A/N: So I've decided to do a story based on Revelations. It's a major event that changed how viewers saw Reid so I would like to do a story on it. I've been reading some other ones and it makes me want to write one even more. In this story there will be drug use and mentions of violence and sexual situations. I will put up chapter warnings for those that wish to avoid certain topics. This will be a Reid on drugs story and the team trying to get him better.
Summary: Reid has been saved from Tobias, but the journey is long from over. Reid now has to try and deal with what happened to him while having an eidetic memory. The team doesn't know that Reid was given drugs and he is too ashamed to tell them. Reid now has to struggle to survive his most dangerous enemy yet… his own mind.
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Chapter 1
They had finally found Reid. They had finally found his location where he had spent the last two days being tortured. They had found the shack that Reid had been kept in, but he wasn't there. They had spread out to search for him on the grounds. They had called his name out hoping to get some type of response, but it never came. Hotch had been worried about Reid since the moment they discovered that he was gone. Hotch had never taught Reid how to deal with emotions. As true to many geniuses Reid had a very high IQ and a very low EQ. He didn't know how to handle emotions, because they were irrational and Reid couldn't understand irrational thoughts. Hotch had never even thought to teach Reid how to deal with emotions. Hotch always forgot that Reid was different from them in more ways than one. Hotch knew that Reid was high functioning autistic, but he neglected to help Reid with it. Hotch also knew that Reid didn't even realise that he had autism, even though he could see it in others. Hotch always thought it was a little funny that Reid never saw it in himself. The others could all tell, but no one ever said anything about it. It was almost like their little secret among the team. As a result of it though, Hotch didn't know how well Reid would be able to handle this situation. It was a lot to handle for anyone in this situation, but Reid wasn't just anyone. He was different, he was special. His memory made him special. He wouldn't be able to forget a single thing that he saw or heard since he had been held captive. Even though Reid had only been with Tobias for two days, but his mind would never allow him to forget anything. Two days would feel like two months to Reid and his memory.
Everyone had been worried about Reid, but Hotch felt responsible for him. He was the team's leader. It was his job to make sure everyone was safe and he let Reid down. Hotch knew that Reid had been in the field before, he had been in the field many times, but that didn't change that he was still very new at it. He knew he shouldn't have sent Reid with JJ to check out a witness. He should have let someone else go with him. Hotch knew he was being unrealistic. Reid could shoot just like the rest of them. It had taken him longer, but he had found his grove with it now. He was as good of a shot as the rest of them. Reid just wasn't a fighter and everyone knew it even Reid. Reid never pretended to be a fighter or a physically strong person. Reid knew his greatest strength was in his mind, his IQ and he had no problem with it at all. It's why Reid was happy to stay at the station and work on the profile than going out on raids. Still though Reid was a man and there were times that Hotch knew he wanted to be treated just like himself, Gideon and Morgan were. Sometimes Reid didn't want to be left behind at the station just waiting to find out what happened. Hotch understood that and he expected as Reid got older the time he wanted to be left behind at the station would lessen and Reid would be out on the raids with them every time. Hotch was fine with that.
In the beginning Hotch had limited Reid's time out in the field. He was concerned about Reid's age and he didn't want Reid to be traumatized by seeing something if Reid wasn't going to be there for long. So he had slowly got Reid used to being around dead bodies, and being out on the raids. When Reid did go out he was always told to stay with Morgan. Morgan wasn't too happy at first with being assigned Reid, but at the same time Morgan had understood. Morgan knew that Reid was only twenty-one, he was just a kid still by their ages. Morgan had taken to Reid and kept a watch out on him as an older brother would. He would try and help Reid with protocols for raids. He would teach Reid what he knew about bombs from his time on the bomb squad in Chicago. He would even try and teach Reid some basic self-defence tactics just in case he was ever alone and in a fight. Hotch had taken to teaching Reid how to shoot, because he simply had more patience than Morgan did where that was concerned. They had been there for Reid and tried to help him get used to how it worked in the FBI. Reid had surprised them with how well he could handle seeing mutilated bodies, but they had found out he used to work in a morgue to help pay for his mother's hospital bills. Still even after all of these years with Reid being on the team, after two years, Hotch couldn't help but wonder just how much Reid's mind could take. How long before it was just one too many mutilated bodies forever sketched in his mind. Hotch didn't have that answer, but now as he searched through the old plantation just trying to find his youngest Agent if this would be that one time. If this would be the time where they would lose Reid to something safer. Something less scarring. Hotch couldn't blame Reid if it was that time. Reid had helped to solve hundreds of cases and there had been many times that they wouldn't have solved a case if it wasn't for Reid. Hotch knew that if this was Reid's time to walk away he wouldn't try and stop him. He would let Reid go and work in a place where his mind wouldn't suffer the consequences of other's actions.
They had been calling out Reid's name, but they didn't hear any reply. They continued to search through the trees when they finally came across Reid. Hotch was the one to see him first and he started to run towards him as he called out.
"I got him!"
Hotch could see that Tobias was on the ground next to a half dug hole. He had a huge knife sticking out of the middle of his chest. Hotch could see Reid sitting against the tree just looking at Tobias. When Hotch got there he looked over at Tobias very quickly and saw that his eyes were open and dead. Hotch put his gun away as he saw the others running towards them. Hotch bent down and spoke as he did.
"Reid." Hotch kept his voice gentle as he looked over Reid.
He could see that the left side of his head was bleeding and it was covering the left half of Reid's face. He was covered in bruises. His right eye was swollen shut. His arms were covered in bruises from what part of his arms that Hotch could see. Hotch could also see a deep cut on Reid's left ribs. It went as a curve and it started at the top of his top left rib and went down in a curve towards his stomach. His shirt was already getting soaked with blood. What scared Hotch the most was the dead look in Reid's eye. Hotch knew he was alive and breathing, but it was like his mind was shut down. Hotch looked over as Gideon bent down beside him. Hotch noticed that everyone else was gathering around them as well. He could hear someone in the background saying they would go and get the medics, but Hotch didn't know who it was.
"Spencer." Gideon said softly, hoping to get Reid's attention, but Reid's eyes stayed on Tobias' dead body.
"Why isn't he responding?" JJ asked with worry in her voice.
"He's just in shock." Gideon said trying to hide his own worry from his voice.
"Spencer, can you hear me?" Hotch asked with authority in his voice, but it didn't do anything.
Reid wasn't even blinking and Hotch was now completely concerned.
"Are you sure there isn't anything wrong with him? I mean he was with Tobias for two days there's no telling what happened to him when the camera was off." Emily said.
"He's fine." Gideon said.
"Jason." Hotch started, but Gideon cut him off.
"His mind is extraordinary. He will be fine his mind is just taking a break right now probably trying to process what happened to him. He just needs a little bit of time for his mind to finish processing." Gideon said and the others could hear that he was also trying to convince himself as well as them.
