They didn’t hit any real problems until early the next day when the highway simply stopped, the remains of a jet right smack dab in the middle of it. Miles slowed and then parked when he saw just how big the roadblock was. It looked like a 747 and literally blocked the entire stretch of road. Miles glanced at Kate in the passenger’s seat and arched an eyebrow at her. She shrugged, so he twisted in his seat and reached back to shake Stephen awake.
Bloodshot eyes opened instantly, signaling that the other man hadn’t been deeply asleep, no matter how much he needed the rest. Looking first at his watch and then at Miles, he asked, “What is it?”
“Take a look,” Miles answered, facing front and pointing.
Leaning forward, Stephen caught sight of the plane and muttered, “What the hell?”
When Stephen opened his door, Miles hastily did the same, climbing out so as not to be left behind. Though he walked close to the other man, Miles didn’t hold onto him like the night before. He wanted to, the entire trip making him more nervous than usual, but he couldn’t be leaning on Stephen or Jethro for everything.
As they approached the wreckage, Miles saw great, gaping holes in the plane and in them, skeletons. No flesh. They’d been there probably since the first outbreak, picked clean by animals and the elements.
“Wow. I’ve never seen a plane up close!” Maia exclaimed.
Miles caught the little girl on her rush by, swinging her into the air to land on his hip. He faced her away from the plane and walked back towards her mother.
She squirmed and protested, “But Uncle Miles! I wanna see!”
Shaking his head, Miles told her, “No you don’t. Not up close. Kim? You don’t want the girls near that.”
With a sober nod, Kim took Maia from him with a quiet, “Thanks, Miles.”
Frank fell into step with him on the way back, as did Gerald, Abby, McGee, and Ziva. They all stood with Stephen and Kate about ten feet from the wreckage, gazing silently.
“So…” Abby began at last. “There’s something you don’t see every day.”
Miles snorted.
“How do we get around it, is the question,” Stephen observed, scanning their surroundings.
Even though engineering was not his thing, Miles looked around with the others, trying to come up with a solution.
“Well we can’t go through it,” McGee commented. “What about around?”
Frank pointed out, “Guard rails. We would have to backtrack what, two miles?”
“We’re not behind schedule,” Gerald said.
Stephen shook his head. “We don’t go back. Not even a little. Other options.”
Abby announced, “You know, I’ve always wanted to drive on the left side of the road.”
Miles, along with everyone else, looked at her.
She gave them all a winsome smile and answered, “What? Take a look.”
Following the line of her arm, Miles saw that the median had no guard rails, just a dip that the vehicles could likely traverse. And the plane only stretched across to the lane closest the median. They could go around it, after all. It was a pretty obvious solution and Miles felt like kicking himself for not thinking of it. Then again, no one else had, either.
Stephen squeezed her shoulder, praising, “Good work, Abby. All right everyone, let’s go. We have another hour before the next scheduled break.”
They were in what used to be
The day passed fairly quickly,
even though all he did was sleep and read. There was a brief stop shortly after
They reached the next rest stop at dusk. It was the second rendezvous point and for the entire hour before it, on his second turn at driving, Miles couldn’t help hoping and praying that Jethro and Tony would be waiting there. He pulled in with a sigh of relief, his back sore from sitting in one place and his eyes dry from all the focus he put into his driving. That was when he noticed someone standing right in the middle of the strip of pavement and said tensely, “Stephen? Someone’s here.”
Even before he came to a complete stop, Miles let out a whoop of triumph, recognizing Jethro the closer they came. He hit the brakes, threw the car into park, and jumped out of the Rover to run to the other man. Miles crashed into him, throwing his arms around Jethro’s neck and holding as tight as he could, pure relief and joy sparking through him as those strong arms wrapped around him in an equally tight embrace.
“Oh my God, Jethro, you’re alive! I can’t believe you’re here and safe!” Miles exclaimed, pulling back only enough to kiss him.
Jethro returned the kiss for only a second before pushing him back. “Later, Miles. Tony’s hurt.”
Alarmed, Miles demanded, “Where is he? What happened?”
But Jethro strode forward, calling out, “Natalie! Ducky! Tony’s hurt!”
“On the way, Jethro!” the older man called back, returning to his van, probably for medical supplies.
Miles took in the lines of exhaustion on Jethro’s face as they hurried to what he’d initially thought was another abandoned car. It was a rusted out junker of a station wagon with the back door open, resting down. Coming closer, he saw Tony stretched out in the back area, his entire torso wrapped in strips of cloth, blood gathered in one main patch on his gut. There had to be tons of smaller cuts though, his shirt soaked through in far too many places. Miles’ heart stuttered at the sight and his feet stumbled, causing him to trip and land against Jethro, who caught him automatically, pulling him in close.
Natalie got there the same time as Stephen, but she climbed into the back, blocking the way.
“Stephen,” Gerald cautioned, looking as grim as Miles had ever seen the black man. “Let her work.”
Natalie didn’t wait, instead gently pulling away the cloth that covered Tony’s body. Miles moved forward to help as well, but Jethro’s grip tightened.
