Henry gets picked up from the river one night by a uni who understands and understands all too well.

vvvv

The murky strait called the East River was exceptionally chilly that night as Henry broke through the surface of it, his lungs bursting for air. He loudly took in the first gulp of air, then twisted this way and that in an effort to gain his bearings. The look in his eyes was the remnants of sheer terror mixed with confusion and tired dismay. He'd been crossing the street while walking home from Jo's. He'd heard the screech of tires, saw the headlights too late, and felt the painful impact. As he lay broken and bloody on the street, he remembered the sound of panicked voices and a car speeding away from him while his memories materialized and vanished one after the other. Then darkness. Then the river.

The moonlight reflected in shimmers off of the waters as he began swimming to shore. Once on dry land, the shimmery drops of river water rolled down off of his slim, muscular body. He heaved a deep sigh of resignation in and out, raised his hands, and walked slowly toward a police car already parked near the edge of the shoreline. Its driver side door hung open and the voice of a dispatcher was heard crackling over the radio asking "What's your 20? Over".

The young patrol officer standing near the car kept an eye on Henry while he lifted the microphone to his mouth and depressed the button to reply.

"Unit 23. Dunkin Donuts." (Taking a dump.)

"Wash your hands. Over." (muffled chuckles)

"Copy that. Over. Out."

The young patrol officer hung up the mic and motioned for Henry to lower his hands which he promptly did, covering his private parts again.

"Sleepwalking again, Dr. Morgan?" the officer asked.

"I'm afraid so," the Immortal ME replied sheepishly.

The patrolman, Ofc. Shane McCaster, studied Henry while respectfully keeping his eyes trained on the ME's face. He then walked around and behind a confused Henry, popped the trunk and pulled a large towel and an NYPD sweatsuit from out of it. He closed the trunk and gave the towel to a surprised but grateful Henry. The back door was then opened for him, allowing him the opportunity to dry off and change in privacy. The officer placed the sweatsuit on the back seat next to him and closed the door. He then slid into the driver's seat and started up the car.

"Thank you. I must admit, this is a first for me," Henry admitted.

"Wish it were for me," Shane muttered to himself.

Henry laid the towel aside and quickly dressed, expecting to be driven to the officer's precinct. Instead, the car pulled up in front of an apartment building on Eldridge Street near Roosevelt Park and not far from the antiques shop. "Not running you in this time, Doctor," Shane quietly informed him as he met Henry's confused gaze in the rear view mirror.

"Well ... that's ... a relief," Henry haltingly replied. "But if you were escorting me to my home, this is not it."

"I know," Shane replied. He then got out of the car and opened the back door for Henry to get out, which he did. Once they stood face to face, Shane added, "It's my home. Was hoping that you could help us out with something."

Henry wondered who the "us" exactly was and why he had escaped arrest as he followed the officer into the building and into his cramped, two-bedroom apartment. On the way, Henry had asked what help the officer thought he could be to him.

"It's, uh, really my fiancee who needs the help," Shane replied as they stepped into the apartment. "Babe?" he called out. "Dr. Morgan's here." Not surprised, Henry ruefully concluded that the officer had discussed him on one or more occasions because of his numerous arrests near the East River.

A familiar looking young woman with short, curly black hair and bright blue eyes came down the hallway and joined them in the livingroom. She hesitated for a moment before coming closer to Shane and their guest.

"Hello again, Dr. Morgan," Leitha said.

"Ms. Baxter ... hello," he replied.

Despite the fact that she appeared freshly showered, Henry detected the slight but unmistakeable smell of the river on her.

vvvv

Earlier that same morning ...

Leitha Baxter thanked her lucky stars that she was scheduled to be off that day from her duties as a police officer with the NYPD. She and her fiancee, Shane, had met in the academy and had felt an immediate attraction to each other. They'd been assigned to patrol together after graduation and their love had blossomed into them looking forward to a winter wedding at Disneyworld in the warmer climes of Florida.

Tonight she was to join her family at Sadelle's on West Broadway to celebrate her parents' 30th wedding anniversary dinner. Realizing that she just had to suck it up and attend like nothing was the matter with her life wasn't going to be easy but at least it would be easier than having to report for work and risk being killed again in the line of duty. For that reason, she seriously contemplated resigning from the force, a job she had wanted since the age of 15.

Many thoughts ran through her mind, settling upon one thing. A person, actually. A certain ME who also wound up naked in the East River from time to time after what he attributed to "unfortunate" sleepwalking experiences. So she decided to pay the man a visit at his home. Maybe he wasn't being as truthful as he could be about those naked river runs. While she hoped that the reason behind them were the same as hers, she'd always felt a bit sorry for him because of the obvious humiliation he'd felt at being forced to have his mug shot taken in his birthday suit after those arrests. But, like all of their other colleagues, she thought that his sleepwalking simply pointed to the man needing psychotherapy. Or a hobby. Or a girlfriend. But definitely some pajamas.

