Thanks for the reviews on my last chapter :) I'm still apologizing for my slow pace, it annoys me too :S But anyway, I hope y'all like my latest chapter :D I'm really not sure how much longer the story is gonna be, but im pretty sure that its coming to an end. But then again, I really don't know...when an idea pops up I write it :P haha! this is my longest chapter :D ACHIEVEMENTS! :))))
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, or any of their characters.
Chapter 8
Ryan reached the 6th floor, and walked with a brisk pace to room 255. He knocked lightly on the door, then walked in. The room was light green, with a large window on the far wall. Two women were sitting on the couch, talking softly, careful not to wake the sleeping child.
Ryan spoke in a hushed tone.
"Hello, My name is Dr. Brunswick, I'm here to take Noah to his first Pulmonary rehabilitation secession."
Ryan was unrecognizable, he had on a surgeon's hat that covered his hair color, and had even took the liberty to put in a pair of brown colored contacts. JJ and Prentiss didn't even have the thought in their minds that Ryan would come back after Noah, so their guard was down anyway, adding to Ryan's growing list of advantages.
Neither JJ or Prentiss understood.
"Pulmonary rehabilitation?" JJ asked, raising her eye brows in confusion.
"In the house fire, Noah suffered from smoke inhalation, the irritants caused direct tissue damage. Causing brochospasams, and activation of the body's inflammatory system. If his condition is untreated, the chances of survival slim to about 20 percent." Ryan answered in a professional voice.
"Well Noah just fell asleep, could you come back another time?" Prentiss asked. She truly felt for Noah, she could tell he was having trouble breathing, and was uncomfortable without his mother. She hadn't had the heart to tell him the devastating news about his mother yet, and hoped that she wasn't going to have to be the bearer of bad news to the boy.
"Time is just something that we don't have enough of in his particular case, I'm sorry I didn't catch your names." Ryan said, hoping that they would hand Noah over soon. He was practically twitching with excitement, and wanted to get started with the murder.
"I'm Special Agent Emily Prentiss, and this is Special Agent Jennifer Jareau." Prentiss answered.
"From the FBI I'm assuming, I heard about the local murders. The poor boy lost his mother in a house fire, I read in his report." Ryan said calmly. "He's going to be groggy from the medicine the nurses gave him, to help relax his airways, but i have a wheelchair for him."
"We'll wake him up." JJsaid, and began to walk over to Noah's bed with Prentiss.
They gently shook Noah's shoulder to wake him. He instantly responded to the touch on his shoulder, but was slow to open his eyes.
Noah finally opened his glossy blue eyes, that reflected his physical and mental exhaustion.
"Noah, Dr. Brunswick is here to help you breathe better." JJ said to the boy. "He's going to take you to a different section of the hospital, so you can get better, OK?" she added.
Noah's eyes just stared up at the ceiling, he apparently wasn't lucid enough to understand anything being said to him. In fact he was just about to fall asleep again, when Ryan came over to the bed ,lifted Noah up, and placed him in the wheelchair.
"Ready to go get better, Buddy?" Ryan added with a spark of enthusiasm.
"Are we allowed to accompany Noah?" JJ asked quickly before Ryan rolled him out of the room.
Ryan's patience was wearing thin, he wanted to kill Noah, now! But if he did in front of the FBI agent's he wouldn't be able to go after his real target, Dr. Reid.
"Sorry, but I have to take him up to the 8th floor, and only patients and staff are allowed. Even if you were allowed, you would not be able to be with him. I have to put Noah into a clean room, so the air can be filtered, and pure for about an hour before I start his real treatment." Ryan said with a hint of noticeable irritation in his voice.
JJand Prentiss gave up, withtrying to be with Noah, obviously this Dr. Brunswick was as strict as his name sounded.
With that being said, Noah sat limply in the wheelchair, unaware of the cruel intentions that the so called "doctor" had for him.
While Ryan was wheeling Noah down the hall to the elevator, Noah lifted his head to see his doctor again. Noah's eyes widened in fear as he recognized the all to familiar facial features of his deranged father. Ryan noticed his son's frightened gaze on his face, and when they got into the elevator alone, Ryan knelt down next to Noah and said:
"Hello son, ready for some more fun?"
Hotch and Morgan had been in the waiting room for over three hours now, and still had no update on what was happening to Reid.
