Primal Instinct, by rebecca

[blueraccoon]

Title: Primal Instinct
Author: rebecca
Rating: R
Pairing: Gibbs/Abby/Tony
Summary: The good news is he's awake.
Notes: Part of the Applied Psychology universe. I've had this unfinished sitting on my hard drive for a while and realized this was the perfect challenge for it, so I dragged it out and managed to finish it. It's a bit longer than your traditional flashfic, but I hope you won't mind.

Takes place pre-Hiatus.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
In retrospect, it was all crystal clear. The chase. The standoff. Tony diving after the suspect. And the bag of the new designer drug that had been the cause of their month-long investigation--the drug responsible for the deaths of at least six people, including one naval ensign. The scientists weren't quite sure what the actual effects were, only that it was potent, caused hallucinations, and could--in some people--trigger violent psychosis.

Said bag had burst in Tony's face.

"He's still alive," McGee said nervously, looking at the door to Tony's room, where two doctors and a nurse were trying to find out what was wrong. "And we haven't seen anyone running in there."

Gibbs just grunted. That didn't help, not after seeing the way Tony had just crumpled to the pavement. He'd dropped his gun, his eyes had rolled back in his head, and he'd fallen without a sound.

There was a muffled shout from inside the room and the sound of something clattering to the floor. Gibbs tensed, but there was no other sound. "Maybe he just woke up suddenly," McGee offered, fiddling with his watch.

One of the doctors stepped out, looking frazzled. "Well, the good news is that he's awake and his vitals are stable," he said, glancing back inside.

"What's the bad news?" Gibbs demanded.

The doctor sighed. "He's extremely agitated and--as far as we can tell--has no idea where he is. He tried to hit the nurse. He hasn't calmed down at all--we had to restrain him for his own safety."

"You restrained him?" Gibbs wasn't quite sure how he kept his voice calm. From the way the doctor jumped, he wasn't sure he had.

"We had to, Agent Gibbs. For his own sake." The doctor shook his head. "It took all three of us to get them on. And he kept saying something."

He froze. "What did he say?" he asked carefully.

The doctor frowned. "Peppermint," he said. "Does that mean anything to you?"

Gibbs ran into the room. Tony was still fighting the restraints, so hard the bed rails were rattling. "Get out," he growled at the nurse and the other doctor. "Now."

"Agent Gibbs, you can't--" The doctor moved to stop him as he began unfastening the restraints around Tony's wrists.

"He won't settle down if you restrain him. If you want him calm, let him out. And get out. Of. My. Way."

The last buckle opened and the rail swung down. Gibbs had a split second to get out of the way before Tony vaulted off the bed and came up in a defensive crouch. The look on his face was feral; his eyes held nothing of rationality, of Tony.

"Tony," he said softly. "Tony, it's Gibbs. You're safe. You're all right."

Tony looked at him, but there was no recognition on his face.

"It's all right," Gibbs said carefully. "They won't tie you again."

Tony growled.

"Whoa, DiNozzo, put some pants on," Ziva said, stopping in the doorway. "Stop trying to charm the nurses for once, okay? I'm sure they've seen it all before."

If she could have said anything worse, Gibbs wasn't sure what. On the other hand, he didn't think Tony understood what she was saying--just the tone of her voice, and her body language.

And that was enough. He lunged for her, snarling, and it took Gibbs, McGee, and one of the doctors to wrestle him back. Ziva went pale, stumbling back a few steps. "What--what did I say?" she stammered.

"He's hallucinating. Or something." Gibbs managed to pin Tony enough that it didn't take the three of them to hold him down. Tony was tense under him but not--for the moment--struggling. "He doesn't know where he is, who anyone is. And right now, you're a threat."

"He needs to be restrained," the doctor insisted. "We can't sedate him, not when we don't know the effects of that drug. And he has to calm down."

"He won't calm down if you restrain him!" Gibbs snapped. "I'm willing to bet that's what caused this. Ziva, McGee, get out of here--go deal with Thompson. And someone get Abby here. Now."

"Abby? Why?"

"Just do it!"

The two of them ran off hastily. Gibbs looked at the doctor and sighed. "Look, doctor. This man may not be rational right now. He has no idea where he is. But he's a fully trained federal agent, and if you try to restrain him I guarantee someone will get hurt--and it won't be him. Let me try to convince him to calm down. Just let me talk to him."

"He doesn't understand you," the doctor protested.

"I just need him to understand the tone, not the words. How long until this stuff works its way out of his system?"

The doctor shook his head. "We don't know. Could be an hour, could be a week. With the dose he got--frankly, it's a wonder he's alive."