That is until she'd been shot and killed near the East River during a routine traffic stop three weeks ago. Fortunately - or unfortunately - a passenger in the front seat had shot her and the driver had raced off in his car, leaving her to bleed out and die in front of her partner and future husband, Shane. The sheer panic on his face when she'd popped up out of the river had mirrored her own. Shivering and suffering mild shock, she'd managed to cover strategic parts of her body as she emerged naked from the river and collapsed sobbing into his arms.

Was the real reason behind the ME's night swims the same as her own? Good God! If he was victimized the same as she was by this, this curse - he had obviously found no way out of it, either. She was thoroughly convinced that he would have done anything to avoid any future humiliation of public nudity and arrests. Several times since that life-altering event three weeks ago, she and her fiancee had discussed approaching the forensics pathologist to get advice, if nothing else.

"That wound of his over his heart reminds me a lot of yours, honey," Shane told her. "Wish to God you hadn't shielded me with your body."

"Then you might be going through this instead of me," she pointed out.

"I'd much rather it be me than you!" He swallowed and worked to calm himself before saying, "I'm pretty sure it'll be okay to talk to the doctor about your condition."

"What if we're wrong?" Leitha had replied. "He'll think we're both nuts and report us!"

"No. I'm sure he won't," Shane assured her.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, doubtful.

"Because I did some checking up on him. You won't believe what I found."

vvvv

Abe sized up the dark-haired young woman with bright blue eyes entering the shop, deciding that she wasn't there to buy anything. He smiled, patting himself mentally on the back when she said she was here to speak with Dr. Henry Morgan.

"He went to the bakery around the corner but should be back in a few minutes," Abe informed her. He'd actually gone to pick up some of Abe's favorite donut holes after having lost a bet based on the fact that he'd lost only his second game of chess ever to his son. Abe's inward smile lessened a bit when he picked up on the woman's mild anxiety. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No," Leitha quickly replied. "I need to speak with Dr. Morgan." Then she realized that she hadn't introduced herself. "Sorry, my name is Leitha Baxter. I'm with the NYPD."

"He's not under arrest, is he?" Abe asked, wondering if his dad had run into a problem but had been unable to contact him.

"No, nothing like that," she replied, a slight smile finally breaking across her face. "I'm off duty today. Just wanted to ask him a few questions about ... something."

"Well, you're welcome to wait in here," Abe told her, motioning to the room behind him. She at first refused, saying that she didn't want to be a bother. "No bother," he assured her and ushered her into the room. She smiled again and sat down in the straight back chair near Henry's desk.

"Oh, uh, help yourself to any of the drinks or snacks in the small fridge in the corner." He returned to man the retail counter. It was best that she remain out of sight with that pinched look on her face and not freak out any potential customers. The shop's bell tinkled and he raised his eyes up toward the entry door.

"Henry!" he called to his father quickly before he could say anything. "You've got a visitor." He met Henry's raised brow with his furrowed brow and motioned toward the room behind him. "She's in there."

"Jo?" Henry asked expectantly as he walked behind the counter toward the room.

"Not Jo," Abe replied flatly. "But she is a cop."

Henry lowered his brows and his eyes darted back and forth before pursing his lips. He walked into the small room used by Abe as an office and by him as a study and saw Leitha nursing a can of ginger ale. "I'm Dr. Morgan," he said. "You're here to see me?"

She rose slowly from her seat and opened her mouth to speak but a sob escaped as her face crumpled into sorrow. Henry quickly moved to her side and eased her back down into the chair.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Morgan," she sobbed, covering her face. "It's been so hard keeping everything in all this time."

Henry and Abe exchanged a look of confusion but decided that it was best to continue the conversation upstairs in a more private setting.

"Has this ever happened to you, Doctor?" Leitha asked as she seated herself on the sofa in the living area.

Unwilling to disclose anything about his condition to her, Henry attempted a reply without really answering her question. "My ... wanderings into the river from time to time are well known to the NYPD because of my somnambulism."

Leitha smirked. "Hate to break the news to you, Doctor, but nobody believes that sleepwalking crap. There's something else going on with you, isn't there?" She sat forward in her seat on the sofa and looked him directly in the eyes. "You're like me, aren't you?"

"Like you? Why, whatever do you mean, Ms. Baxter?" Henry asked, endeavoring to remain calm while doing his best to feign innocence.

"I think you know exactly what I mean," she replied accusingly. "Just like me, you have died and wound up alive again in the East River. Naked but alive and healed." She watched his reaction for any sign that her words struck a nerve. He did look startled but that could be because what she was telling him was too fantastical to be true. Had she been mistaken? Was it a mistake for her to have come here?

