Chapter 10: Ducky's tale
A couple hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. "Never leave that 'till tomorrow," he said, "which you can do today."
This is the man who discovered electricity. You'd think more of us would listen to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd say it has a lot to do with fear.
Fear of failure, fear of pain, fear of rejection… Sometimes the fear is just of making a decision. Because, what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo?
- Dr. Meredith Grey – Grey's Anatomy – 01x06
It was with certain trepidation that Ducky landed Wednesday afternoon in St. Louis in his quest after his ex-autopsy assistant. Since the young man's disappearance – no, he didn't disappear per se, he simply left without saying goodbye after being submitted to countless trials without even a hint of support of those near to him – Ducky kept reviewing the last few months in his mind and shuddered at each dismissal Jimmy had to face, each haughty look thrown his way, each time Ducky had carelessly cut him off not allowing the boy to speak his mind, despite the eagerness quite apparent in his eyes every time he came to talk to the older doctor.
Shaking his head to dispel the morose thoughts that insisted to haunt him, Ducky hurried out of the airport and hailed a cab, eager to drop his go bag at the small hotel Jethro had been so kind to book for him before getting ready to face the hardest moment in his life: visit the morgue of St. Louis County hospital and request to see the still unclaimed bodies of those who had perished at the accident.
And that was only one of the many hospitals he would visit that day.
NCIS NCIS NCIS
"Hello, dear. My name is Dr. Mallard and I am here to identify a body…"
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"Oh, dear. That's not my boy. Thank God. Do you know anyone in the other hospitals where the victims were taken? Really…"
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"Hello Dear. Dr. Morris called ahead informing you of my arrival. I'm here to look at the injured list of the accident and also at the bodies…"
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"Hello. My name is Dr. Mallard and…"
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"No, ma'am. This is not my boy. You see, I was informed that his car was in the accident but I have already visited three hospitals in the city but he's not either in the injured or the dead list. Is there anywhere else where they could have taken the injured? Ah… you have a two John Does now in ICU. May I see them?"
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Physically tired and emotionally exhausted, Ducky arrived at the end of the night back at his hotel after doing his rounds in four hospitals in the city. As the number of victims had been staggering high, the injured were charted off to different hospitals throughout the city in order to guarantee that one single hospital wouldn't be overwhelmed with patients.
Just driving from one hospital to another was a trial, as the adrenaline of finding no sign of Jimmy among the silent dead lying in the cold slabs of the morgue was soon substituted by the anxiety of visiting the next hospital to check the next E.R., the next morgue.
The lack of news was terrifying, but the emotional upheaval was charging a hefty price from the older man's health: His head hurt and his stomach was all tied in knots, making it impossible to feel hunger or thirsty. But Ducky was aware of his limits, so he forced himself back to the hotel for a calm meal and a night of rest, before setting off in his quest again the following morning.
A/N: Hello dears, I would like to apologize for the lack of updates but I assure you that it was for lack of trying. has been cruel to me as I wasn't able to log into it the whole week, not even to answer reviews.
So I will try to catch up in the current WIPs while it still allows me in the doc manager area.
Cheers.
Kos