Who is the Victim Here
I would love to hear your opinions and look to working further on the story.
I do not own or have connection with the "Criminal Minds" program or its characters.
Chapter Twenty-Nine.
In New York, Angie is not doing too much as she does her best to handle her foggy eyesight. It is worse in the morning and clears up by late night. The results from her hospital stay are that she has the beginning stages of Fuchs' dystrophy which is a degenerative disorder of the cornea, she is at stage two of the disease, which means that she has foggy vision and mild blisters. When it affects her from being able to do normal things, she will have to get a transplant. But according to others that she learned has the disease themselves, she knows that she can deal with it. She just has to change a little of what she does. She can still read, but with magnifiers for the small print. If things are always put away to where they are supposed to be she can use them. She has enough in savings and although is not as wealthy as Kathy was, she did invest in the same things as Kathy. So she has enough to be able to live without working. She has decided to continue taking classes and finish her masters in medieval literature at the Georgetown University where she had been attending. She has been packing up her books since she is going to move to the D. C. area to finish this degree and she never goes anywhere without her books, all of them.
Dr. Pitt at the Bethesda Medical Center, where they had first taken Aaron after the kidnapping wants to do to a check up on the man and has contacted Sean about bringing him in. Sean mentions about Spencer and his problem with the drug that he was given. The information about the drug was sent to the doctor from the agency doctors and from Angie who created it. The agency is trying to find a cure or antidote to it and yet have not been able to do so. Maybe Dr. Pitt and his research group can find something that they have missed. Dr. Pitt has asked Angie to come down and consult with him about the drug. She has agreed and will be there on the same day that Sean brings the boys in for their checkups with Dr. Pitt.
On the morning of the exams, Sean has not told the boys they were having exams today, but he dressed them in easy clothes to get on and off. But instead of getting the bus to go to the agency to work he took them to the new vehicle he had ordered in February when he first knew that he was going to have to care for Aaron on a possible long term basis. He wanted a special car with a special seat for Aaron. The vehicle finally arrived and so he will be able to take the boys to their checkups in style. Aaron has not yet seen his brother's new vehicle.
They go into the garage and Sean takes them to the disabled spot where a red van is waiting. He purchased a seven passenger van with four captain chairs and one folding sofa style seat in the back. The second row seats both have special seat belt configurations that represent that of a child's car seat, with harness style seat belt over the body. The second row seats can be reclined to a 60 degree angle. All the power and control for them is in the console of the front seat. The back row sofa is split into the 60/40 configuration so that either or both sides can be folded down for more cargo space. There is enough space behind the sofa when it is upright for the stroller to be placed in.
Sean has Spencer get into the van and seated in the chair behind the driver and harnessed into the seat. He then puts Aaron into the chair behind the front seat passenger seat. Aaron is harnessed in. After storing the stroller and the go bags with extra clothes and diapers, he takes the bag with food and bottles to the driver's seat and gets in. He put the food bag in the passenger side seat. He checks the mirrors that he had specially placed to check on his boys and started the vehicle to head to Bethesda.
The boys are wondering where they are headed since Sean has been closed mouthed about it. He gets to the medical center and parks in the handicapped section of which he has a placard to be allowed to do so. He gets the stroller out and then Aaron is removed and placed in the stroller and then he unharnessed Spencer. The three men head into the center towards Dr. Pitts offices and the clinic where they would have their check-ups.
When they get to reception in the clinic, Sean lets them know who they are and why they are there. They begin to take the vitals of our first boy, Aaron. He is taken into the examination room and weighed, measured in height, had his blood pressure taken, had the first vials of blood taken and then was put on the table to take his temperature. He refused to keep the thermometer in his mouth and kept moving it around. They then tried to do it under his arm but he wiggled around and they couldn't get an accurate temperature. Finally they decided to do it the old-fashioned, most accurate way, they laid him on his belly and removed his diaper and took his temperature through his rectum, gently and well lubricated. He still cried from this, Sean was at his head trying to comfort by having him suck his fingers and he gently sang to the man. After all the vitals were taken and the blood taken to be tested, Aaron was redressed and placed on the floor to play with some toys.
It was Spencer's turn next but as he had watched what they did to Aaron, he behaved and they got his temperature through the mouth. But he didn't like the blood pressure cuff and cried when it squeezed really hard. The biggest shock to all was when the nurse wanted to take the vitals of Sean as well. It seems the Doctor wants to make sure the caretaker is doing well and that there are no mini-breaks or anything that might hinder him from caring for his brother. He has been ordered to have x-rays taken but cannot take the boys with him to radiology. They are kept in the examination room with some toys and a young nurse's aide stays with them.
