07x05 - From Childhood's Hour

[bunniefuu]

[banging on door]

Mom, open the door! Please!

[banging on door]

Mom, open the door!

Please don't, mom!

Please don't!

[banging on door]

Please don't. Please!

Open the door! Please!

Please don't, mom!

Mom? Open the door.

Mom!

[Banging on door]

Open it!

[Crying]

Mom, please.

Mom...

Come on.

Come on, Bobby!

Let's go.

Let me stay with you.

Oh, don't cry, sweetheart.

Come on, please?

I don't want to do this again.

[Sniffles]

I know, and I'm so, so, so sorry.

Everything's gonna be ok.

It's ok.

[Crying]

Go on.

[Car starts]

What are you doing here?

Thank you.

I am really sorry.

I had to take that.

It's ok.

Fruit plate, huh?

Whatever happened to the usual bacon and eggs, extra grease on the side?

Well, I've changed.

Ok, the cantaloupe is for your benefit.

When we were married, you were always warning me about clogged arteries.

And you would always say to me...

Nobody lives forever.

So how's San Francisco?

Well, you know.

Fog, cable cars, the usual.

You know, I'm really glad you called me.

It would be nice if we saw each other more than once every 3 or 4 years.

Maybe we can.

So, give me the updates.

Anybody serious in your life?

Well, there are all those serial K*llers.

They're pretty serious.

I meant in your personal life.

No, there isn't.

How about you?

Mm-mmm.

You know, David...

[Cell phone rings]

I've been wanting--

[ring]

Damn it, I--

You gotta go.

I know.

It's ok.

It's comforting to know that some things never change.

Look, how much longer are you gonna be in town?

About a week or so, probably.

Why don't you come over to my place for dinner before you head back?

I still make a monster cioppino.

I would like that very much.

Great.

Ciao.

Ciao.

Hey, I'm sorry I'm late.

I got hung up with something.

What do we got?

A child abduction in St. Louis.

Yeah. Bobby Smith, 9 years old, vanished 48 hours ago from a residential area, where his mother, Marlene Smith, claims to have dropped him off.

48 hours and we're just learning about it now?

Yeah. That's 'cause mom didn't know her son was gone.

She assumed that he was with the grandmother and just left him there.

So, she's not exactly on the short list for mother of the year.

What about the father?

Uh, he was convicted of embezzling from his workplace 2 years ago.

Currently cooling his heels in state prison.

If it's a stranger abduction, the first 24 hours are critical.

This kid's already been missing twice that long.

Which is why we shouldn't waste any more time. Let's go.

I brought you something to eat, Bobby.

Gotta go to work now.

When can I see my mom?

I already told you.

We'll talk about your mom later.

No! Don't go!

♪ Criminal Minds 7x05 ♪

From Childhood's Hour
Original air date on October 19, 2011.

Reid: "From childhood's hour I have not been as others were, I have not seen as others saw."

Edgar Allan Poe.

St. Louis.

Oh, probably a couple days.

I'll let you know.

Can't wait.

Bye.

What?

Nothing. Just somebody's got a lot of extra pep in their step this morning, that's all.

Probably doubled up on his vitamins.

Oh, he doubled up on something.

[Chuckles]

Garcia, what have you got on the mother?

Oh, I have so much on the mother, and try as I might, none of it is good.

Marlene Smith has a history of erratic behavior, seriously clinically depressed, two su1c1de attempts in the last 5 years.

Was she being treated for her depression?

Oh, my gosh, yes.

Like more pill-popping than Elvis. Yes.

Depression is one of the few things that can overwhelm the maternal instinct.

What about the grandmother?

I don't have anything on her yet, but don't reach for your remote.

I'll be ba-a-ck.

Two su1c1de attempts.

Why hasn't child services intervened?

Probably talked her way out of it.

Most social service organizations are overworked and underfunded.

Things slip through the cracks.

If this boy's mother tried to commit su1c1de and he's from a chronically unhappy household.

Maybe this wasn't an abduction at all.

What if Bobby simply ran away?

When 9-year-olds run away, they're usually home for supper.

JJ, you and I will talk to the mother.

Morgan and Reid, go to the boy's house.

Prentiss, you and Dave assess the site where the mother claims to have dropped him off.

Detective Woods.

Glad to have you here.

This is Agent Jareau.

Agent.

How's the mother doing?

