Dr Mallard was staring intensively at the computer screen; he was trying to make out faces on a rather old black and white photograph. It was taken back when he had been a final year medical student at Edinburgh Medical School. He didn't hear the autopsy door slide open and Gibbs enter the room.
"What you got Duks?" Gibbs enquired, now bending over the older man's shoulder, and staring at the screen too.
"My final year University class photograph, I was quite a dapper in those days;" Ducky sighed quietly."
"What's bringing on the nostalgia?" Gibbs asked of his friend, now looking at the old man.
"Jethro, as you know I try, or have tried, to keep up with all this modern stuff," as he pointed to the screen, "This social media, and have recently had an e-mail from Friends Reunited."
"Friends Reunited?"
"Jethro, do you not have any friends you would like to be reunited with?"
"Nope, the past's the past, why live there, you got to move forward."
"Jethro, you used to live…..sorry I should not have said that."
"It's Ok Duks, I remember them as they were, I still love…but yes I sometimes wonder…but what are you trying to do?"
"This Friends Reunited site, it is owned by DC Thomson, you know, the Dundee based publishing company," as he looked at the blank look of Gibbs, "You must remember I told you they produce the Dundee Courier, the Sunday Post…the Beano? OK the Commando comics."
"The comics I remember, I confiscated off DiNozzo, but where's the connection?" Gibbs now enquired wondering where this was leading.
"The Friends Reunited site was re-launched in 2012, the emphasis on nostalgia and memories, and I forgot I had registered years ago. But I got an e-mail from Senga McDougall, she's reverted back to her real name Agnes and married a Patterson."
"So Ducky what is this leading up to?" Gibbs asked shaking his head. "And what's Senga got to do with Agnes?"
"Back in the 60's, early 70's it was customary for young girls of a certain age who were named Agnes, to change it back to front, change it to Senga, it was all very modern. Very forward, bit rebellious."
"And where is this leading?" Jethro began to ask again.
"Sorry, Senga… Agnes is coming to America for a few weeks, but she wants to visit an old friend of hers in Washington, a Sophie Summers, Sophie was in the WRENS, I never knew her, she went to school with Agnes and she was from Glasgow. Sophie went on to marry an American sailor, who was stationed in the Holy Loch, and eventually he was transferred back to Norfolk and Sophie went with him. Agnes said she got a good number working for the British Embassy. Her husband died a few years ago, Sophie's, not Agnes' and Agnes decided it was time to visit before she got too old. Her husband Niall is not travelling with her, as he has Parkinson's and angina, but Agnes will be accompanied by one of her daughters…Lissy."
"So when will they be arriving?" Gibbs now enquired.
"Oh they won't be here for another month, they are coming for the Tartan Day celebrations. Starting in New York and then here but Agnes was just wondering if I would be available for a day or two to catch up on old times."
"So you have a few weeks yet, to see if you can arrange a visit."
"You mean I could ask the Director, if I could show them around?"
"Sure ask Vance, I'm sure he will allow and of course Abby will be delighted."
"Agnes went into General Practise, with her husband, and they had a Practise in the Western Isles," Ducky now answered smiling returning to the screen and typing a rely message.
