Summary:
Abe regresses even more and he and his worried father have no choice but to enlist Jo's help.
As he made his way out of the building and piled into the back of a cab, he grimaced when he saw Jo snap her head in his direction as she exited the building. In the cab's sideview mirror, he saw her, hands on her hips as she frowned after him. Can things get any worse? he asked himself. She'll question Lucas. Then she'll come to the shop. He sighed and rubbed his temples. Oh, stop the world; he wanted to get off!
vvvv
Abe heard the shop's door open and close, then his father's voice boomed his name and caused his own heart to boom, as well. He jumped up from where he'd been sitting on his bed and he ran to meet him at the top of the stairs. His heart fell when he saw the look of total incredulity on his father's face as he paused halfway up the stairs. Abe took a few steps backward as Henry cleared the landing and walked over to him. Abe fell into his arms and sobbed. He'd been doing his best to hold it in all day as he'd marked his extraordinary but totally unwanted changes during the day. He forgot about how uncool it was for a guy to cry or to need a hug from his parent. It felt warm and soothing to be held by his dad, to be comforted by someone who truly understood what he was going through, even if that someone couldn't make things right for him. He just needed to anchor into someone else's reality in order to not feel he was slipping more and more into his own unreality. After several minutes he was able to pull himself away and dry his tears from his face. He looked up at Henry and smiled weakly.
Henry continued to hold his son's shoulders and stroke his hair. He bent his head down a bit to look into Abe's red, puffy eyes. "Let's go sit down over here." he said softly and motioned towards the couch in the sitting area. As they walked slowly over, he hugged his son close to his side and they sat down. For several minutes he studied his now teenaged-looking son. His hair once again present as too long and too unruly for his tastes, his body the scrawny beginnings of a full grown man. In another time and place, he admitted to himself, it would not be unpleasant to have Abe like this with him once again. But, the reality was that Abe's normal life as an elderly gentleman would have to be permanently abandoned if his regression could not be checked and reversed. He understood perfectly the heartache at just the thought of it. As a parent, he would do all he could to shield his son from ever actually having to experience what he, himself had gone through many times. It had never been easy and had never been painless. Even though sometimes quick, the painful memories of loss still cemented themselves into one's psyche.
"Have you eaten anything today?" he asked Abe. Cracker Jacks were treats, snacks, not a decent meal.
"Nothing since breakfast." Abe whispered and stared blankly in front of him. He hung his head and sat back against the couch. "Went around the corner to that hotdog truck and just as I was about to order, I saw Fawn coming down the street with one of her grandsons." He looked at Henry with the most painful realization on his face. "I ran back into the shop, closed it up, and hightailed it upstairs to my room. Never been so scared in my life! All I could think was I couldn't let her see me like this. She wouldn't understand." His hands flew up and covered his face.
Henry understood all too well. The panic at encountering someone who would recognize him, but naturally expect him to look much different. To look much older. Or, in his case, to even be dead. He'd ran from them the same as Abe had run from Fawn. Fear of discovery. It pulled out one of the oldest survival instincts: flight. Flee or be ridiculed, at best, harmed, at worst. An anger began to build inside him that emanated from the very depths of his being. But who or what could he direct this anger at? His son was in trouble. Scared. Confused. And it seemed that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Unleashing his anger at the universe had never gained him anything. His scientific, rational mind had to prevail here. There had to be a reason for what his poor boy was experiencing, and he was determined to uncover it. But he needed help. He most definitely needed help. And from someone he trusted most: Jo.
"I'll make you a sandwich and some tea. You can try the Cracker Jacks after that, okay?" When Abe didn't answer, he added, "You must keep up your strength, Abe. Then we'll work on finding a way to right things for you." He patted Abe's shoulder then hesitated before rising. "Abe ... we need help."
Abe frowned at him and then looked away.
He pressed on. "Remember how long it took you to convince me to tell Jo about me and I refused? And she figured things out by herself?"
Abe smiled, nodded, and stared at his hands in his lap.
"I was a fool. For so long, I was a fool to have hidden my secret from her. I wish I had followed your advice back then. But now ... this situation is more urgent. It is happening right now before our very eyes and I haven't a clue as to how to stop it. What I'm trying to say is - "
"Tell her, Dad." Abe suddenly snapped to attention and looked Henry in the eyes. "Maybe she can help."
A genuine smile spread across Henry's face and eventually across Abe's. The detective's friendship and companionship had done a world of good for both of them and Abe had long felt she belonged in their lives. It had taken Henry a little longer to accept Abe's way of thinking, but now that he did, he wholeheartedly concurred. He laughed softly at Abe's high regards towards Jo and finally rose to go and phone her, when he heard a growingly insistent knocking at the shop's locked door. Jo, he thought to himself.
"That's probably her." Abe called to his father.
"Yes, I'm certain it is, Abraham." Henry called back to him as he hurried to let her in. The closer he got to the door, the clearer the look of irritation and frustration on her face became. He put on his best believable smile and opened the door for her. "Jo, please do come in. I was just about to phone you."
She stepped in and walked past him but turned around to face him after he'd locked the shop's door again. "Phone me about what?" she asked sternly, one eyebrow raised and her voice slightly tinged with anger. She practically had him boxed in, his back up against the door. He swore he saw steam coming out of her ears.
"Please, Jo, I can see that you're upset with me, but there's a very good reason for me suddenly leaving work and popping back home. Forgive me, but I couldn't tell you anything about it just then." He tried to take a step forward, but she didn't budge out of his way. But she did soften a little.
"Henry, what is it that you had to 'pop' home for all of a sudden? I now know that Abe is your son and that you have some kind of ability to live longer than most anybody else on the planet, but ... what is it you couldn't tell me?"
He pursed his lips and lowered his head but maintained eye contact with her. "Please, let's just go upstairs. It is about Abe. There's a ... problem with Abe." He breathed easier and followed closely when she turned around and walked determinedly towards the stairs.
