Something was wrong, and he couldn't find her. He ran through vacant streets, cold and unfriendly, searching through a dense fog that had settled over the city. He was in a panic...then he heard the snarling, and the screams, and he couldn't locate the source...he ran, and ran...

He sat bolt upright in the bed, drenched in sweat, his side on fire. Pressing his hand over his injuries, he fought to slow his breathing and his heartrate. Reaching his hand to the bed beside him, he felt another moment of panic when he found it empty. "Alex..."

Slowly, his brain engaged and he remembered. She was at her sister's. The baby was sick and Reggie needed help. She was safe. And Wolf...Wolf died in the East River during the early morning hours Monday. He was no longer a threat to her, or to anyone.

There was no way he was going to be able to go back to sleep now. Damn. He took a deep breath and gasped as the fire flared. So he sat still, breathing shallowly for a few moments until the pain eased and he could get up. He wasn't sure why the claw marks in his side hurt so badly. It seemed like the nightmares about Wolf that he still suffered from made them hurt worse, but that had to be his imagination. They were deep, but his ribs had not been injured. Alex was afraid they were getting infected; he wondered if the pain wasn't more in his mind than his side.

He made coffee and wandered around the apartment for awhile, bored. And he made up his mind. It was Thursday and he felt fine, other than his side, but that was manageable. They'd discharged him from the hospital first thing Tuesday morning with the okay to return to work when he felt up to it. Deakins and Eames insisted he take time off, in spite of his protests. But he was done with that now. He was going back to work. At five-thirty, he got in the shower, and then he headed in to the squad room.

When Deakins arrived just before seven-thirty, he was surprised to see Goren at his desk. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," he answered with a small smile.

"You know what I mean. You aren't supposed to be here until Monday."

"I got bored and I feel fine."

"Where's your partner?"

"She's on her way in. She stayed at her sister's last night."

"Let me guess. She doesn't know you're here today, does she?"

"Not yet."

"Don't overdo it, all right?"

"I'll be fine."

The captain proceeded to his office as the phone on Goren's desk rang. He grabbed the receiver. "Goren."

It's Rodgers. I need to see you.

"Did you finish the autopsy?"

Yes. That's what I want to see you about.

"Okay. We'll be there shortly."

He leaned back and watched the elevators, waiting impatiently for Eames to arrive. When she got off the elevator, he got to his feet. She frowned at him, not entirely surprised to see him. It had been a job getting him to stay home at all, so she had half-expected him to be there. "What are you doing here?"

"The M.E. wants to see us."

"Give me a minute, and that's not what I mean." He paced impatiently as she got herself situated for the day and then looked up at him. "Are you going to answer me?"

He sighed. "I'm ready to work. I feel fine. There's no reason for me to stay home another few days. Can we go now?"

"What's your hurry?"

"She's finished with Wolf and I want to see what she found out."

"And an hour is going to change things?"

"Eames..."

She laughed. "Okay, okay. Let's go."

She followed him to the elevator. When the door closed and they were alone, he leaned closer and whispered into her ear, "I missed you last night."

"More nightmares?"

"That's just part of it. I missed you, that's all."

She squeezed his hand. "That's nice to hear," she said. "I missed you, too. But my sister really did need my help."

"How is Jake?"

"Better."

They exited the elevator and headed for the medical examiner's office.

Elizabeth Rodgers looked up as they came in. Goren stopped and looked at the body on the table. His mind recalled that small body slamming into his, knocking the wind from him, and the fight on the pier... Such a small man, but so powerful...

Eames nudged him and he drew himself from his thoughts, looking at her. She was frowning. "Are you all right?"

He nodded and walked to the table, circling it slowly as he studied the body. Rodgers looked at Eames, who shrugged. He'd let them know when he was ready. They watched him pull on a pair of gloves and examine the man's hands, his teeth, the fatal wounds in his chest. "Uh, which of these caused his death?"

"Both were lethal. One severed the pulmonary artery, the other struck his heart."

He accepted her assessment and continued examining the body. Finally, Goren looked at the medical examiner, eyebrows raised expectantly. She couldn't fully suppress a small smile. "This was probably the most unusual autopsy I have ever conducted. How old did you say he was?"

"We didn't. We can tie him to a string of murders going back almost thirty years."

"I can find no evidence of aging in this body. He could be 25 years old or he could be 500 years old. He doesn't seem to have aged at all once he became an adult, and no, I can't explain it. He also seems to be only mostly human. There are a number of anomalies in his body, like his dentition and his musculature that, if I had seen them independent of his body, I would have sworn they came from a non-human animal."

"What animal?"

"A canine, most likely. Under microscopic examination, the hair on his body appears canine while the hair on his head is human. His teeth we have discussed before. I'm calling them hybrid. His muscles are extremely compact and powerful, making him inhumanly fast and strong. His fingers end in claws, not nails. There are structural anomalies in his major organs, and in his brain, and his eyes and internal ears were...different, again, not fully human. Mr. Wolf was a very strange man."

Goren once again circled the autopsy table, studying the body of the cursed man. Finally, he snapped off his gloves and tossed them into a trash can. "Thanks, doc. Uh, when you finish the written report..."

"Yes, Goren. I'll send you a copy."

He grinned. "Thanks."

He remained silent on the way back to the squad room, and she didn't press him. He'd talk when he was ready. Back at their desks, she watched him drop into his chair, not missing his wince as he pressed his hand into his side. "Bobby..."

He waved her off. "It's just sore. What time is your appointment?"

She was scheduled to get her cast that afternoon. "One-thirty."

He nodded and pulled out a folder and several forms. There was always paperwork to do...

tbc...