Listening And Waiting

!!I support the 2007 WGA STRIKE!!

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.

Daja once said: When the time is right, I will be back.

He lay on the hospital bed with a drip in his arm and sigh on his breath. The police would want to talk to him, but right now Agent Reid was not talking to anyone. He couldn't sleep and he couldn't stay awake. He was trapped somewhere in between where his nightmares felt all the more real. The difference this time was they were not images his mind conjured up from no where, these were memories of things he could still feel. Granted he hadn't actually felt Pepe jumping on his rib cage and he hadn't heard them crack, he also hadn't felt his shoulder dislocate or his lip splitting. He hadn't felt it at the time, but he could feel it now. He had a neck brace. Yes he had felt his neck snap back unhealthily but it seemed as he thought to be a bad case of whiplash. He had bruises on his neck, on his arms and wrists, a lump on the side of his head and again on the back. His feet were cut as were his knees, but nothing that won't heal. All of this he would heal from. Everything except the feeling of the mud being shovelled onto him. Being unable to move, laying waiting to die his face only half covered so that Pepe could return and view his victim. This is what Gideon would have done though. He was sure of it. At least he didn't beg.

…………………

Hotch stood next to the bed and looked down at Reid. He knew he was awake, he just wasn't responding to anyone. His eyes stared off looking at nothing, his chest bandaged to help his cuts and abrasions was rising and falling steadily. He heard movement behind him and saw Derek standing there with a comic in his hand.

"Thought he might want some light reading when he's up to it." Morgan moved over and put the X-Man comic on the small table over the bed. "When you're ready genius." And Hotch looked as Derek placed a hand over the top of Spencer's and ran a finger over the bandages on his writs.

More movement behind and Aaron turned to see a very tired bedraggled looking Flanders. He still hadn't changed his clothes. His face and smears of blood across it as did the backs of his hands. He had an open wound on his forehead which was now crusting over. He stood and looked at Hotch and then at Derek and then at Derek's hand. Flanders stomach churned over at the sight of it, but he was quickly distracted by Hotch.

"I think you should leave." Hotch was walking towards him.

Flanders shook his head. "Er no. I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving him here with you two."

Hotch took Floyd by the arm and guided him out of the room Reid was in. "You need to go and get cleaned up. Get your forehead seen to, and I need to talk to you about how you knew were to find Reid. I know you are involved somehow. I just can't work out how or why."

Floyd moved close to Aaron and whispered in his ear. "I planned it all. I paid those blokes to grab Spence and batter him and bury him alive. Shame they failed. I will have to try again." He paused as Hotch took a step back. "Was that what you wanted to hear? Are you happy you have someone to blame for your own failings? Are you satisfied that you messed with his emotions so much he tried to run from them? Does this make you happy? Does it please you to let Morgan touch him after what he did to him? What makes you tick Aaron – I can't figure you out. You want Spence, yet you want your wife? You can't have both." Hotch was looking over at Derek now who was brushing Reid's hair off his face. "Why do you let him do that?"

Hotch looked between the two men again. "What is your problem with my agent? What is this thing you think he has done?"

Flanders walked over to Derek and stared down at the dark hand on the pale skin. "Hands off, Morgan. Next time I will rip your face off."

"Gentlemen." The sudden voice from the door made them all turn around. The doctor was standing there looking at the three men who were glaring at each other. "I need to talk to the family members only. You shouldn't even be here is you aren't."

Hotch nodded. "We are his family." He looked over at Flanders.

"I am staying. I am as much family as you are."

Morgan went to put his hand on Flanders, who moved back out of his reach. "Flanders, you are not like family. You are a junky and a stalker. You need to leave."

"We are judging our positions by how much we have abused Spencer? You who rape and hurt, and you Aaron who gives him the signals, then discard him to go back to you wife? All I have done is admire from afar. Tell me who has hurt him the most. I tried to love and protect him. I haven't seen you two do a whole lot of that."

