Is As It Was
Title: Is As It Was
Rating/Warning: None, rated G
Word Count: 2113
Challenge: Amnesty 2008; crossovers challenge
Summary: Ducky tells Tony a story of days gone by.
Author's Note: Torchwood crossover, although no knowledge of that show is really needed to understand this.
The cabin was colder than Ducky would have liked, but that couldn’t be helped. There was no guarantee the chimney was clear and, even if it was, the smoke might draw attention to them, which would not be wise in their current situation.
“Anthony?” Ducky called out quietly, unable to tell in the dim light, if Tony was asleep, and unwilling to disturb him if that were the case.
“Need something, Ducky?” Tony’s reply was quiet as well, and laced with fatigue.
Ducky carefully made his way to the window where Tony was sitting, keeping an eye on the trail leading out into the woods. “I rather doubt you need to worry about them catching up with us tonight. You must be exhausted after carrying Jethro all this way.” Ducky reached out to take Tony’s pulse.
“I just did what I had to do,” Tony said, waving away both Ducky’s concern and his attempted examination. “He would have done the same for me.”
“He certainly would have tried.”
Tony tipped his chair back until he was leaning against the wall and could look past Ducky to where Gibbs lay. “How’s he doing?”
“Jethro should be just fine. There is quite a bit of bruising from where the bullets struck his vest, but that was to be expected. And the one that struck his arm passed right through, with minimal damage. I was able to stop the bleeding and there’s no sign of infection. He’s sleeping now, which is probably the best thing for him.”
“It was close, Ducky. Too close.”
Ducky put a reassuring hand on Tony’s arm. “But it is over, for tonight at least. And I’m quite certain Timothy received your message and will arrive with all the assistance we might require by the morning. Which is good,” he gave Tony a long look, “since, if I am not mistaken, you are about to keel over.”
“Ducky...”
“Now, now, Anthony. I can stand watch for a short time. And you shan’t try to tell me you have no desire to check on Jethro yourself, I would have to be blind not to see how many times you’ve looked over at him.” Ducky tapped Tony lightly on the knee. “I am quite sure the chair next to the bed is just as uncomfortable as this one.”
“But, I...” Tony’s gaze flew from Gibbs’ direction to looking out the window again.
“Go,” Ducky said, grabbing the arm of Tony’s chair and guiding it down so all four legs were on the floor again. “I’ve had many injured comrades in my day, bosses too for that matter, as a result I completely understand the necessity for you to be certain he'll be all right.”
The two men just looked at each other for a moment, until Tony finally capitulated and ceded his chair to Ducky. “You'll keep an eye out?” he asked, gesturing at the window.
“I shall.” Ducky made a shooing motion with his hand, waiting until Tony crossed the room before sitting down. He watched as Tony settled next to Gibbs, shuffling about in the chair as he tried to find a comfortable position. “I believe I did warn you about that.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Tony muttered. “But, I was hoping you were exaggerating.”
“You believe I am prone to exaggeration? You wound me Anthony,” Ducky chided gently.
“No, no. I just, well, you have to admit that upon occasional, sometimes, every so often... You have a lot of stories, Duck.”
“That I do, that I do.” Ducky looked away from the window for a moment and waggled his finger at Tony. “But that doesn't mean that they aren't true. I have had quite the varied career after all.”
“I know. Your own practice, stints with various governmental agencies and police departments and all that.” Tony leaned forward to straighten out a nonexistent wrinkle in Gibbs' blanket.
“You care for him greatly, don't you?” Ducky sensed, rather than saw, the responding shrug.
“He's Gibbs,” Tony said succinctly, as if that explained everything, and in a way, it did.
“And your boss,” Ducky supplied.
“That too,” Tony conceded.
They sat in silence for quite some time before Ducky spoke up. “Have you ever wondered why I speak to the dead? Or consider me a bit strange for doing so?”
“Not really. It's just you being you.” Tony's voice dropped, taking on an embarrassed tone as he realized what he'd said. “I mean... I didn't mean...”
“Don’t worry about it, Anthony, I was not offended. I learned a long time ago that a tale or two can get you through the toughest of times.”
