I love Criminal Minds, I live Criminal Minds, I get mani/pedis with Criminal Minds, but sadly, I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.

An now, chapter 11 . . .

XOXOXOXOXO

It was 5:00 pm. Rossi was ready to leave for Seattle, but Hotch had one last thing to take care of. He called Reid into his office and shut the door. Ushering the younger man to the couch, he took the guest chair so the large desk would not separate them. Intently scrutinizing him, Hotch started, "You haven't reported any cravings today."

Reid had been so busy, he hadn't even thought about it. He shook his head and shrugged saying, "I haven't notice any." At the skeptical look he received from his boss, he responded, "I swear, Hotch."

He looked innocent enough, but Hotch wondered how he could go from such intense cravings the day before to none at all today. Reid had been surrounded by friends, he'd had plenty of work, and a good scare last night. He was also looking more peaked as the day went on. Any one of these things, or perhaps the combination, could be keeping his mind off the drugs.

"Alright", the older man continued, "Our deal is still on while you're with Morgan. He'll take you to your meeting while I'm gone, and any cravings you feel, you will report to him. Also, I expect you to be within hearing range of each other at all times. Understood?"

Reid took a moment to consider everything. As he slowly nodded his head, Hotch asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Does Morgan know about our deal?"

Hotch knew what he was really asking, "I haven't spoken with him yet, but he'll know only about going to the meetings, reporting any cravings and the need to stay in close proximity. I don't think he needs to know anything more, do you?"

Relived, Reid shook his head, "No, that's probably enough." He tried to smile.

"Anything else you're worried about?"

He was actually, but mentioning he wasn't feeling very well seemed like whining, so he shook his head and bravely said, "No, sir. I'll be fine." His smile was sincere this time.

Hotch returned the smile, saying, "I know you will." They stood and walked to the door together, "You can always call me if you need to."

Reid knew his boss was nervous about leaving him, but now he was embarrassing the younger man. Still, Reid smiled at the gesture, nodded his head and ducked out of his boss' office.

Hotch, scanning the bullpen, caught Morgan's eye and beckoned him to his office. Bounding up the stairs, Morgan passed Reid, "You about ready to head home, kid?"

Feeling slightly embarrassed knowing that the two older men were going to talk about, Reid stammered out, "Y-yeah. Whenever you are," and clambered back to his desk to wait.

Explaining the situation to Morgan didn't take Hotch long. The younger agent was perceptive enough to know some rules and plans had been put into place. He easily accepted the responsibility and headed out of the office with, "Stop worrying, Hotch. The kid's safe with me." Flashing his most disarming grin, Morgan strolled back to his desk.

Reid covertly studied Morgan as he returned. He wondered if his friend was still so willing to take him in now that he knew what all was involved. Morgan didn't act put out or upset at all, but Reid worried about being imposing. He really wished his sore throat and headache would go away. If he was sick, Morgan wouldn't find him much fun this weekend.

While considering this, Reid was zoning out; a sure sign of an on-coming fever. He roused himself to find Morgan studying him. He felt caught-in-the-act and sheepishly grinned at his coworker.

Morgan was standing over his own desk, jacket in hand, "Ready to go, kid?"

"Ummm, yeah." Reid jumped up a bit too eagerly and caught his foot on his chair. The offending chair shot out from under him and banged loudly into the desk behind him, while the young agent fell forward catching himself on his own desk.

Amused, Morgan chuckled, "Smooth, Reid. Let's go." And he headed for the elevator.

Flustered, Reid shoved his chair into place and jogged to catch up with his friend.

XOXOXOXOXO

After picking up Reid's things from Hotch's, Morgan dropped his friend off outside the old building where his N.A. meeting was held. These meetings would be the only times they would be separated during the weekend, so Morgan took the opportunity to fill his truck up with gas, drop off his laundry, and pick up dinner for them at a nearby Thai restaurant. Even as he was getting out of Morgan's truck, Reid had seemed lethargic and his eyes were glassy. If he was really coming down with something, the only thing Morgan could think of to speed up his healing was spicy food. His mom always said it was the best cure for a fever. He ordered salmon choo-chee and chicken mango curry for dinner, and coconut ice cream for dessert.

The hour-long meeting finished shortly before Morgan returned. Reid waited for him on the steps of the building trying not to seem nervous. He told himself he shouldn't worry so much about being recognized. Anyone he ran into here shouldn't be judgmental, and even if they were, he shouldn't care, but he couldn't seem to help it.

Reid could feel himself starting to zone out again. He'd had difficulty paying attention in the meeting, and now he felt so drained he simply sat down on the steps to wait. He rested his elbows on his knees and held his head up with his hands, looking very much like a lost little boy. Soon enough though, Morgan arrived. He pulled the truck to the curb directly in front of the steps, and noticed how pale the kid looked. Well, he was always pale, but he was nearly clear now. Reid climbed into the cab and buckled in, "Something smells good."