“You’ll just get in the way,” Jethro murmured, “You’re too close.”
Stephen joined them, then, surrounding Miles from the other side as Ducky, Gerald, and Jimmy arrived with medical supplies. Ducky also climbed inside and Gerald sat on the door, blocking the rest of the view.
Even though he knew that Jethro was right, Miles wanted to go to Tony and do something, anything, to help.
“What happened?” Stephen questioned.
Jethro sighed deeply, a shaky sound as he leaned on Miles, but kept his eyes on the now very crowded back area of the station wagon. “They grabbed Tony, but he managed to get free long enough for me to pick him up. He got shot on the run to the car. I patched him up as best I could, but we had to get out of the city since it was almost curfew. I knew we wouldn’t make the first rendezvous, so I headed right here.”
Frank frowned as he asked, “But how’d you get here ahead of us?”
“I never stopped.”
Miles believed it. He’d seen how tenacious and driven the other man had been during their first mutual investigation two years before. He’d worked with Tony more a few times since, but Jethro was considered too important to loan out unless it was vital. An assessment that Miles completely agreed with, even though he knew it irritated the other man.
Kate stepped forward with a bottle of water, holding it in front of Gibbs and ordering, “Drink it.”
Jethro took the bottle from her wordlessly and drained it in three long gulps. He still didn’t look away from the activity in the car, though. His body was clearly exhausted, shaking with fatigue, but subject to the great will keeping it upright. Miles wanted to say something to get him to rest, but knew Jethro wouldn’t listen to him.
As if of the same mind, Stephen moved to stand in front of Jethro, blocking his view of Tony.
Miles held his breath when Jethro’s jaw tightened, the other man’s body stilling as if tensing for action.
“You need to rest. You need to drink more than that and take care of your own injuries,” Stephen stated flatly. “You won’t do Tony any good, by collapsing.”
For a moment, Miles thought that Jethro might actually hit Stephen to get him out of the way. Then the former agent seemed to come to his senses, because he relaxed faintly and gave a short nod. Miles met Stephen’s gaze and motioned towards Jethro with a lifted eyebrow.
Stephen nodded and took Miles’ place, pulling Jethro’s arm over his shoulder to lead him towards the Range Rover. Miles watched them go before moving to stand closer and observe Natalie and Ducky working on Tony. If he couldn’t help, he could at least report back once everything was done.
* * * *
Jethro leaned heavily on Stephen as they walked towards to Rover, his body suddenly very uncooperative. He knew it was exhaustion brought on by the drop in adrenaline, well, and the last two days without sleep, give or take. His entire body felt as if it had been pummeled, when he didn’t have a scratch on him. He let Stephen swing him gently into the back bench seat and groaned without thinking about it.
“Where are you hurt?” Stephen asked quietly.
Jethro shook his head and replied, “I’m not. It’s Tony’s blood. I’m just…damn tired.”
Stephen’s hand cupped Jethro’s face. “I bet. Why don’t you stretch out and get some sleep? After you drink some more.”
Lips twitching, Jethro accepted another bottle of water and an energy bar that miraculously appeared over Stephen’s shoulder. Focusing, he spotted an anxious looking Abby bouncing on up and down just behind the other man. He gave her a smile and took the energy bar, but set it aside to open after he drank down the water.
Stephen half-turned and requested, “Abby, can you give us a few minutes?”
She made a face, but nodded and left.
Leaning on the side of the door, Stephen softly questioned, “Jay, how’d you really get away? Do we need to change out route?”
Startled, Jethro answered, “No, no we’re fine. We really did get away clean.”
“Then where’d the bandages come from?” Stephen pressed.
Rubbing a hand over his head, Jethro explained, “I had to stop somewhere, so I stopped at Jenny’s.”
Stephen demanded loudly, “You went to Director Sheppard?!”
“She’s a good friend.”
“She’s your boss!”
“She won’t turn us in, Stephen.”
“You don’t know that, Jay!”
“Yes. I do.”
Jethro glared right back at Stephen, not giving in an inch.
Finally, Stephen sighed and acquiesced, “Fine. I’ll trust your judgment.”
“Thanks,” Jethro replied, dry. “Good to know you trust me that much.”
Stephen grimaced. “Sorry.”
Waving him off, Jethro admitted, “I might have…glossed over a few of the more dangerous parts of what happened. I didn’t want to upset Miles or Abby.”
He would have told Stephen exactly what had happened, every horrifying detail, except the world swayed around him. Next he knew, he was bent forward, head between his knees as Stephen’s hand rubbed slowly up and down his back and the other man murmured nonsensical words against his ear.
“Back with me?” Stephen asked at last.
Jethro took a careful, deep breath before answering, “For now. I should eat something, but I really need to take a piss.”
Stephen snorted. “If you can stand up, I’ll walk you over to a dark area where you can stream at will.”
Chuckling, Jethro climbed out of the back seat and got to his feet, prompting, “Satisfied?”
“Not by a long shot, but you’ll do for now.”
Jethro accepted the arm around his waist, not all that certain of his footing or his body’s strength. Thankfully, he hadn’t had anything to eat in almost the last two days, so all he had to do was piss out the water he’d gulped down a little while ago.
