CHAPTER 10
It took the team less than an hour to reach their destination with Luke and Matt expertly weaving the government issue black SUVs through the evening traffic at speed with their lights flashing. It was dark out. They donned their Kevlar vests before setting off. Emily and Rossi rode with Luke; JJ and Tara with Matt. Orange street lamps flickered past them. As they neared their destination, the cars turned off into a dirt track. The mud was wet and fresh tyre tracks were present. They turned off their headlights as they briefly caught sight of the silhouette of a cabin. The cars came to a stop and the team jumped out, guns already drawn. Emily indicated that she, Matt and Luke would approach from the front; JJ, Tara and Rossi from the rear. They silently nodded and split up with JJ, Rossi and Tara disappearing into the darkness. Emily approached the door with her gun raised.
"FBI! Come out with your hands up!" The only response they received was a clattering from inside. Emily nodded to Matt who promptly raised a foot in front of him and sent the door splintering into pieces. With their torches in one hand, guns in the other, they swept the beams of light around the room. Luke saw movement from the corner of his eye to his left. His swung his torch and gun around to see Calvin Shaw scrambling to his feet with a gun in hand. As Shaw brandished the gun and raced towards Luke, two shots fired out, sending Shaw stumbling backwards with two holes in chest. He quickly stilled, his eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling. Whisps of smoke left the end of Luke's gun.
"Shaw is down. I repeat. Shaw is down. Coast is clear," said Emily into her radio attached to her vest with a sigh. The team lowered their guns as Matt turned to find a light switch. The switch clicked but no lights came on. Luke moved his torch across the room and found the gas lamp on the unit near the fireplace with matches nearby. He took out a match and struck it against the box before lighting the lamp. A warm orange glow spread across the room. It was then that they caught sight of their colleague. Tara, JJ and Rossi entered the lounge and looked around.
JJ immediately ran to Reid and dropped to her knees beside him. She pressed two fingers to the side of his neck. He had a pulse, but only just. Matt joined her and used his pen knife to cut the zip ties holding Reid's ankles whilst JJ fumbled with the duct tape. Emily spoke into her radio once more, signalling for medics. Once the ties around his wrists had been severed and the tape removed from his mouth, Reid fell forward against Matt's shoulder. He was gently lowered to the ground. As his back touched the wooden floor, his eyes snapped open and he sucked in a deep breath which was closely followed by harsh coughing. Blood surged over his lips and chin as he gripped Matt's pale blue t-shirt with a bloody, trembling hand. A wheeze sounded from Reid's chest as he closed his eyes and fell limp against the floor with a thud, his hand leaving bloody prints on Matt's bicep.
"Where's the medics?" screeched JJ in horror. She felt for a pulse again but there was none, "Oh my God! Spence! He's got no pulse!" Tara encouraged JJ to step back as Matt knelt beside him, folding his hands one over the other, and positioning them over Reid's breastbone. He straightened his arms and rocked his body back and forth, desperately pumping on Reid's chest. With each compression, more blood spilled over the unconscious man's lips.
The team were grateful as the sight of blue and red flashing lights lit up the cabin walls soon after. The nearest EMT unit was redirected to them . One paramedic patted Matt on the shoulder so that he could trade places and take over CPR. The other kneeled at Reid's head and took an ambu-bag out of his backpack, placing it gently over Reid's mouth and nose and squeezing the bag. The paramedic with the ambu-bag turned to Luke.
"Can you take over here? Every 30 compressions, I want you to squeeze this twice." Luke nodded and took the bag into one hand, the other holding the mask in place and Reid's head tilted backwards. The paramedic crawled to Reid's opposite side and opened up the ECG monitor. He tore open Reid's shirt to reveal extensive bruising across his abdomen and a stab wound to his shoulder. He attached several electrodes to Reid's chest which created a high pitched whine as a single straight line crossed the monitor. He then opened the automated defibrillator. He slapped the orange pads to Reid's chest which were connected to the yellow machine at his knees.
"Reading heart rhythm. Standby. No rhythm detected. Shock advised. Stand clear," came the robotic voice. Reid's body lifted from the floor before dropping back down, "No rhythm detected. Shock advised. Stand clear. " Reid's body jerked again, "Continue CPR." The paramedic returned to the compressions whilst the other tried to find a vein in the back of Reid's right hand. He tapped harshly against the skin before tying his tourniquet around his wrist. He opened a cannula with his teeth and slid into Reid's hand. Once he saw the flashback of blood, he secured it with a clear dressing.
