CHAPTER 11
Emily absent-mindedly watched the green line on the ECG steadily moving up and down in time with Reid's heart beat. She had no idea what any of the numbers meant. She was sure Reid would know. Her dark eyes drifted away from the monitor and fell upon the unconscious man's face. The bruising remained very dark on his face. The IV drip that was feeding a clear fluid into a needle in his left arm had long since stopped- the doctor has stopped the sedation some time ago in a hope that Reid would start to wake soon. She rubbed her thumb over the back of his right hand as she blankly stared at him. Even Emily had to admit that Spencer had grown much more attractive as he reached his mid thirties. She worried about how much prison had changed him though. Was the change for the better?
Emily was quickly snapped out of her thoughts by a weak but gentle shifting of fingers underneath her palm. At first, she thought she was hallucinating as the hand beneath hers remained perfectly still. As she shook the thought from her head, the hand seemed to move again. The fingers beneath hers were slowly and weakly trying to grasp at the sheet. Her eyes quickly moved back up to Reid's face. His eyes were moving quickly behind his darkened eyelids as if in a state of REM sleep. Emily gave his hand a gentle squeeze as she reached up her left hand and placed it against Reid's unblemished cheek.
"Reid? Reid? Can you hear me?" A gentle moan sounded from the bed as he desperately tried to wrench open his eyes. His eyes fluttered slightly before closing again, "Come on, Spence. You can do it. Open those eyes for me. Remind me what colour they are." Spencer's eyes fluttered once more, using all of his being to keep them open. Emily gave a half gasp, half laugh, "That's it!" Reid groaned again and squeezed his eyes shut, "Are the lights too bright? Tap once for yes and twice for no," said Emily quickly as she realised that he barely had the strength to move his head. A gentle, single tap came from underneath her hand. Using the bedrail, Emily pushed up to her feet and moved over to the light switch. She turned it off, leaving the bedside lamp to cast a warm glow around the room. Reid's features softened. Emily plopped herself back down into the chair as quietly as she could. She took Reid's hand into her own again and started to caress his curls. His eyes fluttered again until they opened fully and were looking directly at her.
"Hey, Spence. Welcome back. Hold on, let me get the doctor," she pressed the nurse call button that lay beside Reid's hand. Reid's eyes slowly turned to look at the ECG monitor. His eyebrows knitted in confusion, "You're in the hospital, Spence. You've been unconscious for over twenty four hours". Reid's eyes moved back to Emily. A gentle knock came at the door before it slowly slid open. Dr Caldwell entered as he retrieved the clipboard from the holder outside. He smiled softly.
"Welcome back, Dr Reid. You're one very lucky man," said Dr Caldwell as he approached the bed with the clipboard in his hands. He glanced at the monitor and noted down the readings, "Before I remove the tube that's helping you to breathe, I want to disconnect it for now to see how your oxygen levels are doing. If they stay above ninety percent, we can switch you to something less invasive. If they drop below that we will have to keep you on the ventilator. Is that okay, Dr Reid?" Emily turned to Reid who was looking at her in confusion.
"Tap once for yes and twice for no." His eyes remained fixed to Emily's face as he tapped once. Emily turned her head to the doctor with a swish of her black hair and nodded. Dr Caldwell set the clipboard down on the foot of the bed near Reid's cast feet and flicked the switch to the ventilator. It powered down with a hum, the concertina inside collapsing on itself. Dr Caldwell then disconnected the length of tubing that was connected to the one down Reid's throat. Reid's eyes widened as his chest spasmed. He choked and wheezed. The monitor started to alarm. Emily ran her hand through his hair.
"It's okay, Spence. Just breathe. In and out, nice and slow. Follow me." Reid had a fearful child-like demeanour on his face as he panicked, "Copy me, Reid." Emily took in a deep breath through her nose, then let it out slowly. Now visibly shaking, Reid started to copy her, "That's right. Keep it up, you're doing great." Her eyes flicked up to the monitor- the number indicating his oxygen levels which had only a minute ago showed eighty four percent had now risen to eighty eight, "Keep breathing like that, Reid." He remained shaky but he continued to take in deep breaths through his nose and out through the tube. Dr Caldwell smiled again when his readings came up to ninety one percent.
"Great job, Dr Reid. I'm going to put this oxygen cannula on you, and then we'll get this tube out." Dr Caldwell began to open a packet that contained some long, thin clear tubing. He unravelled it and connected it to the oxygen pump in the wall above Reid's head. Reid could only watch, his eyes darting periodically between Emily and the doctor. Dr Caldwell gently placed the prongs of the cannula under Reid's nose and brought the tubing around the one down his throat before hooking it around his ears and using the toggle to secure it. He glanced at the monitor again to ensure that his oxygen levels remained stable.
"Agent Prentiss, would mind holding the tube for a moment please? I just need to undo the strap." Emily nodded and came to her feet. She gripped the tube between her thumb and forefinger, her other hand resting on Reid's shoulder. Dr Caldwell fumbled with the Velcro fastening of the strap around Reid's head that held the tube in place. Reid lifted his head slightly to allow the doctor in. Dr Caldwell chuckled as the Velcro came undone, the strap now hanging either side of Reid's jaw. Dr Caldwell opened a small plastic drawer in the unit to his right and took out a packet containing a syringe. Reid's eyes widened as he started to shake again, his heart rate increasing. Emily rubbed reassuring circles into his shoulder.