Gibbs sighed, carefully releasing his hold on Tony, who straightened up and eyed him suspiciously. But he didn't go after anyone, so Gibbs figured it was an improvement. "You've gotten all the blood and stuff you need, right?"

"Yes, but--"

"Good." Gibbs sighed. "I'd like to take him home, to familiar surroundings, but I'd never get him out of here."

"And I wouldn't let you." There was a note of steel in the doctor's voice. "If he has a seizure, or falls unconscious again--no. He needs to be here, Agent Gibbs."

"Fine. But he doesn't know where he is, and right now I'm the only one he doesn't perceive as some kind of threat. Let me stay with him." Gibbs looked at Tony, who had backed away until he was almost in a corner of the room, eyes darting between Gibbs and the doctor.

"I don't like it."

"I'm not asking you to like it. I'm asking you to let me do it."

The doctor--Jameson, Gibbs noticed absently--grimaced, but nodded. "All right. For tonight only. If he needs to stay after tonight, we'll--"

"We'll negotiate then."

Jameson snorted. "Fine. And as for Abby--who is she?"

Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face. "About the only other person he might not consider a threat right now." He hoped. "If he makes one move toward her, I'll have her out of here."

"What happens if you can't hold him back?"

"He's an NCIS agent. I was a Marine." Gibbs looked at the doctor levelly. "I'm about the only one here who can hold him back, should it be necessary."

Tony took one careful step closer to him. It seemed to be enough; Jameson sighed and nodded. "All right. I'll tell the duty nurse to let--what's her last name?"

"Sciuto. Abby Sciuto. She's hard to miss." Gibbs smiled faintly.

"I'll tell the duty nurse to let her in." Jameson looked at Tony one last time and left.

Okay. Great. Gibbs turned to Tony with a sigh. "Tony," he said gently. "Tony, it's me. It's Gibbs. You're safe. Peppermint, remember?"

Tony twitched at the sound of his safeword but didn't otherwise respond.

"Tony," Gibbs said again, keeping his voice gentle and quiet. "Tony. You're safe."

He didn't think Tony understood him. He was pretty sure Tony didn't see him as a threat, not at the moment. But it was obvious Tony had no idea who he was, and comprehending language didn't seem to be something he was capable of at the moment.

"You're safe," Gibbs repeated. "Peppermint, Tony. I know what it means. I know. You're all right."

Tony frowned slightly. He tilted his head to one side, the expression on his face one of puzzlement. Okay. So he recognized the word, but not necessarily the context.

Well, something was better than nothing.

Slowly, Tony took another step toward him, then another. Gibbs waited, barely daring to breathe; he was reminded of a time he'd lain perfectly still for half an hour while on a field exercise, trying not to startle the deer who'd crossed his path.

The difference being, of course, that Tony wasn't a deer. He was human. A predator. And he wouldn't run away if he got startled. Even like this, confused and disoriented, he was more likely to fight than run. Gibbs wondered just how deep that instinct went--and where it had originated.

Tony stopped just out of arm's reach, studying him carefully. Gibbs wasn't sure what the look on his face meant, but he wished fervently he did. There was no way to tell what he was seeing at the moment, no way to figure out what Tony would respond to or understand.

Gibbs bit back a sigh. "Tony," he said carefully. "Tony, it's Gibbs. It's me."

Once again, he got a flicker but no real recognition. Gibbs wasn't sure what part was even getting to him--his name? Gibbs' name? Or just the tone?

The door clicked open and Tony whirled to face it, dropping into a crouch. "Easy," Gibbs said soothingly. "Easy--Tony, it's all right."

Abby slipped inside and shut the door behind her. "Tony?" she whispered. "Tony, what--"

Gibbs motioned her to silence, waiting to see if Tony would go after her. She stood there, eyes wide, looking between the two of them, clearly unsure what was going on.

One step. Then another. Tony looked more uncertain than anything else, as if he was seeing something he didn't quite understand but didn't consider harmful. He stopped right in front of Abby, barely an inch away from her, and raised a hand to her face. Gibbs tensed--if Tony attacked her now, he wouldn't be able to pull him off in time. But even as he shifted to move, Tony skimmed his fingers over Abby's skin, tracing the outline of her face, her nose, the arch of her eyebrows, her mouth.

Fortunately for all of them, Abby didn't move.

Tony lowered his head, his lips brushing Abby's before he kissed her, slow and thorough, the kind of kiss that always made her melt into his arms. And sure enough, when he pulled away she was looking more than a little dazed.

The smile that flashed over Tony's face was one Gibbs had seen before--pleased, a little arrogant, and pure Tony. He rubbed his cheek against Abby's hair, his arms going around her waist.

