It was a late night, after a long case, and Ducky and Jimmy were cleaning up in autopsy. "Dr. Mallard why do people call you Ducky?" Jimmy blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Mr. Palmer everybody knows that it is just an unfortunate name given to me when ideas younger that I have actually grown somewhat fond of.".
"But Dr. Mallard there has to be some sort of story to go with this, you have a story to go with everything." Never before had Jimmy seen the doctor go so silent as he did after he started prying for a story about Ducky's nickname. The M.E . started into space as if he had been transported to another time.
"Jimmy let me tell you a story about my youth. It is a tale about friendship and young love."
"When I was young I lived on a larger piece of land somewhat far away from the nearest city. There were very few neighbors, so I often talked to myself and other random people and things that I saw. Once I was old enough to attend school mother sent me to a private school that was about twenty minutes away from our house. When I got there I was a socially awkward lad because I had never really been around people of my own age. I didn't have very many friends for a long time, until one day we got new neighbors in the house down the road from me. The boy that lived there was my age and he ended up going to the same school as me. His name was Angus Clarke and he became my best friend. Now Angus started out being almost opposite from me. He was cool and well liked, but now that I was his partner in crime so to speak I learned his tricks and became cool almost by default. I gained many "friends" because of Angus, but none of these people meant anything to me until Maggie. Angus and I became friends with Maggie when she sat down right in between us and said
'Hello I'm new here I need friends, what are your names?'
Angus and I exchanged a look and he chuckled 'Angus Clarke, who are you?'
I said 'Donald Mallard, but you can call me Donnie. It's very nice to meet you, but I'm afraid that I don't know your name.'
She paused for a moment and studied us closely then finally said 'alright then, Angus and Ducky, my name is Maggie and you seem like very good friends to have indeed.' I vaguely remember Angus laughing and me turning bright red until I finally managed to squeak out 'Oh no Maggie I think you've misheard me. People call me Donnie not Ducky.'
'No, I didn't mishear you, I just decided that Ducky suited you better.'
And that my dear boy is how Maggie, Angus, and I became inseparable. And I have loved Maggie everyday since she first gave me that nickname."
"Okay it all makes sense now." Jimmy said after absorbing the story. "Why haven't you ever elaborated for anybody else?"
"Well Mr. Palmer, I don't like to talk about my emotions, especially when they're referring to Maggie. They remind me about the day that I left the love of my life and my best friend, and I would rather keep that all locked up than anything. As for why I told you, well, you're one of the closest people to me in my entire life, you know all the details about the day I left my fellow "musketeers" to become a doctor, and this is all a good lesson."
"What's the lesson here Dr. Mallard?"
"Don't bury your past because it will only make you miss it more."
