Psychopathy

Chapter 61- The Return

Isabel was shocked at the last person to visit her. Someone she hadn't seen since she was a child. Someone she didn't even think remembered her. But he'd found her in Circia. He'd found her in one of the worst places she'd ever been in. And, in a way, he helped her get out. No, not physically. She'd stayed in that place for several more years. But mentally, that was where he helped. By giving her hope for the future. And with his return, Isabel found that hope again blooming in her chest.

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Garcia sat in her office, trying and failing to keep the tears at bay. One hand was over her mouth, trying to stifle her cries, and the other was on the stack of CDs that she meant to give Ciara that day. But when she'd met Reid at the hospital, Dr. Rivera had given them the news. It had been a week and a half since Ciara had woken up. The Director had agreed to give them all one more week off to help Ciara settle since since woke up a week late. But in that week and a half, Ciara hadn't eaten anything. And her body was suffering for it.

The nutrition they'd given her through an IV and then a feeding tube had only barely put a dent in the malnutrition she was suffering from. And now it was finally catching up to her. Dr. Rivera had noticed that at times she seemed more disorientated than normal, her heart rate was faster than normal, and she was often fatigued. They'd taken a few blood tests, and those tests had confirmed their worst fears.

Ciara's organs were starting to fail.

Garcia had asked if they could put the feeding tube back in. But seeing as they didn't have Ciara's consent to put the tube back in, there was nothing they could do. Only if Ciara's life was in imminent danger could they put the feeding tube back in against her wishes. The problem was, according to Dr. Rivera, that by the point that Ciara's life was threatened enough for them to forego consent, it may very well be too late.

Ciara was dying. She was dying, and she didn't even seem to care.

This couldn't happen. They couldn't get her out of that place just to have her die because of her trauma. They couldn't admit that Ciara was too broken to live. But what could they do? They'd tried everything. They'd tried gently coaxing her to eat. Akilah had even tried being forceful and aggressive- but that had just scared Ciara further and the Red Fury had hated herself for it afterward. Teresa had even tried bringing her homemade runzas and scotcheroos, wondering if that might do it.

Ciara had stared at the Nebraskan food and had drooled over it. Not even a metaphorical drooling. She had literally drooled. But even then, she hadn't eaten. But instead of pushing the plate to the floor like she often did when people were watching, she'd gently set it to the side. But if that didn't even work, what were they supposed to do? Were they just supposed to sit back and watch Ciara slowly die?

No. Garcia refused to believe that was all they could do. There had to be something they were missing. There had to be some secret weapon that they could use to get her to eat. Garcia went through the list of people who had come to see her, trying to think if any of them might know what to do. But she had asked each of them, and none of them knew. Not even Nonna and Marika could come up with a game plan.

Garcia gasped, the realization hitting her at all once. That was the answer. Everyone who had come to see her had failed to help. So maybe the answer lay in someone she hadn't seen yet. Someone that none of them had seen or talked to in years. But Garcia knew. If anyone could help her, it would be him. Though she had never admitted it, Garcia knew that Ciara had trusted him. And, with any luck, she would trust him now.

It wasn't easy to find his contact information. She didn't realize how hard it would be, seeing as she hadn't tried before. He had left, and he hadn't wanted contact with any of them. Garcia had respected that boundary. But if there was ever a time to cross that line, it was now. She wasn't sure if he would remember them- if he would remember Ciara. If he would even consider coming to help her. But they needed a Hail Mary pass- thank Morgan for teaching her that term- and this was exactly that.