(Notes and Warnings found at the beginning of Chapter 1)


Chapter Six

Munch's Apartment

7 pm

Bam. Bam. Bam. "Who the hell could that be," Munch said to himself as he staggered to his door from his bedroom.

Munch looked out through the peep hole, and considered telling the person on the other side to get lost, thought better of it and opened the door.

"Your home," Fin said as soon Munch had opened the door.

"Yeah I'm home and it's a good thing too. God knows what you would have done to my more door if I wasn't."

"Hey at least I didn't just come right in. I do have a key, ya know?"

"And why did I ever think it was a good idea to give you the key to my apartment?"

"Because we are partners," Fin said with a little smile."

"So how did your visit with Huang go? Cragen said that you were going on a leave of absence?"

"Don't act like you didn't think I was going psycho of the past few weeks," Munch said making a face.

"Well I will admit you didn't seem to be yourself. So what's going, that is if you want to talk about it," Fin asked cautiously.

"If you had asked me that a week ago I would've kicked you out of the apartment but for some reason I feel like talking."

After Munch finished telling Fin what he had been experiencing for the past few weeks, Fin sat there for a while absorbing it all.

Fin sat completely still for a few minutes, Munch could see his jaw muscles working back and forth.

"So what do you think this means" Fin finally asked. "Do you believe that you were possibly abused when you were little and have been blocking it out all this time?"

"Well, that's what the good doctor thinks. With all these images floating around in my head I have to agree."

"No conspiracy theories, huh?"

"No. With all that was going on with my father committing suicide I kinda felt like I was falling into a black hole. I don't remember much from that time period. I never thought it was strange before. I just thought that I was covering up for past pain, dealing with my father. This is so confusing to me, I just…"

Fin reached out to place a hand on Munch's shoulder, and Munch immediately jumped up and started pacing.

"I'm sorry, Munch I wasn't thinking."

"It's not your fault," Munch, replied running his hand through his hair. "I don't know I think I……"

"Hey how about I run and go get us food I'll bring it back and we'll talk some more if you feel like it. If not I can just leave, okay?"

"Sure."

"I'll get your favorite alright?"

"Vegetables in garlic sauce?"

"You got it."

When Fin returned, Munch opened the door and looked to be fresh out of the shower, hair still wet with his infamous black pj's on.

"You wanna share a bottle of wine with me," Munch asked?"

"Just one glass, if it will make you feel better."

Munch smiled and walked over to the dining table which had a bottle of wine already on ice.

While eating, Fin noticed Munch becoming progressively more pensive to the point that he realized that Munch was shutting down like he had seen him do so many times before.

"So do you want to talk some more."

Munch immediately tensed up, staring at his plate for a moment.

"No," was his simple reply.

"Okay," Fin said. "Let me take your plate" he said getting up, "I'll do the dishes."

Munch nodded his had woodenly. "I think I'm going to go lay down, you can let yourself out okay?"

"Okay do you need a ride to Huang's office tomorrow?"

"No," Munch replied, "I'm a big boy I can take a taxi all by myself."

"Okay.".

"Good night Fin and thank you."

After Fin finished washing the dishes that he and Munch had used he began wiping down the counters and the table. There was a thin layer of dust present on the counters from disuse and Fin was secretly or not so secretly fastidious at best and a clean freak at worst.

After Fin was finished, a half hour had past. He thought that he would check on Munch before he left.

When Fin entered the dark bedroom he could sense that something was off.

He walked over to the bed and saw Munch curled up into a tight fetal position and violently trembling. He tried to wake him by calling him but when that didn't work he tried to shake him awake to no effect. Fin fumbled to turn on the lamp on the nightstand beside the bed. Once the light illuminated Munch's face Fin realized that the trembling he saw was actually being caused by violent seizures. Munch was having a seizure. Fin immediately reached for his phone and called for an ambulance. He then hung up and dialed another number.

"Dr. Huang, something's happening to Munch…."