EX STASIS: MISSING SCENES
"So," Alex said as she led Bobby out of the ADA's office. "Mr. Carver gets his guilty plea. The kid gets his lung. And Wainwright gets to give more of himself. I like cases like this."
Bobby followed her quietly.
"C'mon, Goren," Alex said. "There can't be anything to feel badly about this case."
"No…No…" Bobby said. "You're right…I'm especially happy about the kid…I think he's a good kid, and the portable classrooms he's developed are just the first of many great things he's going to do."
Alex lengthened her steps as Bobby shortened his so that their steps matched. "Wainwright will be happy that his gift is going to such a worthy candidate," she said.
They were silent until they reached Major Case. They reported to Captain Deakins, who was pleased with the case's conclusion. "Good job," he told them, and Bobby and Alex each felt a spark of pride. Deakins' "good job" was the equivalent of a medal.
"Carver," the captain told them. "Was very pleased. He said everything worked out well for everyone."
"It did," Alex said cheerfully. "And Mr. Carver worked very hard to make all of that happen." She knew maintaining a happy relationship with the D.A.'s office was one of the Captain's chief goals, one that she and Bobby occasionally thwarted.
"So," Alex said as she and Bobby returned to their desks. "Another success for the team of Goren and Eames. How are we going to describe the motive for this one?"
"Compulsive self sacrifice?" Bobby suggested. "I've been looking through the literature. There's several cases of people who were…are…frequent organ donors. But it's new and bizarre enough that there's no real name for the condition. And Wainwright's motive…His competition with his father…I haven't found anything like it…Although I don't know everything about it by a long shot."
"I bet you know a lot about it," Alex said admiringly. "I wonder how Mr. Wainwright will do in prison."
"Not well…And probably not long," Bobby said. "His attitude isn't going to make him any friends. I'm sure his lawyer will get him into as good a prison as possible, but the he's not going to get in any country club. He'll be a target. All of his donations must have affected his health, and the care in prisons…Well, it can barely deal with basic needs, let alone the problems Wainwright might have."
"You think he won't be giving any more gifts?"
"I doubt it," Bobby said. "In spite of any deal. I'm sure his doctor will be investigated, and I'd be very surprised if he still has his license within a few months."
"The kid'll still get his happy ending?"
"I think Carver will make sure of that."
"Good." Alex seized a form. "And I guess Wainwright gets to think he's making the ultimate sacrifice. I still wonder how he sold all of this to his wife…And how it's hurt his kid."
"I suspect it happened in stages," Bobby said. He twirled his pen as he spoke. "He gave away one thing, then another, all the time telling his wife it was for a greater good. How do you argue with a saint? And her history…She was from a family with a lot of money…She was trained to give away money from the day she learned to count. It probably made sense to her, and when it didn't, Wainwright told her she was being selfish."
"I wonder why he never convinced her to donate anything?"
The pen twirled faster in Bobby's hand. "I don't know…Maybe he convinced her one of them had to remain healthy to take care of the other one…."
"She got to play nurse to the great man?"
"Something like that…Or maybe he has some feeling left for the people close to him and thought one of them should be able to care for their son….Who I bet is a very angry kid…"
"My Dad loves everyone but me? Sounds like Wainwright did to his own kid what his Dad did to him," Alex commented.
Several moments went by before Bobby spoke again, and Alex wondered if she'd stepped on forbidden ground.
"Yea," he finally said. "I expect he's a very angry and confused kid. I wonder what he'll do to get back at his father."
"I don't think he'll be giving away pieces of himself," Alex said. "I wonder if Wainwright's father was such a bad guy."
"He divorced Wainwright's mother." Bobby reached for a file and opened it. "He admitted he wasn't terribly close to his son. The younger Mr. Wainwright tried to impress his father by making a lot of money, and when that didn't work, he tried to get it by giving everything away."
"His wife and kid…They have anything left?"
"The kid does…" Bobby shifted several papers in the file. "A trust fund set up by his mom's parents. I guess they weren't exactly thrilled with what their son-in-law was doing with his money and their grandson's future."
