Part 7- Silence

The silence was deafening. Dr Spencer Reid brought his knees up, his feet resting on the edge of the cot, his arms resting on his thighs. His slender hands hung limply from his wrists. The barcoded wristband slid down and came to rest on his thumb joint. Spencer sighed and rested his head back against the cold bricks of the cell he occupied, his dark brown curls resting against the collar of his blue prison denims. He felt a twinge of pain from his left forearm where a bandage had been haphazardly applied to the large cut from his earlier scuffle with Calvin Shaw. His thigh stung from where his handmade shiv had pierced his flesh. The silence was peaceful, yet hung heavily in the air. Calvin's words repeated in his head.

"You're gonna need to grow eyes in the back of your head, because you'll never see it coming. I can get you anywhere. I own this place. You really think you can get away with it? Not in here. Not on my watch."

Spencer bowed his head, letting out a shaky sigh. The balled up letter from Calvin taunted him from the darkened corner of the cell. Spencer pursed his lips, hazel eyes narrowed at the offending object. Muffled footsteps sounded somewhere along the corridor. The footsteps grew closer and then came to a stop directly outside of the heavy steel door. Spencer glanced up at the door and tensed. The lock gave a clunk and the door swung open, spilling artificial light into the darkened room. Spencer slid off the cot to his feet and straightened up, eyeing Officer Wilkins cautiously.

Wilkins stepped into the cell and yanked Spencer's arms in front of him. Spencer glanced at the other officers stood outside the door before watching Wilkins fastening the handcuffs more tightly than protocol dictated around the genius' wrists. The cold steel pinched Spencer's skin. Wilkins tightly gripped Spencer's upper arm, forcing him to walk forward. Pain reignited from the wound in Spencer's thigh as he walked clumsily. He had no idea where he was going or what was about to happen. He looked around warily at the other closed doors. They approached the visiting room. Wilkins unlocked the cuffs and pushed Spencer into the room. Spencer stumbled slightly and glared at the dark-skinned officer. The officers turned on a dime and walked away without so much as a glance, locking the door behind them.

Spencer stood in the centre of the room, slowly looking around. Fear bristled on his skin. The hairs rippled on the back of his neck. His throat felt dry and hoarse as if all moisture had been sucked away. He desperately tried to slow his anxious breathing. Figures bathed in shadows emerged from the darkened corners of the room. Spencer's eyes widened as he realised that these were Calvin's men. He was stunned into stillness as his arms were tugged behind his back. His wrists were bound excruciatingly tightly with a torn up towel. He flexed his fingers to regain circulation and sensation. More torn up towel was jammed into his mouth and tied in a double knot in the crook of his neck. Spencer could feel the folds of rough cloth seated behind his teeth and pressed harshly into the corners of his mouth. Arms curled around Spencer's upper arms to hold him firmly in place. Spencer breathed heavily through his nose as he was approached by Calvin.

"I warned you, Reid. I own this place. I thought the poisoning of the drugs was stupid enough. But then you stab yourself and frame me for it?" Calvin chuckled darkly, "You fucked with the wrong inmate, fed." Calvin almost spat the final word out venomously. Spencer furrowed his brow and struggled against the two men restraining him, "Boys. Show little Spencer here what happens when you screw with a man's drugs and frame him for assault. And for being a fed." A fist landed hard in the young doctor's stomach, forcing him to double over. He groaned into the gag. He was jerked back up straight. Another punch connected with his lower left ribs. Spencer let out another gasp of pain. He struggled to get his breath as his fists smashed into his face and chest. The two men dragged Spencer over to a wall and slammed him into the bricks. The back of his head connected with the wall, sending vibrations through his skull. Punches continued to rain down on his head and chest. He felt a few of his ribs crack.

