Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows. I never dreamed this esteemed community would welcome my efforts so warmly. I am humbled.
Warnings for inferred non-con and child abuse, and the one scene of violence I meant to get to last chapter. Yes, Hotch is in protective mode and somebody gets an a**whoopin'!
Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds nor the CM characters, and am making no profit from this.
Chapter 5
Hotch found himself struggling to maintain his calm, stern disposition as Spencer's workup progressed, nearly breaking into tears when the anal exam showed scarring from years of abuse as well as fresh tears from a recent brutal assault that required stitches. A full "Rape Kit" was run, and Aaron was grateful the child could sleep through the grueling invasive procedure. 2 of the recent bite marks were showing sign of infection and were thoroughly cleaned and debrided after swabbing for DNA. A few of the cuts should have been stitched but at 2 days old the best they could do was use "butterfly closures" to keep the wound edges close together. The bedside X-Ray revealed his left leg to have been broken, about a week prior judging from the swelling and bruising, and would be casted as soon as the nurses finished bathing the boy and washing the filth and blood from his hair. His age of nearly 7 years old was confirmed, yet he was the size of a 4 year old due to severe long-term malnutrition and relative inactivity. By some miracle his bones were not malformed and blood tests indicated his organs were functioning normally, so the medical team thought it likely the child had a good chance for full recovery with the right care, at least physically. As for mentally, emotionally, and cognitively it was too soon to tell.
After casting the boy's leg and dressing him in a pair of hospital pajamas with the left leg unsnapped to accommodate the cast, Spencer was placed in a private room and a large armchair was brought in for Hotch, who sank gratefully down into it. This had been one helluva long night! When the nurse came in to get Spencer's medical history, assuming Aaron was his father, Hotch filled her in on the situation. Horrified at what the tiny child had endured, Ann did her intake assessment, checked the IV, and showed the agent where the nurses button was located, asking that he signal her as soon as the boy woke. She bustled out, only to return moments later with a steaming cup of coffee and a sandwich, "I think its ham. You looked like you could use a snack" she smiled as she left to continue her rounds.
Less than 2 hours later Hotch interrupted his texted conversation with Rossi, certain that he had just heard stirring from the boy…and Spencer's glazed eyes fought to open. "It's ok buddy, you're safe, you're in the hospital and you are safe here." Hotch gently reassured as he pushed the call button. Ann trotted in with a big, friendly smile on her face. "Hi there sweetheart, I'm Ann and I'm just here to check on you and make sure that you're OK" she said, slowly approaching the bed. "Do your owies hurt bad right now? The doctor said you could have medicine to make it better if they do."
Spencer gazed uncertainly at the new person, more awake now, then shyly looked down and shook his head no. He tried to speak but choked on the dryness of his throat. Ann poured some water from the bedside pitcher into a cup and pulled a straw from her pocket, plopping it in the cup and offering it to the boy, who looked questioningly to Hotch. Realizing the child had likely never used a straw or regular cup before he explained "That is a straw. Put the top end in your mouth and suck-the water will come up the straw and into your mouth." To Spencer's delight the procedure rewarded him with water at first try and he played a bit with sipping up small amounts before downing the remainder. "Please, more?" the boy asked hopefully, holding out the plastic tumbler.
"Let's see how well your tummy handles that, then you can have more, OK?" the nurse replied.
The disappointed boy slowly nodded his head, but brightened considerably when Ann pulled a small container of red Jell-O and a spoon from her roomy pockets and asked if he felt up to trying to eat a little something? At his enthusiastic nod the nurse pulled the bedside table in front of him, took the lid off and handed him the spoon. After a moment searching his early memories, Spencer recalled his Mom teaching him how to hold and use a spoon. He carefully adjusted his hold on the utensil, dipped it into the Jell-O, scooped some up, slowly advanced the spoon toward his mouth…and dropped the red chunk into his lap. While the two adults fought to stifle an amused smile, the boy decided "Oh the heck with it" snatched the chunk from his lap and popped it into his mouth. "Good!" he exclaimed around a wide grin.
"Ok, you just keep practicing with that spoon and I'm going to talk with your nurse," Hotch instructed the boy, keeping a mostly straight face and turning toward the nurse before his own grin broke free. "You're very good with him-how many do you have?" Ann complimented. "One son, Jack-he just turned 3 last month." Hotch replied, "So how long till he can have the macaroni and cheese I promised him?"
