Fingers and Toes.

The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?": - Jeremy Bentham

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Spencer lay with his eyes open staring at the sky. A fly was walking across his face. Pink foam and vomit was dribbling out of the corner of his open mouth. His fingers twitched slightly and it was this that pulled the two men out of the shock and down on their knees next to Reid.

Floyd felt for a pulse and looked over at Aaron. "Faint." Was all he said.

Not knowing what had caused it was the main problem but the bruise coming up around his eye, along with the split lip and the fist marks on his face was to Aaron the first clue.

They needed to get him breathing properly and that wasn't going to happen with a mouth full of blood and vomit. Floyd looked over at Aaron again. "Clear his mouth out, I'm going to get something." But first he slid his hands down into the pocket he knew Spencer had this final few pills. By his calculation he should have between ten and seven left. His fingers found nothing. Again Floyd looked over at Aaron who was talking quietly to Spencer and trying to get as much muck out of his mouth as he could. "I think he has over dosed." Floyd stood and ran fingers through his hair. "Hell Spencer – why this – why now?"

Hotch looked up at Flanders. "Why do you think now? Just think what you have put him through in the last few days. Go do what it is you need to do, but consider your actions for once. This is your doing so don't you try to put the blame anywhere else."

Floyd took a few steps back. He could still smell that awful smell of death. "I didn't do this." And he turned and walked off between the trees.

Hotch stayed with Reid talking to him – trying to get him to respond. He still had a pulse his breathing was shallow and bubbling but his eyes just stared off into nowhere – his fingers still twitching.

Floyd walked for about five minutes. Just long enough to be out of sight and leaned against a tree. He put his hands to his eyes and rubbed. There was an odd stinging sensation behind his eyes. He looked at his hand which hand been itching and stinging for the last few days and saw it had tiny red pin prick dots all over it. He looked at it carefully and then looked back the way he had come from. There was absolutely nothing he could do for Reid if he had taken too many of those pills. He knew of no herbs or mixes he could use in this situation. He slid down the tree and looked at his other hand. He could see the small spots beginning to appear there too.

Frown.

He removed his boots and took a long look at his feet. Between his toes, top and bottom. Right foot was looking not so good. Left foot so far clear.

'Godamn it.'

He took one last look at his toe nails and then put his boots back on. He needed a smoke. The answer to everything he was sure. Maybe not the answer to Reid's little problem, but the answer to his immediate one.

He started walking again, this time watching out for plants and leaves he could use.

……………………..

At first Spencer really wanted to stop this feeling. He wanted to take a deep breath and pull himself back from wherever he had slipped into.

But he could feel arms around him and hands touching his face and hair, though he couldn't see them. He had a feeling someone was talking to him. Soft breath on his skin. The occasional feeling of a kiss, but they were soft hands. Not Floyd's calloused rough fingers. This was Aaron. This was safe. He could allow himself to stay here for a while. At least here Floyd wouldn't hurt him.

He wanted to respond and reach out to Aaron but he couldn't – he had to just lay and try to breathe through the muck which had collected.

The feeling of being moved and held. He asked his eyes to focus just once to let Aaron know he was here waiting to be released again. Just once – a few seconds of eye contact was all he needed, but he wasn't allowed. He had to stare into the nothingness he had taken himself to.

The irony of it was he still felt the pain. He still felt where he had been ripped apart inside and he could still feel where Floyd had punched him in the face. None of the things he was trying to escape from had gone and now he was unable to think of anything else. He could feel Aaron supporting his head and he knew he was talking to him but words were too far away to hear so he lay and just listened to the words like he had listened to the butterfly mobile back in the hospital.

………………….

Aaron pulled Spencer onto his lap and supported his head with his left arm. A beautiful man.

"I'm here Spencer. You are safe. I just need you to keep breathing and look at me. Floyd has gone to get something to help. Just hang on. We will get you through this."

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there holding this treasure when he heard Flanders returning. He dropped down to his knees next to Hotch and dropped a small pile of berries on the ground.

"You still got that lighter on you?" He talked to Hotch but was looking at Reid.

Aaron pulled the lighter out of his pocket and Floyd pulled a vile looking smoke out of his and lit up. A long sigh and he held the lighter out. "You don't mind if I hang on to this for a while do you? I don't think we will be lighting anymore campfires."

Hotch nodded. "Keep it. What can you do to help Spencer? He is only just with us Floyd."

Floyd looked at Aaron and then to Spencer and then back to Aaron again. "Help him? Even if I could help him, why the hell would I?"

"I thought you went to get something for him!" Hotch was feeling that boiling anger building up. Calm down Aaron. Showing anger never gets you anywhere.

"I didn't say I was getting something for him." He saw Aaron looking at the berries. "Oh right – you think sticking and berry up his nose will cure that stupid child of a drug overdose? That would be a bloody miracle cure. I would be a fucking millionaire if all I had to do was chuck a fruit salad at someone and they were cured of all ailments." He stood up holding the smoke in between his fingers. "I needed a smoke." He breathed vile smoke in Aaron's face. "If he was going to die he would've by now. We need to move out of here or we will never get back. Let me carry the fool."

Aaron had no choice there was no way he would be able to carry Reid for any kind of distance so handing him over to Floyd was the only option he had.

………………..

Reid could feel he was in different arms now. These were the calloused hands. The hands which hurt. Today though they felt gentle and loving. He could feel the arms around him carrying him out of this place of hell. He could smell Floyd and although initially it made a strange twisting feeling in his stomach it changed as he let his mind relax. The cloying heady smell was mixed with the foul stench of what he was smoking. Spencer breathed in the smoke getting blown on his face and very slowly he felt the chemicals being drawn down into his lungs.

………………

They walked in silence. Occasionally they would stop and check Reid. Hoping to get a response of some kind from him –his fingers still twitching was the only sign that there was anyone still inside.

Floyd could see the bruises. He could see how Reid's eye was closing; he could see the mark his ring had left on Spencer's cheek – Hotch should have stopped him doing this to Spence. He should have shielded him from it. Aaron should have not been so receptive to him last night and this wouldn't have happened.

Spencer shouldn't have reacted like that. He was only hugging him. Not like he was screwing him. Well not literarily – maybe mentally but that's not the bleeding point is it? Spence should've known better than to attack him. What had he been thinking? He knows he wouldn't let it happen and not hit back. This was all Reid's fault. Everything. The whole shebang was Reid's fault. Him and his need to stand under a bleeding waterfall.

He looked over at Hotch and wondered what it would take to get the man into his bed without force or drugs.

Not much.

Floyd looked down at Spencer. This toy was finished with. Even if he recovered he didn't want it anymore. Too easy. Too dirty.

He opened his mind a tiny bit

Spence?

Floyd!

Filth.

Scum.

Whore.

Trash.

My little puppy.

Always there when I need to something to kick.

Loyal little dog.

White trash son of a bitch.

……………………