Breathing was becoming more difficult. Blood slithered from his left nostril, dribbling over the gag, lip and chin, and dripping steadily onto his white t-shirt. His right cheek and eye had swelled and started to turn shades of red and purple. Blood trickled down the side of his face from a cut above his eyebrow. Another cut had opened across the bridge of his rapidly swelling nose. His bottom lip had split in two places. Spencer hung from the two men, his breathing uneven and disjointed. Pain rippled throughout his entire body. His ears were ringing from the blows. He let out a strained cough which was stifled by the towel in his mouth. Calvin approached the agent and placed two fingers under his chin to lift his battered face. Spencer's pain glazed eyes met Calvin's dark ones. The men released their grip on Spencer's arms. His knees buckled, sending him crumpling to the ground. Dazed, all he could hear was the footsteps of the men leaving the room.

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It was only moments later, and yet it felt like a lifetime, when the sound of the door unlocking echoed around the room. Spencer breathed heavily through his nose as he tried to will the widespread agony away. He lay on his right side facing away from the door. He desperately tried to push past the haze and the thudding of his own heartbeat in his ears to recognise the clicking of heels.

"Oh, my god! Spence!" A figure knelt down in front of Spencer, hands hovering over his broken body. Spencer slowly lifted his eyes. Through blurred vision, he could make out Jennifer Jareau kneeling beside him. He moaned softly into the gag. JJ reached forward and tugged the sodden towel over Spencer's bloody chin so that it hung around his neck. Blood-stained saliva tracked over his lip.

"JJ?" rasped Spencer.

"What happened?" asked the blonde agent with tears in her eyes.

"Jumped." Sensing the genius' reluctance to talk, JJ leaned over his injured form and gently untied his battered and bruised wrists. Once his wrists were free, Spencer attempted to sit himself up. He let out an agonised yelp at the jostling of his broken ribs.

"What are you doing here, Jayje?" asked Spencer, his arms curled protectively around his abdomen.

"We've come to take you home. I think you need a medic first." Spencer shook his head, then grimaced at the action.

"No. No medics," responded Spencer breathlessly, "I'll clean up in the bathroom." JJ tugged the bottle of water from her blazer pocket twisted the cap off, the plastic crackling. Using the towel that had been used to bind her friend's wrists, she poured some water onto the cloth and reached up to his face. Spencer sat, his body trembling from adrenaline, his right arm propping up his weakening body, as the blonde gently cleaned the blood from his face. The towel stained in shades of pink, red and brown with each wipe. Spencer gazed at JJ as she cleaned his wounds.

"Did you say you had come to take me home? I'm sorry, my ears are ringing," asked Spencer, his ribs pounding with each breath. JJ paused over the cut above his eyebrow, holding the towel onto the wound.

"Yeah. Me, Garcia and Luke. You're cleared." Spencer went quiet, aside from the audible wheezing from his lungs, as he turned his gaze to the floor, trying to gather his thoughts.

"My mom? Did you find her?" JJ shook her head softly and removed the towel.

"Not yet." Spencer's mouth straightened into a thin line.

"Let's get out of here." Spencer curled his legs underneath him and attempted to get to his feet. His hand reached out for anything to help him up and support his trembling frame. JJ scrambled onto her feet and held out a hand. Spencer's eyes locked on to the open hand beckoning him up. He grasped onto it and dragged himself up.

"Spence, you really need to be checked over." Spencer pursed his lips, his arms wrapped around his waist. His right eye had swollen shut and had changed to alarming shades of purple and blue.

"We need to find my mother. Then we'll go to a hospital." Spencer stumbled to the door and pushed it open with a shaking palm.