"Oh. Is he not feeling well? I can understand your concern, then. Of course, you had to get here as soon as you could." She continued to rattle on as she climbed the stairs and cleared the landing. "He's really grown on me, you know? I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him. For a man his age, he's really young - at - heart." She slowed and then froze where she stood, mouth agape, eyes widened, as she saw the now pre-adolescent Abraham Morgan! She recognized him from some of the pictures Henry had shown her of Abigail, Abe, and him in earlier years.
Henry stepped from behind her and lunged to his son's side. Abe turned away from Jo and once again buried his face into his father in an effort to find comfort and safety. He rocked his son in his arms and smoothed his hair. He placed a kiss on the top of his head and assured him that Daddy's here. Daddy's here.
Abe turned his tear-stained face up to Henry and wailed, "What's happenin' to me, Pops?"
"I don't know, Abraham." He forlornly replied as he eyed Jo, who appeared to be still in shock.
"I don't like this!" he sobbed into Henry's chest, his body much smaller than just less than an hour ago. "I wanna be fixed back! I wanna be fixed back! I wanna be fixed back!" He continued to wail the pained request as Henry did his best to calm him. But all he could do was to hold him, pet him, and repeat his name.
It lifted his heart immensely when he saw Jo on the other side of Abe. She hugged him from behind and placed her cheek to the top of his head and then looked into Henry's eyes. He could see the tears welling up in hers and she continued to hug Abe. Then she placed her hand on Henry's neck and pulled him closer to her. They both rocked and comforted Abe, their foreheads pressed together.
"I'm here, too, Abe. We're all in this together." She brushed her fingers across his cheek and whispered to him, "Your father and I are going to do all we can to help you."
Abe's voice shuddered as he muffled a reply into Henry's chest. "Promise?" his small, now high-pitched voice squeaked out.
She couldn't help but smile at the cute little child version of Abe and his cute little voice. She hugged him harder. "Promise."
Henry couldn't help but smile and his heart burst with pride and love for them both. Which only made him more determined than ever to find a way to help his son. "Promise." he echoed.
7
Summary:
Henry and Jo embark on a mission to find out the cause of Abe's deaging and how far back it will take him. Why isn't his memory affected? They accept help from an unexpected source.
But how are they going to investigate Abe's situation and solve their high-profile murder case at the same time?
"Your father [Henry] and I [Jo] are going to do all we can to help you."
Abe's voice shuddered as he muffled a reply into Henry's chest. "Promise?" ...
She couldn't help but smile ... She hugged him harder. "Promise."
vvvv
Abe's slow but steady breathing and limp body told Henry that he'd fallen asleep. He tugged away from Jo's hand on his neck and looked down at his slumbering son in his arms. He put a finger to his lips and smiled at Jo, who released her own embrace of the now small child Abe. Henry slowly but gently gathered him up in his arms and stood up. He motioned with his head towards the hallway and Jo understood and rose to follow them. Henry paused at Abe's bedroom and thought better of it. For some reason, he preferred to bed him down in his bedroom instead. Jo pulled the covers back on his large bed and he placed him into it. He left the oversized Led Zeppelin T-shirt on him, but removed his four-sizes-too-large jeans, and tucked him in.
Jo watched Henry as he placed a loving hand on his son's cheek and planted a kiss on his forehead. She stepped closer to him and held his hand with her left hand and rubbed his back with her other. They shushed silently at each other and tiptoed out of the room. He paused once more and then opened the door all the way. It was more for him than for Abe. He and Abigail had done it during those times when Abe had been ill. They'd wanted to make sure they heard his every whimper, his every movement, and they'd rushed to his side at the drop of a hat.
They walked slowly into the kitchen and both half-expected to see Abe, regular Abe, puttering around with pots and pans and a new recipe. The absence of that winning grin and affable manner, that familiar face, lent a grayish pallor to the kitchen's usual brightness. Neither was aware that they hadn't spoken for several minutes. When Henry finally did, it startled Jo.
"Tea?"
"Ummm, uh, yes. Thank you." Her emotions prevented her from trusting her words right then. So she decided to go into Detective mode. That had always helped her to maintain a necessary amount of level headedness in order to solve a problem or a mystery. And this situation desperately called for it. She noticed Henry as he retrieved a plastic bag from the couch and placed it in the fridge. "Was that lunch?"
He closed the fridge and sat down at the table opposite her. "No. He, uh ... wanted some Cracker Jacks." His face began to crumble and he looked down at the table. "He'd asked me to bring some home." His voice failed but he held on, eyes shut tight. He opened them and blinked several times and cleared his throat. "His favorite." He managed to smile at Jo and she smiled back at him, then bit her lower lip.
He cleared his throat again and sat straighter in his chair, a look of determination on his face. "I need to examine him. I need to find out what's causing all this."
"Yes, but how? He seems to be getting younger at a very rapid rate. I mean, to my knowledge he was Abe, good ole Abe, yesterday morning, right?"
"Yes, he was." he sighed and stared off into space. "Seems like such a long time ago now."
"And where would you be able to examine him, anyway?" she queried, her brow pinched. "You can't take him back to the hospital."
"You're right; that's out of the question. But ... " he suddenly sparked a grin at her and raised a finger as he jumped out of his chair and twisted back around to face her, "I have a pretty complete laboratory in my basement." The kettle whistled and he walked over to take care of it.
"So you can examine him in your own lab? Are you sure you have all the necessary equipment?"
"Maybe not everything I need but pretty much." He poured them both a cup of tea and placed one before Jo and grabbed his own and sat back down. He stirred milk and sugar into his tea and kept his eyes down, away from hers. "The, uh, morgue has some of the other equipment necessary to my research." His eyes travelled slowly up to meet hers.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "Okay. Okay, Henry. It's for Abe and this is a pretty weird situation, so, okay. I'll help. What do you need me to do?" 'I am so fired for this.'
vvvv
Dr. Amar Malhotra's office ...
