*Previously on "If I ever fell...”:

“Alright, Jethro, are you ready for this part?"  Dr. MacKenzie asked of her patient.

"No, but we'd better get it over with."  Gibbs replied back to her.

"Exactly what I was thinking, too.  Now, just lay back, and let's get started..."

He wasn't ready for this.  He wasn't ready to be told if his condition was better or worse.  He wasn't ready to know his future.  Not like this, not alone... 

As he lay on the exam table, he took a deep breath, trying to let out his tension with it.  The doctor lightly uncovered the section of Gibbs' body covered by the paper sheet and did her normal checks.  She checked his abdomen and pelvis to make sure that there were no problems or anomalies, before traveling down below to his 'lower' regions.  As she inspected his penis and testicles, he anticipated that she'd have to ask him the typical questions, and without missing a bet, she spoke up, "Jethro, how is your sex life?"

"Normal, no problems..."  He responded, hoping that she would stop playing with his junk after that answer. "Same sexual partner as always?"

"Oh yeah, that's not going to change any time soon..."

"Good.  I like him, he's a good fit for you, Jethro."

"I hear that a lot these days, Doc... more than you'd ever know..."

"Alright, Marine... slip your boxers back on, so we can do your ultrasound, and then you'll be done."

'Thank God', he thought to himself.  'But, there is still the ultrasound... the dreaded ultrasound...'

Quickly putting on his boxers and resettling 'himself', Gibbs laid back down on the table.  The nurse placed a towel low enough to catch any gel that would travel beyond the designated area, before squirting the warm substance on his stomach and abdomen.  The doctor swirled the ultrasound wand around in the translucent goo, making sure to get an accurate picture.  She looked around his abdominal region for any anomalies as she normally did.  As she explored around, she stopped suddenly.

"Jethro, have you been having any stomach issues?  Cramps?  Nausea?  Vomiting?  Weight gain?  Things of that nature?"  She questioned honestly.

"I've been having a little cramping, but nothing out of the ordinary...  And, I have been meaning to start working out again.  Why?" He wondered, beginning to feel worry creep up on him.

"When did you last have sex?"

"We've been really busy at work; I don't remember..."

"Okay, then when was the first day of your last hormone rotation?"

"Wow... it's been a while... I think it was like March 20th or 30th maybe... I'm not sure what day, but I know it was in the last half of March..."

"That far away, huh?"

"Yeah, I think so.  Why?"

She placed the ultrasound wand in the perfect spot and saved the picture.  She then turned the screen to show Gibbs what was going on inside of him.  All he saw was what looked like a mass floating in mid-air with the center of it flicking rapidly. 

He immediately knew what that mass was.

"From the looks of things, Jethro..." she stated aloud.  "You are about 14 1/2 weeks along..."

"14 weeks along?"  He responded, still in shock.  "So that means that I'm..."

"About 3 months pregnant.  Congratulations..."

He took a deep breath to keep himself from fainting as the doctor pulled out another device that looked like a radio with a microphone. She placed the wand on his abdomen and turned it on, finding what she was looking for right away.  Jethro heard a sound that he hadn't heard in 26 years... the sound of a baby's first heartbeat.  Hearing it made him get a little emotional.  There was no one else to hear it with him, other than the immediate medical staff.  He wanted one of the members of his team there with him. 

He wanted Tony there with him...

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

As the elevator hit its desired floor, Gibbs stepped out and made his way down the hall to his destination.  Out of nowhere, as he inhaled the mixture of dead flesh and formaldehyde in the air, he felt a wave of nausea hit him.  He promptly found a clean trash can and threw up all of the breakfast that had yet to leave his stomach (i.e. a large coffee and a bagel). 

Wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand, he continued down the hall to the morgue.  As he entered the cold space, the scent entered his nose again.  He quietly covered his nose and mouth with his coat sleeve and hand to block off as much as he could, but it was no use.  He found another trash can and threw up again.  This time, he felt better, but not 100-percent, yet he learned a valuable lesson:  that smell was still horrid no matter what.

"Jethro, are you alright?"  Ducky questioned, seeing his colleague's current state.

"Yeah, Duck... I'm terrific..." The senior agent answered with a sarcastic tone, again wiping off his mouth with the back of his hand.  "How are you?"

"Curious... you never get sick when you come in here normally.  Are you coming down with something?"

"Too late for that... I already have something, and it's not going away for another 6 months or so..."

"Oh, really?  That's interesting.  What is it, if I may ask?"

"Pregnancy..."

"Pregnancy?  Jethro, are you serious?"

" 'Fraid so, Duck... Dr. MacKenzie confirmed it today... I'm 14 1/2 weeks along..."

The former Marine pulled out the ultrasound picture that his OBGYN had given him of the baby and handed it over to the medical examiner.  Ducky examined it quietly, as a soft smile appeared on his face.

"Think I'll make a good father, Duck?"  Gibbs inquired honestly.  "It's been so long since Kelly was alive.  I don't know if I even remember how to be a good dad..."

"Jethro, the all-powerful Buddha once said, 'A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.'"

"Umm... I'm not following you..."

"You can't just 'talk the talk' about being a good father, my friend...  you must also 'walk the walk', so-to speak.  Show everyone how good of a father you can be... show everyone how good of a father you already are.  Then, everything will fall into place..."

"Just that simple, huh, Duck?"

"Well, let's hope this child is nothing like young Anthony...  If so, you're going to have trouble on your hands..."

"That's for sure..."

Gibbs took the picture back from his friend, before coughing loudly, "God, why does it have to smell so horrible in here?"

"Jethro, I don't think you should be down here anymore.  These fumes could harm a developing fetus.  Why don't you go back upstairs to the bullpen an get some better air?"

"Good idea, Duck... I'll talk to you later..."

"I'll be counting on it..."

Jethro moved back to the elevator, pressing the button for his desired floor quickly.  He needed to get the monkey off of his back and tell Tony about his test results.  He needed to know how his partner felt about it.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Gibbs needed reassurance.  He needed...

"Hey, Boss..." a familiar voice stated from behind.

Not that... especially not from him... not now...

"McGee..." the supervisory senior agent replied in his normal gruff tone.  "Anything of interest for me?"

"No, not really..." the team geek answered back.  "Nothing out of the ordinary today... just finishing up paperwork from previous cases.  How are you feeling?"

"I'm good, McGee.  Where are Ziva & Tony?"

"In Abby's lab..."

"And, what are they doing down there?"

"Hanging out?  I'm not for sure, Boss...  I have yet to go down there..."

"Keep up the good work, Tim..."

"Ummm... 'thank you'?"

'A compliment... from Gibbs?  Really??' thought Tim.  'There must be something seriously wrong with him...'

This left McGee in stunned silence.  A doctor's appointment, a compliment, what's next?  An announcement?  Tim could only wait and watch to see what would happen next.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

As he exited the elevator, Gibbs noticed the lack of blaring loud heavy metal deafening him as soon as the doors opened.  It was surprisingly somber, at least made him want to fall asleep.  As he walked through the lab's door, he saw the most interesting sight he had ever seen.

It made him happy enough to smile, even though he should have been quite annoyed by what was before him.

TBC??