Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and all its characters belong to CBS. I own nothing. I do not own anything you recognize.
Previously on Criminal Minds- "Agent Hotchner!" Officer Stubing shouted as he raced into the room. "There's been another murder!
CM
"I promise you Pen, Spence is going to be okay. It's just an ear infection and a cold. He'll be back to his normal rambunctious self in a few days. Honest." JJ assured the frantic tech wizard. "You saw how peacefully he's sleeping in that picture I just took, right?" The young mother nodded as she paced around the room. "We didn't mean to leave you in the dark, Pen. We just didn't want to worry you." JJ had to hold the phone away from her ear as her friend's high pitched voice rose considerably. "Okay, okay, we were wrong and I'm sorry. But we really were trying to spare you a freak out. I guess we should have known you'd have your feelers out at the local hospitals for us…Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? I'll do anything…Anything but that. No Pen, I won't do it…Yes, yes I remember you doing that for us…I know but this is different…I won't do that to Spence. You know how he gets when he's sick or hurt. He doesn't want us making over him or even being anywhere near him…I know I am. Someone has to be with him as tiny as he is…Listen, I'm not doing it Pen and that's final…You don't need to worry alright? Spence is going to be fine. You have my word." Hearing the rustling of blankets, JJ glanced at the bed in time to see Reid's eyes open. "Hey Pen, I gotta go. Spence is waking up. Yeah, I will. I know. Yes, yes, Pen? Pen, I'm hanging up now. I already told you no. I'll send you texts to let you know how he's doing and I'll have him call you once he's up to it, okay? Alright, bye" Snapping her cell closed, JJ walked over to the bed and took a seat beside the boy who was sitting up, sleepily fisting his eyes. "Morning, Spence how are you feeling?" she asked.
"Uggh" Reid moaned, flopping back down on the pillow.
"That good, huh?" JJ questioned with a smirk.
Spencer nodded, tightening his grip on his stuffed Ewok as his ear let him know what a bad idea that was. He turned over, pushing his bad ear against his pillow.
"Sweetie, I know you probably don't feel like eating anything right now but it's past time for your antibiotic so you need to try." JJ softly suggested. "You don't want to have to deal with throwing up on top of an ear ache if you can help it."
Spencer sighed. "Otay" he reluctantly replied.
"Good boy" JJ cheerfully said. She went over to the table, picked up a tray full of food, and brought it to the bed. Setting it on the nightstand between the two beds, she gently picked up the little boy. "Alright, I didn't know what you might feel up to eating so I got a little bit of just about everything." She explained, turning so the youngster could see the food without having to lift his head off her shoulder.
"Is few any tassewole?" Reid hopefully inquired.
"Sorry Spence, that's one item the menu didn't have. I'll see if the guys can find you some for lunch though, okay?" She gave him a minute or two to peruse the choices on the tray before asking, "So what will it be?"
"The puffs" Reid decided, pointing to the small box of cereal.
JJ frowned at the sugary choice but held her tongue. Spencer was sick so if that's what he wanted to eat, she'd let him. There'd be plenty of time to change his eating habits once he was well again. "One bowl of Puffs coming right up." she brightly announced. She opened the cereal one-handed and dumped it into a Styrofoam bowl on the tray. "Do you want milk in your cereal?"
"No" Spencer answered.
Nodding, the media liaison picked up a spoon before sitting back down on the bed and settling the toddler in her lap. "Here you go, Sweetie" JJ cooed, handing the bowl to the little boy.
Spencer reluctantly took the bowl from his friend. Picking up the spoon, he dipped it in the chocolate and peanut butter cereal and scooped up the tiniest amount of food that he could. He put the spoon in his mouth, slowly chewed the food up, and swallowed it. Grimacing as his stomach flip flopped, Reid paused a few moments and then braved another bite. He went through the process of eating and waiting a total of four times before pushing the bowl back into his friend's hands. "No mowe" he stated, laying a hand on his stomach. "And I fint I bettew wait a few minutes on the med'cine, too."