The doctor sat at his desk and reviewed the results of the various tests they'd run on Abraham Morgan, recently discharged. The man was in perfect health. Remarkably perfect health for a man his age. He was no longer a patient and no longer required hospital care. So why did this nag at him? He flipped to the last page of test results. Something about the condition of his pituitary gland caught his eye. Every schoolchild was taught that this gland controlled growth and size. A healthy gland meant that growth would normally occur. But the levels of hormonal output were greatly minimized after Abe's 20 minutes of cardiac arrest. People just did not normally come back after so long. Granted, there were a few remarkable and well-documented cases from different countries, including the U.S., but ... he couldn't place his finger on it. Something else had happened to Abe. And he was determined to find out. He strongly felt it was time to address his concerns to the patient and to his cousin, Dr. Morgan. As a medical man, he should be very interested in the suspicious nature of Abe's condition. He picked up the receiver on his desk phone and dialed the shop's number. When the answering machine picked up the call, he began to leave a message but was surprised when Dr. Morgan interrupted and answered the call. He asked to speak to Abe but was told that he was resting. He then asked if he could stop by around 6:00 to discuss Abe's prognosis. When Henry seemed reluctant, he found it disturbing.
"Look, Dr. Morgan, there are some things in Abe's test results that warrant our attention. You, as a man of medicine and his family member, should understand how important all of this is." he insisted. "All this may mean nothing, but please indulge me and hear me out." When met with silence at the other end, he repeated his request. "Please." He relaxed when Henry finally agreed to him visiting the shop that evening. "Thank you, Dr. Morgan. See you then." He hung up and gathered up Abe's papers and placed them back into the medical file. A glance at his watch told him that he had rounds to make and a staff meeting later on. So it would be another three hours before he could make it to the Morgan men's shop.
vvvv
The wall phone in the morgue rang and Lucas answered it. It was Lt. Reece.
"No, Lieutenant, Dr. Morgan is away from his desk. Can I take a message?" Lucas swallowed at his half-truth. "Okay. Will do. I'll let him know that you want to speak with him as soon as he returns." Lucas hung up and sighed. "Where are you, Doc?" he moaned.
vvvv
Henry hung up the phone and after looking in on Abe (and relieved to find him unchanged), returned to the kitchen and sat at the table.
"How's Abe?" Jo asked with trepidation.
"Sleeping soundly. No change." he breathed out with relief.
"Sounded like from your phone conversation that you can expect company soon." Jo ventured.
'Yes. Abraham's physician, Dr. Malhotra, wants to pop over later on and discuss his prognosis."
"I thought you said that Abe wasn't expected to see him again for another six weeks."
Henry nodded as she spoke and then replied, "He said there are some aspects of Abe's last test results that concern him. Things that 'warrant our attention', in his words." He tilted his head to the side and roved his eyes around the room, focusing on nothing as he continued. "This just might be helpful to our cause. He's bringing Abe's medical file to me. There will be no need for me to - " He abruptly stopped himself and looked at Jo, then continued again. "That is, no need for me to ... borrow it."
Jo rolled her eyes and sipped the last of her tea. "I didn't hear that." She placed her cup back on the saucer and asked, "Did he say there's anything specific that he wants to discuss?"
"He did mention Abe's pituitary gland."
"The gland that promotes hormones for proper growth, right?" she asked.
Henry smiled. "Very good, Detective, you remembered what you learned in school."
Something suddenly occurred to her. "He did have an infection before he ... Do you think it could have affected that gland and that's why it's out of whack?"
"Of course," he replied, "but anything's possible. Still, if the infection caused some sort of mutation as his body's defense system and the medication worked together to fight it off ... the gland could have become off kilter."
"You know who else might know about this deaging process?" Jo asked.
"Who?"
"Lucas." She waved her hand at Henry when he frowned. "I know, I know, but he's got it in those graphic novels of his." She eyed him, mildly amused, as she asked, "Want I should go borrow some of them from him?" When Henry continued to frown, she added, "I know it sounds crazy, but this (she waved her around) is crazy, too. Couldn't hurt. And I don't have to tell him why."
"Alright, Jo. You're right. We need all the information we can get our hands on." He bent his head down and walked quickly to the edge of the hallway. Satisfied that he'd probably imagined he'd heard something from where Abe slept, he returned and stood with his back to the island and faced Jo. "Thought I heard ... " He shook his head.
She stood up and placed her hand on his cheek and a quick kiss on his other. He sighed and pulled her in close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her arms slid up and around his neck and she closed her eyes. He whispered his thanks into her ear, his warm breath causing her to shiver.
"You're welcome." She placed another quick kiss on the side of his neck, evoking a soft, shuddering sigh from him.
While her fingers played with the hair at the back of his head, he covered her lips with his in a more demanding kiss than was appropriate for their given situation. As delightful as this moment of intimacy was, there was simply no time to explore it right now. They reluctantly ended the kiss but pressed the sides of their faces together and maintained their close embrace. A small, quiet voice spoke from the doorway.
"Dad?"
Jo looked over his shoulder towards the doorway, quickly pushed away from him, and stepped back as Henry spun around.
"Abraham." he happily replied.
"Can I have something to eat? I'm hungry." The young boy rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stepped into the kitchen.
"Hungry? Hungry?" he questioned with a mock-serious look on his face as he looked at a smiling Jo, then back at Abe. "Well, we certainly can't have that!" He swept the boy up in his arms and plopped him down atop the kitchen island and kissed him hard on the forehead. "Now, what would you like? And don't say Cracker Jacks." he sternly warned with a raised finger. He then broke out into a broad grin as Abe's smile revealed his dimpled cheeks.
