Okay, so this is the winding down Chapter... And it's sort of looong!
Buuuut thank you so much for the awesome reviews! Ha ha they made me laugh... a lot! Thank you!
Thanks for the follows and favorites, and thanks for just reading! (This chapter really isn't like the last one or the past few ones to be exact, but.. idk... I just hope you enjoy, sooo...
I don't own cm
Enjoy!
-LD
There was a loud ringing, but Reid knew it wasn't just from his ears. Reid lifted his head off the steering wheel and dazedly stared straight ahead. The windshield was broken and front end was badly bent. He could hear screaming, but he didn't know from where. It didn't seem real. Did he just do this? Did he really jeopardize innocent lives for the sake of killing one? He looked to his right and saw Prentiss for the first time. He didn't put her in a seatbelt, but it seemed that the airbag was her only line of defense. He could see blood, but he wasn't sure from where.
She seemed unconscious. Maybe dead? Reid shrugged. She was a part of Birsha's plans too. That's why Birsha threatened to hurt her. Birsha knew Reid would find a way to contact her and then they'd be able to track him down.
It was a smart move. It was almost a checkmate, but Reid knew every possible move. He could outsmart the fox when needed. Taking his eyes away from the woman, he carefully opened the door and slid out.
He knew that there was enough chaos to possibly make a run for it, but a part of him wanted to see their reaction when they see Prentiss. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be curious. Someone was trying to talk to him, but he continued past them. He knew they were asking him if he was alright. He looked like he'd been murdered and brought back from the dead.
"Sir!" He heard someone shout at him. It took all he had not to pull out his gun and shoot at the woman.
"Do you need help?" She asked once more. Reid slowly turned and faced her. He saw her take a step back on instinct.
"I need a moment to process what just happened if you don't mind," Reid said in effort to be civilized. He didn't want to draw attention as he left the newly acquired crime scene. Reid turned, but felt the woman grab his wrist. Reid closed his eyes. She's lucky he didn't have an axe. He would definitely hack off her hand at this particular moment.
"You're hurt and covered in blood, I can't let you walk away," She said softly. Reid turned around once more and took a step closer.
"How about you turn around and pretend that you didn't see me. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have too," Reid warned pulling his wrist out of her grip and exiting from the back door before she could say another word.
Reid smirked when he saw a tree line. That's the only place to go given that the gas station was the only building in that area. As quickly as he could without being noticed, he made his way into the line of trees and smiled as he heard running water. He walked forward as he realized that it was a small river. He sighed as he heard the sirens in the background, most likely heading for Prentiss. If Hotch and Rossi are perfectly fine, he knew they'd come into the tree line as well.
Maybe running wasn't an option.
Everywhere he goes, he causes some type of destruction.
He heard a click of a gun.
"Dr. Reid," Came a low warning. Reid smiled and turned around.
"Should I call you Mr. Gideon, or are you a Doctor yourself?" Reid said quirking his eyebrow in amusement.
"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that it's over," Gideon said stepping closer. "This is over," Gideon repeated softly.
Reid looked at the man carefully. The man looked like he cared. Why did this man care about him? He doesn't even remember who this guy is! Sure, there's a sense that he should know who the man is, but he doesn't, and Reid refuses to take that chance.
"Look, I don't know if you're scared or if you've been pushed past your limits. All I know is that you're hurting innocent people. You're hurting people who want to—"
"Want to what? Help me?" Reid snapped as he let out a humorless laugh. "You all keep saying that you want to help me! I know what you're planning! The moment I let my guard down, one of you—hell—all of you, are just going to make things worse."
"Spencer, trust me," Gideon pleaded.
"Yeah, I trusted my father until he walked out. I trusted Birsha until he wanted me dead. I trusted Don and in the end I got played. Why should I trust you? They weren't supposed to be here for this. They came, when I told them not too. The only reason why they came was to kill me, and damn-it, I'm sick of being kicked around by a bunch of men who think that they can control me!" Reid said pulling out his gun and pointing it directly at Gideon.
"Reid, we weren't trying to hurt you. We only wanted to protect you," Gideon tried to reason. He could understand Reid's distrust, but not everyone was out to kill him. Why would he think that? What did Birsha tell this man?
"Protect," Reid scoffed. "I did not want your protection. I don't even know you!"
"Reid you do know me! I'm the reason why you left Birsha. Remember? I'm the agent who told you that you had two choices, prison or join the FBI. You can't take care of your mother if you're in prison, so you came to the FBI," Gideon explained. "I'm Jason Gideon. I was your mentor until I left."
Reid frowned and lowered the gun slightly. Was this really the man who had mentored him? Why didn't he remember him? How could he have missed it? Reid raised the gun once more, taking off the safety.
"You're the reason why my life went from bad to worse. You are the real reason why Birsha lost complete trust of me," Reid said feeling the anger wash back into him. His life wouldn't be perfect in a legal sense, but he knew that things could have been better without Gideon's interference.
"Reid, drop the gun and put your hands up," He heard Hotch's voice ring out. Reid heard the fallen footsteps and could tell the man was coming up from his side. Reid turned and saw Hotch appear from behind a tree. The man looked worn out. Reid smirked as he took in the possibly broken nose that had been tended to as well as the cuts from the glass.