Spencer was met with the questioning stares of the guards stationed at the desk. His brows pulled together in frustration. He slammed a palm down on the desk and let out a pained sigh. His chest rose and fell unevenly. No words were exchanged as a red beam was passed back and forth over his wristband to scan the barcode. A plastic box was handed over to him. Spencer grimaced as he accepted the box and made his way into the changing room. He perched carefully on the plastic stool and placed the box at his feet. He realised he would have to break the process down into steps to cope with the pain throughout his ribs. First step: his trousers. Spencer slipped off the navy blue plimsoles and used the side of his foot to push them out of the way. Easing himself back onto his feet, he unbuttoned his jeans and allowed them to fall around his ankles. He sat back down and tugged them over his feet, his ribs protesting loudly. He quickly changed into his black dress trousers. He coughed slightly and winced. The first step was complete. He was grateful that his denim shirt was already unbuttoned so it made removing it infinitely easier. The second step was going to be the most difficult. Spencer took in a deep breath and bit down on his bottom lip as he lifted his blood-stained t-shirt over his head. He dared to glance down at his body. His ribs were blackened. Bruising stretched up his sternum and across his chest and down his stomach to his navel. He grimaced, fingers lightly touching the bruising. He knew he would need to get them checked once his mother was safe. He untied the gag hanging around his neck and changed into his white shirt, deep red tie and black blazer. Spencer felt somewhat human again. He folded the prison clothes and placed them in the box, the plimsoles resting on top.

Spencer reached down for the box and had to stifle a yelp of pain. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried again, successfully lifting the box from the ground. He carried the box back to the desk and shoved it at the guard. He was handed his steel watch which he slid over his left wrist. He held out the hand bearing his wristband to the guard waiting with a pair of scissors. The blades glided through the wristband, severing it in two. With pursed lips, Spencer nodded to JJ and the pair exited the prison, the sunlight glaring, forcing Spencer to shield his eyes.

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Spencer was unsure how he had managed the journey to Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility. His broken ribs jostled with every bump, both in the sky and on the road. JJ watched him cautiously, having witnessed every wince and grimace from her best friend. She knew deep in her heart that he needed a hospital, but she also knew he was stubborn and would not rest until his mother was found. His arm remained curled around his midsection as though he were trying to keep his organs from falling out. Spencer managed to stifle a cry of pain as his torso was patted down by a prison guard. He had only just left one prison and was having to go into another for a second battle of wills with Cat Adams. He was exhausted with this woman and her bizarre fixation on him.

"Spencie." Spencer's jaw clenched. He was not mentally or physically capable of dealing with Cat but he had to; his mother's life depended on it. He was running on pure adrenaline. His heart pounded against his tender ribs. He glared at the crazed woman sat at the table. Cat's eyes had dark rings around them and her black, greasy hair hung over her shoulders.

"Where's my mother?" snapped Spencer.

"I missed you."

"What did you and Lindsey do to her?"

"How did you... No, stop. You don't get to walk in here and hiss at me like I'm the criminal. Now, we do this my way." Cat gave the opposite chair a shove with her foot, sending it screeching across the floor. Spencer's ears started ringing again with the piercing noise that echoed around the room, "Have a seat." Spencer slowly eased himself into the chair, determined not to let Cat see any evidence of his pain.

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The adrenaline had been all that had kept Spencer going for the three hours that Cat insisted on playing her game. He had become numb to the small fires that ignited across his body, particularly as he wrapped his hands around Cat's neck in blind determination to kill her where she stood, and having to be wrenched away by JJ. His heart and mind were filled with relief that they had been able to find his mother in time and unhurt. His feet dragged as he sluggishly made his way to the conference room for debriefing. Spencer closed his eyes and sighed, his hand resting on the cold door handle. As the adrenaline was wearing off, the sheer agony running through his body reappeared. Gritting his teeth, he pushed the door open. His lungs felt tight and his vision blurred as he glanced around the room. His team were there, and yet he could not make out any of their features as they swam before his eyes. His head felt fuzzy and uncoordinated.

"I'm sorry," pressed out Spencer as his legs turned to jelly and gave way from underneath him. None of the team members were able to reach him before his eyes rolled back into his head as he slumped to the floor, a thin trail of blood tracking over his jaw from the corner of his mouth. JJ was immediately at the unconscious man's side.

