Part 10- Sick Day
Dr Spencer groaned at the shrill sound of his alarm waking him from his feverishly restless slumber. He had spent much of the night tossing and turning in the bed. His dark brown curls clung to the sweat trickling down the sides of his face. His limbs burned with exhaustion. Every joint in his body felt like it was aflame. His hand shot out from the comforter twisted around his body and slammed down hard on his alarm clock. He sighed at the silence. Spencer had been feeling rough for weeks. He was due to return to the BAU after his required thirty day sabbatical in which he had felt incredibly unwell, but simply put it down to a virus. He had somehow managed to push his way through each day. In a hope that a shower would make him feel better, Spencer eased his aching body up on to the side of his bed, the soles of his feet against the cold mahogany flooring. The coolness of the floor was soothing against his fiery skin. He padded his way into the en suite bathroom and turned the knob for the shower. The water crashed into the basin as he allowed it to warm up. He gazed into the mirror on the medicine cabinet above the wash basin. A pale, sickly man stared back. His skin was drawn tight over his cheekbones. The dark circles around his eyes almost looked bruised. Dark stubble stretched across his jaw. He quickly brushed his teeth with an off brand toothpaste, then cast off the sweaty, offensive smelling button down pyjamas. Spencer gasped as he stepped into the shower, the hot water lashing against his bare back.
The shower did not appease Spencer's illness. His fingers trembled as he tried to concentrate hard in fastening the buttons of his powder blue button down shirt. The simple action sapped all of his energy. A sudden wave of breathlessness hit as though he had been winded. He grasped the cold ceramic of the wash basin with one hand, the palm of the other pressed to his chest. He struggled to catch his breath as though he had ran laps, yet he hadn't done anything. Spencer had never been athletic, but was by no means unfit. He once admitted to Penelope Garcia that he didn't work out as they prepared for their fitness test. It's the flu, or some virus... It has to be... Right? He knew he should take a sick day, but he couldn't. He hoped that the team would work from the office in Quantico; he didn't think he could stomach flying.
xxx
Spencer entered the bullpen and gazed lethargically around. Everyone had arrived before him which never happened. He sidled his way to his desk as inconspicuously as possible. Jennifer Jareau was already deep in the zone, as she leaned over her desk, her golden locks sprawled across her paperwork. Dr Tara Lewis, Matt Simmons and Luke Alvez were deep in conversation in the break room. Emily Prentiss and David Rossi were conversing in Emily's office. Spencer gently set his tan leather satchel down under his desk and leaned heavily against the wooden top, his chest heaving for breath again. JJ glanced up from her file to see the young genius panting for breath. Her blue eyes widened.
"Spence? You okay?" Spencer held up his index finger for her to give him a minute. JJ slowly came to her feet, her eyes fixed on the slightly swaying man in front of her, "Here, Spence. Sit down." She gently guided Spencer down into his swivel chair and brushed some of his chin length hair out his face. She took in the deathly pale appearance of her best friend, "Spence? What's going on?"
"N-nothing. Just... the... flu," gasped Spencer breathlessly. JJ leaned against the edge of his desk, her arms folded across her chest.
"Why didn't you take a sick day?"
"Don't... Need... One."
"How long have you been like this?"
"I... Dunno... Three... Maybe... Four... Weeks?"
"Have you been to see a doctor?"
"I am... a doctor... Jennifer."
"A medical doctor, smartass."
"No... It's... The flu... Don't... Need... a doctor..." JJ reached over to her desk and retrieved the plastic bottle of water that stood unopened. She handed it to Spencer who eyed it warily.
"It's not open, Spence. Have a drink." Spencer uncapped the bottle with shaking hands and gulped the refreshingly cool water. He sighed and recapped the bottle. He passed it mindlessly between his hands, his breathing starting to ease.
"Thanks."
"You really should see a doctor, Spence. You look like hell." Spencer cocked his head and furrowed his brow.
