Shards To A Whole: Chapter 141

McGee-centric character study/romance. Want to start at the beginning? Click here.


Chapter 141


A/N: I don't normally do this, but there's some really rough stuff in the next four chapters. If you want light and fluffy, well, not any of that anytime soon.

"It's Breena!" They'd all been waiting for this call. Up until two hours ago, when they caught this case, Jimmy had been planning on going with her for the 21st week ultrasound, but Simpson Wallen was found dead, and Jimmy's on, so instead of finding out with Breena if Sammy is a girl or a boy, he's here, helping Ducky bag up a dead Marine.

They watched his face fall as he absorbed what was being said to him. And that sent a thrill of fear through all of them. Jimmy should be grinning. He should have a huge, beaming grin, the sort that lights up his eyes and makes everyone near him happy.

But he didn't. His voice was shaking as he says, "Yeah… uh huh… Is Breena all right? … Yes… As soon as I can get there." Palmer was white as a sheet as he hung up his phone. "Dr. Mallard, I have to leave."

"What's wrong, Jimmy?" Ducky's fear clear in his voice.

"There's… Sammy… I have to go."

Ducky gave Jimmy a hug, and then nodded at him.

Tim caught Gibbs' eye, and Gibb's nodded. He handed the camera over, and followed two steps behind Jimmy.

"Let me drive. Last thing Breena needs is you getting in an accident on the way. Where is she?"

"Mercy General."

"Okay." He punched it into the GPS on his cell, tossed the car into reverse, pulling away from the crime scene, fast. "We'll be there in an hour. Molly at daycare?"

"Yeah."

"I'll drop you off, call them, and watch her. Don't worry about getting home at any given time."

"Good."

Tim took Jimmy's hand in his and gave it a squeeze. Jimmy held onto him, hard.

"Did they tell you…"

Jimmy nodded, tears streaming down his face. "There was no heartbeat."

They don't say anything on the ride over. Jimmy cries quietly, and Tim holds his hand. It's a very long hour and the only thing allowing Tim to hold it together is that he's got to pay attention to the road and get Jimmy where he needs to be.

"Give me your cell and keys," he says once he stops the car in front of the hospital.

Jimmy just looks at him blankly as he unbuckled.

"You shouldn't have to tell everyone. We'll make the calls for you. And I need your keys to unlock your car and grab Molly's car seat."

Jimmy handed over the items and headed in to the hospital, too out of it to close the door behind him.

The Navy Yard was only a few minutes out of the way between Mercy and Molly's daycare, so Tim headed there first. He'd sent their team a text: Abby's ten minutes. Then he sent one more to Gibbs. Go see Abby, now. And then called her to give her the heads up first.

"Hey. What's up? Did you guys find out, yet? I haven't heard anything."

He hasn't tried to say anything since Jimmy left, and he's not sure how well his voice will hold.

Finally he gets a hold of himself and says, "Is Gibbs down there?"

"Just walked in. What's going on? You're scaring me. He's looking like grim death and just wrapped me in a hug."

"I just dropped Jimmy at the hospital. They did the ultrasound, and Sammy's heart wasn't beating." For a long second he heard nothing, and then the sobbing started.

A second after that Gibbs said, "I've got her."

"I just pulled into the parking lot. I'll be there in five minutes."

When he got into the lab, everyone else, including Vance, was there. Abby was crying, and Gibbs was holding onto her.

He walked over to them, and just held Abby, wanting to get down on his knees and thank God or anything else that they're crying for Jimmy and Breena and not themselves. He feels bad about that, but it's still the first thing that hits him as he sees Abby. Gibbs patted him on the back, so he swallowed, took a deep breath, and pulled back a little, but kept holding onto Abby.

Tim's never wanted to say anything less than he wants to say this, but the words have to be said, "They did the ultrasound, and the Sammy's heart wasn't beating." They were all expecting something like this. Coming down and finding Gibbs holding a sobbing Abby had to be confirmation that nothing he was going to say was good, but the words still hit like a blow.

Tony winced. Ziva physically flinched away from it. Ducky hunched in on himself, Tim could see him physically forcing himself not to cry. Gibbs was behind him, so he didn't see his face, but he can feel the hand on his back rubbing gently. And Vance just nodded slowly, swallowing hard.

He turned to Vance. "Jimmy's not going to be in for a few days, at least." He looked around at the rest of them. "I'm not, either. I told him I'd get Molly and watch her."

Abby broke away from them, heading toward her coat. "I'll come with you."

Ducky stopped her, gently. "Abigail." His voice cracked on her name, so he took another deep breath, and steadied himself before saying, "I know you want to help, but right now… Right now you might be the last person Breena wants to see."

"Oh." That sunk in, and… yeah… They don't know if that's true or not. He wants Abby to go with him, wants to keep her in his sight as much as he possibly can, but he'd also rather chew off his own arm than do anything that might make this any worse at all for Jimmy or Breena when they get home.

Tim took Jimmy's cell out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I told him we'd make the calls for them. That they shouldn't have to spread the word themselves."

Abby nodded, took a deep breath, and forced her voice to grow calm. "I can do that."

"Okay. I've got to get Molly." He wrapped around Abby again, head on her shoulder, her head on his. He held her for another minute before pulling back and saying, "If one of you were to meet them at the hospital and drive them home, that'd probably be a good thing."

"I'll be waiting for them," Ducky said.

As he was leaving, he heard Tony say to Abby, "Let's split the list, no one should have to say this too many times."

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