Chapter 4

"Jennifer, Help Me"

They had been in the cabin for only a day when Reid started having a difficult time with the withdrawal.

It was about 9:00 that night when JJ slipped out of the bathroom after a hot shower. Seconds after exiting the bathroom, she saw Spencer curled up on the bed they shared curled up silently crying. She quickly dumped her clothes in a hamper and rushed to his side.

"Spence, baby, talk to me. What's wrong?" she said kneeling down beside the bed to be eye level with him.

"My whole body. . .aching all over. . .migraine," he barely whispered with tears unashamedly running down his face.

"Don't worry, baby. I'm here. I'll make it better," she said comforting him by running her fingers through his hair and kissing him on the cheek.

She quickly grabbed a water bottle and pain killers from the nightstand beside the bed. She helped him sit up supporting most of his weight.

She handed him a couple of painkillers and said, "Here, take these."

He swallowed the pills and a gulp of water before pressing a kiss to JJ's forehead and whispering, "Thank you."

"Get up and get undressed. You need a hot bath. It'll help relax your muscles," she instructed him.

"Jennifer, I can't get undressed and in the tub in front of you," he whispered the pink tint in his cheeks giving away his embarrassment.

She only responded by turning on the faucet to the bathtub and fishing out a pair of swim trunks from Spencer's bag.

"Compromise? You know I'm not leaving you alone while you're in pain," she whispered gently kissing her way down his neck and up again finishing by sucking on his ear lobe.

"Deal," he whispered back not having the energy or strength to argue.

JJ stepped into the bathroom while he changed in private. Moments later, he called for her barely loud enough for her to hear. She cut off the water and returned to Reid's side.

"Spence, you still have your shirt on," she commented sitting beside him on the bed.

"I know. The migraine caused me to get dizzy when I stood up. I just wanted you beside me," he responded.

She smiled and said, "I'm right here, Spence. I'll help you with the shirt."

JJ proceeded to unbutton his shirt and gently push it down his shoulders off his arms. She then wrapped her arm around his waist, pulled his arm around her shoulder, and guided him to the bathtub supporting most of his weight. She could tell this migraine was really taking a toll on him. Reid carefully stepped into the tub sighing as the hot water immediately began to relax his muscles.

"Thank you, Jenn," he whispered again.

"Anything for you, sweetheart," she said.

As he sat there relaxing, JJ gently traced patterns across the back of his neck and his shoulders. She could feel him beginning to relax even more. As carefully as she could, she used her nails to begin massaging his scalp.

Reid moaned and said, "Do you have any idea how amazing you are?"

Hours later, JJ woke up dazed and confused. Spencer's pain finally subsided allowing both of them to get some sleep. She saw the time on the clock said 3:00 a.m. It was then she realized what woke her up. Reid was curled up beside her crying and muttering in his sleep.

Suddenly he cried out, "JJ, I need you. Don't let him. . . Jennifer, help me!"

JJ turned on the lamp on the nightstand and began carefully shaking Reid saying, "Spencer, baby, wake up. Wake up, Spence. It's just a dream."

Realizing he was in too deep of a sleep, JJ kissed him forcefully hoping that would wake him up instead of having to douse him with cold water. Luckily, the unexpected sensation pulled him from his nightmare. As he sat up, JJ pulled him close. She could feel his wet tears on her neck as he continued sobbing.

She sat there rubbing his back trying to get him to calm down as she asked, "Spence, what was the dream about?"

When he didn't respond for a few minutes, she pulled him up to face her.

"Baby, I can't help you if you don't talk to me," she said taking his face in her hands.

He looked her in the eye and shuddered as he said, "He got to me, Jennifer. Hankel got to me again. He was trying to give me Diulaudid again. I couldn't stop him. I knew I had to stay clean, but I couldn't stop him. I had to stay clean because I didn't want to disappoint you or hurt you again.

"Oh, baby. It was just a dream. It was only a dream. He's gone and will never get to you again. Even if he could, I'd personally shoot him myself to stop him. As long as you're fighting this, I won't be disappointed. I'm right here by your side fighting with you," she told him comfortingly.

"I can't do this without you," he said.

She smiled and replied, "And you don't have to. Now, you need to get some sleep.

"I can't close my eyes without seeing his face," he confessed.

She lay back down and whispered, "Come here."

He lay down beside her and curled up close to her as she cuddled him.

"There," she said, "Now even through the nightmares, I'm here beside you to protect you from the nightmares. He can't hurt you as long as I'm here."

"Thank you, Jennifer," he said, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered to him as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.