She's a wreck.

Can't get much from her till she calms down.

I think you should talk to her alone.

Ok.

I'll leave you to it.

I'll watch from here.

Mrs. Smith?

I'm Agent Jareau.

Jennifer.

I'm with the FBI.

Did you hear any more about my Bobby?

No, ma'am.

But our entire team is here and we're the best at what we do.

We're gonna need your help, ok?

Ok.

I have a boy of my own.

He's almost 3.

I can't even imagine what you are going through.

He's so little.

I know.

Can you tell me what happened the morning you dropped him off?

I was having one of my bad days.

And what does one of your bad days look like?

I wanted to hurt myself.

I can't control it.

Is that why you took him to his grandmother?

Yeah. See, I have to protect him.

And you had done this in the past?

Yeah.

I just had to get him out of the house.

You know? I just had to get him out of the house.

It's all I kept thinking about was just get him out.

Get him out!

Cheerful.

Depression is a vicious cycle.

It frequently manifests itself in the degradation of one's personal living environment, which in turn fuels the depression, which then worsens the living environment.

All right, I'll take a look around in here.

Why don't you check out the kitchen?

Ah, the kitchen.

Is that a problem?

Frankly, I'm not too anxious to see the perishable food version of this room.

So when I was feeling better, I went to my mother's to pick him up, and...that's when they told me he wasn't there.

You didn't call ahead before you dropped him off?

Yeah. She didn't answer.

She didn't have an answering machine?

Yeah, she has, but there wasn't time for that.

Please help me understand, Mrs. Smith.

It takes 10 seconds to leave a message.

Look, these bad days you have I understand.

There--there must be times when--

Look!

Bobby saw me do this before.

Twice.

I had to get him out of the house.

Don't you understand?

Ok.

[Crying]

Four pair of shoes.

Why exactly is that relevant?

Come on, Reid, how many women you know only have 4 pairs of shoes in their closet?

My experience in and around women's closets isn't exactly extensive enough to really formulate an opinion.

The answer is none.

You can take my word for it.

Well...

She even set up a separate area so he could do his homework.

Mom has serious financial issues, denies herself even the smallest luxury, and yet...

Splurges to take her son to an expensive theme park and then buys a pricey picture frame so he can remember the experience.

Hey, buddy.

After work I stopped and got you something.

120 colors.

The biggest box they had.

I want to go home now.

I need to ask you something, Bobby.

Your mother, she's unhappy a lot.

Would you like it if her pain could stop?

'Cause I can make that happen.

Do you want me to help your mom?

That's good, Bobby.

That means you're strong, like me.

You made the right decision.

Wait, where are you going?

To help your mom.

Why don't you draw a picture while I'm gone.

Mother's not a suspect anymore?

Based on our assessment, we need to reprioritize.

The concern for her son was genuine.

Her tone of voice, body language.

She didn't once ask if she was in trouble, under arrest, where's my lawyer?

None of that.

Home environment points the same direction.

The money's tight, but mom did whatever she could to create a nice world for her son.

Whatever cash she had she spent on him.

Only 4 pairs of shoes in her closet.

And she taught her son to be self-sufficient.

The kitchen was scaled down to a 9-year-old's level so he could microwave his own meals, get food and utensils from the pantry.

He even had his own little key ring so he could come and go as he pleased.

How'd it go.

It took a while, but grandma's alibi checked out.

She was with two lady friends in Seneca, other side of the state.

Acquaintances, relatives, teachers.

So far they've all checked out.

This is starting to look more and more like a stranger abduction.

Yeah, except the area Bobby disappeared from has a decent amount of foot traffic.

If he'd put up a struggle, chances are someone would have noticed.

My guess is Bobby knew his abductor or trusted him.

The trip to grandma's house was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

The unsub must have been staking out the mother's house, saw them leaving, and followed.

Self-sufficient kids learn to trust their own judgment.

How did the unsub get into Bobby's life?

And what's he trying to accomplish?

[Humming "Pop Goes the Weasel"]

Excuse me, ma'am.

Mrs. Smith?

I know where your son is.

What?

Where?

I can take you to him.

[Humming "Pop Goes the Weasel"]

[Humming continues]

[Humming faster]

There's something strange about the body.

She was slaughtered by someone completely out of control, yet on her wrists there are precise wounds on top of where she already cut herself, only deeper.

