get these back to Abby and see what my young patient might have wrong with him."

"Ducky I don't what this all over the office."

"Jethro, I will use the utmost discretion. Now, is there anything that you will be needing?"

Gibbs began moving out from behind Tony.

"Don't go," Tony protested as Gibbs helped him lay back down.

"I'm just going into the other room to talk to Ducky. I'll be right back," Gibbs promised, crouching beside the bed to put him on eye level with Tony as he gently wiped Tony's brow again with the damp cloth.

"I'm not dying, am I?"

"I gave you an order a while back, and it still stands, so no, you're not dying."

Gibbs looked at Ducky for reassurance, but the doctor was stone-faced, which worried him. He kissed Tony on the forehead before walking out of the room with the ME.

Gibbs pulled the door nearly closed before walking into the kitchen with Ducky.

"So..."

"I will know more once I get his blood work back, but for now I think he has a bad flu that might even turn into more if we haven't caught it in time."

"Okay, now what?"

"Well, I will go back and have Abigail run the blood work for me, and then we will know more, but until then I would suggest you stay with the boy and look after him."

"Okay, sounds like a plan. I'll just run down to the store and my place to pick up a few things."

"I am sorry, Jethro, but I cannot allow that."

Gibbs turned his patented glare on Ducky. "And why not, might I ask?"

"Well, far be it from me to judge about kissing the young man."

"I did not kiss him. He kissed me."

"Who kissed whom first is not what I'm talking about. The point is that you did kiss, and it is about time I might add."

"Ducky," Gibbs growled.

"All right, well since I am not sure what he has and you both just shared germs, I am putting you both under quarantine. You both must now stay here."

"Ducky," Gibbs said, walking over to the fridge and opening it. "If you haven't noticed, there isn't much to eat around here and nothing but beer to drink."

"That might be the case, but you are not going anywhere. If you make a list myself or someone else will stop and pick up the things you need and drop them off at the door. I do NOT want either of you to leave the apartment or have contact with anyone else for the time being. I don't think it's life-threatening, but with Tony's recent aliment it could lead to something a lot worse. I refuse to take any chances with either of you."

Gibbs was almost growling as he said, "And what do you plan on telling Jen?"

"I will inform our new Director that I have given you both medical leave until I feel that you're well enough to come back to work."

"And how long is that?"

"Well, again I can't say for sure till I get the blood work back and see what we are dealing with."