A/N: The next few chapters are going to be a little fun (for me, at least. I can't say the same for Spencer, though…). *maniacal grin*

Chapter 5

This wasn't good. They hadn't had a case in weeks, but now of all times is when some killer decides to come out to play? Reid was not a superstitious or particularly paranoid person (when healthy, that is), but he was tempted to believe that the universe hated him even more than he hated himself. He can't handle a case, not now. Not when he was having this much trouble focusing on regular paperwork. Not when he still had his daily routine he needed to follow in order to lose 'x' amount of kilograms each day (the number changed so frequently, Reid had to use a variable, rather than an actual number). No, not when he still has work to do. What would happen if he had to chase the UnSub? There's no way Reid would be able to catch him (or her…or did the team already rule that out? Why couldn't he remember?) when he was still in such a pitiful state. He wasn't ready yet. But, then again, it was his job to be ready to leave at any time. He always has to be ready. Serial killers aren't going to wait until he's ready and neither should he.

Reid turned his head to look out the plane window as he tried desperately to stifle a yawn. He failed—horribly—which only set forth another stream of self-deprecating thoughts. He watched the clouds, with a conflicting mind—one part trying to calculate the current wind speed based on the rate of the clouds versus the rate of the plane, one part completely incapable of producing any information at all, and a third part that begged helplessly for rest. As he watched the clouds, he felt his eyes slowly grow narrower and narrower…

NO! He had to stay awake. He had to be at his best for this case. 'This case…' He took a deep breath and tried to remember everything he could about what the team had said in the conference room and during the first part of the flight.

He leaned back in his seat and only then noticed how badly his leg was shaking. He realized that it wasn't just his leg; his entire body was trembling. He tried to control himself, which did little to help. 'Iron deficiency…' he thought absent-mindedly. 'I'll have to remember to find supplements for iron.' He zipped his jacket to its highest point. It isn't usually this cold on the flight. Is the heating not working? Why doesn't anyone else seem bothered by it?

'No, focus! I need to think about the case. I need to find a way to be more useful. I need to remember… This case…is in Nebraska. What city? It's…along the state border…I…think. What was said during the debriefing? Over the course of five weeks, there have been twelve victims. Cause of death? Drowning. No, no… Strangulation.' Reid was too busy focusing on the details of the case to notice he had shut his eyes. 'All the victims were female, blonde, between the ages of 21 and 34. This definitely rules out the possibility of a female UnSub. The UnSub most likely receives sexual satisfaction from the strangulation. He likes to feel dominant, in control. Perhaps he had a blonde girlfriend or wife who took that power away from him. The UnSub is probably using these women as a way to fulfill his fantasy of overpowering the one who took away his control. Eventually, these women won't be enough. He will have to go after the object of his obsession. When that happens…..'

All of his thoughts were stopped as he fell into an unexpected slumber.

His co-workers watched him cautiously but critically. Even in his sleep, he still showed obvious signs of stress and anxiety. Everyone noticed the way his frail body shook, how pale he was, how…skinny. It made them worry, it made a few nearly tear up, and—as in Derek's case—it was even infuriating. The sight was too much for any of them to look at, but none was able to look elsewhere.

J.J. moved from her seat near Reid to come closer to the team. She looked back at Reid once more to be sure he was asleep before whispering to the rest of the team "So…what do you guys think is going on with Reid?"

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little short, but I didn't want to add the next chapter to it; I wanted that to be its own chapter. But, lucky for you, I decided to upload both chapters at the same time. This story is about to get interesting and there will be more team involvement in the next few chapters.

REVIEW RESPONSES:

M3Waddict: It's funny you say that, because immediately after I posted the chapter, I wondered the same thing. :D Great minds? I think so.

gardenflower: hey, I just wanted to thank you for the review. Stay tuned!

aspiegiraffe: As I look at your username, I go "wait, isn't that…?" I really like your story Not Okay ; I originally read it on AO3(anyone else reading this should check it out). I know this may seem a bit hypocritical of me, but…are you planning on updating soon? And I'm a little flattered you like my story since so much inspiration for it is due to stories like yours. It's stories like yours that got me hooked on this kind of fanfiction. And because of this addiction, I decided to write my own when I had read them all. There really isn't enough of these type fanfiction (self-harm, eating disorders, etc), so I wanted to help people like me who crave them by giving them another story to feed on. I'm also hoping that it will inspire other readers to write more. (It's no fun reading my own story.)
Okay, I digress. About Reid and Morgan sharing a room: I hadn't originally thought about that. At first, Reid was going to have a room to himself. But, yes, I can put them in a room together (especially since you asked). Though, don't count on any slash (but if used your imagination, I'm sure you could find it).

Couragexoxo: LOL! Why do I suddenly feel like I got caught doing something I'm not supposed to? Wow, no reviewer has ever scolded me before. It's funny; when you left that reviewed, I had JUST finished this chapter. I actually considered uploading it right away because of your review, but I forced myself not to so I could upload both chapters at once.
(Seriously, when I look at your review, I'm not sure whether to laugh or hide somewhere).