"Uh... Thanks? Really. I'll be fine." JJ patted him gently on the knee with a smile and returned to her desk. Spencer turned in his chair to his desk and reached for a folder in his in tray.
xxx
JJ stole a concerned glance up at her best friend and pushed some of her golden locks behind her ear. Spencer would normally have cleared at least three files in the time it took her to do one, yet he still had the first folder open on the desk. He appeared to be lost in a trance, his pen hovering over the page.
"Spence?" She received no reaction. JJ crept around the desk and approached Spencer. She gave his shoulder a gentle shake, "Spence?" Spencer slowly turned his head to face her, yet his hazel eyes appeared to stare straight through her. A small groan passed Spencer's lips.
It was as though everything was moving in slow motion. The genius appeared to sway slightly where he sat before his body slumped to the side. The chair tipped with the uneven weight against one side, sending Spencer and the chair crashing to the ground. JJ was immediately at his side.
"Spence? Spence!" Tara, Luke and Matt heard the dull thud of Spencer's body hitting the floor and darted towards him, Luke successfully dodging an agent carrying a pile of papers and a cup of coffee. Tara retrieved her cell phone from her pocket and dialled for an ambulance.
"It's Dr Tara Lewis at FBI Headquarters in Quantico. I need an ambulance. One of our agents has collapsed. Sixth floor." JJ glanced down at Spencer's unconscious form. She noted the way his black blazer sleeve fell back away from his wrist slightly. She frowned as she lifted his limp hand and pushed the sleeve back further. His pale skin was littered with bruises of various colours, all at different stages of healing. Matt tugged the chair out of the way and helped ease Spencer onto his back. Luke noted more bruising just under the collar of his shirt.
"What happened?" asked Tara.
"He was all out of breath when he came in. He says it's the flu. He's been like this for three or four weeks. He was late. Spence is never late," responded JJ.
"Flu? For that long?" asked Matt, his head tilted slightly.
"Please tell me he's been to see a doctor," said Luke as he tugged the blazer off and slid it out from underneath Spencer and folded it into a pillow. He gently lifted Spencer's head and tucked the bundle underneath. JJ raised an eyebrow at Luke. Tara groaned out loud in exasperation.
"He hasn't, has he?"
"He reminded me that he is a doctor. I pointed out that he needed a medical doctor. He's too stubborn for his own good." Emily and David also noticed the commotion and exited Emily's office, watching the situation unfold below them.
xxx
A pair of medics bustled their way through the bullpen, their shoulders laden with bags. They were quickly directed to where they needed to be. JJ eased herself up on to shaking feet and stepped back to allow the medics in. The female medic knelt down in the spot JJ had just vacated and tugged the pen torch out of her shirt pocket.
"Hello? Can you hear me, sir?" She peeled open one of his eyes and shone the light into it, "My name's Nala. I'm an EMT." She moved over to the other eye, "Pupils equal and reacting." The male medic unfurled the cuff of the blood pressure monitor beside his knee and wrapped it around Spencer's upper left arm.
"Sir? My name's Michael. Can you open your eyes for us?" Nala clipped an oxygen monitor on the tip of Spencer's right index finger.
"SATs at eighty six. He's hypoxic. Let's get some oxygen going." Michael grabbed the oxygen canister beside him and tore open the packet containing the nasal cannula. He tucked the prongs just into Spencer's nostrils and hooked the tubing around his ears.
"BP one zero five over sixty." Nala tore open Spencer's shirt, revealing larger areas of dark bruising across his abdomen and chest. JJ gasped in horror. Nala applied several sticky discs to Spencer's chest and attached them to the EKG monitor, "He's in sinus rhythm. Slightly bradycardic." Michael slowly slid a cannula into the back of Spencer's left hand, eliciting an almost inaudible groan from the young doctor. Spencer's eyes fluttered before opening. He gazed sluggishly around. His brow crinkled in a combination of confusion and fear. He weakly tried to push the medics away.
