Alice Story part 2

Ice man *

"There is nothing lucky about waking up during your own autopsy, probie," Tony exclaims in the squad room after Ducky's 'guest' work up before he started the autopsy.

"Least you know you're not dead," McGee states.

"Ducky's the one who's lucky."

"The not dead victim is the lucky one... if I was down there, I would have shot him. I learnt from Ari. If they come back to life, shot them, their up to know good," I comment as Ziva walks into the squad room. Late.

"Why is Ducky lucky?" Ziva asks us, letting us know that's what she heard, and she heard the comment about Ari by the look she gave me but I shrug without a care. She is wearing Roy's orange hat over her hair.

"Well, well. Look who's finally here," Tony taunts Ziva.

"Oh, like you've never been late, left early or gone mysteriously missing."

"Oh no, that's my point exactly tardiness is my middle name. in fact, it's expected of me. You, on the other hand, have become the poster girl for punctuality," Tony informs her making Ziva laugh at her.

"Late night?" I ask her.

"Early morning. Run. New route. Took longer than I expected. Will run faster tomorrow. Now why is Ducky lucky?" Ziva demands of us as she places her stuff at her desk.

"We found a dead man walking," Tony half explains.

"I've had enough of dead men walking."

"Join the club. First walking dead person was Ari, when he came into autopsy in a body bag... left by shotting, Gerald, Jethro and me... then there was Jane Doe who dug herself out of her who grave," I remember.

"No, this one was really dead. Ducky was about to start the autopsy and he came back to life... like Lazarus," McGee informs us.

"No, like Liam. Liam O'Neill. Corporal," Tony corrects McGee as he places the corporal's photo on the plasma above my desk.

"Who was communication specialist attached to Marin supply division/combat support hospital in Baghdad," McGee continues to update Ziva.

"On a fifteen day leave for his unit in Iraq. Third tour," I inform Ziva.

"Hardcore Marine," Ziva comments.

"Due to fly back to Baghdad day after tomorrow," Tony informs her.

"How does a man who is not dead, end up on Ducky's autopsy table?"

"Ari did... and lived three more years, until he crossed the line. The last line anyway," I remind her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It was the Metro police. They reported a dead man, not an unconscious one. You know, there's an old paramedic saying, 'they're not dead until they're warm and dead.' Can't really blame them. Face down in a snow drift, core temperature twenty degrees below normal. No discernible heartbeat. Could have been there for hours. It's not an unreasonable conclusion under the circumstances," Ducky informs Gibbs as I walk into autopsy.

"CPR?" Gibbs asks him as he accepts the coffee I am offering him, before I had Ducky the tea I brought him.

"By their estimation, he was long dead. CPR is for the recent dead. Never crossed their minds. You know, the physiology is very interesting. Faced with imminent death, the brain begins to switch off the lights to preserve the last flicker of life and hope."

"Prognosis?" I ask him.

"Well, children have been known to make a full recovery after being pulled from freezing rivers, ooh, two hours after they've apparently drowned. Adults are rarely so lucky. He'll be on a ventilator, and the hospital will constantly check his condition."