"Oh, Tony," Abby whispered. "Where are you in there?"

Gibbs crossed to them silently and rested a hand on Tony's shoulder. As he'd hoped, Tony jumped but didn't move. "Tony," he said softly. "My boy. It's all right."

Tony tightened his hold on Abby.

"It's okay," Abby murmured. "It's okay, Tony." She stroked his hair, lightly scratching her fingers over his neck the way he liked. "It's all right. We've got you. We've always got you."

He seemed to relax a bit from the sound of her voice. When she looked up and kissed him again, gently, Gibbs felt the tension ease.

"C'mon, baby," Abby said gently. "Let's lie down. You must be exhausted." She kept in contact with him, guiding him toward the bed, but Tony froze about two steps away and wouldn't go any closer, even when she tugged on his arm. He growled a little at her--but to Gibbs' surprise, she growled back. "Oh no you don't," she warned him. "You do not get to growl at me, Tony. Now, I'll keep you company, but you are getting into that bed." She pulled again.

Gibbs had to bite back the laugh when Tony followed meekly, crawling into the hospital bed and looking at her with an expression of pure pleading on his face. Abby smiled and kicked off her shoes, climbing in after him. It was crowded, but he wrapped himself around her and closed his eyes, seeming to drift off instantly. Abby stroked his hair and the back of his neck, looking down at him fondly.

"What happened, Gibbs?" she asked quietly. "I was processing evidence--and then Ziva called and told me Tony was in the hospital and you needed me here now and I came, and the nurse said you were in here and to be careful...what happened?"

He sighed and sat down in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. "How much do you know about that new drug?" he asked. "Splash, or sploosh, or whatever it's called."

"You had it right the first time, Gibbs." Abby grinned. "It's called Splash, although don't ask me why. The chemical name--"

"Spare me," he said, holding up a hand. "Just tell me the effects."

"That's the problem, Gibbs. There isn't all that much out there, it's so new. It's a hallucinogen--a pretty powerful one. Kind of like LSD, only worse in a way because the effects last longer. It can stay in the bloodstream for days, depending on how it's ingested and the amount of the dose. Did Tony get exposed to it?"

"A bag of the powder--about a dime bag--burst in his face." Gibbs sighed. "And this is what we've got. He doesn't know where he is, as far as I can tell. Ziva said something snippy earlier and he went after her--literally. He woke up extremely agitated, so much so that they had to restrain him. That, by the way, got the only coherent word out of him anyone's heard all night."

Abby snickered. "He safeworded?"

"Yeah. And when I repeated it, he seemed to recognize it. But I can't get him to talk, or visibly recognize me, or anything else. I'm not sure what's going on in his head." Gibbs reached out and stroked Tony's hair. "I thought that the two of us...we might be able to ground him back to reality."

"It's worth a shot. He seems to recognize me, at least." Abby grinned.

"I'm not sure if he recognizes you or if he just sees you as safe, to be honest, Abs."

"Does it matter which right now?" she pointed out. "But--God, Gibbs, with the dosage he got, there's no telling what it could do to him. I'm surprised he's asleep."

Gibbs smiled, shaking his head. "I don't think he is." He snapped his fingers and Tony tensed instantly, eyes wide open as he looked around. "I think he's going along with you."

Abby rolled her eyes. "Nice going, Gibbs."

"I'd rather have him awake than fall asleep and wake up like he did before. The doctor said he was violent--tried to hit a nurse."

"Sure he wasn't hitting on the nurse?" Abby said lightly.

"Not funny, Abs."

"Gibbs, I'm trying to keep from being really scared over here, okay? I don't know what Splash does, or what's going on in Tony's brain. I don't know why he's not talking! LSD doesn't do that, you know?"

"If you had to theorize?" he asked quietly.

She sighed. "I don't have enough data for that."

"Educated guess. C'mon, Abs, you're smarter than the docs here."

"If I absolutely had to guess--based on what I know about LSD and other hallucinogens, and the little info there is on Splash..." Abby sighed. "My guess is that he's experiencing some pretty heavy synesthesia right now. Words are pictures, scent and taste and touch are all mixed up--he doesn't know what he's seeing, what he's feeling, what's real, and he's too caught in it to be able to find his way out. In his mind, he probably is talking. He's clearly got some kind of link to the real world, which is why he was able to respond to me--and Ziva, although in vastly different ways. Some part of him is aware and responding to external stimuli. I just don't know how much, or in what form, or--hey!" Abby squeaked as Tony knelt up, straddling her. He was looking around frantically--but why, Gibbs had no idea.