"N-no..." Michael noticed the ID badge clipped to the young man's belt.
"Dr Reid? We're EMTs. You collapsed at work."
"N-noooo... F-flu..." Spencer reached up and tried to pull the oxygen cannula away. A warm soft hand clasped his cold and clammy hand. He rolled his eyes up to see JJ.
"Spence? It's okay. They're here to help. Let them do their jobs." Spencer shook his head and attempted to pull away again. JJ knelt down next to his head and combed her fingers through his hair in an effort to soothe her best friend. A tube connected a bag of clear fluids to the cannula in his hand. JJ shuffled out of the way to let Michael in. The EMT circled his arms around Spencer's chest and clasped his hands. Spencer's head lolled forward. Nala grabbed his ankles. Together, they hoisted him up onto the waiting gurney. Spencer let out another groan as he was laid down. Straps were buckled across his chest and legs. The EKG and oxygen were laid either side of his legs. The bag of fluids was attached to a hook on the gurney. Spencer's terrified eyes locked on to JJ as he was whisked away. Empty medical packets littered the floor where the medics had worked.
xxx
JJ, Luke and Tara waited anxiously in the family room of the hospital. JJ had virtually curled in on herself, her elbows on her bouncing knees and the palms of her hands cupping her face. Luke paced. Tara returned from the coffee machine with three disposable cups between her dark fingers. Luke gratefully accepted a cup with a smile, then continued to pace with the cup between his hands. Tara perched on the seat next to JJ and held a cup out to her. JJ's eyes fell on the cup. She accepted it with a small smile and grasped it in her hands. A male doctor appeared, a crisp white coat over his bottle green scrubs. He clasped a clipboard between his aged hands. He briefly scanned the room.
"Family of Spencer Reid?" JJ was immediately on her feet, Luke and Tara at her side, "I'm Dr Mullens."
"That's us," answered JJ, "How is he?"
"Dr Reid's comfortable and resting at the moment. We've got him on some fluids for rehydration and Tylenol for his fever. I have to ask- has he been unwell recently?"
"Today was his first day back from his teaching sabbatical. He was out of breath when he got to work. He said it was the flu, but that he had been like that for three or four weeks," responded JJ. Dr Mullens mumbled in response and jotted some notes down on his clipboard.
"That makes sense. We rushed through his bloods, especially when I saw the bruising to his body. He has no recollection of how he got them, but became a little distressed that he couldn't remember-"
"He has an eidetic memory. It's impossible for him to forget," sighed Tara.
"Ah. That explains that then. Dr Reid has exceptionally high levels of white blood cells in his blood. We can't find any obvious source of infection. Now, I have my suspicions, but I can't rule it out until I do a bone marrow biopsy."
"Bone marrow biopsy? Why?" asked Luke. Dr Mullens sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. JJ narrowed her eyes.
"What is it?"
"I suspect Dr Reid has leukaemia. I can't be sure though until we do the biopsy. Dr Reid has consented to the procedure. We plan to do it tomorrow. If it is what I suspect, it's crucial that we identify the type and initiate treatment as soon as possible." Tears threatened JJ's lashes, her mouth gaping in horror.
"What's involved?" asked Tara, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.
"We numb the area over the hip and insert a needle into the bone. We extract a sample of the bone marrow through the needle and send it off. We'll also send him for a PET scan to look for any spread." Tara nodded solemnly.
"C-can we see him?" stammered JJ.
"Of course. He's in room one hundred and eleven. Just down the hall to the left." Dr Mullens nodded softly to them before walking away. Luke curled a protective arm around JJ's shoulders as the trio made their way to the room.
xxx
Spencer was partially sat up on the bed. The oxygen cannula remained under his nose. Multi-coloured wires protruded out of the collar of the hospital gown he wore. The EKG bleeped steadily in time with his heart. His chest rose and fell gently as he slept. The bruising littering his body looked considerably more obvious in the dimmed light of the room. JJ lowered herself into the chair beside the bed and grasped his cold hand, the pulse oximeter brushing against the back of her hand. Spencer creaked open his eyes at the touch and turned his head slightly to see her. The corners of his mouth quirked into a small smile. His half lidded eyes looked tiredly at Tara and Luke.
