This is going to be difficult.
Chapter Three:
Reid was laying in a hospital bed counting the dots on the ceiling for the seventh time when the door opened. A woman with short red hair and a man with dark skin and neatly trimmed hair appeared.
"Dr. Reid," the woman said. "I'm Detective Tessa West and this is Detective Roy Darnel. We're here to take your statement about your assault."
"Okay," he said.
"I want to make it abundantly clear: You are in control," West said. "Who you talk to, how long you want to talk, is all up to you. I want to make this as a painless a process as possible."
"I will talk to both of you," he said. "I just want to give my initial statement, so you can focus on catching my attackers."
"Understood," West said and pulled out a recorder. "Let's get started."
"I arrived at my hotel room around eleven o'clock when I was slammed against the wall by one man and another put a ball gag in my mouth. Both were wearing black and black ski masks. I saw a woman dressed in a similar fashion. They dragged me the bed and tied me the headboard. They pulled off my lower garments and cut off the upper pieces. Then both men took turns penetrating me using their genitals. One of the men identified as "Clark" then cleaned and stitched the tearing.
They then turned me around and the woman identified as "Diana" sucked on my genitals and spit the discharge on my stomach. She played with my hair and sucked on my nipples. The man I identified as "Bruce," forced me to suck and swallow the ejaculation from his genitals with a gun to my head.
They said they would kill me if I told anyone. I watched as they packed up the camera they brought with them. They left one of my arms on untied and told me to count to twenty before freeing myself.
I did what they wanted. I put some clothes on, except they had taken all my undergarments and called the police to report my rape. I then called my direct superior, Emily Prentiss and informed about what happened but refused give details."
Reid realized he had been staring at the ceiling still mentally counting the dot patterns. He looked at the detectives. West and Darnel looked grim but not emotional.
"Thank you, Dr. Reid," Darnel said. "You have given us a phenomenal start in finding your attackers."
"I doubt it," Reid said in monotone. "These attackers are highly sophisticated. The names are fake and come from superhero films. They left DNA because they are not in the system."
"That will not deter us from using every resource to find these attackers," Darnel said.
"Don't use my team," he said with a little more emotion. "I don't want my team to know all the details until I am ready to disclose them."
"Our captain will handle the situation," West said. "We're going to let you get some rest before we bother you again for other details you might have forgotten."
"I don't forget anything," Reid said as his voice shook slightly.
"We'll see if there are any details we need you to clarify," Darnel said.
"Thank you for your cooperation," West said.
"Just try to catch them," he said blandly.
West paused for a moment.
"You're not weak," she said. "You're not damaged goods. You're not a stupid. You're not a burden. You are not source of pity for the people who know you. You are Dr. Spencer Reid. How define yourself to others is not defined by this event."
Darnel glanced at West as Reid began to crumble.
"I'm getting coffee," he said quickly. "Text me when you're ready."
"Sure," West said and then turned to Reid. "May I touch you?"
Tears were already dripping down. He nodded.
He should be sobbing into the arms of J.J. or Emily, or Garcia. But he couldn't. He hated the thought of them seeing him like this. It felt good to let out the pain into someone who cared, but it wasn't personal. It was part of her job to see him like this. He knew West could file this away without it affecting their relationship. He needed the embrace of a kind stranger more than a caring friend.
"Thank you," Reid said wiping a tear away.
"I'm not your hero, Dr. Reid," she said. "You're your own hero for reporting it."
"I'll let you get back to work," he said.
"Remember: You are not a burden, Dr. Reid."
"I will," he said with more positivity that he had felt since attack.
West nodded and left.
Reid laid back and for the first time he felt like he could possibly sleep.