"I should've shot you when I stopped the van," Reid admitted as he looked back at Gideon. How did Gideon find him before Hotch? Where was Rossi?
"Reid, don't make me shoot you," Hotch warned tightening his grip on the gun. Reid smiled playfully.
"Go ahead and shoot me! I don't know how you let me get away so many times. That's not like you," Reid chuckled. "Aaron, I believe you have too much faith in me," Reid admitted.
"You're already hurt. I didn't want to make it worse," Hotch admitted.
"If you don't shoot me, then this will never be over," Reid said quietly.
Hotch frowned and lowered his gun slightly. In a sense it was like Reid was pleading for Hotch to end this. Reid didn't care if he was dead or alive. Reid had finally realized that he was a danger to others.
"Reid, do you understand what you've been doing?" Gideon questioned gently.
Reid nodded slowly.
"I've just been eliminating the threats as they come."
'Maybe not,' Hotch noted.
Reid smiled aiming the gun at Hotch. He'd rather take down the leader versus some washed up agent.
"Reid, drop the gun!" Hotch shouted. He didn't want to do this. He couldn't hurt Reid, and he knew that Reid knew it. Reid is a murderer. He not only killed his enemies, but he also tried to kill his teammates. Hotch rationalized as he thought of Rossi and Prentiss. Who else would have to suffer because of Reid's dramatic personality change? It was like the kid had finally snapped.
"Shoot me Aaron!" Reid shouted angrily.
'Why does he want me to shoot him?' Hotch questioned desperately. It was like two different Reids. One that doesn't want to keep running, and the other who knew this option was tormenting Hotch all along.
He glanced at Reid as the ex-agent sighed in annoyance and Hotch could see in Reid's eyes that he has made up his mind. Reid was going to shoot him. He couldn't shoot at Reid. He was too weak. He could practically see years of friendship, years of mentorship just going down the drain.
It was a simple movement.
But Reid was threat to the population.
Reid warned them.
Hotch fired, breathing heavily as Reid stared at him in shock.
"What?" Reid whispered. "Did you actually miss?" Reid questioned in disbelief.
Hotch lowered his gun. He couldn't shoot at Reid. The kid still had a chance.
"I'm disappointed in you," Reid snapped as he dropped the gun. Hotch stared at him questioningly.
"Come one Hotch, I don't have a bomb strapped to me or anything," Reid said sarcastically as he held up his hands.
"You're giving up?" Gideon asked suspiciously. He didn't peg Reid as the giving up type. He knew Reid would fight until death.
"The fact that you have cops coming up behind me and I believe one of you called Morgan to join us in this pathetic standoff tells me that one of you will have to shoot me. Hotch couldn't do it. Mr. Gideon, I know you can't, so it all depends on Agent Morgan," Reid said turning to his other side as Morgan came from behind trees as well.
"Kid," Morgan said gently. Reid rolled his eyes. None of them would have the will-power to shoot him. He knew the only way to get them off his trail was by letting them get him. Nothing is permanent and he knew he could come back for them at a later date. Hell, he was patient. He waited nearly ten years for Birsha, he didn't mind having to wait another ten years to get the rest of them.
However, despite how much he wanted to get away from them all, he couldn't run anymore. He was tired. He needed a break from the adrenaline. He had to get strength before he even attempted to finish his plan. They trust him. They want him to get better. He's a pretty good actor. All he had to do was try to be the friend they thought they knew. He just had to be the oblivious friend they knew. He still couldn't trust them, but if they didn't expect him to lash out, then he'd have the upper hand. Reid simply fell to the ground. He knew they wouldn't approach them if he was standing upright.
"Dr. Spencer Reid, you are under arrest for the murder of Remo Prigioneiro," Hotch glanced at the Gideon and Morgan unsure if he should step forward. He did and pulled out his handcuffs. "Resisting arrest, unlawful restraint of Dr. Brent by intimidation, and attempted murder of federal agents. You have the right to remain silent anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law—"
"I know my rights," Reid grunted as Hotch forced him up.
"I hope we can work something out," Hotch said quietly, but paused as he noticed the blood on the ground.
"We need a medic," Hotch said to the others and they quickly left to usher the EMTs in. Reid winced from the pain, but it wasn't his main concern. With the newly found distraction, he realized he could still get away, albeit in handcuffs, but it was still possible.
"Reid if you run, there's no promise that a legitimate cop won't shoot you," Hotch warned tightening his grip on the younger man.
"This isn't over," Reid growled.
"It is, Reid. What more are you trying to accomplish. You got Birsha," Hotch said hoping to reason with the boy, but Reid simply held his head low as the dizziness took over once more. 'At least they didn't charge you for theft,' Reid thought absentmindedly.
"Reid, I can defend you on the stand if you let me," Hotch said as they waited for the EMTs. Reid stayed quiet. Hotch hoped Reid didn't feel betrayed by their capturing him. Well, he surrendered, but he was a killer, they had to do their jobs. Reid sighed. He knew that if he never accepted their help, he'd be free. The city police wouldn't be able to keep up with him.
"You're lucky I didn't kill you," Reid said at last. It took Hotch by surprise, but he didn't show it. In fact, it scared him and it definitely hurt to hear Reid say such a thing. It was as if the kid hated them... Him. Hotch shook his head and tried to clear his mind. Reid had got to him once, he wasn't going to allow it once again.
