"Oh no."
The sound was soft and almost unnoticeable. It came from the corner, where Doctor Mallard was knelt by a body of a young man. The case was a compromised dual-worked one of the FBI and NCIS due to the extent of the numbered deceased being of interest to each agency.
Whilst most were working in the room next door where more of the fatalities were, Timothy had accompanied the doctor into a smaller side room, where the only two bodies in the room had been under NCIS's surveillance.
Turning on his heels from where he'd originally been photographing the scene, the younger agent watched his senior stay frozen.
"Everything okay, Ducky?"
Silence. The doctor did a little shuffled on his heels and what looked like a couple small bounces. "I'm fine Timothy." The strain of pain was noticeable in his voice.
McGee moved towards him and as he closed in, Ducky toppled to his side at the agent's feet.
"Ducky!" McGee darted downwards. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fin –"
"GIBB –" A hand rose and pinched his lips together, ceasing his sentence midway. The hand then dragged his gaze downwards.
"No," Ducky hissed. "Don't call Gibbs. I am fine, really… My back has just been playing up recently and well…"
"When you knelt down, it just, was wrong and now your back has stiffened up?" McGee finished the sentence. Ducky nodded sheepishly. "That's nothing to be ashamed about. It happens." He said, a few decades off actually relating to that sentence.
"Yes… but Gibbs has been telling me to see a physiotherapist for weeks now and if he sees I've left it too late…" Ah. McGee understood now. This wasn't a workplace pride or an aging man unable to admit the need of help; it was about saving face in front of a friend who was about to harshly say 'I told you so'. That he could relate too.
Leaving for a second, McGee went to peak out into the main room. It was still teaming with NCIS and FIB agents. Returning, Ducky had already begun to stretch his back out ever so from the curled position he'd been in prior.
"See, it gets better my boy. I just need a bit of rest." And a crime scene is not that place, especially if Ducky was so concerned with saving face. Pondering a moment, he then went towards the window.
They were on the third floor of an apartment complex. Directly outside the window was a fire escape and directly down and across the road was the M.E van. An idea struck his brain.
"Ducky, would it be okay to move you? Say if you were carried?" The doctor pondered a moment, tried moving himself and winced.
"I think it might be alright."
With that, Timothy opened the sliding window, examined there was enough space to fit them both. Returning, he gently rolled Ducky onto his back and slowly got him to bend his knees with a few sharp inhales of breath. Then lifting him, McGee was surprised to find Ducky much lighter than he anticipated.
"You lifted with your back! You're supposed to lift with your legs, boy!" Ducky scolded. Rolling his eyes, McGee proceeded to carry him out the window toward the fire escape. It took some awkward shuffling across the ledge whilst he held the man, before both were successfully out.
Looking back, no one had come to check on them. McGee then darted as quickly as safety would allow him down the three flights of stairs, before they made it to the street. Thankfully, the stairs went all the way down to the ground for some of the elderly living in the building and that the gate at the bottom had been unlocked for their investigations.
Running across the road, McGee awkwardly tried with his hands to get the van door open, before Ducky reached out and opened it for him.
"Your hands are a little full Timothy." He smiled, poking fun at the situation. Jumping up into the van, McGee laid Ducky out on the stretcher. Instantly, he reached into a side cabinet and pulled out a pill bottle, taking two of whatever was inside.
"I'll just… leave you here then?" McGee asked, unsure.
"Yes Timothy, thank you. I need to rest myself for a little bit. If anyone asks, just say I'm in the van getting something."
He nodded back. "Okay, well, hope whatever those two tablets were work." Moving to leave, he felt Ducky grab his wrist, stopping him.
"Really Timothy, thank you. It gets harder to admit these things as you get older… specially to our friends."
"Promise me you'll see a physio soon about that back?" Ducky huffed in response.
"… Deal… Now go back to it before anyone notices us both gone."
Smiling, McGee got up and hopped out the back of the M.E van. Looking at the closed door, he hoped that he'd be a bit better than Ducky when he reached that age. Or better yet maybe actually retired. He could never imagine retiring.
Turning round to head back in, McGee collided with another person. The bump was sudden and knocked McGee more than the other person. Blinking, he realised it was Tony, the fellow agent grinning ear to ear with his shades on. He obnoxiously blew bubble gum and let it loudly pop.
"So… What ya doing carrying Ducky about?"
"Um… well…No. It's personal to Ducky, so I don't have to tell you."
"Oh, come-"
"No. It's personal to Ducky, so I don't have to tell you." He stood his ground, noticing even behind the shades how Tony rolled his eyes.
"Fine whatever… Carry back up the stairs though?"
Sorry for the delay in update. Hope you are enjoying and please leave a review.