That is, uh...
Yeah.
Very. How long has this been going on?
A while.
That's not an answer.
If you want to tell people things, tell them.
Several months.
You haven't had a good night's sleep in several months?
But he's not just a workaholic.
It's been hard. Really.
And I'd say it was Christopher's death, but it started before. Sorry.
That-that really sucks. It does.
And I'm concerned that it's been affecting my work.
No, it hasn't.
That's nice of you to say. But... it's hard for me not to think that if I were sharper... maybe some of our recent cases would have gone differently. No...
Anyway, I'm taking a short medical leave to enter a specialized treatment program, which will hopefully help me figure out why this is happening.
Why am I getting, like, a Cuckoo's Nest kind of vibe here?
Nothing like that.
Then what?
Wade and my doctor think it's been caused by the massive dose of LSD I was given when Apollyon captured me.
Which also really sucked.
It seems to have unlocked something.
Only I don't know what.
So, what's the plan? A treatment called Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy.
Basically, they give me more LSD in a controlled environment.
So they're giving you more of what caused the problem in the first place?
Microdoses. And Wade, she's, she's cool with this?
She's nervous. So's Rita.
And I can see that you all are, too.
But the alternative is, I never figure it out.
I never get another good night's sleep again.
I stop functioning effectively, and I can no longer... do the job I love to do with the people I love doing it with.
Okay.
Well, I got you covered here, brother.
You just do what you need to do.
Well, that's it?
We're not gonna insist on a second opinion, or I don't know, do some research to make sure this doesn't go terribly wrong?
Done that already.
And there are no guarantees.
But the new guy shows up in a week or so.
And I'm planning on being back in time to help ease him in.
I don't know how I feel about any of this.
Honestly, neither do I.
But it is the best bad idea I got right now.
I'll see you.
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪
♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪
♪ How, how, how, how ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ You gotta come on. ♪
I'm more of a jazz guy.
And I like roots acoustic, but this is the medically sanctioned approach.
Yeah, they've done some studies. Reduces blood pressure.
Enhances rather than distracts from the effects of the psychedelics.
Well, it makes me think I'm in an elevator.
Well, that works, too.
We are going on a journey.
That's it?
Yeah. It's amazing how powerful a synthesized psychedelic can be.
That's the lowest dose.
The effects will last about an hour.
We will be monitoring you the whole time.
It'll be like a lucid dream, and Dr. Tanaka will guide you through it using the dream elements that you've already experienced.
I just need to know who he is.
And your subconscious may not want to tell us.
Well, I can't go on the way I've been.
Dr. Tanaka's concerned it might make things worse.
Rock, meet hard place.
When you're ready, just place that tab on your tongue, Dwayne.
All right.
Okay.
Pelicans won last night, Roy.
Why the grumpy face?
Y'all have company.
Made himself right at home.
Can we help you?
Unless you're willing to fetch me some whole milk instead of this abominable two percent, then no, you cannot.
Who the hell are you?
Apparently, I'm the man who's gonna bring a little class to this backwater post.
Mm. First thing on my to-do is to replace this piece of crap. Man cannot survive on subpar cappuccinos.
Well, I mean, we've been surviving just fine on burnt coffee from a pot, Mr...
Special Agent Carter.
NCIS Special Agent Quentin Carter.
Yeah, you weren't supposed to transfer in till next week.
Yeah, well, I guess I'm here early.
Looks like this desk is available.
Paperwork should already be in Special Agent Pride's in-box, but you know what? Just in case...
This was the desk of your guy. The one you lost.
His names was Christopher Lasalle.
My condolences.
It's clear from your attachment to the desk that he was well-loved.
We're not attached to the desk.
Good. Me neither. Dip it in bronze if you like, 'cause I prefer a standing desk.
I think we got off on the wrong foot here.
Um, Agent Lund.
Agent Gregorio.
Agent Khoury.
Allow me to say how enthusiastic I am to unburden you of your toughest cases.
We didn't ask for your help, hotshot.
No, no, no, your boss did.
Requested my transfer from Pearl Harbor.
Where is Special Agent Pride, anyway?
He's on medical leave.
For what?
That's none of your damn business.
You're right.
Best to keep it professional.
No need to know any of you beyond these four walls. Nope.
Hey, NOPD's requesting our assistance.
Crime scene in the Bywater.
I'll drive.
Permission to k*ll him?
I can make it look like an accident.
Okay, charitably, let's just say he's uncomfortable filling Lasalle's shoes.
Uncharitably?
Let's put a pin in that m*rder idea.
Why don't you guys go see what NOPD needs?
Look, I was nothing but polite to her.