Reid started to sway slightly, and Hotch knew that it wasn't a good sign. Where the hell were the EMTs at? Hotch wondered as he lowered Reid back to the ground. Without a second thought, Hotch focused his attention to the wound that was outright bleeding once again. It seemed that Reid didn't even notice. Hotch pressed down on it and Reid hissed slightly from the pain. Hotch took note that it was actually pretty tender. How good of a vet was that doctor? Hotch wondered as he questioned how much longer Reid could wait. As if on cue, the EMTs finally arrived. Morgan was leading them straight to Reid.
"Hotch, I got him," Morgan said as the EMTs gently pushed Hotch away and lifted Reid onto the stretcher. Before Hotch knew it, Reid and Morgan were headed towards the ambulance.
Morgan watched as the EMTs cut off the handcuffs on Reid's wrists to get Reid flat on his back. It wasn't until they were in the ambulance when Reid truly started to panic once again. He thrashed as they tried to hold him down, spouting off medical jargon that Morgan didn't care to understand. His main focus was on trying to get Reid to pay attention to him, not them, but as they tried to sedate him, Reid was able to grab the syringe and jam it into one of the technician's arms, the woman collapsing immediately.
Reid was saying something, but it wasn't making any sense. Morgan was sure that these people weren't potential unsubs, but then again with Reid, it's hard to know. He tried his best to get Reid to focus on him as the last standing technician tried to control the boy's movements.
"Spencer! Spencer, look at me!" Morgan shouted as he tried to hold Reid's head in his general direction. It seemed that Spencer wasn't having it. He refused any type of help. Morgan couldn't understand what was going on. One second Reid was surrendering, the next he was fighting. Disorganized behavior?
"I don't know if this is shock or a psychotic break," The technician said into some speaker. Morgan looked up at the man in shock, ready to tell him that Reid had a serious concussion. The boy was not crazy. However, as Reid continued to spout out random facts and strange sentences, he wasn't so sure. Morgan was scared, but he kept the fear in the back of his mind. He kept a calm face for Reid, hoping that by seeing him stay calm, Reid would be calm as well.
"What is going on in your head?" Morgan wondered as Reid tried to get away from them both.
"Hey man, why don't you try to strap him in?" The EMT suggested which, Morgan noticed, was in kind of a rude tone.
He didn't want to strap him in. He didn't know what Reid was trying to do, or trying to say. All that he knew was that Reid was here, against his will, and he seemed highly distressed about it. Morgan shook his head. He wasn't going to contribute to anything that might hurt Reid in the long run.
Morgan heard the man sigh loudly as he tried to be discreet and grab another syringe. Morgan forced Reid to look at him. He hoped it'd be long enough to get the technician to sedate the younger man whose eyes showed fear that was never seen before.
"You're not insane," Morgan said to him and for a second, Reid relaxed. In that second, the technician jammed the syringe into Reid's arm and Reid grabbed the man with everything he had, and nearly tossed him to the floor, jumping on him while holding the man's throat. The technician gasped in fear, but Reid had finally collapsed. Morgan moved to the smaller space and pushed Reid off the man, who shakily got up.
"You don't get that every day," The technician admitted as he looked at his fallen comrade and then at the fallen patient. He had to admit, the kid had some fight still left in him.
"Can you help me strap him up?" The technician asked. Morgan nodded, now wishing that he did strap Reid up when the man asked the first time. Morgan didn't think Reid would physically attack the man. They lifted him up and the technician started strapping Reid down almost immediately. The tech didn't want another episode should the kid wake up.
Morgan sighed and sat down on the side seat next to Spencer as the technician started doing whatever it was that he was supposed to do. Morgan felt bad for what was going on with his friend and simply held his hand. It was all he could do at this point.
Hotch and Gideon looked around at the scene back at the gas station. No one had died thankfully, but Prentiss was injured.
"The victim count is rising," Gideon noted, despite the fact that they both knew that fact. "What do you think we should say about this?" He asked.
"What's your idea?" Hotch questioned looking at Gideon carefully.
"Well considering the previous hour or so, Reid didn't have a gun until Prentiss came. So, that was all out of self-defense. I mean for the most part. I'm not sure what to say to that man's overkill. Then we have this," Gideon said glancing around the huge mess. "Spencer's attempt to get rid of Prentiss."
"But why?" Gideon questioned.
"Birsha obviously must have told him that we were also a threat. Think about it, Reid was convinced that we were working for Birsha, and considering how badly he's been hit in the head, he'd believe anything," Hotch explained.
"We can always say that Reid was brainwashed," Gideon offered.
"That won't work too well with the judge," Hotch said with a frown. Spencer Reid had practically put himself in more trouble than they were hoping for.
"Well, at least we have him," Gideon finalized. "He can't hurt anyone else at this point," Gideon admitted with a resigned sigh. They had failed the kid. He had failed Reid. He should've stuck with Birsha's case instead of just moving on. Gideon frowned. If he'd just taken care of business, then Reid wouldn't have felt that he needed to drop everything and find the man himself.
"Neither man can hurt anyone else," Hotch corrected. "Birsha's dead."
