Gibbs stepped off the NCIS elevator and into Abby's lab with a Caf Pow, but stopped abruptly when he saw no one. He turned to scan the lab and saw no sign of the Goth, which was pretty uncommon. A noise behind him from the hall made him turn, and he spied Abby walking toward him, but looking decidedly...well, hinky. Cautiously moving past Gibbs she said carefully, "Hey, my Silver Haired Boss, what can I do for you?"

Gibbs studied her a second and noticed how pale she was, then reached out to grasp her arm. She stopped walking and he extended a palm to check her forehead. She was burning up with fever.

"When did this start?" he questioned, shocked that she had gotten sick.

"It's nothing," Abby answered, attempting to make light of her illness, "just a little upset tummy. I just need to sit down a second, and I'll be good as new."

"Does your head hurt?"

"My head and my throat, and everything else, but I was just going to my office to get some aspirin. That will knock out the kinks. I have a party after work tonight. It's Friday, Gibbs-"

Pushing her bodily toward her office he ordered, "Get your coat and pocketbook and whatever else you need. You're going home."

Her face crumbled at the words. "Gibbs, no- I'll be ok in just a little bit! You know I've been talking about this party for forever. Remember, the one at my friend Trevor's house?" Abby tried to pull out of Jethro's grasp but he tightened his grip and didn't release her until she was at her desk.

"Now, Abby, now- get everything. I am cancelling your party plans. You are not going to the party or to anywhere except to bed!"

Abby's eyes filled with tears and she regarded him with a hurt expression. That usually worked with Gibbs. He didn't back down though, but reached over to shut down her computer instead.

"Ok, ok, I got it. Let me close up though. I know where I want to put everything and what I need."

"That's fine with me. I'll be back in fifteen minutes, and when I return, make sure I see this lab dark and locked, and you had better be almost at the house." With that, he kissed her on the cheek and softened his voice. "Go, now-"

Jethro turned and headed back to the elevator, but pressed the floor for Autopsy instead of for the Bullpen which housed his team.

When he disembarked he found Ducky washing up at the sink. "Duck, I need you to check Abbs. She's got a fever and I just sent her home."

Ducky nodded in agreement, "Ah, yes, Jethro, I was just coming to find you. I just sent our Anthony home for the same reason. The two are probably victims of the same ailment, though I must say it was very difficult to get young Anthony to throw in the towel. He didn't want to leave at all. I had to threaten him with you to get him to obey me."

Jethro absorbed that information and responded, "So it's a double whammy, and they're both sick. Ok, I'm headed home. What time will you be there?"

"I'm right behind you, my Boy," Ducky assured him.

Half an hour later Jethro was entering his house, Ducky right behind him. Ducky spoke up, "You know, I didn't actually ask Tony which house. He might have gone to his own apartment."

"No," Gibbs shook his head, "he'll be here, and Abby will be here, too."

The foyer table was laden with coats, mittens, and assorted outerwear which had been dropped instead of put in its rightful place in the entrance closet. Kicked off shoes had been hastily discarded as well. Gibbs guessed correctly and pointed Ducky towards the living room. Sure enough, Abby was curled up asleep on one end of the oversized couch and Tony was curled up on the other, sound asleep, as well.

Ducky looked at Gibbs, "This new sofa of yours, it's got a sofa bed, correct?" Gibbs nodded, and Ducky clarified, "That might be our salvation. I am pretty sure this is the flu, and it is going to be rough on you running up and down stairs to tend them in their rooms. We can leave them here to convalesce during the worst of it."

"Whatever you say, Ducky, just tell me what you need me to do."

"When were they exposed to the flu?"

"I don't think they were, we've all been..." Jethro's voice trailed off. "Wait a minute- you know they help Sister Rosita out one Saturday a month at the community centre. Abby told me a lot of the people were sick when they were there last Saturday."

"That's probably it. That would allow for the correct incubation period. Now, let's commence with our medical duties- the work. We'll deal with one at a time. It's probably wisest to start with Tony. Did you know that in 1915 a worldwide flu epidemic decimated whole populations? I remember in med school..."

Gibbs held up his hand in annoyance. "Duck, please..."

Ducky smiled knowingly and answered, "Of course, Jethro, of course-"

Both men moved to Tony's side of the sofa, and Gibbs grabbed one of the dining room chairs for Ducky to sit comfortably for his examination. Ducky gently shook Tony awake, and told Tony he needed to take his temperature. Tony refused immediately and curled tighter into the nest he'd made in the covers, his sick body desperately trying to go back to sleep. Ducky looked to Gibbs for assistance.

Jethro reached down to brush back Tony's bangs, and began untangling some of the bedding around him. "Tony," he ordered, "Tony, sit up right now and let Ducky take your temperature!" At the sound of Jethro's voice, Tony groaned, but obeyed the directive and started pulling himself up to a more upright position. "Hey," Gibbs continued, and his voice softened, "I've got some things for you to do, then I'll let you go back to sleep."

Tony finished pulling himself up, opened his mouth to take the thermometer, and mumbled, "Boss, I don't feel too good."

"I know, but don't talk and let Ducky get the temperature and do what he needs to do."

Tony stayed quiet and still and Ducky was able to get his temperature reading, obtain a blood sample, and complete a flu test within a couple of minutes. He nodded to Jethro to signal that he was through.

"Tony," Gibbs commanded, "Tony, look at me, Son." Tony sluggishly obeyed, and Gibbs continued. "Go upstairs, use the bathroom, change into some sweats, get anything you need from your room, and get back down here. Understand?"

Tony nodded, and Gibbs grabbed his arm and helped support him as he stood. He could feel the heat radiating off of his protégée.

Tony started slowly up the stairs and Ducky directed, "Ok, now we will follow the same procedure with Abigail." Abby was a little more cooperative, though her eyes filled with tears when they made her sit up. Gibbs brushed her bangs back as well, rubbed her shoulders gently, and gave her the same instructions that he had given Tony.

As soon as she was gone Gibbs and Ducky pulled out the sofa bed, made it up with linens, and gathered pillows which they placed against the sofa's back. Jethro went to the kitchen and dug into the cabinet above the refrigerator until he found two thermal glasses, which he filled with water, and placed on the side tables on either side of the sofa arms. Ducky turned and recommended that he also put a plastic trash can on either side, as well, in case they were sick to their stomachs, then placed aspirin dosages for each patient.

"What do you think, Duck?"

"I am positive it's flu, but we won't know for sure until I get these samples to the lab. They are sick all right. Anthony's fever is a hundred four, and Abigail's is a hundred three point six. The next three days are going to be bad, but then they should begin to improve. As soon as we get them settled I'll watch them while you go get the prescription."