Gibbs' room

Ospedale San Giovanni Bosco, Naples

February 11th, 1999

1230

"So when she finally gets to check out, one of her items has no price tag. The cashier gets on his PA thingy and says price check on lane thirteen. Tampax. Super size. Some idiot in back hears thumb tacks for tampax, and replies, do you want the kind you push in with your thumb or the kind you pound in with a hammer? You know, Gibbs, you could at least pretend you think it's funny," Pat growled.

"Hurts to smile."

His companion rolled her eyes and went back to filing her nails.

Contemplating how hard it was going to be to slip a chili pepper past Ducky's underwear for not telling her just how lousy a patient Gibbs would end up being.

"Lunch time," an orderly said as he walked into the room.

Gibbs hand edged towards the bowl's metal cover – only to be slapped away by Pat's.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed as she dipped a spoon into the soup and raised it to her mouth.

"Half the staff want you gone already," she said slowly. "There is a distinct possibility that someone might try to poison you."

"Pat …"

"You need to work on your sickbed routine. You don't sound half as scary when you're laid up," she said as she leaned over the bowl and hocked rather loudly.

Gibbs shook his head as she pretended to spit into his bowl.

"Go home."

"And deprive you of my company? Nah! Besides," she said as she reached into her handbag, "if I go you won't get these."

He looked warily at the hand moving towards his mouth.

"Ferrero's greatest chocolate," she said as she popped one into his mouth. "Pocket Coffee. Went out and got some while you were napping this morning. But I'm warning you," she added as she slipped the packet under the sheets, "if they catch you with these .. you're on your own."

Gibbs tried to mumble something in response, but the sensation of espresso sliding down his throat was more than a little distracting. He tried to shoot her an appreciative look, but her attention had been snagged by someone else.

"Permesso ..."

"Took her long enough," Pat muttered snidely as Commissario Barbera hovered in the doorway holding a large ficus plant. "And look she brought you the poisonous variety too!"

If she heard her, the policewoman gave no indication. Instead she approached the bed.

"How are you feeling, Agente Gibbs?"

"Don't believe a word he says," Pat interjected before he could say a word. "He's loopy on pain meds."

"Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Are you in a lot of pain?" Pat stood behind her and imitated her soundlessly – a look of utter disdain on her face – until Barbera turned around and caught her.

"Look, I know NCIS thinks I didn't follow protocol, but - "

"If you'd followed protocol, Gibbs wouldn't be lying there with a hole in his side, and .."

"Pat .." the man in question growled from the bed.

But her eyes were blazing and she'd pulled herself up to her full height.

"Where I come from, the antebellum South," she drawled, "no woman needs a man to take a bullet for her. You're both lucky you're not six feet under by now. Didn't follow protocol," she sneered. "Were you that desperate to prove yourself? Or were you just trying to impress Gibbs? Well you impressed him alright. With a 5cm scar! Bet he'll think of you every time he looks at it."

"I did not come here to be insulted," Barbera said as she held her ground. "I came here to see if there was anything I could to to help, and .. to apologize."

"Yeah well I have news for you, darlin'. In that man's book," Pat said as she hooked a thumb at him, "apologies are a sign o'weakness."

Barbera looked as though she'd been slapped.

"That's enough," Gibbs said, his voice steely. "Go cool off."

Pat opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut again. But as she stalked towards the door, she almost bumped into the incoming nurse.

He stared at the room's occupants for a long moment, and then addressed Pat.

"Suo marito ha avuto qualche disturbo intenstinale?"

All of Pat's anger fell away instantly, and she looked innocently at Comissario Barbera

"Would you like to field this one?" she asked sweetly. "I'm not quite sure what he means."

Barbera's eyes widened.

"He would like to know if you have been .. eh .. how do you say .. passing gas?"

Gibbs wished they would all just go away.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Pat opening her mouth to let rip with some comeback. Barbera looked as though she wished the earth would open and swallow her up, and the nurse was brandishing what looked suspiciously like a sterile urine cup.

"Abbiamo bisogno di un campione," he said as he placed the cup in Pat's hands.

"They need a .. sample," the Italian officer translated, flushing bright red all over again.

Pat resisted the urge to guffaw and flashed a bright smile at Commissario Barbera instead.

"You said wanted to help," she said as she tossed her the cup. "Guess you got your wish."

Sigonella / Ospedale San Giovanni Bosco

1630

Pat picked up the ringing phone.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs' personal answering service. How can I help you?"

"Pat?" Jenny sounded incredulous.

"Hey. I'm packing Gibbs' bag," Pat explained before Jenny could ask what she was doing. "Ducky managed to get him transferred to the Naval Hospital."

