Oh my gosh guys! I'm sooo sorry about the long wait :[ School and life got crazy really fast! I hope this makes up for it . . .

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

REMINDER

Morgan POV:

"You'll be fine Kid, just fine. Just make sure you don't leave us waiting to long."

Reid POV:

The darkness is so calm and comforting . . . There's no light or sound here. Wait . . .? Was that Morgan's voice? . . . Morgan?

PRESENT

Morgan POV:

When I open my eyes, my head's resting on the edge of Reid's hospital bed and I realize that I must have fallen asleep. It's been 2 weeks since Reid entered this coma, and even though his doctors say that the swelling has completely gone down and he should be waking up, he hasn't so much as twitched. I heave a sigh and stretch my back hearing popping as it slides back into place; we caught the unsub a week ago, and have been waiting around for Reid to wake up. The rest of the team should be coming back from the cafeteria any minute bringing my lunch back with them; I've only left the kid's side a few times for showers, and was back within the hour.

Rubbing my eyes roughly, I hear the glass door slide open and the team's footsteps enter the room to resume their places around Reid's bed. A hand that I recognize as JJ's holds a cafeteria tray in front of my face. "Hey hon. I know you don't want to eat, but you have to stay healthy," she prompts me to take it; I do so, and am about to stab a piece of salad when movement from the bed causes me to shove the tray aside and rise to my feet.

Reid POV:

I've heard voices for a while now . . . maybe I should open my eyes? . . . but they're so heavy. I thought I heard Morgan though . . . he'll want me to wake up; I have been asleep a long time. Follow the voices . . . that's the way . . . almost there . . . their voices are clearer now. A little more . . . yes, it is Morgan! C'mon Reid! You're so close! I try to move my fingers but don't manage to make them move. I wait a moment then try again; I succeed in making my arm jolt several inches of the bed before falling heavily back to my side. Once more, I need to open my eyes! My eyelids flutter and I groan with the effort I'm expending. Suddenly I hear Morgan, though he sounds a bit far away, "That's it kid! You're doing great, just open those eyes for me." Hey, I'm trying here! Just give me a sec . . . you wouldn't believe how hard this is; it feels like my eyes have been glued shut. I put all my concentration into it this time, and with a moan, I manage to open my eyes to slits – and am immediately blinded by a stabbing white light. "M'gn, l-lgt hrrts . . ." I mumble, but he doesn't understand.

"I'm sorry pretty boy, I don't understand." I heave an internal sigh and try again, carefully controlling my tongue in the effort to get my need across.

"T-t-theeee l-ligh huur-urttsssss. T-tooo b-brigh!" Just talking that much exhausts me, which in turn scares me. However, it was worth the struggle since they finally understand what I'm asking for. I hear hurried feet cross the room, and the light behind my eyelids grows less obtrusive. Breathing out in relief, I try to open my eyes again, managing to open them a bit more than before. As my sight clears, I realize that I'm staring into Morgan's concerned yet relieved brown eyes. He sees my eyes and a radiant smile breaks out across his face . . . his very tired and stubbly face. My forehead scrunches together with worry. "M'rgn, you do'n look s-soo g-good," I say stumbling over my words as I try to get used to talking again. For a second he looks confused and slightly stunned, then bursts into deep laughter followed by the rest of the team who I only just noticed.

"Thanks genius, but I don't think you're in any position to be critical of others looks." He grins and ruffles my hair. "In fact, I think this may be the first time I'm seeing you with anything resembling stubble," he smirks. That gets me, and as fast as I can, I raise my hand to my face and run my fingers across my chin. The feel of prickly hair startles me; it's been years since I last waited long enough to shave that I grew a beard!

"H-how lo-oong have I been out?" I manage to ask with only minimal slurring and stuttering.

Morgan shuffles a bit, looking slightly nervous before he answers in a soft voice, "two weeks and three days. . . but let me tell you, it's felt like an eternity." His voice rings with sincerity, even though it sounds ridiculous that I've been out for two weeks. I stare blankly at him, still trying to figure out why I would've been out so long. Finally I just give up and ask.

"What happened?" I feel slightly smug when I get it out with no difficulty.

The team exchanges looks before Hotch asks, "Reid, how much do you remember?"

I tilt my head to the side as I struggle to remember. "I remember working on a geographical profile, and then ringing and pain . . . that's it." My voice catches at the end and I go into a coughing fit caused by my dry throat. I see JJ disappear for a second, before she reappears at my side, a glass of cool water in her hands. She lifts my head with one hand and helps me to drink with the other. Some of the water slips out of the corner of my mouth, and trails down my cheek. Morgan quickly uses the corner of the blanket to wipe it away, before he fills in the holes in my memory.

"You had just figured out where the next body would be dumped, and where about to tell Hotch when all the phone lines blew up. You screamed and passed out . . . you were in a lot of pain right before you lost consciousness; you probably had a headache that you were hiding from us. When we got to the hospital, the docs said you had brain swelling, but they couldn't find any cause and there was nothing else wrong. The swelling's gone down but they still don't know what caused it; they think the headaches are psychological though."

"My head is full of ghosts . . ." I mutter, but apparently they heard me.

"Ghosts?" Morgan repeats, his brow scrunched in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Crap! "Uh, nothing! It's just something that the voodoo priest said to me when I was interviewing him. He gave me his bead bracelet for protection, saying I needed it more than him." Reid shrugged and tried to play it cool, but couldn't quite pull it off.

"C'mon kid! You don't really think there are 'ghosts' in your head do you?" He makes air quotes when he says the word ghosts, and I can feel my face heating up.

"I-I don't actually think it's that crazy; think about it! I have an eidetic memory . . . I can literally recall the words of every single unsub and victim, hear them begging for their lives, hear them telling about them torturing their victims! Those voices, those words haunt me all the time . . . maybe they're both right? What if it is a psychological problem caused by my memories?" I stop and rub my temples as a sudden flare of pain shoots through my skull. As soon as it passes I continue, "I used to have nightmares, but stopped having them after I talked with –" I pause slightly, "-with Gideon. I started having them again right before the headaches started."

Most of the team looks a little unsure, but Hotch nods his head slowly. "It would make sense. Out of all of us, you're the one who has the hardest time dealing with the crimes in the long run; it could just be your minds way of coping. Your doctor's said that after you woke up they needed to run some more tests, but that after that, you'd be free to go. After you're discharged I'll set up mandatory appointments for you with the bureau psychologist." Hotch levels me with a firm stare, "And I expect you to find your own personal psychologist as well." I nod my head, wishing I could argue, but knowing that he's right. My own methods of dealing with this are clearly not working very well. Still . . . I scowl, and Morgan laughs again.

"You trying to look like a pissed kitten pretty boy?" This only makes me scowl more, causing the team to chuckle. 'Ah well . . . at least they care', and my lips twitched up into a small smile.

CMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCM

Phew! Longest chapter yet. We're almost done guys, just one more short chapter to go :]