Hotch and Morgan grabbed an arm each and started to escort Flanders from the room. "You need to leave." Hotch was trying to stay calm, but this situation was bothering him. He needed to get this sorted and find out what the doctor had to say and then start to get Spencer talking to them again.

……………..

He felt the warm hand cover his, and he felt the fingers moving over the bandages. He could smell it was Morgan. His friend and his partner, the man he had trusted and now – and now? And now he didn't know. Everything was so confusing. He felt the mud falling on him. He heard the shovelling of the wet earth and he felt it cover his feet. He stayed silent. He knew to stay alive he needed to remain silent. He needed this man to think he was already dead. This way he could lay in this water logged ditch and die slowly. With honour. Knowing he didn't beg. Like Gideon would have done. So he needed to lay still and be quiet.

He could hear Aaron. He could hear sharp angry voices. He could smell dirt and blood and fear and distrust. He could smell Flanders. He could smell the heavy musky smell of his skin.

Spencer wanted to call out to him, but he couldn't, he could just lay and look at the water running down the sides on the hole he was in, and wait for it to reach his nose again.

The voices faded and now hands on him. Rolling him over onto his side - looking at damage. A small whimpering sound escaped from the back of his throat where it had been sitting waiting for its chance to escape. Calming voices "It's OK Dr Reid, we just need to make sure."

Cold hands and cold metal and now a scream from deep down inside of him. A scream of pain deep emotional anguish.

………….

The three of them stood outside the main doors of the hospital in the emergency ambulance bay. "What's going on Flanders?" Aaron was asking.

"Why always me?"

"You are the unknown. We don't know you."

"I am guilty of something because you don't know me? Have you done a profile? Have you really tried to work me out? Or are you boxing me in with your other jealousies."

Derek's hand was resting comfortably next to his gun. It really wouldn't take much for him to pull it and have Flanders back in cuffs.

"I know you are a loner. I know you like to deal with people one at a time and not in groups. I know you are very intelligent, that you speak multiple languages. I know you have no family, and I know that you very wealthy. I don't know why you have your mind so fixed on Reid. I don't know what it is you have against my agent here, unless it is a race issue, and I am beginning to think it is. I know you spend a lot of money of alcohol and trinkets but you are right, Flanders, I don't know you. Apart from you are obviously well educated, come from money, and have an un-natural interest in my agent."

Derek joined in now.

"You are also a junky. You have been in rehab for heroin addiction and you are a know cocaine addict. You drink to much, and lost your licence for a short while for DUA. What other substances you put into your body we don't know, but I strongly advise you don't snort from your present dealer. That stuff was poison. I hope you didn't pay too much for it." He was smirking and this is what finally tipped the balance between wanting to rip Morgan's face off and actually attempting it.

As Mogan stepped forward Flanders spun and cracked him around the side of the face with a fist. Then followed it through with an upper cut to his jaw. Morgan made an 'umph' sound and flew a fist back again. Hands around throats and knees in solar plexus' and the men were on the floor. Morgan on top astride Flanders fist to face. Flanders' responding with a fist back in Morgan's mouth. Then rolling and Flanders on top Shouting and hitting.

"You bastard son of a bitch. How – Could – You – Do – That – To – Him?" with each word a new fist and to Morgan's surprise, and he will tell himself later this is why Flanders managed to over power him – he saw tears trickle down the side of Floyd's nose.

A small click. "Get off him Flanders or I will pull the trigger." Aaron's voice now, and as Floyd looked to the side to see the gun pointed at him Morgan hit him under the jaw and he fell quietly to the ambulance bay floor.

There was a small amount of cheering, and a few boo's, and lot' of 'ooohs' and 'aarrhhs' as Morgan stood up and brushed the dirt from his clothing. Someone clapped and yet someone else took some photos via his cell.

They didn't notice the small man in dark clothes slip by them and press the button for the elevator.

They didn't notice him get off at Reid's floor and walk silently to his room where he was laying alone with tears running down his face.

No one saw him run his fingers gently over the sore bruised skin.

No one saw him whisper into Reid's ear.

And no one heard the whimper of fear.

…………

!!I support the 2007 WGA STRIKE!!