"Alright" JJ agreed as she placed the almost full bowl onto the nightstand. Standing, she turned and settled her charge in bed. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, she began to rub Reid's back, hoping it would bring some comfort to him. "How about we go ahead and do the ear drops? By the time that's over your stomach should be calm enough for the antibiotic."
"Otay" Spencer rasped. He watched the young blond retrieve the medication bottle and head his way. He gripped his stuffed Ewok tighter with each step the media liaison took until he was practically choking the stuffing out of the toy. Reid sighed as his friend stepped up beside him. Dreading the next few minutes, he sluggishly moved onto his left side and squashed the stuffed animal to his chest.
JJ unscrewed the cap on the medicine and meticulously measured out the correct amount of the liquid. Leaning over her timid patient, she placed the dropper above Spencer's head and carefully dripped the required two drops into his ear.
Spencer winced at the awful feeling of liquid inside his ear. The medicine was already making his ear canal hurt worse than it had. In fact the pain was so bad it took everything he had not to grab the end of the pillowcase and stuff it in his ear to soak up the medication. The tiny profiler popped his thumb into his mouth to keep from whimpering and worrying his friend. She had enough to deal with without him being a baby over a little ear infection. Desperate to get his mind off the various pains in his body, Reid began mentally reciting the cases the BAU had been on in the past year. Groaning as a particularly sharp pain hit, he bit the side of his cheek to stop himself from calling out for Hotch. He knew it was childish but he wanted his father figure there with him. Closing his eyes, the sick boy hoped for the case to be wrapped up soon. He needed his family.
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"Ethel Weeks, fifty-four" Rossi read, flipping his notepad closed. He shook his head as he stared down at their latest victim. The older woman had been shot in the stomach before being stabbed repeatedly. Both eyes had been gouged out and part of her tongue was lying beside her. Blood was everywhere. It was splattered over the furniture, the walls, and even the ceiling, not to mention the fact that it coated the floor around the victim. It was one of the most gruesome scenes the profiler had ever seen. "Mrs. Weeks was a fourth grade social studies teacher. She was planning on retiring at the end of this year."
"Social studies, huh? Let me guess. Fourth grade studies the Civil War." Morgan angrily remarked.
"That'd be my guess." Prentiss huffed, holding up the ancient musket. Gazing at the blood stained bayonet, she shuddered. She knew the single bullet wound wouldn't have killed the older lady immediately. It would have incapacitated her, however, which must have been exactly what the killer wanted. The poor woman would have been alive when the stabbing started, making her last moments pure agony. Emily could only hope Mrs. Weeks had died before the unsub took her eyes. Having a metal object shoved into your eye would be…Vincent Price's eerie laughter echoing from her cell phone broke into her thoughts. Smiling at the little sneak's choice of ring tones, the profiler quickly pulled her phone out and flipped it open. She read through the message before opening the corresponding attachment. "I got a text from JJ. She said to tell you Reid's eaten, taken his meds, and is peacefully sleeping again." she announced, holding out her cell so the men could see the picture of a sleeping Spencer.
"Good" Hotch commented before focusing back on the crime scene. "Sleep's the best thing for him right now."
Morgan eyed the raven haired profiler with a frown. There was something she wasn't telling them. "What else?" he questioned.
"Let's see, she asked if we would try to find some of that hash brown casserole for Reid's lunch. He asked about it this morning." Emily relayed before smirking. "Oh, and she said to be prepared for a major tongue lashing. Garcia found out about Spencer."
"What?" Derek gasped. "Where did, how did she find out?"
"Apparently, she has some sort of tracking system in place. If one of our names shows up in a hospital, she's immediately alerted." Prentiss explained.
"Sounds about right" Rossi muttered as he checked the area around the deceased woman.
"But, but why didn't Baby Girl call me?" Morgan asked. "She always calls me with info."
"She did. Check your cell, genius." Prentiss suggested.
Snatching his phone out of its cradle, the muscular agent flipped it open. Finding it turned off, he pushed the power button. Morgan winced at the eight missed calls that popped up on the screen. "I am in so much trouble." He grumbled.