"Hey, guys," smiled Spencer, his voice low and exhausted.
"Hey, Spence. How are you feeling?" asked JJ.
"Rough. My bones feel like they're on fire, I have a fever that won't break and I could sleep for a week. Not to mention that I feel like I've ran a marathon," Spencer's eyes moved back to JJ, "Dr Mullens spoke to you?" JJ nodded, "You were right. I should have went to see a doctor." JJ's mouth gaped in shock. Tara snorted in disbelief. Luke gazed up at the ceiling and let out a laugh.
"Did you, Dr Spencer Walter Reid, just admit to being wrong?" laughed JJ. Spencer chuckled a little.
"Maybe," JJ was unable to hold back her smirk of triumph. "You know I hate being sick, Jayje."
"I know you do. But look where ignoring your health has gotten you." Spencer sighed in defeat.
"I really thought it was the flu. Symptoms can continue for four to six weeks afterwards."
"And the bruises? How do you explain those?" asked Luke. Spencer pursed his lips and looked away. JJ turned and glared at the Hispanic man. Spencer yanked his hand out of JJ's and folded his arms defensively across his chest.
"You know I don't know," growled Spencer.
"Did it not strike you as being a little strange? All of this bruising for no reason?" continued Luke.
"You know I'm clumsy!" snapped Spencer, his eyes fixed in anger on Luke's face.
"Luke, back off, man," warned Tara in a low voice. Spencer was visibly simmering, a scowl plastered on his face.
"No! He knew he was sick! Reid knows every statistic and knew it was more than the flu! As usual, he tries to be Mr Independent-" Luke barely got the rest of his sentence out when a figure flew at him, sending him crashing to the ground.
xxx
No one had anticipated what would happen in that split second. Spencer suddenly developed a burst of adrenaline and leapt from the bed, yanking the wires out of the EKG, the cannula tearing out of his hand and the oxygen cannula pulling free of the wall pump. The EKG alarmed. He crashed hard into Luke, sending the pair of them tumbling to the ground. Fury burned in Spencer's eyes as his hands made for Luke's throat. JJ and Tara desperately tried to pry the genius from Luke. A pair of security officers bustled into the room, followed by Dr Mullens. They grasped Spencer tightly around the upper arms and dragged him backwards. Spencer's chest heaved for breath. He fought with every ounce of his waning strength against the security officers that held him back.
"Let me go!" screamed Spencer, doubling his efforts to break free. He noted the doctor preparing a syringe, "Don't you dare!"
"Can someone give us some restraints or something?!" yelled one of the officers. Luke withdrew the FBI-issue handcuffs from the back of his belt and approached the trio. The officers sat the struggling man forward. Luke ignored the curses from his colleague as he pulled Spencer's thin wrists behind his back and fastened the cuffs tightly around them. Spencer tugged weakly at the cold steel around his wrists. His breaths quickened, eyes wide as he struggled to get oxygen. His lungs burned.
"Spence?" Spencer slowly lifted his eyes to see JJ stood with tears in her pools of blue. He gave her an apologetic look, as though he knew what was about to happen.
"I'm... Sorry..." His eyes rolled back into his head and a long gasp left his lips as he collapsed against the officers. Luke quickly unlocked the cuffs so that Spencer could be laid flat. Dr Mullens set the syringe down on the unit and knelt down at Spencer's side.