Jo's cellphone buzzed and she answered it. After a quick word or two, she ended the call with, "Ummm, yeah. Be there soon as I can", and dropped the phone back into her pocket. "I gotta go. Lieu wants an audience. Answers, really." She placed her hand on Henry's shoulder and he placed his overs hers and squeezed it. She then pinched Abe's cheek and he ducked his eyes. "I'll let myself out." She held up her key to the shop that he'd given her a few weeks ago and turned and left.
Henry gave his full attention to his son, now wide awake and making suggestions of chocolate-covered pancakes and strawberry-flavored milk. He laughed, grateful, too, that some of the familiar animation and imagination had returned to his son. But, good father that he was, he managed to get Abe to compromise on some healthier alternatives. As they enjoyed their meal, really enjoyed it, Henry pondered what Dr. Malhotra had to share with him that evening. With Abe's condition apparently stabilized and the possibility of new, helpful information coming, his hope was renewed. And Jo. Beautiful, Jo. What had he ever done to deserve her?
Notes:
Felt that Dr. Malhotra needed a first name so chose Amar, which, appropriately means Immortal, Everlasting.
8
Summary:
Dr. Amar Malhotra visits the shop to discuss Abe's prognosis with Henry. Abe defies his father, but what else is new? Is the infamous Dr. Washington being recruited to take over an autopsy assigned to Henry? Jo gets the lowdown from Lucas on deaging.
Henry pondered what Dr. Malhotra had to share with him that evening. With Abe's condition apparently stabilized and, with the possibility of new, helpful information coming, his hope was renewed. And Jo. Beautiful, Jo. What had he ever done to deserve her?
vvvv
Lt. Reece accompanied Jo and her partner, Hanson, as they walked out of her office. They had discussed the fact that there were no witnesses and few leads in the suspected drug overdose death of Melody James. One very important fact, though, was that she was left handed, but the injection was made into her left arm instead of into her right arm. This was enough to cast suspicion on the circumstances surrounding her death.
"Who says our vic wasn't evenhanded and she still did herself in?" Hanson offered as an alternative. "Wait. Don't tell me, uhhh ... " He squeezed his eyes shut and recited in his best (but not very good) Henry Morgan impersonation, "something to do with the angle of the entry and the advanced muscular development of her left hand and arm versus the weaker muscle tone of her right hand and arm." He opened his eyes and leveled a look of mild annoyance at Jo. "Therefore, her left hand and arm were dominant." he grumpily finished in his own voice.
Reece laughed a little at Hanson's poor phonetic impersonation of their eccentric medical examiner. "Tell Henry that I said good work." she told them.
"Ummm, it was actually Lucas who figured it out. Henry is ... dealing with a sick family member." Jo fought the natural tendency to lower her eyes, hating herself for the partial lie to her boss.
"Oh, that's right. Sorry to hear about his roommate. He's kind of up there in age, isn't he?"
Jo managed to maintain eye contact with her boss, but only gave a kind of half-shrug. She felt terrible. But now she knew what Henry had gone through and what he still went through when he'd felt it necessary to be evasive when asked even simple questions about him or his "roommate". She didn't regret her involvement with him. But her willingness to help to shield him from scrutiny didn't make it any easier to lie to her colleagues. Eventually, she realized, it would be necessary to lie to those closer to her. But, Heaven help her, she was in love with this man and she loved his son, too, so she was going to protect them both, come hell or high water.
"Well, it looks like Henry's thoroughness is rubbing off on Wahl." She glanced at Hanson and added, "And others. That's good to know, but I'll be glad when he returns and takes back the reins on this case." The two detectives nodded to her and she left the precinct for an early dinner with her social worker daughter, Bernice, and son-in-law, David Hamilton, a corporate attorney. It was a rare occasion that they could all clear their schedules to get together like this. With her husband, Sam, on an out-of-town fishing trip with friends, she looked forward to the chance to just relax for a change, with good company over a good meal.
Jo grabbed her purse out of her desk drawer.
"Henry's gonna have all of us talkin' like him and thinkin' like him after a while." He laughingly shook his head. "You takin' off, too, then?" he asked as he checked his watch.
"Might not be such a bad thing." she said. "And, yeah, I'm off." She logged off her computer, waved to him, and walked towards the elevators. "See ya tomorrow, Mike."
"Hey, say hello to the Doc and Abe for me." He grinned and saluted her with a finger to his brow when she turned to look at him, then playfully rolled her eyes and continued on.
vvvv
7:28 PM ...
Dr. Amar Malhotra had arrived at the antiques shop around 6:30. Henry had welcomed him in, using his most polite gentlemanly manners, but all the while had dreaded his presence. Prior to his arrival, he'd instructed Abraham to remain in his own bedroom and to not disturb them while they discussed the information in his medical file. He had naturally protested, saying that since it involved him and his condition, that he had a right to also be present.
"I wanna know, Pops. No more crying, I promise." His cheeks had then puffed out into a dimpled grin and he'd turned on that magic begging beam in his eyes. It had served to blind his fatherly, better judgment many a time over the years. Still, he'd stuck to his original decision and had denied his son's request.
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the image of Abe sulking in his bedroom and taking his frustration out on the TV remote as he pounded it to flip through the channels. And he couldn't help but admit that if Abe remained as he now was, it wouldn't be that unpleasant to raise him to adulthood again. What an adventure that would be for the both of them. But Dr. Malhotra was here now, and he shifted his attention back to their conversation.
" ... but since you say that so far, Abraham is not experiencing any headaches or vision problems, it appears we can rule out a tumor." Amar concluded with a frown. "Most perplexing, indeed." he said as he rubbed his index finger across his pursed lips. He leaned forward across the small table in the shop and asked again, "And no ill health effects? Nothing unusual, then? The hormonal output in these reports decreased after his ... revival. But the speed of recovery, the healing, greatly increased. There has to be a reason for that. Scientific or otherwise."
Henry hungrily eyed Abe's medical file that Amar practically hugged to his chest, denying him free access to it. "Ahhh, no, nothing." He cringed at the blatant lie but pointed to the file. "May ... I ... ?"