"How is he?"

"More of a pain in the ass than usual?"

Jenny chuckled. "Where is he?"

"Taking a leak. They told him they'd let him go if he could pee by himself, so he's peein'. Probably all over the floor, but he's peein'."

"Where's Ducky?"

"Outside, waiting for transport."

"But Jethro's doing okay?"

"Yeah yeah. They have him on pain meds. When are you back?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Good, coz you're gonna owe me big. Want me to tell the big guy you called? Hang on .. okay, transport's here. Gotta go. I'll tell Gibbs you called to check up on him."

The line went dead.

Jenny looked at her watch and picked up her suitcase.

Screw Decker.

She had just enough time to get to the airport, she reckoned.

In Naples, Pat looked up to find Gibbs standing in the doorway, trailing an IV stand.

"Never said you could answer my phone," he snarled.

"Ah come on Gibbs," she said with a yawn. "Get off your soap box before I push you off."

Naples Field Office

1645

Pacci watched in amusement as a young woman walked up to Callen's desk.

"Hey."

"Hey." He almost jumped out of his skin. "Laura .. hi."

"Ready to go?"

"Almo-"

"You lucky bastards!" Calhoun's voice interrupted.

He slapped a piece of paper onto Pacci's desk.

"What is it?" Chris asked as he angled the piece of paper towards him.

"New roster. Looks like you guys are off for the next twelve days."

Pacci's eyes lit up as he said, "I can surprise Ellen."

"Take her a diamond or something." They turned to find a very amused-looking Laura perched on Callen's desk. "Diamonds are a girl's best friend?" she asked with a shrug.

Calhoun let out a laugh and stuck out his hand.

"Calhoun."

"Laura."

"Got a last name, Laura?"

"Yes, and you don't need to know it," Callen said as he pulled her off the desk and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Keep your paws to yourself. So if we're off for the next twelve days ..." he said to Pacci.

"World's your oyster, kid."

Laura smiled at him, and then turned her attention back to Callen.

"I can get the keys to my uncle's apartment in Sorrento .." she said mischievously.

"Rowr," Calhoun said. Making her blush. "So whatcha gonna do?" he asked Pacci when they were gone.

"Get the hell outta here before Gibbs gets out of the hospital and decides we don't need twelve days off," Chris said as he picked up the phone and punched in the airline's number.

Gibbs' room

Naval Hospital, Naples

2030

It's like a sharp thin javelin running through the skin between your waist and your hip, his brain supplied as he dispensed some analgesic to help manage the pain. As a general rule he hated the feeling meds gave him, but in the solitude of darkness, when he didn't have to watch what he said, he allowed himself the respite that he needed.

The only thing to be grateful for was the fact that Pat was conspicuously absent, but as the hydromorphone started to work, the thought that Jenny would be back in less than twenty-four hours crossed his mind over and over.

Providing a sense of security he hadn't experienced in a very long time.

It had been a long day, he thought as he felt his eyelids begin to droop, but Jenny would be back soon.

Jenny would be back soon.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been dozing when he became aware of someone hovering by his bed. He tried to reach for a non-existent gun until the signature scent hit him.

"Jen?"

"Hi. How are you feeling?" His skin tingled with the warmth of relief as she placed a hand against his forehead, and then leaned over to kiss him.

"Meh," he mumbled as he reached for her hand and pressed it against his mouth. "Why're you back early .."

"Needed to see you," she whispered against his skin before caressing his face and placing another kiss to his lips.

The fluttering in his chest took him by surprise, and the words "missed you, Jen," tumbled out of his mouth before he was aware that he was saying them.

"Missed you too. How are you feeling? Really?"

"Like crap," he admitted. Surprised how easily the admission fell from his lips.

"Well Pacci called," Jen said as she continued to stroke his face. "We have the next twelve days off. He's leaving for DC tonight and G's shacking up with some Italian girl over in Sorrento."

"So that leaves you'n'me," he slurred.

"Yup, you and me."

"Wanna get outta here for a few days?"

Jen laughed. "When you're better."

"I'm better," he insisted.

"Sure you are," she said as she kissed him again.

"I'll let you drive .."

"Where would you want to go?"

"Somewhere."

"That helps a lot, Jethro."

"Pick somewhere you like. Don't care as long as you're there."

"Oh make him stop before I throw up .."

Gibbs groaned, and Jen looked up to see Pat huddled in an armchair at the far end of the room

"How long have you been sitting there?"

"Long enough," Pat said happily as she bit into a crunchy apple.

"Pat .."

"Oh Jen, Jen .." Pat replied as she got up and slipped into her coat. "It's an open secret. Everybody knows."