“A long time ago, eh? How long ago was that?” Tony joked. “Kidding, kidding.”
“Believe it or not, I was a fairly shy and unassuming young man back in the day. Then I found myself in Glasgow working for... well, that's neither here nor there- suffice it to say it was a governmental agency- I was fresh out of medical school and rather inexperienced about the world around me. My superior at the time, however...”
“He more than made up for it?”
“Oh yes, and then some.” Ducky leaned forward. “In a lot of ways Jethro reminds me of him. Former military. A strong sense of self. Both adhering to their own set of rules. And they each choose to deal with people in their own manner, consequences be damned. Of course their methods in doing so happened to be on opposite sides of the spectrum. Jack was quite a bit more like you- flirtatious and charismatic while Jethro, well, Jethro tends to be more...” Ducky paused, floundering for the right word.
“Abrupt?” Tony turned in his chair in order to face Ducky.
“Yes, perhaps that is the right term for it.”
“Gibbs isn't what you would call a people person. Unlike your boss. Jack?”
“Yes, Jack. He had such a way about him. Similar to how it is with Jethro - you would find yourself following him anywhere he asked you to - without giving it a moment's thought. And, it would be fair to say that Jack was the consummate 'people person;' I've never met anyone else quite able to match his skills in that regard. He was inspiring, to say the least.”
“Was, Ducky?” Tony asked, responding to Ducky's slight sigh. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories.”
Ducky waved away his concern with a dismissive gesture. “Nonsense. I mentioned him in the first place. It was a time of my life I remember fondly, even if I am unable to speak freely about it.”
“State secrets?”
“Of a sort, yes.”
“I guess that explains why you haven't mentioned any of this before then.”
“But I should have. I learned so much from my days working for him, being with him. Not unlike you and Jethro”
“Ducky, I have no idea what-” Tony began, as he got up out of his chair, but broke off when he stumbled as he caught his foot on the edge of the bed.
“Anthony, Anthony. I do apologize, I did not wish to make you uncomfortable, I was merely commenting on the similarities between the relationship that you share with Jethro with the one I had with Jack.”
“I, err, you don't, I mean... Oww.” Tony put a hand on the mantle to steady himself as he shook out his left foot. "Why do you call him Jack, anyway? You usually call people by their full names.”
Ducky frowned slightly. “You know, I must admit, I have no idea what Jack was short for, that's the only name I ever knew. Captain Jack Harkness. That's how he would introduce himself; 'Captain Jack Harkness ,' he'd say, offering a cheeky grin and a handshake that was anything but staid and impersonal. I'd been warned about him, you know.” Ducky grinned.
“Oh really?” Grabbing the chair, Tony spun it around and straddled it in one quick motion. “Do tell.”
“Well, suffice it to say he and I found many ways to stay warm that winter in Glasgow...”
“Why Ducky, I had no idea!”
“But I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself here. The best place to start a story is at the beginning, is it not?” Tony nodded. “I was young, so very young, but eager to prove myself in my field. There was a small governmental agency, answering only to the crown, that was in need of a medico and I jumped at the chance. I receive a letter requesting, as a test of my skills, that I report to their headquarters to give my opinion on a suspicious death. I was informed I was to perform an autopsy without using the typical tools of the trade, but instead with my eyes. Examine the injuries and come to a conclusion as to what had killed him. My superior, Captain Harkness, was to meet me there and have final say over my hiring according to my report.”
“So you figured it out and he hired you on the spot?”
“Well, to an extent, yes. But I'm afraid it wasn't as easy as that. You see, my examination revealed a multitude of injuries. Some were from what had, obviously, been a fall, but others? Something had been used to slice open the subject, but it was no weapon I'd ever seen before. By taking measurements I was able to determine its rough shape, the angle of the blade- that sort of thing- I was working on a sketch of it when I heard chuckling from behind me.”
“And, let me guess, you thought you were alone in the room?”
“I knew I was alone, except for the dead man on the table.” Ducky scratched his chin. “Apparently, I had been talking out loud to myself the entire time, Jack thought it was quite humorous.”
“Jack, as in your soon-to-be new boss, Jack?”