Miles waited at the Rover when they returned and held out an already unwrapped energy bar as he reported, “Tony’s going to be fine. He’s not conscious yet, but they removed a bullet and stitched him up. What happened? It looked like he went through a plate glass window.”
“When have you ever known Tony to take the easy route?” Jethro evaded as he took the energy bar. Using his fatigue to advantage, he sat heavily on the back seat again as he started eating. It tasted like cardboard, as usual, but he was too hungry to care.
“Frank, Tim, and Gerald moved Tony to one of the vans,” Miles continued. “We can leave any time.”
Stephen nodded and agreed, “Tell everyone five minutes.”
Shifting from foot to foot, Miles asked, “Can I, is it okay if I stay with Tony?”
“Of course,” Stephen answered immediately. He tugged Miles in close, whispering something in the younger man’s ear that provoked a flush and a grin.
Clearing his throat, Miles said, “Right. I’m ah, yeah. I’m really glad you’re okay, Jethro. You had us worried,” and then hightailed it away.
Jethro grinned at Stephen. “What did you say to him?”
Stephen shrugged that easy, charming smile of his as he replied, “Just that you’re stronger than you look and we can wear you out properly later.”
“Boy are you optimistic,” Jethro retorted.
Brushing a hand over Jethro’s head and down his back, Stephen warned, “Don’t tell anyone. Now stretch out and sleep, Jethro. Better yet, have a couple more energy bars and then sleep.”
Wishing he could do more than just lean into the contact, knowing they were running short on time, Jethro nodded and picked up the one he hadn’t opened from Abby.
“Is it safe now? Can I come back?”
Speak of the devil, he thought, grinning briefly as he met Stephen’s gaze.
Stephen leaned in and kissed him, slow and easy, before stepping back and announcing, “He’s all yours, Abigail.”
Abby rushed forward, making a face at Stephen as she informed him, “Only Ducky gets to call me that.”
“Duly noted. Have a seat,” Stephen said, turning and leaving.
Jethro moved further inside so that Abby could sit beside him. She immediately swung her legs over his lap and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, cuddling up against him. Sliding an arm along her waist, he sighed deeply once more and rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in her sweet, comforting scent.
She whispered, “I was so worried.”
Kissing her hair, he replied, “So was I, Abs, so was I.”
* * * *
Being tired was Stephen’s new perpetual state of being, but at least he didn’t have to worry about Jethro and Tony anymore. Jethro had fallen sound asleep about two minutes after stretching out in the backseat with Abby’s lap as a pillow and hadn’t woken up yet. Tony was also out cold, helped along by the additional painkillers that Natalie had given him during their very brief pit-stop.
There were a lot more cars on the road once they left the rest stop so progress wasn’t nearly as good as it had been. It made him wonder what might have happened to cause such a desertion of vehicles. Then again, he didn’t really want to know.
Frank came up to relieve him at the pit-stop and, even though he really just wanted to climb in the back and twine around Jethro, the other man needed uninterrupted sleep. So he moved over to the passenger’s side and lowered the seat, closing his eyes and forcing himself to relax enough to sleep. It wasn’t at all restful, not with the stops and starts and potholes, but at least he could let his eyes recoup a little of their moisture.
The next stop wasn’t until
after dawn and that was when they finally hit
“That doesn’t look good,” Frank muttered.
Stephen sighed. “No, no it doesn’t.”
Two men in fatigues, each holding an automatic rifle, walked out from the lead truck as Frank stopped the Range Rover. Rolling down the window, Frank greeted, “Morning.”
In his late-20’s with blond hair escaping his cap, the man peered inside the Rover from Frank’s window while the other man walked on to the vans. “Mornin.’ State your business please.”
“Just passing through,” Frank told him. “Looking to get some more gas, if there’s any to be had.”
Snorting, the soldier answered, “There is, for the right price.”
Stephen asked, “Free market, or martial law?”
Looking surprised, the man countered, “Martial law? Why’d anyone need that these days? Plague’s long gone.”
“Well, you’re wearing a uniform and those’re army trucks…” Frank pointed out.
He smiled at them and explained, “Looks imposing, don’t it? Truth is, as long as you mind your manners, we like visitors.”
Stephen restrained what would likely be a hysterical laugh as he assured, “Oh, don’t worry. We’re planning on watching our manners.”
“Good. You got a map of the city? Know where downtown is?”
Frank nodded.
“That’s where we have the market. If you’re going to find gas, that’s where you’ll make the deal.”
“Thanks. We appreciate the heads-up,” Frank said.
Stephen couldn’t quite believe it was that easy, but it was. They drove off the highway into downtown, finding a place to park on the mostly clear streets. The buildings were in good condition, which also surprised him for some reason.
Frank snorted, as if hearing his thoughts, and punched him lightly in the shoulder saying, “We got snobby in DC.”
“Looks like,” Stephen agreed, wry.
