Sep 3
Reach out to a friend in need, for the sympathy you feel is their pain in your heart, and both can be eased through sharing.
Gibbs sat in a chair in Ducky's living room. The lights were off; the crackling fire provided the only way to see anything.
He didn't need the lights to pour his friend another scotch and hand it over. Nor did he need the lights to observe Ducky swirling his drink around and around, lost in thought.
It had been a bad day at work. Not connected to the job itself but because Ducky was clearly in turmoil. He had almost autopsied the wrong body, called Palmer 'Gerald' enough times for his faithful assistant to call for help in the form of Gibbs, and then seemed beyond confused.
It hadn't taken Gibbs long to persuade his friend to open up. A glass of scotch, a spot by the fireplace and the peaceful night around them made Ducky talk like no tomorrow.
Even though he had now fallen silent, Gibbs could still hear him thinking.
An old friend, a medical examiner like himself, had keeled over in the middle of an autopsy. Heart attack. Two months younger than Ducky. It had clearly thrown the doctor for a loop. His friends were slowly dying and he had no way of knowing who would be next. Or if it would be him.
Gibbs didn't have anything to say, didn't know what to say. Abby might have been able to soothe their friend with a huge hug, but Gibbs knew his presence alone was reminding Ducky that he was not alone in the world. He didn't have to say anything.
And Ducky knew they were both drawing comfort from each other. Gibbs didn't like to see his friend in such pain, but by sharing they were now prepared to see each other through this dark time.