As From Discretion Comes Isolation
Chapter 10

A/N - As exams loom writing is the only thing keeping my sanity... Just a short and sweet chapter for Reid.

The hospital was quiet as Reid pushed open the door to Emily's private room. She looked so vulnerable connected to the various machines and drips which were keeping her alive, he had always known her to be so strong and it was heartbreaking to see her like that. The last time he didn't get to see her; he didn't get to say goodbye. Instead he had been told seven short bone-chilling words: 'she never made it off the table'.

A man who he assumed to be James was snoring lightly from the armchair beside her bed, his chin resting lazily on his chest. He noticed the dark circles around his eyes hinting at his lack of sleep; he had been at the hospital since the early hours of the morning. Reid quietly sat on the chair on the other side of the bed and stared up at the ceiling, he was unsure of what he thought he would achieve by coming here but he knew he had to. He couldn't focus on the case without seeing her, no matter how weak she was, he needed to see she was going to be alright.

Sensing another presence James shook himself awake, he looked at Reid and smiled, "I've already tried" he said following his gaze upwards, "the ceiling tiles, I got to 67 and lost count"

"124" Reid replied automatically looking at the man across from an unconscious Emily.

"Please tell me I'm in the presence of Doctor Spencer Reid" he laughed gently, shaking his head slightly.

Reid smiled awkwardly, "yeah"

James chuckled, "Emily told me so much about you, she said you're a genius!"

"Uh thanks, it's statistically proven, I have an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory, and can read 20,000 words per minute" he nodded slowly.

"I've cleared your team to consult on the case by the way, you are officially aiding the investigation" James explained.

Reid simply smiled again, as nice as this man had been he desperately wanted time to sit with his friend alone.

After a couple of minutes of silence James took the hint and got slowly to his feet, "well I am in desperate need of a cup of tea, would you like anything?" he asked.

"No, thank you" Reid replied as James swiftly left the room.

Once alone with Emily, he took a deep breath and entwined his fingers through hers. Shifting his position so he was leaning his elbows on the bed, he noticed her fingernails; she'd been biting at them again.

"Hi Emily, we haven't really had a chance to talk since we got here, I guess now is as good a chance as any. I've missed you, really missed you. You were always a great listener, as much as I love the others, you never treated me like a baby, especially with my headaches, which have gone now by the way. That was because of my friend Maeve, it's coming up to six months now and it still hurts to say her name, it was the same with you when we thought..." he took another shaky deep breath, "I'm sure Garcia told you about Maeve, as much of a friend Blake has become I am certain if you had been there I would've told you first, because you wouldn't have thought it odd or made fun, you would've accepted it. I spoke to her ten months and we never met, I loved her and she died, it wasn't fair but when is anything we ever do fair? We try to help people and all that happens is that we are punished, I don't see why. Anyway I'm here for you, I understand why you keep your secrets it's not out of cruelty or distrust, it's out of love and protection, we are going to solve this case for you. You are so strong Emily, you were the one who denied all the odds last time and I live in a statistical world but you, you will be our miracle again."

Reid patted her hand gently before standing up, he walked around the spacious private hospital room unsure of what to do with himself. He had said what he had needed to say and he had seen Emily was alright but he couldn't go back yet, he had left too abruptly to return half an hour later and he still needed time. His heart did still ache every time he thought of Maeve and the time they should have had together and now they never would; he didn't know if he would ever find another girl who would understand him the way she did, he just hoped he wouldn't have to lose Emily too, he didn't think he could handle that. Taking dilaudid had already crossed his mind several times but he had been clean for almost six years now, he wasn't going to give in that easily.

Curiously he picked up the doctor's notes at the end of the bed as for something to do and he wanted a further insight into his friend's condition. He frowned as he came to a page that was unfamiliar to him. He scanned it and soon realised where he'd seen similar notes earlier that day. Hastily he pulled out his phone and took a picture of the note page before going out to the corridor to look for James. Thankfully he was sat on the seats situated in the hall drinking tea from a polystyrene cup.

"James! Do you know what these notes indicate?" Reid asked quickly.

He took the phone and frowned as he studied it for a moment, "I believe it is a record of any specific birth marks, scars or tattoos, why?"

"It's important, thank you, I have to go" he cried as he sped down the corridor and into the car park as the rare afternoon sun glared in his eyes. This was the missing link that they needed to crack this case, it was how everything was tied together. Emily. As they suspected it was all about her and from the unsub's message it was not over, he needed to brief the team as quickly as possible so they could catch him before he destroyed their friend's life completely.

Reid pulled out his phone and held it to his ear, "Hotch? We have a problem, I think this is a lot more personal than we thought!"