“Yes.”
“He was pretending to be the corpse?”
“Err, yes. And he did quite a rather good job at it. He hopped off the table and strolled over to where I was working, not even bothering to grab anything to cover himself with. He simply plucked my findings out of my hand to look at them. I was at a complete loss for words, for perhaps the first time in my life; I merely stood there, flabbergasted, as he read. Eventually he told me I'd done a rather satisfactory autopsy; in fact my description of the murder weapon was perfect, one of the few to ever get it right, which impressed him. He said I'd passed his little test and then he hired me on the spot.”
“He didn't mind that you'd missed the fact he was alive when you did the autopsy?”
“Even as young as I was, I couldn't have missed something like that, and I wanted to ask him about it then and there, but never stopped talking long enough to give me the chance. After singing my praises he told me that there was one thing I had forgotten about: that the dead were people too, and if we ask them the right questions - instead of talking to ourselves - they might just tell us the right answers. Advice that has served me well to this very day.” Ducky paused as he heard Tony yawn, but quickly move to try to muffle the sound behind his hand. “Enough of the past, I think. You need to rest. Doctor's orders now,” he added quickly to override Tony's attempt at a protest. “This is not open to debate. Put your feet up and get some shut eye. I want two hours of sleep out of you and not one moment less. I'll wake you to spell me after that.”
“Two hours?”
“Two hours.”
Tony sighed, shifting as he stretched out and put his feet up on the edge of the bed. “Fine. You'll wake me if anything happens.”
It wasn't a question, but Ducky responded anyway. “If there is any change, with anything,” he gestured to the window and then in Gibbs' direction, “I shall inform you directly.” After a few minutes, from the way Tony's breathing evened out, Ducky could tell that Tony had fallen asleep. Ducky turned and looked out the window again, shaking his head as he did so. “I didn't say after which two hours I’d wake him, did I, Jack? It's all a matter of asking the right questions, isn't it? He could have learned quite a bit from your tutelage, although, considering his flirting abilities, perhaps it's for the best that you two never met.” Chuckling to himself, Ducky settled in to wait for sunrise.
Rating/Warning: None, rated G
Word Count: 2113
Challenge: Amnesty 2008; crossovers challenge
Summary: Ducky tells Tony a story of days gone by.
Author's Note: Torchwood crossover, although no knowledge of that show is really needed to understand this.
The cabin was colder than Ducky would have liked, but that couldn’t be helped. There was no guarantee the chimney was clear and, even if it was, the smoke might draw attention to them, which would not be wise in their current situation.
“Anthony?” Ducky called out quietly, unable to tell in the dim light, if Tony was asleep, and unwilling to disturb him if that were the case.
“Need something, Ducky?” Tony’s reply was quiet as well, and laced with fatigue.
Ducky carefully made his way to the window where Tony was sitting, keeping an eye on the trail leading out into the woods. “I rather doubt you need to worry about them catching up with us tonight. You must be exhausted after carrying Jethro all this way.” Ducky reached out to take Tony’s pulse.
“I just did what I had to do,” Tony said, waving away both Ducky’s concern and his attempted examination. “He would have done the same for me.”
“He certainly would have tried.”
Tony tipped his chair back until he was leaning against the wall and could look past Ducky to where Gibbs lay. “How’s he doing?”
“Jethro should be just fine. There is quite a bit of bruising from where the bullets struck his vest, but that was to be expected. And the one that struck his arm passed right through, with minimal damage. I was able to stop the bleeding and there’s no sign of infection. He’s sleeping now, which is probably the best thing for him.”
“It was close, Ducky. Too close.”
Ducky put a reassuring hand on Tony’s arm. “But it is over, for tonight at least. And I’m quite certain Timothy received your message and will arrive with all the assistance we might require by the morning. Which is good,” he gave Tony a long look, “since, if I am not mistaken, you are about to keel over.”
“Ducky...”
“Now, now, Anthony. I can stand watch for a short time. And you shan’t try to tell me you have no desire to check on Jethro yourself, I would have to be blind not to see how many times you’ve looked over at him.” Ducky tapped Tony lightly on the knee. “I am quite sure the chair next to the bed is just as uncomfortable as this one.”