"Tony?" he asked quietly. "Tony, what is it?"

Tony practically fell off the bed trying to get out of it, scuttling across the floor until he'd backed himself into a corner. He wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his head in his lap; Gibbs was alarmed to see him rocking slightly.

"And sometimes you get paranoia and panic," Abby said, twirling a pigtail around her finger nervously. She slid off the bed and walked over to Tony, crouching in front of him. "Tony? Baby, can you understand me? You in there?"

She reached out to him and he grabbed her wrist tightly before uncurling and pulling her into his lap. He was studying her pigtails, frowning, tugging them experimentally. "Hey!" Abby protested. "Watch the hair, Tony!"

Tony lifted one to his nose, sniffing it carefully. "Black," he whispered, sounding desperately relieved. "Black."

"Uh huh. My hair's black. I make sure of that." She rested a hand on his cheek. "Why does that matter, Tony?"

He buried his face in her neck. "Black," he repeated again.

"What is it, Tony?" she asked softly. "Why does black matter?"

"Because she was blonde," Gibbs said slowly. The pieces were slowly starting to come together and he didn't like the picture they made. "When he woke up, he was agitated, almost violent--the doctors said he was completely disoriented. He probably had no idea..."

"And when they restrained him, his brain latched onto the first thing it remembered," Abby finished, horrified. "Oh God, Gibbs, if he's trapped in that memory..."

"That must be why he went after Ziva. Something she said, something in the way she sounded--he probably thought Ziva was...her." He didn't want to say the name in case Tony reacted to it. "But you..."

"He might remember me. Or he might realize I'm different than Ziva and so I'm not her--I'm not who he thinks is her, anyway." Abby sighed and kissed Tony's head. "God, Gibbs, I don't know how to get him out of this."

"I don't either, Abs." Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't know if we can."

"We are not just going to--"

"All I meant, Abby, is that we may just have to let him work through this on his own. We can be here, but we can't drag him out of wherever he is."

"But we can try and guide him," Abby said stubbornly. "I don't know how long the drug will take to wear off, but..."

"We won't leave him alone until then," Gibbs promised her. "We're not going to abandon him, pretty girl."

"Damn right." Abby grinned. "And--ack! Tony!"

He'd raised his head a little and was sniffing at her neck, nuzzling it a little. Gibbs bit back a laugh when he saw Tony trace a line up Abby's throat with the tip of his tongue, biting down behind her ear. "Tony--" Abby said a little breathlessly. "Tony, what--"

His hand slid up her side to cup her breast, thumb rubbing over her nipple. She shivered and swallowed. "Tony," she said again, softly.

Gibbs watched him kiss Abby again, moving her to straddle him, his hands on her hips. "Um--Gibbs?" she asked, twisting to look at him. "What do I do here?"

"See if you can get yourself out of it without setting him off," Gibbs said cautiously. "If I go over there, I'm not sure what he'd do."

"Um--yeah--easier said than done, Gibbs," she said, sounding strangled. Gibbs looked down and saw that Tony's hand was on her thigh, working its way under her skirt.

Hell. He couldn't let Tony continue this--not in the hospital, where anyone could walk in at any time. He eased out of the chair and made his way over to the two of them, crouching down next to them. "Tony," he said quietly. "Tony, you can't."

Tony's free arm tightened around Abby and his other hand disappeared under her skirt completely. Abby gasped; she grabbed Tony's shoulders, her head dropping forward.

"Tony," Gibbs repeated, a little more firmly. He rested his hand on Tony's forearm. "No."

Tony growled at him, deep in his throat. Gibbs gripped his arm a little tighter. "No," he said again.

Abby bit her lip. "Tony," she managed. "Tony, please..."

Gibbs slid his hand up Tony's arm to grip his shoulder. "Peppermint," he said evenly. "Tony--c'mon, I know you're in there. Don't make me smack you."

Tony's arm twisted and Abby gasped.

"Damnit, Tony--" Gibbs smacked him upside the head. "Get your hand out of Abby's skirt. Now."

He was taking a chance and he knew it. But if Tony remembered Kristen because of the restraints...maybe he'd remember Gibbs from the headsmack.

Tony frowned, looked down. "Black?" he asked.

"Yes," Abby said, hiding a laugh.

"Peppermint. Black." Tony frowned again. "Ow." He rubbed the back of his head.

Abby took advantage of his confusion to slide off his lap, sitting against the wall. Her face was flushed and she fanned herself a little. "Whoa," she said. "Even on a bad trip, that's still Tony."

"I wish I knew what was going on in his head," Gibbs admitted.

