The room was quiet for a few seconds after the door closed behind Dr. Burke. Then Taz said, “So … that’s what a Criminal Patterns Analysis Consultant does.”

Carter chuckled. “Something like that. Now, why don’t you get me armored up and—”

Taz interrupted, “What did you say was wrong with him again?”

Carter placed his coffee on the table and sat up in his chair. “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with him. Just because Dr. Burke experiences the world differently and thinks differently than we do, that doesn’t mean that he’s broken or a freak.”

Taz held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I didn’t mean to—”

“I think you did, but in answer to your question, Burke has Asperger’s syndrome, which is now officially known as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD.”

Nic said, “I thought autistics couldn’t make eye contact and did repetitive actions like rocking back and forth and repeating themselves and had obsessions like only eating food that’s round in shape.”

“The autism spectrum is very broad, and Dr. Burke is obviously on the higher-functioning end of that. Most of his issues involve interaction with other people.”

Taz laughed and said, “Yeah, I noticed that.”

Carter remained stoic. “Dr. Burke’s brain is literally wired differently than the average person’s. The problems he has socially stem from having to slow his brain and his perception of the world down to the point that we can keep up. What’s your excuse for being an asshole, Sgt. Ortiz?”

“Take it easy.”

“Dr. Burke has his issues, just like all of us. To put things in terms you can understand, I’ve seen stats which claim genius-level IQs are much more prevalent among those with ASD. I’ve even heard claims that historical figures like Einstein and Ben Franklin and Abraham Lincoln may have had Asperger’s.”

“I apologize for my friend,” Nic said. “Don’t tell him I said this, but I think Taz may have Chronic Douchebag Disorder.”

Taz’s eyes went wide. “I’m sitting right here.”

Carter smirked. “I’m sorry if I got a bit protective, but August is a lot more fragile than he appears. I had to drag him down here because I think he has a beautiful gift that can help a lot of people. And he loves people and wants to help them. The problem is that he’s also scared to death of people because he doesn’t understand them or trust them, and that’s incredibly frustrating for a person of his intellect.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t understand people?” Nic asked. “He seems to understand our bad guys pretty well.”

“He can analyze and attempt to predict their behavior based upon their prior actions. But it’s all head and no heart. He doesn’t understand people on an intuitive level like we do.”

“So he’s like an alien life-form living among us,” Taz said.

Nic shot his friend a dirty look. “I think your disorder is flaring up again!”

“I’m being serious!”

“It’s okay, Nic,” Carter said. “In fact, there’s actually a petition out there that is trying to get the name of ASD changed to Wrong Planet Syndrome.”