Gideon looked at Hotch in surprise. That man was the only way to get Reid out of this trouble! He knew Hotch had every intention of letting the judge know how that man tormented Reid, and he was sure he'd be able to get a confession from Birsha to back him up. Now, it would be a one sided trial, with a good amount of evidence pointing at Reid for tormenting Birsha.
"Let's get to the hospital," Hotch said in defeat. Maybe this was it for Dr. Reid. The young agent appeared to have lost his mind. Hotch knew he could work with the insanity plea. He just had to see Reid.
Rossi and JJ saw Morgan walk into the waiting room. Morgan frowned as he saw the bruises on Rossi. He knew what happened and knew that Rossi didn't want to be asked.
"We found Reid," Morgan sighed.
"Is he alright?" JJ asked. Morgan merely shrugged.
"I don't think he got shot, but he forced a veterinarian to perform surgery on him. Not exactly the safest idea. Rossi probably told you about the accident, but then he crashed into a gas station. Prentiss should be here as well and Reid seemed perfectly fine, but Hotch saw blood and now here we are," Morgan said leaning back into his seat. He didn't bother to explain that Reid went crazy in the ambulance. If no one knew, then maybe it won't end up on Reid's file as well. The nonchalant shrug told Rossi that there was more to the story, but he preferred not to ask when there was a lot people around. It was too early in the morning for all of this, and frankly, he wanted to get Reid, and go home. This was the worst week of his life, and he frowned as he realized that it was only a week. Rossi shook his head. It felt like a month. Eventually Hotch and Gideon joined them and sat down.
"Any word yet?" Hotch asked the three who were already sitting down.
JJ shook her head.
"We didn't hear anything about his arrival until Morgan got here," JJ sighed and closed her eyes.
"He put up a good chase," Rossi commented.
"Hopefully it's over," Morgan groaned.
"What do you mean?" Gideon questioned and Morgan looked at the door before looking back at the team.
"I don't think Spencer is—with—us. I mean, yeah he's alive, but… He seemed a bit… The technician said that Reid was either suffering from shock or a psychotic break. We all know the difference between the two and Reid seemed to be more on the psychological side," Morgan admitted. He was disappointed in himself, but it all seemed right.
"The confusion, violent outbursts, he practically played with our minds," Hotch said with a frown.
"You think?" JJ asked in disbelief.
"Think about it, Reid put a gun to his own head, and not for the first time since this all started. The first time he seemed to be convinced that it was the only way. This time it was the only way for him to get us on an emotional level. He knew that it would distract us from our task. So when he dropped the gun, we were all relieved, meaning we let down our guard," Rossi explained.
"And that's when he took off. When he knew he had us where he wanted us," Hotch finished.
"He played us like a chess game, and he would've won if those men hadn't shot at him, hence putting us on his trail," Gideon said with a small sense of pride. Spencer has come a long way. The boy didn't remember him, but Gideon knew that either way, Reid handled himself in a way he's never seen before.
"So… What now? I mean, what are we going to do about him?" Morgan questioned.
"What do you think we should do?" Rossi asked raising an eyebrow. Morgan thought for a second.
"Can one of us just take him in and watch him? Maybe he can go to anger management classes," Morgan suggested. It seemed better than jail, and he didn't mind locking Reid up in his house. Clooney could use the extra company.
"Morgan as much as we would all love that plan, we know the judge won't let him off that easy," Hotch said tiredly.
"Hopefully he or she will just get Reid on house arrest. I mean, it's a first time crime. He's never—" JJ frowned. "Nevermind, he has..."
"Guys, I have Garcia looking for loopholes in the system. I am going to defend Reid, once I talk to him and let him know what's going on," Hotch frowned as he remembered Reid's words.
"You're lucky I didn't kill you."
For some reason it was like Reid was a whole different person. The Reid they were used to would be terrified of this situation. This Reid was more comfortable with the violence. There wasn't much control. Reid couldn't control his anger when he was in… Survival mode? Hotch frowned, he knew that he was onto something, but his mind couldn't figure it out at that moment.
"Did anyone hear about Prentiss?" Morgan asked. He hoped she was alright. He knew Reid did a number on her without physically touching her. That was the only reason Morgan didn't tackle Reid the minute he saw the man. Reid still had some morals.
"Well, the doctor said she just hit her head pretty hard. Maybe some bruised ribs and a bloody nose. If the wall had been stronger, then they were positive that she wouldn't have been as lucky as she was," Rossi answered. Morgan nodded slowly and Hotch frowned. He was sure that Reid would trust Prentiss the most out of all of them.
"She might come out early considering how much she's going to fight with them," JJ smiled slightly.
"Hopefully," Hotch responded.
Suddenly, a doctor came out and they all faced her. That was rather quick.
"Dr. Reid?" She called out.
JJ was the first one moving towards her.
"Yeah, we're his family," JJ said quickly ignoring the expression the doctor had about her lie. The doctor sighed and closed her eyes. Each member felt their stomach drop. Reid couldn't have died. He seemed almost perfectly fine, in a physical sense. Morgan shook his head. That was a lie.
"Um, hello, my name is Dr. Alexis Smith," She said shaking each member's hands.
"Um, Agents Hotchner, Rossi, Gideon, Morgan, and I'm JJ," JJ responded quickly.
