Tony sickfic

chapter 20

Jen was pissed and left in a huff. Gibbs didn't care. He would do anything for Tony, and if it meant quitting, then so be it. He had a large enough pension due to him from both NCIS and the Marines. But he didn't think it would come to that. This would all blow over, he was sure. There were higher powers than Jen at NCIS, and they wouldn't take his resignation lightly. 

Beth distracted him from his thoughts, striding into the room in a purposeful manner, a look of extreme agitation on her face. Ducky was due to arrive at any minute, and Gibbs found himself wishing the ME would hurry because he suddenly had the feeling he was going to need him to put his ass back together after Beth reamed it out.

"Young man," she began.

Gibbs would have found that funny considering she was at least a decade younger than him, but something about her tone made him feel like he was ten again and being called on the carpet for some infraction.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"One, I am not happy that you are in the bed with our young stud. I can understand wanting to hold him, but that is not the point. I can overlook your breaking of hospital policy in that manner since you have, up till last night, been a good boy. And that brings me to my second point: threatening one of my staff was uncalled for."

"But-"

"There are no buts. You did not need to tell her, let me see, how did she say you said it? 'Take the blood pressure machine and shove it up your rump sideways' if she did not let Mr. DiNozzo go down to see his young friend." The whole time she was lecturing, Beth was taking Tony's blood pressure.

Unmindful of the cuff around his arm or the drama around him, Tony continued to sleep.

Gibbs felt like a puppy that had been whacked on the nose with a newspaper.

"Yes, ma'am, it was uncalled for, and I will make an apology the next time I see her or put in writing if I do not see her again."

"Thank you. Now, I'm told the young girl was going to go up to the peds ward, but I pulled a few strings, and she will be moved to a room just a few doors down. I heard what happened, that she doesn't have anyone but Mr. DiNozzo. This does NOT mean our young stud can make a lot of trips to her room. He is still sick. We just got his last batch of blood work back, and the flu is still in his body. He might seem a lot better, but that is the drugs talking." She glared at Gibbs. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am. I will keep him in the bed if I have to tie him down."

One corner of her mouth quirked up, and she winked at Gibbs to put him at ease again. "Now, none of that till he's feeling better. Let's see about getting him up after I take his temp and give him a nebulizer treatment."

"Yes, ma'am." Gibbs began stroking Tony's back. "Come on, Tony, time to wake up."

"Five more minutes, Mom," Tony murmured, unable to keep a smile from his face as he once again teased Gibbs.

"No. NOW, mister, or this nice nurse will take your temp rectally." 

Tony sat straight up, smirking. "Now, if YOU threatened to do that, I-"

Beth didn't let him finish, sticking the thermometer probe in his open mouth and smiling. 

"I see my patient is up," said an older British-accented voice from the doorway.

Ducky entered the room, McGee right behind him. 

"Sorry to be late, but I was at the office, and you know there are some things that just won't wait."

"It's okay, Ducky," Gibbs said. "McGee," he added, nodding at the younger agent. 

Beth removed the probe from Tony's mouth after it beeped. "101.9. It's down from last night, but it's still too high." She patted Tony's arm. "So no excitement, okay, cutie?"