“I would love to, my dear Abigail, at any other time, but I...”
“Bossman’s orders.”
Ducky smiled. He was more than happy to get away. Most days death did not bother him. It was a normal part of life. But today it had hit too close to home. It was one of his team members. And Ducky was afraid he would have to watch Tony die. Ducky had autopsied Kate, and that had been unbelievably difficult. The most difficult thing he had had to do in his job at NCIS. But today was different. He had not seen Kate die. He had not seen Kate get shot. He had not watched her in her last moments on Earth. But he had seen Tony get shot. He had seen Tony grow weaker and weaker by the moment. He had thought, for a brief moment, that Tony would die. Seeing that and hearing Tony say his goodbyes. Tony knowing how seriously he was injured, that broke Ducky’s heart.
Ducky nodded. “Mr. Palmer, finished up here as soon as you can and meet us at the hospital.”
Abby smiled. “Could never fool you, Duckman.”
Ducky nodded. “That and Jethro would never authorize a daytrip.” Ducky teased Abby and smiled. The humor felt good and he needed to smile.
Ducky climbed into Abby’s hearse. The front seat was deceptively comfortable and he and Abby fell into a comfortable silence, as Abby drove them to the hospital.
“Abigail,” Ducky stopped Abby before they stepped into the ICU ward. “...I must tell you something. I do not want to upset you. But I feel you need to know.” Ducky paused. “There is no easy way.... Tony...Tony told us goodbye.”
Abigail nodded. “I know. I heard Tim tell Ziva in the lab”.
Ducky took her by the arms, gently and led her to a chair. They both sit. “He tried to tell us all. We would not let him finish.”
Abby sat, head bowed, shaking her head and crying. After a moment she looked up. “Gibbs didn’t...?”
Ducky shook his head. “No, no headslaps from Jethro. Young Anthony never got the opportunity to speak to him. He was loaded onto the ambulance too quickly.”
Abby nodded and wiped her eyes. “Probably a good thing.” Abby jumped up from the chair and headed to the desk in the ICU. “We will not let Tony give up, Ducky. He is not allowed to give up.”
Abby and Ducky spent 10 minutes at the nurses’ desk outside Tony’s room. No, they were not relatives. No, they were not his emergency call people. No, they were not associated in any way, shape, or form with his medical power of attorney. They were just his friends and his coworkers, plain and simple, and they wanted to see their friend. Even the fact that Ducky was a doctor didn’t impress them.
Abby and Ducky were about to give up when Dr. Brad Pitt walked up to the nurses’ station he had just been informed that Tony was in the ICU and had come up to consult with Tony’s primary physician.
“Well, hello, Dr. Mallard, Ducky! Abby!” Brad said walking up to the nurses’ desk. He requested Dr. Becker be paged, Tony’s primary physician.
They both turned and greeted him, surprised to see him.
“I was called in to consult with Dr. Becker, Tony’s primary.” Brad looked at the nurses at the station and could feel the tension. “I am guessing here that you are not being allowed into Tony’s room.”
Ducky and Abby nodded.
“Ladies,” Brad addressed the nurses. “This is Dr. Donald Mallard and Ms. Abigail Scuito. They are to be allowed access to Agent DiNozzo’s room at all times. Also, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Special Agent Ziva David, Special Agent Timothy McGee, Jimmy Palmer, and NCIS Director Leon Vance are to be allowed the same privileges. I have already cleared this with Dr. Becker, but please feel free to verify this with him.”
With that Brad, Ducky, and Abby left the nurses’ station and entered Tony’s room. He was still in a coma. He was on a respirator, morphine pump, various IVs. He had also had a chest tube placed. The upper part of Tony’s chest was uncovered and small areas of chest hair had been shaved away to allow for placement of heart monitor leads. His right lower chest was heavily bandaged. A tube had been placed to help drain fluid and to re-inflate the lung.
TBC
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