Tony hated snow and he hated skiing, but his father loved both, and they were trying hard to work on their relationship, so Tony had agreed to spend a week with his father at Senior's favorite ski resort.
And everything had gone surprisingly well...until they tackled one of the more dangerous slopes, and for reasons neither of them would be able to recall later, they lost their footing, tumbled down the mountain, and fell into a crevasse.
Tony suffered some cuts and bruises. He also figured one of his wrists was sprained, and he had a pounding headache from whacking his temple against a rock, so a concussion was a good possibility.
Senior, however, seemed to be severely injured. He was bleeding from several wounds, his right leg was lying next to him at a very unnatural angle, and he had trouble breathing. Tony gently poked his father's torso and realized that at least two ribs were broken. When spoken to, Senior could barely focus, his eyes seeing through Tony, one pupil so enlarged that there was only a very thin blue ring around it.
"Always knew I'd...go out in a b-blaze of..gl-glory," Senior wheezed.
"This isn't a blaze of glory, it's an icy hell hole," Tony muttered, fumbling for his cell phone with trembling fingers. "Hang on, Dad, help is on the way."
Senior snorted at that, which only caused him to cough helplessly and fight for air.
Tony panicked.
He knew that it would be impossible to get help there fast enough. His father was dying, and there was only one way to rescue him--to rescue them both.
The signal was almost non-existent but Tony managed to put a call through to Gibbs. "I need your help, Jeth," was all he could get out before he lost the connection.
"I...know you th-think G-Gibbs can w-walk on...on wa-water, but don't you th-think th--" Senior stopped and stared in panic at the man in question. "Seeing things," he managed to whisper, close to hyperventilating. "C-concussion. Hallu...ci..."
"It's okay, Dad," Tony whispered urgently, placing one hand reassuringly on his father's shoulder. He stared at Gibbs beseechingly. "You need to get him to a hospital."
Gibbs took in the situation before him. He was shivering slightly, wearing nothing but a pair of faded jeans and an old gray USMC tee shirt. Sawdust was still clinging to his clothes and hair, making it obvious what he had been doing just seconds ago. "Never tried to teleport with someone," he cautioned.
"Well, then now's the time to do it!" Tony snapped, worried by his father's pasty, clammy skin.
"You're injured too."
"Got a few bumps and bruises. Never mind me. Please, Jeth, save my father." Tony didn't even realize that he was crying until Gibbs leaned down to gently wipe the tears away.
"Help me lift him up," he said softly, then moved to carefully put his arms around Senior's shoulders.
Senior cried out in pain when his broken leg was jostled, but between them, Gibbs and Tony managed to stand him up, leaning heavily against Gibbs.
"N-not in fr-front of my ch-child, Gibbs," Senior managed to chuckle, waggling his eyebrows, causing Gibbs to roll his eyes in annoyance.
"Hold on, Tony," Gibbs ordered. "Gonna get us all to safety at once."
"But you said you've never tried to teleport with someone. We'd be two someones."
Gibbs glowered until Tony wrapped his arms around his father from behind and held on tight to Gibbs' shoulders. "Not gonna be easy," Gibbs admitted, then closed his eyes to concentrate.
Life Saver, Part 1
Tony hated snow and he hated skiing, but his father loved both, and they were trying hard to work on their relationship, so Tony had agreed to spend a week with his father at Senior's favorite ski resort.
And everything had gone surprisingly well...until they tackled one of the more dangerous slopes, and for reasons neither of them would be able to recall later, they lost their footing, tumbled down the mountain, and fell into a crevasse.
Tony suffered some cuts and bruises. He also figured one of his wrists was sprained, and he had a pounding headache from whacking his temple against a rock, so a concussion was a good possibility.
Senior, however, seemed to be severely injured. He was bleeding from several wounds, his right leg was lying next to him at a very unnatural angle, and he had trouble breathing. Tony gently poked his father's torso and realized that at least two ribs were broken. When spoken to, Senior could barely focus, his eyes seeing through Tony, one pupil so enlarged that there was only a very thin blue ring around it.
"Always knew I'd...go out in a b-blaze of..gl-glory," Senior wheezed.
"This isn't a blaze of glory, it's an icy hell hole," Tony muttered, fumbling for his cell phone with trembling fingers. "Hang on, Dad, help is on the way."
Senior snorted at that, which only caused him to cough helplessly and fight for air.
Tony panicked.
He knew that it would be impossible to get help there fast enough. His father was dying, and there was only one way to rescue him--to rescue them both.
The signal was almost non-existent but Tony managed to put a call through to Gibbs. "I need your help, Jeth," was all he could get out before he lost the connection.
"I...know you th-think G-Gibbs can w-walk on...on wa-water, but don't you th-think th--" Senior stopped and stared in panic at the man in question. "Seeing things," he managed to whisper, close to hyperventilating. "C-concussion. Hallu...ci..."
"It's okay, Dad," Tony whispered urgently, placing one hand reassuringly on his father's shoulder. He stared at Gibbs beseechingly. "You need to get him to a hospital."
Gibbs took in the situation before him. He was shivering slightly, wearing nothing but a pair of faded jeans and an old gray USMC tee shirt. Sawdust was still clinging to his clothes and hair, making it obvious what he had been doing just seconds ago. "Never tried to teleport with someone," he cautioned.
"Well, then now's the time to do it!" Tony snapped, worried by his father's pasty, clammy skin.
"You're injured too."
"Got a few bumps and bruises. Never mind me. Please, Jeth, save my father." Tony didn't even realize that he was crying until Gibbs leaned down to gently wipe the tears away.
"Help me lift him up," he said softly, then moved to carefully put his arms around Senior's shoulders.
Senior cried out in pain when his broken leg was jostled, but between them, Gibbs and Tony managed to stand him up, leaning heavily against Gibbs.
"N-not in fr-front of my ch-child, Gibbs," Senior managed to chuckle, waggling his eyebrows, causing Gibbs to roll his eyes in annoyance.
"Hold on, Tony," Gibbs ordered. "Gonna get us all to safety at once."
"But you said you've never tried to teleport with someone. We'd be two someones."
Gibbs glowered until Tony wrapped his arms around his father from behind and held on tight to Gibbs' shoulders. "Not gonna be easy," Gibbs admitted, then closed his eyes to concentrate.