Capture & A Cuppa: NCIS: Donald Mallard: 019 White
As the agent jolted awake, a blinding white light pierced his vision. His pupils and eyelids reacted instinctively, trying to shut it out. Gradually his other senses began to kick in. He was on his side, on cold, rough stone. He found he was clasping his own head with both hands, trying to stop a deafening ringing inside. The blood pumped furiously in his ears, but his legs felt cold, dangerously cold. Gripping his hair with his fingers he willed them to move. He found he could only rock his torso.
Feeling the dryness of his throat he wasn’t sure he could cry out, but his lips opened of their own volition. As a boot connected with his ribs, a wave of sensation, at first refreshed pain as his torso remembered previous assault, a rising nausea and increased pounding in his head, overtook him and his world went black again.
~~~~~~~~
The light had gone now. His senses still burned; so many signals were fighting for attention in his brain, but he was gradually becoming aware of shouting, gunfire, scuffling, the clinking of metal and the sliding of bolts. The cacophony decreased and the movement slowed. The agent waited in the dark, with no visual information, until a door was ripped open. He forced the muscles of his eyes to respond and tried to focus as a figure shifted across the dim light at the door. It came at him. He instinctively flinched until a harsh, familiar voice managed to cut through the confusion of his mind.
“Probie! Probie! ... Jethro!”
Firm hands checked him over quickly, then one brushed over his hair. He was safe now. He passed out again.
~~~~~~~~
Coming round, it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes later as he was still on that hard floor, Jethro found he was responding to a softer tone. Keeping his eyes closed to hold his focus on the sound, he heard an unfamiliar voice running through his vital signs. The accent was as unfamiliar as the voice, but his jumbled mind couldn’t place it. He breathed deeply a few times then attempted to see his carer at the same time as lift himself from the floor.
“Oh no you don’t, young man! We’ll pick you up when I say. Not long now and you’ll be out of here. Just a little more patience, if you please.” Jethro began to focus on the face. It softened into a smile. “I’ve got you now.”
~~~~~~~~
Allowing others to attend to him was not in Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ nature. Especially after a stint of what apparently had been a fortnight at the mercy of his captors. Not that he could remember a great deal about that now. His mind was working very hard to shut it out. He sat up, motionless in the hospital bed, not entirely comfortable with the clinical, white surroundings he was having to look at. Most of what he remembered of the last two weeks was darkness and whilst this was the exact opposite, it was less than welcome.
“Good to see you’re your usual stiff-ass, grumpy self, eh, Probie!” The gruff voice was followed by its owner into the room.
Tilting his head slightly at his superior, Jethro just watched him as he came to hover by the bed. A shorter gentleman, who Jethro only noticed once Franks had moved across, came to stand by his side. His bedside manner was a little more honed.
“Agent Gibbs. How good to see you so well recovered.” The gentleman, Jethro couldn’t think of anything more suitable to call him, as both his dress and speech indicated he was such, offered his hand. “Donald Mallard, Ducky to you, though, I hope.”
Jethro took the proffered hand and, making sure he didn’t flinch at how his torso reacted, shook and nodded acknowledgement. He saw a knowing look pass across the older man’s face as he did so. He’d obviously registered his discomfort.
“Doctor Mallard here is our new Medical Examiner. Started while you were ‘away’.” The older agent chuckled some. “You may or may not remember him picking you up off of that floor you called a home for a while. I think he’s gonna prove handy to have around with the scrapes you get into, boy!” Franks’ faced changed a little as he registered the look passing between the other two men. He smiled. “I’m gonna go see if they have such a thing as decent coffee around these parts. I’m sure you’d appreciate some, Probie?” Jethro nodded. Franks looked to Ducky.
“No, I’m fine thank you.” ‘British,’ thought Jethro, ‘of course he is.’ His mind was still working slow.
Franks made one last glance at the other two, then turned from the room.
~~~~~~~~
As Autopsy’s doors slid open, the ME swept across to the sink to wash up. It was rare he had guests venture down here and most wouldn’t appreciate smears of bodily fluids on the paperwork they had inevitably come to collect or deposit. Not that Ducky would dream of doing that, but he found it avoided awkwardness if he washed up as soon as anyone appeared. This guest however, he hadn’t seen down here before. In fact, he hadn’t even known he was out of hospital yet.
Jethro hovered by the ME’s desk and waited for him to finish up and come to him. Ducky noticed he was holding a cup of something hot and not from the building’s catering services either. If he wasn’t mistaken, he didn’t smell coffee, but tea, as he approached.
“Agent Gibbs!” Ducky’s smile was warm. “Very good to see you up and about. What can I do for you?”
Jethro lifted the cup a little, “Um, just thought you might like a decent cup of tea, you know, just as a kinda thank you.”
“Oh Je... Agent Gibbs...”
Jethro laughed, “Jethro’s fine. That was the first name you used for me anyway.”
Ducky smiled. “Ah, but you were my patient then. And it was my pleasure to be able to assist, even if that is not my normal medical capacity any longer. But thank you.”
“Yeah, gave you more grief than most of your usual patients too.”
Ducky laughed at that. “Indeed.” He turned his attention to the cup he now had in his hand and lifted the lid to take in a little of the aroma. “Mmm, Earl Grey... and white! How did you know?”
