Confused beyond concept

Summary: It started slowly. At first they thought that it was just stress. After Ziva left they blamed it on untreated depression. Ducky said it was normal aging. Abby blamed it on the second B. Tony stayed silent. He didn't want to think about the irony of his first two initials.

It started slowly. At first they thought that it was just stress. After Ziva left they blamed it on untreated depression. Time went by and things didn't improve, in fact it took a rapid nosedive soon after Ziva departed.

Initially it was small things. He would demand answers they had already given him. There were times when he would seem to have difficulty finding the correct name for certain items, but he would be able to describe them in the finest detail.

Ducky said it was normal aging. Abby said it was his second B coming through stronger than ever. Tim blamed it on a lack of social interaction. Bishop didn't know him well enough to form an opinion. Fornell blamed it on Diane – just like he blamed everything on the witch. Vance was lost in a world of pain and self-loathing and didn't notice anything amiss. Tony stayed quiet, he didn't want to voice his thoughts, he didn't want to even think about the irony of his initials.

They didn't want to face it. Didn't want to even think about other causes for the sudden increase in moodiness (they never thought that, that could be a possibility!), rapid withdrawal from anything not case-related, the sudden need to have Tony with him from beginning to end of any case. The way he shifted more and more work to the rest of the team, under the guise of needing to know that they could fulfill all aspects of every job in the field. Tony stayed quiet whilst the rest stayed blissfully ignorant.

That was until the day Gibbs looked at Tony and asked him if he knew whether Shannon had picked Kelly up from the day care centre or if it was his turn.

That was the day Tony cursed his first two initials in every language possible.

A/N: Short prologue. I hope the storyline is becoming clear to everybody. This fic is written as a form of karthasis, after a recent diagnosis of early onset AD in my mother.

I will endeavour to update at least once a week, just depends on the demands of real life.