Morgan had dozed off on a uncomfortable, faded blue couch. Even though he was extremely worried for Reid, he couldn't keep physical exhaustion away any longer. Hotch decided to call JJ and Prentiss, to see how Noah was doing, he was also kind of bored too.
"Hey Hotch," JJ answered.
"How's the kid?" he asked.
"Alright, a doctor just came to take him to a Pulmonary rehabilitation secession upstairs. Other than that everything is quite here. Have you heard anything on Reid's condition?"
"No, three hours, and we've heard nothing," Hotch said, "Morgan finally crashed on the couch though." he added.
"Well, keep us updated. I'll tell Prentiss what you told me, she went to get us something to eat. I'm glad Morgan finally fell asleep though, Reid being kidnapped again really took its toll on him, partly because he blamed himself." JJ said.
"OK, I'll call you two when I find out anything."
"Alright thanks, bye." JJ said while hanging up.
Twenty minutes later, an older doctor, with short brown hair, and gray eyes walked into the room.
"Spencer Reid," he said while directly looking at Hotch and Morgan since they were the only two in the waiting room.
Morgan jumped up from the couch the second he heard Reid's name, as if he was never asleep and practically snoring a few minutes ago.
"I'm assuming you men are here for Spencer Reid," the doctor stated, "My name is Dr. Albridge."
"Yes we are." Hotch said, "How is he?"
"Well, I have to say your young friend is one little fighter. I've never seen someone so determined to live in my entire time as a trauma surgeon. He sustained two stab wounds one on his abdomen, right below his ribs, just barely puncturing his left lung. The other stab wound was high on his left thigh. Bothofthe stabs had been cauterized, and both got infected," Albridge said, "His leg had been burnt much worse than his abdomen I must say." he added.
Albridgepausedto catch his breath, and the silence between the men was deadly.
"Spencer also suffered extreme head trauma. I believe he was beaten with a hammer, or some type of blunt object; his right shoulder was broken with the same object. I'm sure you are aware that he was shot in the chest, we were successful in removing the bullet, it came within inches of his heart, but he pulled through. Spencer also has a few broken ribs, others are bruised. He is going to stay in the ICU over night for observation, and because we couldn't bring his high fever down."
"When can we go see him?" Morgan asked almost the instant Albrideg stopped talking.
"I will allow you two to go see him now, as long as you don't upset him. I will warn you now though, that due to his head injuries we were unable to sedate him. So my patient, Spencer Reid, will be in an immense amount of pain."
Hotch and Morgan frowned at the news that Reid was still suffering, even after he'd been rescued. Dr. Albridge led them to the elevator and rose to the 5th floor, and walked to room 112.
When they entered they saw Reid laying in a hospital bed. His eyes were closed tight withpain, and with his right hand Reid had a white knuckle grip on the rail of his bed. He was breathing in small fast breaths, like each movement hurt. Reid also had a film of sweat on his face, making strands of hair stick to his forehead. He was much paler and thinner than he normally was, not to mention all the tubes and IVs connected to his body. Both Hotch and Morgan agreed that Reid looked bad.
They took seats next to Reid's bed, and sat in shock, at how he looked. They had seen him just hours earlier, but somehow he hadn't looked as sick or fragile.
Garcia called JJ, she second she had a hit on Ryan.
"Hey JJ I got a hit on Ryan. He was last seen at a Diamond Shamrock gas station, but what's weird is that he was driving a different car. He is now driving a 2006 gray Honda, the car's owner reported it missing yesterday."
"Do you have any idea where Ryan is? Noah kept waking up, from nightmares, screaming, and saying things like, 'He's gonna come back! He's gonna kill me, he took Mommy away! Now he's coming back to get me and Dr. Reid!' JJsaid. "I'm worried that there might be some truth to what Noah told us. Ryan might come back and try to get them."
"Well, they found Ryan's old car abandoned on the edge of Duluth, in a heavily wooded area. He doesn't want to be found if he changed cars. But, what the...?"
"Garcia?" JJ asked in a curious tone.
"I think that bastard just sent me an email." Garcia said with a confusion filled tone.
"What does it say?" asked JJ.
"Oh my God! JJwhere'sNoah? Please tell me he is with you." Garcia asked. JJ could tell she was about to cry.
"Garcia, what's going on? Noah went to some lung breathing class, he's right here in the hospital."
"JJ, Ryan has Noah. He's going to kill him. Ryan is in the hospital."
"Crap! Are you sure?" JJ asked panic filling her voice.
