Disclaimer: See chapter 1
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"Hey pretty boy," Morgan said in a sing song voice. "You dashed away so fast when the plane landed last night; how's your lady doing?"
Reid removed his messenger bag from his shoulder and draped it over his chair. His jacket followed. He rolled up the sleeves of his steel blue shirt that he wore with grey cords and a grey sweater vest. "She's had better days," he replied as he stalked off in search of coffee.
Morgan raised his eyebrows and looked at Emily. "What was that about?" he gestured his hand in Reid's direction.
Emily shrugged. "You don't think Linda's developed some of the symptoms of this disease, do you? Look at Reid; he hasn't had dark circles under his eyes like that since Georgia."
"I agree, he's definitely not himself. He's been so up since he's been with Linda."
The pair gave their attention to the files in front of them when they saw the subject of their discussion returning to his desk. He set his coffee down and knocked three files on the floor. "Shit," he said loudly enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear him and gape. Dr. Reid never swore.
"Hey kid, what's the matter?" Morgan asked. "It's not like you to swear man."
"I'm sorry," Reid said as he picked up his files and slumped into his chair to begin his work.
"Reid, you know we're here for you if you need to talk about anything," Emily told him.
"Yes Emily, I know that, thank you." He opened the first file and began to read, effectively dismissing his colleagues.
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"Code blue to room 423," that was the third code that had been called today, Linda thought. The code blue team would be working to save someone's life. No one had worked to save her baby girl.
Spencer had wanted to stay with her but she had told him to go. It was too much sadness in one room. He had held her through the night. Neither one of them had slept.
She fingered the pink rabbit. She wondered if Spencer would have gotten a stuffed animal like this for their little girl. Would he have shown her magic tricks? There had been no magic yesterday and now there was no little girl. Linda's face began to crumble as the tears began again. She heaved the pink rabbit across the room where it hit the glass wall and fell to the floor.
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"Entre," Morgan heard when he knocked on Garcia's door.
"Hey baby girl, got a minute for your boy?" he asked.
"I always have time for you my chocolate god." Her hands stilled on her keyboard.
"Mama, have you talked to Reid today?"
"Well, he asked me to do a search for him, why?"
"Something's wrong. I thought he might have told you. He's really surly but he won't say anything. He knocked some files down this morning in the bullpen and he swore. Reid never swears. Something big is bothering the kid." He paused. "Maybe you could get it out of him."
"I can try but I'm not promising. I'm running that search for him so I'll call him when I'm ready."
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The door to Linda's room opened admitting Shirley. "Time for vital signs again already," Linda said, looking at the clock.
"No Dr. Kimura, I, well all of us, wanted to say how sorry we are about what happened.
"Thank you Shirley," Linda said quietly.
"All the girls wanted to come in but we didn't think you'd be up to it so we drew straws and I won," Shirley told her excitedly.
"Lucky you," Linda replied.
Shirley noticed the stuffed animal on the floor and bent to pick it up. "I'll put this little guy back where he belongs." She placed the rabbit back in the top hat. "Is there anything at all I can do for you doctor?"
"No, but do thank the girls for me," she said as she laid down on the bed and looked at the wall.
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Reid knocked on the door and entered when commanded to do so. "Hi Hotch, I wanted to make a request for a couple of hours of personal time this afternoon. I checked with JJ and she doesn't have a pressing case."
Hotch indicated the chair. "Is everything alright Reid?"
"With all due respect sir, there's a reason that it's called personal time," Reid looked down and then looked his unit chief in the eye.
"Fair enough, take your time," Hotch said as Reid got up and made his way to the door. "But my door's always open if you want to talk Reid." The young man only nodded and headed for the bullpen.
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General Mattingly entered Linda's room. "How are you feeling physically?" he asked.
"Physically, I'm fine," Linda told him.
"I won't ask about the other like everyone else because I know."
"What do you mean, you know?" Linda asked.
"Do you think that Frannie and I have no children by choice?" Linda's eyes grew large at this admission. "Frannie could get pregnant, she just couldn't carry them. I know the loss that you and Spencer are feeling. You need time to get over it. You will get over it. You will smile again and you'll probably want to try and have another baby right away. Wait a few months. Spencer's not going anywhere, he loves you."
"Thanks," Linda said.
"What for?" the general wanted to know.
"For not being like everybody else."
Oh, my dear, haven't you learned by now that no one's ever accused me of being like anyone else." He reached into the pocket of his scrubs and pulled out a deck of cards. "I'm not as nimble with these as that other guy but the last time we played you robbed me blind. I think today might be my lucky day."
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"So, I did what you asked," Garcia told Reid as they huddled together in front of her bank of computer screens. "The rapes that took place in Jackson County also carry on into Lafayette, Saline, Cooper and Boone counties. It looks like he's moving down the I70 but nobody picked up on it before."
"He's mobile, likely a trucker or a traveling salesman of some kind. I'll alert Detective Warner, maybe the Missouri state police and the marshals. Thanks Garcia," he turned to leave.
"Hey not so fast my junior G man. Why is this man not smiling? You look downright grouchy today sweetcheeks. What's up?" Garcia stood with her arms crossed over the flowery tunic she wore with a black skirt.
"Garcia, I have work to do," Reid turned toward the door.
"Reid, I'm worried about you babycakes. You look like you haven't slept." She took in the dark circles under his eyes.
"Look, don't worry about me, I'm fine or I would be if everyone would just leave me the hell alone. I'm sorry I'm not fitting into your Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm world today. You think everything happens for a reason; well let me tell you it doesn't. Sometimes there's no reason for the cruel hand life deals you. You hear me Garcia, sometimes there's just no reason." He stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.
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He stared at the floor, turning his medallion over and over in his hands. The sun shone brightly through the windows. There was a light breeze blowing, just enough to keep it from being overly hot. It was the perfect day. It didn't seem right that the sun should be shining, that the birds should sing, that people should still bustle about their business as if nothing had happened. He and Linda had lost their baby and the world was just carrying on. He'd looked at enough bodies to realize that, hadn't he? Every body he saw was somebody's baby, somebody's world. He roused from his musings when a voice said it was time to begin. Reid got quickly to his feet. "My name is Spencer…"