"Oh, yes, please forgive me, Dr. Morgan." Amar turned the open file around and pushed it over to him.
He thanked him with a quick smile and ravenously pored over the file, specifically all of Abe's test results for comparison. There had to be something, he thought. Maybe not a tumor, thank God, but between his head injury, then the infection around the IV needle and the antibiotics mixed in with the anesthetic ... but they hadn't used propofol. That type of infection was one of the side effects of its use. 'What am I missing here?' Maybe there was nothing to find. Maybe the reason behind Abraham's condition was not scientific but ... otherwise. He sighed in frustration as he read and flipped the pages. Then, he noticed something (or someone) behind Amar on the stairs. Abraham! His small face peeked out from behind the railings on the staircase. Mortified, he abandoned the file, slowly stood up and walked towards his disobedient son, staring him down.
"Your son?" Amar smiled as he turned in his chair and then winked at the boy, who shyly waved at him.
"Yes," he replied, still advancing towards Abe, "but he really shouldn't be out of his room, he's been ill." Henry spoke slowly but firmly as he came to stand directly over him on the stairs. Abe preferred not to meet his father's eyes. In this moment, he truly did feel like a bad, little kid. And he didn't feel so good right now as he felt the searing scrutiny of his father's disapproving gaze.
"Not feeling well? Sorry to hear that. Hello, young man." Amar called to him. "What's your name? My name is Amar Malhotra. I'm your older cousin's doctor."
"Abraham." Abe quietly replied.
"And he's going back to his room right now." Henry said softly but forcefully.
Abe knew that tone all too well. It had always meant a lecture along with one or more of the unpleasant ground rules enforced. But what his father didn't understand was that this time was different. For although his physical appearance was that of a child, he was still Abe Morgan inside. A septuagenarian man with an extraordinary problem who wanted answers, some help! Surely, Dad could relate to that dilemma of being an old man trapped in a very young-looking body. But, in keeping with the charade for Amar's sake, he rose and mumbled out a "Yes, sir" and retreated to his bedroom. There, he waited for the lecture/tirade to come.
"Nice-looking boy." Amar told Henry. "Strange how he resembles your cousin more than he does you, though." He shrugged. "Strange how genes work, right?"
Henry sat back down at the small table. "Yes." he chuckled. "Strange."
Amar's back-to-business expression returned as he leaned forward. "Please tell Abe that I'd like to take an MRI of his brain as soon as possible. No need to wait six weeks before making an appointment. In fact," he said as he gathered up the file and stood, "I'll send the request down today. It'll be good for one week so he can just walk in during regular hours." He extended his hand to Henry, who shook it and then showed him out.
After he'd locked the shop's door and made sure the sign was flipped to Closed, turned and smiled in the direction of where Abe had sneaked down and sat on the stairs. His son. He shook his head as he made his way into Abe's bedroom.
Abe jumped off of the bed when Henry entered his room. "I know what you're going to say, Pops, but I really needed to know what my own doctor had to say about me and maybe something helpful about my condition."
Henry watched him as he pleaded his case and, for some strange reason, he could see the older version of his son as he moved closer to him. How odd, he thought to himself. Usually, as Abe had grown older, he'd seen him as a small baby or child with eyes full of wonder and a happy laugh. Now it was just the opposite. The odd workings of a parental mind, he concluded.
"Abraham, Abraham, it's allright, I understand. I understand." He put his hands up and then lowered them as Abe calmed down. "You simply wanted answers and that's your right." he shrugged with his hands in his pockets.
"You ... you're not mad?" he asked, surprised.
"Dogs get mad, people get angry." he corrected him with a swing of his head and a sway of his shoulders.
"Da-ad ... " Abe pleaded.
"No." he sighed and hugged his son. "No. I was more concerned with not knowing how to explain you. Your presence."
"Well, it worked out okay, then, because he thinks I'm your son." Abe beamed up at his father at that. "Imagine that." They both laughed and Abe always delighted in his father's deep, booming laugh. It meant he was totally relaxed, which didn't happen often enough for him. Especially these past few weeks.
"Jo's probably on her way over." Henry said. At least, he hoped she was.
vvvv
"Hey, Lucas." Jo greeted him as he walked out of the morgue. "Leaving early, too?"
Lucas shushed her with a finger to his lips and hunched down a bit as he ushered her back over to the elevator. "Just taking a much-needed break. You-know-who is in there spreading his usual brand of grief around to everyone." He jabbed a finger a few times in the direction of the morgue.
"Oh. Henry's back?" Jo teased.
Lucas looked offended. "Noooo, Dr. Washingtonnnn." They stepped into the elevator and he punched the button for the lobby. "I don't think that guy ever stepped out of bed on the right foot. Both of his feet are wrong. EVERYday!" He followed a laughing Jo out of the elevator and then out of the building. "You laugh, but that old flake just announced that he's been authorized to take over the autopsy in the Melody James case."
Jo's next laugh stuck in her throat and she stopped dead in her tracks.
"You know what Washington's gonna do, he's just gonna write her death off as an accidental overdose and maybe leave some kinda killer out there." He flung a hand in the air, disgusted. "Doc would never stand for this."
No, he wouldn't, Jo silently agreed. "Well, I was just on my way over to see him."
Lucas grinned knowingly and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah."
"About the case, Lucas." Jo frowned at him.
"Yeah." He continued to grin. "Sure." Then something crossed his mind. "Uh, were you coming into the morgue just now?" She couldn't have been coming to see Henry so he was confused.
"Ummm, yeah." She'd nearly forgotten at the mention of Washington's name. "I wanted to pick your brain about ... deaging." She watched in amusement as his eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. "You know, from what's in your graphic novels. My ... nephew is really into that and I'd promised him that I'd consult an expert. You." she swallowed as she lied. Again. To another colleague. She was getting better at it. Why did she feel so much more rotten, then?
Lucas gratefully expounded on his theories and detailed some of the best representations of it from his "readings", as he preferred to call it.