Henry rose from his chair and walked over to her. "Ms. Baxter. What you are saying is ... unbelievable." It was unbelievable. But he couldn't disclose anything to her. She could be deranged. Or sent by Adam to taunt him. And still be deranged. She could also be a reporter trying to get a story out of him on a slow news day. Even if what she was telling him was true, that she had only recently transformed from being mortal to being an Immortal, it was clear that it had - understandably - upset her greatly. How much more upset would she become if he admitted to her that he had no answers for her?

"I wish I could help you," he told her. "I sincerely do. But I can't." That was the definite truth.

Leitha had left the shop, clearly still upset. "What if she was telling the truth, Pops?" Abe asked.

"She certainly appeared to be credible," he admitted, his eyes tracing the path of her footsteps after she'd left. But he then ticked off some reasons why he'd chosen not to disclose anything to her.

Henry took in a breath and blew it out through puffed cheeks. "If she is telling the truth, only time will tell." Meaning, their paths might eventually cross one day or night while emerging from the river. "At this point in my life, I only trust you and Jo with my secret." With that, he went upstairs to freshen up for his date with Jo.

About an hour later, he left the shop and took a cab to Join Jo and her family at a roller skating rink to celebrate her nephew's eighth birthday. It was the most fun the young Immortal had had in years. Not since roller skating with young Abe in the 50s had he had so much fun. And he'd easily found his balance again, managing to avoid either a collision with others or an embarrassing spill. The laughter that had rang out from him was also the most heart felt and the loudest he'd experienced in decades. He counted himself amongst the luckiest people alive, yes, alive, to have a son like Abe and a woman like Jo in his life. Naturally, he trusted both of them with his secret, but he also trusted both of them to help him to live again. To not only experience but to seek out the good things that life had to offer to everyone. Even to the likes of someone like him, who had more time than most to enjoy them.

Later, during some alone time with Jo at her Washington Heights home, he told her about his visit earlier from Leitha Baxter.

"Wow," she replied, blinking and somewhat awed. "What if she is, Henry? Wouldn't that be great? A nice Immortal to be friends with instead of that creepo Adam."

"Jo, I have no idea if she is or is not," he told her. "As I pointed out to Abe, she could simply be trying to get information out of me for her own nefarious reasons. What if she's really from IA or worse, a pawn sent by Adam or someone from the government?" He shook his head and delivered an emphatic "No!" and that he only trusted her and his son.

"Okay, okay, calm down," she said, stroking the back of his head down to his neck a few times. Her touch served to calm him and he closed his eyes, breathing deeply in and out. He lolled his head around as her fingers played lightly at the curls at the nape of his neck. She pulled closer to him and breathed a sigh of a question into his ear. "On a, um, pleasure level of 1 to 10, how do you feel now?"

Smiling, he opened his eyes and lifted his arm up and brought it down around her, hugging her even closer to him. "Mmm, I'd say a clear 8 but (he kissed her gently on the lips) I'm sure we can (he kissed her again, deeper) raise that to a 10." He pulled her over onto his lap and they wrapped their arms around each other enjoying an even deeper, longer kiss. "A 10 or better," he breathlessly added and she breathlessly agreed as they temporarily forgot Paris and got lost in each other.

vvvv

Back at Leitha's and Shane's apartment ...

The entire day, the whole week, had been an enjoyable time up until he'd gotten hit by that blasted motor car! Not only had he wound up in the 'drink' again but he'd been taken into custody, of sorts, by a uniformed patrolman who understood his unique problem all too well. Standing face to face with another possible Immortal unnerved him enough. Depending on what he said next could determine his own fate and his continued ability to remain in New York with Jo and his son.

"We met earlier at the shop," he said. She nodded. "You doubted that sleepwalking has caused me to wind up ... unclothed ... in the East River sometimes." She nodded again, anxiously awaiting for him to confirm her suspicions about the both of them. "What if I told you ... that you were correct?"

Both she and Shane shared a gleeful grin and became more animated. "I knew it!" Shane exclaimed while she closed her eyes and covered her mouth and nose with both hands.

"I said 'what if'?" Henry emphasized. "What if you are correct? I'm not saying that you are. What would you do with that information?" His eyes darted from one to the other.

Shane pulled up a chair and quickly sat down next to Leitha at the small kitchen table. He motioned for Henry to sit in the chair between them. Only then did he become aware of his rigid stance. He relaxed a bit but was still prepared to fight his way past the both of them to get out of there, if need be.

"We would be honored to take you into our confidence," Shane began, "and get some advice from you on how to deal with this, this dying and rebirthing phenomenon."

"Of course, we wouldn't tell anyone about you, Dr. Morgan," Leitha assured him. "You don't have to worry about that." Her gaze met his and slowly lowered as he sat down in the chair. "You are like me."

Henry rested his elbows on the table and swallowed as he looked down at his clasped hands. He then lifted his head and looked directly at her. "Yes, I am. I am Immortal."

