Hello! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story or any of my other ones. I've just been busy with life in general. My niece had a perfect little girl on Nov. 6. Mother and baby are doing just fine. But I have to admit I will be holding my breath until she is at least three weeks, three months old. I guess it's hard not to.
Anyway, thank you oh so much for all the lovely reviews and for your words on encouragement. I really was panicking a little bit there. Your words brought a smile to my face!
I hope you enjoy the new chapter! I'll try to update sooner. But life gets in the way sometimes. (Isn't that a song??)
Susanne
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
The first thing Hotch did was take a shower in his own bathroom. It had been far too long. He was careful to not scrub at any of his wounds. They were healing well but he wasn't ready to take any chances.
It had taken a lot longer to get feeling clean than Hotch had anticipated. He understood all of the psychological phases he and Reid were going to go through during their healing process but to actually feel them was an entirely new experience. One that was not particularly pleasurable. His skin was red from scrubbing at it with a face cloth. The too hot water hadn't really helped either.
Finally finished, Hotch padded into his bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and his wet hair sending rivulets of water down his back and chest. The sensation sent a shiver through his body. He was still weak from the abuse. He wasn't entirely sure how long it was going to take to begin feeling like his old self again. He was afraid it was going to be a lot longer than he was willing to allow.
Dressed in a pair of loose fitting jeans, a t-shirt and fleece outer shirt, Hotch picked up his socks and headed for the living room. Feeling more human he was ready to sit down and stare at the TV for the rest of his life. Not really but for a few minutes anyway. He had to build up enough strength to head out to the local store. He needed breath and milk, among other things.
Just as he sank down onto his couch, Hotch heard his door bell ring. Groaning softly, he pushed his achy body out of the piece of furniture and made his way toward the front door. Along the way he snagged his revolver. He'd been through too much to take the chance. Besides, he knew Morgan and the others were still out of town. Keeping the gun out of sight, Hotch leaned forward to peer through the peep hole on his door.
Through the peep hole Hotch first saw a shiny object. It took a moment of refocusing his eyes to realize it was a sheriff's badge. Behind it stood Sheriff Hicks, holding three bags rather precariously in his arms.
Heaving a deep sigh, Hotch stepped back, undid the locks and opened the door.
"Thought you could use some food," Hicks stated as he slipped by the speechless Unit Chief.
"Come on in," Hotch said as he relocked the door and turned to face the sheriff. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to make sure you aren't going to starve before tomorrow. Besides, the brothers dropped in on Reid. It gave me the idea to come back here. I don't really feel like driving all the way home tonight," Hicks admitted as he set the bags on the counter in the kitchen. "Now, where are your pots and pans?"
"Why?" Hotch couldn't help but ask. He enjoyed cooking well enough but never seemed to have the time to do it anymore. Tonight he was planning on having a frozen dinner or something. The less effort required the better. Silently, he indicated the appropriate cupboard.
"I'm going to cook you my famous fried chicken. Do you have a VCR or DVD?" Hicks asked as he bent down to rummage through the cupboard.
"DVD, why?" Hotch was both annoyed and relieved by the man's presence. He hadn't been looking forward to his first night, alone hence the relief, but by having Hicks here put off facing the inevitable by one more day.
"Well, I bought a couple of movies I wanted to see. I was hoping you'd upgraded to DVD's," Hicks said. He had the pots he needed and turned his attention to the bags. From the middle one he pulled two DVD's and handed them over to Hotch. Looking at the titles Aaron wasn't surprised to find that they were both comedies. Just what the doctor ordered.
"Thank you," Hotch said as he began unwrapping the movies. Glancing at him, Hicks wasn't sure if he was thanking him for the movies or for showing up. It didn't really matter though, the response was the same.
"You're welcome."
OOOOO
Two days later the team returned. Hotch and Reid were both at their desks, working on paperwork. Strauss had made sure that there had been lots of that since their return. Reid had filled in blanks until his head hurt. Trying to keep the younger man from going at it too hard, Hotch had suggested breaks frequently the previous day. The young genius had only accepted twice.
"Hey, man, how are you feeling?" Morgan asked as he plopped wearily into his desk, his go bag in his hand. It was time to take his go bag home and restock it. It had been a long, tiring trip.
"I'm fine," Reid answered automatically as he looked up from the second pile of files so far today. He had to squint to see Morgan properly. He'd been staring at the fine print too much for his eyes to adjust quickly. "How was the case?"
"Same old, same old," Morgan stated. He knew Reid had read through the case file all ready and was up to speed on the hell they'd just extinguished. Not really feeling like talking about it, he'd chosen the easy way out. "How are you feeling?"