They're comic books, Lucas, she silently countered, she made dutiful notes and prayed that some of the fantastical could be wiped off to actually help in the situation with Abe. She thanked him and as she drove to the shop to share this ... information ... with them, she couldn't help but think about the two men with wonder. An immortal man with a deaged son. What would she find out about herself, that she was really Mary Poppins? Wonder Woman? Nah, she was Ripley from those Alien movies. She laughed soundly at that. Yeah, kick butt Ripley.
Notes:
Sorry, I googled the information about the pituitary gland and possible treatments but lost the link. I'm not a doctor or nurse so, bear with me. It's just a made up story, after all. Still, hope you enjoy it.
9
Summary:
Abe's condition takes another interesting turn. Reece has an unexpected encounter with Dr. Washington and is determined to get to the bottom of his suspicious behavior. Will he perform a slapdash autopsy on Melody James or will Henry be allowed to perform his usual thorough one?
... she [Joanna Reece] left the precinct for an early dinner with her social worker daughter, Bernice, and son-in-law, David Hamilton, a corporate attorney. It was a rare occasion that they could all clear their schedules to get together like this ... she looked forward to the chance to just relax ... over a good meal.
vvvv
The waiter took their orders and disappeared into the kitchen. Joanna Reece looked around admiringly at the decor, the other patrons, and the colorful but tasteful, table setting. Her gaze settled on the young couple across from her in their booth. Originally, the reservation had been for four at this new place that touted American and Chinese cuisine in the meat-packing district, but her husband, Sam, was away on his annual fishing trip with some of his college buddies. Couldn't pass that up, but he'd jokingly commanded his wife to save him a seat because he just might dust off his cape and fly in.
"This is a really nice place, you guys. Thank you for inviting me. Bernice, your dad insisted that we 'eat enough for him', too." They all laughed. "David, congratulations again on your recent promotion. Turning heads there at your job so soon, I see." She smiled at him and sipped from her water glass.
"Thanks, Joanna." David beamed back at her. He was a tall, slender, handsome young man in his late 20's, who sported the bald look very well. His bright, hazel eyes stood out in comparison to his smooth, dark skin. One day, he'd vowed several times, he was going to find out exactly where he'd gotten those eyes from.
"Well, you did all the hard work, honey." Bernice patted his arm and smiled at him. "I'm proud of you." Bernice resembled her father. A bit on the short side, crinkly reddish-blonde hair, freckles and more acquiline features. She had her mother's dry wit, but shared her father's love of pulling pranks. Her unwavering dedication to task and commitment to helping others, came from both of them.
Joanna continued to smile and did her best to actively participate in the pleasant conversation, but her law-enforcement-trained ear picked up on a rather unpleasant conversation between two diners who'd just been seated nearby. She excused herself to the ladies room in a ploy to move closer to these two combatants and learn more about their dispute. Normally, she would have politely ignored them and left them to their troubles. But at least one of the voices was familiar and seemed to be at odds with the other concerning one Melody James. Now, why would they be discussing the morgue's newest resident in their freezer? She opened her purse and pretended to search for something as a distraction when she neared their booth. The familiar voice turned out to belong to Dr. Benjamin Washington of the OCME. The woman he was arguing with looked familiar but she couldn't place her at the moment. She heard only a snatch of their conversation as she passed by their booth.
Washington: "I can't. They'll know. I'll lose my job!"
The woman: "Then do it for me. Melody James was - "
She couldn't slow her roll to catch the last of the woman's words without drawing suspicion to herself. She ducked into the ladies room, but in her peripheral vision, she had seen Washington suddenly stiffen and turn white as a sheet when he'd noticed her. His female companion had shaken his shoulder in an effort to bring his attention back to their conversation. Joanna quickly assessed what she had just seen and heard. Her 30 plus years of cop's instincts warned her that her dinner just might be over, but her night was just beginning.
vvvv
Even though Jo had used the spare key that Henry had given her to lock up the shop when she'd left earlier, she didn't feel it was polite to use it to enter at her own will. "Pick up, pick up, pick up, Henry." she whispered into her cellphone. Finally, he answered. "Hi ... Yes, I've got the key ... Okay. Be up in a sec." The controlled anxiety in his voice troubled her.
Henry had been standing in his son's bedroom, watching him sleep, when Jo had called. He hadn't answered right away but when he had, he realized that the phone's ringing on the nightstand had not roused Abe. Normally, it would have. He was painfully aware that he'd sounded a bit more than distracted as he'd spoken to Jo, but she had to see this for herself.
He'd stood and watched his sleeping son as he'd aged and shed his childlike appearance for his late teens/early 20's appearance again. The spectacle was both promising and horrifyingly beautiful. He wanted to look away, but the sight held too much fascination for him. A scream wanted to wretch out of him at whatever force was behind all this. His emotions remained miraculously in check as he watched, though. When he sensed Jo at his side, his hand found hers and their fingers entwined. It was becoming automatic for them now, whenever they were near each other, away from prying eyes.
"My God, Henry." she whispered in astonishment and her other hand flew up to her open mouth. "How ... long ... ?"
"Just over the past 30 minutes." he softly replied to her unfinished question. For some reason, he didn't believe Abe would wake up, but just in case, he kept his voice low. "Dr. Malhotra left a little while ago. He's scheduled an MRI for Abraham."
"Well, he can't ... go like this." Jo motioned helplessly towards the sleeping Abe.
"I know." he agreed. "But at the rate he's changing, he just may fully revert to his original age in time to take advantage of that." He couldn't be sure, though. The situation was literally unfolding as they spoke.
"If he reverts to his original age, won't that solve the problem?" she asked hopefully.
He breathed in through his nose and blew it out through his mouth. "I simply have no idea, Jo." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. The frustration and fatigue evident in his voice and carriage.