"Immortal." Leitha tested the word in a whisper, sitting back in her chair. She blinked as her eyes moved back and forth with her hands covering her mouth and nose again.

Shane eyed Henry warily then gulped before saying, "Immortal means the person never dies." He motioned toward Leitha and said, "She died! She dies!"

"But she comes back," Henry reminded him. "In the river. Alive and whole again. Same as I do." He found himself to be feeling shamelessly brave in discussing his condition with practical strangers. There was something in their eyes that spoke to a loss of innocence that was all too familiar to him after he'd spent many hours staring into his own reflection after his own transformation. Staring and wondering how and why this change had been thrust upon him. Staring and wondering how to cope since he apparently now faced eternity. An eternity of unwanted experiences to come, creating many more memories than he felt one person was entitled to. An eternity of questions with no answers as to how to end this never-ending life. An eternity that pushed him further and further away from the chance to cross over to another plane of existence.

"I'm ... an Immortal?" Leitha asked Henry. "Why? What am I supposed to do with that? Get a costume and run around helping people like Wonder Woman? Oh. I forgot. Wonder Woman and Superwoman have powers. I'm just a nobody, who's gonna be stuck like this. Forever."

Henry lowered his eyes to his clasped hands again while she ranted. Not at him, he knew. At the universe or whatever quirk of nature or powerful being had chosen to choose her to endure this long way of living. He'd done it himself more than once over the past 200 years of his unwilling existence. Shane stood up with intentions to go over and calm his fiancee. Henry caught his eye and motioned with both hands for him not to. Concerned and frustrated, Shane did as Henry silently suggested and sat back down.

In a lowered voice, Henry leaned over to him and whispered, "You asked for my help. My advice." He glanced at Leitha pacing and ranting on the other side of the table and back at Shane. "My advice is to let her get it out. It most likely won't change anything for her but ... " He paused to take in a breath and gather his words. "I've always found it most cathartic to be able to indulge in a tirade. Especially in the beginning. Let her have hers."

Shane sat back in his chair and pressed his lips together as he watched Leitha, who appeared to have finally calmed down a bit. Henry tilted his head slightly as he watched her sit back down, a look of painful resignation on her face. "After one of my, ah, awakenings," he began in a louder voice addressing them both, "I find it helpful to consume a decadent treat."

"Uh, you mean like ... well, we have some glazed donut holes in the fridge," Shane suggested uncertainly. He quickly rose from his seat and retrieved the bag from the fridge. "Want me to warm 'em up in the microwave first?" he asked Leitha.

"No, just give 'em to me," a now smiling Leitha told him, wriggling the fingers of one hand at the bag. He brought them over to her and she took the bag and opened it, popping two into her mouth. She closed her eyes and moaned, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed. "You're right, Dr. Morgan - this hits the spot." She swallowed and popped two more into her mouth. As she chewed, her brows knitted slightly. She swallowed and put the bag down on the table, then placed both hands on her waist. Looking up at Henry, she said, "I don't have to worry about my weight anymore, do I?"

Both men chuckled at that. "Babe, I keep telling you that there's nothing wrong with your size. You're just fine," Shane told her.

"And I'll stay fine," she told him, grinning. "Forever." All three of them laughed louder and she continued to consume the entire two dozen donut holes.

Shane popped the top off of a bottle of beer and plunked it down in front of Henry. "None for me," he reminded Henry. "Still on duty."

Henry nodded and lifted the beer to his lips and took a swig. "Blueberry scones," he said as he twisted the bottle around to look at the label. He dipped his head in Leitha's direction as she balled up the now empty bag that had contained the donut holes. Shane chuckled and nodded.

vvvv

Shane's police car pulled up to the antiques shop just as Abe walked up. He'd been to a private, late-night estate auction open to dealers and traders at the home of a former governor. When he saw his father not only emerge from the police car in an NYPD-issued sweatsuit but shake hands with the cop, Abe couldn't believe it. The car drove away and Henry walked up to join Abe at the shop's entrance. Abe unlocked the door and they both walked in. Abe locked the door and peered out of the glass door to see the car's tail lights disappearing. Turning to his father, he pocketed his keys and put his fists on his hips.

"Okay. What happened?" Abe asked.

"I'll tell you all about it in the morning," Henry promised. "Right now, I'm bushed and need to get to bed."

"Oh, c'mon, you're getting private limo service now from the cops? And you're wearing NYPD sweats and acting all buddy-buddy with your arresting officer? You're gonna tell me something now," Abe demanded.

"Hmmm. Fair enough," Henry said with a grin. "The young woman who visited us earlier claiming to be Immortal, well ... " he paused while Abe nodded anxiously for him to finish. "I believe her."

Notes:

Radio dispatch jargon found on several sites including wikipedia; Caissa's Web; and .