Ann explained that since it may have been several days since Spencer had eaten they needed to reintroduce food slowly-clear liquids first (that includes Jell-O), then full liquids like milk and cream soup, then when he was keeping those down fine he could have soft foods like the promised favorite. She also explained that the STD screen had come back negative for everything but Chlamydia, which would be easily treated with an antibiotic in the IV, but the HIV screen would need to be rechecked in 12 weeks, and his vaccinations would need to be brought up to date. "I'm telling you this because I have a feeling you'll be the one looking after the little guy for a while, what with Mom in Bennington and Dad headed for jail when you catch him. You don't strike me as the kind of man that would leave a child in his condition to the mercy of the foster care system."
"And I thought I was the profiler here," laughed Hotch, "but you're right-he seems to trust me, to already be bonding, and I just can't leave him. He's already stolen a piece of my heart."
Ann smiled warmly, then gestured for Hotch to look behind him. Spencer had fallen back to sleep with Jell-O smeared around his pleased smile. "I need to check on my other patients, but I'll stop by before leaving for the day. Why don't you try to grab a quick nap? I'll call security and have them put someone at your door." And she slipped quietly out, softly closing the door to cut the noise from the hallway.
Smiling gently, Hotch got a moistened cloth from the bathroom and washed the sticky redness from the boy's face. And hands. Then he pulled away the table, muted the overhead light, pulled the blanket up to his chin, and kissed the child's forehead. Settling comfortably into the chair, he pulled out his phone and checked on Morgan's progress via text.
An hour or so later, having finished up what they could do at this point at the crime scene, Prentiss, Rossi, and Morgan found themselves gathered at the hospital nurses station to meet with Hotch, who exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him, and instructed the guard not to let anyone in but him and nurse Ann. He led the team to the playroom at the end of the brightly painted hall, then filled them in on what Spencer had revealed and on his condition. Morgan looked ready to punch a wall and cussed a blue streak, while Rossi and Prentiss looked royally pissed. After giving everyone a few moments to calm down, Rossi reported that no records for McCormick's import/export were found. In fact, no personal papers of any kind were found-not so much as an electric bill. What he did find were 2 person sized secret compartments in the walls of the main floor, either of which could have hidden McCormick when they first cleared the house. Prentiss related having searched the outside perimeter, including a shed and some kind of workshop, finding nothing but unused gardening tools. Morgan's basement search turned up no further spaces, victims, or bodies. However, several of the boxes contained a disturbing assortment of torture implements, leather collars with chains, and shackles. He ultimately had all the boxes carried off to the precinct to be sorted and cataloged. His most intriguing find, however, was under the bed they had found Spencer tied to. There were at least a dozen old high school textbooks, most of which had been written in in a childish scrawl. The answers were all correct, so far as he could tell at quick inspection. On the blank back pages of several were drawings-well, pencil sketches really, of different men. One was a dead ringer for McCormick, and another like the wayward paramedic. This one had BLUE MAN shakily printed in block letters beneath it. One looked suspiciously like an older version of the photograph Garcia had sent them of William Reid. Morgan had already photographed the sketches and sent them to Garcia to run her facial recognition software on.
"Good work," Hotch praised, "When did Garcia say she would have …" He was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream and the cry of "EHH-RUUN! HELP! EHH-RUUN". Hotch flew down the hall drawing his weapon as he ran, the rest of the team following suit. The first thing he noticed was that the guard was no longer at the door, and as he skidded to a stop in Spencer's hospital room he further noted that the guard was now on the floor, bleeding from his temple. To his absolute horror he saw Spencer clutched in the iron grip of a man who had to be William Reid.
"Put the boy down and step away from him, NOW!" commanded Hotch, gun aimed at the man's mid-forehead. "There is no way you are getting out of this room with him. Put him down and step away. That is the only way you are getting out of this alive Reid!"
Reid seemed surprised they knew who he was, but decided to try and work it. "I just want my son back!" he claimed. "I've missed him all these years. You can't keep a father away from his son!"
"You lost the right to call yourself his father the day you sold him you son of a bitch! Now set him down and step away or I WILL shoot you!" spat Morgan, his eyes on fire.
"And I'll slit his little throat before you are done aiming" threatened Reid, brandishing a hunting knife. Spencer had had enough. He leaned over the man's restraining arm as far as he could stretch and latched onto the hand holding the knife with his teeth, biting for all he was worth. Reid, shocked and in unexpected pain, dropped both the knife and the child. Spencer howled in pain when his leg cracked against the floor, however he quickly pulled himself up using William's legs and began pounding at Reid's crotch with his little fists with all his might, yelling "Lie! Lie! You not my Daddy!" over and over. Hotch raced forward and snatched the boy back out of harm's way, handing him off to Nurse Ann at the door. As Hotch turned back to Reid, he saw the desperate man make a move to retrieve the knife. Morgan's flying tackle disabused him of that notion, as did Hotch standing on his outstretched hand while simultaneously kicking the knife across the floor. "Hey guys, what about me?" groused Prentiss, lowering her weapon.