"Dr Reid? Can you hear me?" He received no response. He leaned in close to find that Spencer was not breathing, "Code blue! I need a crash cart now!" One of the officers darted out of the room and yelled up the corridor for assistance. Dr Mullens set about starting chest compressions. A pair of nurses ran into the room carrying a portable defibrillator. Spencer's hospital gown was untied and folded to his waist. The conduction pads were slapped on his chest and the machine powered up. An oral airway was inserted into his mouth and a plastic mask was pressed over his nose and mouth. The attached bag was squeezed periodically.
"Analysing heart rhythm. Standby. Shock advised. Stand clear." The mask was quickly removed. Dr Mullens pressed the green button on the machine. Spencer's body jerked with a surge of electricity., "Analysing heart rhythm. Continue CPR." Dr Mullens returned to the compressions and the mask returned to Spencer's face. JJ watched in horror through her tears as she was ushered out of the room with Tara and Luke, "Analysing heart rhythm. Shock advised. Stand clear." Another jolt of electricity caused Spencer to jerk. A small groan left his throat as his eyes fluttered open.
"He's back. Let's get him back on the bed and get some restraints on him too." The officers lifted Spencer's limp form onto the bed. The nurses set about pulling his gown back up and reconnecting the equipment. A new cannula was inserted into the back of his right hand. Spencer's face was pulled tight in pain and exhaustion. The officers pinned down his wrists as the nurses located some padded cuffs in a nearby drawer. They tied the white elastic around the bed frame, then stretched them over and fastened them tightly around Spencer's wrists, holding his arms down by his sides. They repeated the action with his ankles and tugged up the bedrails with a click. Dr Mullens slid the airway out of Spencer's mouth, saliva tracking over his chin. Spencer retched slightly. A nurse pushed a thermometer into his ear and frowned at the reading as it bleeped.
"His fever is spiking at one hundred and four, Dr Mullens."
"Let's get some more IV Tylenol going and some ice packs to cool him down." Dr Mullens retrieved the syringe he had set down and plunged the needle deep into Spencer's upper arm. Spencer let out a small whimper as he felt the sting of the sedative being forced into his muscle. His eyes slowly drifted shut as he fell into a drug-induced slumber. Dr Mullens discarded the syringe into the yellow sharps disposal bin and exited the room, sweat beading his forehead. JJ, Tara and Luke turned to him hopefully.
"Dr Reid has been sedated and restrained for his own safety. His temperature is becoming dangerously high. He has a delirium which tells me has an infection somewhere. Now if he is does have leukaemia with an infection on top, he will become very sick, very quickly. I'm going to treat him for an infection anyway. He'll stay in the restraints until we're satisfied that his delirium has resolved."
"How will you do the biopsy if he's strapped down?" asked Tara, a dark eyebrow raised in concern.
"He'll be sedated for the procedure. It can be painful so it'll be for the best that he's at the very least sedated. The restraints can be moved."
"Spence isn't a violent man, doctor. He's one of the sweetest men you'll ever meet," said JJ softly.
"I'm sure that's the case, agent. Delirium can make people do things they would be horrified at. This is for his safety. When he becomes more lucid, he'll be very embarrassed. I have to ask though... What was said to him for him to react the way he did?" JJ glared at Luke. Luke shifted his feet uncomfortably.
"I asked about his bruises. I may have pushed him too far," responded Luke, his eyes fixed to the floor in shame.
"May? You may have?" snapped JJ. Dr Mullens let out a sigh of frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I told you that he became distressed when he couldn't remember how he got them. Why did you have antagonise him?"
"Can we see him? Please?" asked JJ desperately.
"You two ladies can. I'm afraid your colleague will have to stay out here. Don't expect any response from Dr Reid for some time." Dr Mullens threw Luke a disappointed look before walking away. It broke JJ's heart to see her best friend cuffed to the bed. His deathly pale face had a sheen of sweat across his skin and he audibly shivered with each disjointed breath. His eyebrows were pulled together in fear. She lowered herself gently into the chair and took one of Spencer's clammy hands into her own.
