A/N: Do not own Criminal Minds
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Reid dove on top of Colleen. When he looked up, he saw Morgan standing by the wheelchair. Bud was hunched over, blood flowing from his chest. Hotch was standing in the doorway in his shooting stance.
Reid looked at Colleen underneath him and said, "Are you all right?" Colleen nodded her head.
He stood up and assisted Colleen to stand as the others were entering the room. Reid yelled, "Somebody, take that tourniquet off Jim before his arm falls off." Colleen hurried over to the man and removed the tourniquet and took his hand, "Are you okay Jim?" Jim looked at her and blinked.
Morgan was feeling for a pulse on Bud Talbot. He looked up at the group and shook his head.
The nursing home staff were starting to arrive in the room led by Dr. Price. She took in the scene and shook her head. She turned and looked at Spencer, remarking, "You're bleeding Dr. Reid." The others turned to look and saw blood oozing on to the sleeve on Reid's right arm.
"Oh, I didn't realize," Reid said.
Colleen raced over to him, looking at the wound. "Oh my God, you've been shot. We have to get you to a hospital. We should get an ambulance. We have to try and stop the bleeding." Her voice was rising another octave with each statement. She grabbed a towel from the end of the bed and pressed it on the wound, turned and looked at the others, yelling, "Isn't anyone going to call an ambulance, he's bleeding!"
Reid looked down at Colleen and started to chuckle. Colleen looked up at him, "Why are you laughing?" She slapped his chest lightly with the back of her hand. "Why are you laughing?" Another slap on his chest. Reid appeared to be trying not to laugh but was totally unsuccessful. She was hitting him with fast little slaps now. "Why are you laughing, you're hurt and bleeding and I'm trying to help and nobody will call an ambulance and you could be dying and if something happens to you I'll…I'll...I don't know what I'll.." Tears started to fall down her face.
Reid stopped laughing and gathered her in his arms. "Aw it's okay, I'm all right. It's just a graze. I'm in a nursing home. Dr. Price is right there, and there are nurses all over the place. I'm sure they can fix me up in no time, right Dr. Price."
Dr. Price nodded, "I'd be honored Dr. Reid."
"See, I told you," he said, caressing her hair, "nothing to worry about."
She looked up at him and he wiped her tears from her cheeks. "Why do you have to be so logical," she said angrily, "when I'm being…
"Hysterical" Reid finished for her.
"I'm not hysterical, how dare you say I'm hysterical. Just because I happen to care a little what happens to you mister does not make me hysterical."
Reid looked over her head and said, "How about that patch up Dr. Price."
"Sure Dr. Reid, come right this way, the treatment room's just down the hall."
Reid started to follow Dr. Price out of the room and Colleen followed them saying, "I'm coming with you."
They reached the treatment room with Colleen still on their heels, dogging them right into the room. Reid saw Colleen follow them in and said, "What, you just want to see me with my shirt off or what?"
"Damn right," they heard her say as she closed the door, and the group burst into laughter.
They emerged from the treatment room a while later. Colleen had appeared to have calmed down somewhat. Dr. Price assured him the few sutures she put in could come out in about a week and he would hardly have a scar. "Now Dr. Reid, are you sure you don't want something a little stronger than acetaminophen for the pain. A little Demerol, perhaps.?"
"No thanks, Dr. Price, I can't take narcotics, the acetaminophen will be just fine."
"Okay Reid," Hotch said, "Why don't you head back to the stationhouse and we'll go pick up Rafferty."
"No way. You expect me to just sit back while you go and pick up one of the principals in this case. I'm coming, I've been in this case from the beginning and I'm not sitting out now."
"Reid, you realize that you were shot tonight."
"Yeah Hotch, I kinda figured that out but it's just a flesh wound and I'm fine and I'm going to see this through to the end." The two men were standing toe to toe. "You are not going to order me off this are you?"
"No Reid, I'm not, come on let's go make your arrest."
The group went to Rafferty's home and made the arrest. Rafferty, of course, denied all charges, but they said they had Bud's statement and Gus' admission as well.
"Yeah, well you can't believe anything those two say."
"Well, Mr. Rafferty," Reid stated, "We have vials of KCl removed from Bud Talbot's room and when they're dusted for prints, I'm sure we'll find yours, I'm also sure when we check the lot numbers we will be able to trace just where they came from. Part of your business is keeping meticulous records on your sales and travels and we have one of the best computer techs in the world and she will track down every record and find out where you were every minute of every day. You may run, but you can never hide from Penelope Garcia."
Back at the stationhouse, David Rafferty was locked up with Gus Trillby. Tomorrow they'd be transferred to the state penitentiary to await trial.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Morris said, "Thank you all so much for your help on this case. Dr Reid, if you hadn't been here that first day I don't know if any of this would ever have been uncovered. We can all agree that we certainly got more than we bargained for when we went to a crime scene seminar." The other local law enforcement officers all agreed it had been quite a learning experience and they hoped Reid would come back again and give more seminars if they promised not to have a murder while he was there.
"Well since we managed to unearth a major murder scheme, I think the director might just agree to more," Reid replied.
Hotch said they should all get some dinner and those who were staying in Brookdale could head back and get a good night's sleep and it would be wheels up first thing in the morning.
Garcia was in the conference room, packing up her computer, when Reid came in and closed the door. "Garcia, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Anything babe, you know that."
"Will you find out all the information you can about any sanitariums in Virginia and the surrounding states. You know the kind of stuff that's not in the brochures."
"You mean something a guy would like to know if he was thinking of having his mother transferred there."
"Yeah, that kind of thing."
"You got it sweetcheeks. I'll do it first thing when I get back."
"Thanks Garcia."
Reid was back in his room in Brookdale getting his things ready for leaving in the morning. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. "Hello this is Dr. Spencer Reid. I'm fine, how are you? That's good to hear. How is everything going? Yeah I would thanks." Reid waited a few moments. "Hi Mom, how're you doing…"
The BAU team met at the sheriff's station the next morning. Morris thanked them again for all their help and they headed off to the airstrip for the flight home to Quantico. They were just about to board the plane when a car came to a screeching halt near the runway and Colleen exited the vehicle. "You were trying to get away without saying good bye."
"We were up so early to leave for Castleton, I didn't want to wake you or your family" Reid stated.
The others said good bye to Colleen and headed for the plane, leaving Reid and Colleen alone on the tarmac. "I was doing some research on the computer last night." Colleen said.
"What kind of research?"
"I was looking at schools in Virginia; I'm thinking of coming there to study, there's also a real good one in DC."
"What kind of schools?"
"Nursing schools, Dr Price said she would give me a good recommendation."
"That is terrific, I knew as soon as I saw you with the residents at the nursing home that you were destined to be a nurse. DC is a great place; you'd really like it there."
"So you wouldn't mind if I came out there, to study of course."
"Oh, of course, and no I wouldn't mind at all."
"Okay, well I'll probably see you soon then."
"I certainly hope so." Reid pulled her close and they shared a lingering and passionate kiss that gave much and promised more, then Reid turned and headed for the plane.
Reid entered the plane and found his seat near the middle across from Morgan. He looked over and his friend was smiling at him. "Morgan, not one word!" Then he turned and looked out the window with a smile of his own.
The End