And the next thing I knew, she put me flat on my ass.
PFC Daniela Ortiz.
I wouldn't want to tussle with a Marine, either.
Second Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
I served alongside them during my first tour overseas.
Some of the toughest Marines on the planet.
You were lucky to walk away with just that bruised arm.
Thanks?
You said she tried to buy groceries with this ID? Yeah.
Wide-eyed, sweaty, acting all erratic.
She was clearly on something.
And when I told her she had to pay with cash or credit card, but she threw that ID at my head and jumped me, man.
Hey. You guys need to see this.
So, I downloaded the store's security feeds.
I would definitely file this under cinema violent vérité.
Sorry, very what now?
You know, observational cinema?
The Maysles Brothers?
We, we just watched "Grey Gardens" last night.
Another two hours of my life I'll never get back.
It's a classic, and you said you liked it.
Oh, so you two...
Us? No. Oh, no. Roommates only.
But I can expect more of this old married couple vibe? Yeah.
Well, I mean, no.
It depends on... Just relax.
You're overcompensating and it shows.
Oh, right, yeah. 'Cause you're the profiler.
Yep. I am. And just spending a few very painful moments with you, I'm working up a doozy of a profile.
Carry on. Okay.
Please.
Mm.
The Few, the Proud, the You Don't Want to Mess with Us. Yeah, so what set her off?
Guy inside said she might've been on something.
Well, if she still is, we better find PFC Ortiz right away.
NOPD's got a BOLO out. Maybe we'll get lucky.
All right, well, I got the name and address of her mother.
Let the other one know I'll have Mom meet us at NCIS.
"The other one"? You talking about Hannah?
Sure.
Okay, Dwayne, let's start with the most recent dream, the street festival.
You're in the middle of it.
You want to find the Man in the Red Suit, but what else do you see?
Look around.
His heart rate's climbing.
Okay. Take a deep breath, Dwayne.
You're in control.
All right.
Enough games.
Talk to me.
What do you want with me?
It was the same as last time, except for the numbers.
One, five, six, two?
Yeah, over and over.
In no particular order that I could see.
How did it all make you feel?
The numbers, the Man in the Red Suit, being back in the street fair?
Confused.
Agitated.
Your heart rate spiked significantly.
Well, I wasn't in any danger.
Maybe not in the dream.
The numbers seem important.
You have any idea what they mean?
No.
Well, then, we're gonna have to figure it out.
Otherwise, I suspect Dr. Tanaka will be reluctant to continue.
We need an anchor for your subconscious to hold onto.
Unlock the secret behind those numbers and we can talk about trying again.
That's enough.
Sergeant Ortiz... Call me Rosa.
I've been out of the Corps for ten years now.
Thank you for your service.
Semper fi. Do or die.
You were in the Marines?
1st Reconnaissance Battalion. Force Recon?
I should be thanking you for your service.
Rosa, do you have any idea why Daniela...
Dani.
My daughter goes by Dani.
...what might've made Dani act out like this?
I have no idea.
She was doing well since she got back from Afghanistan.
Her record is unblemished until now.
Great reports, multiple commendations, Purple Heart she earned while serving in Afghanistan.
The injury that brought her home.
Her unit was ambushed in the Kunduz province 18 months ago.
It's a viper's nest.
IED sent her Humvee tumbling down a steep hillside.
She shattered three vertebrae, got sent home for good.
You must've been relieved.
I was glad to have her home... Yeah.
...safe at a desk instead of a conflict zone, but Dani felt different.
She felt like she failed?
She did not fail.
Her back was basically broken.
Well, Marines embrace pain, push through the barrier, be it physical or mental, to reach our destination.
Dani was starting to lose her battle even before the injury.
How so?
Her second tour was rough.
The things she saw left her walking a razor's edge.
And then she got injured.
It offered her a path home.
The spinal surgeries, the pain management program, they're the only reason she's still alive.
Is Dani still on medication?
Doctors tapered her off months ago.
What about PTSS?
She said her doctors cleared her.
Despite what Dani did, you need to know, she is a good Marine.
Please... don't let her get hurt.
Marines look after each other, okay?
I'll get her home safely, I promise.
Let me walk you to your car.
Hey.
Is that a promise you think you can keep?
I made it, so now I have to.
Well, the new guy showed up early.
Ah, guess I shouldn't be surprised.
He's got that kind of reputation.
Yeah, I'm not surprised he's got a reputation.
Sounds like you're getting along already.
No, he's fine.
It's just... Lasalle's shoes are hard to fill, you know?
Truth.
I'm really calling because I'm checking on you.