"I'm sorry, Spence. I know that wasn't you. I don't know why Luke did that. Just know, this isn't a punishment. This is to keep you safe. I promise."
xxx
JJ watched as the cuff around Spencer's right wrist was untied from the bed frame. He was eased over onto his left side and the cuff tied to the opposite side of the frame next to the left one. The nurses repeated this with his right foot. Spencer blinked slowly, despair etched into his features. He had awoken from his slumber that morning and was horrified at the sight of the restraints. The logical part of his brain knew that they wouldn't have been used unless necessary, so he solemnly accepted their presence. JJ seated herself in front of him and grasped his hands. Spencer gave her a small, sad smile. He could hear the staff collecting their equipment behind him and setting it down on the mattress.
"I'm sorry, JJ," said Spencer quietly.
"It's okay, Spence. Luke should never have said what he did."
"It doesn't excuse my behaviour though. The staff told me what happened."
"I wish we could get you out of these," said JJ, pointing at the cuffs.
"I know. They wouldn't be on if they weren't medically necessary. It's okay."
"They're going to sedate you for the procedure. Do you want me to stay?"
"Please." Spencer curled his fingers around JJ's hands, "Thank you."
"Two point five milligrams of Midazolam going in now," said one of the nurses as she clicked a syringe into Spencer's cannula, "Dr Reid will still be conscious, but he won't have any recall of the procedure." JJ nodded sadly, then turned back to Spencer. His eyes quickly became glazed. His gown came undone and fell open but he did not react. Fingers roughly probed the right side of his lower back and marked out the area. A straw was used to make an indentation in his flesh. Spencer's half open eyes remained on JJ as antiseptic was brushed over his skin.
"Local anaesthetic going in now, Dr Reid," said Dr Mullens as he prepared the syringe of xylocaine and adrenaline. Spencer winced at the pinch of the needle in his skin. He gave JJ's hands a weak squeeze. He could feel pressure of them inserting an aspiration needle into his tissue, then withdrawing it. Another needle was pushed into the puncture site and then removed a short time later. A much larger needle was then pushed into the site and rotated. Spencer gave out a groan as he felt the needle graze the bone. JJ soothingly stroked his curls. He let out a gasp of pain, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he felt the needle rotate further into his pelvis. A biopsy spoon was slid into the centre of the needle which was rotated in both directions. Bile crept up JJ's throat and her mouth watered with nausea. A tear slid out of Spencer's eye and tracked over his nose. JJ glanced up to see the needle come out of his skin and a dressing applied.
"They're done, Spence." JJ gently brushed the tears away from his face with the pads of her thumbs. The right sided cuffs came undone once again and moved back to the opposite side of the bed so that Spencer was laid on his back. He let out a cry of pain as he was rolled back. JJ leaned over the bed and cupped his face with her palms. Spencer nestled into her soft touch. His eyes fell closed as he drifted off to sleep.
xxx
Spencer gazed up at the darkened ceiling. His back and pelvis throbbed from the biopsy. His entire body felt like it was on fire. Sweat trickled down the sides of his face and under the collar of his gown. He blinked slowly and remained as still as he could. He hoped the pain and the burning would subside if he stayed perfectly still, yet it remained. Spencer closed his eyes and tried to will away the agony flooding every synapse. He was unable to move in any direction thanks to his restraints. Something felt wrong. Very wrong. It started in his face. A twitch began in his eye and swiftly moved to his mouth. His arms tensed, his fingers curled into tight fists, pulling hard against the cuffs. His throat emitted a snorting noise as his hazel eyes rolled back. The bed frame rattled as his body was wracked with convulsions. An alarm sounded on the EKG. A nurse dashed into the room, horrified at the sight of the seizure.
"Dr Reid? Dr Reid? Can you hear me?" Spencer's face continued to twitch uncontrollably. His skin was beginning to bruise from the restraints. The nurse timed the seizure whilst she paged the doctor. She noted that the convulsions were slowing and the stiffness was beginning to subside. She quickly unfastened his restraints and rolled him onto his side. A tall female doctor with ebony hair pinned up into a messy bun entered the room.
