Nov 10
Only as you do know yourself can your brain serve you as a sharp and efficient tool. Know your own failings, passions, and prejudices so you can separate them from what you see.
Bernard M. Baruch (1870 - 1965)
Jimmy Palmer glanced up from his work as Tony walked into Autopsy. The agent ignored him, as usual, and began asking Ducky a series of questions.
He turned back to his task of removing Private O'Donnel's brain. Ducky had given him a more responsible challenge than normal, and he was determined to prove he was up to it. So far, he had used the saw to open the skull, and now he was staring at the gray mass inside.
He looked up at Agent DiNozzo. The agent was asking some silly questions in Palmer's opinion, but he knew better than to draw attention to himself. Ducky wouldn't mind at all – in fact he would welcome it – but Tony would transfer his energy and enthusiasm onto him, and he didn't want another bruise on his back if Tony slapped it again.
"What are you doing, Autopsy Gremlin?"
Oops, he had been spotted. Time to fade back into the shadows, not that there were any shadows down here.
"Brain." He tried to look nonchalant and shrugged.
"Ooo."
Damn, Tony was interested. How to keep him away? Palmer lifted the brain out of the skull and held it up as if to examine it. Unfortunately, Tony didn't back off.
"If you look closely," Palmer began, deciding his best option was to start to lecture like Ducky. "You can see –"
It slipped out of his hands and landed on Tony's shoes. His brand new ones that he had been boasted about all day so much that even he and Ducky knew about them.
Ducky put his head in his hands as Palmer began to stutter out a response.