I suspect some people might be upset with what I'm doing, but I'll explain in due time.
Chapter Thirty-Nine:
Calvin watched Reid take his first tentative steps between two railings. There was an aid behind him and another in front of him.
"I can do this," Reid said as he kept walking.
The limp was noticeable. The doctors said only time would tell if it would fade away.
He was gripping the railings tightly to maintain his balance. His right foot moved too fast at one point and he stumbled. The aid in front caught him. Reid was breathing heavily.
"Enough for today," the doctor said.
"Can't we try a little further?" Reid asked.
"This is your first attempt," he said. "You can try farther tomorrow."
"Okay," Reid said with a note of frustration.
"You did good today," the doctor said. "I expect you'll do better tomorrow."
"I hope so," Reid said.
The aids helped him into a wheelchair.
"That was pretty good," Calvin said.
"I should have gone farther," he said angrily.
"You've only been out of a coma for two days," she said. "Give yourself a break."
"I don't want to," he said under his breath.
"Spencer, I know you. You will do better. It is just going to take some time."
Reid was transferred into bed.
"I'm sick of it!" he shouted. "I'm sick of all you. These walls. Clothes that aren't mine. I don't know who I am anymore except as a source of pity among everyone. I HATE EVERYTHING!"
Calvin opened her arms up to hug him.
"Get away from me!" he said. "I don't want your sad looks and fake optimism. I just want to be ALONE!"
"Whatever you need, Spencer," she said softly as she left.
She looked back, and saw he was staring at a wall.
…
"You don't look good Gwen," Connie said. "Are you sure you're up for doing the newscast?"
"I need the distraction," she said. "I need something besides Spencer Reid in my life or I'll lose it."
"He really isn't doing that good?"
"Half his body is numb; I'd be cranky too."
"Just take it easy for your sake and Reid's," Connie said.
"I know," Calvin said. "Where is Eric's report on the floods in India?""
"Coming up…"
…
Calvin poured herself a glass of red wine and stretched. It had been a long day. Her phone rang just as she was about to get in her tub. It was Prentiss.
"The guy who knocked Reid into a coma is dead. We think it was the work of Cat Adams."
"She's in a supermax, how is she still able to access information?" Calvin asked.
"We don't know. We're adding protection to the facility in case she decides there are other people at fault."
"Where is Reid going, when he's done with therapy?" she asked.
"The therapists are still discussing it."
"Okay," Calvin said.
"You sound tired, Gwen," Prentiss said. "You don't have to come up tomorrow."
"No, I need to," she said. "Otherwise Reid'll think I gave up on him because he yelled at me."
"He shouldn't have. Gwen, don't come up. Take a day for yourself and maybe he'll be calmer the next time you see him."
Calvin looked achingly at her tub.
"Okay," she said. "I'll see him on Friday then."
"Good. Take care," Prentiss said.
Calvin hung up and settled into her tub. It didn't feel as good as she thought it would. Maybe she really did need to take more time to herself.
…
Her phone woke her in the middle of the early morning hours. She answered it without looking at her caller ID.
"Please don't tell me Reid got hurt again," she moaned.
"Is that anyway to greet your favorite cousin?"
Calvin perked up immediately.
"Sasha! Oh my gosh, where are you?"
"You wouldn't believe me."
"Tell me you didn't take another assignment in an area with no cell service and you're currently using a sat phone."
"JFK, you goof!"
"Really!?" Calvin said, positively giddy.
"Absolutely. Can I crash at your place?"
"Only if you let me pick you up!"
"An Uber is already on the way. Sorry."
"Okay, see you soon Dr. Eden."
"You know I hate it when you call me that."
"Which is why I do it," Calvin said teasingly.
"See you later, sleazeball," Sasha said and hung up.
…
"I swear this tastes like heaven," Sasha said as she devoured a plate full of eggs and pork sausage.
They were at their favorite early morning dining spot.
"So, how's Cambodia?" Calvin asked.
"My PC answer is, MSF, AKA, Doctors Without Border has made great strides over the past five decades to ensure better access to the medical supplies needed maintain a healthy environment."
"The non-PC answer?"
"Cambodia's corrupt government is impeding our attempts to get contagious diseases under control."
"Were you hurt there?" Calvin asked.
"I don't want to discuss it here," she said. "So, let's talk about you. In the ten months I've been gone, your trashy fiancé publicly broke up with you, you slept in a tree to avoid being caught by a corrupt police operation, and had you throat slashed by Anna Duvall. Oh, and you're quitting PAX. And they say anchors just sit behind a desk and read from the teleprompter!"
"Did you spend the entire flight from LAX reading up on me?"
"Cousin Andy isn't nearly as interesting. His social media account is just full of pictures of his kids, even though they're teenagers, who look like they're ready to kill him. And Belinda and Rachel are trying to become Instagram influencers, which is…no."
"How's Aunt Ellen?" she asked.
"Mom's still dating the Transit Valley serial killer, so I don't care if she thinks I'm still in Botswana."
"So, what are you doing home?"
"I've accepted a teaching position at Howard University."
Calvin was stunned.
"My cousin who asked Santa for a globe at the age of eight, is settling down two years shy of her fortieth birthday?
"What I won't discuss in public, scared me Gwen. I need to put down roots and start building something."
"Any idea what?"
"Nope," she said. "I just want to settle down. Now what else is going on Gwen? Speculation is running wild as to what led you to break broadcast the other day."
"You know that Federal agent that went missing three years ago?"
"Only because I saw the piece you did on him a few months ago."
"I'm dating him."
"Really?" Sasha asked.
"Really."
"That is quite something Gwen," Sasha said. "He's better than the last guy easily, and I don't even know him."
"Would you like to meet him?" Calvin asked, thinking it might distract Reid.
"Sure," she said.
"He's back in the hospital because he tried to stop a patient from hurting more people and ended up in a coma where he woke up the next day with half of his body feeling numb."
"The guy's been through the ringer," Sasha said.
"That's one phrase for it."
The continued to eat as they absorbed what they both learned about each other.
…
Reid looked agitated when he saw them.
"You brought a shield?" he said spitefully.
"I'm nobody's shield," Sasha said and offered her hand. "I'm Dr. Sasha Eden. Gwen's cousin. Nice to meet you."
He waved his hand.
"I have a thing about germs," he said irritably.
"Look at my hands," she said and held them to his face.
"They're cracked," he said. "You use hand sanitizer frequently and not the gentle kind. This is long-term. You're a doctor who works in a high-risk-area."
"I read you were smart," she said with a nod.
"You used some before you came in here," he said. "I can still smell it on your hands. Where did you work?"
"MSF Cambodia."
"Is tuberculosis still a problem there?"
"Not as bad, but we're worried another outbreak could start any moment. Now tell me about your numbness. What are you being treated with?"
"Keppra, Neurontin, and Butrin. I can't seem to get my left foot to move better."
"Are you on any adjunctive meds for depression?"
"Abilify," Reid said and then a look of a realization hit him. "Why didn't I think of that? And what is your field of expertise that you would know about it?"
"My supervisor, who I was close with, was on Abilify and it affected the way he walked in a very subtle way," she said.
They discussed how to approach the doctors about getting him off the drug.
Gwen could see it. The sparks between them. It broke her heart to see it after all the work she put into the relationship. But deep down, she was also relieved. Caring about Reid was exhausting every inch of her. Maybe Sasha could love him better.
Author's Note:
The Abilify thing is real. I know from personal experience.