"There's nothing in it, Spence." Suddenly aware of his patient's panic, the doctor smiled again as he held it up. He put it down again as he retrieved a pair of blue nitrile gloves from a box on the unit and pulled them in with a snap. He took the syringe back into his hand and held it between his thumb and forefinger.
"I have to withdraw the air from the balloon that's holding the tube in. That's all." Reid's breathing steadied as he nervously watched Dr Caldwell reach over to the tube and take a small port attached to the tube into his hands. He clicked the syringe into the port and slowly withdrew the plunger. Reid choked as he felt the tube loosen. Dr Caldwell took the tube into his right hand as he held Reid's mouth open with the other. With a slow 'up and over' motion, the tube slid free of Reid's throat. Reid gagged and retched as it came out. Dr Caldwell dropped the tube into a kidney dish with a clatter and handed another dish to Emily. She eased him forward so that he could bring up whatever he needed to. A small amount of clear phlegm came up and into the dish. Reid flopped back down into the pillow with a gasp. His mouth, throat and lips had never felt drier. He licked his lips as best he could before looking at Emily. Emily could see Reid trying to mouth something to her. Pulling her hair behind her ear, she leaned close to the man in the bed, her ear close to his mouth.
"Water," he whispered. Emily nodded and turned to Dr Caldwell who was scribbling into the clipboard again. The doctor smiled again and nodded. Emily poured some water into the clear plastic breaker on the bedside table and dropped a straw into it. Using the remote hooked to the bedrail, she brought Reid up into a sitting position. He winced slightly as the mechanics of the bed whirred and vibrated beneath him. Emily brought the straw to Reid's lips.
"Nice and slow, Reid. We don't want you to choke or be sick." Reid sucked slowly, relishing the feeling of moisture soaking into his mouth. He had forgotten how much he missed water. Emily withdrew the straw from his lips, still holding the breaker in her hand. Reid turned his head towards Emily.
Dr Caldwell quietly excused himself from the room allowing the door to slide shut after himself.
"Thank you," he rasped, a small smile spreading across his face. Emily took his hand in hers and squeezed it, "You found me."
"Spence, you know we won't rest when it's personal."
"I know. I wouldn't be," Reid took in a deep breath and winced at the pain across his ribs, "I wouldn't be- alive if it- weren't for- you guys." Reid looked sadly down at his hands, tears threatening to fall, "You're always- having to- save me." Emily squeezed his hand again.
"We're family, Reid. It's what we do."
"It's always- me though." Emily rubbed soothing circles into his hand.
"Look at me, Spence." Reid's eyes remained fixed to the blanket, "Spencer Walter Reid! You look at me right now." Reid shuddered at the use of his full name and lifted his head to look at Emily. The tears that had been teetering on his lashes were now falling freely over his cheeks, stopping when they approached the tubing of the oxygen cannula that pressed into his flesh.
"Reid, I don't care if we have to save you once, or a hundred times. We will always be there. You know that."
"I've always- had trouble- telling people- how I feel," Reid used his left hand to rub his chest, "I've never- been able- to say how- much I love- you guys."
"We know, Reid. We know." Reid glanced around at the balloons and other trinkets in the room, "Yeah Garcia came by earlier. I sent her home for a few hours to sleep. She'd cuff herself to you if she could." Both agents chuckled to themselves. Reid winced again, nursing his aching chest.
"What were- my injuries? No one- has told me- yet." Emily swallowed hard.
"Are you sure you're ready?" Reid nodded and looked intently into Emily's eyes. He took in another deep breath of the soothing oxygen through his nose, "Well, first of all, you flatlined on scene. We struggled to get you back." Reid nodded, awaiting more information, "You've broken both your tiber- something and fibra- something..." Reid chuckled,
"My tibia and- fibula?" Emily's cheeks reddened with embarrassment.
"Yeah that. Both legs at the ankle. Also most of the tar-" she thought hard for a minute, "Tarsals in both feet. So they had to pin your legs and you've got casts on. I don't doubt Garcia will have some plans for those." They both gave a small laugh again.
"Keep going," whispered Reid, clearly becoming fatigued.
"You were stabbed in the right thigh and left shoulder but they missed anything major. You had some internal bleeding caused by burns inside your lungs and stomach from ingesting poisoned cocaine. They were fixed but the doctors had to cut you open to try and suction some of the blood out. You've got cuts on your face, wrists and ankles..." Reid nodded slowly, his eyes falling shut, "Get some sleep, Reid. You'll need it when Garcia gets back." Reid didn't respond, his chest gently rising and falling as he slept. Emily sighed as she watched him. How much more can be endure? He's strong, but how long until he breaks? First it was the LDSK, then Hankel... The drug addiction that followed... Gideon leaving... Team members coming and going... Cyrus... Owen... Jack and Lindsey Vaughn... Anthrax... The headaches... Prison... His mom... Maeve... She continued to watch Reid sleep in admiration.