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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
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700
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1/1
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16
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713

She Knows

Summary:

Vanessa Mallard remembers pieces of her son’s childhood, and of her lonely life, as her mind deteriorates. 

Work Text:

She Knows 

    

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS; it is the property of its respective creators. I do however, own Henry.

 

Author's Note: The author would like to thank her beta, Satan-Wears-Prada, for her help. Thank you! 

  

Vanessa Mallard is slowly losing her mind.  She knows the Doctors talk to her son in grave voices.  The nurses are careful around her, like she is a bomb about to ignite.  Whether that is from pity or fear she will fly off the handle, she does not know.   Yes, Vanessa Mallard is losing her mind, and she knows it.

   

Her son was such a darling little boy, so curious and goodness, was he talkative.  She was seeing him off to his first day of nursery.  She knew he would do well, how could he not?  He had his father’s brains, after all.  Oh, if only Henry could see their son now, she was positive he would come back.  As Donald eagerly tugged at her hand, she let that thought go back into its neat and tight department, a thought to ponder another day.

 

Vanessa Mallard rubs her pregnant belly, tears streaming down her face.  Henry has left her, left her alone to raise their child.  She knows deep down, that he will not be back, no matter how many times she tells herself, “Soon he will walk right through that door, ready to tell her he found a job.  That they can finally get married, he will have the money.  They will raise their child together.” No, she knows that will not happen.  No matter how much she may wish it to, for her sake and more importantly, her son’s.

   

Donald Mallard was angry.  His mother was such a fool.  Embarrassing him in front of his friends like that.  “They are a bunch of hoodlums, you are better off with out them, Donald.” She insisted firmly.  He tries to be nice and bring them over to show her she is wrong, and she goes into one of her fits.  Of all the times, she had to choose now.  And not even a tiny one, a full blown, wailing, throwing the ceramic dish he made in the Mother’s Day of nursery school.  It shattered into a million pieces, never to be whole again.

   

Donald Mallard is gazing at the clouds.  At this moment in time he does not know his name, or that what he is looking at has a name.  He simply exists, waiting for his Mama to come back for him.  He knows she will be back for him, she always is.

   

Vanessa Mallard rushed back through the streets she had just come in the opposite direction from.  She is rushing to get her son. How could she have left him on the boat, what if something happened to him…? Were just a few thoughts running through her mind.  As she hurries up the steps and sees him, her little angel fast asleep, she runs over and gathers him in her arms.  She walks out of the line of others sight, sits down and weeps, weeps for the fact she is the mother that forgets her own child, and for the fact her son is stuck with her.

   

Donald “Ducky” Mallard is distracted.  His mother is not doing well, and he knows that time is running out.  Yet, there are so many things he never got to ask her, to apologize for.  For the way he treated her, because she was different.  He always knew she was different, but he never bothered to try and find out why, only cast blame or push aside.  He was no better than his father, they had done the same thing to a wonderful woman, they had broken her sprit beyond repair.

   

Vanessa Mallard is so very tired.  She is tired of being the outcast, of not being enough, to her son, to his father, for disappointing Donald and chasing Henry away.  As her eyes close, her life flashes in front of her eyes, her son being the last thing she sees. With a smile on her face, Vanessa Mallard knows no more.  

                                                                  June 26, 2009

                                                                  Valerie Portolano