<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 15px"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">"God, Tim.. I'm so glad you're here.." Sarah said as she clung to him again. "I just.. I just need you right now. Knowing that you're here, it means a lot to me." She said and then sighed softly. "Please, don't call the Admiral. I can't.. I can't deal with his anger and disappointment. Not on top of everything else. Promise me, please. Don't call him. He doesn't need to know.." She said, as the tears started to fall again. "These stupid meds are making me feel bipolar. One minute I'm crying, the next I'm laughing, and the next I'm crying again...." </span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99"><span style="font-size: 15px"><br/>
With her arms still around her brother's neck, she rested her head against him. She paused for a moment as she listened to him talk the reporters and Gibbs. "I'll testify. And it's not because  I want to get back at anyone. But because I could have died. What if they do the same thing to someone else and that person dies because they were more worried about some stupid story than someone who needed help?" She closed her eyes for a moment. </span></span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(153, 255, 153)"><span style="font-size: 15px">Then she said, "I wanna sleep, Tim. I need to. But before I do that, can you do two things for me?"<br/>
<br/>
"The first one being, can you ask Agent Gibbs to come in here so I can speak privately to him for a minute? I know that your friends/team is here, the nurse told me, and I saw you with one of the women from your team, when you first walked in. And after that, I want you to stay with me tonight. I just.. I know I sound like a kid, but I just need a cuddle. After everything.. I need you close." She leaned in and kissed her brother's cheek, before she let him go. And when he got up and left the room to get Agent Gibbs, she straightened up a little in the bed.<br/>
<br/>
Well, as much as she could, knowing that she was about to be facing her brother's boss. When he entered her room a few minutes later, she gave him a shy smile. "Agent Gibbs, thank you for agreeing to talk to me. I was hoping to ask you to do something for me, while I can still think clearly before the other meds kick in. Take care of Tim. He's gonna need you guys. He tries to be strong for me, but I need to know that someone's looking after him. He's my brother, and he always looks after me. But, now it's my turn to make sure someone's looking after him."<br/>
<br/>
"Make him talk, or yell, or cry, whatever he has to do. I know that Tim respects you, looks up to you, and he loves working with you and your team, and he sees you all as family. Don't let him bottle things up. I can't kick his butt in line right now, and well.. I've seen how you handle him and the rest of your Agents. You kick their butts in line, <br/>
but you're also there for them when they need it. And he's going to need it. Anyway, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Thank you for agreeing to talk to me, for being here, and also, thank the rest of your team for us."<br/>
<br/>
"But given that it's late, you guys should head home and get some rest. I know that all of you are going to have a case in the morning and you'll need some rest."</span></span><br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99"><span style="font-size: 15px"><br/>
___________________________<br/>
<br/>
Ziva remained with Tony the entire time, to make sure that he went through with the examination with Dr. Pitt. She volunteered to turn her back if he needed to undress, and she'd give him his privacy and respect, but she wasn't leaving. She was prepared to make damn sure that he got taken care of, in case their bout with the lake earlier that day <br/>
had made him sick. She was fully aware of his history, having talked to Jenny and gotten the lowdown on her new partner, after it was made clear that she was officially part <br/>
of Agent Gibbs's team. <br/>
<br/>
"When you are done, depending on what Dr. Pitt says, we will check in with Gibbs and Kate and McGee, and then you're going to bed. I'm going to drive you home, and don't bother arguing. You're going to need the rest." Her back was still turned to him as she spoke, and then she fell silent so that the Dr. could examine him. She planned to make<br/>
him drink lots of fluids and if he resisted, she'd just remind him that he needed to get better, for his team and family.<br/>
<br/>
___________________________</span></span></span><br/><br/><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99"><span style="font-size: 15px">Kate was seated in the waiting room, watching a game show on the tv with the sound off, when Gibbs stepped away to talk to Sarah McGee. While the two were talking, she got up, and grabbed her cane and walked unsteadily over to Tim, who she pulled into another hug. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally, and so instead of talking, typing, or writing anything down, she simply hugged Tim close and held him for a while, knowing that he needed it, and that sometimes words could be overrated. She'd learned that from Gibbs as soon as she'd started working at NCIS. <br/>
<br/>
Part of her wanted to tell Tim that she and Gibbs, and the rest of their team would be there for anything that he and Sarah needed, but she had a feeling that he already knew that. So, she settled for continuing to hug him, until Gibbs came out of Sarah's room, and once that happened, she bid Tim good night, and told Gibbs that they should check on Tony and Ziva, before they headed out for the night.</span></span></span>