NCIS: The New Recruit

Chapter 38

"It's a very important day today!" Tony announced, walking into the office.

"Is that so?" I yawned. I couldn't be bothered with the nonsense that was about to come out of his mouth.

"It's the anniversary of my bout of plague," he continued, unfazed.

I frowned and sat up a bit.

"Plague?" I asked.

He grinned and picked up a letter on his desk, amused to have got my attention.

"Plague indeed!" he said, walking towards my desk, "I had received a letter addressed to moi..."

He was suddenly cut off by McGee.

"No, it wasn't." he said as him and Ziva headed down to Abby to give her results from a case we were in the midst of.

DiNozzo frowned at him then turned back to me, "I had received a letter addressed to me and I went to open it, like so."

He carefully peeled the top of the letter off and grinned at me.

"I then proceeded to blow on the top," he blew on the top and was about to continue when a white powder burst into my face.

I fell into a coughing fit as I inhaled the powder and could see Tony's stressed-out look.

"Crap," he said before calling the attention of everyone in the squad room, "A mysterious white powder has been released. You know the drill!"

Gibbs was nowhere to be seen so Tony took charge.

"We're gonna need to go down to the showers and wash to get any of the powder off while they burn our clothes," he said, "They'll leave scrubs out for us to change into and then we'll go from there."

I was dazed and confused as he dragged me down to the showers. I hadn't thought a white powder would have had such a strong reaction, cause such panic. I didn't even know there was a drill for it!

After we had changed we were quarantined in autopsy. Ducky took blood samples and Gibbs came in looking annoyed. They were both wearing hazmat suits.

"DiNozzo, what were you thinking? Have you not learned your lesson?" he demanded.

DiNozzo looked sheepish and avoided eye contact.

"They've opened the letter, taken samples. Do you want to know what it said?" Gibbs asked, "It said 'Happy anniversary. Let's see if you can survive a second bout'."

DiNozzo had a confused look on his face but I was frozen. That means it must have been plague.

"Who would have sent that, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"I... I don't know, boss," DiNozzo said when two men burst into the room.

"Who opened the letter?" they asked, not even introducing themselves.

"I did," Tony said.

"Did you breathe it in?" one of them asked.

"No, I blew it away from me. Molly was the one it hit," Tony said and they turned to me.

"We need to take the girl. You stay here until your blood tests come back," one man said and with that, I was taken to the hospital.

I was put in a large glass room that had doctors roaming around outside it. If any came in, they wore hazmat suits and were extremely careful.

I didn't see what the big deal was, why I couldn't stay with Tony. I mean, I felt fine! I hadn't even coughed or anything.

And what was with it getting through? Surely the mail was more closely monitored if it had happened before? If it was actually dangerous, it would have been picked up, so it must have been a joke. One of Tony's friends sending talcum powder or something. At least I hoped that was what it was.