Like he was trying to replicate her su1c1de attempts but then lost control.

Maybe this was never about the kid at all, but about the mother.

Make her suffer for a few days by taking the child, then k*ll her?

It means he knew her personal history.

I'll call Garcia.

Hey, baby girl, whatever you're doing, drop it.

Oh, yes, and with pleasure.

Let me tell you something, sweetheart.

This is a Lamborghini you are talking to.

You have to drive me.

You can't just leave me parked in the garage collecting dust or I will wilt.

Please forgive my neglect.

I need you to rev up that fine-tuned Italian engine of yours, then.

Revving.

Our unsub had personal details about Marlene Smith, so I need you to figure out who might have been in her house recently.

Cable guy, plumber, people like that.

Yeah, I always wonder about plumbers.

You know they peek in your medicine cabinet.

You just know it.

Maybe try a phone repairman or a babysitter.

Check computers in the house.

Maybe she used of of those techie fix-it type dweebs who makes house calls.

Hey, watch it. Language.

You know I'm just playing with you, but come on, put a rush on it.

Clock's ticking, ok?

Rush is the only speed a Lamborghini has.

Proud techie dweeb over and out.

Beep beep ya.

Agent Hotchner.

We had another child abduction.

A 4-year-old boy taken from a park about a half an hour ago.

Just a couple miles from here.

Morgan and Reid, head over there.

I was sitting on the bench, and he was playing right there.

I looked away for two seconds.

Were you by yourself?

You told the police you live in McKinley Heights.

That's almost an hour away.

You drove your son all the way out here to play?

I was doing things.

Shopping.

Why are they looking here?

My son isn't here.

Mrs. Tanner, please don't take this the wrong way, but exactly what drug are you addicted to?

You're displaying symptoms of withdrawal.

Are you crazy?

Ma'am, we saw two deals going down on the other side of the park when we arrived.

You were here to buy, weren't you?

That's what had you distracted.

I can't believe that you actually think I would--

Your child is missing, Ms. Tanner.

Every minute, every half-minute counts.

You need to tell us the truth and you need to tell us now.

This will be your bed up here, Timmy.

Bunk beds are cool.

This'll be the boys only room.

Look, I got you some new pajamas.

I want my mommy!

I want my mommy!

Fine!

You want to be a baby?

I want my mommy!

You sit there and cry like a baby for your mommy!

I want my mommy.

Mommy!

Yeah, Hotch, the mother's addicted to Oxy.

She was out here to buy.

All right, let's put her in protective custody.

So we got one mom suicidal and the other one addicted to dr*gs.

At least we got a pattern developing.

And if the unsub holds to pattern, he's gonna circle back and try to k*ll her.

Timmy: I want my mommy!

I shouldn't have gotten mad in there like that with Timmy.

Let me out!

That was wrong.

But he's got a mommy like yours.

Weak.

[Timmy banging on door]

Help! Mommy!

When can I go home?

This is your home now.

You'll be safe and happy here.

[Banging on door]

I want my mommy!

Where is my mom?

I took your mom to a place where she'll be happier.

That's what you said you wanted.

No.

Do you think wolves are bad?

People say they are, but they're not.

They k*ll other animals for a reason-- to get rid of the sick and the weak.

Timmy: Let me out!

Thin the herd.

I want my mommy!

So the herd can be stronger.

It's the way of nature.

And they--they even k*ll other wolves sometimes, when they're weak or sick.

But the nice thing is, wolves always take care of any cubs who don't have moms or dads.

Timmy: Let me out!

Help!

When I was bringing Timothy over, I asked him the same thing I asked you.

Did he want me to make things better with his mommy?

And he said yes.

As little as he is, he said yes.

I want my mommy!

It's an instinct.

He knows.

Here's a snack for you guys.

I just gotta go out for a little while.

We're looking for a male unsub in his mid- to late 20s, physically fit enough to subdue Marlene Smith and carry out a vicious and sustained att*ck.

Rossi: We believe he sees himself as a rescuer, taking children away from unfit parents.

He may very well have abandonment issues from his own childhood.

The impulsive nature of committing the m*rder out in the open suggests that he's inexperienced.

The v*olence on Marlene Smith went from precision to frenzy, which points to someone with classic psychopathic traits, quick to rage and quick to recover.