"Doc, what's wrong with Spencer?" Morgan asked tired of the stalling. He needed to know.
"I'd prefer if we sat down and had a discussion about what had happened," She sighed. None of the profilers missed her use of past tense. She gestured for them to follow her and they did so, numbly. Why couldn't she just tell him that Reid didn't make it? It would be easier than this soft heart to heart limbo she was putting them through. Finally they reached a room. It contained a long table, as if they were in a room for a meeting.
They all frowned.
"One second, but have a seat," She said as she walked away.
They all sat down except for Morgan who wasn't ready to sit down just yet. How does she expect them to just "sit down" when she obviously didn't have the guts to break the news to them? She probably went to go get someone else who was better at their job than she was.
"Morgan," Hotch called after him. Watching the man pace back and forth was making him worry a bit more than he was letting on.
"Hotch," Morgan said back continuing his pace.
"Morgan please sit down and try to calm yourself," Hotch said gently, but Morgan wasn't having any of it.
"I can't sit down knowing that my friend is probably next to that son of a bitch in the morgue. It's been less than an hour since Reid got here. You can't tell me that they didn't save him!" Morgan shouted, but the door opened once more and a couple of doctors walked in followed by Dr. Smith.
"Please Agent Morgan, feel free to sit down," Dr. Smith said carefully. He was starting to scare her slightly, but she tried to be understanding. He was worried about what they were going to tell them.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Kenneth Bradley," a balding man stated as he pushed up his glasses.
"And I'm Dr. Gwen Mitchel," An older lady smiled kindly.
The team noted that both Dr. Mitchel and Dr. Bradley had an air of importance. Not anyone famous per-say, but for this hospital.
"What is this about?" JJ questioned. She never liked waiting. She just wanted to get to the point. Never before were they greeted with two doctors.
"Well," Dr. Bradley started while sitting down along with the other two doctors. "I'm am the Director of the Psychiatric Care Unit for this hospital and I am personally here to tell you my concerns for your… friend," He said carefully.
Gideon looked at the other two women. Why were they here? Sensing the unspoken question, Dr. Mitchel spoke up.
"I'm with the neurological department, and I disagree with Dr. Bradley. We are hoping to speak with you or perhaps family on where we should direct our efforts to help Dr. Reid," She explained.
"I'm just Dr. Reid's physician if he were to survive and be admitted for a while," Dr. Smith assured. The team nodded slowly. Morgan finally sat down.
"So, Spencer isn't dead?" Morgan asked carefully.
"Well, he's back in surgery. We have a surgeon, um, checking Dr. Brent's work. We were told that he had this done by a veterinarian?" Dr. Smith questioned.
"Yes, he did," Hotch answered, but they all relaxed slightly at the good news. The question is, what is going on with the kid's head that called for the directors to show up.
"Enlighten me on what's going on with Spencer Reid," Rossi said carefully. He was watching them closely. There was enough people working for Birsha and he didn't want to end up shooting the doctors just to keep the kid alive.
"I was told that Dr. Reid may have attacked a few people when he was captured by Mr. Prigioneiro," Dr. Bradley said carefully. "This event is called a stressor and when stressors—"
"Doc, please. We know about stressors. What do you think is wrong with him?" Gideon interrupted.
"I think Dr. Reid is suffering from a case of psychosis. I don't know which type just yet, but I think he needs help. Not physical help, mental help," Dr. Bradley said quickly.
"He took one look at Dr. Reid's file and is probably thinking that Dr. Reid is a schizophrenic," Dr. Mitchel argued ignoring the man rolling his eyes at her. "I think it's more physiological, than psychological. The major concussions, the loss of blood, and I noticed that he even had evidence of malnutrition," She snapped.
"Lack of self-care is a symptom for psychosis, delayed treatment for a concussion can lead to mental illness. I think everything that has happened to him, has finally caught up to him," Dr. Bradley argued once more.
"Reid isn't schizophrenic. He's past the age group," Morgan said against Dr. Bradley's suggestion.
"Many mental illnesses don't appear until the patient is in their twenties and even thirties. I'm not saying he has schizophrenia, but maybe something else. I can figure it out when he's able to communicate," Dr. Bradley explained.
"Why are you two arguing about Dr. Reid as if he was a science experiment? Shouldn't you guys just try to figure out what's wrong with him and try to help him?" JJ asked looking between the two doctors.
"Yes, that's exactly what they should be doing. We aren't going to choose which one of you seem right. Just do your jobs and figure it out. Dr. Reid has a lot going on once he gets better and I'd prefer it if he was in his right mind," Hotch said standing up and walking out.
"You know you're in deep shit when Agent Hotchner has to exclude himself from the room," Morgan mumbled as he too left the room.
JJ sat there rubbing her temples to try and will away the impending headache from all this stress. Rossi was rather amused at the classic case of knowledge superiority. It was pretty obvious that those two doctors must be some sort of rivals. Gideon just sat there in thought. He was wondering how the doctors even knew that Reid wasn't acting right. That's not something they've shared with anyone.
Dr. Smith, who has been extremely quiet, nearly jumped as her pager went off and the team members looked at her curiously.
"I believe Dr. Reid is out of surgery," She said standing up. The other two doctors stood up as well.
