A/N: I still own nothing
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Reid and Colleen were nestled in the back of the small movie theatre in Brookdale. They appeared to be glued to together, each finding the other much more interesting than what was on the screen. They received glares from some of the patrons when they would whisper to each other and glares from others when they were quiet although, in those moments, they were much too preoccupied to notice. However Reid received the wrath of all the patrons when his cell phone started to trill during the movie's big love scene. Reid stood suddenly trying to make a fast exit from the theatre with Colleen close on his heels and the other moviegoers breathed a sigh of relief as the young couple left them to enjoy the film in peace.
"Reid," he said into the receiver. "Oh hi, Coleman, yeah, okay, let me guess, heart attack due to the infusion of an excessive amount of potassium chloride. What do you mean you couldn't test the vitreous fluid? What? Really! Is that common? Yeah, okay email the results to Garcia, thanks Coleman. Okay, okay, I'll take you for a drink when I get back. Now go home and apologize to your wife for me. Bye Coleman." Reid ended the call and turned to Colleen, "Well, that seals it. Dr. Coleman says that he is officially ruling Thelma Fletcher's death a homicide. So now we have three homicides and the Bluegrass Valley Nursing Home has some explaining to do.
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"How was the movie?" Garcia said the next morning when she got in the SUV for yet another trip to Castleton. Reid didn't respond appearing to find his feet very interesting and Garcia laughed, "Did you even watch the movie? Aw don't look so embarrassed sweet pea, you're a young guy going to the movies with a pretty girl, you're supposed to make out."
"We were only there for part of it and then Coleman called with the results of the autopsy on Thelma, same as Edna, homicide. So now we have one woman hit by a car and two deaths attributed to induced heart attacks. Something must be going on at the nursing home that got Thelma killed. And Edna and Tracy became casualties when they tried to look into it."
When they arrived in Castleton, Reid informed the others of the results of Thelma's autopsy. Morris was flabbergasted to hear this. What was going on in his little town? Jake asked what the next move was and Reid looked at Gideon who nodded. "We have to go to the nursing home and ask a few questions. I'll go a little later this morning. First Morris, what do you know about Dr. Karen Price?"
"I don't know the lady very well. She's been here about four years, when she got the job as head of the nursing home after old Doc Findlay retired and moved away to Texas. She's got a teenage boy named Kenny; he plays soccer with my boy Chuck. I've seen her at school and church functions but we're not what you'd call friends. Sorry I don't know more than that."
"That's okay Morris, Garcia…"
"Already on it Reid," Garcia said from in front of her computer. Her fingers, as usual, flew over the keyboard as the information about Dr. Karen Price materialized on the screen. "Dr. Karen Price, forty years old, born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Got her medical degree from the University of Arkansas. Private practice for three years then started working at a nursing home in Tuscaloosa and moved here four years ago. Divorced from Dr. Lane Mitchell after six years of marriage, one son Kenneth, thirteen years old. No difficulty with the law. Owns house on Bank Street free and clear."
"Okay, thanks Garcia, can I use your computer, I have to do a little reading," Reid said helping Garcia to her feet as he took her place in front of the computer and started typing with much less speed and agility than was displayed by the perky tech. Reams of information appeared on the screen and Reid scrolled through it so fast the others in the room, minus Gideon and Garcia, thought he was just scanning, looking for a particular word or phrase. They would not have believed he was reading every word and now it was imprinted in his memory to be called forth whenever needed.
Once finished, he felt it was time to visit the nursing home. The question now was who would accompany him. Reid felt Gideon would probably want to go however he surprised Reid when he told him he felt Reid could handle it. Morris was the obvious choice since this was his town and he was the sheriff, however Reid felt that Dr, Price might be less open with him being a member of the community, than with a stranger and he felt she might react better to a woman. "That leaves two choices Colleen or Garcia."
Gideon looked at Reid and raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Reid noticed this and said, "Is my logic wrong, Gideon?"
"No I wouldn't say wrong, just that neither of the ladies has any experience in questioning suspects."
Garcia said, "I've never been involved in this side of an investigation, I think you should take Colleen."
Reid looked at Colleen, "Are you up for this?"
"Yeah, I guess so, I'll do my best."
"Okay, let's go and see what Dr. Price has to say."
They entered the Bluegrass Valley Nursing Home and Reid flashed his ID to the woman at the desk and asked to see Dr. Price. The woman told them to please wait a few moments and picked up the phone saying an FBI agent was here to see Dr. Price. "Someone will be down shortly."
A few minutes later, a woman appeared introducing herself as Enid Farrell, secretary to the administrator. She said Dr. Price had not been expecting them. Reid replied that the FBI did not usually make appointments to question people in an investigation. "Of course, please follow me."
They entered Dr. Price's office and she rose from behind her desk to greet them. The administrator was about 5'4", blond hair cut in a wedge. She wore a crisp navy suit and matching shoes. She offered them her hand saying "Dr. Karen Price, how may I help you?"
