Chapter four

"I can tell you one thing," the coroner began as he removed the two white sheets covering the bodies of Kate Lomax and Tom Peterson and folding it backwards until their faces, throats and bare shoulders were uncovered. You could see the beginning of the typical autopsy V-line on their bodies, making Jane want to look away. It was different when it concerned people he didn't know. In their case, their living and breathing memories were still too vivid. "These people died of heart attacks."

Lisbon raised an eyebrow in disbelief, deliberately not looking at the bodies before her. "They did?"

"Yes, they did. But that doesn't mean they were natural deaths. Especially with young people like these, there could be cause for further investigation. What I can tell you right now, apart from the failing hearts, is that they both had skin rash on their legs – minor rash, I must add – but distinguished nonetheless and very similar – and that they both hadn't eaten in a few days. I spotted a lot of acid in their stomachs. My guess is they were both sick the days before their deaths. Did any of them complain of anything before they died?"

"Yes," Jane said. "Kate mentioned she hadn't been feeling well before the weekend."

"Can you be more specific?"

"That's all she said, really. But I can tell you what she might have felt. Dizziness, nausea, an upset stomach, headaches. She might have vomited a few times. She will probably have thought she was suffering from a typical stomach bug."

The coroner looked intently at Jane. "How do you know all of this?"

Jane shrugged, almost shivering. "Because I have had the same symptoms."

Lisbon almost gasped as she looked at her agent, suddenly noticing the telltale signs of someone who was sick. "Jane? Why didn't you tell me before?"

Jane smiled weakly. "The chance that I have the same as they have, is quite slim, don't you think, Lisbon? Besides, I've been feeling up and down for weeks. If anyone would have died, it would have been me."

Teresa Lisbon shivered in the cold coroner's lab, realizing that she too had felt weak the past few days. And then she started to realize that a lot of people at the office had complained about that damned stomach bug that seemed to be going around the office. She'd overheard the talks about it in the kitchen, had watched her colleagues taking stomach tablets. A stomach bug or …?

"Oh god," Lisbon whispered, realizing that they might be uncovering something far worse. "I have to call Bertram. Doctor, how long before you get the toxicology reports back?"

"I should have results in the morning," the coroner said, concerned. "Agent Lisbon, what is going on? Is there something that I should know? Something to look for?"

Lisbon cast a worried spell on Jane and Cho. They both knew what she was thinking. Cho was particularly quiet, too quietly, even for his normal behavior.

"I think that we might be poisoned," she said, calmly. "Please call me as soon as you have the results. I have to make some calls right now and warn the Bureau."

"If that is so, you could have an epidemic on your hands," the corner spoke carefully. "The best thing you can do right now is contact the hospital and have everyone checked out at once."

"What kind of poison would cause heart attacks?" Jane asked wearily, leaning against the cold slab on which Kate's body lay.

"There are several types that could remain unseen and cause these effects. But to be more specific, I need the blood work. Guessing has no use at this point."

"Okay, thank you." Lisbon turned to leave, followed by Jane and Cho.

It wasn't until she heard the rattling of falling equipment on a cold, tiled floor behind her that Lisbon realized her consultant had fallen like a brick to the ground, lying perfectly still on his belly.

"Call a doctor," is all Cho said as he hovered over a very pale Jane. It wasn't until he added, "Jane's passed out but he's breathing," that Lisbon realized her own heart had practically stopped as well.

Less than two hours later, Jane was resting in an ER hospital bed, completely out of it but breathing regularly and calmly, aided by an oxygen mask with an IV pushing fluids into him.

"It's a good thing you brought him here," the ER-doctor spoke, explaining Jane's situation to Lisbon and Cho. "Your colleague is dehydrated and suffering from anemia, low red blood cells. He must have been feeling off for quite some time to cause these symptoms. Has he eaten at all lately?"

"I don't know," Lisbon replied, feeling extremely guilty as she recalled their conversation of a few weeks ago where he had complained of not feeling well. They had been so busy lately that she had hardly paid attention to anything or anyone. Running from case to case all over California had not done any of them any good. And now that she thought of it, she could only remember seeing him with dozens of cups of tea.

"Well, his abdomen is swollen and upset and he shows signs of extreme fatigue. My guess is that he's been battling against whatever stomach bug has hit him without getting medical help."