“But, I...” Tony’s gaze flew from Gibbs’ direction to looking out the window again.
“Go,” Ducky said, grabbing the arm of Tony’s chair and guiding it down so all four legs were on the floor again. “I’ve had many injured comrades in my day, bosses too for that matter, as a result I completely understand the necessity for you to be certain he'll be all right.”
The two men just looked at each other for a moment, until Tony finally capitulated and ceded his chair to Ducky. “You'll keep an eye out?” he asked, gesturing at the window.
“I shall.” Ducky made a shooing motion with his hand, waiting until Tony crossed the room before sitting down. He watched as Tony settled next to Gibbs, shuffling about in the chair as he tried to find a comfortable position. “I believe I did warn you about that.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Tony muttered. “But, I was hoping you were exaggerating.”
“You believe I am prone to exaggeration? You wound me Anthony,” Ducky chided gently.
“No, no. I just, well, you have to admit that upon occasional, sometimes, every so often... You have a lot of stories, Duck.”
“That I do, that I do.” Ducky looked away from the window for a moment and waggled his finger at Tony. “But that doesn't mean that they aren't true. I have had quite the varied career after all.”
“I know. Your own practice, stints with various governmental agencies and police departments and all that.” Tony leaned forward to straighten out a nonexistent wrinkle in Gibbs' blanket.
“You care for him greatly, don't you?” Ducky sensed, rather than saw, the responding shrug.
“He's Gibbs,” Tony said succinctly, as if that explained everything, and in a way, it did.
“And your boss,” Ducky supplied.
“That too,” Tony conceded.
They sat in silence for quite some time before Ducky spoke up. “Have you ever wondered why I speak to the dead? Or consider me a bit strange for doing so?”
“Not really. It's just you being you.” Tony's voice dropped, taking on an embarrassed tone as he realized what he'd said. “I mean... I didn't mean...”
“Don’t worry about it, Anthony, I was not offended. I learned a long time ago that a tale or two can get you through the toughest of times.”
“A long time ago, eh? How long ago was that?” Tony joked. “Kidding, kidding.”
“Believe it or not, I was a fairly shy and unassuming young man back in the day. Then I found myself in Glasgow working for... well, that's neither here nor there- suffice it to say it was a governmental agency- I was fresh out of medical school and rather inexperienced about the world around me. My superior at the time, however...”
“He more than made up for it?”
“Oh yes, and then some.” Ducky leaned forward. “In a lot of ways Jethro reminds me of him. Former military. A strong sense of self. Both adhering to their own set of rules. And they each choose to deal with people in their own manner, consequences be damned. Of course their methods in doing so happened to be on opposite sides of the spectrum. Jack was quite a bit more like you- flirtatious and charismatic while Jethro, well, Jethro tends to be more...” Ducky paused, floundering for the right word.
“Abrupt?” Tony turned in his chair in order to face Ducky.
“Yes, perhaps that is the right term for it.”
“Gibbs isn't what you would call a people person. Unlike your boss. Jack?”
“Yes, Jack. He had such a way about him. Similar to how it is with Jethro - you would find yourself following him anywhere he asked you to - without giving it a moment's thought. And, it would be fair to say that Jack was the consummate 'people person;' I've never met anyone else quite able to match his skills in that regard. He was inspiring, to say the least.”
“Was, Ducky?” Tony asked, responding to Ducky's slight sigh. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories.”
Ducky waved away his concern with a dismissive gesture. “Nonsense. I mentioned him in the first place. It was a time of my life I remember fondly, even if I am unable to speak freely about it.”
“State secrets?”
“Of a sort, yes.”
“I guess that explains why you haven't mentioned any of this before then.”
“But I should have. I learned so much from my days working for him, being with him. Not unlike you and Jethro”
“Ducky, I have no idea what-” Tony began, as he got up out of his chair, but broke off when he stumbled as he caught his foot on the edge of the bed.
“Anthony, Anthony. I do apologize, I did not wish to make you uncomfortable, I was merely commenting on the similarities between the relationship that you share with Jethro with the one I had with Jack.”