Jethro smiled and patted him on the shoulder before turning to leave.
“You’re welcome, Ducky.”
~~~~Fin~~~~
My Fanfic100 Table
Feeling the dryness of his throat he wasn’t sure he could cry out, but his lips opened of their own volition. As a boot connected with his ribs, a wave of sensation, at first refreshed pain as his torso remembered previous assault, a rising nausea and increased pounding in his head, overtook him and his world went black again.
~~~~~~~~
The light had gone now. His senses still burned; so many signals were fighting for attention in his brain, but he was gradually becoming aware of shouting, gunfire, scuffling, the clinking of metal and the sliding of bolts. The cacophony decreased and the movement slowed. The agent waited in the dark, with no visual information, until a door was ripped open. He forced the muscles of his eyes to respond and tried to focus as a figure shifted across the dim light at the door. It came at him. He instinctively flinched until a harsh, familiar voice managed to cut through the confusion of his mind.
“Probie! Probie! ... Jethro!”
Firm hands checked him over quickly, then one brushed over his hair. He was safe now. He passed out again.
~~~~~~~~
Coming round, it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes later as he was still on that hard floor, Jethro found he was responding to a softer tone. Keeping his eyes closed to hold his focus on the sound, he heard an unfamiliar voice running through his vital signs. The accent was as unfamiliar as the voice, but his jumbled mind couldn’t place it. He breathed deeply a few times then attempted to see his carer at the same time as lift himself from the floor.
“Oh no you don’t, young man! We’ll pick you up when I say. Not long now and you’ll be out of here. Just a little more patience, if you please.” Jethro began to focus on the face. It softened into a smile. “I’ve got you now.”
~~~~~~~~
Allowing others to attend to him was not in Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ nature. Especially after a stint of what apparently had been a fortnight at the mercy of his captors. Not that he could remember a great deal about that now. His mind was working very hard to shut it out. He sat up, motionless in the hospital bed, not entirely comfortable with the clinical, white surroundings he was having to look at. Most of what he remembered of the last two weeks was darkness and whilst this was the exact opposite, it was less than welcome.
“Good to see you’re your usual stiff-ass, grumpy self, eh, Probie!” The gruff voice was followed by its owner into the room.
Tilting his head slightly at his superior, Jethro just watched him as he came to hover by the bed. A shorter gentleman, who Jethro only noticed once Franks had moved across, came to stand by his side. His bedside manner was a little more honed.
“Agent Gibbs. How good to see you so well recovered.” The gentleman, Jethro couldn’t think of anything more suitable to call him, as both his dress and speech indicated he was such, offered his hand. “Donald Mallard, Ducky to you, though, I hope.”
Jethro took the proffered hand and, making sure he didn’t flinch at how his torso reacted, shook and nodded acknowledgement. He saw a knowing look pass across the older man’s face as he did so. He’d obviously registered his discomfort.
“Doctor Mallard here is our new Medical Examiner. Started while you were ‘away’.” The older agent chuckled some. “You may or may not remember him picking you up off of that floor you called a home for a while. I think he’s gonna prove handy to have around with the scrapes you get into, boy!” Franks’ faced changed a little as he registered the look passing between the other two men. He smiled. “I’m gonna go see if they have such a thing as decent coffee around these parts. I’m sure you’d appreciate some, Probie?” Jethro nodded. Franks looked to Ducky.
“No, I’m fine thank you.” ‘British,’ thought Jethro, ‘of course he is.’ His mind was still working slow.
Franks made one last glance at the other two, then turned from the room.
~~~~~~~~
As Autopsy’s doors slid open, the ME swept across to the sink to wash up. It was rare he had guests venture down here and most wouldn’t appreciate smears of bodily fluids on the paperwork they had inevitably come to collect or deposit. Not that Ducky would dream of doing that, but he found it avoided awkwardness if he washed up as soon as anyone appeared. This guest however, he hadn’t seen down here before. In fact, he hadn’t even known he was out of hospital yet.
Jethro hovered by the ME’s desk and waited for him to finish up and come to him. Ducky noticed he was holding a cup of something hot and not from the building’s catering services either. If he wasn’t mistaken, he didn’t smell coffee, but tea, as he approached.
“Agent Gibbs!” Ducky’s smile was warm. “Very good to see you up and about. What can I do for you?”
Jethro lifted the cup a little, “Um, just thought you might like a decent cup of tea, you know, just as a kinda thank you.”
“Oh Je... Agent Gibbs...”
Jethro laughed, “Jethro’s fine. That was the first name you used for me anyway.”
Ducky smiled. “Ah, but you were my patient then. And it was my pleasure to be able to assist, even if that is not my normal medical capacity any longer. But thank you.”
“Yeah, gave you more grief than most of your usual patients too.”
Ducky laughed at that. “Indeed.” He turned his attention to the cup he now had in his hand and lifted the lid to take in a little of the aroma. “Mmm, Earl Grey... and white! How did you know?”
Jethro smiled and patted him on the shoulder before turning to leave.
“You’re welcome, Ducky.”
~~~~Fin~~~~
My Fanfic100 Table