Oh, I'm-I'm fine.
Any progress?
Uh, well, let's just say it's been interesting.
Okay.
Nice being worried about.
Well, you let me know if you need anything, okay?
Absolutely.
Go find that Marine.
Right now, she needs you more than I do.
Okay.
Want to play gin rummy?
Ah, not my game, but I thought maybe a prop might help.
You know, let's assume that the Man in the Red Suit wanted to show you these cards for a reason.
It was these.
Six of diamonds, five of hearts, two of clubs, and ace of spades.
These right here.
Let's add them up.
One, three, eight, 14. No.
Six, five, two, one. We're missing a four and a three.
No. Diamonds, hearts, clubs, spades, clubs. No.
It means something.
It matters. To you.
Okay. One, two, five, six.
No.
Five, six, one, t...
Six, two, five, one.
Chords.
Circle of fifths, chord progression.
I learned it when I first started playing the piano.
How does that connect to the Man in the Red Suit?
I don't know. Where's Dr. Tanaka?
Um...
I need you to e-mail that file to me right away.
Thank you. That was the Naval physician who oversaw PFC Ortiz's last surgical recovery at Belle Chasse.
Will they find out why she was wigging out at the market?
Uh, she wasn't certain, but said the behaviors that I described could be a reaction to medication. Okay, well, did her medical records say she was on anything?
That's the thing, she's not. Physician last saw her three months ago when she finished tapering off her pain meds.
What if she was on something that wasn't in her records?
Look at Ortiz's bank statements.
Over the same period, she's been making multiple ATM withdrawals every week, sometimes twice in the same day.
Before that, it was only once a month.
Maybe her violent behavior was due to a different kind of withdrawal?
The pain meds.
Doctors cut her off, but she didn't cut herself off.
Self-medicating is a dangerous path to go down.
Can't know what exactly you're putting into your system.
Yeah, let's locate Ortiz before she hurts herself, or anyone else.
Phone's no good. She ditched it outside the grocery store.
Sebastian's monitoring NOPD and surrounding agencies.
There's still no hit on the BOLO.
Okay, let's dig through patterns in her movements.
If she is on the hunt for meds, she'll likely circle back to the same places.
Let's go.
Okay, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and think about the chords.
Not the fact of them, the emotional aspect.
I know about the chords.
What are you trying to tell me?
Yes.
Am I doing it right, Red?
You sure are, Dwayne.
Now let me show you something else.
So it's easy to find a new key using that circle of fifths I told you about.
It's a chord progression that allows you to move the song in almost any direction.
And now we're in "E".
Hop in.
I don't think I could ever do that.
Oh, sure you can.
I know it looks hard now, but all it takes is practice.
Now start back here in "C", just take your time.
Why?
Did you get a last name? No.
My younger self called him "Red", otherwise, I wouldn't even know that.
Man in a red suit, named "Red"?
I'm just disappointed that your subconscious isn't more sophisticated than mine.
Well, if he played at the Trutone, there's got to be some kind of tax records, right?
Destroyed long ago. Look, we'll figure out how to find him and get you what you need to keep getting those treatments.
Oh. Hey, Special Agent Carter showed up early.
Who's gonna fill me in?
You should take care of yourself first.
Then you'll meet him.
Okay.
How about I just get you all another round and see if that'll maybe loosen up some lips?
Baby.
It's better if your daddy doesn't know about Red.
Know what about him, Mama?
Here, let me help you with this.
Pride.
You okay? Mm, yeah.
Yeah, I-I'll be right there.
You got 'em? Yeah.
Okay. Thanks.
Good morning. Good morning.
Hey. We brought pastries.
You trying to soften me up?
Does he need to?
Depends.
Were there any residual effects last night?
Any new nightmares? No.
I won't say I slept like a baby, but baby adjacent.
I'll take it.
I realized that Red is connected to my mother.
And I tried to call her this morning, but the nurses said she was having a bad day.
Well, if you think she knows something, it might be better to wait.
Well, there's no way to know when a better day will come.
I'd really like to press forward.
No adverse affects, no visions, et cetera?
No. Nope. Nothing.
Okay. Then I'm willing to go another round.
Please report to Window 9 for methadone distribution.
Yeah, that's her. You said her real name's Dani?
Private First Class Daniela Ortiz, United States Marine Corps.
Now, we tracked her phone coming to this location several times over the past few weeks.
I'm surprised she's a Marine, not surprised she gave a fake name and ID.
At least half of our patients do.
Why's that, Mr. Anders?
Uh, shame from family and friends.
Fear of workplace retaliation.
Addiction isn't something anyone is proud of.
