Sexy Boy
Could it be that wisdom appears on earth as a raven, drawn by the faint smell of carrion?: - Friedrich Nietzsche
Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.
They stood outside the hospital room itching to get in and talk to Flanders. The doctors had told them he wasn't going to die anytime soon, and how he was awake they didn't know, but he was.
Morgan just stood and stared at the man who had done so much damage to them all. By removing Reid the way he had, by treating him the way he had and by not looking after him. That above all angered Morgan the most. He had failed to look after him properly.
Aaron was pacing the corridor waiting to be told he could go in and ask the questions he needed answered.
Prentiss had a list of names and was going to be going out that evening to ask what she needed to ask.
Floyd turned his head and looked at the figures standing outside his room. The doctor was there changing dressings on his face. Split lip, cracked cheek bone, black eye, broken nose, all held together with stitches and gauze. Fine – he'd had worse. He knew they would want to talk to him, and he was working out how he was going to get out of this. The plan was forming in his slightly fuddled mind when finally Hotchner was permitted to come in to talk to him.
He pulled up a chair and sat next to Flanders, making note of the bruises and what sort of pain this man must have been in and probably still is in.
"So Flanders, what happened?"
He rolled over onto this side to get a better look at Aaron. "I did nothing illegal." He looked at his fingers. Badly bruised – how they weren't broken he wasn't sure.
"You were pimping an FBI agent Flanders, how is that not illegal?"
A slightly puzzled look crossed his face before he spoke. "I didn't pimp him. He wanted to do that. He enjoyed it. He likes whoring him self. I just held the money for him. Or the drugs, depending on how he was paid. That was all him Agent Aaron Hotchner. Not me. You will have to ask him that."
Hotch knew he was lying but without Reid to talk to it was his word against no ones. "We cant find Reid."
Flanders pushed himself up on one elbow. "What do you mean you can't find him? He's not at home?"
"An address would be a good idea. I can send someone around to check. But no – we can't find him. It seems he has been removed."
Floyd was now sitting. "Am I under arrest?" Beginning to slide off the bed. "I need to find him."
Aaron put a hand on his arm. "Flanders, you had your head stamped on. You need to stay here and answer our questions so we can find him."
He put his hands to his head. He felt fine. Yes he felt great and if someone had his Spence then they would pay. He would take their tender and not so tender parts and cook them slowly in garlic and onion. He licked his lips and smiled at Aaron. "I am fine. I need to find him. I do care for him you know. However it might look to you. I'm not what you think I am."
Hotch stood up and shook his head. "You are not leaving the hospital Flanders; you are not fit to leave. They are still doing tests. Give me the address I will check it out."
"I don't want you or your goons trampling around my pad. I will check it. You come with me if you have to, but ya's not going there without me." He was walking slowly now to the cupboard which held his dirty clothing. Stripping off his hospital stuff and pulling on the things he had been wearing didn't bother him. He liked the thought Hotch was watching him. Much in the way he would watch Spence and a knot of worry. Where the hell was Spence?
……………………….
He was beginning to feel hungry. He pulled himself up and looked down at what he was wearing. Still in black jeans and boots, but his shirt was gone along with his memory. He pushed his hair back off his face. The last things he could remember doing were favours with 'friends'. He had no idea how he ended up here though or where his friends had gone.
He tried to take a step forwards away from this stinking hole he had been sleeping in, but his leg screamed out in agony and he slid down the wall to sit in the filth.
"You will die if you just sit there. Here have something to eat." He looked up to see a woman in her fifties handing down a bit of bread folded in half. "I have spares today."
Reid shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, "I'm cold." And then the shivering started. His teeth chattered together and he curled his toes up inside his boots. He was wet through to the skin.
"Come with me." She put a hand down for him to grab. "I will get you somewhere. They will give you something to wear. Stick with me. What's ya name?"
Tentatively he moved his hand down to his knee. "There's something wrong. I can't stand." And now the rain started again.
"You pull yourself up on me, I will take you somewhere dry, but hurry up kid, I'm getting wet and only doing this for you cos I saw what you did for those guys last night."
The woman half dragged her prize from the floor as the rain bucketed down onto the pair of them. She could feel his body shaking, and now he was out of the shadows more she could see the bruises on his torso.
"Where – where are we going?" He used her as support as she walked slowly down the side ally way.
"Don't worry kid. I won't hurt you. There's a shelter around the corner. I'll get you something to wear and something to eat. You stick with me." She could see money to be made here if the kid didn't get sick. She saw his tricks. A dollar here or there always handy and she wouldn't have to soil herself to do it.
"I'm n n not homeless." He tried to stop so he could think. He knew he had somewhere to live. Somewhere, he just had to think where it was.
"Of course you're not. None of us are really. You keep telling yourself that." They reached as set of steps. "Nearly there."
It was a painful wet journey but one he managed to make with the help of his companion who turned out to be called Sissy. He was still unsure what his name was so he let her call him Kid for now. Until he could remember.
The shelter had a big main hall. A place to sit and get free food. There was a book to write your name in but his hands were shaking too much to hold the pen. Sissy filled it in for him.
'Sissy and the Kid' She wrote in big bold print. She then called over to an attractive Hispanic looking woman with a name tag. "Charlene love. I have new boy here. Any chance of giving him something warm to wear. He was mugged."
The shelter worker walked over and smiled. She put a hand on Reid's shoulder. "This way sunshine. I will get you a sweater and jacket."
"He can't walk proper Charl. He's got a gammy leg." Sissy kept a tight hold of Reid's arm as the aid worker nodded.
"Go sit him down somewhere Sissy. I will go get something for him."
"I'm n not homeless." Reid's voice was stuttery with the cold.
"Of course not sunshine. Just another lost boy, when you find your way again you can repay us. How does that sound?" Well it sounded condescending but Reid kept his mouth shut for now.
Within half an hour he had been provided with a t shirt in faded red, a sweatshirt in faded green, and a long beige raincoat. "It will keep you warm and dry." He was told by Charlene. "If you come back later I will see about getting you somewhere to put your head down for the night." She looked over at Sissy.
"He will be fine Char. I'ma gonna look after this one."
Reid ate bread and dipped it in tomato soup and tried to pull in some of the warmth from the room he was sitting in. Stinking, steaming, dirty and soiled and now getting slowly drugged by Sissy who had every intention of loaning this boy's favours out and making a fortune from that innocent face.
………………..
They stood outside Floyd and Reid's apartment. Floyd with key in hand, Morgan with boot on foot. Either way Derek didn't care as long as they got in there.
"If you don't mind waiting outside."
Aaron put a hand on Flanders shoulder. "We mind." He took the key from Floyd's hand. "Thank you."
A small dark apartment. Hotch then Morgan and then Floyd entered the musty empty rooms. It was obvious to him that Spence hadn't been back, but he looked anyway. The bed hadn't been slept in. He stood looking in the bedroom with a tangle of feelings going around in his head and stomach.
"Where the hell is he?" A quiet voice meant for his ears only.
………………
Still supporting the WGA strike. //sigh//