Climbing out of the Rover, Stephen walked around to the other side, arriving just as Jethro pulled himself out of the back, rubbing his eyes. It was such an endearing gesture, vulnerable in a way the other man so seldom was, that he had to draw Jethro into his arms. Being the same height made it easy to rest his forehead on Jethro’s shoulder to breathe him in.
Jethro relaxed against him with a deep sigh, his arms wrapping around Stephen’s waist. “God, you feel good.”
Pressing his lips briefly to the bare patch of skin above the collar, Stephen pulled back and told him, “So do you. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about what I promised you on this road trip.”
Jethro smirked a little, looking tired still, but more himself. “Assuming you’ve got the stamina, old man.”
“Old? Who are you calling old?” Stephen demanded, grinning.
Chuckling, Jethro replied, “You.”
Stephen shook his head, about to argue the matter of fifteen years difference between them on Jethro’s side when the others joined them. Turning, he kept an arm around Jethro’s waist as the group formed in a semi-circle.
“What’s first?” Eva asked, leaning against Natalie.
Stephen smiled and told her, “Gas. Split up, but not into less than two together. Everyone investigate and see what’s what around here. After gas, our priority is preserved foodstuffs. And medical supplies, of course. We have some, but more is always better. Everyone back here in an hour.”
As the others broke away, Jethro asked, “Tony?”
“Tony,” Stephen confirmed.
They walked to the middle van where Tony still rested. Miles stood outside it, leaning on the side door as they approached. He smiled and greeted, “Tony’s awake and asking after both of you.”
Relief slid through Stephen at the announcement. Even though he knew the younger man had to rest to recuperate, being under for so long had worried him. Miles pulled the door open, giving them their first glimpse of the patched-up Tony lying pale and wan on the middle bench seat, flat on his back.
He smiled at them, waving cheerfully and greeting, “Hey, Stephen! Hey, Boss! What I miss?”
Snorting, Stephen climbed inside and crouched beside Tony with Jethro right behind him. It was crowded, even when Jethro moved to sit on the edge of the seat by Tony’s legs. And then Miles climbed in too, hanging over the back of the seat. For the first time ever, all four of them were together in a non-work situation.
It wasn’t nearly as awkward as it should’ve been, all things considered. But then, it was hard to be awkward when Tony smiled at him and complained brightly, “It’s about time you got here!”
“Had some driving to do,” Stephen told him, taking his hand. “How are you feeling?”
Tony rolled his eyes and informed him, “Like you don’t need to be taking my pulse.”
Stephen moved his thumb out of the position where he’d been doing just that and gave his lover a sheepish grin before apologizing, “Habit. And how are you really feeling?”
Sighing briefly, Tony said, “Sore as hell. Weak. Feeling like an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot,” Jethro said gruffly.
Stephen needed to get the full story of just what had gone down, and soon, before he could weigh in on that particular situation. In the meantime, he trusted Jethro’s assessment and agreed, “Definitely not. Miles and I are going to check out the market area now with the others, but Jethro’s going to stick around. And Frank’s still here with the girls and Kim if you need anything.”
Tony squeezed his hand before bringing it up to his face and holding it there a moment. Stephen leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the mouth before telling him and Jethro both, “We’ll be back in an hour.”
Jethro nodded and rubbed Stephen’s back as he left the van.
Miles fell into step with him as they walked away from the vehicles towards downtown. Spring was turning towards summer, the heat rising to a good seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, even though it was still morning.
“How long are we going to be here?” Miles asked.
Stephen shrugged and answered, “Depends on how fast we find gas.”
Miles looked worried as he questioned, “What if we don’t?”
Touching the younger man’s back, Stephen promised, “We’ll find what we need here. It’s a big enough city and pretty organized.”
“What about…”
Stephen glanced over at him when the words stopped. The worry had deepened, tension marring the slender body with stiff shoulders and his brow drawn together. He prompted, “What?”
“They know we’re gone now,” Miles said. “They’ll be looking for us.”
He couldn’t deny either
statement. It was likely that the
It was a strong possibility that Tony, Kate, Natalie, and Frank would also not make the trip home. Ziva was safe because of her family connections. Stephen and Jethro were safe because of their long years of experience, though they would be continuously monitored, likely housed in some kind of military facility. Miles, Abby, and Tim were also safe because of their brilliance and potential though they, too, would be monitored closely for the rest of their lives.
Stephen put an arm around Miles’ shoulder and told him, “They won’t find us. The country is just too big and they have no idea where we would go. We left nothing behind to indicate where we were heading.”
Miles didn’t look all that convinced, but he nodded.
Downtown was very busy and filled with people; shockingly so, for someone used to order and cleanliness in all public areas. It reminded Stephen of before the first plague ha hit, when he’d been in college. The sheer color and noise and the smells of all different kinds of food cooking overwhelmed Stephen and he took an actual step back before catching himself.
“Wow,” Miles said at last.
Stephen hid a grin and agreed, “And then some. Let’s see what we can see.”
There were small booth vendors mixed in with bigger ones and actual storefronts. The high-rises looked fully intact to Stephen’s eyes, although what they might house these days was anyone’s guess. They appeared to have indoor plumbing in working condition, since that was one odor he didn’t smell. Thankfully.
