Summer of Extremes
A/N: This missing scene covers Gibbs telling the team the news of Ducky's heart attack. And the title is from a favourite Shakespeare quote of mine: 'When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions.'
Chapter 2 – When Sorrows Come...
As he listened to Palmer's voice in his ear, Gibbs' first thought on hearing the news of Ducky's heart attack was, not Ducky... he was supposed to be safe.
"The, er, operation to insert the stents should be in the morning, Agent Gibbs, when the, um, surgeon is happy that Dr Mallard is stable enough to cope with the surgery."
"Is he in a lot of pain?" Gibbs rubbed a hand over his forehead, massaging between his eyes.
"Not too bad he tells me... shortness of breath mainly and he's very weak. He's cranky and wants to get out of here though." Gibbs allowed himself a small smile at Palmer's description.
Ducky never did make the best patient, and that would be exacerbated now with his friend's desperation to get back to the Navy Yard to help with the aftermath of the bombing, even if he wasn't in a fit state to do anything right now.
Palmer went on. "I'm gonna come back to DC in the morning."
"You got a flight?"
"Yeah, and, er, Breena's gonna stay for a day or so here."
"She okay?" Gibbs felt a flash of sympathy for the young couple who were supposed to be celebrating their wedding day and heading off on honeymoon.
"Yeah, she's... been amazing," replied Palmer and there was no mistaking the pride in his voice. "Not sure she'll remember this day for the right reasons though."
"Give it time, Palmer. Ducky won't forget what you and she did."
And neither would he... and he was glad Palmer hadn't been here in the building when it blew. Gibbs was sure the same thought had occurred to Breena too.
"We wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else," said Palmer, simply. "Agent Gibbs, I... haven't been able to get through to anyone else to let them know about Dr Mallard. The team is... they are okay, aren't they?"
"Yeah, McGee's getting stitches from flying glass but everyone else is okay." Gibbs sighed. "We were lucky."
His mind went back over just how close he came to losing everyone... to losing his family, again.
Flashes from the day shot through his head.
The horror of falling with Abby to the floor as the bomb went off... the incredible feeling of relief at seeing Tony and Ziva emerging from the elevator unscathed... the shock of seeing the shard of glass sticking out of a dazed and oblivious McGee's side... the debris field outside the building... a distraught Vance, already starting to blame himself... the sight of Abby sitting amongst the rubble, letting the relief wash over him again at the thought she was alive and unharmed... Cole's body being covered up... other bodies, colleagues, friends in body bags, or with life changing injuries.
And now Ducky... so many miles away, supposedly safe.
"How many weren't so lucky?" asked Palmer, hesitantly.
"Too many, Palmer..." He let the silence drift for a second or two. "I'll tell 'em about Ducky."
When the call was disconnected, Gibbs leaned his hand against the wall for a moment, trying to get a grip on his emotions and fighting the wave of tiredness that swept through him.
What the hell else were they gonna be hit with today?
What else was Dearing planning?
Fornell suddenly appeared at his side, a concerned hand on his shoulder. "Gibbs? What's wrong?"
Gibbs straightened with an effort, holding up his phone. "That was Palmer. Ducky... had a heart attack. When he got the news about the bombing."
Fornell ran his hand over his head. "Oh, jeez... he gonna be okay?"
Gibbs shrugged. "They're operating tomorrow."
Fornell stepped aside as one of the rescue workers moved past where they stood in one of the back corridors by the conference room. "Something else we can lay at the feet of that son of a bitch."
"Oh yeah."
The icy determination in Gibbs' quiet voice was unmistakable and Fornell stared at his friend for a moment.
"Your team's still in the bullpen, Jethro," Fornell told him, guessing that would be Gibbs' next step, telling his team. As Ducky was the father figure of this unlikely family, Fornell knew it was hardly going to be an easy task and he didn't envy the guy.
Gibbs glanced at his friend, nodding his thanks, before pushing off from the wall and heading in that direction.
Fornell watched him go for a moment before heading outside. Gibbs was functioning as he always did in a crisis... rigid, controlled, icy, focused.
The fallout would come later, and Fornell was determined to be around later to stave that off, if he could.
Gibbs rounded the corner into the bullpen, the air still making the throat tickle with dust and smoke but the atmosphere was slightly clearer than earlier. Tony, Ziva and Abby were helping to clear some of the debris from the desks in the bullpen, along with other agents now allowed back in the building.
