Show me... Ducky.

Closing her eyes and opening them once more, she found herself looking down at Ducky. He was performing an autopsy, and his face was set deeply in concentration, as his assistance, whose name was determined by Kate a month or so after he began assisting Ducky, passed him the tools and supplies needed to finish the autopsy.

She missed Ducky a lot. More than anyone could guess. He had always been there for her. Whether is was when Tony had fallen deathly ill and everyone thought he was going to die, or the other countless times she had come to him for his opinion, for his help, for his guidance.

For just a small, comforting word, full of knowledge and understanding. Sometimes I got just a plain little hello from him. But for some reason, I miss those too. Sometimes I got a long story about one of Ducky's experiences or another long fact that he had to elaborate on. Just to hear one more, once. Every time you entered the room he would launch into some sort of story, one that could be fascinating, yet one that can occasionally be a bit dull.

As she watched him work, she wished that she could just waltz in there, asking him if he had found anything so that she could report back to Gibbs.

"Well, Mr. Palmer, it seems as though we may have quite a dilemma. It seems as though our young sailor doesn't have fingerprints."

"How is that, Doctor?"

"Well, the young man might have pricked his fingers and poured pineapple juice on them, erasing his marks."

"That doesn't sound very…comfortable."

"Indeed it is not. It is a very painful procedure."

The two continued to finish up the autopsy. Ducky started to close him up, but halfway, stopped and turned to Palmer.

"Mister Palmer, may you finish closing up our guest? I must speak with Miss Sciuto immediately."

"Of course, Doctor."

Kate's eyes followed him out the door. As soon as he left the room, her eyes swept it once more and closed them.