"Yes, he sent me pictures too." Garcia said with a shaky voice.
"Shit! Garcia, Prentiss and I are going get Noah, call Hotch!" After JJyelledthat she hung up and ran to the elevator with Prentiss.
Ryan drove his car towards St. Luke's hospital, he smiled as he relived every moment in his mind.
After he brought Noah into one of the exam rooms, he shut the door behind him. Noah was obviously scared, but he didn't have the strength to walk, or scream for help. Ryan laughed as Noah tried to create as much space as he could between himself and his narcissistic father.
"What's wrong Noah, you don't want to have some fun?" Ryan asked as he pulled out a small knife and walked toward Noah.
Noah whimpered, and tears began to fall from his eyes, but that didn't stop Ryan. He placed the knife on Noah's forearm, and placed pressure until blood began to flow from the cut. Ryan then pulled the knife upward all the way to Noah's shoulder.
Before Noah could try and scream, Ryan placed the chloroformed cloth against Noah's mouth and nose. Noah's struggles began to weaken, and eventually stopped. Ryan then continued to cut and stab Noah. He finished with slitting his throat.
Ryan enjoyed watching the flood flow from his son's wounds, he was also proud of his work. Before he left, he did two things: he sent and email to the BAU's Technical Analyst, and left his trade mark note at the crime scene.
Ryan knew that the BAU had received his email, and was glad to see that his plan was working. As he drove down the street, he saw 3 police cars, and one large, black SUV.
Ryan knew that the black SUV's belonged to the FBI, and he was happy to see that they were speeding away to find his dead son, and not staying behind to protect his next target, Spencer Reid.
"This is just too easy," Ryan thought out loud to himself, "And they thought they could catch me!" Ryan laughed at his comment, as his drove into the parking lot of St. Luke's.
Ryan smiled and said as he stepped out of his car, "The next time they see Dr. Spencer Reid, will be at his funeral." With that being said, Ryan walked toward the hospital with a fast pace, just like he had done at St. Mary's, before he brutally murdered Noah.
"Hotch!" JJ yelled into her cell phone. He could tell her voice was cracking, and she was emotionally distressed.
"JJ, is Noah, OK?" Hotch asked firmly.
"Ryan killed him, Hotch. He just walked, and Emily and I allowed Noah to be taken away to be brutally murdered!" JJ was shouting now. She and Prentiss had stumbled into the room where Noah's lifeless body was laying on the floor, and JJ could not control her emotions any more. Prentiss let a few tears fall, but not as many as JJ had.
"JJ, you know that's not true," Hotch started, but a new voice was on the phone. JJ had handed Prentiss the phone because she didn't want to talk anymore.
"Hotch, Ryan left another letter, he wrote it in Noah's blood. Just like the one from before with Reid's blood." Prentiss said, she wasn't crying like JJ, but she was obviously upset with the murder of the boy.
"The letter says:"
"There is truly nothing like watching the life fade from a child's face;watching the blood dripping from your own son's dead body. Knowing that I caused his slow painful death, just made my experience, and last moments with Noah, just that much better. How is the baby of your team holding up? I haven't had the chance to pay him a visit, yet. Oh, and this is a special shout out to Agent's Prentiss, and Jareau. I'm glad that you two ignored my son's frightened cries about me returning to kill him. Isn't it funny that he was actually telling the truth? I thank you for handing himover to me with out a question, that really made my day. By the way my son had given you some information about me if you were listening. I will let you figure it out yourselves, but since I'min such a good mode you get one hint. It involves the death of your friend, and colleague Spencer Reid.
-RG"
"Oh my God, Hotch! Ryan is going after Reid again!" Prentiss shouted. JJ flinched when she heard those word come out of Prentiss's mouth.
"Damn it!" Morgan yelled when he heard the news. "That bastard! I'm gonna break his neck!"
"Shit!" Hotch yelled as Prentiss's words finally set in. "You two, let the police take over. I need you to come to St. Luke's with Morgan and I." Morgan was yelling words that were inaudible to Prentiss and JJ, but they did hear him say "Hotch turn around, that asshole is probably at the hospital right now! Dumb ass roads with 5 inches of snow! I mean what the hell?"
"Hotch," JJ had the phone now, "Is there anyone with Reid right now?" she asked in a soft voice, close to crying again.
"No." Hotch said, then he hung up the phone. There was nothing else to say.