"Let's give him one hundreds micrograms of Adrenaline stat," panted the paramedic who was completing the chest compressions. A syringe was opened and connected the cannula. The plunger quickly inserted the contents. The other paramedic pressed two fingers to Reid's neck and shook his head.
"Reading heart rhythm. Standby. No rhythm detected. Shock advised. Stand clear." Reid's body leapt up again, "Sinus rhythm detected." JJ choked on her tears as she had watched in horror.
"I'm going to have to intubate. I need propofol and rocuronium please." More syringes were connected to the cannula as the paramedic who had been doing compressions shuffled over to take over from Luke. He tilted Reid's head as far back as it would go. He took his laryngoscope into his left hand and inserted it into Reid's blood coated mouth, pressing his tongue down, "Size eight endo tube, please," he reached his right hand out to accept the opened tube. He carefully inserted the tube down Reid's throat, "I'm in." He detached the bag from the mask and connected it to the tube down Reid's throat, squeezing it several times. The other paramedic ran to the ambulance to retrieve the gurney. They quickly loaded Reid onto the gurney, along with all of the equipment he was hooked up to and connected him to an oxygen canister.
The SUVs followed the ambulance at speed towards St Mary's General Hospital. They haphazardly parked the cars in the car park as they raced to see Reid being wheeled out of the back of the ambulance and into the emergency department.
"Patient is Spencer Reid. He's 35. Went to cardiac arrest on scene. Intubated. Propofol, rocuronium and adrenaline given. He's now in sinus rhythm but BP remains at 70 systolic. Wound to left shoulder and right thigh consistent with a bladed weapon. Tib and fib appear broken in both legs. Some internal bleeding apparent but with no obvious cause." breathed the paramedics as they handed Reid over to the doctor and nursing staff. The doctor who appeared to be in his sixties peeled one of Reid's eyes open and shined a light in it.
"Mr Reid. My name's Dr Caldwell. You're at St Mary's. Don't worry, you're in safe hands" he looked up the Asian nurse to his right, "We need to get him to the OR stat. " The staff turned on a dime and briskly whisked Reid away. The team caught a flash of Reid being taken through a set of double doors as they ran into the emergency department after the paramedics. They stood still as statues, feeling helpless.
Five hours had passed since Reid had been taken to the operating room. Matt was outside of the department on the phone to Christie. Luke paced the waiting room, his Kevlar vest now in his hand. Emily was leaning forward, nibbling on her nails and caught herself ripping off some skin to the edge of her nail. Tara sat back in her chair with her legs crossed and silently flicked through a magazine. JJ sat next to Tara and tapped her foot nervously. Rossi approached with a tray of disposable cups filled with coffee. As he handed them out to the team, they were approached by Dr Caldwell. Sweat beaded his brow and his green scrubs were splattered with blood.
"Spencer Reid's family?" his blue eyes fell upon the group who now gathered around him and he raised an eyebrow, "His immediate family."
"I'm his medical proxy. His mother lacks capacity to make decisions for him. You can speak freely in front of all of us," responded Emily anxiously as she tried to hide her now bleeding finger. She had hoped that she would never have to invoke the medical proxy for Reid after Hotch left. Matt approached at the sight of the doctor as he pocketed his phone.
"Mr Reid-"
"Doctor," replied JJ harshly.
"Sorry, what?" asked Dr Caldwell incredulously.
"His name's Dr Spencer Reid," added Tara.
"Uh, okay. Well, as you know, Dr Reid was very ill when he came into the department. He is alive," he responded, taking note of the despondent faces in front of him, "But he is critical. The next twenty four hours are going to be crucial. He was stabbed in the shoulder and thigh, both of which managed to avoid any major blood vessels or structures. They have been stitched and will heal nicely. Both of the bones in his lower legs, the tibia and fibula were broken in both legs. We have managed to manipulate them back into position and pin them. Initially, we were worried about his circulation being compromised but it has returned. Several tarsals in both feet were also shattered but they will heal. He has casts on both legs," Dr Caldwell glanced down at his clipboard, "He had some significant internal bleeding to his abdomen and lungs. At first we couldn't find the source, but we have run a tox screen and found that he was given a poisoned dose of cocaine. The cocaine itself was only a small dose, however the poison was almost lethal but we have yet to determine the compound. We have resolved the internal bleeding by surgically draining his abdomen. We have game him something to flush the toxins from his blood." Dr Caldwell shifted uncomfortably, "We've had to place Dr Reid in an induced coma as he is unable to breathe on his own at the moment. If he remains stable after twenty four hours, we will try to wean him off the ventilator. Once he is awake, we will be able to check his brain function. I understand that your quick actions when he went into cardiac arrest prevented him being without oxygen for too long. Any questions?"