"It's Tony. He's got sex on the brain. I'm just surprised he hasn't come on to you yet." Abby grinned.

"I'm not," Gibbs said. He looked at Tony, who had pushed himself to his feet and was looking around carefully. "I have a feeling he's always been more submissive with men, and right now that's either not what he's feeling or not what he wants to be feeling. You saw how he was with you. This isn't my boy, Abby, not like you're used to seeing him."

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "If we could get him calm and relaxed, maybe..." Abby shrugged. "Maybe we could get him focused on something other than...her."

"It's possible. I don't know. But I also don't know how."

"Sex generally does work with him," Abby said with a snort.

"We're in the middle of a hospital and he's on some kind of acid trip. You really want to risk it?"

"Gibbs, I'd have sex with him in the middle of the hall if I thought it'd help. I'd suck him off in front of Ziva if I thought it stood any chance of snapping him out of this." Abby grinned. "Some days I'd like to do that anyway. And don't tell me Tony wouldn't do it, because he so would."

"I don't want to know. What you two get up to without me--" Gibbs had to laugh. "Is my business," he admitted. "Be nice to Ziva. She's a good agent, and I'd rather not have her leave--or make one of you leave--because she saw something she didn't want to."

"But wouldn't it be fun to see the look on her face?" Abby said cheerfully.

He had to admit--privately--that it would.

Tony looked down at them both before stepping back, toward the bed. He looked around again, up at the ceiling, twitching a little at something he saw. "Tony?" Abby asked hesitantly.

She didn't get an answer, but Tony backed up a little more, looking wary and a little afraid. "Peppermint," he said, scared. "No--"

Abby pushed herself up. "It's all right, Tony," she soothed. "It's all right. No one's going to hurt you."

He flinched like someone had just slapped him. "No," he repeated, stumbling back until he hit the bed and sat down hard.

"Tony," Abby said again, keeping her voice calm. "Tony, you're safe." She crossed to him slowly, keeping her hands out and in the open. "See? It's me. It's Abby. Pigtails and all."

She rested her hands on his arms and slid them up to his shoulders. Tony tensed, trembling, but didn't otherwise move. "Shh," Abby murmured. "Relax, Tony. It's me." She leaned up to kiss him gently; her nails scratched over his neck and his shoulders. "Okay?"

"That might not--" Gibbs watched Tony snag her and tumble her into the bed, burying his face in her throat. He pulled her head back, biting her neck. Abby gasped and Gibbs hid a groan. "Have been the best idea," he finished.

"Whoops." Abby squirmed to try and get out from under Tony and he growled softly. "Hey," she warned him. "I told you before. You don't get to growl at me." She pushed at his shoulders--Gibbs thought she'd have had more luck shoving a brick wall. Tony didn't budge.

He lowered his head again, rubbing his cheek against her throat, settling himself on top of her. "Gibbs?" Abby asked, sounding like she was trying not to laugh. "Um..."

"Is he smothering you?"

"No, he's fine. But--"

"I don't know, Abs. If I try to get him off you there's a chance he'll go after me. Or you. Are you willing to risk it?" Gibbs wasn't sure he was.

"Depends." She turned her head and gave him a patented Abby-grin. "How private is this room?"

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, I don't think you should be thinking it," Gibbs said warningly.

"Well, I'm kind of out of other options here. He's too big for me to move, if you try to move he'll probably go after you, and this seems to be the only thing he's aware of. He's latched on to one thing and is focusing on that. Luckily, it's me. Unluckily, it's the sexual aspect." Abby laughed. "Well, sort of unlucky."

Tony licked Abby's throat, nuzzling her jaw. Gibbs recognized the low rumbling sound as one Tony made when he was turned on and relaxed and didn't have the self-consciousness to be embarrassed by sounding rather like a cat. Generally, it also meant that he was deep in headspace.

Then again, Gibbs thought wryly that Tony was in headspace--just the wrong kind.

"Tony--" Abby's voice had the breathless quality Gibbs normally wanted it to have, when they were alone and in bed. But not now. Not here. "I--um--Tony--" She pushed at him again; he responded by kissing her deeply.

Gibbs wondered if heightened sex drive was one of the side effects of Splash or if this was just Tony. He wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter. Odds were Abby was right--this was what Tony was focused on.

He just had no idea how to make Tony focus on something else.

But Abby made a soft sound in her throat and from the look on her face, Gibbs knew she was going to be lost in a moment. He couldn't really blame her, to be honest. To have Tony that intent on her--hell, he couldn't guarantee he'd be able to hold out either.

