The past month or so had been hard on Spencer for reasons still unknown to the team. He felt as though he couldn't tell them as he'd hate to see the look of pity and sympathy on their faces and hear the "Oh Pretty Boy I'm sorry" from Derek, the "Spence if you need me just call" from JJ and the "Oh Junior G-man why didn't you tell us?" from Penelope.
Looking at the clock that rested on the pale mint green wall opposite him, he half-heartedly smiled it was time that he went. He left the apartment swiftly before quickly turning to lock the door behind him.
He smoothed down his black suit as he climbed out of the car and headed into the hospital.
"Oh, hello Mr. Reid. How are you?" A young nurse said.
"Hello Jennie, I am fine, I've come to see Hope."
"Oh, certainly she's doing very well today."
Spencer followed the young nurse until she stopped; his heart dropped a little as he thought of the rest of the day would hold. He walked into the hospital room and glanced at the small body that was resting in the incubator in front of him. He quickly washed his hands before placing his large hands through the port-hole and softly stroked the young baby.
"Hey baby-girl, I'm gonna say goodbye to mommy today. When you're big enough we can visit her and put her favourite flowers with her. Her favourite flowers were Lilies. I can't stay too long today baby, I have to work as well but you don't worry I'll visit you whenever I can and if the nurses don't mind me giving you this then I brought you a teddy bear." He looked over at the nurse who headed over to him and quickly unwrapped the teddy bear and placed in with the little baby. "I'll see you soon; you get big and strong for daddy. I love you baby-girl."
Spencer stroked Hope's leg before he walked away from the incubator and left the hospital. Hope had been born the week before at 24 weeks gestation. Her mother, Reid's girlfriend had been in a car crash and sadly had not lived. Reid had been left with the save your daughter or lose them both. It hard been hard on Reid understandably; his girlfriend had died, his daughter was seriously ill and he had told no one of his relationship or even that he had become a father.
Reid headed to the cemetery and shuddered, just last month they had been planning Hope's nursery and now his girlfriend, the woman he had wanted to spend the rest of his life with was gone. He was going to propose to her, that was where they were going when the stupid drunk bastard that ran the red light and couldn't control his car had ploughed into them. Reid felt guilty, if he had been driving his girlfriend and his baby would be healthy not one in a coffin and the other in an incubator.
The service went by in a blur for him, he zoned out the priests voice; his mind conjuring up different memories that he had of Lydia. He remembered the day they had first met; he had been on a case and had ended up with a nice black eye and a split lip, they had gotten back and he couldn't sleep so he had went for coffee and that's when she had come over to him and they had gotten talking.
She was so patient and kind with him and with others. She was happy with him calling her when he was on a case, and when she had moved in with him she wouldn't care that he would come home at stupid o'clock, she didn't care that he himself had issues.
With a loud sigh he walked back to his car and climbed into the driver's seat before belting himself in and turning the ignition on. It took him the grand total of 30 minutes for him to get to the BAU. He had requested the morning off and had cleared it with Hotch when Lydia's parents had told him of the day and time of Lydia's funeral.
As he walked through the bullpen to the small kitchenette to make himself a coffee he heard Morgan call him, who quickly joined him. Reid knew that the others realised that there was something wrong; he just couldn't handle it. He didn't want their pity; he already had to deal with the nurses that were looking after Hope and he knew full well that if he told them, he would cry and there was no way in hell that he would stop.
"Hey Pretty Boy," Morgan said as he bumped shoulders with Reid "You ok?"
"I'm fine" Spencer replied as he moved to walk to his desk; Morgan quickly stepped in front of him. "Morgan move."
"No, are you sure you're ok? You've been off for like 4 weeks, Pretty Boy we're all worried about you." Morgan placed a hand on Spencer's shoulder, his eyes conveying his true concern for his best friend.
"I said I'm fine." Reid snapped as he pulled his arm away from Morgan's touch before he walked back to his desk leaving Morgan standing there in shock.
They sat at their desks in silence Morgan occupied his hands with some desk tidy that he had been given by somebody at some point and Reid sat trying in futile to fill in some paperwork, his mind kept wandering to his small little girl and his girlfriend.
"Morgan, Reid conference room now." Hotch called from his office door.