"I suggest you stay," Rossi warned to the two argumentative doctors. Rossi wasn't sure how Hotch or Reid would react to those two fighting over him. If Reid was truly crazy, then it wouldn't end very well. Hotch on the other hand, may treat them the same way he dealt with Foyet. That wasn't very pretty as well. The two doctors sat back down as Dr. Smith quickly left the room.
JJ hoped that it wasn't serious.
"If it was physical," JJ pondered aloud, "What could that mean for Spence?" She asked.
"Well, we do everything we can to help him heal, and hopefully the effects would wear off," Dr. Mitchel explained. "I think he needed automatic attention with the concussions," She added.
"So, are you saying that if he got the help earlier, then Birsha probably wouldn't have been murdered in such a brutal way," Rossi questioned leaning forward. This is the information he would need to be sent to Hotch.
"It is possible that the lack in treatment has definitely played a huge role with what happened between Dr. Reid and Mr. Prigioneiro. There wasn't that much information in the chart of how Dr. Reid has been acting recently, but if we can somehow get it, then we can try to figure out how much his injuries has aided in his judgmental abilities," Dr. Mitchel explained. JJ looked up in slight hope. Could that be Reid's way out of trouble?
"But if he did have a mental disorder, Dr. Bradley, how do you think it had affected him in this situation?" Gideon asked as well.
"Well, if it's psychiatric, then his attacks on others were possibly delusional. He couldn't control his actions because he whole-heartedly saw them as a threat. Nothing in his file shows that he's a psychopath, but the amount of people who have been affected by Dr. Reid all has said that at first he seemed okay, but then he'd jump into an angry outburst. Maybe he's paranoid," Dr. Bradley suggested.
Gideon nodded in thought. They could definitely play the insanity plea either way it went. However, what would it mean for Dr. Reid's future? Gideon didn't like the thought of Reid being forced into a room next to his mother. It was an insane thought.
"You guys know he's legally a murderer, right?" JJ asked. She didn't really like the doctors' fascination with Spencer, but she didn't want to be upfront with how she felt.
"Yes, we do know. We understand that he may end up in prison or with the criminally insane, but I think this is probably good for future science in the medical field," Dr. Mitchel said as Dr. Bradley nodded in agreement.
Gideon frowned. They were using Spencer for their own research. 'Selfish,' He thought with a grimace. Dr. Smith finally walked back into the room, Hotch, Morgan, and surprisingly Prentiss, joined her as well.
"Well, Dr. Brent did a pretty good job on Dr. Reid. He didn't get everything, but he got enough. There was some internal bleeding, but the surgeon had fixed that right up. However, the surgeon was worried about Dr. Reid's head. They ran a CAT scan and saw that he did have a fracture in his skull, as well as his hands. They had put him on some stronger antibiotics, slightly in fear of his previous surgeries, but it seems that those injuries weren't bothered, much to everyone's surprise," Dr. Smith paused to allow them to take in the information. "Now, Dr. Reid did lose a lot of blood and they did a blood transfusion while they completed the surgery. However there might be a single problem," She said gently.
All the profilers felt their stomachs drop once again. How much more could be wrong with the kid?
"What is it?" Morgan asked urgently.
"He might not be too…" She was searching for the word. "Comfortable," She offered.
"Is he awake?" JJ asked her eyes widening with a bit of hope.
"The nurse is waking him up," Dr. Smith answered. "Would you guys like to see him? I suggest you try not to overwhelm him. I heard he's been a little feisty on the way in," She chuckled. Rossi looked at Morgan in confusion. Morgan merely shrugged. He still didn't want to elaborate.
Everything was a blur. It was like he was floating in a fog. He felt slower. Slower than before. He was not too pleased with it either.
He wasn't sure where he was, but as he tried to move his hands it was cut short.
"W-what?" He whispered quietly as he attempted to move his hands once more. They weren't moving that far. He looked down at his wrists and saw that he was handcuffed to the hospital bed. He noticed that his hands were wrapped as well. Reid frowned in disappointment. It was not a dream. He was arrested. He was going to jail. He had killed Birsha, and aided in the death of two more people.
'They deserved it,' He reminded himself. 'You did what you had to do,' Reid smirked as he remembered the anger on Birsha's face as he literally ripped his life away from him, hour by hour. He remembered the face the "cop" made as he stood over him right before he put a bullet between his eyes. He loved how he scared the other "cop" with his merciless laugh. He was sure that whoever survived would spread the news. He shouldn't have many threats after this. There was a slight knock on the door, snapping Reid from his pleasurable thoughts. He waited until some lady walked in. He guessed it was the physician.
A moment later, his former team walked in, including his "not" replacement. The guy was pretty old. 'Probably a seasoned profiler,' Reid guessed as he remembered what the man had told him.
"Hey Kid," Morgan greeted with a sad smile. Reid simply stared at the man. He didn't like the pitiful looks he was getting.
"Reid, we need to talk," Hotch said realizing that Reid wasn't going to say a word.
"About what?" Reid gritted out. He was already arrested. What more did they want? A confession?
"About what happened."
Yup they wanted a confession.
"What do you want me to say?" Reid said in exasperation. They were messing with his free time to think. He was allowed to get a phone call, can he do that instead talking to them?
"I can defend you," Hotch offered gently. "You won't get hammered as bad if you let me handle the case," Hotch explained. The team was nodding excitingly behind him.
