CH42
It is now one day later: (April 4, 2001)
Agent Avery was their lead so he handled everything that required coordination with the local special agent that was lead for this office. Avery eventually came back with another agent. "This is Agent Hamilton and he is going to set each of us up with a computer today while we are out. Castle, Beckett, here is your paperwork along with your key for your car."
"I want you two to hit every hospital, primary care physician and any other medical person you can think of. Find out if they have any new cases, and what happened to the cases they did have. I want you two to get a handle on how this drug works while we work on how it is manufactured and distributed."
"I know Jordan has expressed that we need to get a handle on this new drug so I won't push you too much. We'll be here 2 weeks maximum so you will likely be working long hours," Avery warned them and left off the "Get started… NOW!" order.
Kate had the keys yet again. "Wonder what vehicle we get this time?" Rick mused as they made their way outside.
The key said FORD and pressing the button on the remote got flashing lights. "A Ford Taurus." Rick looked it over and had Kate pop the trunk where they found the usual bag that would house the common items, along with 2 bullet proof vests.
The emergency lights were hidden away and hard to see if you weren't looking for them. The GPS was not built-in this time, but at least they had one. Kate started the car and turned on the A/C to try and get cool, since it was already hot outside.
Kate punched in the address for their first hospital, looking at their list. "This may be a long day Castle," Kate moaned as she looked at their list.
Valley Hospital Medical Center
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital
Sunrise Children's Hospital
Progressive Hospital
Kindred Hospital Las Vegas – Flamingo
Hammon Medical Center
Montevista Hospital
VA Southern Nevada Health Care System
Nellis Air Force Base (Medical Center)
Horizon Specialty Hospital
University Medical Center
Desert Willow Treatment Center
St. Rose Dominican Hospital
Kate and Rick only managed to make it to three hospitals and had talked with several of the lead doctors along with a number of emergency care nurses. They had been escorted to the morgue areas if the facility had one along with their blood lab and talked with everyone there as well.
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Kate and Rick shuffled their way from reception to their room dragging their suitcases behind them. "How are you doing Kate?" Rick asked as he watched Kate fall on her back onto the bed.
"My headache is finally gone, however I am soooo tired and weary of listening to medical people who can't speak simple English." All those medical terms sounded like Greek to her.
"Jack, have you two compared notes?" Rick asked meaning him and Jill.
"There is little commonality between any of the cases so far; also the three hospitals visited so far have no present cases," Jack pointed out.
"What we really need is a live patient along with a sample of what they have used," Jill added.
"How about a shower while I call mother and meet her so we can go out to dinner?" Rick inquired as he reached out for Kate's hands and lifted her up off the bed, listening to her moan. "A shower will wake you up." Rick guided Kate into the bathroom and went back to their bags and started unpacking.
In the end they decided not to go anywhere and stayed in the casino and went to The Broiler, which was a steakhouse. They ended up with a table that could seat four people and were surrounded by brick walls.
Rick talked them into an hors-d'oeuvre: Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp
Martha – Lobster Tail
Kate – Alaskan Red King Crab Legs
Rick – King Cut Prime Rib
They shared Creamed Corn au Gratin and Twice-Baked Potatoes.
From there they ended up sitting at the dollar slots with Castle providing the money. Martha just sat there putting in three coins and pressing the button, watching the wheels spin only winning just enough to keep her playing.
Kate started out terribly and went through $50 in no time. "I don't see the appeal Castle." Kate was losing and she was just throwing away money. The money she and Martha had already lost could have bought her a new pair of boots.
"Listen to the noise Katherine and try and hear the song of it and use the symbols to create a story," Martha suggested and continued shoveling in her dollars and pressing the button.
Kate took a big breath, let it out slowly, shoveled in her three coins, and tried to pay attention to the jingle that the machine made. She willed the symbols to match up.
Rick was going a lot slower than either Kate or his mother and wasn't paying attention until Martha said something. "KATHERINE, LOOK AT YOU!" Martha had taken a peek to find that Kate's bin and the large cup she held were both filled with dollar coins.
Kate shook her head and woke up. She looked at the large cup she was holding that was full and down at the coin discharge bin as she pushed the button and watched the machine spit out another 20 coins as they spilled out onto the floor.
Rick grabbed another large plastic cup and filled it putting the overflow into Martha's cup.
"I've been winning!?" Kate smiled while staring at the machine.
"You're doing great Katherine, you're a natural." Martha smiled at her.
Then Kate started losing and her cup was suddenly half empty. "I've had enough for today and I've lost half of what I won," Kate complained.
"You mean one quarter of what you gained." Rick offered up his still full cup that was actually Kate's cup.
"Wooo, hooo!" Kate was happy again. "Now what?" Kate was curious.
"We can cash in your coins for chips and save them for tomorrow," Rick replied.
