Working with Gibbs (a NCIS story)

Chapter 16: Remember, Gibbs! - part 1

-a few days later-
Gibbs and Grace were closer than they ever had been, able to confide in each other. Then, one case almost tore all that apart...
The team was working a case on a naval vessel, and Gibbs was at one of the security checkpoints. Tony, Tim, and Grace were all sitting in the car about 50 feet away, talking about random things. Then, disaster struck. There was an explosion on one side of the vessel, and then the whole ship exploded. The three of them got out of the car and looked on in horror.
"Oh my god..." Tony said, speechless. Then, both men looked over at Grace, who was suspiciously silent.
"Grace, you all right?" Tim asked, and she turned to both of them, glaring.
"Do I look like I'm alright?" She snapped, then looked back at the ship again. After what felt like forever, the fire was finally out and it was deemed safe for the team to go in and scope out the damage. Tim and Tony went to look for survivors while Grace went in search of Gibbs, desperately hopeful that he was still alive. After turning down numerous halls, she found him, badly burned and shrapnel in numerous places. "Gibbs!" She said, going to his side. "TONY! MCGEE!" She yelled, and they were there in an instant. "Call an ambulance, now!" She said, forcing her emotions to the side for the moment, focusing her attention on Gibbs.
-many days later-
Gibbs was still comatose, not reacting to anything or anyone, but Grace didn't leave his side.
"If you think I'm leaving you, you've got another thing coming" she said, almost like that would spur him awake. "You didn't leave me, so I'm not leaving you." Ducky came in after a few minutes to let her go get something to eat, and when she came back, she saw something astounding - Gibbs was awake. She knew better than to rush in, and let the doctors work on him. Ducky came out a little bit later, looking sullen.
"Ducky, what's wrong?" She asked, and he looked at her.
"He doesn't remember anything" he replied and she was confused.
"Well, that's normal, right? When a traumatic event happens, its normal to forget about it"
"You don't understand...he doesn't remember" he said and she finally understood.
"You mean, he...not even you?"
"No, he didn't know who I was."
"But, that means that..." she trailed off for a moment. "How long did the doctors say it would last?"
"They didn't know, could be just a few hours, could be a week or two" he replied.
"Well, where does he think he is?"
"He knows he's in a hospital, but he thinks its the year 1991...that was the last time he was on tour" Ducky replied, and Grace was shocked and very sad because she knew what that meant.
"I see...will you please excuse me for a moment?" She asked, and she went to another corridor of the hospital. Once there, she called a number she hoped she wouldn't have to call.
"Franks"
"Mike Franks...been too long" Franks was an old family friend of hers, but no one else knew that.
"Well, what do ya know? What can I do for ya, Miss Williams?"
"How many times have I told you to call me Grace? Anyways...I need your help"
"What's wrong?"
"It's Jethro..." there was a long pause.
"I'm on my way. I'll be there in 12 hours or less"
"Thanks, Mike. I owe ya one"