"His parents can't touch it? Good idea," Alex said. "And maybe Mrs. Wainwright will wake up now and do the right thing by her kid."
"Yea…"
They were lost in the paperwork for the next minutes, speaking only to request a form or a paper. They worked quietly and efficiently and didn't notice that the Major Case Squad's population was rapidly declining. Captain Deakins, his coat over his arm, passed by their desks.
"I'm going home," the Captain said. "And while I can't force you to go home, I strongly suggest that you not stay here. You did good work on this case…Which isn't surprising since you always do good work."
Alex smiled. "Best team in the NYPD." Bobby looked as if he wished he could hide under his desk.
"At the very least, get out of here for a while," Deakins said. "Especially you, Goren…I'd like to hear that you slept somewhere besides the crib or your desk."
"Yes, Sir…As soon as I finish…"
"As soon as WE finish the paperwork," Alex said as she grabbed several forms from Bobby's desk.
"You…You don't have to…" Bobby stammered.
"Be quiet, Detective." Deakins smiled. "It'll get you out of here a lot faster. I'll see both of you tomorrow."
"Let's get to work, partner," Alex said.
They moved quickly through the paperwork, Alex inspired by wanted to get home, Bobby inspired by Alex's desire to get home. They were nearly finished when Bobby realized Alex sat in thought.
"You ok?"
"Yea…It's just…Bobby…Do you think Wainwright was right about anything?"
"Wainwright? About giving away pieces of himself?" Bobby shook his head. "Although…I do wonder…"
"What?" Alex leaned forward. The Squad Room was nearly empty, and the few people remaining in it were on the far side of the room.
"I don't know…I just wonder…It was obvious he didn't think much of what your brother and your sister-in-law were sacrificing for their kid's education. He completely ignored what they did for a living. And he had no respect for what we do."
"Apparently he has no respect for anyone who won't give up parts of their bodies," Alex said sharply.
"It's just…I wonder sometime…" Bobby's pen twirled faster. "If I'm living a selfish life…"
Alex stared at him. "How can you say that, Bobby? You're one of the least selfish people I know. You might as well say that I live a selfish life."
"You? Eames…No…Never…" Bobby looked stricken. "You're the least selfish person I know. What you do every day as a cop and a person…What you did for your sister…"
"Which would have meant nothing to Wainwright," Alex said bitterly. "When he made that remark about babies, I thought I was going to…"
"You did a great job of controlling yourself," Bobby said. "Wainwright had so many things wrong. Just because you save someone's life doesn't mean you can control it…It's not yours…It…It isn't your life I'm questioning, Eames…It's mine."
"Bobby…You…You've spent your life caring for others…Helping them…"
"Avoiding things…Like commitments…"
"Bobby Goren," Alex said. "That doesn't sound like the man I know. How many people have you saved?"
Bobby stared at his desk.
"In the time I've worked with you, I know at least a half dozen lives you've saved…And that doesn't count all the people whose lives you've made so much better that you might as well have saved them."
Bobby wiped a large paw across the back of his neck.
"And you know all of those lives reached others…"
"Wainwright thought something like that…"
"You're nothing like him," Alex said sharply. "You never ask for anything in return. You don't try to run people's lives."
"Eames…I…I'm not comparing myself with Wainwright…But I just wonder…How much good I do…"
"Look," Alex said. "How many people did Wainwright save with his gifts? With his organs? Five or six? I bet my sister saves more than that on a night in the ER. My brother can save that many on one run. But I don't believe we're in some kind of contest to see how many people we can save. I'm not a cop because I want to rack up saved lives or anything like that. You and me…We do the job. We do it well. That's what we do. That's what you do more than most cops and certainly more than most people.."
"Uh…Alex…" Bobby's hesitant voice broke the silence.
"Yea?" She looked up, surprised by both his voice and his use of her first name.
"Thank you…For what you said…For keeping my head clear…"
She smiled. "Any time, partner…Any time…"
END