“Stephen, look at that.”
Following Miles’ line of sight showed a caduceus symbol painted on a wooden board above one of the bigger booths. Stephen nodded and took his arm from Miles’ shoulder as they headed that way. There was a line out the door, not a surprise, but Stephen ignored it and walked inside. People took one look at him and meekly stepped aside. He never knew if it was his football player build, or his don’t-fuck-with-me bearing, maybe both, but people seldom stood in his way for long.
Inside was a small, one room area with a bench along one wall and boxes along the other. There was an older man with gray hair in a tattered, but clean white coat examined a young girl with a clearly swollen ankle. Stephen observed for a moment and then decided the man wasn’t a charlatan taking advantage of people. He had real, if old-fashioned, technique.
As if sensing the scrutiny, the doctor looked over at him and asked, “Somethin’ I can help you boys with?”
Stephen shook his head, answering, “We can probably help you, though.”
“You boys know some healing?” the man questioned, surprised and suspicious.
“We do,” Stephen confirmed. “We’re just passing through, but could work for supplies, if you have any to spare.”
Of course, they would work even if he didn’t have any to spare, especially with so many people in need, but there was no reason to say so up front.
Efficiently wrapping the ankle, the doctor said, “Pull up some space and let me see what you can do.”
Stephen almost grinned at the challenge, but didn’t. Instead, he held out a hand and said, “I’m Stephen Connor and this is Miles McCabe.”
The fact that they were doctors would stand out more than their names, after all.
Standing from the stood where he’d been working, the older man took the hand and replied, “Nate Wells. Good to meet you.”
Miles had already started talking to the people in the line to make assessments while Stephen set up another workspace. There wasn’t much, just an extra chair and table, but the table seemed sturdy, so he unfolded it and sat on it, bouncing a couple of times to make sure it would hold weight. He found a box of supplies that held a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff, though they both looked to be about twenty years old.
That done, he motioned for the next person in line to come in. It was a mother with a young boy of about eight years and Stephen smiled automatically, the moment bittersweet as he was reminded of Jack. “Hi. I’m Stephen. You are?”
“I’m Rina and this is my son, Will,” the woman said, looking wary. “Are you really a doctor?”
Stephen nodded. “I really am. Hey there, Will. How are you feeling?”
The boy leaned against his mother, holding to her sweater and staring at Stephen with big, blue eyes.
Looking at the mother, Stephen asked, “What’s the problem?”
She bit her lower lip, undecided.
“Let me guess,” Stephen offered, taking another, longer look at the boy. He found the problem right away and hid a grin as he said, “I see someone’s been experimenting with what goes where. What is that in your nose, a marble or a rock?”
“A marble,” Rina finally said, exasperation coloring her voice. “I tried tweezers, but couldn’t get a good grip.”
“Stephen, I could use some help here!” Miles shouted from outside.
Gently petting Will on the head, Stephen said, “I’ll be right back,” and hurried out to see what was going on. He found Miles half-carrying, half-leading a very pregnant girl towards him. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen, seventeen, tops. Stephen jogged the rest of the way and lifted her into his arms without too much trouble. He strode into the tiny doctor’s office asking, “What’s your name?”
“Jill,” the girl answered, groaning. “Please, just get it out!”
Nate had already moved his sprained-ankle patient off the exam bed, so Stephen put Jill there and told her, “We just need to see how you’re doing first, okay Jill? Can you tell me how far apart the contractions are?”
She screeched, hand clamping down on Stephen’s hard enough to make him wince.
“I’m timing,” Miles announced from behind.
One less thing for Stephen to worry about; as was Nate swiftly cutting away the girl’s underwear.
“Out! Everyone skedaddle!” Rina ordered loudly. “This ain’t no peepshow, it’s a woman givin’ birth!”
Make that three things, he thought in amusement. As soon as Jill let go, gasping in huge breaths, Stephen moved to check her stomach, feeling for the baby’s position. A lot could go wrong with a young mother giving birth under the best of conditions, never mind like this. Out loud, he asked, “Have you had any exams since you knew you were pregnant, Jill?”
“Not from me she hasn’t,” Nate told him, putting a towel over Jill’s raised legs.
Jill told them, “My nana, she looked me over. She delivered me when I was born.”
Stephen gave her a reassuring smile, but wasn’t at all pleased with the news. At Nate’s openly disapproving look, Stephen figured the girl’s grandmother didn’t have anything else to recommend her as a health professional. Stephen took a look under her dress and shook his head at how far along she was. He restrained the impulse to tell her just how close she’d come to having the baby in the street and instead asked, “Miles?”
“Right here,” the other man said, holding out gloves. “No surgical gowns, though.”
He hadn’t even expected the gloves and nodded. “She’s ready to go now. The baby’s lined up. We just need something to hold him.”
“I have clean linens packed away here, hold on,” Nate said, moving aside.
Looking at Jill over the towel, he found Rina standing behind her, holding the girl in a semi-sitting position. He nodded in approval and ordered, “On the next contraction, I need you to push, okay, Jill?”
She nodded, still breathing hard. And then she screeched again, but grit her teeth and pushed.