Did she say why she came here seeking treatment?
She said she was injured on a job from a fall and her back surgeon wouldn't renew her pain meds, but she was still hurting.
She ever talk about self-dosing?
Uh, black market opioids. Cheap, easy to come by, but you don't always know what you're getting.
As if managing pain isn't dangerous enough.
Look, what you're describing is a textbook reaction to quitting cold turkey.
What else is textbook?
Uh, seizures, hallucinations.
And who knows how she'll react the next time something doesn't go her way.
Sebastian.
BOLO panned out. They got a location on Ortiz's car.
Thank you, Mr. Anders. We'll be in touch.
Thanks.
Clear.
Think she could be somewhere nearby?
No idea, but it's possible she came around here for a reason.
She left the keys in the ignition.
Well, could mean she wasn't coming back, but why?
Oh, hold on now.
The only thing more dangerous than a Marine...
...is an armed Marine.
Yeah.
Okay, Dwayne. Think about Red and the bar.
Think about your mother.
You don't have to know what it means, just feel the feelings, see where they take you.
Mama? Where are you?
Get out!
You got to... take me to Mama!
I'm scared.
I'm scared, too.
All right, help me set the table, Dwayne.
Everybody will be here soon.
Yep.
Just, uh...
Your daddy's earlier than I thought he'd be.
Come here.
Daddy.
Ooh!
Oh, been a few months since your mama brung you to see me.
Look how much you grew.
I'm almost 54 inches. Yeah?
Well, I'd say that makes you about 53 inches. Hmm?
But you real big.
Cassius, we... so happy to finally have you...
Everybody will be here soon for your welcome home dinner. Ah.
I made your favorite everything.
Well, don't let them eat all of it.
Me and Dwayne got a couple things to take care of first, don't we?
Can't it wait?
The food will get cold.
It'll reheat just fine.
His blood pressure's 150/90.
That's too high. Dwayne, I need you to come back.
It's okay.
I am not gonna leave you.
Let him stay with me.
There's still a lot to get done before everybody gets here and he can help.
No, Mena, he's coming with me.
Come on.
I'm sure you can get done whatever needs to get done.
Can you let me out?
I-I got to go with him.
Get in.
No, no, no. Wait.
Please don't take him!
Please don't!
No. Somebody, let me out!
This isn't real, Dwayne.
You're in charge.
And it's time to wake up.
She's been lying to me for months?
Not just you, Rosa. Everyone.
This is my fault.
Why would you say that?
Dani's addiction, it must be genetic. You also struggled with pain meds?
Alcohol.
You think Dani knew?
Yes.
The terror I saw on her face one morning after she spent an hour trying to wake me is what got me into treatment.
I've been sober since, but blind to my own child's suffering.
Rosa, your daughter is out there with a g*n.
Okay? We found her car in the Irish Channel, but we didn't find her.
Do you have any idea where she could be?
The Irish Channel?
Yeah. Near Laurel Street and St. Mary.
That's not too far from the gym where Dani used to play basketball as a kid.
I used to coach her rec teams there.
Thank you.
I had to wake you, Dwayne.
Otherwise we risked permanent damage, a stroke.
I was right on the edge of figuring out what happened.
Please, I just need one more session.
You're worse than my children. The answer is no.
I can't live the rest of my life without knowing.
What if today is the rest of your life?
I'm not gonna die, Loretta.
I'm too stubborn.
I'm not gonna let you hurt yourself.
I know you won't.
You brought me back once, and I believe that you can do it again.
Think we've finally found our Marine.
I'm gonna call NOPD for backup.
No, no, no, no. We can't go in with the cavalry.
She's armed and she's demonstrated that she's dangerous. It's protocol.
I don't give a crap about protocol. If we go in hot, I'm confident you won't like how it plays out.
Okay. What's your brilliant idea?
Gregorio.
Private Ortiz?
Please... stay back.
I'm Quentin Carter, NCIS. I'm here to help.
I said stay back! Okay.
I'm just here to talk.
Not another step.
Okay.
I know you're hurting, Dani.
You don't know anything about me.
You're right.
But your mom does.
My...
You talked to my mother?
That's right.
One Marine to another, she wants to be there for you.
But you have to let her in.
I can't.
She's strong. I'm nothing like her.
That is your mind playing tricks on you.
It's telling you to quit, but you can get through this.
What if I can't?
You're in the suck, Marine. Okay?
I've been there.
But you are strong enough to push through it.
Dani, your mom is waiting for you, and she loves you.
I let her down.
And the Corps. No. Hey.
Hey, hey, no.
Only if you pull that trigger.
Okay? But lower the w*apon.