"Maybe if you touch him he'll snap out of it?" Morgan suggested.
"Spencer." Hotch said as he gently placed his hand against the right side of Reid's face, but he didn't even blink at the contact.
Hotch put his hand back down as the two paramedics came over to them.
"We need you to move back please." The male paramedic said as they got to Reid.
Hotch and Gideon moved back so they were standing with the others. The two paramedics worked on Reid and the whole time he didn't even register what was going on. It wasn't until they had grabbed Reid to get him to stand up did Reid snap out of it. Reid didn't realise what was going on all he knew was that someone had grabbed him over one of his bruises and it hurt. Reid pushed the paramedic away and punch the male medic. The male paramedic didn't expect it so he was forced to take a few steps back as the pain hit his left cheek. Gideon and Hotch went over to Reid to try and get him to calm down. They understood that Reid wasn't aware of what was going on so Gideon spoke quickly to get Reid to understand the situation.
"Spencer it's okay. You're safe. Tobias is dead." Gideon said as he stood in front of Reid and looked at him.
Reid was shaking and they knew it was from being exhausted and cold from being out in the shack with nothing more than pants and a dress shirt. Reid looked around and saw that the others were there with him. He calmed down, but he didn't say anything. His eyes when down to Tobias and Hotch moved to stand in the way. He gently placed a hand on Reid's arm making Reid flinch and look up at Hotch. Hotch kept his hand there gently to try and offer a little comfort to Reid. Hotch knew he had to be careful that Reid didn't like physical contact on a good day so he knew he wouldn't like it very much right now.
"Spencer, you need to go to the hospital. These paramedics are going to take you and one of us will go with you. While the rest of us head to the hospital." Hotch said in a gentle voice the kind he uses with Jack.
Reid didn't even say anything he just allowed Gideon to guide him down towards where the paramedics were waiting. They all headed up to where the ambulance was waiting. The whole time Reid didn't say anything. While Reid was getting into the ambulance Morgan went over to the SUV and grabbed his leather jacket from it. He went back over to the ambulance and saw that Reid was sitting down on the gurney, but he refused to lie down.
"Can I go with him please?" Morgan asked.
He knew the others all wanted to as well, but this was his little brother. This was the person that Morgan had spent many nights staying awake watching movies together. This was the person that would read while pretending to watch a football game with him. This was the person who snookered him out of hundreds of dollars when they made bets on Basketball games. This was his little brother and he didn't want to let him out of his sight.
"We'll meet you at the hospital." Hotch said understanding why Morgan felt the strong need to be with Reid.
Morgan climbed into the ambulance and he draped his jacket over Reid's much smaller frame. Reid held the jacket close to himself and Morgan spoke.
"Reid can you lie down for me? The medic needs to look at that cut. It looks pretty bad man. Lie down for me Pretty boy." Morgan said in a gentle voice.
Reid looked over at Morgan before he carefully laid down on his back with his legs still slightly bent. The female paramedic closed the doors as she went over to the driver's seat. They pulled off and everyone else got into the SUV's to go after Reid. The male paramedic started to look at Reid's slash on his left side. Morgan could tell that Reid was having some problems with the paramedic touching him. Reid couldn't seem to stay still as he was trying to get away from the paramedic's hands. The paramedic went to start to undo the buttons on Reid's shirt and that's when Morgan knew he was at his limit. Reid closed in on himself and brought the jacket over to his chest closing it and blocking the paramedic's access to his injuries.
"Ok hang on give him a minute." Morgan said to the paramedic.
The paramedic sat back and held his hands up to show that he wouldn't touch Reid. Morgan could see the annoyance on the man's face, but he kept it quiet. Morgan looked down at Reid and he could see he was struggling. His one eye was squinted from the lights and he kept looking around. He held the jacket tighter to his chest and he ran his finger over the leather. Morgan knew that Reid liked certain textures and smells. It was partially why Morgan gave Reid his jacket. He knew that Reid liked the feel and smell of leather. He liked the softness of it. Everyone knew that Reid was autistic and they had seen that in stressful situations. This was the most stressful situation that Reid has been in and Morgan knew that Reid's autism would be sky rocketing right now.
"Reid, look at me." Morgan said gently.
Reid looked over at Morgan and Morgan could see he was having a hard time keeping it together. The textures of the sheets and the smell in the ambulance was driving his senses too high. Morgan knew he needed to get Reid to calm down so the paramedic and the doctors would be able to work on him.
"I need you to take a deep breath for me Pretty Boy. I know this is hard, but I need you to calm down and let this nice paramedic work on you. You're bleeding a lot from that cut." Morgan said gently.
Reid closed his eye and Morgan saw him take a few deep breaths. He opened his eye again after a moment and Morgan spoke again.
"You need to have your shirt open. Is it okay if I undo the buttons?" Morgan kept his voice gentle and calm so Reid didn't feel pressured or forced.
After a moment Reid just gave a nod and Morgan leaned over and started to undo the buttons on Reid's shirt. Once they were undone he was able to see the amount of damage that was done to Reid's torso. His ribs were all bruised up and the cut was still bleeding pretty badly. Morgan knew it would take stitches to fix it. Just like he also knew it was going to take a while before Reid was calmed down enough to go through all of this. Morgan sat back and he grabbed onto Reid's hand as he spoke.
"Look at me kid. Just keep those eyes on me." Morgan said with a comforting smile.
Reid turned his head to look at Morgan as the paramedic went to put pressure on his cut to try and slow the bleeding down.
"You know once we get back home and you are feeling up to it we're gonna have to have a movie night. Order some pizza or Chinese food and just spend the night watching movies together. Does that sound good?"
Reid gave a small nod and Morgan just continued to hold his hand and keep Reid's eyes on him and not on what the paramedic was doing. Fifteen minutes later they were pulling into the hospital emergency entrance. Morgan continued to hold Reid's hand as they pushed the gurney into the hospital and over to a room.
"I'm sorry Sir I need you to stay out here." The doctor said.
"He's a Federal Agent that has just spent two days being beaten and tortured. I'm not leaving him." Morgan said in a serious voice.
"I understand that, but I need you to let us work. You can wait right outside the whole time, but we need to work on him." The doctor said in a serious voice.
Morgan knew he wasn't going to win so he looked down at Reid before he spoke.
"Reid, I need to let go. The doctor needs to work on you and he won't let me stay, but I'll be right outside that door."
Morgan let go of Reid's hand, but he could see that Reid wasn't happy about it, but he allowed Morgan's hand to leave his. Morgan headed out into the hallway and saw the door close. The doctor came over to Reid and he gave him a gentle smile.