"When is this so called trial?" Reid asked as he felt the fog get thicker.
"We don't know yet," Hotch answered truthfully, "But we can prepare for everything."
It seemed promising. Reid knew that he really wouldn't get in as much trouble if Hotch took over. Hotch was a smart man. Hotch knew the law almost as if he had an eidetic memory. That is what gave him an edge as a Unit Chief. He knew his loopholes around the regulations. Lawyers are the most conniving, manipulative, people you can meet. After politicians of course. Then again, he tried to kill them all. Why were they so willing to help him?
"Reid. Hotch is right," Morgan said confusing Reid's silence for him actually thinking against the idea.
"Of course Hotch is right," Reid agreed slowly. The team felt their hope grow just a bit more. Maybe Reid was back. Maybe he was just tired.
"But, I don't want your help. Thank you for the offer though. I'll represent myself," Reid shrugged. He knew it wasn't the best option. He knew the odds were stacked against him, but… he did kill a man, and so he deserved punishment as well. No point in arguing against it. Reid chuckled at the irony. Everyone always liked how good of a negotiator he was. He always aimed to be fair. He cared about the victims and he cared about the unsubs. If a situation gets tough, he had the power of knowledge and words to back him. He didn't want to give himself an advantage that others didn't have, so why not just handle it the way he knew best.
"Spence, you should think about this," JJ tried seeing the desperate look cross her teammates' faces.
"I'm tired of thinking," Reid mumbled much to their surprise once more. Why was he being so stubborn? It doesn't have to be this way.
"Kiddo, you're trying to push us away, why," Rossi pointed out and Reid tried to push through the restraints once more.
"I don't regret what I did. None of it. If I had a choice, I'd do it over and over again," Reid said coldly. "Okay? I'm a cold blooded killer. Go back to your lives, case solved," Reid said before staring back at the ceiling. He didn't need their help with the trial. Either he goes to jail or not. Simple as that. There's no point in hoping for the best. Reid smiled. Who knows what it'd be like this time around? He wondered if he could go back to Ohio. He'd have to put it on his request form. Who knows, the judge might agree.
"Reid, are you sure this is what you want?" Prentiss questioned ignoring the fact that a couple hours ago he was trying to kill her. She had to make sure. She didn't want to force their help on him even though she was five seconds away from drugging him and trying to kidnap him. She had some friends in London. They can keep him there until they found another way to get Reid off those charges.
She wasn't afraid to use those methods.
"Yes I'm sure. I'm sorry for disappointing you," He said. He knew he should've waited until they were alone, but he was positive that there wouldn't be another time to talk before Prentiss left. He heard her sigh, but he didn't want to look at her expression. He made up his mind. There's no changing it.
"Reid, they might put you on the insanity plea," Hotch tried desperately. He knew Reid didn't want to be thought of as insane. Reid whole-heartedly believed he was perfectly fine. Maybe then, Reid might just ask for help. Hotch knew Reid didn't want to end up in an asylum.
"It's okay, I'll dispute that. I knew what I was doing, and you know what? I was enjoying it," Reid said with a thoughtful expression. "You guys should really go. Stop dwelling on my behalf. You guys kept me company, and that's all I could ask for. So thanks," Reid lied hoping they'd leave, but for some reason they weren't. Reid wasn't in the mood to deal with their indignant attitudes. He knew Morgan would be angry, JJ would be sad, Prentiss would accept his decision despite being against it, Hotch would probably manipulate the whole scenario, Rossi would try to pay his way out of it, Garcia would cry, and the new guy… Well, he just seemed pretty weird. He wouldn't worry about him. They were all threats anyways. They were just pretending.
Reid knew he might be able to break out. It also felt good to not be on the run anymore. He sighed. Why couldn't he make up his mind? Frustrated and rather annoyed with himself Reid huffed.
"Leave," Reid demanded in a quiet voice.
Morgan was the first to leave, being the angriest. Morgan knew he couldn't get riled up around Reid. The rest continued to stand there.
"Please?" Reid said hoping they would listen. Hotch knew Reid had made up his mind, but it didn't mean he was going to give up. Reid was probably still drugged from the anesthesia that was given to him. Maybe when the fog clears up Reid might accept their help. Hotch hoped the doctors could figure out what is going on with Reid, before the boy ruins his life.
"Guys, let's go," Hotch finally said as he walked out. Rossi and JJ were right behind him. Prentiss and Gideon lingered. However, Gideon knew that Reid still didn't remember him. It was disappointing, but it may only be temporary. He'd visit the kid sometime. Gideon slowly walked out.
Prentiss walked closer to Reid and gave him a look.
"Don't give me that look," Reid groaned.
"What look?" Prentiss asked feigning innocence.
"You're giving me that look that says, 'You're being an idiot,'" Reid stated.
"You don't say," Prentiss joked half-way.
Reid nodded slowly.
"I am doing the right thing, you know," Reid muttered. "I did kill him and it would be selfish of you guys to try and treat me differently than the other killers out there. After all, they had families that didn't want them to go," Reid said softly. "Besides, I enjoyed what I did. It's like a part of me got off on killing them…" Reid frowned. "Not like that though. That's sort of sick. Anyways, I tried to kill you and just about everyone else except for Morgan and JJ," Reid said softly.