Prentiss: He also appears to have insider knowledge of the families in these cases, so we need to look for someone who is privy to what went on behind those closed doors.

Reid: Emergency personnel were called to the Smith house after both su1c1de attempts and once to the Tanner house after the mother overdosed on prescription dr*gs.

That means first responders, child service workers, ambulance personnel.

Both missing children apparently went without struggle or protest.

That makes us think that they had prior contact with the person we're looking for.

Or they inherently trust who he is by virtue of his job, the uniform he wears-- doctor, mailman, policeman.

So far the v*olence has been directed to the offending parent, but we don't know what the unsub's end game is.

We have written up a media release on precautions the public needs to take.

And we've taken the second mother into protective custody, Timmy: Mommy!

Thus depriving him of his target.

This will increase his volatility.

Rossi: That's why it's critical we find these kids.

If they are alive, he may turn his v*olence against the children themselves.

I want my mommy!

I want to go home!

I want my mommy!

I want my mommy!

Don't hurt him!

[Music, chatter, laughter]

Thank God you found him.

We got lucky.

Whoever took him let him go.

Is he ok?

Your son was checked out by a pediatrician.

There was no sexual or physical abuse.

I can't believe my wife let this happen.

I need a drink.

Did you see another little boy there?

Uh-huh.

His name was Bobby.

Is he ok?

Mm-hmm.

Good.

Were you in a dark place or did it have windows?

It was a house.

Ok.

So when he took you, did you drive in the car for a long time or a short time?

I don't know.

Can you tell us what the man looked like?

I don't know.

Timothy.

When this man came to the park to get you, were you afraid?

No.

Why not?

He said he would come, on the phone.

The phone. You talked to him on the telephone?

He's a superhero.

Can you show us?

[Speed dial, ringing]

911 operator.

Please state your emergency.

911 operator.

[Overlapping calls being answered]

[Phones ringing]

[Ring]

911 operator.

State your emergency.

Girl: You've gotta send somebody.

He tried to att*ck me.

Who did?

My mom's boyfriend.

What's your name?

Shannon.

Shannon Barton.

How old are you?

13. Please, please send somebody.

He's drunk and my mom won't do anything about it.

Are you still at 788

4th Avenue, apartment C?

Yes. Hurry.

Help is on the way, Shannon.

Garcia, any progress with the 911 dispatcher?

I'm going as fast as I can, which is super fast.

There are literally hundreds in the great St. Louis area.

Can you help me narrow this down?

Refine your search to males between 25 and 30 years of age.

And our unsub probably has abandonment issues, so look for backgrounds that reflect that.

A history of foster care or someone who was farmed out to other relatives by his own parents.

Can you trace individual 911 dispatchers based on calls they would have received?

Ok, look, let me make this clear.

There are a quarter of a billion 911 calls annually.

That's like 10 calls every second of every day.

And non-emergent calls are disposed of quickly.

Well, this operator would have been on duty when both calls came in from the Smith and Tanner families.

And he would have been off duty at the times of the two abductions and Marlene Smith's m*rder.

Oh, my God. This brings needle in a haystack to a whole other dimension, but I will go to that dimension and I will cross-reference and I will call you back.

A mother who wants to k*ll herself.

What does that say to a child?

That you're not worth sticking around for?

A 911 operator would be why the kids trusted him.

The unsub must have gone back to the house to do some sort of follow-up on his own and they remembered his face.

Rossi?

Did you hear me?

Oh. Sorry.

Uh... Morgan and I were joking around on the jet, but something is definitely up.

Is there anything you want to share?

It's nothing that...

I had breakfast with Carolyn the other morning.

Carolyn.

Oh! Is that wife number 4 or 5?

Look, let's get our facts straight.

I only had 3 wives.

I mean, that's within the realm of reasonable.

Ok. I'm sorry.

Which one was Carolyn?

Numero uno.

Mmm, ah.

Use your words, Emily.

Uh...there's always something about the first, in anything.

I don't know, I might be way off here, but I think she's putting some feelers out to see if that old spark is still there.

Is it?

I'm having her over to my house for dinner when I get back.

I'm crazy, right?

We don't always get second chances in life, Rossi.

I say take the plunge, see where it goes.

[Sighs]

Come with me, sir.

Don't take him, don't take him.

He didn't do anything.

He said he didn't do anything.

She--she makes stuff up.

Shannon, tell them you made a mistake.

