AN: Long chapter, CREEPY chapter. I ALMOST stopped writing this story; the PTSD is awful right now but your reviews really encouraged me and lessened the PTSD for a day. So thank you! I do not know much about the intricacies and details of transplant but did what I could. PLEASE REVIEW
Emily sat with the medical examiner in Denver; watching as the woman shook her head as she explained to Emily her findings.
"I was told this was the highest priority," the doctor spoke, looking directly at Emily. "I know there is a missing FBI agent and that there has a been a massive increase around here of feds. So, I apologize if I am out of place in saying that I hope my findings will help you find her."
Emily forced a smile, "Thank you, we hope so too,"
The pathologist gave a sympatric smile in return before handing Emily her full report. "I will just give you a cliff notes version on what I found on our guy. He was in his late forties, I'd guess around 47-48 years old, in pretty decent shape; however, he had numerous scars on him. I also found evidence of a recent surgery."
Emily looked up at the doctor, "how recent?"
The doctor shook her head, "I would say within the last two weeks…"
"Do you know what kind of surgery?" Emily's heart began racing; she knew there had to be a connection; especially with everything she had just learned about the project JJ had been forced into.
The doctor looked up, "this is where it gets exceptionally odd and it made me question my findings at first, but another pathologist confirmed what I had seen. It looks like he just had a kidney transplant; that is a fresh kidney we found in him."
"Okay…" Emily replied, not sure exactly what was going on.
"He wasn't on any medications that I would expect him to be on so soon after this type of major surgery; and honestly, he would need to be on them the rest of his life. But there was nothing found in his blood work." The pathologist reached up and scratched her head, "it gets even odder. The kidney that was transplanted is mutated."
"Mutated?" Emily's expression changed minutely; her stomach twisting at the realization of the goal and aim of the project.
"Exactly; first, the kidney came from a female, we know that. But the kidney seems to have been medicated in a way; instead of his body being forced not to reject it, the kidney has began mocking the old kidney so the body doesn't recognize it as any different. This donor came from a completely different blood type, blood group. In an other circumstances, they would never have been a match."
Emily stared at her, processing what she had just told her. "Was he in any medical danger? If the bullet hadn't hit him…"
The doctor shook her head, "No, this man was incredibly healthy; almost superhumanly so. The only thing that killed him was that bullet. We know he was on dialysis prior to about a month ago; but other then that, we found nothing." She paused, "Agent, do you know who he is?"
Emily looked back up at the medical examiner. "Yes, we do. And everything you have told us matches up; but we did not know about the transplant."
And both women fell silent; this was beyond anything either of them had ever seen.
"Agent Prentiss?" Emily looked up to see the doctor looking towards her, "as much as I hate to say this, I believe this is a very clear case of organ trafficking." Emily nodded, "and if it is, I hope you can find the donor because I doubt she is in good shape."
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Emily was on the warpath; she did not give a damn that it was midnight; she did not give a damn that she hadn't slept in days, or eaten or showered. She and the entire team had had enough; and she knew it wasn't just the team. It was the FBI, it was Homeland and CIA, it was her contacts who had no allegiance to any government organizations and it was contacts throughput the country who were now working together.
They were all coming together to end this nightmare; and they were all coming together within the next few days. And Emily would be there; she would be the advocate and force for JJ.
"Where is she?" Emily hissed as she entered the interrogation room; her anger exploding when she saw Talia was not there yet.
"She said she wasn't feeling well…" the guard explained.
Emily stared at him, "I don't care; she can puke and shit all she wants in here, but drag her in here."
The guard swallowed nervously before stepping out. Emily huffed and began pacing; she wanted to call Hotch, wanted to run her thoughts by him, but knew he and Morgan were in rural Colorado with limited signal. The last she head heard from him was that a body had been found and that it was being sent to the medical examiners office with the highest priority.
And it had given her hope; Leaff had led them to a body, but it wasn't JJ. And Emily had heard hope in Hotch's voice; they still had hope. And it was hope that was pushing her forward.
Emily took in a calming breath as she saw Talia being escorted in, her hands cuffed in front of her.
"What do you want?" Talia growled up at Emily.
"You know the answer to that," Emily shot back; she knew Reid was watching through the glass and she knew he would keep an eye on Talia's non-verbal cues.
"I've told you and your cronies countless times, I do not know where she is. That damn judge appears to think I know her location as well; but I do not know it."
"I am talking about the kidney." Emily said softly and smiled inwardly as Talia froze.
Talia licked her lips and shook her head, "I don't know what you are talking about," she replied, avoiding eye contact.
"Bull shit," Emily pulled the chair away from the table and sat across from Talia. "You know what a transplant looks like, don't you? You know the scars and you know the process. You know how desperate a person needs a kidney and the medication regimen he must be on the rest of his life…"
"If you are talking about my son; he got his transplant. He is doing well." Talia smiled proudly.