All in all, it was over in less than three minutes with no complications, which was a hell of a lot better than Stephen could have hoped for as he cut the cord to the baby girl crying in his hands. Miles carefully wrapped the baby in the clean towel, taking her from Stephen to clean her up and then hand her to Jill.
Nate clapped an arm around Stephen’s shoulders and told him, “Son, you can set up shop here anytime you want.”
Stephen met Miles’ happy gaze and shared a grin with his lover. It was a good day to be a doctor.
* * * *
Jethro stayed with Tony until the younger man fell back asleep. Sitting next to Tony and resting a hand on his hip, seeing that he really was all right buoyed Jethro. The madness of their drive was something he never wanted to repeat. There were new scars added to Tony’s already marred face, a couple which looked like they would be almost as bad as the first, thanks to his flight face-first through a window. Not that he cared what Tony looked like, but he knew that Tony did. His lover’s self-esteem was a fragile thing constantly needing attention, something he enjoyed doing, as did Stephen.
Jethro also worried about what might happen to Jenny, once it was discovered that her entire team had disappeared. It didn’t matter that she’d refused to come with them, his stomach knotted with guilt that her position and power wouldn’t be enough to protect her. She could, right that second, be cuffed to a chair in some featureless interrogation room, waiting to be tortured into giving information that she didn’t have.
He shook off the dark thoughts before they could truly get hold again and found Frank in the second van with his family. It did him good, looking at the happy girls and hearing them laugh and argue like all children should. He didn’t know the other man very well, but Stephen trusted him with his life, and with Miles,’ which was enough for Jethro.
Frank spotted him a few minutes later and smiled a greeting before climbing out of the van to join him with, “How’s Tony?”
“Better,” Jethro answered. “How was the trip here?”
“I’m guessing better than yours,” Frank replied dryly.
Jethro snorted in amusement. “I bet. So you didn’t meet up with anyone? No sign of pursuit?”
Shaking his head, Frank told him, “No one had any trouble. We met up at the junk yard, stowed our gear, drove to the first meeting spot, waited for you and Tony, but then left when you didn’t show.”
“How long did you wait?”
“Fifteen minutes.”
“That’s about thirteen minutes too long.”
Frank grimaced. “I know, but try telling Stephen that. We made it to the first rendezvous spot without any trouble and no sign that we were followed. How did you guys get away, anyhow?”
Jethro’s jaw tightened and he replied shortly, “With a lot of trouble. But no one’s after us.”
Frank nodded acceptance of his words and said, “The others should be back soon. Hopefully we won’t need to be here long.”
“And then only thirty hours to get to Vegas, give or take,” Jethro murmured.
He wouldn’t feel safe until they’d gotten there, no doubt about that.
Jethro spotted Eva, Natalie, Gerald and Ducky walking back together, packages in the women’s arms. Curious, he looked at Frank who shrugged and they started walking towards the group.
“Stephen and Miles are playing country doctor,” Natalie announced before Jethro could ask. “They’ve already delivered a baby and removed a marble from a little boy’s nose.”
Jethro grinned to himself, not having any trouble believing that.
Frank asked, “So what’s in the bags and what did it cost us?”
Eva winked at him and answered, “We have fresh baked bread, some cookies for the girls, and just cooked hamburgers for everyone. Complete with condiments! Apparently there’s a very tasty, local equivalent to ketchup.”
Jethro’s stomach rumbled at the thought of a real hamburger, but he asked, “What did it cost us?”
“Lancing two very ugly boils in a very awkward location,” Natalie answered, grinning.
Frank laughed. “I hope you washed your hands before handling the food, then!”
Ducky spoke up with, “Indeed she did. And I supervised the cooking of the food, so we know that it’s been properly prepared.”
Gerald shook his head and said pointedly, “Nearly threw him out into the street for it.”
“Some people can’t take constructive criticism!” Ducky countered defensively.
Jimmy, Abby, and McGee arrived just then. They didn’t have any packages, but looked triumphant nonetheless.
Jethro ordered, “Report, McGee!”
Tim straightened automatically
and stammered, “We, we found a possible source for gas, Boss! There’s an old
gas station that still somehow has a supplier from
“It’s his cousin,” Abby broke in. “They grew up together, but then Jackie, the cousin, decided she wanted an adventure and headed to Texas. See, she was the only girl out of like, a gazillion boys, so…”
“Family history later, Abs,” Jethro interrupted.
Abby made a face at him, but continued, “Jackie just finished a run here and they’ve got plenty of gas, but it ain’t cheap, Bossman. Carl didn’t say what he wanted, but seemed pretty agreeable to talking.”
Tim shook his head. “Agreeable isn’t the word that I’d use. More like, willing not to shoot us on sight because Abby was there.”
“She reminds him of Jackie,” Jimmy confirmed.
Jethro hid a grin as he demanded sternly, “And what were you doing, going somewhere that might have ended with someone getting shot?”
Jimmy and Tim gaped at him after exchanging dismayed looks, but Ziva and Kate strolled up, forestalling any stammered excuses they might have come up with.