"Dr. Price, I'm Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid and this is Deputy Colleen Rutherford," Reid said, once again displaying his FBI identification.
"How may I help you Agent, Doctor?"
"Dr. Reid is fine. We are here investigating the death of one of your residents. A Thelma Fletcher."
"Thelma Fletcher, Dr Price looked as if she was trying to remember the name.
"Yes," Reid said, "She resided here until her death a little over two years ago."
"You're investigating the death of someone who died over two years ago," the woman said with some amazement in her voice.
"It has just come to our attention that Mrs. Fletcher died of an overdose of potassium chloride. I'm here looking for an explanation."
"Well that resident was here over two years ago. We have so many residents, I can't be expected to remember one particular case, you understand."
"Of course I understand Dr. Price, that's why I'll wait for you to get her records and review them and after you do, I will get them from you. I have a court order." Reid said producing a piece of paper from his pocket.
"While we're waiting, perhaps Deputy Rutherford and I could get a tour of your facility. I'm always interested in health care institutions, you understand, I'm sure."
Karen Price was shocked, who was this guy? The woman was quiet and not saying anything but this other guy. He looked like some college professor wearing tan cords and a navy blazer. Why would someone who'd gone through for a doctor work for the FBI? She couldn't figure that one out. She pressed the intercom and said, "Enid could you retrieve the medical records of Thelma Fletcher and bring them to my office." She pushed off the intercom and said, "Please follow me."
She started the tour of the nursing home in what she called the day room. There were some residents sitting in chairs with tables attached in front of them, effectively locking them in. Others were in regular armchairs. One woman was attempting to walk around the room with a spasmodic, jerking gait. She would lunge forth and almost hit other residents. She was eventually controlled by an orderly and was led out of the room. Colleen's eyes were like saucers. Dr. Price said, "That's Louise, the poor thing suffers from…"
"Huntington's Disease," Reid supplied. Such a horrible condition, Reid thought, and like the schizophrenia that plagued his mother, hereditary. Louise's children, like himself, would wonder every day, would they be the one to inherit this unwanted legacy?
They continued with Dr. Price showing them the dining area and the games room and then they came to the residents' quarters. They went into one room where a man was in the bed. He was lying quiet, but awake; a TV set was on although he did not appear to be watching it. Beside his bed was an IV pole with a plastic bottle and a pump delivering liquid nutrition to a tube in his abdomen. Under the bed was another tube connected to a catheter bag. Reid thought, how sad, tubes to put fluid in and tubes to take fluid out. He felt for this man. "Hi Jim," Dr. Price said, "This is Dr. Reid and Miss Rutherford; they're touring our little facility. This is Jim; he suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis which is known as…"
"Lou Gehrig's disease," Reid said.
Colleen approached the man and reached gently for his hand. "Hi Jim, it's very nice to meet you."
Jim tried to look at her but could not move his head, she moved so she was in his line of vision. He tried to smile and speak but his words were unintelligible and barely above a whisper. His eyes however spoke volumes, they said I'm here; my mind and soul are trapped inside a body that has betrayed me. Colleen was still holding his hand and talking to him. Reid listened to her tell him about the weather outside and the feel of the breeze in her hair as they drove here and Jim looked peaceful just watching her talk and in that moment Reid knew and he hoped Colleen would see what she was meant to do. Dr. Price suggested they move along but Colleen promised to come back and see Jim again. Reid squeezed her shoulder as they left the room to make sure she was okay, she nodded that she was.
They were moving along down the hall when a man came down the hall in an electric wheelchair at breakneck speed. He came to a stop when he saw them. He was in his sixties, Reid thought, and a double amputee, "Hey Dr. Price, good to see you."
"It's good to see you too Captain. This is Dr. Reid and Miss Rutherford." She pointed to the man in the chair and said, "Captain Edwin Talbot."
Reid took the man's hand and said, "Pleased to meet you Captain. Army, right?" He motioned to the man's missing limbs, "Vietnam," Reid questioned.
"Call me Bud, nobody calls me captain anymore. Yeah, land mine, those damn Vietcong. They wouldn't heal, that damned diabetes so here I am. Most days it's not so bad Doc, but some days it's hell. He looked at Colleen and said, "Well well, where did this vision of loveliness come from?"
Colleen blushed and laughed it off but he said, "You are and I bet this young fella agrees with me don't you Doc."
"Yes sir," Reid said laughing.
Dr. Price thought they should be moving along and so they told Bud it was nice to meet him and Colleen said when she came here to visit another patient, she'd be sure to look him up. He thought that would brighten his days for sure and laughingly went on his way.
The rest of the tour was completed in short order and they were back in Dr. Price's office. The file for Thelma Fletcher was on her desk. Dr. Price went through it and said that increased potassium can of course cause what had happened to Thelma Fletcher but at the time she didn't know about this and just ruled the death a heart attack.
Dr. Price thought she had provided a satisfactory answer to Dr. Reid's questions when he said. "Can you tell me Dr. Price why, when we exhumed Thelma Fletcher's body, she was missing her eyes?"