Title: A Matter of Faith and Time

Author: Tearsofamiko

Rating: K

Disclaimer: see chapter one

Spoilers: see chapter one

Summary: Does he inspire the loyalty? Or do they?

...'Til He Wakes.

The day began no earlier for most of the nurses. They trade shifts the same time as always, a simple change in command that sets the pace for the day. Notes on the patient rosters are quietly discussed before the tired nurses give way to their fresh, new replacements. They make sure nothing remarkable has happened overnight, update each other on little improvements or declines. All in all, a typical day.

He walks in amidst the bustle, slightly later than the day before, but still just as calm and complacent. He heads for room 110, passing the nurse completing her rounds, instead of watching her finish them. They exchange their typical greeting and he appears pleased at the normalcy, despite his unusual tardiness. She watches him out of the corner of her eye as she arranges paperwork at the desk, curious at the slight change but not worried by it.

He makes as if to enter the room but stops short in the doorway, surprise filtering across his face. Then a small smile settles around his lips as he takes in the sight presented: a young, dark-haired man with his head resting on the hospital bed, completely oblivious to the world, completely lost in sleep. His practiced, knowledgeable eyes take in the changes in his young friend as he moves to stand nearer the bed. The young man's presence is a surprise, but a welcome one; more than one of those that visited daily had wondered, worried, and railed at his continued absence.

After a moment of simply surveying the younger man, he raises his attention to the patient. He's scanning for changes, for any sign of anything, when he hears it. A quiet moan. Looking quickly at the dark-haired man half-sitting in the chair, he sees all the signs of a nightmare forming: paler features under a thin sheen of sweat, wrinkled brow, and agitation where there had been peaceful slumber. Knowing what's causing the nightmares and needing to help his young friend, he glances at the patient's face as he steps around the bed, intending to gently rouse him and offer comfort. He doesn't make it, as he receives the most welcome shock of his life.

Clear blue eyes meet his for the first time in weeks, freezing him in his tracks. Frantically, he searches the familiar gaze, afraid of a replay of a previous accident. A slight smile quirks the patient's lips as he meets his friend's gaze; no doubt about it, nothing is missing within that gaze or smile. The older man sags in relief, but abruptly snaps back to attention as the sleeping young man twitches again in his sleep.

A nurse passing at that moment sees what happens next and, despite it being her job to inform the doctor that the patient was awake, didn't move from the doorway. His breathing tube had been removed already and he didn't appear to be in pain, so she figured getting the doctor could wait. Besides, the emotions in the room were far too private to expose to the clinical studies preferred by the medical profession. Transfixed, she could only watch, suddenly aware that whatever had been missing had finally been found.

The patient's gaze finally leaves the bespectacled one of his friend and settles on the unconscious young man. A lean, brown hand extracts itself from beneath the covers and comes to rest on the young man's head at the same moment the patient speaks.

"DiNozzo." The name is quiet and hoarse, gravelly with disuse, but its effect is electrifying. The young man jumps suddenly, wild-eyed and bewildered. His confusion is evident as he lifts his head and glances around the room, his eyes landing first on the older man in the corner before coming to rest on the patient. It takes a moment for his sleep-fogged mind to connect the dots, but then recognition comes.

"Boss!" he cries, a ragged kind of joyful relief choking his voice. He gapes at the patient, flailing about for words that refuse to come. The nurse has seen this before, the overwhelming relief that only the return of a loved one to consciousness can bring. Tears fill her eyes at the almost palpable emotions.

The patient watches the young man for a moment before speaking again and his response nearly floors the nurse. "Something wrong with your bed?" he asks gruffly. There's a split second of hesitation before both men break out in smiles. As the awkward moment passes, the older gentleman steps forward and speaks.

"Jethro, it's good to have you back," he says, his voice shaking only slightly with barely withheld emotion, as he steps forward to clap a hand on the patient's shoulder. The nurse smiles and turns to get a doctor, warmed by the scene in the room.

Examinations and tests are performed on the patient, assessment meant to gauge his health. Several hours pass as they are run and neither visitor makes any move to leave. As the activity in the rooms reaches a lull, the dark-haired man suddenly jumps and digs around in his pocket, swiftly producing a cell phone.

"Abby's gonna kill me," he moans as he awkwardly dials a number using his good hand. The one-sided conversation that ensues involves a lot of cringing and pleading, as the young man tries to convince his friend that he wasn't trying to pull one over on her. He closes the phone looking sheepishly at his companions. "I'm almost afraid of what she's gonna do to me."

The statement draws a chuckle out of the patient, but the levity quickly fades as blue eyes linger on the younger man's sling. Numerous questions reflect in that steely gaze and the young man shifts uncomfortably before diverting his eyes to the floor. "You get hurt, DiNozzo?" The tone of the question suggests the patient knows this, but requires more information.

"Um..." The younger man falters, the tips of his ears glowing slightly with his discomfort.

"Through and through to the left shoulder, Jethro," the older man speaks up, providing the information requested. "Lt. Rogers shot him before detonating his explosive belt, landing you here." Kind eyes twinkle as he shakes his head. "You certainly have a propensity for getting yourself blown up."

"It was my fault," the young man mumbles and all eyes lock on his bowed head. "I didn't know Rogers hadn't seen me and I startled him." Pain-filled green eyes raise to meet the patient's. "You almost died because I couldn't cover my six and got shot."

"But I didn't, Tony." The patient's tone is intense and almost impossibly gentle. "We're both alive and that's what matters. It's all good." Something passes between the two men and the tension seems to drain out of the younger man as a grin curves his lips.

Any other serious conversation is ended by the appearance of more visitors. They flood into the room, a cacophony of sound and emotion. The black-haired young woman runs over to the bedside and latches on to the patient's hand, the wide smile on her face contrasting with the shimmer of tears in her eyes. A young man follows her, delight written across his countenance as he meets the patient's eyes. The older gentleman and injured young man are joined by an exotic beauty as the girl beside the bed begins a lively and round-about retelling of the past weeks. Happiness is thick in the air of room 110, echoing in the laughter and smiles liberally shared.

The nurses in the hallway go about their normal duties, though the day is much more than ordinary. The awakening of a patient is always cause for great celebration, but this particular patient's return sparks a gaiety rarely seen in such surroundings. The nurses share in the excitement of room 110, as happy as any within the room. Together they had all watched and waited and were glad to be repaid with such a blessing, though they barely knew any involved.

With their hope renewed, they work to save the others in their care, watching and working and waiting along with the loved ones, content to understand that sometimes, it's just a matter of faith and time.

A/N: So, that's it! ^^ I will admit I got the idea after watching Hiatus, but this wasn't based off it, so... Actually, the idea was Tony visiting Gibbs in a nursing home, but I think I like this better. It was more fun to play with a tortured Tony that might appear on the show, than to play with a sad Tony far in the future. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.