Uh, I'll take my own car.

Come on, let's go.

Don't touch me.

Why did you call the police?

He said he didn't do anything.

He came into my bedroom and grabbed me.

Honey, he was in there for another reason.

He has me. Why--

I hate you!

Shannon.

[Line ringing]

Morgan: Talk to me, mama.

First off, you are on restriction from my inner Lamborghini.

Garcia--

I mean it.

This high-performance engine may purr like a puma on the prowl, but this time, Derek, you have seriously overheated my engines and I will require some cool-down laps upon your return, if you know what I mean by that.

Baby girl, you're on speaker.

I knew that.

I'm calling to tell you, sir, there are 11

911 dispatchers in the greater St. Louis area that were on duty when the calls were placed but not working during the m*rder and abduction.

Of those 11, there's one that fits your profile--

George Kelling, age 27, 1181 Clay Street, apartment 8.

Sending his picture right now.

Do you know where he is now?

He was scheduled to work today.

His supervisor said he showed up for his shift, but then he left early.

Can you get the log of all the calls he took tonight?

Yeah, of course.

But there are a lot.

Skip to the last one.

Last one is a domestic disturbance at 788 4th Avenue, number C.

Attempted sexual as*ault of a young girl.

Kelling dispatched the police and then he took off.

Let's go.

Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you.

You're not my boss.

You know what? Just go be with your boyfriend.

The police said you had to come to the station, so go get your stuff so we can go. Now!

What do you want?

I'm here to do some follow-up, make sure everything's ok.

Everything's fine.

We just need to be left alone right now.

Ohh!

Everything's not fine, Mrs. Barton.

Mom!

Oh, my God.

Clear!

It's clear.

The door's open and the lights are on.

The unsub b*at us here.

What have you got?

Nothing.

The place is empty.

If the unsub's keeping the kids, he's holding them someplace else.

You need to get away.

I know you.

You're the kid on the news that was kidnapped.

Who hurt you?

Who is he?

What does he want?

I know this is a lot to absorb right now.

Where's my mom?

I'm helping you.

You called for help.

The police already came.

They took him away.

Shannon, the problem isn't the boyfriend.

There'll be another boyfriend after him and another after that.

The problem is your mother.

What have you got, Garcia?

Sir, you said to check backgrounds.

At 10 years of age, George Kelling entered the foster care system and I don't know why.

His father abandoned the family when he was a baby.

I can't figure out what happened to mom yet.

All right, we need the address of the foster family he was placed with.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

He bounced around a lot.

Give me a second.

I'll call you back.

Ok.

Ok, what I don't understand is why would he keep Bobby but release Timothy?

If he wants to get rid of the parent, why not k*ll them first and then take the child.

It's so much riskier to wait.

Unless the children are a crucial part of his k*lling ritual.

How?

He needs something from them before he can m*rder the parents.

What could they possibly give him?

Their approval.

That's what he wants her to say.

[Crying] My daughter will never tell him to get rid of me.

Never.

We fight sometimes, but we love each other.

She's my whole world.

She means so much to me.

He'll hurt her if she doesn't, because that means she's weak, too.

Deja vu all over again.

So, get this.

George Kelling's mom committed su1c1de when he was 10.

She jumped off a bridge.

Before that, the attempted to k*ll herself multiple times, cutting her wrists.

This sounds really familiar, huh?

Did you find the foster home address?

Those records are still sealed.

I got my crowbar out, I'm working on it.

You're crazy.

I'm going to tell you something I've never told anyone before, Shannon.

Nobody.

My mother, she was troubled, too.

She either stayed in bed crying or she went on long walks.

I never knew where she went on those walks.

Then one day I decided to follow her.

She didn't know I was there.

At first it just...

Seemed like she was wandering.

But then I saw where she was going.

It was a bridge.

She climbed up onto the ledge and sat there looking down.

It seemed like she was there for hours.

My mother, she wanted to die.

But it was like-- it was like she couldn't make herself do it.

And then it happened.

She was gone.

For that moment, I don't think I ever saw her more content.

It was like a kind of peacefulness.

Finally, she was free.

As bad as it seemed, my mother was right to k*ll herself.

From one moment to the next...

Her pain ended...

And my life changed.

Now...

Now it's your moment, Shannon.

The foster family lived on a farm 10 miles northwest of the city on Parkhill Road.

