Shadows
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine. Flanders is.
Dear Gideon,
I am writing this while I can. I need to explain some things to you…………………………
"What's this?" The paper was ripped from Reid's hand.
Big eyes looking back. A slow shake of the head. The paper was ripped and held in tight hot fists. Reid shuffled back from where he was sitting on the hard packed ground, hands coming up to protect his face.
"Have you been contacting Gideon?"
Pulling his knees up and keeping his head down. Tight ball, the best way to protect internal organs. "No." scared whisper.
"Then what the hell is this?" Showing the paper. "Look at me Spence, get your dirty hands off your face."
Eyes looking into the distance, unfocused. "What? No, I won't."
"You are contacting Gideon. This is against the rules Spence. You know this don't you? You remember why we have rules? You know why I set these boundaries for you?" Standing in front of Reid. A slow nod from Reid. "Then tell me, because it feels like you just – keep – forgetting!"
A deep breath. "To stop me doing stupid shit." Rocking, trembling hands.
"Good, word perfect. Like a parrot. Like a freak." Bits of paper falling on Reid and footsteps walking away.
He left you alone.
He is getting weak
He will kill you one day.
"No no he won't"
Flanders spun around "No he won't what?"
Stupid stupid stupid freaking pervert….that was stupid.
Reid jumped to his feet rubbing at this temples. Eyes flicking everywhere but on Flanders.
Don't look at him.
It will kill you if you look at him.
"No no…that was JJ." Backing away from Flanders with his head down.
"What was JJ? What the hell are you talking about?"
He's coming for you.
He doesn't care for you.
He just wants to see you in pain.
Don't look at him!
He will eat your spirit.
"Are we – are we?" Shaking his head and balling his fists. The greyness gathering around the edge of his eyes. Flies everywhere, where did all these flies come from?
"Spence, what's wrong?" Standing watching him.
"F f f f wu………….." A long drawn out scream as his legs gave way and he knelt in the dirt flailing at the flies. In his hair. Pulling at his hair. In his eyes. Oh god not the eyes!
Floyd had never seen Reid like this before, and it took a few seconds of gaping mouthed surprise before he sprung into action and ran for the SUV.
They will eat you alive.
He was grabbing packs and small boxes out of the trunk of the vehicle listening to Reid's screams of fear. Flies? Was that Flies he was screaming over and over? He pulled out a small phial and a needle. Hands shaking slightly with the panic rising from deep down inside. He hated feeling panic. It was new to him, and it was not good. Sweaty hands trying to pierce the needle through the rubber top. Drawing out an amount. How much? He couldn't think with all that noise going on. Shut up Spence. Grabbing some length of rubber tubing from a box.
"Shut up!" shouting angrily. Drawing up 100mg into the syringe. "I can't think straight Spence Stop it!!"
He turned around again to see Reid on his face in the dirt screaming something about the flies and tearing at his hair. He could see clumps of hair in between Spencer's fingers, and smears of blood on the back of his hands as he ripped at his hair. He ran to his side and knelt next to him. He held the syringe up and tapped to remove the air, and squirted an amount out of the end.
"Spence, let me help you. Turn over. Let me – erm - help you get rid of them. Spence babes I need your arm." He wrapped the tubing around his arm and tied it tight.
Tobias?
Is that you?
Tobias?
Help me!
"Spence! Listen. Let me have your arm."
Don't look at him.
It will destroy your soul.
You will become nothing.
He will delete you.
Don't look at him.
Flanders pulled one of Reid's hands out of his hair and knelt on it. This wasn't going to work. This was going to fail. This can't fail. He had to help his Spencer. Twisting Spencer's arm around he finally got to the inner elbow. Thank god this was the arm with not so much damage already done to it. He found a vein and slid the needle in quickly before he lost it and depressed the plunger. He let about half of the liquid enter Reid before he pulled it out again, and sat on heels seeing if it had an effect. He had no idea how long this stuff took to work.
He pulled the band off Reid's arm as he saw him gradually slow down, and the screams turned to whimpering. What did this stuff do? He wrapped the rubber tubing around his own arm, and found a vein.
He lay down in the dirt next to Reid and put his arms around him. "It's OK. I fixed it for you." And he slid the needle into his own vein. Just to see what would happen.
……………
Oh my, so much fuss over little me. So many people running around. Hey is that Morgan again? People poking at me, and pulling me around. Oh…that's not nice…Don't touch a lady there! Goodness me!
……………
Hotchner was in a tempter most foul when he entered the hospital. People gave him funny looks because of the state of his face. Bloodied nose, split lip, cut above his eyebrow. Clever, all the things to make it look worse than it was. His anger over this whole situation was making his blood boil. His hair was messed up and sticking up and falling over his forehead. His normal professional exterior had evaporated, and he was showing the vulnerable side of himself. Something he hated people to see. How the hell did they let this happen? What were they thinking? He wiped the blood from under his nose and straightened his tie as a doctor approached.
"Sir, can I assist you?"
He wanted to show his badge, but that had been taken along with his guns.
"I am Agent Hotchner. One of my team members has been shot. Take me to her."
"I am sorry sir, do you have your ID?"
"Get Agent Morgan. He will vouch for me. Quickly."
"I am sorry sir. If you wait here I will get someone to help you."
"Where is there a phone?" He marched over to the nurses' station and pick up a phone. "Outside line."
"nine."
Hotch dialled Morgan's number and told him in no uncertain terms to get down here now and tell him what the hell had happened.
………………..
It was a creeping slow peace which Spence suddenly found himself in. Dreaming of when he was a child and his dad had taken him to Disney Land. They rode the rides together screaming in delight, and ate too much cotton candy, and too much chocolate. Felt the tender way his father guided his son through the crowds hand on shoulder and keeping him safe. He saw the parade at the end and told his father how many light bulbs were used and how much electricity it consumed and how many average households that amount could power in a week.
His dream changed and he could now feel the comforting arms wrapped around him. Keeping him safe. Keeping the shadows away. He could feel the hot breath on the back of his neck and smell the smell of Floyd. The hot musty smoky smell, and something else. Something wrong. Something bad. Something which he shouldn't be smelling.
Spencer opened his eyes. What was that? He could feel arms around him, but something was wrong. They weren't comforting. He reached for a hand and stroked it gently. Cold. The skin was cold. Reid changed his position laying in the dirt and looked behind him. Flanders was there. He was expecting that, but he was not the smiling loving Floyd he needed. He was laying on his side facing Reid, dried foam around his mouth and eyes rolled back, mouth open slightly. There was dried blood around his nose and welling in the ear facing the sky. Shaking hands reached over to Floyd's neck and felt for a pulse. So many flies so many flies…Oh god the flies.
Shadows.
…………………………..