"Spence? Spence! Can you hear me?" asked JJ as she firmly shook his shoulder. She received no response. Emily Prentiss tugged her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and dialled a number.

"Ambulance needed at FBI offices, Quantico. Sixth floor. I have an agent down," Emily glanced over her shoulder to ensure the young man was breathing, "He's unconscious but breathing. His breathing is uneven." She hung up and turned back to JJ who was still trying to will Spencer awake. Luke Alvez was knelt opposite, loosening Spencer's tie, "Ambulance is five minutes out. What's going on?" JJ sighed.

"When I got to the prison, Reid was on the floor of the visiting room. He was covered in blood and had been tied up and gagged with towels. I tried to ask him what happened and all he was willing to say was that he had been jumped. I cleaned him up as best I could." Emily's brows knitted with concern.

"He was tied up and jumped?" asked Dr Tara Lewis. JJ nodded solemnly, her hand resting on Spencer's chest.

"Yeah. He refused to go to the hospital until his mom was found and safe." Emily crossed her arms across her chest and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.

"Does this poor kid ever get a break?" sighed David Rossi.

The group were jerked out of their stunned silence by two medics bustling into the conference room, their shoulders laden with bags and dragging a gurney behind them. Spencer remained motionless. They urged JJ away and knelt down either side of the unconscious doctor. The female medic turned her gaze up to the team.

"What happened? What's the patient's name?"

"His name is Dr Spencer Reid. He was assaulted several hours ago but refused medical attention. He collapsed around five minutes ago and we haven't been able to wake him since," responded Emily stoically. The medic nodded.

"Hi, Dr Reid. Can you hear me? My name's Jess and I'm an EMT. My colleague is Bryan. We're going to cut these clothes off you so we can check you over." Bryan slid a pair of scissors out of a pouch on his belt and cut up the front of Spencer's shirt and cut away his tie, exposing the genius' body. There were several gasps at the sight of the black and purple bruising covering his ribs and chest. Jess flicked on a machine by her knee and unravelled some multi-coloured wires. She applied several discs connected to the wires over Spencer's chest and plugged them into the machine. A thin green line beeped steadily in time with Spencer's heartbeat. The sound of tearing Velcro filled the air as Bryan opened a blood pressure cuff and wrapped it around Spencer's upper left arm.

"Okay, he's hypotensive at seventy-five systolic. Let's get an IV in and get some wide bore fluids going," ordered Jess.

"Sats are sitting at eighty-three. I'll get him started on some oxygen." Bryan unzipped one of the bags and tugged a plastic oxygen mask out. He placed it over Spencer's nose and mouth and gently lifted his head, hooking the elastic over the man's unruly curls. Spencer's breaths lightly misted the plastic. Jess lifted Spencer's right hand, noticing the bruising and abrasions around his wrist. She tied a tourniquet tightly around his wrist and massaged the back of his hand with the tips of her gloved fingers until a vein bulged. She slid a cannula into the back of his hand until a flash of blood appeared. Satisfied that it was in place, she taped it down and set about putting up a litre bag of saline. Bryan peeled opened Spencer's eyes and shone a light into them.

"Pupils are equal and reacting. No response to verbal stimuli."

"Let's get a c-collar and backboard on him and get him loaded up." Jess slid a large plastic collar under Spence's neck, trapping his curls, and secured it under his jaw with the Velcro straps so that it held his head up. As he was rolled onto his side, Spencer's eyes fluttered open and he let out a choked gasp. The backboard was tucked in behind him and then lowered to the ground, rolling the genius with it. Spencer's glazed eyes darted around, his trembling hands reaching up to the collar around his neck. Jess gently pushed his hands down and buckled the straps across his chest and legs.