Morgan and Reid stood and walked towards the conference room.
"Ok, we have received news that there has been a spate of murders in Dale City. They've had 5 murders in about 3 weeks. We have Sarah Jackson 35, originally from Jacksonville but she moved to Dale City to attend college and has never left, Lewis Millican 29, he was born in Dale City and has a child, Logan Mitchell 45 again he was born and raised in Dale City and the other two are a John and Jane Doe they had no ID and nobody seems to recognise them at all. There is no real connections but.." JJ said before Spencer's phone interrupted her, Spencer looked at the number as fear gripped his gut.
"Sir, I… I need to take this."
"Go on."Hotch said, Reid stood and quickly vacated the room flipping his phone open on the way. It took Reid 5 minutes to return to Hotch.
"Hotch, I need time off." Reid said as he walked into Hotch's office
"Reid, I can't just give you time off because you asked for it. I need a reason, so what's your reason?" Hotch said as he placed his pen on the table. Spencer sighed he knew there was just no getting out of it now.
"3 weeks ago my girlfriend was in a car accident, they got her to the hospital but she had no brain activity however they kept her a live for 2 weeks so that our baby was born at a gestation period that had a better percentage of survival for her. The hospital has just rang me to tell me that Hope has had a turn for the worse and Hotch my baby needs me."
Hotch looked at Reid "I am sorry to hear that Reid, take as long of as you need. I will drop by the hospital, so that we can discuss options for you. Would you like me to tell the others? I'm pretty sure that Morgan is gonna go ape that you've gone. Why didn't you tell us?"
"I didn't want anyone to pity me, the nurses that deal with Hope do and I know they do. I didn't you all to look at me and think that I was pathetic."
"Reid none of us would ever have thought that, you have been through so much and you are still so strong. I will bring the team with me and I want you to tell them then ok?"Hotch asked. He waited for Spencer to nod before he continued "Now go."
Spencer didn't need to be told twice; he peeled out of the BAU and climbed quickly in his car. He headed towards the hospital and climbed out of the car. The nurse that had spoken to him on the phone had not told him anything apart from there was something wrong with Hope.
He swiftly walked into the NICU department and stopped at the front desk "Hope Reid?"
"I'll just call the nurse for you." Reid tapped his fingers impatiently on the unit until he heard the "Dr. Reid"
He followed the nurse as she beckoned him over "What's wrong with her?"
"Hope has Patent Ductus Arteriosus, which means that she effectively has a hole in heart. The Ductus Arteriosus has not closed like it should do."
"I know what it is."Reid said "What needs to be done?"
"We will have to operate, but we're also a bit worried that she may have an infection as well. Her temperature has skyrocketed."
"Ok. Please make sure that she's ok."
The nurse nodded and headed off towards the desk where the receptionist sat. Spencer breathed heavily, his poor little girl. She was so young, so fragile; she didn't deserve what she was having to face at such a young age. She was a week old, facing the prospect of having an operation on her heart, she had lost her mother and she could be really sick.
He heard Morgan call him and he turned around, taking one look at Morgan he couldn't take it anymore. The fear of losing his daughter, his little Hope become so evident and so fierce, he just couldn't help it. Morgan looked at his friend and quickly crossed over to him before wrapping Spencer in a hug as the young man sobbed.
Spencer stopped and quickly apologised to Morgan. Morgan shook his head and dismissively waved his hand.
"Pretty boy, you should have told me, I would have helped you. Now where is she, I wanna meet my little niece." Morgan said with a smile.
"This way, you'll have to sanitise your hands though." Reid said as he stopped at the door and pumped some of the hand sanitizer in the palm of his hand and rubbed it in, Morgan followed suit.
"Hope this is your Uncle Derek or Morgan whatever he prefers and Morgan this is Hope Aoife Reid."
Hello,
What do you think? If I some of the medical jargon wrong I am sorry but I am not a doctor by any means and also I have never had a baby premature or not so I hope that everything is ok and also I hope that I have not offended anyone.
Hope's name basically means Hope (obviously), Aoife means is "beautiful, radiant" and is pronounced EE-FYA, it was also the name of the greatest woman warrior in the world and I also thought when I saw it that it would be a name that Spencer would like.
Hope you like it.
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