"What happened?" asked the doctor breathlessly.
"He started having a tonic clonic seizure around two minutes ago."
"Okay. He seems to be coming out of it now. Any history of epilepsy?"
"No." The nurse pressed a thermometer into Spencer's ear, "One hundred and seven point six."
"Shit. Okay. I think we're going to have to induce a coma. He's obviously got an infection somewhere and the antibiotics haven't had any effect. I need Propofol. Also, I need an intubation kit." The nurse nodded and ran out of the room. The doctor gazed at the unconscious man in the bed. She grabbed the clipboard from the end of his bed and scanned the notes. She gently rolled him onto his back and fastened the cuffs back around his wrists and ankles. She tugged a tissue out of the box on the bedside unit and wiped away the bloodstained saliva that had ran down his jaw.
The nurse returned with a syringe in one hand and a sealed sterile pack in the other. The doctor gratefully accepted the pack. The nurse clicked the syringe into the cannula and pressed the contents in. The doctor tugged the oxygen cannula over Spencer's head and cast it to one side. The nurse handed her a bag and mask which was pressed firmly over Spencer's nose and mouth. The bag was squeezed frequently whilst the nurse opened the pack on the bedside table. The doctor pulled on the blue nitrile gloves and took the laryngoscope into her left hand. She pulled Spencer's jaw towards her so that his mouth fell open. She slid the scope into his mouth, pushing his tongue to the left until she could see his vocal cords. The nurse handed her the endotracheal tube. The doctor's tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated hard. She slid the tube past the scope and down Spencer's throat. She quickly inflated the balloon on the cuff and attached the bag from the mask. She squeezed it whilst the nurse pressed her stethoscope to his chest and gave a nod indicating that it was in position. The doctor slid the tube into the 'v' shaped wedge on the tube holder and eased Spencer's mouth open a little more to place the bite buckle between his teeth. She slid the strap under his head and secured it through the other side of the holder. She adjusted both sides of the strap to ensure it was snug to the sides of the young man's face. She used the screw clamp to hold the tube in place. The nurse grabbed the double tubing for the ventilator and pulled it across. The tubing was firmly attached to the endotracheal tube and the machine flicked on. The concertina sprung to life and hissed as it forced mechanical breaths into the genius' lungs. The doctor gave a long sigh.
"Let's get him cooled down with a cooling blanket and some Tylenol. I'll go and get him some different antibiotics," she glanced at the clipboard beside her, "He has a severe beta lactam allergy so I'll have to see what I can give him. I need thirty minute observations on him." The doctor hooked the clipboard back onto the end of the bed and gave Spencer a quick glance. She did not anticipate having to do that when she started her shift. She made her way to her office to call his next of kin.
The doctor dropped heavily into the swivel chair at the nurse's station. She rubbed her forehead with one hand whilst she used one finger to dial the number, her other fingers clasped around the handset of the phone. After a few rings, a groggy voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Hello. Am I speaking to Jennifer Jareau?"
"Speaking."
"Hello, Ms Jareau. Sorry to disturb you at this hour. My name's Dr Snowball. I'm a consultant at Bethesda Hospital. I'm calling regarding Dr Reid."
"What's happened?"
"Dr Reid had a severe tonic clonic seizure and his temperature has reached dangerous levels. Whatever antibiotics he has been given has had no effect on his infection. I've had to place Dr Reid into a medically induced coma to protect his brain. You should be prepared in case his organs start to fail. I know protocol says people shouldn't come between visiting hours, however I think you should be here with him."