Morgan could hear the gravely sound of his voice and the beginnings of a stuffy nose, "I picked up Thai for dinner. How're you doing?" He left the question open in case the kid needed to talk about anything that happened in the meeting.

At first Reid tried to keep up his brave act. He nodded his head, about to say he was fine, but even that movement made his headache blaze. Instead, he sighed and admitted, "Not so good." He knew Morgan would feel imposed on now with a sick houseguest, "I'm sorry."

Morgan glanced over to see Reid's apologetic eyes and grinned. Only this kid would apologize for being sick, "I'm surprised it took you this long to say anything. You've looked like death warmed over all day."

Reid's brow wrinkled. Had he really been that obvious? He'd tried so hard to hide it.

As they pulled into Morgan's driveway the older man studied his friend's face. He was glassy eyed, and his hair was starting to mat down to his forehead. Reid should probably just go to bed, but it was only 7pm and he hadn't eaten yet. Morgan wanted to get some nutrition into the kid first if he could. He grabbed the food and Reid's duffel bag and headed for the front door. Reid dragged slowly behind him. Unlocking the door and clicking the light on, Morgan ushered Reid in, took his jacket and pointed him in the direction of the large, comfortable couch in the living room, "Get comfortable. I'll be right back with dinner."

Morgan hung up their jackets, dropped the duffel at the foot of the stairs and went to the kitchen to put the ice cream in the freezer and to find utensils. His dog, Clooney, waited impatiently to be fed, so he took care of that matter before he plated their own food and returned to the living room. He found Reid curled up on the couch, eyes closed. Morgan laid the food down on the coffee table and placed a gentle hand on the young man's forehead. Reid's eyes slowly opened. He looked up blurrily at his friend, waiting for the verdict. He had a fever, though not so high that Morgan was alarmed. Giving up on the idea of getting any food into Reid tonight, he said, "Come on, kid. Let's get you into bed." Morgan steadied him as he sat up, then helped him stand.

Carrying the duffel up the stairs, he led Reid to the guest room. The queen-sized bed was made up with several pillows, a couple of blankets, and a feather comforter folded up at the foot. Morgan dropped the bag on the bed, and said, "Home, sweat, home. Get ready for bed, I'll get a thermometer."

Alone in the bedroom, Reid wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep. He felt dizzy and his throat was burning. Slowly peeling off his clothing, he rummaged around in his bag for his pajamas. Not finding them, he realized he'd forgotten to grab them at Hotch's place. Instead, he pulled on a soft pair of sweatpants and called it good. He climbed into bed shirtless and was nearly asleep when Morgan returned.

The older man's hands were full of medicinal wares. Reid looked up at him through half-closed eyes, "I thought you just went to get a thermometer."

"Yeah, and I thought you were getting ready for bed. Where's your shirt, youngster?"

"Left it at Hotch's." he replied weakly.

Morgan grunted at this and laid his medicine chest plunder down on the empty nightstand. He picked up the electronic thermometer, turned it on and waited for his friend to open his mouth. It only took a second to register the 101.2 degree temperature. Though not high enough to be alarming, he felt the kid needed to be bundled up a bit more for the night. "Hang on." He said, and quickly stepped out of the room. He returned moments later with a clean sweatshirt from his own closet. It would be entirely too large on Reid, but it would keep him warm. Tossing it on the bed, he said, "Put this on." Immediately seeing the raised eyebrows and wide-open eyes of the face the kid always used while trying to reason out of something, he halted it with a warning finger, saying, "None of that now. Do it."

Reid pouted, but pulled the shirt on anyway. He was too tired to fight.

Satisfied, Morgan continued, "Here's some spray that'll numb your throat if you want it." Reid used that while his friend continued to talk, "I have some pain relievers, but it would probably be best if you can manage not to take them so you can burn that fever off. And here's a bottle of water. If you need anything else, I'll be right downstairs for the next couple of hours."

Unable to stop himself, Reid yawned. Covering his mouth with the back of his hand he said, "Sorry. . . . and thank you." He laid down and shut his eyes. Morgan was fairly certain he was asleep already.

"No problem, kid. Sleep well." Walking out into the hall, Morgan left the door open just a crack and turned the bathroom light on across the hall. He went to the living room, clicked on the television and surfed around while eating his dinner. Finding an interesting game, he cracked open a beer, invited Clooney to sit by him on the couch, and settled in to watch.

It was nearly 11pm when Morgan started thinking about heading to bed himself. He straightened up the living room, clicked off the television and climbed the stairs. Stopping at Reid's door, he peaked in to make sure the young man was sleeping soundly. What Morgan found concerned him. He threw open the door and went to the young man thrashing around on the bed. Reid was sweating profusely now and he was clearly struggling with some sort of demons. Feeling the heat radiating off his friend's body, Morgan put a hand on Reid's shoulder, gently shaking him, "Hey kid. Wake up."

