-CHAPTER 3-

Ducky and Gibbs quietly entered the room, getting their first look at the young man's injuries.

Palmer lay unconscious, his head sporting deep bruising around the stitches, while both arms were swathed in bandages up to his elbow from injuries caused by the shattering glass. Because of the deep bruising caused by the seatbelt his cracked ribs remained unbound.

"So, he gonna be okay?" Gibbs asked worriedly, looking at the small, pale figure on the bed.

"Yes, I think he's going to be just fine…physically anyway; when he finds out about the Lt., well that will be another matter entirely." Ducky said, as he pulled Jimmy's chart and was scanning the doctor's notes.

The two men turned when the door opened to reveal another doctor, who was dressed in surgical scrubs and wore a haggard expression; and seemed somewhat surprised to find anyone in the room.

"What are you doing?" the young, blonde doctor demanded accusingly. "Patient records are confidential."

"It's quite all right young man. I'm Mr. Palmer's doctor of record." Ducky answered, replacing the chart.

"Doctor of…you must be Dr. Mallard." the young man said, moving up to greet the older gentleman. "Cameron Jenkins. Jim speaks of you quite a bit."

Chuckling lightly, Ducky returned the handshake. "And is that a good thing or a bad thing, I wonder?"

"Oh, definitely good, Doctor." the young man said. "Jim said he has learned more from your stories than from any med school lecture."

Turning to look at Jimmy, Jenkins said tightly. "So, Dr. Peterson said he was going to be all right?"

"In time, his physical injuries will heal." Ducky said, noting. "I'm more worried about the psychological toll…his friend did not make it."

"Yeah, I know," the younger doctor choked out, looking away from the two men.

Conversation was suddenly cut off when the equipment alarms suddenly sounded as Jimmy's heart rate and respiration gave an abrupt spike.

Moving quickly to his young assistants side, Ducky gently took hold of Jimmy's hand and cajoled, "Mr. Palmer. Jimmy, my boy, you need to wake up…calm down."

"Hey, come on Jim…don't do this…calm down." Jenkins said, moving up to the other side of the bed to push the call button.

Though not regaining consciousness, Jimmy's agitation and heart rate increased to dangerous levels

Seconds later, several doctors and nurses poured into the room.

"Report," Dr. Peterson demanded, coming to his patient.

Dr. Jenkins gave a clipped report to the senior doctor who quickly ordered and administered needed medications into Jimmy's IV line. Within moments the patient's agitation settled and his vitals returned to normal levels.

A collective sigh of relief went around the room as Dr. Peterson reported. "He's stable now."

"What the hell was that? What happened to Palmer?" Gibbs demanded to the room in general.

"He seems to fighting returning to consciousness…spiking his stats." the doctor reported.

"But why," Gibbs demanded.

"I don't know."

"Duck," Gibbs asked.

"He has suffered quite a trauma Jethro. He is quite possibly trying to avoid what he will face when he wakes up. A feeling you can no doubt relate." Ducky said, giving his friend a knowing look.

The doctor made some notations to the chart and left, followed moments later by the nurses, until only Dr. Jenkins was left with Ducky and Gibbs.

"I hope Jim pulls through this. I need to get back to work. I'll check in on him later."

"Thank you, young man. I'm sure Jimmy will appreciate the concern." Ducky said.

The two men barely had a moment to collect themselves when the door flew open and a blur of black raced past them, followed more slowly by Ziva.

"Oh, poor Jimmy." Abby cried, going to her friend and gently taking his hand. "Tony said he was in a car accident. What happened…is he going to be all right?"

"Abs, calm down," Gibbs said quietly. "He's got a concussion and a few cracked ribs, but the doctors got him patched up, he'll be fine."

While Ducky filled Abby in on Palmers injuries, Gibbs motioned Ziva outside the room.

"I do not understand. This was an accident, yet Tony says you wish to investigate." Ziva commented with some confusion.

"Call it a feeling." Gibbs said. "Call McGee, have him look into internships offered by Johns Hopkins…Palmer was on a list, along with the dead Lt.; I want to know who else was on that TBC-

list."