"Mr. Reid, I need you to take that jacket off so I can look at your injuries. I understand that you are not in the mood for this, but the sooner we start this the sooner you can just rest. All I need to do is check your injuries over and take some blood work. If your injuries are bad then I might need to run some scans, but we can cross that bridge when and if that happens. I just need twenty minutes of your time that's all." The doctor said in a calm voice. He could tell that Reid was having problems handling this situation. He was just going to stay calm and get this over with as quickly as possible.
Reid didn't want to go through any of this, but he knew he wouldn't be able to leave no matter what if he didn't do this. Reid just wanted this to be over with so he just gave a nod and started to take off the jacket. The doctor looked over at the nurse as he spoke.
"Can you go and grab the blood work kit for me please."
"Right away Doctor Nelson." The nurse said.
She left the room as Reid started to remove Morgan's jacket. Once the jacket was off he took off his shirt.
"Can you lie back for me please?"
Reid laid back on the bed and he saw the doctor come over to him as he put on the latex gloves. Reid hated the feel of latex, he always has. It's part of the reason why he hated to be in hospitals. He also hated the way they smelt and looked. The lights were always so bright and the sheets were always scratchy. Everything about this place he hated and he found himself just wanting to be out of here. The doctor began to look at the cut on his left side. It was the largest injury and it was still bleeding.
"This is going to need stitches. Once I get your blood work Nurse Debby will be back in to stich that up for you. She will also give you something to numb it. Are you in a lot of pain?"
Reid just shook his head. It was true he wasn't in much pain, but that was because Tobias had shoot him up not even two hours ago, at least Reid figured it was only two hours ago. The doctor looked over his ribs and his head wound.
"This also needs a few stitches. I believe you have a bruised or broken rib or two. I would like to get an X-ray to make sure that if you do have a broken rib it won't puncture your lung. The wounds to your head also makes me worried about concussions or swelling. Once Nurse Debby returns I will have her take your blood and stich you up. I will go and get the tests ready for you and you should have the results back within an hour afterwards. Once we have those results we can go from there. If nothing is wrong than you can go back home. I need you to put on a gown for the tests once you are stitched up and then just get in bed and wait until I come back and get you for the tests. Do you want me to let your friends know what is going to happen or your injuries?"
"Not the bloodwork results." Reid said softly.
"Alright, is there a reason why?" Doctor Nelson asked.
"He drugged me. I don't want them to know."
"Do you know what the drug was?"
Reid just shook his head.
"Do you want to know when I have the results?"
Reid gave a nod. He needed to know what was given to him, he just didn't want the others to know. It was bad enough that he was injured he didn't want them to know that he was drugged too.
"Alright. I won't let them know about the bloodwork."
The door opened and Nurse Debby walked back in. She had the bloodwork kit in her hand as she closed the door.
"You have a lot of friends down the hall waiting for you." Nurse Debby said with a smile.
"He needs stitches on his side and on the left side of his head. I am going to set up two scans. I'll be back in twenty minutes for you Mr. Reid."
"Doctor." Reid said softly.
"Yes?" Doctor Nelson asked.
"No, Dr. Reid."
"Medical?" Dr. Nelson asked.
"No, three PHDs."
"Wow that's impressive. You look so young." Nurse Debby said with a smile.
"I'll be back in twenty minutes roughly Dr. Reid. I'll make sure they put you at the top of the list so you can hopefully get out of here soon." Dr. Nelson said with a smile.
Dr. Nelson headed out of the room and over to the group of awaiting Agents. The group of Agents had arrived not long after Morgan was told to wait out into the hallway. They weren't happy that Reid was in there alone, but they also understood that they had to let the doctor work. Dr. Nelson came over to them and he could see the concern on their faces.
"How is he?" Morgan asked as he had already seen the doctor once so he knew what he looked like.
"He is having some problems, but he is doing well." Dr. Nelson started.
"Problems? What kind of problems?" JJ asked.
"I'm not that type of doctor, but does Dr. Reid have mental problems? Or conditions?" Dr. Nelson asked.
"What the hell does that mean?" Morgan asked with anger.
"I don't mean that in a bad way. I'm not saying he's mentally unstable. But he's young and I just learnt he has three PHDs. Normally that only happens with individuals who are very high functioning autistic. If he is that changes how I interact with him." Dr. Nelson said.
"He was never diagnosed, but it's safe to assume he has it." Hotch answered.
"What types of problems is he having?" Gideon asked.
"He's not talking much, only when he seems to have to. He doesn't seem comfortable being on the bed or in the room even. Autistic individuals even high functioning ones have a harder time with textures. Do you happen to have any of his clothes with you?"
"Ya I grabbed his bag on the way out just in case. He hates the feel of hospital gowns." JJ said.
"Normally he needs to wear one, but he can wear some sleep clothes or sweats. I need to run two scans, an X-Ray on his ribs and a CT-Scan on his brain. He is just getting stitches done by Nurse Debby. He needed stitches to his left side where the deep cut is as well as the left side of his head. His pupil is normal, but his right eye is swollen shut. I just want to be on the safe side and make sure there are not any damages that I can't see. He can change into his own clothes though, that might help bring his anxiety down." Dr. Nelson said.
"Do you expect the tests to come back with a negative result?" Hotch asked.
"I'm not expecting any negative results, but I just need to be certain. I don't want him to have a broken rib and not be aware of it. I need to make sure that if he does have a broken rib it won't puncture his lung. These tests are just to be on the safe side. Once Nurse Debby is done he will be taken down right away. The tests will take roughly forty minutes than an hour or so later I should have the results back. Once his tests are complete than you can see him."
"We can't in between?" Emily asked.
"I will need to take him down right away. I'm trying to have this go as quickly as possible. If you would get his bag for me then I can give it to him so he can change." Dr. Nelson said.
"I still don't see why we can't see him." JJ said.
"Because it's easier if you don't right now. I want to make sure this is as quick as possible for him so if he can leave, he can. Seeing you before the tests could make him break down or start to have even more anxiety about the tests. I need him in his current state so I can get the tests done properly. You can see him in forty minutes to an hour. Once the tests are done then you can go in and see him. Let me get these tests done before his mind has had enough." Dr. Nelson said calmly.
"I'll go grab his clothes and then I can go and pick up Garcia." Emily said. She left to go to the SUV to grab Reid's bag.
"The man that took my Agent was addicted to Dilaudid. Reid probably doesn't know that. Will you be taking bloodwork?" Hotch asked.
"The nurse has already taken bloodwork by now. It's just standard procedure. I don't expect anything to come back from it. I will be giving Dr. Reid anti-biotics just as a precaution the cut is deep and there was some dirt on his shirt. I want to make sure that it doesn't get infected. I can check his bloodwork for any drugs." Dr. Nelson said already knowing he wouldn't be able to let them know even though there would be drugs within Reid's system. He did now know what drug to be testing for at least.
"We don't know if there is any. We didn't get to ask him." Morgan said.
"I'll run it in the bloodwork to check." Dr. Nelson assured them.
