Disclaimer: See chapter 1
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Linda's cell rang, "Dr. Kimura," she said. "Yes, I see. How many victims so far?" She listened some more. "Okay, alert the team. I'll be there as soon as I can."
She had been cuddled on the couch with Reid. "It's been a slice but I have to go," she said as she eased herself out of his arms, "An outbreak in Michigan."
Reid couldn't hide the grimace that came to his face. "Isn't there such a thing as a desk job at the CDC?"
"What do you mean?" she asked as she put her shoes back on.
"First of all, I like to have you here," he put his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek, "and secondly, your job seems really dangerous. You always seem to be coming in contact with some killer bug."
"This from the man who runs around chasing serial killers for a living," she laughed.
"I'm serious Linda, sometimes I think your job is too dangerous," Reid replied.
"My job is too dangerous," an edge crept into her voice.
"Look what happened with the Ebola and that was all because of a faulty latex glove. You didn't get it thank God, but you could have. I worry about you."
"And you don't think I worry about you when you strap on your glock and head out of here in search of some monster," Linda countered, her voice rising. "Do you think I don't lie in bed at night when you're gone and pray that your bulletproof vest will protect you? I thought you'd died in that explosion and then you tell me that you had actually gone in that building while that bomb was still in there. It could just as easily have been you. Who's to say some psycho won't kidnap you again? And you think my job is dangerous!"
"If I get hurt on the job, it's just me," Reid said.
"What do you mean by that?" Linda asked suspiciously.
"I'm just saying that with women it's different," Reid tried to explain.
"What do you mean it's different? You work with women agents and I've never heard you complain that they're not as good as you."
"I'm not complaining. They are as good as me, probably better but I'm just saying with women there are other things to consider."
"Such as?" she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"There's no need to take a defensive posture. I'm not trying to pick a fight with you," Reid replied.
"Then what are you doing? You're trying to say something you think I'm not going to like but you're beating around the bush. Why don't you just come out and say it?"
"Okay, when JJ got pregnant she took herself out of the field. I'm just saying that maybe if you hadn't been in contact with the Ebola…"
Linda's eyes widened. "I can't believe you just said that. You're blaming me because we lost our baby?"
"I'm not saying that," he put his hands up defensively. "I did some reading and it said that the introduction of a toxin can cause a miscarriage and you're around dangerous pathogens all the time. Maybe you didn't get the Ebola because you were strong enough to fight it but our little girl wasn't strong enough yet."
"Spencer, I didn't even know I was pregnant. How could I protect a baby I didn't even know was there?" She stared at him in disbelief. "I can't believe all this time you've thought…"
"No Linda," he moved toward her but she backed away. "I was just thinking about how long it is between when a woman conceives and when she realizes, a month, six weeks…What could happen in that time? How many pathogens could you come in contact with? That's all I'm saying."
"Did all this reading you did tell you that miscarriages are most common with the first baby and are more common with women over thirty-five? Maybe that's why I lost my baby. Did you ever think of that?"
"Yes, I thought of that. I'm just trying to think logically so that this doesn't happen the next time."
"And did this reading you did also tell you that the male can also be at fault in a miscarriage?" she snapped at him.
"W…what?"
"Oh, surprise, a man's health can affect the quality of his sperm. Now, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't you recently have anthrax? That could have affected the quality of your little swimmers."
"You think that I'm…?
"Well, you obviously think that I am and I don't think you have to worry about a next time. There isn't going to be a next time."
"You don't mean that. We're going to try again for a baby aren't we?"
"No, we are not. How can I have a baby with you knowing that you think I all but killed our little girl?" Tears started to run down her face. "I have been so devastated. I've asked myself a hundred times a day if it's something I did. I thought you were so supportive and all this time you've been thinking …this!" Reid tried to approach her. "No," she screamed, "don't touch me. Don't touch me ever again. I have to go now but when I get back, I want you and your stuff gone." She walked to the hall closet where she kept her own go bag, grabbed it, her keys, her jacket and her purse and slammed out the door.
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"Will and I had dinner the other night at that new place on M Street. You should take Linda there. I think she'd really like it," JJ said as they both got their morning coffee in the break room.
"I doubt that will happen," Reid replied.
"Why not?"
"Linda broke up with me," Reid said, refusing to meet JJ's eyes.
"Why would she break up with you? She adores you," JJ said.
"Not any more apparently."
"What happened?" She could see her friend was totally dejected.
"I guess I opened my mouth and said too much." Reid told her about the argument with Linda.
"Oh Spence, you said that, are you crazy?"
"No, at least I didn't think so. Is it wrong to want her to be more careful? I don't know if the pathogen she came in contact with was responsible for the miscarriage but it's a possibility I just wanted her to consider, that's all."
"Oh, and believe me, she'll consider it and she'll blame herself for the loss of her baby," JJ told him. "She probably already was and this just made it worse. She was a mother for a short time and a mother will do anything to protect her baby and you just told her she didn't."
"Yeah, okay, I get it JJ. I'm a crass asshole. Thanks for pointing that out. I guess Linda deserves better than me anyway." He told her about Linda's accusations toward him
"Spence, that's not what I meant. I can just see it from her side and you can't." She paused for a few moments. "It hurt, didn't it, to think that you might be at fault."
"I never meant to hurt her. I lo…"
"Hey Reid," Morgan called from his desk, "your lady's on TV." Morgan found the remote and turned up the volume while Reid and JJ came to look at the TV.
The name on the screen said the speaker was Adrienne Michaels, mayor of Lansing, Michigan. Beside her on the podium stood an as yet unnamed man and Linda dressed in a conservative royal blue suit, her hair pulled back in its usual chignon. "I'll hand it over to Dr. Linda Kimura from the CDC, Dr. Kimura," she gestured with her hand as Linda stepped up to the lectern.
Linda moved the microphone down to her height. "The CDC is investigating an outbreak of Listeria. We believe it originated at a realtors' convention held here in the city. Listeria is a pathogen found in foods such as milk, cheese, especially soft cheese, raw vegetables and processed meats. Once it gets into the gastrointestinal tract and into the bloodstream, it can cause septicemia, that's blood infection, meningitis, encephalitis and pneumonia. There is an up to 70% death rate with Listeria."
She cleared her throat. "At particular risk are pregnant women." She was silent for a moment, appearing to try to maintain her composure. "Listeria can cause intrauterine and cervical infections and once in the bloodstream it passes through the placental barrier. This can result in spontaneous abortions in the second and third trimesters as well as stillbirths. Greater than 80% of babies of infected mothers will die. Please," she begged the camera, "if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, even if there's the," her voice quivered momentarily, "slightest chance, I urge you to avoid the foods Mr. Marsden from the FDA will list for you." Reid could see her hands shaking.
"All foodstuffs from the convention are being analyzed and when the contaminated food is identified it will be traced back to the factory where the contamination likely occurred. I'll now pass you over to Donald Marsden from the FDA who will give you more information on the foods to avoid." Linda turned from the microphone.
Reid sat at his desk and pulled out one of the files JJ had put there this morning. He smelled her perfume as she bent down close to his ear and whispered. "She's pretty emotional right now, hang in there Spence."