He watched his friend stumble for the second time before he moved toward him. Mumbling something to Gibbs he walked quickly away making sure he grabbed his backpack as he went.
He caught up to Jimmy and grabbed hold on his elbow then led his friend to the back of the M.E.'s van. Tony opened the door then sat Jimmy down gently.
He looks into his friends eyes and sees a glassy eyed vacant look, looking back at him.
"Damn Palmer we talked about this." Tony reaches into his backpack and pulls out a can of orange juice. After opening the can he hold it up to Jimmy's mouth and helps him take small sips until his friend can hold the can for himself.
"Slowly Palmer." Tony tells him as he reaches into his bag for a blood sugar monitor and sits it down next to Jimmy. "Finish the juice. I'll send Ducky up to you."
Tony leaves his backpack in the van with Jimmy then gets the body bag and the gurney.
Gibbs looks up from the body in time to see Tony pushing the gurney toward them, "DiNozzo. Why are you doing Palmer's work?"
Tony just smiles then opens the body bag. "Ducky, Jimmy could use your help, he's a little under the weather. I can put the victim in the bag, I'll be careful."
Ducky wastes no time in getting to his protégé, wondering what in heaven's name could be wrong.
Gibbs watches as Tony puts on fresh gloves then as looks through the M.E.'s kit pulling out paper bags and a roll of tape. Tony covers the hands of the deceased, tapes the bags securely then writes his name so that it covers both the tape and the bag. He then lays down a tarp to transfer the body on trying not to disturb any evidence that might still be on the body.
Gibbs slips on a pair of fresh gloves and helps Tony move the body to the tarp then to the body bag. Once the body has been strapped onto the gurney Gibbs grabs the M.E. 's kit while Tony pushes the Gurney back to the M.E.'s van.
"Is he alright Duck?"
"He will be Jethro, luckily Anthony caught it in time. The orange juice he gave him did the trick."
" Boss if you're ready to go McGee and Bishop took the van back."
Gibbs peals out before Ducky is even behind the wheel of his van.
"Well?" Gibbs says as he watches Tony look out of the window holding on for dear life on the oh crap handle.
"I have this friend we went to Ohio State together, he has diabetes and sometimes when the workload got overwhelming he would forget to eat the right things and take his insulin. I was his roommate it was easy to learn what to look out for, to do what had to be done."
"And Palmer?"
"The Autopsy Gremlin is having finals and his beautiful wife has a baby-making mindset. He is doing double duty."
"Duck said you gave him orange juice."
"I like to drink orange juice, I always have a can in my bag." Tony responds with a brilliant smile.
"Right, make sure that McGee and Bishop each carry a can of it too. I'm sure they like to drink it."