"You asked me that all ready," Reid stated as he watched the women spread out to their various domains. Everyone looked beat. He'd assumed they'd head straight home after so many days on the road. It was what they usually did.
"Yeah, and you didn't give me an answer," Morgan stated, a small grin on his face.
"Yes, I did," Reid shot back. He knew what Morgan was after. He wanted a status report. He wanted to know how his body was healing and how his mind was healing. Reid wasn't willing to go there within the confines of work, mostly because he was afraid of breaking down and crying in front of the other operatives.
"Okay," Morgan breathed, clearly not happy with the answer.
"How are you, Spence?" J.J. asked as she sat down on the edge of the young genius's desk. Absently she pushed some of her blond hair behind her left ear.
"I'm fine. I wish people would quit asking me that," Reid said. He barely managed to keep the growl out of his voice. He knew they meant well but it was beginning to grate on his nerves. He wasn't helpless after all.
"How about if we meet for a drink after work?" Emily suggested from her desk.
"I'm not supposed to drink with the prescriptions I'm on," Reid stated. The doctor had given him a course of antibiotics to take once he got home. His family doctor had seconded the idea. The drugs were less effective when alcohol was taken but it wasn't exactly a counter indication for them. Spencer just wanted to go home. The brothers would be back tonight. They had headed up north for a quick bounty hunt. Jared had expected it to last one day.
"Then drink pop. Come on, Spencer. We just want to spend some time with you that doesn't involve unsubs," Emily stated. She glanced up at Hotch's office. She could see their Unit Chief bent over his desk through the window. Strauss had been obviously keeping them busy.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just still very tired by the end of the day," Spencer said, looking around at the circle of concerned faces. Garcia had come down to stand between Morgan and Emily's desk. She had her arms cross over her chest and looked to be on the verge of tears. Reid hated that he was the source of so much worry and concern.
"Okay," Morgan said, looking closer at the younger man. Reid did look tired. In the corners of his eyes and mouth there were lines from pain. He knew why Reid wouldn't take anything stronger than aspirin but it bothered him to see the kid like this. What he didn't see, though, was the victim in his posture. Whatever Reid was dealing with, he wasn't blaming himself for what happened. That simple fact made Morgan feel better. "But, we are taking you and Hotch out for supper. No arguments."
Sighing in defeat, Reid nodded his head in agreement. They weren't going to leave him or Hotch alone until they were sure they were all right. Looking up at Hotch's office, Reid saw Rossi sitting in a chair in front of it. From the look on Hotch's face they were having a similar conversation.
Since returning to work, Reid and Hotch hadn't spoken much. Reid wasn't sure if it was because Hotch was preoccupied by his own aches and pains or because he wasn't ready to discuss what had happened yet. The possibility that he had just been too busy had occurred to the young genius as well. Strauss had been laying it on pretty thick. She even had them going through cold cases, trying to come up with new profiles. While it was a worthwhile endeavour, it was incredibly time consuming.
"Good. What are you working on?" Morgan asked. He had a few open cases on his own blotter but he wasn't quite ready to leave Reid alone. He was still struggling with the need to protect the younger man, to watch over him. It was a natural reaction after almost losing him but it also got in the way, a bit.
"Cold case," Reid said as he turned back to the file on his desk. "I have six more to get through before I can leave tonight."
"Are you nuts?" The words slipped out. Morgan couldn't imagine getting through all of those in the five hours left in the day.
"No, but apparently Strauss is," Reid responded, a half smile gracing his lips. Then he settled in to work the next case.
OOOOO
The general consensus on supper was to go to their usual place. It was more pub than restaurant but the food was good and it was familiar surroundings. The best part was that it was close enough to work that they could walk there. As a group, the members of the BAU walked down the sidewalk. Unconsciously, Morgan was between Hotch and Reid and the road. Rossi was bringing up the rear while Emily was leading the way. Garcia and J.J. were in the middle, trying to keep Reid and Hotch entertained. They moved at a slower pace than normal because of Reid being on the crutches.
As Emily opened the door, the scent of food flowed over them and the sound of several voices talking at the same time could be heard. Stepping inside, she spotted a table toward the back that was big enough for all of them. Expertly she waded through the bodies. J.J. and Garcia followed suit.
The sound hit Reid like a wall. The thought of so many people crammed into such a small place was almost overwhelming. Swallowing his fear, Reid continued inside. He'd been here many times before. It was frequently this crowded. He was just being unreasonable. Following Garcia's disappearing back, he tried to worm his way through.
First a woman backed into him. Reid stepped away from her, not wanting her to touch him. Instantly, he was up against a tall, well built man. Looking up at him, Reid suddenly felt very small and vulnerable as he fought with his crutches. Grinning, the man pulled Reid a little bit closer. He was going to shout something in Reid's ear but he never got the chance.
