Fic: Priorities
Inspired by Realisation by senioragenteyesonly (scroll down).
--
Tim waited nervously in the hall of the hospital, holding onto Abby. Ziva was here too, and he was going to call Gibbs in the next few minutes.
Finally the doctor returned, and Abby let go, sitting down next to Ziva. "How is he?" asked Tim.
"Mr. DiNozzo is stable," the doctor told him. "It turns out his sickness was caused by bulimia. Were you aware of this, Mr. McGee?"
Ziva was sitting up straighter in her seat about to interject, and Abby looked horrified. "No, I had no idea," said Tim, the exact words he expected Ziva had been just about to say.
"McGee, if Tony has bulimia, how is it he is able to work?" asked Ziva.
"He can't," said Tim sadly. "He'll have to stop."
"Gibbs won't be happy about that," said Abby.
"But, what I meant was," said Ziva, "how is it he's been able to work for NCIS so far?"
"He probably lied about it," said Tim. "Maybe even only got it for the past couple of months."
"What makes you say that?" asked Ziva.
"Because," said Tim hesitantly. He was afraid to bring this up, afraid they'd blame him, afraid to accept responsibility. That didn't mean he shouldn't, though. "I've noticed... a few things about him in that time. Heightened insecurities. Things like that."
"Well, why didn't you ever bring them up with him?" Ziva accused him.
"Because..." Tim said, "I never realised there was a problem."
Ziva had no more questions, and Abby just gaped at him, so he turned back to the doctor. "Can we see him?"
"Are you family?"
"No, but we're... all good friends of his."
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait until the family arrives to come visit him. Then you can go in."
So Tim settled down in the seat next to Abby, and she held his hand. He squeezed back, giving her a sincere look. A few moments later, he decided it was finally time to call Gibbs.
"I'm just gonna call Gibbs," he said, pulling his hand briefly away, pulling out his phone.
Gibbs was not happy in the least, but he agreed to come down to the hospital. He sat on the other side of McGee, as they waited to be able to see Tony. Finally, they saw Tony's dad leave, and the group of them were allowed inside.
Tim went immediately to Tony's right hand, squeezed it comfortingly, and looking down at him sympathetically. "Why, Tony? You're such a handsome man. Why would you wanna...?"
"It's not all it's cracked up to be I suppose, Probie," Tony smirked. "I know you wish you were me, but..."
"No, you don't," said Tim gently. "If you thought that, you wouldn't be here."
"McGee's right, DiNozzo," agreed Gibbs gruffly. "What you did was stupid. But whatever happens with NCIS, we're gonna be here for you."
Abby smiled at Tony. "That's right. Even if we're not family, you're our family now. We got your back."
Tim squeezed Tony's hand tighter as his gaze shifted to Ziva. "How do you see me, now?"
Ziva lifted her chin, trying to look dignified. "I... am not the one you should be asking that, Tony."
Tony's eyes shifted back to Tim's. Tim softened his grip as he gazed lovingly back down at Tony. "I don't want this ever to happen again. If anything, I should be the insecure one. This doesn't even make sense," he said.
"How do you see me now?" Tony asked him.
"You look like a fool," Tim said. "A beautiful, tragic, ridiculous fool that takes his looks a little bit too much for granted. I mean, look at me. I'm not in that hospital bed, and I'm not exactly Brad Pitt."
"You're the beautiful one," said Tony with a crooked smile. "You don't need to be Brad Pitt. I'm not in love with Brad Pitt."
"Well, neither am I."
--
Tim waited nervously in the hall of the hospital, holding onto Abby. Ziva was here too, and he was going to call Gibbs in the next few minutes.
Finally the doctor returned, and Abby let go, sitting down next to Ziva. "How is he?" asked Tim.
"Mr. DiNozzo is stable," the doctor told him. "It turns out his sickness was caused by bulimia. Were you aware of this, Mr. McGee?"
Ziva was sitting up straighter in her seat about to interject, and Abby looked horrified. "No, I had no idea," said Tim, the exact words he expected Ziva had been just about to say.
"McGee, if Tony has bulimia, how is it he is able to work?" asked Ziva.
"He can't," said Tim sadly. "He'll have to stop."
"Gibbs won't be happy about that," said Abby.
"But, what I meant was," said Ziva, "how is it he's been able to work for NCIS so far?"
"He probably lied about it," said Tim. "Maybe even only got it for the past couple of months."
"What makes you say that?" asked Ziva.
"Because," said Tim hesitantly. He was afraid to bring this up, afraid they'd blame him, afraid to accept responsibility. That didn't mean he shouldn't, though. "I've noticed... a few things about him in that time. Heightened insecurities. Things like that."
"Well, why didn't you ever bring them up with him?" Ziva accused him.
"Because..." Tim said, "I never realised there was a problem."
Ziva had no more questions, and Abby just gaped at him, so he turned back to the doctor. "Can we see him?"
"Are you family?"
"No, but we're... all good friends of his."
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait until the family arrives to come visit him. Then you can go in."
So Tim settled down in the seat next to Abby, and she held his hand. He squeezed back, giving her a sincere look. A few moments later, he decided it was finally time to call Gibbs.
"I'm just gonna call Gibbs," he said, pulling his hand briefly away, pulling out his phone.
Gibbs was not happy in the least, but he agreed to come down to the hospital. He sat on the other side of McGee, as they waited to be able to see Tony. Finally, they saw Tony's dad leave, and the group of them were allowed inside.
Tim went immediately to Tony's right hand, squeezed it comfortingly, and looking down at him sympathetically. "Why, Tony? You're such a handsome man. Why would you wanna...?"
"It's not all it's cracked up to be I suppose, Probie," Tony smirked. "I know you wish you were me, but..."
"No, you don't," said Tim gently. "If you thought that, you wouldn't be here."
"McGee's right, DiNozzo," agreed Gibbs gruffly. "What you did was stupid. But whatever happens with NCIS, we're gonna be here for you."
Abby smiled at Tony. "That's right. Even if we're not family, you're our family now. We got your back."
Tim squeezed Tony's hand tighter as his gaze shifted to Ziva. "How do you see me, now?"
Ziva lifted her chin, trying to look dignified. "I... am not the one you should be asking that, Tony."
Tony's eyes shifted back to Tim's. Tim softened his grip as he gazed lovingly back down at Tony. "I don't want this ever to happen again. If anything, I should be the insecure one. This doesn't even make sense," he said.
"How do you see me now?" Tony asked him.
"You look like a fool," Tim said. "A beautiful, tragic, ridiculous fool that takes his looks a little bit too much for granted. I mean, look at me. I'm not in that hospital bed, and I'm not exactly Brad Pitt."
"You're the beautiful one," said Tony with a crooked smile. "You don't need to be Brad Pitt. I'm not in love with Brad Pitt."
"Well, neither am I."