"He said he was feeling dizzy and has complained of headaches," Lisbon reacted.

"These symptoms are all related to each other. Headaches and stomach aches are often related to each other. A few days here with the right medication will sort things out. He should be fine in a day or two with the proper medication and rest. I will run some tests on his stomach and intestines to see if there are bacteria present."

"Doctor," Lisbon spoke slowly, considering her words. "Can you run some blood tests on Jane, myself and Agent Cho here? I have reason to believe that we might be poisoned."

"Poisoned?" The doctor stared skeptically at her. "There is no reason to believe that Mr. Jane is poisoned."

"Even so, I need you to do run these tests." Quickly Lisbon explained what was going on, trying to get the doctor on her side. "Besides us, I will be sending every single member of our Agency to this ER to run the same tests. I can't afford not to."

"Alright," the doctor agreed. "Better yet, I will send a team over to the CBI to take blood samples there. We can do a quick exam of every staff member there and see if there are more agents in the shape that Mr. Jane is."

"Thank you, doctor," Lisbon said relieved, grabbing her phone and contacting Bertram to bring him up to date.

Then she looked at Cho who sat down on a chair next to Jane's bed. Lisbon grabbed another chair as she sat down, waiting for the blood tests to be arranged. "I can't help but think of what Jane said earlier," Cho began.

"About what?"

"He spoke of the one thing that our three victims had in common: Him."

"That must have been a coincidence," Lisbon replied. "Everyone at the CBI knows each other. Whoever is out there to get us might have picked random victims – or specific ones, based on a common interest or personal interest in them."

"Still," Cho said, "If Jane hadn't collapsed, he might have died like the others."

"The doctor said he's strong, he won't just die like that. Besides, his illness might actually be a coincidence."

"You don't believe that, do you?" Cho said.

"But think about it, Cho. He's been sick for quite some time. If he was poisoned, wouldn't he have died earlier?"

"I know." Cho hesitated. "Boss, I feel fine. I haven't been sick in years. I'm pretty sure neither Rigsby or Van Pelt felt sick either. How about you?"

"I am fine," Lisbon said. "I am tired, yes, and I do have headaches, but they are related to my lack of sleep. I haven't been sick in years either."

"Good. That's good."

Lisbon watched her consultant carefully. "Let's just hope that we are all completely wrong and there's nothing to look for."

Cho eyed her skeptically but nodded nonetheless. "Yeah."

Jane stirred and opened his eyes, not realizing at first where he was until he recognized the small cubicle from earlier visits to the ER.

"Welcome back, Jane," Lisbon said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly and comforting. "Don't worry, you're going to be okay. You passed out. The doctor said you're dehydrated and they need to take care of you for a few days, but you're going to be okay."

Jane wet his lips and cleared his throat, trying to gather words. "My heart?" he finally croaked.

"Your heart is perfectly fine. You've been monitored. You don't have to worry. They're going to fix your stomach first so you can eat better. You should have told us. Your blood sugars are way too low."

Jane smiled weakly. "Sorry." Then he closed his eyes again and slept.

As the doctor returned and learned Jane had woken up, he nodded briefly. "That's a good sign. Can you two come with me? I'll be drawing some blood from you and from Mr. Jane. I've requested an emergency procedure. We should have results by tomorrow morning, if anything shows up of course."

"Thank you, doctor."

After the blood tests, Lisbon and Cho returned to Jane's cubicle. He was being prepared for transfer to a private room. A nurse had tapped a vial of blood and sent it off to the lab.

"Cho, I need you to stay with Jane," Lisbon said. "Don't let him out of your sight, not for a moment. Stomach bug, poisoning, whatever this is – I'm not taking any chances. I'm going back to the CBI. If we are being poisoned, I need to find out how. Call me when he wakes up again and keep me posted."

"Will do, boss." Cho folded his arms over each other sternly, standing guard. Lisbon smiled despite everything.

"I will send Van Pelt over tonight so you can get some rest."

"Don't worry about it. Just do what you have to do."

Lisbon cast a last glance at Jane and left, hoping and praying that they were all wrong and all of this was just a coincidence. But deep in her heart she knew that there were no such things as coincidences.

Someone was out to get them and it was her duty to get that someone first. A lot of lives could depend on it.