Chapter 22
At the autopsy...
Gerald, Ducky, and the unknown man take out a body, that the man requested. The body belonged to a Israeli terrorist, who was shot twice.
„Right ventricle, left atria. You haven't done the autopsy yet" He seemed surprised.
„It was late. I was due to autopsy today" Ducky defended himself.
„Then you better place him n the table, immediately. Did you draw blood last night?" He asked.
„Yes" Ducky answered. All of his answers to this man seemed to be cold and flat.
„Is it refrigerated here? " He looked in the refrigerator's way.
"No" Ducky responded.
"You sent it with his clothing to forensics?" He kept questioning them.
"Yes. Are you a pathologist?" Ducky asked.
"Where is the lab?" He said, ignoring Ducky's question.
"Directly above us" Gerald quickly responded.
"There's a stairway you can go with" Ducky added.
"Not the elevator?" The man became suspicious.
"Well, I thought it would be too risky for you" Ducky said.
"Are those emergency stairs?" He asked.
"No. That would be alarmed" Ducky said.
"Surveillance camera?" He smiled.
"Yes. I said the truth!" Ducky defended himself.
"You tried to trick me" He said.
"That wasn't a condition" Ducky said.
"It is now" He said back. Ducky sighed, with worry. The man said:
"Call the lab"
"Fine" Ducky said and turned to the phone. He dialed Abby.
At the lab…
Abby's listening to the Android Lust. It is really loud. Abby hears her phone ringing. She picks up.
"Ducky, you're in early!"She says.
'Turn down the babble, Abby!'
"Babble? Ducky, you love Android Lust!" She says, as she was offended.
'Not distorted by a speaker phone!'
"Ducky, you're such a purist! What's up?" She laughs.
'I need the evidence Gerald delivered last night'
"Oh, good luck. I haven't had my morning sprinkles yet" She says.
'I don't want the results. I need all the evidence back, including blood'
"What are you going to do with the blood?" Abby asks, curious.
'Just bring it down here!'
"Wow, did you get up on the wrong side of autopsy table?" Abby jokes.
'Sorry. I have a theory to test'
"Want to share?" She suggests.
'Not quite yet.'
"Okay. Send Gerald up" She says.
'He's busy. You'll have to bring it down here.'
Abby freezes with his words. She imagines her dead body on the autopsy table, with blood coming out of her chest. She had a nightmare six months ago. She dreamed that Ducky was performing an autopsy on her, and since then, she's totally freaked out.
"Ducky, you know I can't do that" She squealed.
'Abby, I have no time for your necrophobia right now.'
"I am not necrophobic. Dead bodies don't freak me out. Autopsy does" She bites her lip.
'Don't worry, we're doing an infectious autopsy, you can't enter. Just drop it at the door'
"I can't even press the down button at the elevator anymore!" She whines.
'Well, then get Gibbs to do that. STAT!'
He hangs up.
At the autopsy…
"Am I really to believe this?" The man asks.
"She had a horrible dream six months ago, and now won't even dare to enter the autopsy" Ducky sighed.
"Gerald, is that true?" He turns to Gerald, questionably.
"Yeah, she hasn't been in here for a while" Gerald nodded.
"Off course, a code word could've easily triggered that absurd conversation" He said.
"Please. Abby and I aren't special agents. We do not have code words" Ducky said back. "And I'm sure you understand the power of phobias" Ducky added.
"Butterflies" He unexpectedly said.
"Sorry" Ducky said.
"I fear butterflies" He said smiling.
"Good. It's not good, your phobia, but that you now understand the power of phobias" Ducky continued the autopsy.
"Who's Gibbs?" He said, with a wide smile. Ducky looked at him, scared.
"Gibbs, he's the only person Abby has told about her phobia too" Ducky responded.
"Is he a special agent?" He asked.
"Yes and why does it matter? Look, I'm trying to give you the evidence, so you could leave us all alone" Ducky says angrily.
"How long have you been working for Dr. Mallard, Gerald?" He turned to Gerald.
"Not so much long, sir" Gerald said.
"Quick on his feet?" He asked.
"He was a miller at Eton. Still recalls of his races back then" Gerald smiles a bit.
"Your sense of humor seems to be contagious, Dr. Mallard" He turns back to Ducky.
"No, I'm afraid Gerald took you literally. I do recall often of my racing days. He assumed that 'quick on his feet' meant my college years" Ducky said, somewhat proud.
At the NCIS bullpen…
Abby runs out from the elevator, with a box full of evidence. She looks around. No sign of Gibbs. She runs to Kate.
"Where's Gibbs?" Abby asks.
"Um, he's with the director. Is everything okay?"Kate says.
"Where's Tony?" Abby asks nervously.
"The head. Abby, tell me what's wrong!" Kate demands.
"Ducky needs all this evidence in autopsy ASAP" Abby says.
"Before you've tested it?" Kate asks.
"Yeah" Abby responds.
"That's odd" Kate says.
"Yeah. I can't go down autopsy" Abby says.
"Why?"Kate asks.
"I had a weird dream six months ago, and since then, I'm freaked out of autopsies" Abby confesses. Kate chuckles.
"Why are you laughing?" Abby said, insulted by her laughing.
"Sorry. Sorry. I was um… I was just thinking of Tony" Kate said. Abby lifted her eyebrow.
"Tony's afraid of autopsy too?" Abby asked.
"No, he dreams of vampires" Kate said.
"Oh. I dig vampire dreams" Abby grinned.
"Oh, well, Tony sure doesn't" Kate laughs.
"Well that's just silly" Abby says.
"So, do you want me to take this evidence to Ducky?" Kate asked.
"Would you?" Abby asks with her eyes sparkling.
"Yeah, sure" Kate says. Abby hugs her.
"Thanks!" Abby says.
"No problem" Kate pushes her off.
"Sorry. And you have to sign to maintain the chain of evidence, by the way" Abby added.
"Okay" Kate nodded.
"Ducky also said he's doing an infectious autopsy" She said.
"On who? The terrorist?" Kate asked.
"I don't know" Abby shrugs.
"Well, why would he do an infectious autopsy on Qassam, when you haven't done the blood tests?" Kate thank out loud.