With a sharp gasp, Reid's eyes shot open. He looked wildly around the dark room, clearly unsure of his surroundings. Morgan reassured the young man, brushing the hair out of his eyes and saying, "Kid . . . kid, it's okay. You're safe. I'm here." Reid's wildly searching eyes flew to Morgan's face, still not fully understanding, but calming a bit. "It's me. Morgan. You're safe, kid." Reid's breathing started to slow, and he seemed to know where he was now.

Weakly, he said, "Morgan, I don't feel good." His eyes were shut again.

"I know you don't, kid." He reached over for the thermometer, saying, "Open your mouth, I want to get your temperature again."

Reid's mouth dropped open, but his eyes remained shut. Morgan placed the instrument under the young man's tongue and coaxed his mouth shut with a gentle hand under his chin. As quickly as before it registered, but this time much higher, "105.3. Okay kid, we need to get you into a bath. I'll be right back." Reid thought a warm bath sounded wonderful. He was freezing.

Morgan left the room, grabbed the Epsom salts out of the hall closet and started running a lukewarm bath. While that was running, he went back to his friend. He helped him sit up, handed him the uncapped bottle of water and three ibuprofen, "Swallow those, then let's get you in the tub." Reid took the pills, and let his friend help him stand up. He leaned heavily on Morgan walking to the bathroom, but let go as they entered, "I can handle this part on my own, I think."

Morgan gave him a dubious look, but nodded his head, "I'll be right outside if you need me." He stepped into the hall and closed the door. Within moments he heard Reid screech and almost ran back in before he heard, "Ahhh! It's cold!"

"It's not cold," Morgan yelled through the door, "It's just not hot. You need to get your temperature down. Now get in there." He listened intently for signs of compliance. When he heard the squeak of the knobs and the increase in water pressure, he warningly said, "Reid, don't you dare turn the temperature up."

"But it's cold," came the winey reply.

"I don't care. Turn that water back down and get in before I come in there and help you."

Behind the door, Reid gulped. He had no doubt that Morgan's threat was not empty. Sulkily, he returned the water to where it had been and stepped into the bath. He sat in the deep water and tried to relax. Once he was in, it wasn't all that bad. He laid his head against the wall and shut his eyes.

Five minutes later, an anxious Morgan knocked on the bathroom door and asked, "How're you doin' in there, kid?"

Reid roused himself from the twilight sleep he'd fallen into, "Mmokay" he called out.

"Reid, I need to take your temperature again."

To Morgan's surprise, Reid said, "It's okay, Morgan. You can come in."

Entering the bathroom, Morgan was relieved to find the shower curtain closed with only Reid's head showing. His color was better at least. Morgan popped the thermometer back into Reid's mouth, waited, then found the reading at 103. Better, but he could still stand another degree or two cooler. "Let's give it another five minutes. How are you feeling?"

Reid groggily nodded his head, "Tired, but feeling on the whole better."

Not wanting to hover, Morgan said, "I'll be back in five. Just relax until then." He went to the master bath to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. Five minutes later, Reid's temperature was down to 100.7. High enough to burn off whatever infection was plaguing him, but low enough not to cause brain damage, "Let's get you dried off and back into bed." He handed the young man a large towel, and went into the hallway to wait.

Reid stepped out of the tub, dried himself off and drained the water. He turned to put his clothes back on, then realized they had been replaced with a pile of clean sweats. When had Morgan done that? He must have really been out of it. Dry and dressed, he walked into the hall and found his friend waiting, "You didn't have to wait for me. I can make it into bed myself, you know." He was feeling a little crabby for some reason, but his words came out jokingly. Morgan wasn't fooled though. He chalked it up to the fever and the need for sleep, and simply ignored the words. Instead Morgan put a hand on his shoulder and guided the young man back to bed. Reid noticed the fresh sheets and looked at his friend, feeling guilty about his peevish attitude, "Thanks, Morgan."

Pulling the blankets back for Reid, Morgan gently chuckled, "You'd sweat through the last ones." Which reminded him, "Here, drink this." He handed Reid a glass with an orange liquid that didn't smell exactly like orange juice. Reid gave him a suspicious look, to which Morgan replied, "Drink. It has electrolytes. You're dehydrated enough as it is."

Reid gulped it down. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was. Handing the empty glass back to Morgan, he crawled under the covers and lay down. Morgan headed for the door with, "G'night, Reid. Try not to overheat again tonight, huh?" He smiled, then realized the kid would probably feel guilty if he did, so he finished with, "but if you do, you come get me. Got it?"

Reid looked up at his big brother, nodded his head and felt very safe and protected. Morgan closed the door, leaving it open just a crack. He did the same with his own door just across the hall.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Okay, I know. Not the best chapter, but considering I was at least as sick as Reid when I wrote it, I didn't think it came out that bad. The next chapter is turning into the one that simply won't end, so I'll definitely make up for this chapter next time.

Sam, the promised Clooney scene is in the next chapter too. :)