A/N: I was going to update yesterday but I got busy, or what I call being busy, sorry. Honestly I didn't even think this story would be any good but you guys proved me wrong. Thanks everyone and anyway let's go on with the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.
Warning: Rated for the mention of drugs, language, and torture.
Chapter sixteen:Please don't let him die
"Laughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship, and it is far the best ending for one."
-Oscar Wilde
Rossi looked at the dead man before him. The syringe in his neck sticking out and the bruising already visible. He looked at him with disgust. Someone who dared hurt his only family deserved to die. It was a quick but very painful death as far as he could tell. He turned to look at Hotch who was currently hovering over the other body. He hoped the body wasn't Reid's and if indeed it was then he hoped it wasn't a mere body. That perhaps the "body" of the other person, Reid, was still alive.
Hotch exhaled a breath he didn't even know he was holding. There under his fingers was a detectable, extremely slow, pulse. It was something that meant Reid was still alive, barely. Hotch shot a look to an officer who quickly called for paramedics. He relaxed until he realized a few things. Rossi made his way over and knelt down beside Hotch.
He noticed Reid was turning from pale, white as a ghost, to a light blue. He absolutely hated what he was about to do.
"Is he...?" he trailed off.
"He's alive...but his body temperature is dropping fast...I assume it's the hypothermia," Hotch replies.
"Hypothermia?" Rossi questioned.
"He's been out here for half an hour...His torso is exposed to the cold, freezing snow...I'm surprised he's actually survived this long...I know I'm being pessimistic but I really am shocked," He explains.
"And the fact he's been poisoned," he added as an after thought.
"...where exactly are the damn medics?" Rossi asked frustrated after putting all the factors together.
"Right here sir," a young man said from behind as he arrived.
"Well then hurry," Hotch ordered.
"What are we working with?" Another asked.
"He's been poisoned and has hypothermia," Rossi said quickly.
"Apparently beaten and tortured as well," the young paramedic muttered.
Rossi and Hotch had confused expressions. The paramedic lifted Reid's body to show what he meant. When they saw Reid's blood oozing from his tattered back their eyes widened. Hotch's frown deepened. Both senior agents remained dumbfounded.
Their thoughts came to a stop when they heard the rushes and hurried voices of the medics.
"WE'RE LOSING HIM!" one shouted.
Please don't let him die, Hotch prayed to the heavens.
"Hurry he's not stabilized," someone else yelled.
Rossi rose to his feet and Hotch mimicked slowly.
"He's fought for this long to give up now."