Emily came back in with Reid's bag and handed it to Dr. Nelson. He took it with a small smile.
"I'll bring these in to him and then get the tests set up. You can wait in the waiting room just down the hall. If something happens a nurse will come and get you." Dr. Nelson said.
"Thank-you." Hotch said.
Dr. Nelson took the bag and headed back inside the room. He saw that Nurse Debby had finished cleaning Reid's cut and was already starting to stitch it up. Dr. Nelson placed the bag down on the end of the bed as he spoke.
"I spoke to your team outside. They are going to wait in the waiting room until your tests are done. That was under my instructions and not theirs. They don't want to leave your side, but it's easier to do the tests if you are alone and not feeling more stress. You can get changed into some comfy clothes of yours though. You can wear sweats or sleep pants for the tests instead of a gown. Once you are all stitched up you can get changed and Nurse Debby can help you if you need it." Dr. Nelson explained.
Reid just gave a small nod.
"I am going to take care of those tests and I will be back shortly to bring you down for them."
"Well don't let us keep you. We are just going to hang out here." Nurse Debby said with a smile as she looked up from her work.
"I'll be back shortly." Dr. Nelson assured Reid before he left the room once again.
It was almost an hour later when Reid was finally back in the room. The tests had been completed and Dr. Nelson had even got the results back right away. He was there when the tests were done standing with the technician. He normally wouldn't be doing this, but he could tell that Reid was ready to blow. This way he would be able to see the tests and see if there were any injuries. Reid didn't have any severe injuries, but Dr. Nelson really wanted to keep him overnight just so he could keep an eye on Reid and make sure that any bruising didn't appear after his last encounter. Dr. Nelson brought Reid back to his room and once Reid was set he spoke.
"I have the results back for your bloodwork. There was a high level of Dilaudid in your system. Do you know what that is?"
Reid just gave a nod and Dr. Nelson continued.
"I stayed with the technician while your tests were being completed. You don't have any broken ribs just some cracked ones, three to be exact. You also have no concussion or swelling in your brain."
"So I can leave." Reid stated.
"I want to keep you overnight to make sure that no bruising appears overnight in your brain. Come morning I will run the CT-Scan again and if it is still clear than you can leave."
"I'm not waiting till morning. I'm not staying here. I'm going home." Reid said with panic growing in his voice.
"I would advise against that Dr. Reid. You need to stay here where a nurse will check in on you throughout the night. Tomorrow you can leave if the CT-Scan comes back clean."
"I'm not staying. I'll sign out AMA I don't care, but I'm not staying. So get the paperwork and I'll sign it." Reid said with a snap to his voice.
Dr. Nelson knew he wasn't going to win this argument with Reid, but he was hoping his team would be able to convince Reid to stay the night.
"I'll be back shortly then." Dr. Nelson said.
Dr. Nelson walked out of the room and headed down to the waiting room to speak with Reid's team.
The team had been waiting for over an hour to hear something. They had all taken turns sitting down in chairs and pacing the short corridor of the waiting room. Gideon had left just over forty minutes ago. They didn't know where he went, but they knew he had taken the other SUV. They had all known this was hard for him, but it was hard on all of them. Reid was in the hospital after being beaten and kidnapped, but they were still here for him. Morgan was furious that Gideon had just up and left and didn't even tell them where he was going. They had tried to call him, but he didn't answer his phone. After forty minutes Morgan's patience had finally had enough after he had called Gideon one more time only to receive no answer.
"This is bullshit. He should be here. He's Reid's mentor he should be here for him." Morgan said with anger and annoyance to his voice.
"He'll be here for Reid. He just probably needs some time to get his head around what happened." Emily said.
"Gideon was the one that told me to block his video. That's when Reid was killed, he probably feels responsible for it." Garcia said trying to defend Gideon.
"I don't care, he still should be here for him. What if something is wrong with his scans or Reid freaks out? He should be here for him like we all are." Morgan said.
"Gideon will be here. He just needs some time you know what he gets like." Hotch said trying to calm Morgan down.
"He should still be here. We've all seen Reid not breathing and being beaten Hotch, but we're still here. Gideon should be too. He's known Reid for years before we even knew him." JJ said.
"It's not that simple for Gideon. He has to process things differently and alone. You know that." Hotch said calmly.
"Are you really going to tell us that it's okay for Gideon to not be here right now? That if you were in the same position as him you would leave too? Gideon is like a father to Reid, would you really leave Jack here alone regardless of your actions?" Morgan asked knowing what Hotch would answer.
"No I wouldn't leave. I would be handcuffing myself to his bed and refusing to leave him alone. That's me though and not Gideon. He'll be there for Reid." Hotch said.
"We're here for Reid. Gideon will be back soon hopefully." Emily said.
Dr. Nelson walked out into the waiting room and he headed over to the group. Everyone that was sitting down stood up as they saw Dr. Nelson coming over to them.
"How is he?" Hotch asked first before anyone could say anything.
"He's having some problems. His bloodwork results were clean. I was there during the scans so I could have the results right away instead of waiting. Everything came back clean. He does have three cracked ribs as well as close to a hundred stitches. I would like for him to spend the night so we can observe him and run the CT-Scan again come morning to make sure no bruising developed. He is refusing to do so. He's becoming very agitated and anxious. I'm hoping if two of you go in there to speak to him then he'll agree to stay."
"Is the second scan necessary?" Hotch asked.
"I would like to have it. Bruising isn't instant. It could take twelve hours to appear and given his current physical state it's possible that he does have bruising on his brain. There isn't anything we could do to treat it, but it's something that needs to be known."
"Alright, Morgan come with me and we will speak to Reid and see if we can get him to stay." Hotch said.
"Are you sure both of you would be a good idea? Maybe one of us should go in there instead." Emily said.
"If Reid is agitated then Morgan will be able to calm him down." Hotch said.
"He's in the same room as he was when he came in." Dr. Nelson said.
"Thank-you." Hotch said.
Morgan and Hotch headed down the hallway and back to the room where Reid was being kept in. Hotch knocked before he opened the door and saw Reid pacing around. He was wearing simple black sweats and a black shirt as well as Morgan's jacket. Reid looked up when he heard the knock at the door and saw Morgan and Hotch walk into the room. Morgan closed the door behind him and Reid spoke.
"I'm not staying." Reid said with panic to his voice and Morgan knew he needed to get Reid to calm back down before his mind completely lost it.
"We're not saying you have to Pretty Boy. Why don't you sit down for a minute and catch your breath." Morgan said calmly.
"I'm fine." Reid said with a slight snap to his voice.
"Reid, Dr. Nelson wants you to spend the night so they can run another scan in the morning. You really should stay for that." Hotch said calmly. He could see that Reid was struggling and he didn't expect him to be struggling this much. Hotch was worried about what happened to Reid when the camera was turned off, because something clearly happened.