The Doctor has examined both boys and Aaron seems to have healed from his ordeal quite fine, there are a few minor scars but nothing that is highly visible or would create a problem for the man to do things. Spencer body is fine but the blood work will show whatever the drugs have done to his inner cell workings. Sean gets back from radiology and takes his boys into Dr. Pitt's office where the Doctor discusses the results of the exam with him.
In the office there are two chairs and a sofa where they can talk. Sean sits on the sofa and Aaron gets next to him and lies down in him arms ready for a bottle which Sean gets out and proceeds to give him. Spencer whines that he is hungry too. Spencer sits on the floor next to Sean who gets crackers and a sippy cup of kool-aid for him. The doctor looks incredulously at this sight and then begins to talk to Sean about the preliminary results of the blood work. Aaron is fine as his main problems seem to be emotional and mental rather than biological. He is weak in certain areas and yet that is to be expected of the way that he acts and moves. Sean is told that his skeletal and muscle system is doing good but admonished to not overdo and to work more on getting his brother off his shoulders. Aaron opens his eyes and looks at the doctor with a scowl. Spencer's blood work is weird according to the doctor. Spencer begins to tug at Sean's pants leg when the doctor began to talk about him. Sean looked down and told him, "Stop that Spencer. The grown-ups are talking."
Spencer leaned back about ready to cry when he did it again. Sean says, "Excuse me doctor. What is it Spencer?"
With his eyes tearing up, Spencer says, "I want to be changed, my bottom is all wet."
"Can you wait a few minutes?"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes." The doctor watches this interaction looking very interested.
The doctor says, "Sean, why don't you change the boys now while I check on the results of one more test. It should be about ready now. Go and use the exam room to change them."
"Are you sure about that doctor?"
"Yes, go on." Sean put Aaron into his stroller and took Spencer's hand to head back to the exam room. Upon arriving, he puts Spencer on the table and proceeded to change his diaper. After which he did the same for Aaron. When the boys were in dry pants, the group went back to the Doctor's office who had not yet arrived back. Sean puts Aaron down on the floor and brings out toys for the boys to play with.
When the doctor comes back, he looks very concerned and unhappy about the results of the test. He begins to talk to Sean about how the drug was taking over Spencer's body. The cells are being inundated and completely taken over. It seems the drug is penetrating the cells and reproducing itself into that cell. When it began to finally the brain cells is when the emotional/mental changes began for the man.
Before the Doctor goes further there is a knock on the door. It is Angie.
"May I join you gentlemen?" Aaron, who had been lying in his brother's arms being rocked, opened his eyes and sat up, scooted by Sean and patted the other side of him on the sofa. She sat down and he placed his hand on her knee and she placed her hand on his. The Doctor began to talk again but soon is interrupted again by Spencer.
"I want to sit up with you people, (he's on the floor). I'm older than Aaron, why can't I sit up there and he sits on the floor." Aaron looks at him with a scowl on his face.
Angie asks, "Why don't you come and sit on my lap." He squeals with delight and Aaron scowls deeper as he climbs up and she begins to cuddle him. The doctor continues to talk about Spencer's problem and how it can affect him. There will be times of complete adult control and other times of distraction and low thresholds for pain and time. By this time Spencer has already lost interest in what the doctor was saying and was examining Angie's face, neck and pearls. He began to talk about pearls and how they are created and the difference between fresh water and salt water pearls. He talks about man-made and cultural pearls versus natural or wild pearls. The doctor continues to say that his intellect is not affected nor is his ability to learn. There will days when he will no childish actions and other days when he will be all toddler. You won't know when that might be. Over time, you might be able to get tell signals, for instance, it will probably happen when is overtired or excited or hungry.
Both Spencer and Aaron are ignoring what the doctor was saying. Spencer was entranced with Angie's pearls and Aaron just kept his eyes on where Spencer's hands were going. Aaron began to get angry when his hands seem to be going lower and lower and then when the back of his hand accidently brushed the top of her breast. Aaron saw red and he pushed Spencer off her lap and screamed, "MINE!" The three adults were shocked to see what this man child did to the other man child. Angie broke first and bent to check on Spencer who was loudly crying. She tells Sean to check him out and comfort the boy. Spencer reached out to him. Aaron sat defiantly and pleased that Spencer was off Angie's lap.
Angie is very angry with Aaron and stands to step in front of him "Stand up," she says to Aaron. She puts her hands out for him to grab. He ignores them and stands by himself. The other men are amazed to see this, "Walk with me." She takes him by the hand and they leave the doctor's office and walk to an empty examination room. She indicates that he should sit on the table, which he does.