“I, err, you don't, I mean... Oww.” Tony put a hand on the mantle to steady himself as he shook out his left foot. "Why do you call him Jack, anyway? You usually call people by their full names.”
Ducky frowned slightly. “You know, I must admit, I have no idea what Jack was short for, that's the only name I ever knew. Captain Jack Harkness. That's how he would introduce himself; 'Captain Jack Harkness ,' he'd say, offering a cheeky grin and a handshake that was anything but staid and impersonal. I'd been warned about him, you know.” Ducky grinned.
“Oh really?” Grabbing the chair, Tony spun it around and straddled it in one quick motion. “Do tell.”
“Well, suffice it to say he and I found many ways to stay warm that winter in Glasgow...”
“Why Ducky, I had no idea!”
“But I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself here. The best place to start a story is at the beginning, is it not?” Tony nodded. “I was young, so very young, but eager to prove myself in my field. There was a small governmental agency, answering only to the crown, that was in need of a medico and I jumped at the chance. I receive a letter requesting, as a test of my skills, that I report to their headquarters to give my opinion on a suspicious death. I was informed I was to perform an autopsy without using the typical tools of the trade, but instead with my eyes. Examine the injuries and come to a conclusion as to what had killed him. My superior, Captain Harkness, was to meet me there and have final say over my hiring according to my report.”
“So you figured it out and he hired you on the spot?”
“Well, to an extent, yes. But I'm afraid it wasn't as easy as that. You see, my examination revealed a multitude of injuries. Some were from what had, obviously, been a fall, but others? Something had been used to slice open the subject, but it was no weapon I'd ever seen before. By taking measurements I was able to determine its rough shape, the angle of the blade- that sort of thing- I was working on a sketch of it when I heard chuckling from behind me.”
“And, let me guess, you thought you were alone in the room?”
“I knew I was alone, except for the dead man on the table.” Ducky scratched his chin. “Apparently, I had been talking out loud to myself the entire time, Jack thought it was quite humorous.”
“Jack, as in your soon-to-be new boss, Jack?”
“Yes.”
“He was pretending to be the corpse?”
“Err, yes. And he did quite a rather good job at it. He hopped off the table and strolled over to where I was working, not even bothering to grab anything to cover himself with. He simply plucked my findings out of my hand to look at them. I was at a complete loss for words, for perhaps the first time in my life; I merely stood there, flabbergasted, as he read. Eventually he told me I'd done a rather satisfactory autopsy; in fact my description of the murder weapon was perfect, one of the few to ever get it right, which impressed him. He said I'd passed his little test and then he hired me on the spot.”
“He didn't mind that you'd missed the fact he was alive when you did the autopsy?”
“Even as young as I was, I couldn't have missed something like that, and I wanted to ask him about it then and there, but never stopped talking long enough to give me the chance. After singing my praises he told me that there was one thing I had forgotten about: that the dead were people too, and if we ask them the right questions - instead of talking to ourselves - they might just tell us the right answers. Advice that has served me well to this very day.” Ducky paused as he heard Tony yawn, but quickly move to try to muffle the sound behind his hand. “Enough of the past, I think. You need to rest. Doctor's orders now,” he added quickly to override Tony's attempt at a protest. “This is not open to debate. Put your feet up and get some shut eye. I want two hours of sleep out of you and not one moment less. I'll wake you to spell me after that.”
“Two hours?”
“Two hours.”
Tony sighed, shifting as he stretched out and put his feet up on the edge of the bed. “Fine. You'll wake me if anything happens.”
It wasn't a question, but Ducky responded anyway. “If there is any change, with anything,” he gestured to the window and then in Gibbs' direction, “I shall inform you directly.” After a few minutes, from the way Tony's breathing evened out, Ducky could tell that Tony had fallen asleep. Ducky turned and looked out the window again, shaking his head as he did so. “I didn't say after which two hours I’d wake him, did I, Jack? It's all a matter of asking the right questions, isn't it? He could have learned quite a bit from your tutelage, although, considering his flirting abilities, perhaps it's for the best that you two never met.” Chuckling to himself, Ducky settled in to wait for sunrise.