"I'm fine. I just want to go home. I'm not staying here." Reid said and they could hear the hurt in his voice.
"Alright, what about a compromise? If it's safe for Reid to fly, why don't we go back home and then I'll spend the night with Reid at his place and tomorrow we can go to the hospital for a scan." Morgan suggested.
"I don't know." Hotch said clearly unsure of this idea.
"I just want to go home Hotch. Please I just want to go home." Reid said and they could both hear the desperation in his voice.
"Let me speak with Dr. Nelson first and see if you are even cleared to fly. If he says yes then we'll leave, but if he won't clear you to fly it's out of my hands Reid. You'll have to stay here for the night." Hotch said in a serious voice.
Reid just gave a small nod and Hotch headed out of the room to speak to Dr. Nelson. Hotch walked back out into the waiting room to see Dr. Nelson still standing there waiting to hear what the decision was. Hotch went over to him and the others before he spoke.
"Is Dr. Reid cleared to fly?" Hotch asked.
"Medically I don't have any reason to say he isn't cleared to fly. However, without another scan in the morning I can't say with one hundred percent certainty that he doesn't have any bruising on his brain. If he flies with bruising on his brain it could cause him to have extreme headaches during the flight."
"But he's cleared to fly?" Hoch pressed again.
"Yes he would be cleared to fly, but I do not recommend that he leaves the hospital tonight. If he does it will be by signing out AMA."
"There really isn't anything anyone could do right now to keep Dr. Reid here. However, Agent Morgan is going to spend the night with Dr. Reid and bring him to the hospital first thing in the morning to have the scan done again. I understand this goes against your recommendation, but he's been through enough and he just wants to be home. I can't force him to stay."
"As medical power of attorney you could force him to stay here, but overruling him." Dr. Nelson said.
"But I would never do that to him. I have medical power of attorney over Dr. Reid for situations where he is not conscious or able to answer and make choices. I have it just in case a potential situation comes up. I will not abuse that power to keep Dr. Reid here when it is only making him worse. So if there is no concerns about flying he will be leaving. I would appreciate it if you gathered his discharge papers so we can get him back home where he belongs and needs to be." Hotch said in a serious voice and the others could tell he was pissed at what Dr. Nelson was implying for Hotch to do.
"Very well." Dr. Nelson said clearly not happy that he didn't win this argument. He walked away to gather what Reid would need to be discharged.
"How is he?" JJ asked with concern.
"He's having some difficulties. He needs another scan to make sure bruising doesn't appear. Morgan is going to stay with Reid tonight and then in the morning he will take Reid back to the hospital for a scan. He's at least been cleared to fly." Hotch said.
"But is it safe for him to be flying if he could have bruising on his brain. I mean shouldn't he be staying here just in case." Garcia said.
"He's been cleared to fly and the best thing for Reid might be to be back at home around his things. I'll go and let Morgan and Reid know. Someone find Gideon and let him know to meet us at the jet." Hotch said.
"We have all of our things from the house so we don't have to worry about packing up." Garcia said.
"We'll try and find Gideon." Emily said.
Hotch headed back down the hall to the room where Reid and Morgan were. Hotch walked in and saw that Reid was still standing with a tight grip on Morgan's leather jacket that he was still wearing. Morgan was standing by the end of the bed just trying to keep Reid calm.
"I've spoken to Dr. Nelson and he is not happy about you leaving, but he did say you were cleared for travel." Hotch said.
"Great let's go." Reid said.
"There is one condition. Morgan is going to stay with you tonight and in the morning you are going to the hospital for a scan. We need to make sure that there is no bruising Spencer." Hotch said in a serious voice.
"Fine" Reid agreed quickly.
"Alright let's break you out of here." Morgan said with a smile as he picked up Reid's duffle bag.
"Where's Gideon?" Reid asked.
"He's meeting us at the airport." Hotch said hoping he wouldn't be made a liar.
Reid just gave a nod and the three of them headed out of the room and down the hallway to where the waiting room was. The second they came around the corner JJ went over to Reid and gave him a hug with Emily and Garcia right behind her. They could tell that Reid was not comfortable with the contact, but they just couldn't help themselves they needed to hug him. Hotch went over to the nurses desk and picked up Reid's discharge papers and a prescription for an anti-biotic. Reid pulled back from the hugs and Morgan guided them out of the hospital and over to the SUV. They all piled into the SUV with Hotch behind the wheel. They all took off for the airstrip to the jet where Hotch was hoping Gideon would be there. Hotch knew that Gideon was having a hard time with this, but Hotch could also understand everyone else's point of view on this. They all had seen Reid die and come back to life. They had all worried and feared for Reid for the past two days. They all were going to have some problems after this, but they still had to be there for Reid. Reid was the one that was going to be having the most problems and they all needed to be there for Reid. Reid's mind wasn't made to handle this type of trauma. He wasn't good with emotions and Hotch knew he would not be able to handle this. Reid was going to be having problems for a while and Hotch was hoping that Gideon would be able to move past his own problems so he could help Reid through his. Reid looked to Gideon as his father figure and he was going to need Gideon to get through this. Hotch was hoping that Gideon was going to be able to do that, because Hotch didn't know if Reid would make it without Gideon's help.
They arrived at the airstrip and they were all worried when the other SUV was not there. The jet was there and ready, but they didn't see the other vehicle. Which either meant that Gideon was not here yet or he was here and the SUV was taken back to the head office. Everyone was hoping it was the second option and not the first. They still hadn't been able to get through to Gideon on the phone so that wasn't helping their concern. They all got out of the SUV and Morgan stood close to Reid as they headed up and into the jet. It didn't take long for them to see that Gideon was not on the Jet. Morgan guided Reid over to the couch and Reid sat down on the couch as Morgan put the bag away. They all boarded the jet and all eyes turned to Hotch to see if he knew what to do. Hotch pulled out his phone and called Gideon, but it went straight to voicemail. They all sat down and Morgan sat down next to Reid before Reid spoke.
"Where's Gideon?" Reid asked softly and they could hear the exhaustion in his voice.
"He must be on his way." JJ said with a smile.
"If he's on his way then who did Hotch just call that he is annoyed with?" Reid asked calmly and they could hear the confusion in his voice.
"Don't worry about that Sweetie." Garcia said with a sweet smile.
"Hotch." Morgan said as he looked at Hotch and Hotch could see that Morgan didn't believe that Reid deserved for them to be lying to him.
"Spencer, we don't know where Gideon is. He left the hospital almost immediately and his phone is turned off. We haven't been able to reach him. I had hoped that he would be here waiting for us." Hotch said gently.
"Why would he leave?" Reid said softly more to himself.
Before anyone could say anything the pilot came out of the cockpit and spoke.
"Agent Hotchner."
"Yes?" Hotch said with his normal stern voice.
