Thanks!
Chapter Three:
Prentiss watched Reid finish his paperwork on the case. He was moving slower than usual.
Rossi appeared in her doorway.
"Are you worried about him?" he asked as he closed the door behind him.
"He has been through so much in the last couple of months."
"There is something sad about him lately."
"It didn't help that Max cut things off after she lost her father to Covid. Cat Adams is still causing problems from beyond the grave."
There was a knock on her door.
"Come in," Prentiss said.
J.J. appeared, looking shaken.
"The roof at my mom's house fell in. She said she didn't get hurt, but the attic was where she kept my sister's things."
"Go," Prentiss said. "Keep me updated."
"Will do."
Rossi shook his head. "Bad news comes in buckets around here."
Prentiss saw Reid give J.J. a quick hug before coming in.
"I finished all my paperwork," he said. "Can I leave early?"
"You leave early?" Rossi said. "Don't give me a heart attack son."
"I have final paper revisions to go over," he said.
"By all means," Prentiss said.
She noticed Reid shiver slightly.
"Are you sure you're, okay?"
"It's going to take a couple of hot showers after plunging into freezing water. I'll be fine."
"Have fun with the students," Rossi said.
"Bye guys," Reid said and left.
Rossi and Prentiss exchanged a look. They hoped he was okay.
…
Visions of his mother flashed before Reid's eyes.
"I want to go home!" she wailed. "I want to go home. Dad will be mad if I don't come home to make the Christmas rolls as mom always burns them. LET ME GO HOME!"
Reid shook the thought away as he unlocked his office. There was something reflecting light from the window to his chair. He turned on the light. It was a large gift-wrapped box.
"My team," he said with a sigh. Unwrapping the box, he found another toy.
It was a stuffed remote-control dog. It had blonde fur like the dog he loved when he was growing up. The Brown's dog always got away and wanted to be petted by Reid and appeared to look at what he was reading.
Reid petted the stuffed dog and put it under his desk before a student saw him with it.
"Hey, Dr. Reid."
Tom Bray, a lazy student of his, appeared.
"No extensions," he said automatically.
"But my ass is getting kicked at work, it's the busy time at my job."
"Tom, I gave out due dates for assignments in the syllabus. You've had plenty of time to prepare."
"I didn't know your class would be so hard."
Reid stared at him. "That's your best reason?"
"Scrooge," he said and stomped out.
He refused to let the comment get to him. Getting insulted by students was common. It just took getting used to.
Janean Murphy, a colleague of his appeared.
"Extension begging is in full force," she said with a sigh.
"I know."
"We're having a grade-a-thon session next Friday at Mac's house if you're game. There will be plenty of coffee, wi-fi, and Charlotte's baking cookies."
"Thank you for offering, but I never know when I'll be assigned to a case, and my mom's health, and I don't want to—"
"I'll put you down for a maybe," she said. "Dr. Reid, I know these last few months have been tough. You're going to need to let others in eventually."
Janean was had lost her wife recently to cancer. She understood. Still, Reid wasn't ready to show vulnerability. No to these people.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Friday, six o'clock, fourteen Miller Road," she said with a smile and left.
Reid looked at the dog under his desk. Childish things didn't offer him the comfort he needed. He sat down and checked his school email for the latest pleas for extensions.
…
Something was off ten minutes before class started. Neveah Evans, his brightest student, wasn't present. She was always early and had already turned in the final paper. There were defensive wounds on her wrists and face she tried to hide with makeup. Reid offered to get her help, but she refused.
Reid waited five more minutes.
He waved Shawn, his student assistant forward. Reid sent a quick email to him.
"Review these concepts with the class while I'm gone," he said.
"Is something wrong Dr. Reid?"
"I don't know."
Reid left the lecture hall and quickened his pace. Running would cause panic. He went to the Escher dorm suites for upperclassmen where Neveah stayed.
He rang the bell for the RA. Reid flashed his FBI credentials. The guy let him in.
"Take me to Neveah Even's dorm room," he said.
"She's in room 105. I'll get the key."
Reid walked up to the dorm in the meantime. It was decorated with butterflies. He knew her roommate had gone home early as she was in Janean's class. Pressing his ear to the door, he could hear whimpering.
The RA appeared with the keys. He unlocked the door.
"Stay here," he ordered.
Neveah was on the floor naked bleeding from her stomach with a stocking gag in her mouth.
"Call nine-one-one," he shouted to the RA.
Reid grabbed a blanket and covered her chest. He took a blouse and bunched it into her stomach wound.
The toilet flushed. A young man with rage in his eyes appeared. He pulled out a switchblade charged towards Reid.
Glass shattered. Reid couldn't believe what he was seeing: A reindeer knocked the man to the ground. The blade fell out of his grip and Reid caught it. The door flew open and campus police came in. The reindeer ran through the open door.
"It must have gotten away from the petting event by the student union," an officer said.
A cop took over holding on to the wound. Another arrested the man.
Reid got up shakily.
"Dr. Reid."
He turned.
Neveah was staring at him.
"Thank you."
"Save your breath Neveah," he said in an assuring tone. "It's going to be okay."
He left the room. He saw an officer with a higher-ranking badge.
"I assume you would like a statement," he said.
"You know the drill, Dr. Reid," he said. "Though I've never written about reindeer in a report."
"I've been seeing a lot of weird things lately."
"Tis the season."
"Tis the season indeed."