Pain- Chapter 5

Suggestions

"...My, you people are demanding! (cough, codename:penguin cough). So I dont get murdered, heres an update! Hope you guys like this! Oh, and check out my poll(which involves poles) R&R?"

Derek Morgan woke up to a cold, wet feeling on his bed. When he moved his arm from Reid's waist to see what it was, he gasped, accidentally waking Reid up.

"What is it?" Reid asked, barely awake.

"Reid ,what the hell happened to your leg?"

Reid frowned, looking down at his leg. Suddenly, he knew what had worried Morgan so much...

Hi leg was stained with blood and scratch marks...

"Spencer, talk to me, man. What's going on with you? Did you do this?" Morgan asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Derek, I know you're concerned and I know that you're worried that it'll happen again, but will you let me talk to Hotch first? Please, don't ask why; just trust me. I-I think he can help me." Reid explained. "I promise I will tell you after I talk to him."

Morgan put his hand over Reid's bloody leg, gently wiping off the blood with a towel that was left on the side of his bed. He pulled Reid closer to him again, letting him lean against him as he wiped up the blood. "I can see that Hotch can help you, and I want you to get help. I'm gonna let you figure this out with him, but I want you to tell me about anything that your guys discuss that may relate to these scratches." Morgan said in a calm voice. "Damn, you really screwed up your leg." he added under his breath.

"Yeah, I can see that." Reid sighed back. There was still a ton of blood on Reid's leg. It was worrying Morgan that Reid had scratched it so hard that it was bleeding this badly.

"Can I ask you a question? Just one?" Morgan asked, his curiosity and worries getting the best of him.

"Uh, sure, but I don't know if I'll answer." Reid replied honestly. He gasped a little right after speaking when Morgan rubbed just a bit too hard against his leg wounds.

"Has this happened before?"

"Yes, but only twice. I've talked to both Hotch and Gideon about it, and both times it was right after a traumatic event. We think that it may have something to do with that, but there are a few details that we were still sketchy about. Every time it happened, we found out a little more about it. We considered talking about it with a therapists, but the first time it happened I was just about to join the BAU, and we knew that they wouldn't hire me if I was already seeing a therapists. I promise that I will tell you about it; I don't want to hide it from you, and I don't want to make you angry. I just...I just need some time to figure out what's really happening, you know?" Reid sighed, clearly flustered.

"Spencer, you should know that out of everyone on the team I would understand wanting to know what's happening to you the most. You know I've been in a similar situation as you; just take your time." As if to emphasize that he was okay with Reid not talking to him about it immediately, he gave Reid a gentle kiss on his forehead, knowing Reid was still getting used to being so close to someone. He felt Reid get a little closer to him, something he couldn't help but smile at. Reid had always been distant when it came to contact with other people, but he had really started blossoming over the years, and he knew that their relationship would really help the kid feel comfortable with someone else. Morgan loved the feeling of having that skinny, slightly-curvy, beautiful kid in his arms, and he loved even more that Reid seemed to love it too. He could stay with him all day and wouldn't mind, but he knew Reid needed to talk to Hotch. Reluctantly, Morgan stopped caring to Reid's wounds and let him stand up. Reid threw on a shirt and put his jacket on top of it as he searched for his shoes. After a few glances around the room, he finally found them. After slipping them on, he gave Morgan a shy wave and left...

Hotch groaned as his hotel door rang. Luckily, Rossi slept right threw it and he walked to the door. When he answered it, he was shocked to see a still 'undressed' Reid waiting for him.

"He found the scratches." he said bluntly, although Hotch understood what he meant. Hotch nodded and motioned for Reid to move so he could leave his hotel room.

"Rossi's still asleep; we should talk about this in the hotel cafe; I doubt many people will be there at five in the morning." Reid nodded and let Hotch escort him downstairs.

Just as Hotch had guessed, only two other people- who were sitting together-were in the cafe. They both ordered a coffee before Hotch started talking.

"How'd he take it?" Hotch asked.

"Pretty well, considering everything." Reid sighed. "I-I told him I would tell him everything we knew about what was going on after I talked to you. He said he understood and let me leave."

"He really cares about you; I'm glad that he's been so supportive." Hotch replied with a slight smile. He squeezed Reid's hand in a supportive gesture before motioning for him to go on.

"Do you think we're right about this being caused my trauma? I mean, with me getting shot, the whole Foyet fiasco, and, well, everything else." Reid asked.

"I think it's the most likely possibility. The first time it happened was when you were in your last year of college and you sent your mother to the sanitarium. That time you started scratching your stomach. Luckily, you didn't scratch it hard enough to rip them skin like you are now. The second time was after the Tobias Hankel case, that time on your arm because of when you were using. Now, you're scratching your leg, the same one that got shot. It seems possible that this could be some bizarre case of PTSD. I mean, we all have our own ways of coping, you know." Hotch agreed.

"I wonder how long it will last this time." Reid muttered tiredly between sips of sugar-laced coffee.

"Maybe, when we get back from the case, you should see a therapists about this. I understand that you couldn't the first time because you were going to join the BAU and the second time because the BAU would make you take a few months off because of the case, but this time the BAU doesn't have a reason to look into your psych record. And even if they do, it won't matter because they wouldn't have any reason to think the BAU caused it. I don't know Reid, but I think you should give it a try." Hotch suggested.

"I was actually thinking the same thing. And now that I have Morgan, I'll have more support when I go through with it." Reid replied, nodding his head.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Now that Gideon can't help and I don't have Haley to watch Jack, it'll be nice to Morgan be able to help you." Hotch smiled. "I'm just glad that you decided to go through with it; I know you can be stubborn, and I just want to make sure someone can help you properly."

"Yeah, I know I can be stubborn," Reid smiled, "but I know I need help now. I want this to stop, even if it isn't very frequently."

"Good." Hotch smiled back."Now, we still have a few hours to sleep. I suggest we both go to bed; this is going to be a long case." Reid nodded and followed Hotch as he stood up. Together, they walked back to their floor to get a few more ours of sleep...

"...Next chap: he tells Morgan about his leg and other crap hopefully happens. Hehehe...I THOUGHT this was going to be less than 10 chaps, but now Im not so sure. Ah well. I dont think anyone will complain. Oh, and about the leg scratching: It IS a rare form of PTSD and is similar to cutting, but its done in the sleep. I love google. Hehehe...Oh, and I WAS going to update FR, but I feared for my life (as previously stated:) and decided to update that later. Sorry for the rant. R&R?"