Tony sickfic

Chapter 15

questions, me or-"

Gibbs stopped when the nurse came into the room. He had earlier discovered her name was Beth, and this time she had a bunch of wires and some pads in her hand, causing him to arch an eyebrow.

"Okay, cutie, I tried to wait till you might be up. The doctor has ordered you to be put on a heart monitor."

That worried Gibbs, and it showed in his expression. It wasn't a normal procedure to his way of thinking. Wasn't that something they only did when they thought there might be more of a problem?

"Is that really needed?" Gibbs asked, careful to use a tone that didn't sound like he was questioning her authority. He'd meant it when he'd said this was a woman he wouldn't want to piss off.

"The doctor just wants to monitor his heart as a precaution. There's nothing to be alarmed about. With your Tony's background with the plague, Dr. Craft doesn't want to leave anything to chance."

She put the wires and pads on the rolling bedside table as she checked his vitals again. She made a note that his temp was now up to 102.6.

Gibbs could read upside down and he noticed the numbers written there. "His temperature has gone up?"

"It could just be a reaction to the antibiotics doing their job. It doesn't necessarily mean Tony is getting worse. The only way to know for sure is to keep a close eye on his vital signs."

Gibbs nodded. What had be been thinking? He knew those things, but he'd fooled himself into thinking Tony was already out of the woods, mainly because it was difficult for him to think of Tony being so ill. After all, he hadn't been there for more than five hours. That wasn't long enough for Tony to be cured. Even a few days might not be long enough. It was one of those wait-and-see situations that he so despised.

"So, cutie, how did you answer the questions?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "He didn't even wait for the questions, just gave me the answers."

"Been in this situation before, I'm guessing."

Tony just smiled.

"Okay, honey, let's expose your chest a little."

"Trying to get into my pants, aren't you?" Tony asked with a smile.

"Honey, you don't have anything I haven't seen before," she said, playing with him.

"Ah, but you haven't seen mine."

"Sweetie, I've seen better."

"Ouch," Tony said, putting his hand over his heart as if she'd hurt him.

Gibbs smiled at the banter. It was funny seeing Tony taken down so fast. He had this way about making people feel at ease around him, but the nurse just might have him beat.

Beth untied the top tie of his gown and exposed Tony's chest. She used alcohol pads to clean several spots on his chest before peeling the backing off the pads.

"This might hurt coming off, might take off some of that manly chest hair with it. Of course, I could always shave you first."

"No, I don't think so. Anthony DiNozzo does not shave his chest," he said with a frown.

Beth smiled. "Then we'll just have to be careful to pull them off slowly rather than ripping them off," she said, although there was the implication that it could go the other way if he pissed her off. " I might even be nice and use some alcohol to take off the excess glue."

Tony's head fell back against the pillow. "This sucks."

"Yes, Tony, but you're getting better, and that's all that matters," Gibbs said, taking Tony's hand as the pads went on his chest.