"We just got word that there is a powerful storm rolling into D.C. The turbulence is predicted to be too great for planes. It's set to begin in two hours. It's a three hour flight back to D.C. If we want to get there before the storm reaches its peak we need to leave within the next fifteen minutes. If not we will be forced to be grounded until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Is Agent Gideon in route?" The pilot asked.
"Oh we can't leave without Gideon." Garcia asked.
"How bad will the storm be if we leave within the next fifteen minutes?" Hotch asked trying to buy himself some time to think and to get all of the facts to make a decision.
"If we take-off within the next fifteen minutes we can safely arrive in D.C. The storm will have started, but not reached its peak. Anything after that and the risk is too great. We've already been ordered to be grounded if take-off does not happen within the next fifteen." The pilot replied.
"What do we do?" JJ asked.
"We can't leave Gideon behind. What if we take-off and he shows up five minutes later?" Garcia said.
"We could always find a hotel for the night and then try again tomorrow." Emily suggested.
"Ya but then what? What if Gideon isn't back by then? How long do we wait?" Morgan asked clearly not happy that Gideon wasn't here.
Hotch looked over at Reid and he was looking down at his lap. It was clear he desperately wanted to go home, but he also wanted Gideon. They all made valid points, but Hotch couldn't help but agree with Morgan. Come morning if Gideon wasn't there, then what? How long do they wait when Gideon didn't even have his phone turned on? For all they knew Gideon could be driving back to D.C. as they were sitting here waiting for him. Hotch knew there was only one person that mattered the most in this situation and that was Reid. Reid needed to be home. He was only going to get worse if they stayed here one more day. He needed out of Georgia and back home with his things. Where he felt comfortable in and sleeping in his own bed. It was already getting late and by the time they even landed it would be midnight before they got into D.C. Hotch wasn't going to risk making Reid's mind worse or his Autism worse by staying here any longer than need be.
"Prepare to take-off and if Agent Gideon is not here within the next fifteen minutes take-off." Hotch said.
"Yes Sir." The pilot went back into the cockpit to get ready for take-off.
"Are we really going to leave without Gideon?" Garcia asked surprised that Hotch would make this call.
"Shouldn't we at least wait until tomorrow?" JJ asked.
"Morgan has a valid point. We wait until tomorrow and Gideon still isn't here then what? We don't know where Gideon is and his phone is turned off. I can leave him a voicemail, but I'm not going to wait around for him when we don't know where he is or when he will be here. If he is not here by the time the pilot is ready for take-off then we are leaving. Gideon knows his way home." Hotch said.
"Did he say anything? Before he left?" Reid asked and they could hear the sadness in his voice.
"I'm sorry Spence he didn't. He probably went to wrap everything up down at the station. He probably thought you were going to spend the night in the hospital." JJ said.
Reid just gave a nod and Morgan couldn't help, but feel the anger at Gideon even more. He should have been the one person that was here for Reid out of everyone. Reid needed Gideon more now than ever and he wasn't even answering his phone. It was unacceptable to Morgan. The light for seatbelts came on and the co-pilot came out of the cockpit to close up the door. Everyone got their seatbelt on and Reid went to turn to click his into the buckle but the pain made it difficult with his ribs. Morgan reached over and spoke as he grabbed the seatbelt.
"Here let me Pretty boy, you need to be careful how you turn with your ribs and that cut." Morgan said gently as he buckled Reid in.
Reid gave Morgan a small smile of thanks as he felt the engine roar up and Reid knew that within the next few minutes they would be taking off. Reid didn't know how he felt about the fact that Gideon wasn't here with him. That he hadn't been at the hospital when he needed him. Reid didn't know what to make of that or how he even felt about it. He still had the Dilaudid in his system so he wasn't feeling much of anything. He was just exhausted from being up for two days straight that all he wanted to do was go home and sleep in his own bed. He couldn't process everything that had happened in the past two days and he really couldn't process what it meant and what he felt about Gideon not being here for him. Reid felt the jet taking off and once they were allowed to remove their seatbelt Reid did so, so he could lay down and try and get some sleep over the next three hours. Morgan knew what Reid was going to do so he unbuckled himself and went to the small kitchen they have on board. He opened the cupboard where the pillow and blankets are kept. He took out a pillow and blanket and went back over to the couch where Reid was about to lay down.
"Here Pretty boy." Morgan said as he put the pillow down on the couch and once Reid was lying down on his left side Morgan covered Reid up with the blanket. "Are you in any pain?" Morgan asked gently.
Reid just shock his head with his eyes already closed.
"Ok" Morgan said gently before he went and sat down in the seat across from the others at the table.
Morgan looked over at Reid and noticed that he was curled into his leather jacket and it was clear the jacket brought comfort to him.
"You may have lost a jacket." Hotch said causing Morgan to bring his attention back to Hotch.
"I have another one." Morgan said with a shrug.
"How did you know that your jacket would help him?' Emily asked.
"It was after Dowd. He was fine right after he killed him, but once he got home and the adrenaline wore off he had a hard time. It was two in the morning when he called me and he was hysterical. I spoke to him the whole time I was driving over to his place. His mind was trying to process the emotional aspect of killing someone. The rational half of his mind wasn't bothered by it. He killed a serial killer who would have killed him, Hotch and a room full of people. It was easy to accept, but the emotional half of his brain was having a harder time with it. When I walked in the place was a complete mess. He was trying to do everything he could to distract his mind, but he just couldn't do it. He was so worked up he was shaking like a leaf. I got him to sit down and I put my jacket over his shoulders and it helped to calm him down. We talked until eight the next morning. He likes the feel of leather and he said my scent was comforting it reminded him of me and I symbolize safety in his mind. He knows if I'm there I'll keep him safe." Morgan said calmly with a hint of sadness to his voice.
"I should have kept him safe. I should never have agreed to split up. He wouldn't have been alone and taken by surprise if I had." JJ said sadly.
"Anyone of us would have agreed to split up it made the most sense. That's why Reid thought of it. It was the most logical action. He knew that we would figure out you guys had been gone for too long and then come to find you. All you had to do was wait him out. You didn't know he already went out the back of the barn. You can't blame yourself JJ." Emily said.
"Ya besides you were having to fight off those dogs. It's not like you stood there and did nothing." Garcia said trying to sound supportive.
"It was my call to send you both out together even if it was just a witness. You both have the least amount of training in the field. I shouldn't have paired you together. Not when you were going out into the country where cell reception was questionable at best. I'm sorry for that." Hotch said.
"Hotch man, you can't blame yourself either. Reid's a trained FBI Agent just like JJ. They were both trained in the field and both had been there plenty of times alone together." Morgan said.
"I know, but never out in that type of area. Reid is logistic he is statistics. He calculates the best actions for the best probable result and normally that isn't a problem until instincts need to come first. I haven't taught Reid how to ignore the math and follow his instincts first sometimes. I often forget how old Reid is, because of everything he knows. After a while it's easy to forget that he's not forty, but only twenty-three. By forgetting that I've failed him in a lot of areas that he needed someone to walk him through it." Hotch said honestly.
