Chapter 1 - The Fall
Ducky drove to his Reston house hardly remembering the trip home. He felt old and tired and every bit of his 70 plus years. He sat in his lovingly restored Morgan, the keys held loosely in hand as he stared out the windshield. The autumnal sun set as the good doctor sat unmoving, deep in thought about the events of the day starting with the trip out into the field.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
A call to NCIS sent Gibb's team out to a state park in northern Virginia. A navy commander's sedan was found at the bottom of a 60 foot slope. In it the bodies of the commander and his young daughter were found.
The ME truck arrived shortly after Jethro Gibb’s team. Ducky grabbed his bag and looked down the steep hill for the best way to descend. The slope was covered with brush and snags from fallen trees, but there seemed to be a game trail that looked like the easiest way down. “Over here, Mr. Palmer,” Ducky beckoned to his assistant. Slowly he made his way down, grabbing the trunks of young saplings for support and to slow his descent. Suddenly, Ducky's left leg buckled as his foot caught in the roots of a tree. He cried out in surprise as his body pitched forward, somersaulting down the hill. He came to rest against the side of the demolished vehicle, his wrenched leg slamming into the vehicle's driver's door of the overturned car.
Jimmy Palmer, had followed closely behind Ducky and saw the older man trip. He tried to grab his mentor's elbow to steady him and yelled, “Look out, Dr. Mallard!” But his hand closed on empty air.
Above them, agents Timothy McGee and Tony DiNozzo were measuring the car's skid marks and taking photographs. Upon hearing Ducky's yell and Palmer's cautionary cry they looked down just in time to see the ME's body hurtling uncontrolled to the bottom. They both yelled, “Ducky!” Horrified to see the ME stop with a loud thud against the car. McGee, instantly called for an ambulance, just in case it was needed.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS team leader and Ziva David,the Mossad liason officer, were already at the crash site, having climbed down before Ducky and Jimmy Palmer had arrived. David was photographing the car and the surrounding area. Gibbs was taking measurements and sketches. From the far side of the car he had been watching Ducky's descent and marveled how his very good friend, at his age, was still able to get to a death scene in sometimes very difficult locations. He smiled, shaking his head and turned his attention back to the car.
When Ducky cried out Gibbs looked up to see his friend of thirty years tumbling down the slope. The scene played out before him in slow motion. Ducky's hat came off after the first somersault lodging in a clump of nettles, his glasses flew off and landed on the side of the trail to his right. The crime scene valise landed next to a small boulder. Two somersaults later Ducky landed against the overturned vehicle. Silence...soon followed by a loud moan.
“Duck! Ducky!”
Gibbs closely followed by Ziva ran to the other side of the car in time to see his friend open his eyes and attempt to sit up. Gibbs bent down and placed his hands on Ducky's shoulders to keep him from trying to get up in case there were any serious injuries. Pain registered in the doctor's face and it was hard for Gibbs to tell whether the unfocused expression in Ducky's eyes was because he was dazed or because he had lost his glasses. “Duck, are you okay? Are you hurt!”
“No, no, just my pride and dignity, Jethro.” He looked up into Jethro's face and blinked several times to clear his vision. Moving a very stiff and bloody hand he pushed at the bridge of his nose to adjust his glasses. That was when he realized they were missing.
“Dr. Mallard, are you okay?” Jimmy ran up to the doctor, knelt to run his hand over Ducky's arms and legs to check for broken bones or sprains. The ME winced as Palmer touched his left leg, but he denied there was any problem.
“No, Jimmy, I'm fine, but please be a dear fellow and find my glasses, I can't see a thing without them.”
“Of course, Doctor. I'll be right back.”
“Here, Duck, let me help you,” said Jethro as he placed his hands under Ducky's arms and helped him into a sitting position resting against the side of the damaged car. As he did so Ducky bit his lip trying to hold back an anguished cry grabbing his leg. Gibbs reached over to brush the doctor's hair out of his eyes to get a better look at his face which was drawn and pale. “Looks like you just earned a ride to the ER, Duck! You need to get checked over.”
“No, Jethro, that is quite unnecessary, I'll be fine. Nothing that a good soak in a tub of hot water and a medicinal shot of scotch can't fix.” But then a sharp pain ran the length of his leg, beginning in his hip. As he felt his muscles stiffening he muttered, “Maybe more than one shot of scotch, instead.”
“Doctor, I found your glasses.”
