Reflections- done by mirrors

A Study of characters

What do you see when looking in a mirror? What's behind those eyes and what is written in them? Is there a chance you see your own reflection the same way others see you?

Dr. Donald Mallard-a man sticking to routine.

Surely he is having an all-day routine, look at the way he´s taking crime scenes in and how he´s wearing bow ties always being smartly dressed. His hair is always combed the same way- ever noticed?

Although Ducky is old-fashioned and rather taking a conservative way of achieving his goals than one of those modern manners. He accepts, unlike Gibbs, technology as part of his life and is not afraid of using any. Even if he has his problems with readers manuals like everyone else of us.

Ducky hosts a passion for the Opera and classics within himself. I'd say he pictures himself as a very lucky man to achieve such a good education like he did.

That man found balance in life. He does not feel any pressure of changing or trying something new. Now one could say, he´s just being boring, but if you asked me; he found his way in between yin and yang, black and white. He knows where he´s going and he´s content with himself. He came to terms with what he lived through during his younger years.

Undoubtedly he is a perfectionist, rarely making mistakes in his diagnosis and yet, where is the loving wife in his life? Has there ever been an other half, or a lives' love?

Had he ever lived on his own or never left "mother"?

What is inside a man who lived with his mother as long as Ducky did?

Unquestioned, lots of love and a sense of family and knowledge about ones roots, but other than that?

Give him a piece of information and you'll get a whole story, because he knows a story to everything, he, the well-educated and polite Scots man.

Every now and then he´s acting like the loving grandfather who just found listeners to his stories of a long foregone past, keen on submitting the intelligence of life and experience, yet too often he finds himself being stopped or interrupted by youth's impatience.

Since death is for eternity, the man of so many words found thankful listeners in his patients, as he refers to the bodies himself.

Not just once in his working career had he seen the necessity in raising a moral index finger, alarmed by his co-workers words, that seem to have bypassed brain and absent-mindedly slipped off their tongues in order to be amusing.

Lots of effort is put into raising and teaching a wise-acting, caring and competent next generation from his side.

Ducky does not shy away from confronting even Jethro.

Loyalty is certainly written in bold letters in Ducks book. Not just because he´s being a Doctor and swore to keep secrets.

If you found your way into that mans heart, he'll hold you there, of that I'm sure. I´m a hundred percent positive he would've done anything for Jenifer Shepard.

There´s something about his eyes, they are alert, observant. You can watch him assessing a situation from the psychological point of view. His glare has nothing like Gibbs´, nevertheless I'm sure; it takes a bit to stand his psychological stare. With his tactics he gets probably as much information as Gibbs and I wouldn't want to be the one to decide which one can make you feel more uncomfortable… Would you disagree? Think you can smuggle anything by under the watchful eye of Dr. Mallard?

And then, what troubles Ducky when seeing his reflection? Does he have regrets about chances not taken? Does Ducky think about his eyes getting worse and his muscles feeling not as strong as they used to?

Is he seeing weakness in his bones and lines in his face, or is the mirror reflecting an image of a time long passed, showing him a much younger Ducky.

Maybe he does not regret but rather welcome all the years ahead of him. Looking forward, seeking even more wisdom. But who to share with once he retired?

How does he pass time on lonely evenings? Reading?

What for do you look back longingly once you're old, having lost the playfulness of your younger ego, lost passionate love affairs or times when you did not think about tomorrow?

That knowledge it is, in addition to experience, that differs age from youth.