"You can't take that on Hotch. Reid's never had an interest in kicking down doors. He might one day, but he's not there yet. He's happy to be in the station doing the paperwork and figuring out the profile. In a couple of years he'll want to be out in the field more, but he's not there yet. There isn't a point in training him and teaching him everything about the field and take downs when he doesn't have the interest in it. He learnt how to shoot to protect himself and us, but it wasn't so he could kill or injure. His mind can't process it that well. That's what's going to bother him the most in the past two days. Killing Tobias like that with a knife is going to really mess with his mind. Plus we have no idea what happened when the camera was off. You didn't do anything wrong. Tobias is the one to blame for all of this and thank God he's dead." Morgan said.
"What is going to happen once we get back? I mean when does he have to have his report done and what about work?" JJ asked.
"I already updated Strauss on the situation. She would like his report in by the end of the week for procedure purposes. As for returning to work that is up to Reid. He can't return for at least a month with his ribs and that cut. He will also have to pass the psych evaluation which I'm sure he could do as easily as he puts coffee on, but he still needs to get cleared first." Hotch said.
"As bad as it sounds it's good that he is injured, because it forces him to overcome what happened to him instead of pushing it all down." Emily said.
"What is this going to do to his quirkiness?" Garcia asked gently.
"I'm not an expert, but people with high-end autism that experience trauma usually results in their quirks increasing. He might be taking a few steps back in his progress with everything that happened." Hotch said.
"So what do we do? Is there anything we should be on the lookout for or avoid doing?" Emily asked as she hadn't been around Reid the longest being the newest member of the team.
"Ya don't point it out that will make it worse. JJ, Hotch, Gideon and I have been around Reid the longest. You just go with it and if you see something new just keep a mental note of it. His taste in food even changes from week to week." Morgan said.
"Just be observant, but don't be obvious about it." JJ added.
"Reid will be fine eventually. I would just prefer that he doesn't completely destroy himself before he becomes fine. I truly don't know what this will do to someone like Reid. It's one thing to have high-end autism it's another to have it with an eidetic memory. I don't think there is anyone to consult on this for information. Because Reid truly is a one of a kind. We'll just have to play it out and keep an eye on Reid. We can't let him sink into his mind or feel isolated and all alone in this. At the same time we can't overcrowd him and not allow his mind the proper processing it needs. So use discretion."
"At least he's sleeping." Morgan said as he looked over at Reid.
"We'll be landing in three hours. None of us have slept much in the past forty-eight hours I suggest we take this time and try and get some sleep ourselves. I don't want anyone falling asleep at the wheel." Hotch said.
"Oh thank God, I'm so tired." Garcia said with a moan.
"It's been the longest and quickest forty-eight hours of my life." Emily agreed.
"Spread out and get some sleep while you can. I don't want anyone in tomorrow either, take the day off and rest up." Hotch said.
"First thing I'm going to do when I get home is take a hot bath." JJ said.
Both Garcia and Emily moaned in agreement.
"And then sleep twenty hours straight." JJ added afterwards.
"Mmm now that sounds like a plan to me." Garcia said.
"Alright ladies you heard the boss man let's get some quick shut eye before your hot bath and twenty hours of sleep." Morgan said with a smirk.
"You need sleep to Morgan." Emily said.
"I know and I'm gonna sleep across from Reid." Morgan said as he got up and headed over to the seats that were across from the couch.
Everyone took after Morgan and they spread out. Hotch stayed where he was with JJ across from him. While Garcia and Emily headed over to another empty table. Morgan went over to the seats across from the couch and he laid down as best as he could. Sleeping sitting up was never a favorite of his, but it would be better than nothing after not sleeping for the past two days. Morgan took one last look at Reid to make sure he was sleeping soundly before he allowed himself to close his eyes and fall asleep.
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They finally arrived back in D.C. They always seemed to wake up once they felt the landing gear hit the pavement. Morgan woke up to see that Reid was slowly opening his eyes. Morgan could see the pain in his eyes starting to come through. Morgan didn't know that Reid was on Dilaudid, but he did assume that the doctor would have given him something for the pain. Morgan figured that it was starting to wear off. Morgan knew from personal experience that pain medication had a habit of wearing off while they were in air. Morgan figured that Reid would have the whole scientific explanation behind it, but he never had the desire to ask. As they bumped along the runway Morgan saw Reid's face scrunch up in pain as his body bounced with the jet. Morgan knew that Red was going to need some pain medication and some ice to help him through the night. Once the jet stopped moving Morgan got up and went over to Reid to help him sit up.
"You okay Pretty boy?" Morgan asked with concern.
"Ya just great." Reid mumbled as he held his right hand to his left side. His left said had taken a good beating as the long cut was on that side as well as two of his cracked ribs.
"Dumb question I know, but it's just a reflex to ask. Let's get you out of here and back in your own bed." Morgan helped to get Reid sitting up and the pain was getting worse the longer he was awake.
Reid knew that meant that the altitude of the flight helped to burn off the Dilaudid in his system. The problem was he didn't have any pain medications from the doctor that he could take to help with the pain. He would just have to get by with the over the counter stuff he had at home. Reid didn't know what the side effects would be from being drugged with something as strong as Dilaudid, but Reid figured he would look it up after sleeping some. Reid watched as everyone grabbed their bags and Morgan grabbed Reid's bag as well before Morgan helped Reid to stand up. Hotch reached out and took the two bags from Morgan so Morgan could help Reid off of the jet. Slowly Morgan was able to get Reid down the few steps and over to his awaiting truck. Morgan had driven Reid here when they received the case so at least they wouldn't have to go back for the cars. They got to Morgan's truck and everyone was there except for Gideon.
"I could come to your place Reid and stay with you and Morgan." Garcia offered.
"It's ok." Reid said weakly.
"Call if you need anything." Emily said.
"Call me tomorrow and let me know when you are going to the hospital." Hotch said to Morgan as he loaded the bags into the back of the truck.
"I will. Now let me get him home and in bed. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow." Morgan said.
Everyone headed over to a car so they could all go home or go back to the office to get their own car. Morgan helped Reid get into the car and he buckled Reid in so he wouldn't have to turn and cause himself more pain. Morgan then got in on the driver side and turned the truck on. He could see Reid shivering slightly so he turned on the heat to help warm Reid up. Morgan then took off to leave the airport.
"Do you need anything back at the office?" Morgan asked.
"No" Reid said weakly.
"Do you have any ice packs at your place?"
"Ya. Why?"
"The cold will help with the swelling of your eye plus it will help numb the pain of your ribs. Did the doctor give you a prescription for any pain medication?"
"Not to me, but I don't know what he gave Hotch."
