7

Conclusion

Within moments they were there, breathlessly they took in the scene, and with a professionalism that made Gibbs proud they went into their well-drilled routine. Both men were lying on the ground, Shantry had blood seeping from a cut on his forehead, he was out cold, quickly Ziva cuffed him, pocketed his gun and hurried to join the others at Tim's side. He was face down, motionless, his body covered in cuts and bruises, his left arm outstretched, the hateful, bloodstained shackle lying in the grass.

Andrew knelt beside his son, but he couldn't bring himself to check for a pulse…what if there wasn't one? How would he tell Tess?

Gibbs put his fingers to Tim's neck; he smiled briefly and yelled into the phone. "We need that chopper, now!"

Tony had the blanket out if his bag. "Boss…the gunshot, is he hit?"

"Let's take a look…go easy."

As they turned him over, very carefully, very slowly; Ziva turned away and she took her place guarding Shantry, she wanted Tim to know that she had not looked at his nakedness, he of all men she had ever known would hate to be seen this way.

Andrew could barely look himself, his son…how could Shantry have done this to his son? Gibbs quickly checked for signs of a gunshot wound, there were plenty of cuts and bruises, and Tim's right hand looked like it had been through a grinder…

"He wasn't shot." Tony's voice trembled with suppressed tension, he was sure when they heard the shot, that Tim would be hit…He took the blanket and laid it gently over his friend. "Hey Tim, we got you now…you're safe."

There was no response, Tim hadn't moved the whole time they had been here, but he was breathing, he was alive…Andrew wanted to take his son by the hand, to hold on tight and tell him that he loved him, but all he could see was that evil metal bracelet around Tim's wrist, the chain…then he saw Tony's gun, he must have put it there while he put the blanket over Tim. Andrew grabbed the gun, got to his feet, and stood over Shantry, he took off the safety catch and aimed

"You bastard! You wanted a life for a life, how about I take yours" His hand was shaking slightly, but his intent was clear for all to see.

Gibbs took a small step closer to him. "Andrew, let the courts deal with him."

"But you see what he did."

"Dad…no…"

It was the softest whisper, but it had more power over Andrew than the loudest scream. He thrust the gun into Tony's outstretched hand and ran to his son's side.

"Him…or me…had to…"

"You hit him Tim?" Gibbs was kneeling beside Andrew, trying to grasp how Tim could have fought back against Shantry.

Tim gave a weak smile. "'tici…pate…heard him…waited…" He tried to lift his hand, and Gibbs saw it…

"You used the shackles…that's great work Tim. Ziva, over here, get this off…"

He backed away slightly to give Ziva room. She leaned forward and briefly kissed Tim's cheek. "I am happy to have you back McGee…I will try not to hurt you…"

"Doesn't hurt…now…"

Gibbs didn't like the sound of that, if Tim really wasn't feeling any pain, it was well past time they got him to the hospital. Anxiously, he looked up at the sky, where was…there, at last, he heard the distinctive sounds of the helicopter rotor blades and the dark blot in the sky got bigger. "They're here Tim, not long now."

Tim tried to focus, to thank them for coming for him, but there was too much noise, after days of solitude…it was overwhelming…he couldn't deal with this right now…

"Tim! Don't do this, you're so close." Andrew held tight to Tim's hand; he'd watched in horror as his son's eyes closed and his head lolled to the side, seemingly devoid of life.

Gibbs quickly felt for a pulse, it was weaker now, too weak, but it was still there. "He's holding on Andrew, the medics are here, he's come this far…he won't give up now, he's a fighter, right?"

Andrew didn't take his eyes from Tim's face, but he gave a quick nod, and smiled down at his son. "Tim, I love you…and I'm so proud you've come this far, just a little longer, you can do it, you have to, please…" He felt strong hands pulling him away as the medics got to work. Andrew stood as they prepared Tim for the flight; powerless…unable to do anything but pray, just like the last time…

"Boss!" Tony had to shout to be heard over the chopper. "Shantry, he's coming round."

The Med Tech was strapping Tim onto the cradle; he paused for a moment. "You have another casualty?"

"No!" Gibbs was brusque. "He can walk, we'll take him."

"Roger that." The medics completed their tasks quickly and efficiently, and Tim was winched up to the chopper. As the helicopter banked away from them the others drew breath; Tim was in the best hands now, it was their job to get Shantry behind bars.

"Take these off me! Do you know who I am?"

Tony answered, his voice low and menacing. "We know who you are alright; you're the lowlife piece of scum who left one of our team to die."

