AWAKE

Derek paced around the room, a can of coke in his hand. He kept looking over at Spencer, who was still asleep after last night's episode. Derek hadn't gotten much sleep himself, he kept checking on Spencer to make sire that he was actually ok and the fever was gone. He checked his watch, it was 10AM. Hotch had already called him twice to see if Spencer had woken up yet. He finally went over and sat on the edge of the bed again. He put his hand on Spencer's forehead, checking for the twentieth time that morning that there was no fever. "When are you going to wake up, Pretty Boy?" he asked quietly. He was startled when his phone rang. It was Hotch again. "He's not up yet, Hotch," he said as he answered the phone.

"Still?" Hotch's voice answered over the phone.

"No, I promise I'll call once he does wake up," Derek said. "Have you heard anything about Diane?"

"Yeah, I got a call from the ward she's in," Hotch answered. "They said they can fly her out here once Reid is out of the hospital. It might upset her more if she sees him when he's still in the hospital."

"Yeah, I understand," Derek said. He looked down at Spencer, who had shifted slightly. "Hey, look I'll call you back later." He hung up and leaned closer to Spencer. "Spence? You up?"

Spencer made a small noise and shifted again, turning his head to the side. His eyelids fluttered, then opened. He looked up at Derek for a moment. "What…happened?"

Derek gave him a small smile, relieved to see him awake. "You had an infection. You got a fever from it and you were in pain. You…you flatlined for a few minutes but they brought you back." Derek swallowed before continuing. "You're ok now though, your fever is gone and everything."

Spencer gazed up at him for another moment or so before trying to move. He smiled a little when Derek helped him sit up. "Are…you ok?"

"Yeah," Derek said quietly. "I thought I lost you again. I was so scared." He looked up when he felt Spencer's hand on his cheek. "I love you, Spencer."

"I love you too, Derek," Spencer said. He reached down and took Derek's hand in his. "Thank you for staying with me. I couldn't have gotten through this without you."

"I wouldn't have let you go through it alone," Derek said, leaning closer to Spencer. "You mean the world to me, there is no way I was going to leave you by yourself." He kissed Spencer, holding him close as he did so.

Once the kiss was over, Spencer leaned into Derek and rested his head on his shoulder. "They're going to make me stay here longer, aren't they? After what happened?"

"Maybe not," Derek said hopefully. "We'll have to talk to the doctors about it though. I also told Hotch I'd call him when you woke up." He took out his cell phone. "You wanna say hi?"

Spencer smiled and took the phone from Derek. He dialed Hotch's number and waited for the man to answer.

"Hotchner," Hotch answered quickly.

"Hi, Hotch," Spencer said with a small smile. He was glad to hear his voice again.

"Reid? You're up, how do you feel?" Hotch said, his tone lightening a little.

"I feel fine," Spencer said. "A lot better, actually."

"That's good. Are you up for visitors? The girls are excited to see you."

"Yeah, that would be great," Spencer said. "Thanks, Hotch."

"No problem. We'll be there in a little while."

Spencer smiled and ended the call. He gave the phone back to Derek and then leaned into him again. "They're coming to visit."

Derek smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to get the doctor to look at you, then I' want to spend some time with you before the others get here."

"Ok," Spencer said as Derek left to get a doctor. He leaned back in the pillows and sighed. I'm so lucky to have you, Derek."

The team arrived about an hour later. They were excited and happy to see that Spencer was sitting up waiting for them. They gave him hugs, and the girls kissed him on the cheek.

"I snuck this in for you," Garcia said cheerfully, handing Spencer a box.

Spencer opened it to see a cupcake with sprinkles peeking out at him. "Thanks! I'll be skipping down the hall after I eat this."

"Don't try any crazy stunts just yet," Emily said, stealing Derek's usual seat by the bed. "Plus I think you would look a little funny skipping around in a hospital gown and an arm sling."

Spencer smiled brightly at her and set the box on the table next to the bed, deciding to save it for later so he wouldn't get icing all over himself. "So have there been any new cases?"

Rossi smiled a little from across the room. "Typical Reid. You're in the hospital and you're still worried about work."

Spencer smiled again. "Just wondering how much paperwork I'm going to have to catch up on when I get back."

"Absolutely none," JJ said. "We've been putting it all on Emily's desk."

Spencer smiled and laughed along when Emily turned around and glared at everyone. "I guess they fooled you."

"I thought I was just forgetting to put the folders away," Emily said.

"Nothing that hasn't happened to me before," Spencer said, smiling when everyone tried to act like they didn't know what he was talking about. He sighed and leaned back in the pillows. "I just wish I was out of this place, I just want to go home."

"We want you to come home too, Spence," JJ said, smiling at him from across the room.

"Of course you'll be off work for a few weeks," Hotch said with a serious tone. "That way you're fully recovered. I'm not sure I want to put you back out in the field immediately either, safety precaution."