"Oh shit Hotch has your prescription for an anti-biotic. I'll text him and we can pick it up tomorrow before the hospital. I figured we would leave at nine. That gives us nine hours and then it's out of the way and you can spend the rest of the day just sleeping."
"Sure." Reid said with his eyes closed as he leaned his head back against the seat.
Morgan didn't say anything else he just let Reid rest while they made the thirty minute drive to Reid's place. Morgan was worried about how Reid was going to handle all of this, but he also knew there was nothing he could do in the moment to help Reid deal with this. All he could do is be there for him tonight and tomorrow to help him while his injuries were the worst. Morgan was also hoping that Gideon would make an appearance tomorrow to help Reid get passed everything. They arrived at Reid's apartment building thirty minutes later. Morgan went and parked in the visitor parking spot. He turned off the truck and unbuckled himself before he turned to Reid who was sleeping beside him. Morgan couldn't help, but feel horrible as he looked at Reid. His face was covered in bruises and his right eye was swollen shut. Morgan couldn't even imagine what was going on in his brain right now. Morgan knew it was only a matter of time before the exhaustion wore off and Reid got nightmares from everything. Morgan was hoping that Reid would come to him when that happened and they would work through this together. Morgan knew they needed to get upstairs and in Reid's apartment so Reid could sleep in his bed and hopefully take some pain medication to help with the pain while he slept. Morgan placed his right hand gently on Reid's left leg as he spoke.
"Reid. Wake up man we're at your place." Morgan said loud enough to wake Reid up.
Reid snapped his left eye open and he looked around. Morgan could see the confusion in Reid's eyes.
"We're in my truck. We're at your place." Morgan said calmly.
Morgan let Reid get his mind focused for a moment before he spoke again.
"Come on Pretty boy let's get you in bed." Morgan said gently.
Reid just gave a nod and Morgan unclicked the seatbelt to unbuckle Reid. He then got out and grabbed the two bags before he opened the passenger door and helped Reid out of the truck. Morgan kept a gentle, but supportive hand on Reid's right forearm as they walked to the front door and into the building. They took the elevator up to Reid's floor and they walked down the hallway to his apartment.
"My keys are in the side pocket." Reid said with a heavy breath.
Morgan opened the side pocket and pulled out the keys. Reid took them and he unlocked the door and they walked in. Reid clicked the light on right away and he felt better by just standing there in the entrance way of his apartment. Morgan came in behind Reid and he closed and locked the door. Morgan was glad to see that the place wasn't a mess. There was a few books on the table and files, but it was nothing compared to the last few times he had been here. They had spent a few nights a week at each other's place just hanging out and watching movies. Morgan always loved to tease Reid for his place being messy. Reid always said he knew where everything was and he would tease Morgan about being a clean freak. It was part of their brother relationship and Morgan was happy that he could have that type of relationship with Reid.
"I'll put your bag in your bedroom. Do you have any pain medication the doctor gave you?" Morgan asked as he headed down the hallway to Reid's bedroom.
"No he didn't. I have some over the counter medication in my bathroom." Reid said.
Morgan put the bag down in Reid's room before he came back out to see Reid still standing in the same place.
"Why don't you go and take a pill then curl up in your bed. I'll grab you an ice pack for your ribs." Morgan said gently.
"Ya ok." Reid said slightly out of it and Morgan knew that it was slowly starting to sink in.
Reid headed down the hallway and went into his bathroom. He didn't even look in the mirror. He just opened the medicine cabinet and took out the pain medication. He took two pills before he headed into his bedroom. He knew he should be taking off Morgan's jacket, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to do so just yet. Reid removed his shoes and crawled into bed just as Morgan walked into the room with an ice pack.
"Here this will help with your ribs. Is it ok if I take a look?" Morgan asked gently. He knew how Reid felt about being babied or about personal contact. Morgan knew that right now that would be increased so he wasn't going to pressure Reid right now.
Reid thought about it for a moment before he gave a small nod. Reid laid down on his back as Morgan came over to the side of the bed. He sat down on the bed and he placed the ice pack down on the bedside table. Morgan gently lifted Reid's t-shirt up so he could see his stomach and ribs. Morgan saw the stitches that looked like a backwards C on Reid's left side. Morgan could also see all of the bruising and the damaged ribs. Morgan saw that the stitches were red and irritated and he gently placed his hand on them.
"You have heat in your stitches we need to keep a close eye on it. It could mean that the cut is getting infected." Morgan said.
"I know." Reid said softly.
Morgan picked up the ice pack and gently placed it over Reid's cracked ribs.
"I know it's cold, but it will help with your ribs and the pain until you fall asleep. I'll set my alarm for eight and if you're not up I'll wake you up." Morgan said as he put Reid's shirt back down over the ice pack.
Reid just gave a small nod and Morgan could see he was exhausted on many levels.
"If you need me just call. I'll out on the couch. Get some sleep Pretty boy." Morgan said as he stood up.
"Thanks Derek." Reid said softly.
"There's nothing to thank Spencer. Get some sleep you're safe back in your own home." Morgan said comfortingly.
Reid gave Morgan a small smile and Morgan left the room. He closed the door most of the way behind him, but he wanted to leave it partly open just in case Reid needed him. Morgan then headed back to the living room and grabbed his go-bag. He pulled out his sleep pants and a black muscle shirt and quickly changed into them before he sat down on the couch. He knew he would need to get a blanket and pillow from the linen closet, but right now he just wanted a moment to himself to catch his breath. The past two days have been hell on everyone, but especially Reid. Morgan thought for sure he was going to be able to kill Tobias for everything he put his brother through only to find out that Reid killed Tobias in a fight. Reid had managed to stab Tobias and win a physical fight. Morgan knew Reid had it in him, but he was hoping he would never have to experience anything like this. Morgan had been hoping that he would be there for Reid to protect him out in the field if it ever came down to a physical situation. He never wanted Reid to have to be in a fight. Morgan knew he needed to send Hotch a message letting him know they got back to Reid's place alright. Morgan just couldn't believe everything that had happened in the past two days. It seemed like some horrible dream and Morgan kept waiting to wake up from it all. The problem was he was never going to wake up from this nightmare. This was reality and in reality his best friend, his brother was tortured for two days and would probably never be the same. Morgan ran his hands over his face before he picked up his cell phone and sent Hotch a text message letting him know that they were at Reid's place and he was sleeping. Once that was done Morgan got up and went over to the linen closet and grabbed himself a pillow and blanket. He quietly poked his head into the bedroom and saw that Reid was sound asleep once again. Morgan then went back out into the living room and got the couch ready for him to sleep on. Once he was all set Morgan checked his phone to see that Hotch had sent him one back just replying ok and goodnight. Morgan then set his alarm for eight before he laid down on the couch and covered himself up with the blanket. Morgan closed his eyes and allowed himself to let his own exhaustion take him over.