By Kalmalinga aka Kalnaman and Malinga
As/N: Thank you Acai for betaing this for us.
Warnings: 1 swat on Reid's backside and childish behavior. Mention of addiction to drugs.
Summary: After the Hankle case Reid left the hospital without noticing the team. He went to visit his mom. Dr. Norman had to get into contact with Hotch and Gideon because Reid is acting all weird.
Disclaimer: We don't own anything from Criminal Minds.
A nurse burst into Dr. Norman's office. "Dr. Norman. We have a situation in Diana Reid's room!"
Dr. Norman looked up from the pile of papers he was working on at his desk, alarmed. "What's going on?"
"It's Dr. Reid, Doctor. He's acting all weird."
Norman furrowed his brow, confused and followed the nurse out of his office and towards Diana Reid's room.
"We tried to calm him down, but nothing helps. Orderly Jimbo is watching over him as we speak to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Diana is all worked up because of it so we had to sedate her. We put her in another room." The nurse told Dr. Norman on their way to Diana's room.
"Alright, let's see what's going on." He sighed and followed the nurse to where Reid was now being watched over by Jimbo.
Spencer was trying to get out of his mother's room but the orderly Jimbo wouldn't let him. "Let me go! You, you big ox! Who are you anyway? And where am I. Who am I?"
Dr. Norman hurried past Jimbo towards the distraught Spencer, speaking to him softly to calm down and let them help him.
"Who are you? Where's my mommy? I want my mommy!" Spencer started to cry.
"Shh... it's okay, Spencer, just calm down. We'll find her for you, but you need to calm down first, okay?" Norman gently shushed the young man.
Spencer put his thumb in his mouth and started to calm down. As he was sleepy he rubbed his eyes. "Pr'm'se?" He asked with his thumb still in his mouth.
Dr. Norman fought the confused frown that threatened to slip into his face and smiled reassuringly instead. "I promise." He assured him, gently pushing the younger man towards the couch at the far end of the room. "You just lie down here and we'll find her for you, okay?" He compromised.
Spencer nodded. "K." It didn't take long before Spencer was sound asleep.
"What do you think is wrong with Dr. Reid, Dr. Norman?"
The nurse asked.
Dr. Norman frowned and shook his head, deeply puzzled by today's events. "I don't know, Jimbo."
"We can't let him leave this hospital in his condition."
Dr. Norman's face took on a grim expression as he shook his head, sighing. "I think we should call Agent Gideon and Agent Hotchner, they are listed as Spencer's next of kin." Dr. Norman picked up the phone, sighing glumly.
"Agent Hotchner!"
Dr. Norman proceeded to explain the situation to him, letting him know that they would probably need him and Agent Gideon at the institution as soon as possible.
"We've been looking for him. We were on a case where he was kidnapped and tortured. He was admitted for observation as he was given Dilaudid by a deranged killer. Not soon after we let the hospital take care of him we got a call that he'd left." Hotch told Dr. Norman over the phone.
The wheels on Dr. Norman's mind started turning, that could explain the strange behavior, he was probably still under the effects of the drug. "Well, don't worry, Agent Hotchner, he's safe and asleep at the moment. We'll keep him here for you to pick him up." Dr. Norman assured.
Not long after he hung up, both agents were gathered at his office while Spencer was still fast asleep on the couch.
"How is Spencer doing?" Gideon asked the doctor worriedly.
"He's still asleep, but was pretty agitated when I first saw him. He didn't seem to know where he was and kept asking for his mother." Dr. Norman explained, "that could very well be a side effect from the Dilaudid."
"Let's hope that is the reason and not something more serious with him. Could the drug be the trigger for schizophrenia?"
Dr. Norman nodded grimly, "yeah, it could. But we can't accurately say that's the case with Spencer. It's too soon for that." He tried to reassure the two worried agents.
"Maybe he should stay here for observation?" Hotch asked him while ignoring the death glare from Gideon.