She says, "What was that about?"
"He was touching something that is mine."
"Excuse me, there is nothing on my body that is yours." He just looks at her. "Are you saying that you think my breasts are yours?" He nodded. "What would you do with them, they have no milk in them so you can't feed on them and you're not mature enough to do anything else?"
He looks into her eyes with the most smoldering look of a very real man and says, "You'd be surprised what I could do?" He reaches out to her and kisses her squarely on the mouth with the hunger of a man long denied what he wants. She breaks from him barely able to breathe with all the passion that he gave to her.
"No, this is not going to happen. I told you that I want a man who can walk, talk and feed himself. When you can take me out to good surf and turf meal, then you might get something more from me. I might actually consider you an adult male instead of an adult baby. When are ready to up the mantle of responsibility again. Responsibility to your job, your son, the people you depend on your intelligence and abilities, to yourself, then you can come to me and show me how much of a man you are. But as long as you are hiding, you keep your hands to yourself unless they are touching with the innocence of a baby, which is what Spencer was doing." He hangs his head. She lifts him by the chin. You will go and apologize to him and then you will kneel with your face pressed to the wall until I say you can get out. I would spank you for your poor actions but I don't believe in spanking babies. They don't understand why the person who is supposed to love them is beating on them and causing them pain. Right now I don't think you would either." She moves to remove him from the exam table and take him back to the doctor's office.
Back at the office, Sean is trying to calm down Spencer who seems to be doing a little regressing and crying because he doesn't understand why Aaron did that to him. The doctor says, "You know why Aaron did it?"
Sean answers, "No, I have no idea."
"Jealousy and envy."
"What?"
"While I was talking, I was the watching the boys. Spencer was sitting being sweet and very innocent, yet Aaron was looking more and more like a jealous man turning into a thundercloud of anger. I think that he thought Spencer was touching what he wanted for himself and not as a baby." Sean looked at him with absolute clarity of what the doctor was saying.
"Great, now we raging adult hormones in an 11-month-old baby. That is just what I needed to have."
"You know that he is not really a baby, he is in control of himself. What he does he chooses to do."
"Yeah, but how do we help him to understand that he doesn't need to. He doesn't have to destroy himself in order to protect the people he loves. We love him and will have him whatever he does, but how can we protect the protector?"
Spencer pipes up with an "I'm hungry, can I have one of Aaron's bottles?"
Sean looks at him in astonishment, "Why would you want a bottle?"
"Aaron seems to like them and I don't want to get out of your arms right now, it would be easier to feed me with a bottle. Please?"
Sean reaches into the food bag and pulls out a bottle of protein drink and Spencer gets into position to lie down in his arms and takes the bottle when Sean put it into his mouth. Spencer begins to suckle and Sean would rock him in comfort.
This is the scene that Aaron and Angie came into. Aaron was once again jealous of the young man in his brother's arms. Angie turns to him and says, "Wall." He looks at her about to refuse but noticed the steely look in her eyes and her questioning eyes that say defy me, I dare you. He decides it is more prudent for him to go kneel by the wall.
After a while, Spencer has finished his bottle and was now sleeping in Sean's arms and Aaron was starting to whine about being hungry and having to kneel near the wall. Angie looks at Sean questioning on what he wanted to do about the problem child.
Sean asks, "Angie will you hold Spencer while I take care of Aaron." She goes and takes his place holding Spencer while he sleeps. Sean goes over to his brother and lifts him up, but will not allow him to walk. He instead carries him to the long table of displays in the corner. He moves most of the displays to the back and lays Aaron down, where he proceeds to change his diaper.
After the diaper change, Sean harnesses Aaron into his stroller and then holds a bottle for him. Aaron is not happy to be fed this way but decides to go along with it this time.
The doctor had by this time decided to go on his rounds and Sean decides that it is time to take his boys home. But is uncertain how to do it with Spencer sleeping, usually he is able to walk around by himself, Angie offers the resolution of him carrying Spencer and she would take the bags and push the stroller. He takes her up on the offer and comes to take the boy from her arms and takes him to the table to change him before they left. He didn't wake up while this was happening.
He carries Spencer out to the van while Angie follows with the bags. She is quite impressed by the vehicle and waits with Aaron while he harness buckles Spencer into his car seat. He then does the same for Aaron and puts the stroller and bags away. He offers a ride to their place with her luggage. She can get another place tomorrow. She takes him up on the offer smiling at the man and he smiles back at her.
