Part 4: Broken Hearted

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the song How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by Barry and Robin Gibb.

In autopsy, Ducky was just finishing up with his latest patient while giving him some sage advice, "…and try not to let her talk your ear off again. There will be scars if I have to reattach it many more times."

As Ducky put away his equipment, Tim said in a low tone to Jimmy. "How do you manage?"

Jimmy looked nervously at Ducky's back and whispered. "I'm getting pretty good at fixing the damage myself. I've attached Velcro to mine for emergencies."

"Where is he? Is he okay?" Abby rushed into the room and caught sight of Tim. "Timmy I swear I didn't mean to do that to you again, but I couldn't not tell you about that seminar at the last conference I attended about forensic DNA techniques and that reminded me of something Sister Rosita said, that I'd been meaning to tell you because you might find the pro bono work…"

"Enough, Abigail!" Ducky stopped her. "He's going to be sensitive for the next few days. Please, speak quietly and slowly."

"Can I give him a hug?"

"Just be careful you don't squeeze him to death." Jimmy snorted. When no one else laughed, he looked around at the others' pained expressions. "What?"

Ducky took Jimmy aside. "Please don't bring that up, my boy."

"It was only a joke."

"I know you meant it that way, but did you ever wonder what happened to Cassie Yates?"

"I assumed she'd been transferred."

Ducky shook his head and shot a significant look at Abby who was talking with exaggerated slowness to McGee.

"No, you aren't serious. That isn't…"

He was interrupted by the ringing of Ducky's phone. "Ah, Jethro! How are you?"

"No time for small talk, Duck. Need you here pronto to deal with a couple of bodies. Bring Palmer and McGee with you."

"Ah, you have a crime scene. Are Ziva and Tony with you already?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"What does that mean?"

"They're part of the crime scene."

"Good heavens, Jethro! What happened to them?"

"No time to talk now. I'll explain it to you when you get here."

"We'll be right there." Ducky turned and saw the others staring at him. They knew.

"Who is it?" Tim managed to ask.

"I'm afraid Tony and Ziva are gone."

Abby put her hand over her mouth, made a small choking sound and fell to the ground.

"Abby?" Tim fell to his knees beside her.

Ducky joined him and checked her pulse. "Tim help me; she needs CPR."

After thirty minutes of CPR, with the three men taking turns in the attempt to revive her, Abby's heart was still not beating.

Tim rocked back on his heals with tears in his eyes. "It's no use."

"Don't give up on her just yet, my boy." Ducky continued the compressions.

"It's been thirty minutes and her heart isn't beating."

"She could still be revived. I know of a tribal leader in Irian Jaya…"

"Ducky please, don't give me false hope."

"I won't do that, but would you give up on her with out at least trying? Jimmy, bring that X-ray equipment over here."

As Jimmy pulled over the machine, Ducky gave him instructions. "Put it on the Polaroid setting. We need those pictures as soon as possible."

The X-ray was taken and the film spooled out of the machine with a whirring noise. It was blank, but within a few moments a picture began to emerge.

Ducky stuck it up on the light board. "Oh, dear. I'm afraid she is beyond our help. What do you see here, Timothy?"

"It looks like her heart actually split in half. Are you sure we can't fix it?" Tim turned to the M.E. imploringly.

The lights dimmed and a spotlight beamed down on Jimmy who was at a piano playing softly. Ducky walked into another spotlight, grasped a microphone, and began to croon.

How can you mend a broken heart?

How can you stop the rain from falling down?

How can you stop the sun from shining?

What makes the world go round?

How can you mend this broken man?

How can a loser ever win?

Please help me mend my broken heart

And let me live again.

The lights returned to normal, and Ducky walked over to Tim. "Despite the hope the expressed by the composers of this song, I'm afraid it is an impossible task. Now, we need to let her go and take care of your teammates.