Dr. Norman pursed his lips and nodded. "I was just coming to that." He raised his arms, forestalling any argument brewing in Gideon's lips. "It'll only be for the next 24 hours to see how he evolves and one of you may stay with him if you want. In fact, I think it might be good for Spencer to have someone he's close to around."
"I'll stay. I'm the closest of a father Spencer has." Gideon said.
Dr. Norman nodded and guided Gideon to the room Spencer was currently sleeping in.
Jimbo was still keeping a close eye on Spencer. "He's been sleeping soundly."
"Good." Dr. Norman was pleased to hear that, and with that, he and Jimbo left the room, leaving Gideon alone with Spencer. Hotch had left earlier on, promising to be back to check on them in a few hours.
Gideon took a seat close by Spencer. He brushed a stray hair from Spencer's forehead. "I'm here son. I'll help you through this no matter what."
Spencer stirred but didn't wake up and somehow relaxing even further into the soft cushions at the gentle touch, mumbling, almost inaudibly so around the thumb still in his mouth.
Awhile later Spencer started to whimper.
Gideon managed to calm him down, murmuring softly and stroking his errant strands from off his forehead, gently.
Later in the evening Spencer started to stir. When he opened his eyes he looked confused at Gideon. "W-who are y-you?"
To say Gideon was shocked by this question would be the biggest understatement. Sensing the tentative voice and the inner wariness, Gideon decided to tread lightly. "I'm Jason, you don't remember me?"
"Are you my Daddy?"
Gideon's heart twisted at the hopeful brown eyes staring up at him and he smiled warmly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. "Well, you could say I'm kind of like a daddy to you, not biologically, but in here, I am." He rasped out through the clog in his throat, pointing at his chest while said this and gently ruffling Spencer's sleep mussed hair.
"I wanna go home Daddy. Can we? Please."
"Not yet, son. We have to wait and see what the doctors say." Gideon explained softly, giving his shoulder a tiny squeeze.
"I'm not sick. Let's go home please. I hate doctors and hospitals."
"I know, but it's going to be okay and I'm staying right here with you so no one's going to hurt you, okay?" Gideon assured, "and as soon as the doctor says it's okay, I'll take you home and we'll both go for a big ice cream, how's that?" Gideon added brightly, falling into his daddy role with ease.
Spencer smiled brightly at the word ice cream and nodded excitedly. "But no needles, Promise." He said firmly.
"We'll see." Gideon really hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he didn't want to make any promises on the subject yet as he couldn't be one hundred percent sure that wouldn't be needed.
"No needles! Promise!" Spencer said in near tantrum.
"Now, that's enough, Spencer." Gideon said sternly, "no more of that, understood?"
"No! I don't want any needles and I don't like it here!" Spencer stood up and stomped his foot.
Gideon pursed his lips and got to his feet as well, grabbing Spencer by the arm and spinning him around, giving him a solid smack to the seat of his pants while wagging a finger under his nose, like one would a disobedient child. "That's enough, Spencer. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior so you better stop this right now, young man."
Spencer looked shocked at him and then started to cry.
Gideon reacted instantly by pulling Spencer into a comforting hug and ushering him back to the couch, where he sat him down next to him, where he gently rocked him back and forth. "Shhh... that's it. It's okay, don't cry, son."
"My foot hurts and my bottom. What happened to me?"
Gideon pressed his face tighter against his chest and planted a tender kiss on his head, rubbing his back and continuing with the soft, gentle rocking. "Shh... it's okay, it'll be alright, sweetheart."
"Why does my foot hurt so bad?"
Gideon just held him tighter, at a loss for words, wondering how on Earth to answer such a question. He really didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Spencer everything that had happened the last few days, not in the state he was in right now.
Just then Dr. Norman came inside. "Good he's awake. Hi Spencer, how are you feeling now?"