The rest of the team is gonna meet us there.

Hurry.

No, no.

I didn't mean it!

Don't hurt him.

Don't hurt him!

Let go of me!

Stop!

It was me!

Let me out!

Why are you doing this?

What did we do?

[Bobby pounding on door]

Shut up!

Just shut up!

So what happened to the foster parents?

The father d*ed years ago.

The mother just d*ed last month--heart att*ck.

That must have been the trigger.

The last person who rescued the unsub was gone.

He assumed the mantle.

And now he suddenly has a house to take these kids to.

Wait. Garcia said the mother jumped off of a bridge, right?

Yeah. Why?

What are you thinking?

Suicidology is an imperfect science, but it's uncommon for women to k*ll themselves so violently.

For lack of a better word, they tend to choose more feminine ways to die.

Men sh**t themselves, jump off of buildings onto pavement.

Women are less messy.

They take pills and drown themselves.

And now it's your turn to do the right thing.

I know you will.

This is about making a decision, Shannon.

Your mother has caused nothing but pain.

One word from you now and this will all end.

I love my mom.

[Bangs fist]

That's crap.

Shannon: What?

If you loved me, you never would have called 911.

We're here now because of you.

Because you were jealous.

Jealous that I had a man in my life.

He was gonna r*pe me.

According to you.

He came into my room, he grabbed my blouse and pushed me onto the bed.

Well, you shouldn't have been dressing like that in the first place.

It was like you were telling him that you wanted him to do something.

Why are you saying these things?

You want to know the truth?

I told Gary he could have you.

He was gonna leave me.

You didn't tell him that.

You couldn't.

Reid and JJ and I will take the front.

The rest of you take the perimeter.

It's time to end this, Shannon.

Do you agree?

I think she's made her decision.

FBI. Put the g*n down.

Drop the g*n.

Do it.

You have to let me finish.

Nobody else can do it.

Nobody's strong enough.

Like you were strong with your mother?

Don't talk about her.

She was weak. She k*lled herself and left me alone.

I don't think so.

Because she tried to k*ll herself before, nobody would question it.

But you did it. You pushed her off the bridge.

You k*lled her.

No. I helped her!

Aah!

The boy's in the closet!

We need medical.

He's down in a back bedroom.

Let me go!

They need me!

Oh, baby, I'm so sorry.

I didn't mean to say those things.

He was gonna k*ll you.

I know. I know, Mom.

Rossi: "All things truly wicked start from an innocence."

Ernest Hemingway.

We got all the kids back safe.

Think about it, Aaron.

How often does that happen?

Not often enough.

How about 10 pairs of shoes?

I mean, that has to be enough, right? 10?

Ah, Spence, it's different with the ladies.

We need them to match our belts, our handbags, our skirts, and the fashions change with the seasons.

Yes. Boys are so boring.

Pants, shoes, out the door.

Although it's not like men don't have their things.

I dated a golfer once.

He had 12 putters in his closet.

But this conversation is reminding me I need new boots.

They're having a sale at DeMille's on those tall-shaft kitty heels.

You like those. Do you want to go?- Yeah.

You getting all this, kid?

No.

Sure you don't need any help?

Done. Sit down, relax.

Hmm.

The cioppino was delicious.

You gotta love any dish that recommends the wearing of a bib.

Yeah.

Top me off, would you?

You know, I don't remember you as being a big wine drinker.

Well, I'm not.

I guess I just need a little fortification tonight.

When did you ever need that with me?

You know, who would have thought that we'd find ourselves on a date again after all these years?

David...

Do you remember during our divorce the pledge we made to one another?

That no matter what, we'd always be there for the other one.

Future spouses and significant others would just have to understand.

We joked we were the only couple that had both marriage and divorce vows.

Hey, what's going on with you?

Um...

You know, I...

I don't know how to say this, except--except to just say it.

Last year I was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease.

Carolyn--

Look, like you always said, nobody lives forever.

Why didn't you call me earlier?

I could have--

Please-- please let me finish.

Because if I don't get this out now, I don't know that I ever will.

I've had this disease for over a year.

To live 18 months is a gift.

The last few weeks I've started noticing the signs.

It won't be long now.

I came to ask you... When the disease reaches the point and I'm too weak or too afraid... I--I want you to help me leave this world on my own terms.

When it's time, will you help me end my life?