Jimmy handed them to Ducky who put them on. Immediately, his vision cleared.
“Thank you, my dear boy! That is ever so much better.” Ducky pushed against the demolished vehicle and used it for support as he tried to raise himself from a sitting position. A sharp intake of breath alerted Gibbs who watched his old friend with concern. Ducky sank back down and took slow deep breaths to work through the pain. Perspiration beaded on his forehead and upper lip. Jethro Gibbs placed a hand on the doctor's right shoulder and gave a slight squeeze.
“That's it, Duck, you're outta here.”
Gibbs spoke to Ziva who had been taking photos of the crash site. “Ziva, I need you to continue with processing the scene down here, while Palmer handles the bodies. I'm going to get Ducky to the hospital and have him checked out.”
“Of course, Gibbs. Ducky, is there anything I can do to help?” asked Ziva.
“No, no my dear, thank you anyway,” Duck said between clenched teeth. “Jethro,” he asked quietly, “just how do you propose getting me up that hill? I don't think I'm going to be able to walk up and I sure as hell am not going up on a stretcher!”
Gibbs half smiled at the tone of Ducky's voice. He knew the doctor could be stubborn. “I'll help you, Ducky. Just put your arm around my shoulder and I'll take you up.”
In spite of his pain, Ducky smiled with a bemused look. “This ought to be interesting considering our height differences, Jethro. I can't think of a better way to strain your back or injure your bad knee! No, I will not permit it.” A look of surrender touched his eyes and his voice softened. “ Have the paramedics bring down the stretcher, I can suffer a bit of indignity.”
Ducky spoke with a calmness that belied his inner emotions. To have to be hauled up the hill like a sack of potatoes on a board, instead of climbing up under his own power was embarrassing. But he swallowed his pride and maintained a cheery attitude for the benefit of those watching the proceedings.
Gibbs climbed up along side the stretcher holding Ducky, keeping his hand on his friend's forearm. He could feel the ME's muscles bunch, guarding against the pain that with every jolt traveled through the doctor's leg.
McGee and DiNozzo met the EMT's at the crest of the hill and reached down to assist them with the stretcher. Ducky looked up to see the looks of concern etched in each of the young agents' faces.
“Ducky, that was quite a fall! Are you alright?”
“No DiNozzo, he is not alright!” quipped an irritated Gibbs. “We always carry members of our team up hills on a stretcher just for the fun of it!” He punctuated the last of the sentence with a head slap.
“DiNozzo, McGee...as soon as you are finished up here go down there and help Ziva finish up. Then help Palmer load up the bodies to be transported back to autopsy.”
“Yes, Boss!” Both men chorused.
McGee took a quick moment to touch Ducky's hand and look at the doctor. “Hope every thing's okay, Ducky. McGee said before turning to go down the hill.
“Thank you, Timothy. I'm sure everything will be just fine. Just a sprain here and there,” replied Ducky.
But the look of strain on the doctor's face did not go unnoticed by Special Agent McGee.
The EMT's loaded Ducky into the ambulance. Gibbs started to climb in but the EMT's stopped him. “Sorry, Special Agent Gibbs, it's against policy to bring more than just the patient with us.”
Gibbs set his jaw firmly and stared at them with hardened eyes. “I am not going to leave Dr. Mallard. He and I are good friends. I'm coming.”
The finality in his voice along with the famous Gibbs stare quashed any further comment from the EMT's.
Gibbs climbed into the ambulance and sat next to Ducky's gurney. The doors closed and the ambulance drove off.
As the dust settled behind the retreating ambulance, each of the team looked up in its direction, each one in his own thoughts, hoping that Ducky wasn't seriously injured.
NCIS NCIS NCIS
Ducky's thoughts returned to the present. With a deep sigh he pulled his overcoat's collar up about his neck to ward off the chill of the evening air. “I'm getting too old for this!” he groused. Slowly, he opened the door to the Morgan and with the aid of a cane provided by the hospital slowly limped up the sidewalk and into his dark home.
Story Notes:
This is my first and maybe only fanfic.I hope you will review and let me know what you think of the story and opinions as to whether the story is believable, do the characters as written capture the characters from the series...suggestions and constructive comments welcomed.
Author's Chapter Notes:
We all have to make choices during our life and live with the consequences. How has choices that Ducky made affect the team?
This is not a slash story, but explores the strong bond between friends.
This is not a slash story, but explores the strong bond between friends.