Spencer buried his face in Gideon's neck. "I wanna go home."
"Soon, Spencer, soon." Dr. Norman sighed, "but not yet I'm afraid."
Spencer started to cry again. "My foot hurt!"
Gideon looked to the Doctor for help, squeezing Spencer's slender shoulder in one of his bigger, strong hands.
"I'll get some pain medications." The doc said and left to get it.
It wasn't long before Dr. Norman came back into the room, holding a cup of water and a couple of painkillers in his hand.
Spencer wouldn't take it at first, but when Gideon had promised that he'd feel better afterwards and get a lolly he took it.
Before long, Spencer calmed down as the painkiller took the edge off and it wasn't long before he was fast asleep again in Gideon's arms.
As it was late Gideon dressed him in some hospital's pajamas and tucked him in for the night.
Early the next morning, Spencer was shocked to find himself in a strange bed in some unknown room. At first, he panicked, thinking he was back in Hankle's hands but swiping his eyes around the room, spotting the familiar form of Gideon, slumped on a chair next to his bed and he was finally able to release the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He was safe.
Then he noticed that he actually knew this room. It was his mother's room. Why was he in her bed and in the institution's pajamas. "Gideon, please don't tell me that I've turned crazy and been committed? Please tell me it's not true." He said almost in tears.
"Shh... it's alright. You haven't been committed, Spencer."
"Then,,, then... Why am I here in pajamas ?"
Gideon gently explained everything that had transpired the day before,extremely relieved that Spencer seemed to be back to his old self.
Spencer blushed deeply red. "I-I really did all that?" He asked embarrassed.
"Well, you were under the influence of the drug" Gideon tried to reassure him.
"You sure it was Dilaudid? And not going crazy like my mom?"
"Yeah, I'm sure, Spencer." Gideon rubbed his back gently
"Mmm... G-Gideon..."
"Yeah?"
"Promise me you won't get mad if I tell you something."
"I won't. What's up?"
"I-I took the v-vials..."
Gideon sighed, and pressed Spencer against his side, giving him a one-sided hug and rubbing gentle circles on his back. "It's okay, it'll be okay now."
"I haven't taken anyof it. If I still have the drug in my system it's from when Tobias injected it in me."
Gideon sighed in relief. "I'm glad to hear that, Spencer."
"I'm sorry. Do you hate me now?"
"Oh... Spencer..." Gideon shook his head vehemently and placed a firm kiss on his head. "I could never hate you, son."
Spencer let out a relieved sigh. Dr. Norman came in. "Good morning you two. How are you feeling today, Spencer?"
Spencer looked shyly at him. "Fine now... s-sorry a-about yesterday. Can I go home now?"
"Not yet, but maybe later today. I'd just like to make sure you're okay." Dr. Norman smiled.
"But I am okay. Please let me go and besides I'm not your patient. My mom is."
"Maybe you weren't but after what happened yesterday I'd rather err, on the side of caution than be sorry later should something come up. So for the time being, you're my patient and until later this afternoon you will continue to be until I make sure everything is okay."
Spencer pouted. "So if I try to leave an orderly will stop me?"
Dr. Norman crosses his arms over his chest and fixed Spencer with a steely glare. "You can rest assured they will"
"Am I ever going to leave this place?" He asked worriedly.
Dr. Norman's face softened at that, and Gideon's hold on his shoulder tightened, provided whatever little support he could. "Of course you will, Spencer. This afternoon, I promise." He smiled.
Spencer wasn't so optimistic. He was afraid he would end up like his mother.
But to Spencer's delight, it was soon afternoon and everything had gone relatively smoothly, so Dr. Norman had okayed his release and was now thankfully pulling up by Gideon's home on Gideon's SUV.
They decided that it would be for the best that Spencer stayed with Gideon till he got over the need of Dilaudid, and in the end Gideon adopted Spencer and became legally Spencer's father. And they lived happily ever after.
The End.