He sighed and walked over to the bed quietly. "Tony," he said, trying to keep his voice firm but quiet. "Tony, don't do this."

Tony either didn't hear him or ignored him completely. He'd moved down Abby's body a little, his hands pushing up her shirt and his head between her breasts. She was squirming a little, but at this point Gibbs wasn't sure if it was to get away or get more. "Tony," she managed, her head tossing on the pillow. "God, Tony, please..."

Abby was gone and Tony was in no place to even notice him, let alone pay attention. Gibbs swore under his breath--extensively, in multiple languages, and with only the creativity a Marine gunnery sergeant could manage.

Then he went to the door to make certain no one walked in.

Fortunately, it was late and the hall was deserted. And neither Tony nor Abby were making all that much noise, aside from the occasional gasp from Abby and the answering rumble from Tony. Gibbs turned back to look at them and wished he hadn't. The sight was enough to make him half-hard and right now, that was the last thing any of them needed.

It was just a difficult thing to see his girl on her back, arched up under his boy, kissing him, with her skirt up and her panties pushed out of the way. There really wasn't a way not to respond to that.

So he didn't look. He stared out the door, trying not to listen to the shift and rustle of the bed, the soft moan Abby made, the rhythmic low squeak--

Gibbs ground his teeth together hard. "Hell," he muttered.

Abby cried out softly and he couldn't help but turn around. The flushed, pleased look on her face was one he knew all too well, as was the languid way she sank back against the bed, her eyes fluttering closed. Tony buried his face in her neck and groaned before nearly falling on top of her.

At least they were done. Gibbs sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Think you can get him settled now, Abs?" he asked wearily.

"I can try." She yawned and pushed at Tony--this time he seemed willing to ease off her and lie down on the bed, a pleased smile on his face. But when she tried to slide out of bed he snaked an arm around her waist and held on tight.

"I think you're stuck," Gibbs told her.

"Could be worse." Abby shifted and stroked Tony's hair. "And who knows? Maybe he'll calm down for the night now."

"It's possible." Unlikely, but possible. He wasn't a scientist; he had no idea what effect sex--and orgasm--had on this damn thing.

Gibbs sighed and sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chair next to the bed. Tony looked fairly close to the way he usually did after sex--relaxed, sated, with a faint smile on his face and a sleepy look in his eyes. But the tension in his body hadn't entirely gone away and Gibbs saw him looking around the room, scanning it, watching for...something.

He heard a sound outside and got up, keeping one eye on Tony as he walked over to the door. Tony's eyes followed him, but he didn't let go of Abby or get up, even when Gibbs opened the door slightly. Gibbs thanked Heaven for small favors and looked at the nurse standing there. "Yes?" he asked quietly.

"I need to check on him," she said.

Gibbs sighed. "Any chance it can wait?"

"No," she said with a wry smile. "Any chance he won't try to hit me?"

"I can't guarantee that." Gibbs stepped aside. "But I'll do my best."

"I'll make this quick." She walked over to the bed, looking at Tony. "All right," she said, managing to sound cheerful and relaxed. "This won't take long."

Tony watched her warily. He didn't back away, but he gave the impression of doing so, and when the nurse reached for his arm he flinched.

"It's okay, baby," Abby murmured. She pushed herself up to sit next to him. "Just let her do her job, okay?"

Gibbs wasn't sure if it was having Abby in the bed with him, or whether this was familiar, or what it had been, but Tony let the nurse take his blood pressure and his temperature without a fuss. "Is he coherent yet?" she asked, writing the results down on Tony's chart.

"Not really," Abby admitted. "He's clearly aware of the outside world and he's able to respond to some external stimuli, but he's not talking and I don't know if he understands spoken language."

The nurse nodded. "At least he's responding," she commented. "That's a good sign."

"We hope." Abby sighed and looked at Tony.

"Has he eaten anything?" the nurse asked.

Gibbs shook his head. "Not since this morning."

"I'll send up a tray. That might help--and before you say anything, I'll try and make it something he'd be likely to eat." She smiled. "Thanks."

"Sure." Gibbs watched her leave, as did Tony. Once she was gone, Tony relaxed a bit, nuzzling into Abby's shoulder. She sighed and kissed his hair.

"My poor Tony," she murmured.

"He'll be all right," Gibbs said with more conviction than he felt. "He's strong, and he's healthy. We just have to wait for him to come out of it."

"I have no idea how long that'll take," Abby said, biting her lip. "I don't know anything here."

Gibbs reached out and squeezed her hand. "We'll get through this, Abby. Do you want to go back to your lab and see if you can run any tests on the drug?"

