This chapter took me most of last night and today to do, I have been debating about whether or not I wanted to write this idea and if geared by the amount of reviewers typing on all caps rage for Reid and Foyet to see each other again I should get it over with, so I am unsure where to go from here… as always I appreciate the reviews, comments and faves. I might end the story here but am unsure, give me your input as to whether or not you think this is the way to end it.
-CM-
"You're safe with me… I'll keep you safe." Reid woke up with a start, the wind howled outside and the snow blew violently in circles towards the ground then back up to the sky. Snowflakes flying like spastic dancers in the air. Reid rubbed his face in his palms and tried to hold back his tears. George's voice haunted him; he was alone in his apartment. Garcia had told him the team had a case and they were leaving for Indiana… that was three days ago… in some ways it was a relief that they were all gone. No one would unexpectedly show up.
THUNK THUNK THUNK
Reid jumped at the noise; he clutched a pillow in his arms as he stood to investigate. He heard the creak of a door and realised what the noise had been… all three of his locks being opened on his front door. Reid's eyes widened as he slowly inched backwards, he slid open his top dresser drawer silently and pulled out his gun. Ever so gently he put the pillow down on the floor and peered around the corner. He could see a shadow moving in the living room, the white light of the moon against a black snow filled sky shone down through the windows. Slowly Reid moved down the hallway and the shadowy figure moved away from the light. Reid breathed in a silent breath as he inched towards the kitchen, he stood in the darkness looking out at the room but saw nothing.
Reid gasped as his gun barrel was grabbed and the weapon tossed across the room, he struggled against the intruder who pinned him to the floor and held him there. Reid's eyes moved wildly over the dark face staring back at him, he kicked his legs but the intruder sat on his chest and pinned his arms to the ground.
"Shh!" came a sharp noise that escaped the stranger's lips as they placed a hand over Reid's mouth.
Reid breathed shallow breaths through his nose as he stared up at the stranger who had somehow broken into his home. Slowly the strange man removed his hand from Spencer's mouth and stood, Reid scrambled backwards against the dining room table.
"Who are you?" he stammered "What do you want?" he looked around for his gun but couldn't see where it had landed, the figure moved over to the couch and sat down slowly groaning as he did so. They hung their head as they sat.
"I'm sorry." The figure said in a whisper, Reid was unsure as to why this intruder was apologizing to him, suddenly the light next to the couch was flicked on and Reid's mouth dropped. Sitting in front of him was George, he had shaved his head and was wearing a dark sweater, his eyes were red and his hands were shaking. There was blood on the side of his jeans, Reid crawled to his feet but was back on his knees in a moment as he raced towards Foyet. Holding his lovers hands in his own, his eyes moving over the battered man's face, Reid felt his mouth quiver as he moved to touch Foyet's face who stared back at Spencer with painful auburn eyes.
"You're alive…" Spencer breathed between astonished breaths, George nodded but it looked as if he were shaking more so than anything as he took Reid's hand in his own, they were cold as ice. Reid's eyes traveled from Foyet's face down to his hands then his side once again to notice the blood on his pants.
"What happened?" Reid demanded a large tear rolled down his check as he pulled up on George's sweater, Foyet winced as Reid revealed a blood soaked undershirt, slowly he peeled the cloth from the older man's skin to reveal two stab wounds that had been messily stitched closed.
"Oh my god." Reid had seen some horrible things in his life but on someone he loved, it was heart rendering and stomach churning to experience.
"We have to go to a hospital." Foyet moved Reid's hand from his side and shook his head
"No hospitals." He said trying to stand, the struggle had exasperated his wounds that much more, they had not been healing well and Foyet hadn't had a steady enough hand to sew his own wounds shut anymore. Reid looked around then raced over to the kitchen. He wet a wash cloth and came back to Foyet's side.
"We have to fix this." he said, worry evident in his voice. Foyet nodded, he was beginning to feel quite dizzy. Reid pulled Foyet up to his feet wrapping his arm around his shoulder as he directed him to the bathroom. He sat George down on the closed toilet and flicked on the light.
"Take off your shirt; I'll have to cauterize the wound." Foyet looked up at Reid
"Are you fucking with me?" he asked, Reid put both hands on Foyet's shoulders
"Look if you're not going to let me take you to the hospital now then I have to do this." Foyet exhaled and began to pull off his shirt, Reid went over to the kitchen and grabbed a metal spatula he cleaned it in the sink and clicked on his stove the blue flame rose up within a moment from under the burner. Spencer turned the knob high and set the spatula down atop the flame. He grabbed a wooden spoon from a drawer and raced back to the bathroom. George had finally taken off his sweater; Reid helped him extract his arms from his under shirt. He grimaced at the sight of the bloody tissue. Quickly he opened the cupboard under his sink and took out the first aid kit, he handed Foyet the spoon as he pulled out a small pair of scissors. Foyet bit down hard as Reid tried to painlessly cut and extract the messy stitches. When they were finally out and he had cleaned away as much of the blood as possible he returned to the kitchen and flicked off the burner, the orange flame evaporated from the metal, Reid grabbed a cloth and held the handle of the spatula and headed back towards the bathroom. Foyet had one hand on the wall and another on the counter.
Reid looked down at him holding the scalding metal spatula in one hand.
"Ready?" he asked, more afraid than ever. Foyet took a few quick breaths and stiffly nodded, clenching the spoon in his teeth as Reid knelt next to him, Reid could feel sweat forming on the back of his neck as he put on hand on Foyet's side and in an instant pressed the hot metal to George's wounded body.