Let your mom and the Marines help you out, okay?
We all got your back.
Dani, look at me.
Nobody wins here unless you lower the g*n.
Okay?
Let us take you home.
You want to go home.
Let us take you home.
You want to go home.
Yeah.
Okay. I got you. I got you.
I got you.
Dwayne, you're in charge of this.
No one you see, nothing that happens can hurt you.
I got you something.
Yeah.
Now, if I know your mama, you're probably still playing with that same little mitt you had when I went upstate, yeah?
But you're almost 54 inches now, right?
A real player.
You need a full-size glove.
How was your mama while I was upstate?
Good.
Take good care of you?
Sure.
That's good.
Anybody been hanging around?
I asked you a question, son.
We can't run from it anymore.
Need to know what happened.
Hmm?
Red, I guess.
He-he and Mama been singing and stuff.
Yeah, that's what I heard.
All right. Come on, Dwayne.
Me and you got some business to take care of.
Daddy, stop!
Protect what's yours, son.
It was all my fault.
It was all my fault.
BP's 110/70.
Back to normal.
Had us worried for a minute.
When I... finally realized what I was seeing was a repressed memory, I...
I panicked myself. Mm, but now you know why you repressed it.
What you witnessed was horrific.
Your mind was too young to cope with the trauma, so it locked it all away.
At least I finally know who Red was, even if I still don't know his name.
My father k*lled a man who was important to my mother.
And I'm pretty sure...
Pretty sure she might know who he is.
Even if Mena does remember, you're not sure you want her to.
I was told you're unpredictable, but... a week early to your new post?
Yeah, well, I like to keep busy, Special Agent Pride.
As do I.
Welcome.
Thank you. Looks like you had a hell of a day.
I've had better.
I heard you did good with that young Marine.
Ah, that's what I do.
Figured you might be here filing the casework.
Yeah, well, I've been to enough postings to know that the new guy, he draws that short straw.
Five posts in five years. Got to be a record.
What's up with that?
You, uh, wanted me here.
I'm sure you got an earful from my previous bosses. Yeah.
And they all agree, you're "fast and furious".
Make a splash, piss off the rank and file, close some high-profile case.
The highest-profile cases any of those offices ever handled.
But who's keeping score, right?
I am, Agent Pride.
I am.
I can see that.
Then you request a transfer before your coworkers can force you out.
Well, you know, I find it easier on morale if I make my own exit.
And you can save the "team" speech, okay?
I heard every version of it already, Agent Pride.
Call me Dwayne.
Probably won't be doing that, Agent Pride.
I do my own thing, my own way. Like packing up Christopher's desk without asking?
No one here was going to.
Look, I'm being real respectful with his things, but you can't move forward if you're staring at the past.
Fair enough.
But you need to stop.
Christopher was more than just a coworker.
He was family.
I'm sure he was, but just so you know, I'm not looking for a family, okay?
I got one of my own already.
Anyone who knows the Navy knows about the Legendary Carters.
Yep. And I'm sure you know any number of them, okay?
But I am my own man.
Yeah, well, you want to stand out, you got to break away from the pack.
Yeah, right. Okay.
Look, I don't need a mentor or a big brother or a father figure or whatever it is you think you're offering by requesting me to your little family.
I'm just looking to do my job.
And as you now know, damn, I do it well.
Have a nice night, Special Agent.
Roll Tide.
Is that the circle progression?
Yes, it is.
Red taught it to me right here in this bar a long time ago.
Sit down.
Sounds like a happy memory.
That one was.
And then, a good man d*ed for a baseball mitt.
Come on, Dwayne.
You were a child. It's not your fault.
You were a child who tried to please a vicious, violent father who could never be pleased.
What if I could've stopped him?
You didn't do anything wrong.
And you must relieve yourself of this guilt if you ever hope to move on.
Can't move forward if you're staring at the past.
That's wise words.
But there's a silver lining to accept.
What happened to Red, to you as a child, it explains why you are the man you are.
Wha... What are you talking about?
You couldn't save Red...
...and that's why you're trying to save everyone else.
But I can't.
Just like I couldn't save Christopher.
Dwayne, you've spent a whole lifetime b*ating yourself up for something you never could've prevented.
That's got to stop now.
I know I need to, but it's not a switch you can just flip.
It isn't.
But we expect you to try.
Thanks for sticking with me, Loretta. Oh...
What? Oh...
Sister needs a drink.
Okay.
Thanks.
This one's for you, Red.
♪ When you see me in misery ♪
♪ Come on, baby, see about me right now ♪
♪ Hey, hey ♪
♪ All right. ♪