"Welcome back, Dr Reid. You were beginning to worry us." Spencer's brow furrowed. He lifted his hand to see an IV in the back of his hand, "You collapsed at work and have been unresponsive for over ten minutes. We're going to have to take you in, sir. Your oxygen levels and blood pressure are low. We suspect you have some fractures and some internal bleeding. It's going to be okay." Spencer glanced at the cannula and raised his hand to the mask. He tugged it away past his chin.

"N-no narcotics." Jess firmly placed the mask back over his face.

"Right, let's get him on the gurney and get him to the hospital." The two medics took each end of the backboard and lifted Spencer onto the gurney. Spencer squeezed his eyes shut and groaned at the pain ravaging his body. He felt his world moving as the gurney was wheeled out of the conference room.

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The wait was stifling. Spencer has been taken straight to surgery on arrival to the hospital. That had been three hours ago. Emily had already chewed two of her fingernails down to the skin and was working on a third. JJ was seated next to Emily, her knees together as she leaned forward, elbows on her knees. Her palm cupped her chin as she stared at a spot on the floor. Luke paced circles into the floor, his hands pushed deep into his pockets. Stephen Walker was deep in conversation with Tara. David and Penelope Garcia were slowly making their way to the waiting area. David carried a tray of takeout coffee cups in each hand. Penelope was laden with balloons and bags. A weary-looking man in dark green scrubs approached the waiting room, tugging the blue cap from his balding head. He glanced around.

"Spencer Reid?" In unison, everyone's head turned to the source of the gravelly voice, then surrounded the doctor, "I'm Dr Harrison. I'm the trauma surgeon who has been looking after Dr Reid. He has a run of the mill concussion so he'll have some intense headaches for the next week or two. He has a broken nose and fractured eye socket. These breaks are stable and don't need any further intervention. He has several broken ribs on both sides. One did nick his liver causing some internal bleeding but we have repaired the damage and drained the excess fluid. He has some deep bruising across his chest and abdomen. He's going to be sore for a while but he's going to be okay. He's in his room now so you can go and see him. He's in room 204." Dr Harrison smiled softly and moved away from the group.

When the group approached the room, Spencer was partially sat up on the bed. An oxygen cannula rested under his nose. His entire right eye was black and swollen shut. His bottom lip was swollen. A small dressing was taped over the bridge of his bruised and swollen nose. The cuts had been closed with butterfly strips. His good eye was closed.

"You're not supposed to sleep with a concussion, kid," chuckled David.

"I'm not. The lights are hurting my eyes," rasped Spencer as he cracked his eye open and looked at the group at the foot of his bed. He managed a small smile. Penelope was immediately at his side, tucking a teddy bear under his arm and fluffing up his pillows, her dark eyes filled with unshed tears, "Hey, Garcia."

"Hey, baby boy." Penelope bent over him and kissed him gently on his head. Normally he was averse to such actions, however Spencer leaned into the kiss.

"Reid? We need to know what happened," advised Emily carefully. Spencer let out a sigh.

"You know I stabbed myself to get into solitary. Officer Wilkins handcuffed me and took me to the visiting room. Once we were there, he released me and locked me in. Shaw and his men had been hiding in there. They tied me up and gagged me with towels and starting beating me. They just kept going. I don't how long it went on for, but they stopped and left just before JJ arrived." Spencer winced and rubbed his chest with an open palm.

"Why?" asked Luke with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I poisoned their drugs. I was angry at them all. I needed to see them suffer for what they did to Delgado. Shaw outed me as a fed. You know what they do to people like us in prison," Spencer pursed his lips as he thought hard, "I'm lucky they didn't kill me right there and then." Spencer's eyes met his family's, "Is my mom okay?"

"She's fine, Spence. She's being looked after in Quantico."

"Good," whispered Spencer, his eye drifting shut, "I'm tired."

"It's okay, Reid. Get some sleep. Good to see you back," responded Tara, but the words fell upon deaf ears as the young man had fallen asleep, his chest gently rising and falling. The silence of the room was permeated by the soft breaths of the man in the bed and the beeping of the monitor.