She turned to him and tugged at his arm. "He's not going anywhere soon, so let's you and I go take a load off of our feet and compare notes." She tilted her head to the side as she looked sympathetically up at him. "Okay?" His brow unfurrowed and he relented a bit. "C'mon." She tugged again and he smiled a little as he followed her into the sitting area at the end of the hallway.
"Now." she sighed as he sat down next to her and leaned back. "Tell me what Dr. Malhotra had to say and I'll share my notes with you from Dr. Lucas Wahl, Graphic Novels Expert Extraordinaire." At that he gave out a definite laugh. "There. I love that sound." She swallowed as he shared what Dr. Malhotra and he had discussed. The revelation about Dr. Washington being authorized to conduct the autopsy on Melody James instead of him could be delayed, in order to allow him a lull in his worries. Much to her dismay, she realized that she was learning to coat the truth, even for him.
vvvv
"Good evening, Dr. Washington, what a coincidence." Reece greeted him as she walked up to his booth.
"Yes. Sergeant ... ?" He dismissively addressed her, frowning.
"Lieutenant Reece. Doctor." Her annoyance wiped her polite smile away. "I couldn't help but overhear that you were discussing a suspected murder victim in an open investigation." She flashed her badge and fully identified herself to him and his female companion, who abruptly schooled her agitation and unwillingly gave her full attention to her. "Anything you care to share with the NYPD, Doctor? Something to help in the investigation, perhaps?"
Washington, still frowning, looked at his companion, then back at the Lieutenant. "I am not Dr. Morgan. I do not feel the need to join in the mundane operations of your police unit. My report, which will be on your desk tomorrow morning, should be sufficient enough for you to wrap up your investigation, Ma'am." he said in his most condescending tone of voice.
"You do not call me Ma'am. It's Lieutenant to you." she pointed her finger at him. "And never in a million years would anyone mistake you for a man as brilliant and thorough as Dr. Henry Morgan." He took great exception to that, she could tell, but then turned her attention to his companion. "And, you are?"
"I'm ... his sister." she nervously replied.
"And I'm sure your mother named you when you were born. What is it?"
"Eleanor. Mrs. Eleanor James. Councilman James is my husband."
"Which makes Melody James your daughter?"
"My stepdaughter. My husband and I were married four years ago after his first wife died."
"Still. My condolences." Eleanor nodded politely. "Mrs. James, would you be willing to come down to the station to answer some questions? I couldn't help but overhear - "
"You mean eavesdrop, don't you? Lieu-TEN-ANT?" Washington snarled at her. "Don't answer anymore of her questions, Eleanor." He eyed Reece defiantly. "We know our rights." he smugly stated and crossed his arms. "And you're interrupting our dinner. After you read my report, you'll feel very silly."
"Oh, and I'm sure it would just break your heart for me to feel silly." She nodded to both of them as she walked back to rejoin her daughter and son-in-law. "Enjoy your dinner." she said over her shoulder. 'Idiot.' Her instincts told her that those two were hiding something. And it was connected to Melody James; possibly to her death. As much as she'd always disliked dealing with the surly M.E., she found it hard to believe that he had anything to do with the young woman's death. But stepmothers have had a bad rap for eons. For now, she decided that dinner was back on, but she was going to get answers out of Washington and his sister, one way or the other.
10
Summary:
Reece and her detectives close in on Dr. Washington. Will this be the end of his career at the OCME, delivering Lucas and a lot of others an early Xmas present? Will Abe's re-aging revert him to his original age? Henry worries because he has to leave his son at a critical time. Duty calls.
As much as she [Reece] had always disliked dealing with the surly M.E. [Washington], she found it hard to believe that he had anything to do with the young woman's death ... but she was going to get answers ... one way or the other.
vvvv
Lt. Reece was surprised by the resistance she'd encountered from Dr. Washington and his sister, Eleanor James. But Eleanor's councilman husband, Erik, had convinced them both to cooperate and agree to be interviewed, along with their attorneys. Because of Washington's connection to the victim, Melody James, her autopsy was once again Henry's responsibility. It was being performed while Jo and Hanson questioned Washington and his sister in an interview room.
vvvv
Three hours later ...
Henry and Lucas were just finishing up the autopsy on Melody James when Jo and Hanson walked into the morgue. He greatly welcomed this distraction from fretting over his son and his rapidly-changing condition. After he and Jo had discussed Abe's situation, she'd then revealed that the autopsy was threatened by the unthorough hands of Dr. Washington. It had been a difficult decision to make, but he'd known what he had to do. So, after Jo had left for her home sometime after midnight, he'd lain, fully dressed, across the other side of Abe's bed and slept with one eye open and one foot on the floor. Same as he and his wife, Abigail, had done when Abe was a child and had been ill.
In spite of all that, he'd been able to get a few hours of sleep. In the morning, it had been greatly encouraging to find that Abe appeared to be in his 50's. A quick comparison with a photo of him at a friend's New Year's Eve party, however, confirmed that more likely, he'd re-aged into his early 60's. He was getting back to his original age, so that was something to celebrate. However, Henry wanted very much to be there for him if and when he fully reverted; but his responsibilities at the morgue had called him away. He'd disappointed and then been forgiven by his son in the past when unavoidable emergencies had drawn him away. He sincerely hoped Abe would forgive him this time, too.
Henry and Lucas looked up as Jo and Hanson walked into the morgue. They exchanged greetings all around.
"Got a COD for us, Doc?" Hanson asked.
"Well, as I had originally suspected, she did not die from anything injected into her. Cause of death: a series of mini strokes related to cocaine use. She was not an intravenous drug user, but was a diabetic. The strokes caused a blockage in the blood supply to her brain, which resulted in a loss of brain function. In my opinion, someone else actually injected the insulin for her, but it was too late."
"Because she was left handed and it would have been pretty difficult for her to have injected herself in her left arm, right?" Hanson surmised.
