Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and no copyright infringement is intended.
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Spencer Reid shifted in bed in an attempt to gain a more comfortable position. The nurse had just given him an analgesic and told him, as they always did, that it should take affect shortly. Perhaps nurses' minutes were like football minutes where two minutes took an hour. He didn't like to complain though or they would remind him, once again, that he would receive better analgesia if he agreed to take a narcotic.
Reid opened one of the files JJ had brought at his insistence. He figured he might as well do something useful with his time while he waited for the okay to go home and return to work after being shot in the leg by Patrick Meyers. It appeared that Memphis PD was having trouble with a rapist/murderer the press had dubbed the beast of Beale Street.
A light tap on the door drew Reid away from grizzly crime scene photos of mangled female bodies and sketchy police reports. He looked up to see Jeffrey Barton standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Hi Jeffrey," Reid said, quickly closing the file. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"
"Uh…yeah…I was. I had the last two periods free. Is it okay if I come in?"
"Sure," Reid motioned toward the chair by his bed. "Come on in."
"How are you feeling?" the boy asked, placing his book bag on the floor.
"I'm good. I'll likely be out of here tomorrow."
The blonde head nodded. "That's good." He was silent again for a few moments and then suddenly burst out with, "I just wanted to thank you for saving my dad's life."
"Think nothing of it Jeffrey; it's my job."
"I know that but my dad's all I've got and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him. He told me it was you who figured out that that guy was after him and not me and how you knocked him down and took the bullet that was meant for him.
"Jeffrey, it's no big deal. And it wasn't just me. Agent Prentiss and your dad helped as well. Like I said, I was just doing my job."
The boy looked unconvinced. "That doesn't matter; it's a very big deal to me, you're a hero in my book."
"I'm not a hero Jeffrey…"
"You are to me," the teen replied before Reid could finish.
"Okay, well then what about you? You left the safety of your home and went to school knowing you might be the target of a murderer. That's pretty heroic in my book."
"No, it's not. I was scared. I suppose Agent Jareau told you I almost freaked in the hallway." He hung his head.
"Actually, no, that never came up. You were very brave to go to school under those circumstances."
Jeffrey laughed disdainfully, "Yeah, brave but stupid."
"Jeffrey," Reid squeaked, "You did what you thought was right, what would save another person's life despite the risk to yourself. I was with your dad all day and he was very worried about you but he was also very proud that you chose to consider someone else's life above your own. Now that's a hero in anybody's book!"
"But I was so scared," the boy fired back.
"Of course you were. I'm scared all the time. We'd all be fools in my job if we weren't. It's facing the fear and not letting it overcome you that's important. You did that."
"But I…"
"Jeffrey," Reid interjected, "a hero is not the person with the biggest gun or the straightest aim. A hero is the person with principles, that sticks to them, no matter what. Believe me, I know. I'm surrounded by heroes and it has nothing to do with the badge and the gun and everything to do with their hearts."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at Agent Rossi," Reid explained. "He came back after years of retirement when he was making big bucks selling books and doing the lecture circuit because a twenty year old case he hadn't solved wouldn't let him rest. He finally gave a family closure and a new start."
"And Agent Prentiss, her parents were diplomats. She could have gotten some cushy desk job anywhere but she chose to fight in the trenches and sometimes get…"
"Are you okay?" Jeffrey looked concerned when Reid stopped speaking.
"Yeah, I'm fine. And…uh JJ…Agent Jareau, she has to deal with all the cases that are out there and decide which one needs our attention the most. Every night she prays she made the right decision."
"Really, I guess I should be glad she took my dad's case, shouldn't I?"
Reid nodded. "Morgan overcame a lot of obstacles to get to where he is and sure he's a tough guy but that's not what makes him a hero. It's that he would crouch beside a woman who was sitting on a bomb in her car and hold her hand while the bomb squad tried to remove it without blowing them up."
"So when he said he'd have my back, he meant it?" Jeffrey said.
"Oh yeah, he meant it," Reid agreed. "There're a couple on the team you don't know. Penelope Garcia is our technical analyst." Jeffrey saw the young agent's eyes smile. "She's this bright, joyful woman who seems so out of place around the things we deal with but her amazing abilities have saved us and more lives than even we realize and her demeanor keeps us all sane."
"Our Unit Chief is a man named Aaron Hotchner. He faces every situation with strength, humanity, fairness and grace. He's the finest man I know."
"Wow, I never knew," the teen responded.
"No, and you never would have known because heroes don't always run around dodging bullets. Most of the time, as in our case, it's seven people using their abilities and talents to do what's right. That's what you did. You did what you thought was right. You decided not to stay safe and let someone else possibly die in your place, pretty heroic to me."
"I never thought of it that way." He stood. "I better go now," he reached his hand out to shake Reid's. "I hope you're better soon and thanks again for what you did for my dad."
"You're welcome," Reid said as the boy walked to the door and picked up his book bag. "Hey Jeffery," Reid called and the adolescent turned, "Next time you're looking for a hero, look in the mirror."