“Gibbs! You would not believe the amount of people in this city!” Kate exclaimed. “Did you know that they’ve got voting and everything around here? And police! Real police, not MPs who, well, you know. They arrest actual criminals here.”
Jethro replied wryly, “Sounds like paradise.”
“You know what I mean,” she retorted.
And he did. It sounded like a
normal, well-organized city; one reminiscent of the old
Suddenly, he wondered if Stephen and Miles were safe out there on their own. Doctors would be in short supply if they’d so readily been accepted.
“I think I’m going to go check on Stephen and Miles,” Frank announced. “Gibbs, you want to come with?”
Jethro nodded, glad there was another suspicious paranoid in the group. Of course, with his pretty wife and very bright, also very pretty three daughters, he was sure that Frank had had to be over the years.
They stopped at the Rover to arm themselves. Jethro took a double shoulder holster and buckled a spare to his ankle. Meeting Frank’s gaze, he proposed, “Obvious or subtle?”
Frank thought a few seconds before answering, “You be obvious. You’re good at that.”
“I work hard to be subtle,” Jethro informed him.
Snorting, Frank muttered, “As a sledgehammer,” before pulling on a windbreaker to cover his own shoulder holster.
“Do you really expect trouble here?” Kate asked from behind.
Facing her, Jethro replied, “Absolutely.”
“I could come.”
But Frank shook his head at her suggestion and pointed out, “With Tony down, that leaves only Ziva and McGee here for the rest of the group.”
Kate grimaced, but didn’t argue as they walked towards the downtown area.
Downtown was a lot like Jethro
remembered from before the plague. He’d already been in the Marines when the
first wave had struck
“Over there,” Frank murmured.
Bringing himself out of old thoughts, Jethro spotted the caduceus sign and angled for it. The line out the door was unbelievable, as if word had spread in the short hour that Miles and Stephen had been there. Plenty of people gave them big-eyed stares, but no one made a peep as they ignored the line and walked inside.
Stephen was stitched up a deep gash on a man’s shoulder while Miles wrapped a bandage around a little girl’s wrist. An old man in a white coat also worked nearby, splinting a young man’s arm. Miles looked up and smiled broadly at Jethro until he took in the weapons. His smile vanished and he glanced at Stephen, who was totally immersed in his work.
And that, Jethro
thought, is why we’re here.
Because Stephen was a doctor before he was a soldier and Miles wasn’t a soldier at all.
“Stephen,” Frank rumbled.
Stephen’s head jerked up, hands automatically stilling as he looked away from his work. “Frank? Jethro? What’s going on? Is everything okay? Tony?”
“Tony’s fine,” Jethro told him. “We’re just checking on you.”
The blond man took in their appearance and he nodded slowly. “Right. Well, we’re going to stick around for the afternoon to make a dent here, at least temporarily.”
Jethro gave him a thin smile. “Then I guess we’ll make ourselves comfortable.”
Stephen looked like he was going to argue, but then changed his mind. “Pull up some floor, if you want.”
“I’ll stand,” Jethro replied, picking the far corner where he could see anyone entering the small office.
At least there weren’t any back doors or windows to worry about.
* * * *
Tony woke alone in the van and sighed deeply before he remembered that would hurt. Groaning under his breath, he wondered if maybe he could etch it on the inside of his eyeballs so he’d remember when it counted; before he did something that caused pain.
Of course, jumping out of a third story window’s not exactly the best course of action to stay pain-free, he thought wryly.
“Tony? You awake?”
Lifting his head, Tony found Abby peering anxiously into the van and offered her a smile. “Sure am, Abs. Where’s the room service in this joint?”
She gave a little squeal of happiness and climbed into the van exclaiming, “You had me so worried! Bossman, too! All of us! I’m so glad you’re okay! Oh, here, let me help prop you up a little.”
Tony suppressed a gasp of pain as Abby lifted him onto pillows, not wanting to ruin her happiness at ‘helping’ him. He smiled when she finally sat back, satisfied at her handiwork. “Thanks, Abs. So where is everyone?”
“Chowing down!” she answered. “Let me get you a hamburger. You want relish and ketchup?”
Blinking at her, he pointed out, “We don’t have any meat.”
“Local,” she explained.
Tony winked and ordered, “Then feed me, woman!”
She giggled and left the van only for Jimmy, McGee, and Ducky to poke their heads in. Unfortunately, Natalie immediately overruled Tony getting a hamburger due to his bullet wound, and he wound up with the military’s version of cup-o-soup, instead. The next couple of hours were spent talking with pretty much everyone, even Frank’s girls, to assure them that he was going to be fine. It felt so damn good, knowing how much everyone cared about him. It would’ve been perfect if Stephen and Miles weren’t off playing doctor, in the non-fun sense, with Gibbs keeping an eye on them.
Finally, just before sunset, the errant doctors and their keepers returned. He really wanted to go out to meet them, but knew that it would be a good week or more before he was truly up and about, maybe longer. It chafed, but a bullet in the gut was nothing to sneeze at even with a hospital stay, let alone out and about in a van traveling across country.