A little later and Kate had her $321 in chips while Rick talked them into looking for ice cream cones. However there was no ice cream place inside Boulder Station, so they walked around the place to get a feel for what was available. Martha realized that she would need a taxi tomorrow to go someplace more interesting.
Rick gave his mother $700 in cash for tomorrow while Martha thanked Katherine and her son for a good time. "It was actually fun Martha, I'm just sorry we have to work most of the time we are here." Kate felt bad about that, she was learning to like Martha.
"Nonsense dear, it's your job. Besides someone has to protect my son." Martha couldn't help but take a jab at Richard as Kate grinned.
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It is now one week later: (April 11, 2001)
The four of them were sitting in a conference room in the Las Vegas FBI field office. "Anything medically?" Avery asked.
"We still have four more hospitals to visit since each visit seems to require us to go back to talk with people that were on duty at the time, just not when we were there," Kate started off with.
"So far what Jordan mentioned has been proven to be true. This drug is highly addictive, however none of the labs have been able to figure out what the drug's formula consists of.
They can't even agree on what parts of the human body that it affects besides the need for more of it," Kate explained.
"We are hoping to finish our visits to the hospitals and switch to visiting the local drug detox centers to see how they are trying to counter the effects of the drug. None of the local hospitals have any un-processed samples of the drug. All they have is the drug being seen in their victim's blood samples," Rick added.
"We haven't found any drug samples either. This city appears to be clean of the drug itself." Avery remarked. "The local dealers don't have any and can't find any to sell, not that they don't want to since it was a big seller when they had access to any of it," Agent Lagares told them.
"That makes no sense," Rick pointed out. "The purpose of making and selling the drug is to make money. You make it addictive so that people come back for more. You create a manufacturing site so that you can make tons of the stuff and distribute it to other cities."
"Our working theory is that this drug is made by a single person or small group of people who make it at home and have moved on to another city," Agent Lagares offered.
"Ok, so maybe it does make sense," Kate said. "If it started in LA where the deaths are higher that is the birth place of this drug. He or they packed up and came to Vegas where they played with the ingredients to make it less deadly though no less addictive," Kate posited.
"Fewer deaths in Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago with New York being their likely next stop or perhaps DC," Avery considered.
"Anything from Jordan?" Rick inquired.
"Jordan and her team are up to their necks in dead people," Avery informed them. "The people in LA have given it a name. They are calling it NUKE. Partly of what it does and its color."
"Color?" Neither Kate or Rick had come across anyone who had seen it in its natural state.
"Apparently it comes in a small ribbed plastic bag with a mini needle already attached. It's a little smaller than a dime and just about as flat and is bright orange in color." Avery explained.
"Making it easy to inject into anyone, including the ones that have a phobia about needles." Lagaras added.
"Making it easy for anyone to become addicted to it, even those people who don't want anything to do with drugs. GREAT, just great." Kate hated the sound of it, and leaned back into her chair. Why did it sound like the beginning of a nightmare?
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It is now one week later: (April 18, 2001)
The BAU was back in DC though still on the drug hunt, only this time in their own backyard. Jordan and her team had returned to Chicago, also on the drug hunt in their own backyard.
Rick, Kate, Martha, Avery, and Lagaras arrived in Detroit, Michigan and had been met by an FBI agent. They left Martha at their hotel while they headed to work.
477 Michigan Ave., 26th floor.
This office felt more like the New York field office. They drove into the parking garage, parked, and then found themselves going through security on the 26th floor. "We should only be here for one week this time," Avery informed them. They are assigned computer space and each team is given a car along with, like last time, a list of hospitals while Avery and Lagaras search out drug dealers and possible manufacturing sites with the help of the local field office.
This hospital list had already been shrunk down to where people had been taken after having been diagnosed being hooked on the drug along with the detox centers that were helping some of them.
Detroit Medical Center
Beaumont Hospital Grosse Pointe
Children's Hospital of Michigan
Sinai Grace Hospital
Rick and Kate were standing outside of a bed in ICU while being updated by the doctor in charge. "She was brought in by her mother just yesterday. According to her mother she was just fine one minute and then had some sort of seizure the next."
"We've completed a number of tests on her and have reached the conclusion that she suffered a massive stroke that has affected her entire left side. We believe the brain damage is severe and permanent which will likely result in her death in a matter of days, a week at the most. It will not be pretty and will be hard on her parents. As she begins the fade she will likely lash out and start screaming and not respond to anyone. We will likely be forced to keep her sedated at that point."
"Her mother hasn't left her side. The girl will not be able to tell you anything even if she is conscious. Try not to upset her. Other than that you are free to stay as long as you wish." The doctor walked off headed for other patients.
Kate and Rick went inside and found a devastated woman sitting on a chair next to the bed while holding her girl's right hand. "Mrs. Gardner, I'm Agent Beckett and this is Agent Castle. We're with the FBI." Kate held up her ID to show her. "I understand that now is a bad time, but we want the people who did this to your daughter so we would like to ask you a few questions." Kate didn't get too close to the bed while Rick walked to the other side.
