Take It From M.E. - An NCIS Fan Fiction

Chapter 6 - Full Time

"Good morning, Doctor! How is the case going?" I ask walking into autopsy the next morning.

"It is going just swimmingly, Mr. Palmer." Actually we wrapped it up last night. Sent the body back to his family." Ducky smiles as he turns around from his computer.

"Oh! That's great! Does that mean we don't have a case today?"

"Not as of yet... How about we work on cleaning up?"  Ducky asks standing up and heads for a stack of papers.

"Sounds like a plan to me, Doc." I smile, following after him.

"Here. Take these and sort them into the filing cabinet, would you?" Ducky hands me a large stack of files and points across the room. I nod and plop the stack onto the floor.

"Today seems like it will be pretty laid back, don't you think, Doctor?" I laugh.

"Think again, Palmer." Gibbs says entering the room.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"We need you in MTAC. Now." Gibbs says leading the way out of the room. I look over to Ducky, who just shrugs his shoulders. Quickly, I run to catch up with Gibbs. I step into the elevator just before the door slides closed. The ride up is silent until I flip the emergency stop switch. 

"Palmer?! What the hell are you doing?" Gibbs asks reaching for the switch, but I stop him.

"What is going on? Am I in trouble?"

"You're gonna find out once we get to MTAC. I'm not the one that wants to talk to you..." Gibbs says softly, switching the elevator back on.

Finally we reach the floor that MTAC is on. We exit the elevator and walk over to the tall metal door. "Well...?" I ask awkwardly, waiting for Gibbs to use the eye scanner to let us in to the room.

"Go ahead. Try it."

"But Gibbs... I don't have the cleara..."

"Try it." Gibbs cuts me off. I reluctantly take my glasses off and move up to the scanner. Much to my surprise the door opens.

"What the... When?... Why?" I ask confused. Gibbs chuckles and enters the room. I fumble around to put my glasses back on and hurry into the room.

"Mr. Palmer... Or should I say, Doctor Palmer." Director Vance says.

"Director! Sir! How did you find out about that? I didn't tell anyone..."

"Except for your wife." Director Vance says, motioning for Breena to enter.

"Breena! Why... When...?"

"Jimmy. You have been hiding this for far too long. When you got in the accident the other day, I may have spilled the beans. I'm sorry." Breena says.

"It's alright... I just... I don't want anything to change." I say, looking down.

"Are you meaning to tell me that you don't want to become a full time medical examiner with Doctor Mallard?" Vance asks.

"What? Really?"

"You've earned Palmer." Gibbs says, patting me on the back. I don't know how to respond, so I just shake my head up and down.