"I guess you're right," Prentiss agreed awkwardly. In a way, she forgave him. She knew he wasn't there. She knew he'd have to get better. "Something tells me not to worry though," Prentiss admitted.
"You shouldn't," Reid agreed. Prentiss nodded and grabbed his hand. Reid wanted to pull away, but there was no point. He was practically restrained. He'd just have ignore the automatic urge.
"You're not a baby, although one baby would miss you very much," Prentiss said raising an eyebrow.
"I'll call as often as I can. Henry might like that," Reid said slowly. He felt horrible. He's just like his father, except he wasn't exactly a father and his father wasn't a murderer.
"He would," Prentiss agreed.
"You should go," Reid urged. He knew she was subtly trying to make him feel guilty. Make him realize the things he would be sacrificing. He had just accepted his fate. He didn't want any more thoughts coming to his head. He needed to get his head on straight, before he ends up killing one of those evil doctors. He was still a bit leery about them. Something didn't seem right.
"Alright Dr. Reid. I'll see you on trial," Prentiss smirked.
"Maybe," Reid agreed not promising anything. Prentiss noticed his play of words, but didn't say anything. Hopefully the psychiatrist can put him back together again. Hopefully the concussion heals up nicely. Maybe Reid could still be Reid. He just needed time, and she was sure that he had plenty of that before he is sent to prison. Reid gave her a lopsided grin, and she knew he might just be fine.
The moment she left the room, his smile was gone and his face hardened. He couldn't trust them. They were all too caring. They wanted him to give them his power to speak. His power against the judge. He pulled at the restraints as a balding man entered the room. Reid's eyes widened in fear. He had to get away. They were going to poison him! He could hear the heart monitor beeping rapidly as the man grabbed a syringe and measured out some liquid.
"Don't do this," Reid said quickly as the panic washed over him. The man gave him a small smile as he pushed the syringe into his IV. Reid automatically felt his heart slow down as well as his breathing.
"It will help you get better," The man said in a calm voice.
"Yeah okay," Reid mumbled sarcastically as his eyes closed.
Prentiss finally joined the rest of the team. Her head was aching and she felt like she was giving Reid to the state. They only wanted to run tests on him as JJ pointed out. Why would they want to do that? She watched as Hotch got off the phone and semi-limped towards them. She knew he was trying his best to cover it up, but someone had definitely did a number on the agent.
"Prentiss can I have a word with you?" Hotch questioned sharply. Prentiss didn't like that tone. She knew it was serious. She nodded and walked with him until they were a safe distance from the team.
"What is it Hotch?" She questioned.
"Those cops that were working for Birsha," Hotch started. "You did shoot at them in effort to protect Reid, am I correct?" Hotch asked his eyes watching hers carefully. Prentiss nodded with a frown. What was going on?
"Don't tell me that there were more Hotch," Prentiss groaned. Were they going to try to find every dirty cop? Or was Hotch just asking her so he'd have a witness for Reid's trial.
"Prentiss those cops were innocent. They had nothing to do with Birsha. There was no link whatsoever between the two. You and Reid shot at law enforcement," Hotch said strictly. "I need to know why so I can cover you," Hotch finished.
"Reid told me that they were with Birsha. He seemed dead serious, I couldn't help but believe him. I mean they did shoot at me before I even took out my weapon. Not to mention that they did beat me," Prentiss said putting her hands on her hips. This is worse than what she had originally thought. Killing clean cops wouldn't look good for Reid, and now her!
"Reid thought they were with Birsha," Hotch reinstated. Prentiss nodded.
"Reid truly believed that they were sent from Birsha. Reid told me that Birsha had people who were to come if Birsha didn't get back to them," Prentiss admitted. "Reid truly believed it was those cops and I truly believed Reid."
"Reid truly believed that they were with Birsha," Hotch mumbled and Prentiss nodded once more.
"Reid told me that we were working for Birsha as well. In my opinion, Reid believes everyone is working for Birsha," Prentiss admitted.
"He's delusional," Hotch muttered. "I think that deep down these events had affected Reid more than he probably realized. He's hyper-vigilant, aggressive, unstable, and then there's the confusion. I'll have Reid given a psych eval," Hotch finalized.
"Reid will see right through that," Prentiss disagreed with Hotch's plan.
"Not if we can get someone he does trust to assess him," Hotch explained.
"Who? Reid's schizophrenic mother?" Prentiss questioned in a deadpan voice.
"Yes," Hotch agreed as he pulled out his phone to make another phone call. Prentiss sighed and headed back towards the team. Just when she thought it was over, there was something else. Now she may be an accomplice to Reid's murder if Hotch can't win with a simple report.
She sighed once more and sat down, ignoring the team's questionable expressions.
Like I mentioned before, it really is winding down! (I didn't want Reid to get shot anymore, so why not just have him ridicule Hotch sort of!)
I know I didn't have Reid acting too insane either! lol (I had a reason for that.. But I think it was pretty obvious..)
Anyways, about two more chapters left (Maybe three, if I can't get to the point...)
Thanks again for just simply reading!
I know this is sooo long...
Thanks DaggerStar for the exciting review! I'm glad you really enjoyed the last chapter lol!
Have a nice day/ night!
Bye!