"Your son is dead, Talia. Ian was found in a shallow grave in Colorado." Emily did not care at the look of pain on the woman's face.
"What?" Talia whispered, looking at Emily with tears in her eyes. "No… no, he is was healthy and doing great! He got the kidney…"
The fire in Emily's eyes exploded, "he stole the kidney; we know what happened!" Emily whispered, knowing that the tone of her voice going lower instead of louder often confused those she was interrogating.
"Look… I never wanted; it wasn't supposed to be like this." Talia cried, tears running down her cheeks. "I just wanted my son to be healthy; is that too much to ask?"
"Just like Lacey did, huh?" Emily glared.
Talia nodded, "We all did, that's how we all got roped into this; wanting to help a family member,"
Emily shook her head, not wanting to hear the sob story. "Tell me about the kidney."
Talia glared at her, "get the judge to reduce my bail."
Emily eyed her, "are you really that dumb? Do you not realize that nearly every powerful investigative agency is on JJ's case right now? I can only guess that means your people at the project are sweating bullets; I would love to release you, I would love to sit back and watch the hunt. Because in your shoes, you don't stand a chance; so who would you rather have you? Us? Or the people responsible for doing this to JJ?"
Talia shook her head, the realization that Emily was right was hitting her hard. "I knew JJ was a potential match for my son once she was admitted to my ICU. I knew it from the bloodwork we got on her constantly… and I started setting it up. I didn't want it to go this far, but my son wasn't getting approved for transplant and nothing I did, no strings I could pull, would get him on that list. The project approached me and explained to me about JJ; what they were doing and asked if I would help them in exchange for getting my son a kidney." She paused, "I didn't think JJ was going to live at first, nobody did. And she get improving and the project kept coming to me and saying that she would be a fit for Ian but that I had to ensure that she got back into their custody. If I agreed, and agreed to take the lead on her, then my son would get her kidney."
"That's why you kept her alive," Emily glared, "you kept her alive for your son."
Talia nodded, "I made sure her kidney was pumped full of what it would need in Ian's body, and hers began rejecting her own. We flipped it essentially, her body began recognizing her own kidney as an invader and once it was removed and placed with Ian, it was able to begin working immediately. Your agent saved my son's life."
If Emily had not known there were cameras in the room; she would have strangled Talia to death on the spot. "Where is Ian's kidney…" she had a sickening feeling.
Talia shook her head, "The project is focused on organs; organ donation, organ failure, harvesting, treatment, you name it. If someone comes to them with a failing organ and signs on with them, they get a quick transplant from a healthy donor; but the project always wants to continue their research in finding ways to stop a failing organ. They are not going to just let something they need go to waste." Talia explained.
"Where is the failing kidney?"
Talia took a deep breath, "in JJ."
"What else?" Emily asked, afraid of the answer.
"What else, what, agent?"
"Is there any other medical concerns regarding Agent Jareau we need to be aware of…"
Talia thought about it; and as much as she didn't want to, she knew she was safest in prison. Knew if she got out that she would be the second most wanted person on the planet; second to JJ. She would device an escape plan later, one where she could get somewhere safe. But she needed to stay here. For now. "Her heart, Agent Prentiss."
"What about it?"
Talia looked up at her, "its failing; she was put into heart failure for the sole purpose of utilizing experimental medication to bring her back out of it; unfortunately, you damn idiots took her from us before the medication could be developed for her needs. And now; she needs a heart transplant. Had you left her with us, most likely, we would have been able to correct the heart failure."
"And then you would transplant her again? Put a failing heart in her to use the same medication to produce a healthy heart?"
Talia smiled, "you really think that hasn't been done? JJ was a goldmine; she brought in a shit ton of money with the amount of transplants we could do with her alone. That heart she has now? Started failing years ago; her original heart is somewhere else."
Emily glared at the woman. "Where?"
And Talia smiled before bringing up her cuffed hands and pulling down the collar of her shirt and showing Emily a scar. "She really is a life saver."
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Six hours into the interrogation, Emily had to step out, she needed air. The information was daunting and all of it would need to be presented to a group of her peers; all to help JJ. And stop this so called project.
Her heart broke and she bent down as soon as she got outside and instantly began to vomit whatever was left in her stomach. Taking in several deep breaths, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and saw numerous texts from Hotch.
Closing her eyes, she opened the message and took another breath, not wanting to see the confirmation that JJ was gone.
'We have JJ, she's alive. Have Garcia patch you through, no cell service here. Garcia set up safe connection."
And Emily slid down the wall, tears streaming down her face. JJ was alive. And Emily knew it; JJ was alive, but JJ was very, very sick.