"Focus people" Hotch reminded. He stood from his crouch beside the body and glanced around the room. Spotting a stack of thin books on the far bookcase, he strode over to the wooden structure. The BAU leader pulled the book at the front off the shelf and swiftly thumbed through it. Closing the yearbook moments later, he turned to his team. "Morgan, call Garcia and tell her to use the new victim's information to narrow the suspect list." He ordered.
Morgan gaped at his boss. "Hotch, come on man! I can't call her! Not now! Please! You're not really going to make me do this, are you?"
"Yes, I am." Aaron replied, showing the barest hint of a smile.
"Hey, Morgan! You might wanna make that call outside." Rossi suggested with a chuckle. "I don't think you want anyone around for that talk."
"Ha ha" Derek growled as he turned and stomped out of the room.
Prentiss shook her head at the three. They were gearing up for another prank war. She could feel it. Sighing at the thought of having to play referee to three men behaving like little boys, she made a mental note to warn JJ. If this war went the same as the others, she'd need the media liaison's help.
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Spencer rolled over with a groan. He was cold and achy and he needed to go to the bathroom, badly. Sitting up, he scanned the room for JJ but found no sign of his friend. Grimacing as his stomach flip-flopped followed by a loud release of gas, the little boy hurriedly tossed the blankets off his trembling body and slid off the side of the bed. He had to grab onto the mattress to keep from falling as his head spun from the sudden change in position. Reid closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, waiting for the spell to pass. He cringed unable to do anything, as his body decided it couldn't wait any longer and noisily released what he'd eaten and then some. Hearing the door open and close, the mini agent hung his head in shame.
JJ crept back into the room and quietly set the ice bucket on the dresser. Turning around, she was met by an empty bed. "Spence?" she called as she raced into the bathroom. Finding no trace of the youngster, she raced back out and hurried around the bed. She let out a relieved breath as she caught sight of her friend standing beside the bed with his head down. "Hey Sweetie, why didn't you answer me?" she questioned, walking over to two and a half year old. A powerful stench hit her before she even got half way to the boy. "Oh Spence" she sighed, kneeling down beside the embarrassed toddler.
"I'm, I'm sowwy" Reid stammered, keeping his gaze on his feet.
"Sweetie, accidents happen, especially when you're sick. It's okay." She soothed, palming the quivering boy's cheek.
Spencer adamantly shook his head.
Grasping her friend's chin, she pulled it up until they were eye to eye. "Yes it is." JJ resolutely stated. Hearing the youngster's tummy rumble ominously, she quickly and gently scooped Spencer up and headed for the bathroom. "Come on Sweetie, let's get you cleaned up."
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The team walked back into their temporary headquarters after delivering their profile to the police. Gathering around the table, they each grabbed a folder of a possible suspect. Silence descended as the profilers dived back into their work.
Hotch startled as a air horn suddenly blared. Ignoring the snickers that had erupted, he picked up his cell and pressed a button. "Hotchner" he answered.
"Hotch, it's JJ" the young blond said. "We've got a problem."
"What's wrong?" Aaron asked, the tone in his voice garnering the rest of the team's attention.
"It's Spence's stomach. He's been in and out of the bathroom for the past couple of hours." JJ explained.
"He's vomiting?" Hotch questioned.
"Try the other end." JJ corrected.
"Great" the BAU leader grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Did you check the prescription information sheet?"
"Yes, it lists diarrhea as a side effect that will go away." JJ relayed.
"Alright, I'll send someone to the store to pick up more pull-ups for him. It's time for us to get lunch for you two, anyway." Hotch told the worried woman.
"Spence needs more than that, Hotch. He needs one of you men to be here with him. He's not comfortable with a woman being him right now." JJ said. "I've had to help him clean up and change twice already and he was near tears both times. He's so upset he doesn't want to get off the potty because he's afraid he'll have another accident."
Aaron sighed. "One of us will be there shortly."
"One piece of advice. Don't send Morgan." JJ advised, peeking in on her charge.
"Why not?" Hotch asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing against Derek, but his way of dealing with something like this is to tease Spence or joke about it to try to get him to smile. I don't think Spence can handle that right now." JJ stated. "He's distressed enough as it is."