Catching hold of Reid's closest arm, Hotch pulled the younger man away and steered him toward the table. The Unit Chief was finding the press of bodies difficult as well. He was now all too aware of his own personal space and hated having others violate its perimeter. It was with great relief that the two of the reached the table along the back wall. Sliding Reid into the seat against the wall, Hotch took the one next to him. Somehow he felt better knowing no one could come up behind them.
Emily had stopped at the bar and ordered food and drinks for them. A waitress came up with a tray and started off- loading glasses and napkins. Reid had braced the crutches against the wall beside him. It was a physical barrier between himself and the person at the next table. The noise prevented any real conversation. The press of people was very distracting. Reid almost felt like he was drowning as the waitress placed a glass full of dark liquid in front of him.
"Are you okay?" Hotch shouted as he leaned in close to Reid's ear. He still had a hand on the younger man's arm and had noticed that he was trembling.
"Um," Reid managed as he looked around wildly. It was getting to be too much. He wasn't seeing Morgan, Rossi and the others. He kept catching glimpses of Mary in the crowd and Doug. Bile was rising in his throat as memories began to crowd out the imagines in his eyes.
"Hey," Hotch said as he forced Reid to look at him and not the people around them. At first Reid's eyes kept darting around as he scanned the room for those two all too familiar faces. But eventually, as Hotch continued to hold tight, his brown eyes came to rest on his boss's darker brown eyes. Hotch saw the fear and panic in those depths. Reid was on the verge of having a panic attach. "You're safe."
"Ah," Reid breathed as he tried to relax. His breath was coming out in short bursts and the sound in his ears was being replaced by the too fast beating of his own heart. The guy at the next table chose that moment to go to the bathroom. Drunkenly, he swayed as he gained his feet and brushed against Reid's back.
The unexpected touch sent lightning bolts of fear through Reid's system. His eyes widened as his breathing grew even more shallow. Without thinking, Spencer leaned into Hotch, as the trembling turned to tremors. The others had become aware of their youngest member's distress. Morgan manhandled the drunk away while Rossi slid in beside Reid, to further protect him from the other occupants. Hotch wrapped his arms around Reid protectively. Trying to deal with Spencer's terror was helping him to ignore his own. This had been a very bad idea.
Just as Hotch was afraid that Reid was going to melt into a quivering mass of fear and confusion, two more bodies joined the fray. Looking up he saw the bounty hunting brothers wading through the customers. Jared looked as comfortable as he felt while Dave just looked pissed off.
"Whose brilliant idea was this?" Dave shouted over the noise. He could see how distressed Reid was. Their host had left a message on Jared's phone, telling them that he was going out for supper with his colleagues and where they were going. He didn't want the brothers to have to wait for him if they got home before he did.
"I just never thought," Morgan breathed as he watched Hotch try to calm Reid down. Reid was curling in on himself as much as his lanky body would allow. His cheek was pressed against Hotch's chest and Hotch's arms were still wrapped protectively around his shaking shoulders. Luckily the place was busy enough and loud enough that none of the other patrons had noticed the little scene.
"We're getting him out of here," Dave growled. Gently he moved forward, pulled Reid's crutches out and thrust them at his brother. Then he carefully unclasped Hotch's arms and turned Reid until he was looking at him. "It's okay. We're going home."
In the sea of faces swirling around his overwhelmed senses, Reid heard Dave's voice. Grasping hold of the last shred of self control he possessed, Reid forced his eyes to focus on the dark blur that had hold of him. Relief flowed through him upon recognizing the older brother. Then he was able to scan the rest of the concerned faces around him. Shame burned brightly on his face as he realized what it must have looked like while he huddled against his boss's chest. Damn, damn, damn.
"I'm okay," Reid squeaked. He glanced over at Hotch, half expecting to see pity or loathing. Instead all he found was grave concern and understanding. Jared leaned in and said something to his brother. Scowling, Dave stared at Jared for a moment. Gritting his teeth together, Dave reached behind him, caught hold of a chair and pulled it up to the table.
"What's for dinner?" Dave asked as he looked around at the members of the BAU. Silently, Jared settled into another chair. Clearly they weren't going anywhere until Reid was ready to leave. Spencer found a great deal of comfort in that.
The rest of the evening passed without a hitch, even when the drunk came back from the bathroom to find his seat gone. One look at Dave's scowling face and he decided it wasn't worth the effort. As time passed and the number of patrons began to diminish even Reid came out of the shell he'd wrapped around himself so tightly. Hotch still kept a very close eye on him though, the first sign of another attack and they were leaving. He never wanted to see Reid so small and vulnerable again.