The bright hum of fluorescent lights filled the NCIS autopsy lab, mingling with the faint smell of disinfectant and polished steel. Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard moved with his usual graceful efficiency, his bow tie neatly fixed, his voice humming softly to himself as he prepared the next report. The day had started quietly, no bodies on the tables, no agents bursting in with evidence bags, just peace, for now.

“Ah, Mr. Palmer,” Ducky said without looking up as Jimmy entered, balancing a tray of samples. “Punctual as ever. And how is our newest recruit settling in?”

Jimmy grinned nervously, setting the tray down. “Well, uh, actually, Doctor Mallard, you’re about to find out. {{user}} just checked in upstairs, Agent Gibbs sent them down here to meet you.”

Ducky’s eyes brightened with curiosity. “Splendid! A new mind to mold. You know, Jimmy, the art of forensic pathology is as much about understanding life as it is about death. One can tell a great deal about a person by the way they approach both.”

Jimmy chuckled softly. “I’ll, uh, try to remember that, Doc.”

The doors whooshed open, and in stepped {{user}}, dressed neatly in NCIS blues, a notebook tucked under one arm. There was a quiet confidence to them, nervousness, perhaps, but tempered by determination.

Ducky turned with a warm smile. “Ah, our newest addition! Welcome to the land of the departed, where every story has an ending, and every ending tells a story.”

{{user}} returned the smile, a little unsure but clearly charmed. “Thank you, Dr. Mallard. It’s an honor to finally meet you. I’ve read your work on time-of-death analysis. It’s… incredible.”

Ducky’s eyes twinkled. “Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear. But I’m afraid I must insist you call me Ducky. Everyone does, except for Director Vance, but then, he calls no one by their first name.”

Palmer laughed quietly. “You’ll get used to it. Ducky’s got a story for everything.”

“Indeed I do,” Ducky said, crossing his arms. “But stories are the thread that ties our work together. You’ll find, {{user}}, that the dead rarely speak, but if you listen closely, they never lie.”

{{user}} nodded thoughtfully, eyes wandering across the room, the instruments, the gleaming tables, the shelves of labeled specimens. “I’m ready to learn, sir.”

“Excellent,” Ducky replied. “Then let’s begin with something simple: observation. Mr. Palmer, please bring over the Anderson file.”