She looked uncertain--torn, Gibbs knew, between the need to find out anything she could about the drug and the need to stay with Tony. "I don't even know if he'll let me leave," she said, looking down at Tony's arm around her waist.

"I don't either." For better or worse, Tony seemed to have latched on to Abby as his touchstone and wasn't letting go. Gibbs was grateful, even as he knew he'd have some questions to answer later.

The door swung open and Gibbs blinked, turning to look. It was too soon for the food, so...

"Jethro?"

Or maybe those questions would be sooner rather than later. Gibbs swore under his breath and got up, walking over to the door. "Director Shepard," he said, noticing the neat blue suit and sensible heels. She'd come right from the office, then.

"I came to see how Agent DiNozzo was," she said.

"We're not sure." Gibbs sighed and looked at the bed. Abby was sitting up, Tony lying next to her, but his eyes were focused on the two of them. "He's conscious, but...I don't know if he's entirely aware of his surroundings. He's not really speaking and I don't know if he understands language."

Jen nodded. "And I assume there's a reason Miss Sciuto's in his bed?"

Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face. "They're good friends, and so far she's the only one he's responded favorably to. I'm not about to leave him alone with her, not when there's a chance that'll change." He shrugged. "He's already gone after Ziva."

"I know." Jen looked past him, at the bed. "How long--"

"We've got no idea, Jen. Could be tomorrow, could be a week from now. There's just not enough information out there." Gibbs sighed again. "Put him on sick leave, and put me on...something. I'm not leaving him alone until he's out of this."

"I can't authorize that, Jethro. With one agent out, I can't afford you as well." Jen shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

Gibbs wasn't surprised. He shrugged and met her eyes. "You either put me on personal time or accept my resignation," he said matter-of-factly. "Tony's my best agent, and I'm not leaving him alone until he's better."

Something passed over Jen's eyes. "You wouldn't have done that for me, Jethro. You wouldn't have done that for any agent, no matter how valuable they were. What's going on?"

"Don't ask the question if you don't want to know the answer," he said quietly.

Her eyes widened, then narrowed. "Do you have any idea what you just implied?" she asked in a whisper--almost a hiss. "Do you have any idea--"

"Tony's my best agent, Director Shepard, and right now he's unstable, volatile--to say the least--and potentially dangerous. I'm probably the only one who can handle him if need be. I'd suggest we leave it at that." Gibbs didn't back down, and in the end, Jen looked away.

"I'm going to have to ask someday, Jethro," she said softly.

"No, you won't." Gibbs looked back at Tony. "Don't ask if you don't want to know, Jen."

She shook her head. "I'll help you out this time, Jethro. I'll put you on personal leave. And I'll give Miss Sciuto a couple of days, since she seems to be helping. That's the best I can do. But there's a limit to what I can ignore, and someday..." Jen sighed. "If you'll excuse me, I have some reports to go fudge."

"Jenny." Gibbs caught her arm as she turned to leave. "Thank you."

Her smile was brittle. "For your sake, I hope he gets better quickly. Or I won't be the only one asking questions." She left, heels clicking on the tile.

As she left, an orderly came in carrying a tray. "If you two are staying overnight, I can probably get you something too," he said, handing the tray to Gibbs. "It'll be hospital food, but it'll be edible."

Gibbs smiled. "We'd appreciate that. Coffee, too, if you've got any."

"It'll look like coffee, but I can't guarantee what it'll taste like." The orderly grinned and left, rubber-soled shoes squeaking a bit.

The coffee wasn't as bad as cop coffee. The food--well, it was hospital food. Tony eyed it warily and left it alone until Abby took a bite of the sandwich. He still waited a good twenty minutes after that, but Gibbs was pleased to see him eat it.

As the night wore on, Abby drifted off, tucked against Tony, her head in the crook of his neck. Tony held her close and studied Gibbs, eyes wary. Gibbs kept his body language unthreatening and his voice quiet as he talked to Tony, trying to ground him back into reality.

"You were such a cocky pain in the ass when I hired you," Gibbs said, smiling a little. "Some things don't change. You just...you knew what you were doing, I'll give you that, but..." He grinned, shaking his head. "You reminded me of me, a bit."

Tony stroked Abby's hair, watching Gibbs, and said nothing. Gibbs took a swallow of cold coffee and kept talking. The sky went from black to deep blue to gray as the sun rose, and Gibbs reached for his coffee and found it empty.

"I promised you I'd take care of you," he said, looking at Tony, whose eyes had finally slid shut. "I promised I'd give you what you needed. I'm not going to leave you alone through this, Tony. Abby and I'll take care of you until you come out of it." There was no alternative.