"Understood" Aaron replied. He remembered Morgan's reaction to Reid failing his gun requalification as well as his little flyswatter jokes the last time the youngster got hurt. And while he thought Morgan had learned his lesson after that last one, he wasn't willing to take the chance. "Tell Spencer to hang in there. One of us will be there soon."
"Will do, bye Hotch" JJ said before ending the call.
Aaron snapped his cell closed and stuck it in his jacket pocket. "Dave, could I see you outside for a minute?" he inquired as he stood.
"Sure Hotch" Rossi answered. Exchanging confused glances with Prentiss and Morgan, he stood and hurried to the door. He didn't know what could possibly be going on that Hotch couldn't tell him in front of the others but it couldn't be good. After a quick look back at the worried profilers sitting at the table, he strode out the door.
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JJ paced back and forth in front of the partially closed bathroom door. She paused at the beginning of each short lap to look in on the ill boy sitting on the toilet. Spencer had been fighting sleep for the last fifteen minutes and so far he was winning. Seeing his head slowly drop to his chest, the young mother hoped he'd stay asleep this time. That hope was dashed when the mini agent startled awake. Shaking her head at her friend's stubbornness, JJ resumed her pacing. She checked the bedside clock as she walked past. The agent wondered what was taking her replacement so long. Hotch had promised one of them would be there soon but that had been over a half hour ago. What could possibly be…She let out a relieved breath as knocking sounded accompanied by Rossi's deep voice. Rushing to the other side of the room, JJ unlocked the door and threw it open. "What took you so long?" she asked, eyeing the bags in the profiler's hands.
"Sorry, the store was insanely crowded." Dave explained as he set the supplies he'd brought on the table. He dug through one bag, pulled out a long rectangular box, and placed it in the freezer. "How's the kid?"
"Stubborn as ever" JJ replied, eliciting a snort from her friend. "He's falling asleep but he still won't leave the bathroom."
"I think I have a way to deal with that." Dave cryptically stated. "Go ahead back to the station. I'll take care of our resident hardhead."
"Thanks Rossi" JJ said, grabbing her things. "There's a sticky note on the nightstand that has a schedule of when he needs to take the different meds and there's a heating pad on the table if his ear starts bothering him again. Oh, and I think the ear infection is messing with his balance. He gets really dizzy when he tries to stand up."
"Got it" Dave responded as he read over the schedule. Glancing up when he didn't hear the door, he rolled his eyes. "JJ, I've got this. Go. Reid will be fine. I promise."
"Okay" JJ reluctantly agreed. Going over to the bathroom, she peered around the door and said her goodbyes before giving Rossi a wave and walking out of the hotel room.
Dave went over to the table and grabbed the heating pad. He plugged it in beside the bed before heading to the bathroom. He knocked on the door and called out, "Spencer, it's Rossi. I'm coming in, okay?" Getting a quiet groan in reply, the older man stepped around the half opened door. He took a seat on the edge of the tub, chuckling at the sight of the toddler sleeping on the throne. Knowing the miniature profiler would freak out if he woke up in a different place, he reached out and gently shook the little boy's shoulder. "Spencer? Spencer, wake up buddy."
"W-wo-wossi?" Reid stammered around a yawn.
"Yeah, it's me." Dave confirmed. "Now come on. It's past time for sick little boys to be in bed."
Reid shook his head. "Tan't" he simply said.
"Can and are" Rossi countered, his tone leaving no room for debate.
"But, but"
"No buts kiddo, you are going to bed whether you want to or not." Dave ordered, helping the youngster off the commode. He helped the toddler clean up before sliding a clean pull-up up his legs. Picking the sick boy up, he walked over to the counter and washed both their hands. After drying them, Dave carried his ill charge out of the bathroom and settled him in the bed. The older man tucked the blankets around the squirming boy and then sat down next to him. Taking the warm heating pad, he gently placed it on the toddler's tummy. "There you go, buddy. That should make you feel better."
Spencer let out a contented sigh as the heat eased the cramping in his stomach. Closing his eyes, he quickly drifted off to sleep.
"Sweet dreams, buddy" Dave whispered, kissing the boy's forehead. Leaning back against the headboard, he picked up a book off the nightstand and settled in for a long afternoon.