Shantry's eyes blazed with fresh hope. "He's dead? Then who hit me?"

"My son hit you; he's a lot harder to kill than you think." Andrew stood beside Gibbs as they watched Shantry come to terms with this latest blow.

Gibbs picked up the bloody shackles and held them up for Shantry to see. "He heard you coming, you underestimated him, and you paid the price. He hit you with these…when we check them at the lab we're going to find your blood on here along with his."

"No…that's not possible…not after…"

This time it was Ziva who stepped forward. "Not after you tried to kill him by inches…I do not know where he found the strength, but he did…thank God."

"God! Don't talk to me about God. He had nothing to do with this; a righteous God would strike them all dead…they killed my boy."

"So you tried to kill mine?" Andrew was calmer now, what he needed now was to be with his wife, and to be there when his son woke up.

Gibbs pulled Shantry to his feet. "Come on, you've got a long list of charges waiting back in DC."

They started the steady climb back down; Shantry was still reeling from the news that Tim was alive. He looked helplessly at Gibbs.

"Why wouldn't he die? My son died…I wanted him dead…"

"McGee has too much to live for. Not like William, he wanted to die; to get away from you."

"No! Liar, don't you dare…"

"Oh I dare alright Shantry; you hounded your son until the only way he could escape from you was to die…you drove him into those bullets as sure as if you fired the gun yourself."

"That's not true! He loved me…"

"He feared you...he wanted to make you proud, but he could never be good enough. He was happy as a Seaman."

"Don't be stupid! How could he be happy taking orders? The Shantry's don't take orders, we give them."

Gibbs glanced at Andrew and shrugged his shoulders; what was the point? Adam Shantry had convinced himself that four entirely innocent people were responsible for his son's death, and nothing Gibbs could say was likely to change his mind. He'd have years in prison to think about what he'd done, both to William and Tim; maybe someday he'd take responsibility…

By the time they got to Bethesda Theresa, Abby and Ducky were already ensconced in the waiting room. Andrew ran to his wife, threw his arms around her and hugged her tight.

"Oh Tess…I was so scared…when we heard the gunshot; I thought we'd lost him this time."

"I know Drew…we were watching…"

She guided him to a chair and sat beside him. How could she put into words the sheer terror of seeing those multi-coloured blobs moving ever closer? She'd been holding on to Abby's hand, Ducky standing beside them, his mouth moving in a silent prayer. Everything got so confusing for a while, then Gibbs called for the chopper and she knew Tim was alive…and that was enough then; but now she wanted more, she wanted to know that he was going to be okay, that Shantry had not taken her son…

Andrew took her hand. "He'll pull through Tess, we've been here before, remember?"

She leaned against his shoulder. "I remember…but that doesn't mean it gets easier; and it's harder for you…always being first on the scene."

"At least I wasn't alone this time; Jethro and the others were with me." Andrew smiled warmly at the other occupants of the room. "I don't know how to thank you for everything you did...finding Tim, getting him back to us."

Gibbs couldn't help laughing. "Seems to me Tim made a pretty good job getting himself back. To do what he did, even cracking Shantry on the head with the shackles."

"I beg your pardon?" Ducky couldn't contain his surprise.

"Gibbs is correct Ducky." Zia tore her gaze from the door and turned her full attention to the ME. "I do not know how he did it. I have always thought McGee had reserves of strength about which we know nothing; but to summon up such spirit, when he must have been hurting so much…oh, Theresa, I am so sorry, that was…."

"The truth Ziva, I know he must have been in pain, and that eats me up inside. I'm his mom, every time he gets hurt, I feel his pain, even when I don't see it…poor Andrew, he has to see it too. Just like when Tim had his accident."

"You were in the Camaro too?" Tony swung round to face Andrew.

"No Tony…I was following, a few cars behind, trying not to be obvious, when I saw the bus…I knew he couldn't stop in time. I had to wait for the emergency crews…he was trapped in the car…his leg…I kept talking to him…don't know if he heard me."

"Tim said he doesn't remember anything after the crash."

"That's right, and I'm happy for it to stay that way, I never told him about being there; he felt bad enough about wrecking the car…like that mattered…I just wanted him to get well…When I saw him today, all the blood…not moving, I thought Shantry had done what the car wreck couldn't, and I…I…lost it…if Tim hadn't spoken, I think…"

Gibbs got up from his chair and stood in front of Andrew. "Shantry would have deserved it too…but you raised your son to be a good man, he was protecting you, didn't want you to have blood on your hands."