"Correct, Detective." Henry smiled. "Also, because cocaine addicts have a tendency to forget or avoid their dose. The cocaine masks hunger, which is normally a trigger, a reminder, for diabetics to tend to their condition. When insulin is avoided for extended periods of time, they develop hypoglycemia. Which explains her abnormally low blood sugar levels."
Jo and Hanson looked at each other and shook their heads. Lucas nodded his head in an approving manner at his boss. He was no longer surprised by Henry's uncanny ability to pull a needle from a haystack, but he still thought it was pretty darn cool.
"According to Dr. Washington's sister, Eleanor James, her husband, Councilman James, sent an aide to check up on his daughter every once in a while. You know, to keep tabs on her. Find out if she needed anything. Money, food. Make sure she wasn't homeless or ... hurt." Jo stated.
"Not exactly tough love, but love at a distance." Hanson sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "As a father, myself, not sure I'd know how to deal with one of my kids being in trouble, real trouble, ya know?"
Henry pursed his lips and exchanged a brief, but knowing look with Jo.
"Apparently, this aide," Jo glanced at her small notepad, "Beau Wilkerson, found her disoriented, dizzy and weak in her apartment and brought her to the Councilman's home, then gave her a dose of insulin, per standing orders from him." Jo closed her notepad and looked at Henry. "Per Wilkerson's signed statement, Eleanor was not too pleased to have Melody there. And, get this: all is not rosy in the James household. Word is, he wants out of the marriage, but, taking a gentlemanly stance, is allowing her to file for divorce ... a divorce she doesn't want."
"Yeah, that's what Washington said, too. His sister's 18 years younger than he and a little on the spoiled side. Doesn't get her way, she plots revenge. When her husband told her that he wanted a divorce, and she didn't ... " Hanson added, his voice trailing off.
"It seems that after Wilkerson left, Melody died. Eleanor then got the bright idea to dump her body in a sleazy part of town herself and make it appear that she'd died from an overdose. All to cause embarrassment for her husband and possibly damage his political career. All because he didn't want her anymore. You know what they say: hell hath no fury like the wrath of a woman scorned." Jo said.
"Hmmm, sounds rather desperate and vindictive." Henry muttered as he snapped his gloves off and tossed them into the waste bin. "And do you believe that she had the physical capability to move a dead body unaided?" He asked.
Jo snorked. "She's as tall and as broad at the shoulders as Washington is. She's some kind of strength training instructor."
"Plus, our vic is considerably smaller and didn't weigh very much. What, 95 pounds, if that much." Hanson added. He raised his eyebrows and looked up. "Yeah, she coulda moved her easily by herself."
"Getting back to Wilkerson, he's very devoted to his boss, Councilman James. He gave Melody the injection. According to him, he'd done it before when she hadn't been able to herself. Then, he'd left, thinking he'd done his job." Jo replied. "Mrs. James, however, had other plans for her stepdaughter."
"Was Dr. Washington involved at all?" Lucas asked hopefully, anxious to know if the surly doctor would face the judge anytime soon. And be out of his hair. Permanently.
"Did they reveal the reason for their disagreement in the restaurant?" Henry asked.
"One at a time, you guys." Jo chuckled with her hand up. "Said he'd only agreed to meet his sister at the restaurant because she sounded so troubled over the phone. He then tried to convince her to turn herself in." She scoffed. "Seems Eleanor wanted him to do the autopsy and put the COD as drug overdose. Ever vindictive, ever scheming, and all to embarrass her husband and cover up what she'd done. He'd refused, though. Told her that he didn't want to lose his job. What a coincidence that Lieu was there at the same time and overheard part of their conversation. It might have taken us a lot longer to solve this case if she hadn't."
"And, small world, Washington having a connection to the case." Hanson observed.
"Hard to think of that guy having parents at all, let alone siblings." Lucas loosely remarked. "I always thought he'd just walked out of the black lagoon one day." He grinned while Jo and Hanson rolled their eyes and hid their laughter.
Henry frowned at the young man. "I'm sure there are underlying circumstances for his general unfriendly behavior. You can never tell what is really going on in someone's life until you've walked a mile in their shoes." His frown deepened as he stared off into space.
"Hey, something's been eatin' you for a while, Doc. You nearly bit my head off the other day." He shook his head at Jo and waved her off when she tried to intercede. "What's goin' on? It's not just this case, either." Hanson pointed out. He had deduction skills, too, he thought to himself. Then, he could have kicked himself when he remembered Henry's elderly roommate. His shoulders dropped and he closed his eyes. "Oh, sorry, Doc. I forgot about your friend, Abe. Look, forget I said anything, okay?" He held his hands up beseechingly to Henry and then dropped them. "Geez, why didn't ya stop me, slap me or somethin'?" he grumbled at Jo. She opened her mouth and shook her head slowly.
"No, no, no, Detective, you're right." Henry replied. "My unseemly behavior the other day was totally uncalled for. I sincerely apologize." He smiled slightly at Hanson who nodded and waved a hand dismissively at him.
"So ... no chance that Washington's gonna get all blubbery behind his baby sister's predicament and retire, at least?" Lucas pleadingly asked. "Please tell me that he's too upset to work here anymore, that he won't be back, please, please."
Jo and Hanson chuckled as they turned and walked out of the morgue. "Sorry, Lucas." Jo answered. "His lawyer was able to get him immunity in exchange for his testimony. He looked pretty ragged, though, when we left him. He might consider retirement after his two-week suspension for violating departmental policy, though. Who knows?"
"No chance of any criminal charges, then? No orange being his new black?" Lucas asked wistfully.
"No. Lucas." Jo repeated. She silently mouthed, "Call me" to Henry, who nodded slightly and smiled as he watched her leave the morgue.
Lucas pretended to be very interested in his clipboard notes, then finally cleared his throat.
"Yes, Lucas." Henry quietly replied, a slight smile still on his lips. "Please finish up here. I'll be in my office."
Notes:
Some information used from Internet on cocaine use and diabetes.