Foyet groaned a muffled scream from between closed lips as Reid removed the metal and pressed it down again, it was working the metal was burning the wounds shut. Within seconds it was over and Reid tossed the utensil into the sink and turned on the tap. The metal hissed as the water extinguished the heat, scored flesh and browned blood circled down the drain. Reid already had gauze taken out of the first aid kit and was wrapping it round Foyet. Who had let the spoon drop to the floor, his head beaded with sweat that slid down his forehead and off his nose. Reid lightly tapped the side of George's face, as he noticed the older man's eyes fluttering.
"Stay awake." He insisted as he finished wrapping the wound and pulled George to his feet, moving him slowly towards the bedroom. George sat down hard with Reid and they both fell back on the bed.
For a moment they just lay there, both breathing heavily not even being able to comprehend what had just happened. Reid turned his head to meet eyes with George who turned at the same time. They gazed at each other a moment, Foyet sweating from the pain and Reid from the shock of it all. Slowly Reid inched forward and kissed George lightly on the mouth, it was almost foreign to the both of them.
"I still have to take you to the hospital you know." George groaned, he knew it was true. Spencer slowly sat up on the edge of the bed. George breathed heavily as he also sat with much effort.
"Fine but we go to the county hospital then." Reid sighed
"Alright but you are going to tell me what happened right?" George turned his head to look at Reid, who was clearly shaken but looked unimpressed at the same time. It was a strange expression he couldn't read.
"Yeah we'll talk…" he said looking back at the ceiling. Reid exhaled deeply
"Ok I'll go get the car started."
-CM-
"This tissue is completely destroyed." The doctor said poking at George's side
"I don't care just… fix it please." George answered rather irritated
"Mr. Baskin how did you sustain these wounds?" Reid and Foyet exchanged a look
"In a bar fight." George replied, the doctor sighed knowing he wasn't going to get the real answer
"Alright I'll have a nurse bring you something for the pain and we'll get you sewn up." Foyet nodded as he pulled back the hospital gown, Reid half grinned. He was glad Foyet was alive, but perplexed as to how he had lived. Had he escaped the Reaper? No one had shown Spencer the files from the supposed murder so he couldn't confirm anything without doing his research… but he was definitely suspicious, more so now than he had been before.
Foyet had also used a fake name when they arrived, which Reid had to wonder about... if the Reaper was dead why was he still concealing his identity?
"He dropped me in the bay." Reid looked up; George had his back turned to him as he sat on the hospital bed.
"I was still alive… when it happened." Reid got up and came around the bed to look George in the eyes, they deviated from his and Reid felt immediately the story was being fabricated.
"Really…" Reid answered unconvincingly; Foyet heard it in his voice and looked up with hooded eyes.
"You don't believe me?" he asked, they stared at each other not blinking
"No I don't." was Reid's answer he stood and walked back to the chair on the opposite side of the room as a nurse came in, she gave George a prescription and stuck him in the back with a needle full of morphine.
"The doctor will be in to stitch you up in a moment." She said, she turned to Reid
"You can wait outside if you like." She smiled at him which didn't go unnoticed by Foyet. Reid smiled back
"No thanks I'll stay here." She frowned rather childishly and walked out of the room. Reid watched her as she left, Foyet sighed inwardly as he turned and stared out the window. The wind was still blowing snow around. The snow itself was falling in tiny flakes now.
"I'm sorry…" George said quietly, Reid's eyes went from the open door back to Foyet as he listened the older man closed his eyes and exhaled
"For everything." He finished turning to meet Reid's perplexed expression which soon changed to one of realization, within an instant he looked down at the floor biting his bottom lip, and Foyet turned away once more.
-CM-
In the next hour Foyet was assessed and stitched up, the doctor confirmed there was no internal bleeding and no organs had been damaged by the stab wounds, they weren't as deep as they had thought just very badly taken care of. He gave strict instructions as to how the wounds were to be handled and cared for before allowing the two to leave, there were plenty of babies to deliver, gunshot wounds to delve in and bar fight brawlers to attend to that evening so the doctor left in quite a hurry.
Reid didn't say anything as he drove carefully back to the apartment, George's eyes were scanning the road as they drove, snow and asphalt beneath the tires…
"Why did you lie to me?" George turned at Reid's words, the sound of the wind whistled around the car as they drove
"Honestly I don't know." Was his answer, which was not good enough for Spencer.
Reid slowed as they came to a red light.
"You're him aren't you? You are the Reaper." George pretended not to understand for a moment as he looked at Reid who was still staring out at the road.
"Well… Would that change things?" he asked, Reid opened his mouth to speak but no words came out, he just shook his head lips pressed together tightly as he started to drive again.
"Were you even going to tell me?" Foyet sighed looking out the window again
"I dunno Spencer, should I have? Would that change how you felt? How you feel now?" Reid didn't answer as they pulled up to the apartment, he got out and rounded to George's side and opened the door, they walked silently up the stairs and into the building all the way up to the third floor. Three locks opened and counted and inside the apartment once more.
Reid turned to Foyet
"It changes me… it changes everything." he said, George found it hard to look into Reid's eyes.
"I don't know what to think right now…" Spencer said softly as he walked into the living room, he picked his gun up off the floor and held it in his hands. Rubbing the barrel with his thumb as he stared at it. George watched him as he paced with the gun in his hands.
"So what now?" Foyet asked awaiting an answer. Reid looked up at him
"Honestly..?" he said "I have no idea…"
