A/N: This is set before the show begins, obviously. I was basically going off what I knew about Gibbs' wives, and my info could be faulty seeing as I've only seen up to season 4. The ex-wife that hit him with the seven iron was (I believe) number 2 (excluding Shannon as an ex). DON'T OWN :( TPTB are the lucky owners of this show.
"So, young man, who was the inflictor of the damage to your head?"
Dr Mallard stands at the end of the hospital bed, quietly studying the man before him.
His hair is cut high and tight – obviously a military man. High pain tolerance as displayed by his 'walking' into a navy hospital with a profusely bleeding head wound. But there's something else.
"My wife."
Oh dear.
"Why? Whatever for?"
The man glances out of the window to the hallway quickly, and then looks back.
"Can I leave, soon? I have to get back to work."
"Not quite yet," Ducky checks the patients chart. "Leroy."
"Gibbs. Only my father calls my Leroy."
"Isn't there something else I can address you by that's a little less, well, distant?"
"…Jethro?"
"A middle name?"
"Mhmm."
The room falls into silence yet again, save for the steady beeping of the monitors.
"When can I leave?"
"After you advise me with what you were hit by, and why."
"A seven iron."
"The golf club?"
"Yep."
"I see. And the reason?" The doctors pen scribbles for a second and comes back to a rest.
"Don't know, ask her."
"Come on now, Jethro. You must know the reason."
"Even if I did, would I tell you?"
"I quite doubt it."
And so the good doctor checks the patient's health and sets out a stringent set of guidelines regarding the intake of a certain drink, or many (because he knows how these military men drink). Against his better wishes, the patient is discharged before the day is over, although sooner to tomorrow than today.
He leaves a note;
Dr Mallard,
Thankyou, but I still won't tell.
And a number. For a moment, the doctor wonders why, but his ponderings of the inexplicable nature of this man's gesture are answered by the words below;
Because this will probably happen again, sooner rather than later.
The doctor smiles, somewhat, copies down the number into the chart and collects the note, leaving for the night. With a backward glance to the room, briefly occupied by a certain Leroy Jethro Gibbs, he chuckles and strolls through the doors.
He certainly is a man of few words.
R&R please. :3