They all looked up at he approached and Gibbs suddenly felt all of his fifty years and then some. He could see the strain on all their faces and he was about to add to it.
"Hey, Boss." DiNozzo paused and studied Gibbs' face as he halted in front of him. "What's wrong?"
At that, Abby turned from his desk and something in his expression must have registered as her already pale skin blanched further. "Who?"
There was no way to sugar coat this.
He wouldn't even know how to try.
"Ducky."
Abby gasped, hands flying to her mouth and Gibbs reached out a hand to urge her to his side. "Palmer called. Ducky had an heart attack on the beach when dispatch rang him about... this." Gibbs gestured around him. He curled an arm around Abby and she leaned into him. "They revived him and he's in hospital now."
Ziva broke out into muttered cursing, mostly in Hebrew, and turned to land a furious kick on the side panel of the partition by her desk before bracing her arms on the top, hanging her head as she drew in ragged breaths.
Abby shook her head and spun away from him, pigtails flying as she began to pace, her distress evident in her voice. "Oh God, no... no, no, no, not Ducky, Gibbs. Ducky was supposed to be safe. That's what we said earlier, right?" She threw him a pleading glance and he nodded. "At least Palmer and Ducky are away from this... this... hellhole."
"How is he?" Tony interjected quietly before Abby could get into her verbal stride.
Gibbs refocused on his SFA. "Needs an operation to put in stents."
Abby came to a halt in front of him, looking at him with green eyes shining with tears. "Did they get to him in the golden hour, Gibbs, coz that's very important... vital in fact... essential... crucial... critical. The chances of survival increase exponentially if they can get the patient to treatment quickly."
Gibbs nodded, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Palmer said so, yeah."
"Well, that's good, yeah? That's gotta be good. So we gotta be positive, right?... coz we can't lose Ducky... not Ducky... Dear God, please not Ducky..." Abby whispered brokenly, and this time the tears did spill over down her cheeks as her face crumpled.
Gibbs moved forward and tugged her into a hug and her arms went round him to clutch his back tightly. "I know, Abbs. But Ducky's strong."
"And stubborn." Tony put in, his concerned gaze fixed on Abby.
"He's in good hands." Gibbs wrapped his arms tightly around her, pressing a kiss to her hair as she pressed her face into his neck, her breath hitching as she sobbed and he brought one hand up to cradle her head, not caring who saw him.
"Is there anyone this bastard can't reach?" Ziva dealt another furious kick to the panel which had survived the explosion but was now sporting a large dent.
Tony stepped up cautiously behind Ziva, placing his hands on her shoulders and squeezing. "This is no time to be using a contraction, Ziva."
That brought a huffed chuckle from Ziva and a sniffled laugh from Abby where her face was buried into his neck. Gibbs exchanged a grateful glance with Tony over Abby's head, nodding his thanks.
Ziva turned, straightening her shoulders and pulling her control around her with a visible effort. "I was just about to leave to pick up McGee from the hospital and drive him home. I will tell him about Ducky then, if you wish, Gibbs?"
Gibbs titled his head in agreement, as Tony went on. "You sure you don't want me to pick up Tim... your driving might put him over the edge, Ziva."
"I will be fine, Tony... McGee will be fine." Ziva patted her partner on the arm, giving him a brief smile, recognising what Tony was attempting to do with his teasing. She looked over to Gibbs. "I will be back after I have taken McGee home."
Gibbs nodded, watching as Ziva left, before looking down at Abby who was drying her tears with her hands but still not moving from his arms. "You gonna be okay, I gotta go," he asked quietly.
Abby gave him a wan smile, her hands unconsciously brushing dust off his shoulders. "I'll be fine. Go... you're needed elsewhere."
Gibbs released her and Abby stepped back. He snagged her hand before she could turn away. "Come to the house later? Don't want ya to be alone." He also wanted to know she was safe.
"I'd like that, thanks," she said, tentatively, squeezing his hand. "And you shouldn't be alone either." Abby turned away to resume clearing his desk.
Gibbs caught Tony's eye and gestured with his head in Abby's direction, communicating silently that he wanted his SFA to keep an eye on Abby. There was no one he trusted more to look after everyone.
Tony nodded, glancing at Gibbs as he passed before saying quietly, "On it, Boss."
TBC...