Spencer frowned but nodded. He knew he was going to have to take it easy for a while and not put any strain on his body. He remembered the nurse telling him he would also have his arm in the sling still after he was released. "I understand," he said to Hotch.

Everyone talked for a little while and eventually decided it was time for lunch. "We'll get one of the nurses to bring you something, Spence," JJ said.

"Something decent, we promise," Garcia added. "Don't let them see that cupcake."

Spencer smiled and watched all but Derek and Hotch leave the room. He looked at Hotch curiously. "Something wrong, Hotch?"

Hotch hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I wanted to wait a little longer for this, but I should tell you now. I spoke to your mother on the phone the other day, she wants to see you."

Spencer frowned again. "Is she ok?"

"She's almost fully recovered," Hotch said. "She should be able to take her arm out of the sling in a few days." He was silent for a moment. "I told her she could speak to you on the phone if you were feeling up to it."

Spencer nodded. "Yeah, I'd really like that. I need to tell her I'm ok."

"Ok…but there is something I need to tell you first, before you speak to her," Hotch said. He looked over at Derek, who looked back at him in mild confusion. He hadn't told him yet either. "Your mother…they want to put her in a mental hospital. They think they would be able to take better car of her there and make sure nothing like this will ever happen again."

Spencer froze in his spot and simply stared at Hotch. His jaw dropped slightly, but he wasn't sure what to say. He finally swallowed and looked up at him again. "Really? They think she…belongs in a mental hospital?"

Hotch frowned. Spencer looked devastated. Derek looked shocked. He didn't know what to say for a moment, he could only watch Spencer try to force back tears. "I'm sorry, Reid. I wanted you to know before I let you talk to her. That way if she mentioned anything you wouldn't be surprised."

"She already knows?" Spencer asked, sitting up a little straighter in the bed. When Derek approached the bed he grabbed his hand for support. "She…she must be freaking out over this."

Hotch sighed. "She's scared, she really wants to see you. Speaking to her on the phone right now may calm her down a little, if you're up to it."

Spencer nodded and waited for Hotch to pick up the phone on the bedside table and dial a number. He listened as the other man introduced himself and said that he wished to speak to Diane Reid. Spencer tightened his grip on Derek's hand, causing the other man to wrap his arm around him. He swallowed hard when Hotch handed him the phone. "M-Mom?"

"Spencer?! Sweetie, are you ok?" Diane sounded frantic on the other line.

Spencer closed his eyes for a moment. "Yeah…yeah, I'm ok, Mom. Are you ok?"

"No, sweetie. I miss you, I need to see you. I'm so sorry I hurt you, I'll never forgive myself!"

"No, Mom, please don't blame yourself. It was an accident." Spencer leaned back on the bed. "I miss you too."

"How could you miss me? After what I did to you, you should hate me."

"I could never hate you, Mom, don't even think that." Spencer wiped at his eyes as tears formed. He really didn't want to cry in front of the other two men, especially not in front of Hotch. He sighed again to regain control of himself. "I love you, Mom."

"They want to put me away, Spencer." Diane sounded scared and sad now. "I don't want them to put me away. I don't want to be all alone."

"I know, Mom." Spencer put his head down as a tear slipped down his cheek. He trembled lightly. He was grateful when Derek put his arm around him again. "Mom, when I'm ready to go home, I want to see you, ok?"

"Of course sweetie."

Spencer swallowed. He knew the place where his mom was only allowed the phone calls to be so long. He knew he had to go. "Mom, I have to go now, I love you. I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Ok, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you too." He hung up the phone and just stared at it for a moment. He finally burst into tears, leaning into Derek for support. "This isn't fair," he cried over the other man's shoulder.

"I know, baby," Derek said soothingly, rubbing Spencer's back. "I know this is going to be hard, but you're going to get through it. I'm going to be right here with you, so is everybody else, ok?"

Hotch walked over and sat down on the other side of Spencer. He put his hand on the younger man's shoulder, making him look over at him through his tears. "Reid, we're going to help as much as we can. I'll talk to the others about trying to work something out for your mother. That way she won't have to go into a mental hospital, perhaps just somewhere with a little more security and perhaps closer to home."

Spencer smiled sadly at him. "Thank you, Hotch," he said quietly.

Hotch nodded and stood. "I'm going to find the others. I have a feeling they haven't gone far. We'll be back later."

Spencer watched Hotch leave and then looked back up at Derek. "Sorry for crying on your shirt."

Derek smiled a little and wiped the tears off Spencer's face. "As long as I get to hold you, I'm happy." He pulled Spencer closer to him and kissed him. "I just want to see you happy."

Spencer smiled and rested his head on Derek's shoulder. "You make me happy," he said quietly. He was quickly asleep again on his shoulder.

Derek smiled and lay Spencer back down on the bed, covering him with the sheets so he would stay warm. "You make me happy too, Pretty Boy."

TBC

So…you think Hotch can pull some strings and make sure Diane doesn't go into the mental hospital? Review and find out.