"I told the police all I know. I don't know what I can tell you that I didn't tell them." Mrs. Gardner told them.
"We have read their report, it's just that reports aren't personal. We would prefer to hear it from you if you don't mind. There may be something they missed or you have remembered since that time that might help us," Kate reasoned.
"Sure, sure. What do you want to know?" Mrs. Gardner didn't let go of her child's hand.
"Where were you when you noticed a problem? What were you doing? Why were you there?" Kate asked her first set of questions.
"It was Cindy's birthday and I took her to the mall so we could build a birthday bear. You know the ones where you select an animal, the workers stuff it and allow you to select what the bear will wear." Mrs. Gardner explained.
Kate looked down at Cindy. She looked like she was maybe 9 or 10 years old at most. Injected with Nuke on her birthday! And now she would never live to see another one.
"Were there other children doing the same as you?" Rick asked, noticing that Kate was staring at the child in the bed.
Mrs. Gardner nodded her head. "Cindy had selected her bear and we were in line to get it stuffed. There were 2 other children in front of us at the time. I wasn't paying any attention to who was selecting their animal, there was likely one or two. The place struck me as being busy."
"You were in the Somerset Collection mall in Troy?" Rick inquired to confirm their location.
"Yes, we drove there and were going to pick up a pizza on our way home where we were going to make cupcakes together with a scoop of ice cream before opening her birthday present." Mrs. Gardner was starting to fall apart all over again as she re-lived the events of that day.
"Your husband wasn't with you?" Rick asked while Kate continued to stare at the child.
"My husband is a long distance truck driver for a major shipping company. He was on I-80 last I knew just west of Cleveland after delivering a load in Pittsburgh and had picked up a load to bring back. He's still …he needs to drive hard if he…if he wants to see her before…" Mrs. Grander couldn't keep it together anymore and broke down crying and fell back into her chair.
Kate had Mrs. Gardner in her arms instantly. "I'm sorry Mrs. Gardner, so very sorry. We are only trying to find out who did this and why. We still have several questions that might help us, can Agent Castle take you to get some coffee or something? I'll be only too happy to stay with your little girl so she isn't alone till you get back," Kate offered.
It took several minutes before Mrs. Gardner was calm enough to even stand up and let Rick walk her out. "I promise I'll be right here the entire time." Kate watched them leave the room.
After the door closes. "Jill?"
"Scanning… The damage to her mind is severe Katherine. There are still remnants of the drug in her system. They appear to have bonded themselves to her cells and are not being attacked by her immune system," Jill informed Kate.
"Also the injection site is on her left arm just at the shoulder," Jill added, as Kate went around the bed to look at the site. It looked like a mosquito bite to Kate, it was red and puffy.
"Also the child is awake, but with her present brain activity, I doubt she even knows that she is not alone, let alone that it is not her mother. Though having said that, it is possible that the sound of her mother's voice might soothe her some," Jill related.
"We'll have to risk it Jill." Kate had long since made up her mind what she was going to do.
"I have informed Jack of your intentions, he has already turned off the hospital security cameras and disabled any alarms associated with the hospital's security system." Jill approved of what Kate was likely thinking.
"Will this work Jill?" Kate moved back around to the other side and looked right at the little girl who didn't really see her.
"Almost immediately, however without knowing the make-up of this drug, I can't guarantee that she will not remain addicted to the drug, much like your own father is still addicted to alcohol." Jill told Kate.
"Okay, let's start with remove poison. Now follow that with remove disease. Then use massive wound repair," Kate spoke to Jill, telling her what she wanted Jill to do.
"Actions complete." Jill said to Kate. Kate looked at the machine that was monitoring her condition and it suddenly began making noises it hadn't before. "Jill?" Kate queried.
"Scanning… Interesting, the drug remnants are still attached to her cells. An additional remove poison along with another massive wound repair is advised," Jill remarked.
"Do it," Kate commanded knowing that it would leave her with just one action left 'til 24 hours from now.
"Actions complete. Scanning… Her system appears to be clean now. I advise that we leave immediately. When the child wakes, she is going to attract a lot of attention from the medical staff," Jill advised.
"Inform Jack to have Castle bring Mrs. Gardner back," Kate instructed Jill and watched the two of them return with Mrs. Gardner holding a coffee and a muffin.
"All my prayers Mrs. Gardner and when we find out who did this to your little girl, we will inform you." Kate told her.
"Thank you." Mrs. Gardner put her muffin and coffee down on the table and went back to holding her child's hand.
Rick made it as far as just outside the front door when Rick turned on Kate and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you even more future Mrs. Castle," Rick informed Kate and kissed her as passionately as their present location would allow.
After Rick broke from the kiss Kate looked up into Castle's eyes and could feel hers fill with tears. "I had to try Castle, she's just a child!" Kate said to Rick which earned her another kiss.