There was a group chat until well after dark and then, at last, Miles climbed into the van. He was pulling double duty, apparently, because he immediately kissed Tony warmly on the mouth and then looked at his wounds.
“How do you feel?” Miles asked, untaping the main bandage.
Tony snorted. “Like I’ve been shot in the stomach.”
Miles rolled his eyes at him and questioned, “How’s the pain? Do you need more painkillers?”
Knowing they might need them for something more critical in the future, Tony shook his head and said, “I’ll be fine.”
“I didn’t ask how you would be,” Miles countered pointedly. “I asked how you are now. Don’t worry about our supply, Tony. Just be honest. One to ten, where are you on the pain scale?”
“About a five,” Tony admitted.
Miles muttered something under his breath, probably something very unflattering, and moved to the back of the van. He came back with a bottle of water and two horse pills, holding both out expectantly.
Tony hedged, “How about I just take one?”
“How about you take both, or I go get Gibbs and have him administer them?”
“Tattletale.”
“Just take the pills, Tony.”
Grumbling, Tony took them and washed each down, finishing off the water while he was at it. And then he grimaced for real as he complained, “I need that stupid bucket.”
Miles didn’t comment as he picked up the bedpan. He even shut the van door and then helped Tony into a good position to relieve himself. It killed to sit up enough to piss, even with Miles’ assistance, and he saw stars before he lay back down. It was several minutes later that he was able to see straight again. Miles knelt next to the bench seat, stroking his fingers through Tony’s hair. He wondered inanely what it was about his hair that made people want to pet him. All three of his lover’s liked to do that.
“You know, it would be a lot better for you if we could just give you a catheter,” Miles told him quietly.
But Tony shook his head and said flatly, “No chance.”
Miles sighed as he continued to soothe Tony with the gentle caresses. “All right. But if you develop an infection or pop a staple because of all this moving around, Stephen’s going to override you.”
So would Gibbs and Miles both, Tony knew. He offered a rueful smile at his lover and said, “Thanks, Miles. Sorry I’m such a pain.”
“You are not a pain!” Miles exclaimed, quiet but fierce. “Don’t you ever think that! You are brave and strong and wonderful and I don’t know what I would do if I ever lost you!”
Startled by the shine of tears in the other’s eyes, Tony reached out to capture Miles’ hand, bringing it to his lips. He kissed the palm and then said, “You didn’t lose me, Miles, I’m right here.”
Miles swallowed visibly and whispered, “But we could have, Tony. God, it was so close! I overheard Natalie and Ducky talking and you’d lost so much blood they thought you weren’t going to make it! I need you, Tony, just as much as I need Jethro and Stephen. Please, don’t risk yourself over something like pride. We’re all here to help you and being injured is nothing to be ashamed of, nor is the healing process, as messy as it can get. Please, please let us help you.”
And, of course, the only thing Tony could do was nod, moved by his lover’s plea.
* * * *
“Miles give him a good talking to?” Jethro asked.
Stephen half-grinned at him as he nodded and sat beside the other man in the back seat of the Rover. “I caught the end of their conversation and Tony’s not going to be getting out of bed any time soon. Not after that. He might even let us give him a catheter if Miles gives him the right look.”
Jethro snorted and agreed, “It’s the eyes. They get you every damn time.”
“Both of them, but especially Miles,” Stephen concurred. He hadn’t been able to hear Miles, but it had visibly struck a chord in their more reckless lover. Tony had clearly been shocked and moved by whatever Miles had said.
They were silent for a few minutes and Stephen just enjoyed the company, putting an arm over Jethro’s shoulder. Of them all, the older soldier was the most reticent when it came to physical displays, but a well-timed gesture was never rebuffed and he’d learned to read the signs pretty well over the last couple of years.
“So, tomorrow,” Jethro began. “What do we have that we can give up?”
Stephen sighed and admitted, “Not much. Kate privately offered me her mother’s diamond ring and Ducky approached me earlier about his mother’s pearl collection.”
Jethro shook his head. “I don’t think jewelry’s going to cut it.”
“Neither do I,” Stephen agreed.
“What if he wants one of the vehicles?”
“We can’t give one up, especially not with Tony laid up.”
“Supplies?”
“I’m guessing he’s got more than we do.”
“So it comes down to services.”
Something Stephen didn’t want to think about, but had to nod. They could offer plenty of medical and mechanical assistance, both of which were valuable, but the most common demand was sex. If this Carl took a liking to someone in their group and would only take sex in exchange for the fuel, Stephen had no idea how he would react. He didn’t think that he would even be able to pass on the news, let alone ask whoever it was to go through with it. And God forbid it turned out to be Tony or Miles…
Jethro’s hand rubbed along Stephen’s back as he observed, “No sense in borrowing trouble. We’ll find out tomorrow what this man wants.”
For the first time in a long time, Stephen let himself lean on someone else. He curled up on his side and laid his head on Jethro’s thigh, one of the benefits to having another Dom in their group. It never felt wrong to let himself rest with Jethro, knowing the other man supported him as much as the reverse was true.
He fell asleep to the feel of Jethro’s hand solid and comforting on his hip.