A/N: Not uploading for a while, since I've begun freelance writing for a bit of cash.

Enjoy! (…or don't…)

Chapter 14:

"Missing?" Rossi questioned. "How the hell can he be missing?" A few feet away, Morgan dialed the number to Reid's cell phone and anxiously put the phone to his ear, hoping to hear a voice from the other side of it.

"You have my sincerest apologies, agents," Dr. Louis said calmly. "Dr. Reid must have slipped away at some point when a nurse was not present in the room."

"What kind of hospital is this where anyone can just disappear without being noticed?" Rossi seethed.

"I've had enough of this," Morgan mumbled angrily as he put his phone away and approached the doctor. "Listen, that agent who was in there is my best friend, and for the past few months, I've been watching him change into something I can barely even recognize. I don't know what's going on inside his head, but I do know that he needs help. So, please, is there anything you can tell us that will let us help him?"

Dr. Louis swallowed uneasily. "Yes. And I admire your dedication to your friend. I think we should all go some place more private to talk. If you'll follow me, agents." Dr. Louis led the five agents into an empty break room around the corner. He let each of them enter before shutting the door behind them. He motioned for them to take a seat, but they all opted to stand and stare at him instead. "Let's get right down to it." The doctor said with a sigh.

"Is he using?" J.J. asked abruptly.

"I'm sorry?" The sudden question took the doctor by surprise.

"When he was examined, were there any drugs found in his system?" J.J. felt the team's eyes on her, and she faced them. "I can't wait around and keep guessing forever. I need to know." A few team members lightly nodded their heads in agreement.

"To answer your question, no, we did not find any evidence of drug use." The team stared at him, wide-eyed.

"You're positive?" Hotch asked as he felt his chest become heavier. If not drugs, then what?

"One hundred percent." Dr. Louis, sensing the confusion and unease among the agents, allowed them a moment to soak in that information before continuing. "But we did find alarming evidence of something as bad, and possibly even worse, than drug usage."

Rossi began to feel a cold sweat run down his spine, and he could see a few others swallowing nervously. He would rather take a psychopathic killer any day over this suspense. "Go on."

"When Dr. Reid came here, he was extremely malnourished. His glucose levels were exceedingly lower than they should be. He lacked pigment in his skin, signaling a deficiency in sodium as well as other essential minerals. He suffered from muscle depletion and an extreme lack of fat, which, given his physique, can be deadly. He also showed obvious signs of severe sleep deprivation. All of this, among other things we discovered, suggest that Dr. Reid has not been eating—most likely for weeks, if not more. Can you verify that your friend has been eating less than normal?"

"Yes." Hotch answered simply.

"I don't think I can even remember the last time he had an actual, decent meal." Prentiss spoke somewhat softly.

"He's never been the best eater," J.J. commented. "But now…"

"Agents," Dr. Louis softened his voice a bit and gave them a sympathetic look. "You are an intelligent, well-educated group. You specialize in matters of the mind." He hesitated as he chose his next words, bringing his voice to nearly a whisper. "I would find it rather hard to believe that none of you at least have an idea of what is happening to your friend."

The air hung thick in the room. Every agent had a deep chill within them as they felt their breathing shallow. The sound of footsteps going passed the room could be heard for a moment, then everything was silent. Blaringly silent.

"No," J.J. insisted, only slightly cutting into the tense atmosphere. "Reid's smart—a genius, in fact. He wouldn't do that. He knows the risks, he…he just wouldn't…."

"I'm going to try his cell again," Morgan declared, whipping out his phone and hitting #3 on his instant dial.

"Agents," Dr. Louis responded in a calm manner. "I know this must be difficult to accept, but, as Agent Morgan mentioned, Dr. Reid needs help."

"Damn it," Morgan whispered. He released a long sigh before calling again.

"There are a number of programs and guides for how to—"

"REID!" Everyone immediately snapped their heads around to where Morgan was standing. "Yeah, it's me. Where are you? ...What? ...All right, all right. Why don't you look around, try to find some street names, and I'll…"

All of the agents listened intently to Morgan's side of the conversation, trying to fill in the blanks. All except J.J., who approached the young doctor.

"I think you are wrong about Reid. He wouldn't do that. He just wouldn't allow himself to go that far."

Dr. Louis gave a slight smile and a sigh. "For the sake of Dr. Reid and the rest of you, I sincerely hope you are right."

J.J. turned back to Morgan as he finished the phone call. Reid would never do what Dr. Louis was implying, J.J. was sure of that. And yet, as Morgan relayed the call to the team, J.J. couldn't help the doubt that swirled within her.

REVIEW RESPONSES:

kateryne1: Merci beaucoup, et tu peux écrire où tu veux! (Did I write that correctly?)

CM-Reider: Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of "soon", eh?

Couragexoxo: And I love your reviews!

Goosey416: This chapter is just to get the plot moving for the next chapter, which is when things start to change. Yep, lots of angst is on its way.

MW3addict: Hopefully, if a situation like this were to happen in real life, someone would step in. But in fanfiction, I get to be as cruel as I want :D.

Tie-Dyed Broadway: Heehee :) I was only joking (sort of)! Yes, each season is worth watching (even if each season is not worth liking, in my opinion). So, I've come across another Whovian…You probably know what I'm going to ask… Favorite Doctor? RTD or Moffat (or Classic Who)? Favorite Companion? (Anyone reading this who hasn't seen DW is probably very confused…)
Sorry, I guess I'm yet another writer who has not updated for ages. But I assure you, if I upload a multi-chapter story, I WILL finish it (it may take a while or I might lose interest and the quality of writing will suffer, but I'll finish it nonetheless). Luckily, I'm still interested in this story, so I have more motivation to finish it.

cordelia. watsinhimer: Thank you for taking the time to review, and thanks for letting me know that I cleared the confusion. I try to make my writing understandable without patronizing the reader.

jenben5900: Yes, I am continuing…at a shamefully slow rate…

Love Of Blood: Is nearly half a year "soon"? :(

aniutka370: Thank you, and your review is great!

Rosa: Thanks! I'm flattered! Since Criminal Minds stories on this subject are in short supply, I try to make this a great story for readers who crave this kind of angst as much as I do.

miyuki. Asaba: Sorry for the wait. I try to write when I have the time, but I honestly can't say when the next chapter will be uploaded…

FlyKitty7000: "The power of love or whatever" X'D.
Well, no, I wasn't planning on doing that, especially not rehab. Although…the threat of being put in a mental institution could be enough to make Reid less hesitant to trust the team…

Silven K: Are you trying to bribe me? XD Well, the chapter is up, so you owe me a good review!

MoonMoonMoo: Maybe? :3