Finding Tiva

-7-

"I don't know how much more I can take, Gibbs," Tony said.

"Hm?"

"I just don't know. How much longer can my body handle this?"

"Tony, I know it's hard. You'll know when you can't take any more."

Tony sighed and looked over at his partner.

"Trust me, Tony. You can't quit now." Bishop stirred slightly. "You have a new partner to take care of," Gibbs continued. "She looks up to you."

There was a soft knock. Tony followed Gibbs' gaze to the top of the stairs.

"Anthony! How are you feeling?"

"Ducky, I'm fine."

"I only half believe that. You need to go get checked out by the paramedics outside. I'm here to get the body," Ducky finished, motioning toward Ray's still body. "By the way, Anthony, you're going to want to ice that head of yours. It's going to leave a mark."

"Uh, yeah, thanks Ducky."

"Tell you what, Tony. Go to the hospital now. Room 141."

Tony stopped for a second. His face lit up. "I will, boss, thanks."

Tony climbed the ever familiar steps and out the front door. He continued out to the car and pulled the handle. He sat down in the seat and put the key in the ignition. Tony pulled the belt over his chest and shoved it in until he heard the click. Pushing the key away from him and starting the car, Tony put the car in drive and set his foot on the pedal.

Tony let out a heavy sign. He was going to see her again, alive, and in person. He pulled himself together and pushed his foot down.

--

I opened my eyes to a blurry world. Everything was gleaming and glistening in the light. I felt the warmth of it on my skin. It was almost as if I was at the beach. I had seen it before. He was calling for me. I stood up and walked over, the world becoming fainter and fainter under me. Suddenly, my stomach turned. I missed a step and fell through the open whole. I was falling, falling. Everything was becoming clear. I could see again, until I hit the car and everything went black.

--

Gibbs stood next to Bishop as she sat still. "When will she wake up?"

"I don't know, Jethro. She wasn't as lucky as Anthony. She was injected with something," he said, looking at her neck. Gibbs paced around his basement. What if it was poison? No, she was breathing, and he couldn't think "what if." She was alive and she would wake up.

The paramedics came downstairs and transported Bishop to the hospital. Ducky took Cruz's body back to NCIS. Gibbs made his way to the hospital and into Ellie's room. After sitting there for an hour, she still hadn't woken up.

"Ducky, it's been an hour," Gibbs said over the phone. "When will she wake up?"

"Honestly, I would've thought she'd been up by now."

"What if..." There it was again. "What if, I could just look into her eyes and see what she sees, feel what she feels."

"Then no one in this world would ever die," Ducky finished.

--

I felt the ice cold blue eyes piercing into my soul. It wasn't a physical pain, but more like tearing into my view of the world. As everything became clearer, it also had a gap. I saw it. I saw it, and what I saw scared me. I lunged forward and fell through the screen. I gasped for air. The world was real again, but everything was a jumble in my ears and blue in my eyes.

"Bish, up Bish, Bish."

I couldn't see at all.

"S, sh, ake."

It was like a puzzle and I was missing the last piece. But it was all in front of me. I gasped again. Once more.

"Bishop."

"Bishop."

I saw him pull out his phone and the other came towards me. I was too weak to move.

"She's waking up. Let's extubate."

A wave of relief fell over Gibbs. "Bishop. How are you feeling?"

"Who are you?" I said.