Andrew was about to reply when the door opened and their waiting was over. The doctor had mostly good news. Tim was dehydrated, had mild hypothermia, and some of his cuts, particularly on his feet, and chest were infected. But he hadn't suffered traumatic blood loss, and best of all, the break in his thumb was an extra-articular fracture, rather than a break in the joint itself, and the ligament damage was minimal. Tim was still looking at several weeks out of action, but the prognosis for a full recovery was good, and right now, that was all they needed to know. Given the way he had looked when they found him, they all had reason to thank God, and Tim's tenacity that his condition was no worse. None of them wanted to think too long about how they would have found him if he hadn't been able to escape from the shackles before Shantry returned.

The doctor's orders had been for family visiting only. "He'll be out of it for most of the time, the pain meds will see to that. He needs rest, lots of it."

Andrew gratefully shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you Doctor Thornton, but we're all family in this room. So if you don't mind, we'll all go visit, and don't worry, we won't disturb him, we just need to see that he's okay."

The doctor was about to protest, but given the determined looks on the faces around him, and the knowledge that his patient had been isolated for over three days, he relented. "Very well, but five minutes, then I only want to see Agent McGee's parents in the room."

"Thank you!" Abby treated Doctor Thornton to a quick hug and they all followed him along the corridor to Tim's room.

"You go in; I'll be at the nurse's station if you have any questions."

Andrew opened the door, and they quickly filed in to the room. Abby's first instinct as always when someone she cared for was hurt, was to race over and hug Tim; but this time she knew that place belonged to someone else. So she stood aside and let Theresa and Andrew stand beside their son.

She'd been expecting the IVs and the monitors, but Abby was still shocked by the sight of her Timmy lying in a hospital bed, it just seemed…wrong. She wasn't sure whether Tim looked better or worse than in the photograph Shantry had sent. He wasn't pale; his skin had a rosy hue that had more to do with a slight fever than with being healthy. His right hand was encased in a cast, and both wrists bore snow white dressings…there were so many cuts and bruises on his face, his shoulders, his arms…and there was another dressing on his chest, hiding from sight the wound Shantry created just so he could write that evil note. Suddenly she felt sick; she reached out her hand for some support, and whispered a question. "Ducky, is he really okay? He doesn't look okay."

"It's early days Abigail, Timothy needs time to heal."

Theresa stroked her fingers lightly down Tim's flushed cheek, he was too hot, she knew that; but the doctor said the IV antibiotics would soon get to work…

"Mom…" His voice was hoarse from lack of use, and his eyes were fever bright, but he knew her; and for a mother who had lived on the edge of her nerves for days, that was enough. He turned his head slowly, and gave her a weak smile. "I think…I…I missed…your birthday."

Angela leaned in to kiss his forehead. "Tim, having you back, that's the best birthday present I ever had. And when you get out of here you're coming home for a visit…"

"Sounds good…Dad…you okay?"

Andrew was hovering behind Theresa, unable to look his son in the eye.

"Drew, what are you doing back there? Come closer."

Andrew moved a little closer, and tentatively reached out to touch Tim's arm. "I am so sorry Tim, all this is my fault…Shantry was out to hurt me…and you had to go through all this…"

"No! Don't…say…"Tim tried to sit up, to reinforce his point, but he fell back in the bed breathless with the effort of moving. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then tried again. "It's all on him…you told me about…what happened to Will…I remembered him…because I was…so grateful I had a dad who...let me be what I wanted to be…"

"Come on Tim, stubborn as you are, how could I stop you?"

Theresa smiled…this was better, much better. "Tim, Jethro and the others are here too…"

Tim could feel the pull of sleep, he was so desperately tired, but he had to tell them. "I knew you would…find me…but I had to…before he came back…couldn't risk…thanks for coming…for me…" The meds took over, and his eyes closed once more, but this time they weren't worried, this time he was being cared for, he was going to be okay.

Gibbs looked around the room; at the faces of the people who had worked so hard to bring Tim back safe, content now that he was home...they were family…not Shantry's warped idea of what family meant, this is what a real family looks like…"Come on people, let Tim's mom and dad have some time with him, we can come back tomorrow."

They made their way reluctantly to the door, Andrew and Theresa waved farewell, and went back to watching over Tim…Their determined son…he had fought for life from his very first breath, and it would take more than an act of crazed revenge to take him from them…he would live to fight another day…

THE END

One sole desire, one passion now remains

To keep life's fever still within his veins,

Vengeance! dire vengeance on the wretch who cast

O'er him and all he lov'd that ruinous blast.

Thomas Moore Lalla Rookh-The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan

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