"Can we see him?" asked JJ desperately. Dr Caldwell smiled.
"Of course, but for only a few minutes. After that, one person may stay with him. Dr Reid needs his rest. He's in room 406, if you'd like to follow me." He nodded in the direction of Reid's room, gesturing for the team to follow him. They silently fell into step with the doctor.
They approached a glass sliding door and stilled. To the right of the door was a wipe board which had Reid's name scrawled in black pen across it, and Dr Caldwell's underneath. Dr Caldwell slipped the clipboard into the holder underneath the name plaque. Through the glass, they saw a mound under a white sheet and blue blanket. Wires and tubes poked out in every direction from the mound. The door slid open at the press of a button. The team filed into the room. JJ made for the chair at the right side of the bed that Reid was now occupying. He looked frail under the covers. Bandages were wrapped around his wrists. A dressing was taped to Reid's forehead above his eyebrow. Butterfly strips held the cut together on his cheek. His eyes and nose were heavily bruised, as was his cheek and head. A plastic tube protruded between his chapped, slightly parted lips, held in place with a white Velcro strap. His brown hair spread across the pillow like a halo. The stubble on his jaw had grown more, creating a shadow on his chin and neck. His gown had been folded to his waist. Electrodes were stuck all over his chest and ribs. His abdomen remained purple with bruising underneath a large white dressing. Another dressing adorned his shoulder. One of his drips carried blood. Reid's chest rose with each mechanical hiss of the ventilator. JJ gently took Reid's right hand into her own and rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb.
"JJ? You stay with Reid. The rest of us will head home. I think we deserve it. I'll call Garcia to let her know. She will undoubtedly be here tomorrow," sighed Emily with a smile as she pictured Garcia burdened with balloons and teddies. JJ have Emily a smile of appreciation as they turned and left the, leaving only JJ and Reid. JJ turned back to Reid with tears in her eyes.
"Hey, Spence. It's JJ. I'm not sure if you can hear me right now. God what I would give to hear you talking about Dr Who or some random statistics right now! You really scared us, Spence. You scared me! I need you to come back to me. Henry and Michael need their godfather. We need you." The tears streaked her cheeks as she brought up her left hand and caressed Reid's cheek, his stubble prickling her palm.
JJ didn't recall falling asleep but when she creaked her eyes open, the room was filled with early morning sunshine which flashed on the helium 'Get Well Soon' balloons that bobbed on their ribbons. She sat up, her back aching. She still held Reid's hand in her own. A teddy bear wearing a tiny blue hoodie was tucked under Reid's left arm. She lifted her head to see Garcia sat directly opposite with Reid's hand in her own. She was wearing a dress in shades of electric blue and yellow with a yellow cardigan. She has a large blue flower in her blonde hair. JJ let out a small laugh as she observed the balloons.
"Penelope!"
"What? You know I have to spoil my baby boy!" she responded, feigning a look of horror. She turned her attention back to Reid's still form, "When do you think he'll wake up?" JJ sighed, allowing her eyes to fall into Reid's face. His brow was furrowed as if trapped in a bad dream or full of thought.
"I don't know, Pen. I hope soon. The doctor said they would try and wake him up if he stayed stable over the next twenty four hours. I've got faith in him. He's a fighter," smiled JJ as she rubbed his hand again.
"You should go home and get some sleep, Jayje. I'll stay here with him," whispered Garcia. She caught the sight of JJ chewing her bottom lip, "I'll call you if anything happens." JJ nodded and stood up, her knees clicking from being sat down for too long. She approached Garcia and gave her a tight hug before leaving the pair. Garcia turned back to Reid and stroked his face, her fingers brushing the strap that held his tube in place.
"Oh, junior G-man, I'm so pampering you," she smiled as she pushed a strand of hair away from his face.