Thanks!
Chapter Forty-Seven:
The doctor who did a his physical specialized in treating patients with mental trauma. She described in detail everything she was doing. With bright curly red hair and in her mid-thirties, Dr. Bertrand she struck Reid as a gentle spirit.
"Well Dr. Reid, I'd say you're in superb physical condition," she said. "Your bloodwork came back fine. Good blood pressure. And there were no side effects to the Covid-19 booster. Lucky dog!"
"Uris acquired a dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine for me," he said robotically. "He rarely left the cabin during that time. It was Hell."
Bertrand nodded sympathetically.
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"Am I going to be okay during this trip?" Reid asked anxiously.
"From a physical medical perspective, you're going to be fine. From a mental medical perspective, I think that is up to you."
Reid didn't respond.
"It's okay to be scared, Dr. Reid. I once jumped out of a plane. It was tandem skydiving for my thirtieth birthday. Was I terrified the whole way up there? Absolutely. But then as I was weightless for that single moment it was pure ecstasy."
"But skydiving lasts sixty seconds," Reid said. "This is a week of hoping I don't have a flashback in a crowd, or embarrass my companions."
"Dr. Reid, sixty seconds can feel forever at times. Take a leap of faith. You're in fine physical condition for it."
"If you say so," Reid said.
There just weren't any easy answers.
…
Reid took the bus home to Morgan's. There weren't many people on the bus at midmorning. Focusing on his breathing, he tried to relax. The trip would be fine.
A cop car pulled by the bus with its lights flashing. The bus pulled over. Reid kept focusing on his breathing. It was probably nothing.
A pair of cops came on the bus. They were both tall and muscular with buzzcuts. They'd be twins, except one had a dark goatee.
Something was off. He been around enough cops to be able to smell fake ones.
"Dr. Reid," one of them said. "You need to come with us."
He let a hundred different scenarios play out in his head as he took a deep breath.
"Okay," he said as he stood up. He walked towards the "officers" and when he got within a foot of them, he tripped head first into them.
"Sorry," he said. "Bad leg."
These were amateurs. They didn't have their guns holstered right, so it was easy to grab. He backed into one and stepped on his foot.
"Ow!" he shouted.
Reid didn't hesitate. He shot the one he was facing, in the stomach.
The man grabbed the gun out of his hand. He then put Reid in a chokehold and dragged him down the bus stairs.
There was a buzzing sound, and the fake cop went limp as Reid hit the pavement outside.
…
Lights were flashing in his eyes. It was a paramedic.
"Dr. Reid, can you see me? Blink once for yes, two for no."
He blinked once.
"Reid!"
It was Morgan.
"Morgan," he said slowly. "What happened?"
"Cat Adams staged a breakout. She sent some friends to pick you up. The bus driver Tasered the goon you didn't shoot."
"That driver always carries a Taser. I saw it once when she got out of her seat to help an elderly woman. She also has an army tattoo."
"Smart thinking," he said.
"Can we go home?" he asked. "I've been in enough hospitals."
Morgan looked to the paramedic.
"If you're willing to keep an eye on him. He also has scratches and bruises that need to be treated."
"My wife's a doctor."
The paramedic nodded.
Morgan offered him a hand. Reid got off the gurney. Morgan walked him to his SUV.
As soon as they were in the car, Reid started to hyperventilate. Cat wanted him back. She was going to take and do horrible things to him like Uris…
"Wildflowers of every color bend gently in the wind."
Morgan was playing a tape of Juno's voice.
Reid snapped back into the present and grounded himself. Morgan watched him closely. Once he got his breathing under control, he nodded. Morgan drove them home.
…
Morgan brought some tea to Reid's room, he sat in his bed.
"There is security everywhere," Morgan said.
Reid sipped his tea.
"I know you don't feel safe," Morgan said. "We're going to do everything possible to keep you safe."
"What about Whales?"
"We'll have to plan that for another time."
"Please make sure Max and Sammy go," he said. "They shouldn't miss out."
"They're going," he said. "Just sit back and relax."
Reid sipped his tea with mixtures of slight relief and somehow more fear.
…
He was getting ready for bed when he heard a knock on his door. Each person he knew had a special kind of knock for his door. This one was for Max.
Max was dressed in gray sweats and a hoodie.
"Shouldn't you be over Canada right now?" he said.
"Sammy is flying with his mother there," she said. "I wanted to be with you."
"I'm really that much better than Scotland?"
"Yes," she said.
Max pulled out a firestick.
"When I called and said I wanted to stay with you, they had this sent over. Can you keep a super-top secret?"
"Yes?"
"A Sherlock movie was made in secret while Freeman and Cumberbatch were filming a Marvel movie in Australia! This is the uncut version!"
For the first time in ages, Reid smiled a genuine smile.
"I don't know if you've figured it out, but I have a thing for Cumberbatch," she said.
"Thank you," he said.
"Can I cuddle up with you?"
"I'd love it if you did."
Max set up the film and curled up with Reid in bed. Even as Reid was still afraid of what Cat was plotting, he felt of a heck of a lot safer with Max snuggled by his side.