<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">He didn't want to leave.<br/>
<br/>
More than 'didn't want', it physically hurt to force himself out of Kate's room, down to his car, and back to his house.  On his way, he dialed DiNozzo.  Without preliminary greetings, he said, "Kate's awake."<br/>
<br/>
"Oh, thank God," Tony breathed.  "How is she?"<br/>
<br/>
Jethro debated... but decided that in Tony's position, he'd want to know.  "She can't hear anything."  Tony's silence - so unlike him - almost broke through Jethro's determination not to show emotion.  "One of you should go sit with her.  She made me promise to get a shower, some grub, and some sleep."<br/>
<br/>
Tony snorted.  "Can't hear, but still reads you loud and clear."  The knowledge that Kate was still bossing Gibbs around steadied him some.  "I'll send McGee... and McGee's laptop.  She can type messages to us on it."<br/>
<br/>
"She was going to request a pad of paper and a pen."<br/>
<br/>
"Laptop's faster."<br/>
<br/>
Jethro couldn't argue with that, and hung up with DiNozzo without any further discussion.  He took a blistering hot shower and dropped into bed, setting an alarm for six hours.<br/>
<br/>
* ~ *<br/>
<br/>
Tim poked his head into the door of Kate's room and waved -- and then held his laptop in front of him like a holy relic.  He bustled around, clearing off the rolling tray that seemed to be in every hospital room, and set the laptop in front of Kate and turned it on.  "Instant communication!" he said, pleased, and then opened up a Word document to type exactly that to her.  <i>Faster than hand writing</i>, he typed.</span></span>