Look into My Eyes

Chapter 7

Fitz opens the door to allow Steve, one of his patients to leave. He sees Bishop sitting in the waiting area. He quickly ignores Bishop and refocuses on Steve. "It's ok Steve, go on, you can do it,"

Bishop looks on curiously at the spectacle unfolding before him.

Steve nervously approaches the doorway, then turns around and walks out backwards. He then walks toward the main exit door and stands still.

Fitz snaps his fingers at Pam. "Pam, you know the drill," he says.

Pam rolls her eyes and unwillingly gets out of her seat to open the door for Steve.

Steve exits backwards once again.

Fitz glares at Bishop with disappointment, then motions him to come in.

Bishop enters and Fitz closes the door behind them.

"Mr. Bishop, here to yell at me again and force me to relive painful memories?" asks Fitz.

"Dr. Fitzgerald, what the hell was that about just now?" asks Bishop.

"Oh Steve?" asks Fitz as he chuckles. "Ostiumtractophobia."

"Ostium what?" asks Bishop.

"The fear of doorknobs."

"Is that really a thing?"

"Oh yeah," confirms Fitz.

"And the whole walking backwards thing?"

"Steve is of the impression that if he walks normally through any doorway, he'll be walking through the gates of hell," Fitz responds, much to Bishops' disbelief.

"Jesus Christ Doctor. Are you happy wasting your talent like this?" asks Bishop.

"Here we go," says Fitz, anticipating another confrontation.

"All those sick bastards you helped the department put away; you don't miss that?"

"Why are you here detective?"

Bishop sighs then proceeds to lay out several gruesome pictures of two women on Fitz's desk. One of them being Melissa, previously hanging naked from a tree, and the other sharing a close resemblance.

Fitz's eyes make contact with the pictures. He looks like he's seen a ghost.

"It's him isn't it?" asks Bishop, noticing the mortified look on Fitz's face.

"Does McBride know you're here?" Fitz asks, in a surprisingly soft and composed tone.

Bishop ignores the question. "The second body was found exactly two weeks after the first," he says.

Fitz picks up one of the pictures and examines it closely. He stares at the markings on the woman's forehead:

'LOOK INTO MY EYES'

"Both were sexually assaulted and had their eyes removed," says Bishop.

Fitz slowly places the photo back on his desk with a pained look on his face. He places both hands on the desk and lowers his head. "What do you want from me detective?" he asks.

"Your help," Bishop responds.

"I wasn't of much help back then though, was I?"

"We know what the guy looks like now, that wasn't the case back then."

"Yes indeed, after more than a decade the police's best piece of evidence is a sketch based on the accounts of a five-year old girl," Fitz responds sarcastically.