I Bite

Title: I Bite
Author: Ladyholder
Fandom: NCIS, The Sentinel
Warnings: Canon Typical
Wordcount: 674

 

“Whoa, whoa!”

The sound of someone right next to him snapped Tony out of wherever he was and he rolled to the side. His sense of smell told him he was somewhere medicinal and given the stings in his arms, he was betting it was a hospital of some kind. His movement pulled at the IVs in his arms, but he didn’t care. He had no idea why he was there and he wasn’t going to stay.

“I said whoa, Guide. Jesus, fuck!”

Tony let his eyes slit open and took in the room quickly. ER, more quiet than most and the beds were better. S&G ward then.

Why was he in an S&G ER ward?

Cutting his eyes over to the person babbling at him, Tony saw a nurse in scrubs holding her hands out to him and he raised an eyebrow at her as he put pressure on the needle site. “What?”

The nurse stared at him for several moments before she took a deep breath. “You blew open, Guide. And haven’t let anyone near you since we got the IV into you. We need to get you assessed so we can offer some help.”

Cocking his head to the side, Tony could hear what sounded like a whole trauma team on the other side of the partition wall. Racking his brains, he tried to remember where he had last been. His memory supplied the sound of a shot and the fleeting warmth of Kate’s blood on his face and he clamped down on his emotions. Yeah, he wasn’t going to revisit that while he was in the hospital.

“So, I came online?” Tony asks instead of asking about Kate. He already knows that answer.

“You did. And we got you off the roof and back here for treatment, but things went sideways not long thereafter,” the nurse admits with a rueful look. “I was the only one you tolerated touching you, so I got to stay and try to help while the DC S&G center is informed of what went down.”

“Fucking fantastic,” Tony muttered as he took in his surroundings. “Am I injured?” He didn’t think so, but he was aware that high-pressure moments and adrenaline masked many things, including injuries, both major and minor.

“No, you aren’t” the nurse allowed. “Dr. Pitt did ask that we make sure you were still recovering, given your recent illness.”

“Damn Wolverine,” Tony muttered before looking around. “My clothes?”

“Uhm,” the nurse pointed to a pile of rags. “Sorry. Dr. Pitt did ask that we make sure you were still doing ok.”

Tony took a deep breath and held it for a three-count. “Get the moron in charge in here. Please.”

The doctor who commented the room was just as emotionally obnoxious as Tony had expected and he leaned against the wall next to the gurney while the nurse had played fetch.  He had taken the time to grab a patch of gauze and tape to cover the area where his IV port had been. He couldn’t do anything about being in his briefs, but that would be changing.

Soon.

“Special Agent DiNozzo, this is Dr. Ashton,” the nurse told him.

“Ah. Guide DiNozzo! I’m glad you are awake and have formed shields.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Tony informed him “Were you the jackass that authorized the removal of my clothes with scissors?”

“I… well, you did come on here in distress. We needed to get you ready to be admitted,” Ashton began. He looked slightly hunted.

“Uh-huh. And do your protocols state that when a Guide is admitted in distress, that you strip them? So, when they wake up naked, they are in more distress?” Tony asked, acid dripping from his tone. “And it is special agent, you twit.”

“Well, but you’re a guide! And the clothes were filthy!” Ashton protested.

“So, I’m a guide. Big deal. I’m also a federal agent and you just compromised evidence in a murder investigation. Jackass.” Tony bit out. Yeah, his mood was officially vile.