Tony was still asleep--or pretending to be--when the nurse came in to take his morning vitals. He slitted his eyes open but as before, didn't protest. Gibbs wondered what he was seeing, what was going on in his head.

Abby woke up when the doctors came in. She slipped out of the bed, straightening her clothes and her pigtails. "He seems calmer, at least," she said to Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, he does." Tony was still eyeing the doctors warily, but every now and then he frowned, as though there was something going on he didn't quite understand.

After a few minutes of discussion, Jameson came over to Gibbs and Abby. "His vitals are good, he looks calm, and we're thinking familiar surroundings might be best for him at this point. From the limited data we have, we think that if he were going to have a negative reaction to the drug, it'd have happened by now. Most of the deaths caused by it happened within the first twelve hours."

"So we can take him home?" Abby asked.

Jameson glanced back at where Tony was sitting on the bed, watching them intently. "Yes. But I want a promise that you'll call immediately if anything happens, good or bad."

"We will," Gibbs said. Abby nodded.

"Okay." Jameson scratched his beard. "I'll write up the discharge papers and get him a set of scrubs to wear."

"Thank you," Abby said, impulsively giving him a hug. Gibbs happened to be glancing over at Tony then and saw him grin.

Well, that was promising.

They got Tony home by midday. Abby went to make lunch, but Tony was prowling around the house. The puzzled look was coming more frequently, like he almost but not quite understood where he was. Gibbs took it as a good sign; maybe it meant he was starting to come out of this.

Tony headed up the stairs and Gibbs followed him, watching as he peered into the bathroom and sniffed the shampoos and various body products Tony and Abby insisted were necessary. He smiled when he uncapped Abby's shampoo, but not his own, which Gibbs thought was interesting.

When he went into the bedroom, Gibbs realized about ten seconds too late that the cuffs were still there, attached to the headboard--they got used so frequently that putting them away was more of a pain than it was worth. He stepped in, but Tony had already seen them and was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding one in his lap. His fingers stroked over the smooth leather, the metal buckles, and he frowned, clearly thinking about something.

At least there wasn't much in the line of fire if he got upset, Gibbs thought.

"Pretty girl," Tony said softly, affectionately. He looked down at the cuffs again. "Pretty girl."

Gibbs almost held his breath as Tony looked up at him.

"Master," Tony said, barely audible. He frowned, shook his head. "No--yes? Master?"

"Yes," Gibbs said, taking a chance and sitting down next to Tony, resting his hand on Tony's back. "My boy."

Tony smiled, almost shyly, and leaned against Gibbs. He yawned, covering his mouth with a hand.

"Sleep, Tony," Gibbs said, rubbing his back. "Abby and I'll take care of you."

"Master," Tony murmured, lying down with his head in Gibbs' lap.

Abby came upstairs carrying a tray of sandwiches. "Has he said anything else?" she asked, setting the tray down on the nightstand and taking a seat on Gibbs' other side.

"Pretty girl," Gibbs said. "And he called me Master and seemed to know what it meant." He snagged a sandwich with his free hand. "I think he's starting to come out of it."

"I hope so," Abby said, taking a sandwich of her own. She sighed. "Why does this crap always happen to him?"

Gibbs turned to look at her. "And who tried to kill you in your own lab?"

"He set Tony up for murder first," Abby pointed out.

She had a point there. Gibbs shook his head and took a bite of his sandwich.

Tony slept through most of the afternoon. Gibbs managed to get him under the covers after lunch by crawling under them himself. Tony snuggled up against him, tucking his head into the crook of Gibbs' neck the way he usually did, and Gibbs held him, eventually dozing off himself.

When he woke, it was dusk outside and Tony was watching him. "Master," he said, leaning up to kiss Gibbs lightly. "Thank you."

Gibbs had no idea what Tony was thanking him for. "You're welcome," he said, running his fingers through Tony's hair.

Tony smiled. "The world's underwater," he said softly, looking around. "It doesn't fit."

"It will," Gibbs promised. "It will, Tony." Underwater gave him a better idea of where Tony was at this point. The drug was clearly wearing off, but it wasn't out of his system yet.

Tony nodded and stretched. "Shower," he said.

"You need one," Gibbs told him frankly. Tony grinned sheepishly, ducking his head. He pushed himself up, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"Abby?" Tony asked, hesitating before getting out of bed.

"On the computer," Gibbs told him. "She's fine."

Tony nodded. Gibbs sat up, watching him make his way to the bathroom, but Tony seemed steady enough, and Gibbs didn't hear any crashes or bangs or shouts. He scrubbed his hands through his hair and blew out a breath. The worst appeared to be over.