"I'm on my way." Dr Snowball set the phone back down and slid the pen out of her bun, allowing her half to fall down over her shoulders.
xxx
JJ felt her heart racing, beating a rapid rhythm into her ribs. The corridors were eerily dark which could be expected in the early hours of the morning. She had spent the better part of an hour trying to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to find. The doctor had offered to meet her outside of the elevators. JJ immediately noticed a tall woman pacing with her arms folded across her white coat, her heels tapping rhythmically against the linoleum floor with each step. Her hair reflected in shades of black and blue under the lights. JJ swallowed hard and quietly approached.
"Dr Snowball?" The woman stopped and glanced up. Her green eyes looked tired and weary.
"Ms Jareau?" JJ held out a hand to the taller woman who accepted it and gave it a firm shake, "We've moved him to intensive care. Follow me." Dr Snowball pressed the glowing button for the elevator. The pair entered the elevator as soon as the doors slid open.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" asked JJ in a low voice.
"Honestly? I don't know. Our primary focus right now is tackling the infection and bringing his fever down." JJ nodded solemnly and gazed down at the floor.
xxx
Dr Snowball led JJ down another dark corridor, each light flicking on as they made way along the silent hallway. JJ couldn't bring herself to ask anymore questions. They stopped outside a set of double doors. The doctor swiped her ID badge across the small panel to the left of the doors. A green light and a bleep indicated that the doors had unlocked. Dr Snowball entered first and held the door open for JJ. The intensive care unit was small, only six beds. It was dimly lit. The doctor led JJ past the nurse's station to the fourth room in. A small plaque to the right of the door read S. Reid. JJ anxiously swallowed the lump in her throat.
"You can go in. I know it'll be scary to see your friend the way he is, but it really is the best for him right now." JJ nodded softly and pushed open the door. Her eyes immediately fell on the figure in the bed. The first thing she noticed was the thick tube protruding out of his mouth. Two larger tubes stretched over his form and were connected to a machine that hissed with each breath. Spencer's wrists and ankles remained in the restraints. A large cannula with multiple ports attached was taped into the right side of his neck, each port leading to a different syringe on a machine. What JJ could see of Spencer's face above the tube holder was ashen in colour. His dark brown curls were splayed out across the single white pillow under his head. A yellow coloured tube had been fed up his left nostril and was attached to a bag of a foul, beige liquid on the drip stand. Large pieces of clear tape across his nose and cheek held the tube in place. A heavy silver blanket lay over Spencer's still form, a machine at the foot of the bed humming as it cooled the blanket. Dr Snowball stepped around JJ and grabbed the clipboard from the foot of the bed. She pressed the thermometer into Spencer's ear.
"One zero five point eight. Still too high." JJ ignored the doctor as she slid silently into the plush armchair beside the bed and reached for Spencer's hand. His skin felt like it was aflame. She eyed the cuffs, then moved her eyes further up until they came to rest on his face. He looked peaceful, yet he looked incredibly fragile. She hated seeing Spencer this way. He was always busy, his genius brain in need of constant stimulation. She had no idea how he coped in prison, then mentally kicked herself as she recalled that he didn't cope at all. He was exonerated, but was released from prison a very different man.
"Please, Spence. Fight this and come back to me. We need you. More than you know," whispered JJ as she sat forward and gently lifted his limp hand to her forehead.
A snoring noise attracted her attention. She sat up straight in the chair. Spencer's eyes had partially opened and rolled up and to the side. His face had turned an alarming shade of crimson. The EKG alarmed as his heart rate soared. The snoring noise was coming from her best friend. His face was twitching rhythmically.
"Spence? Spence!" The cuffs tugged against the bed as convulsions took over his limbs. Dr Snowball was immediately at the side of the bed, injecting something into the IV in the back of his hand. The convulsions, as did the facial twitching, slowed as the medication got to work, however the grunting noises Spencer made continued.
"I'm going to start some anti seizure medication and increase the muscle relaxant," came the doctor's voice. JJ had zoned out, tears tracking down her cheeks as she looked at the genius in horror. The noises finally subsided after what felt like a lifetime and Spencer's eyes drifted shut again.
"Oh, Spence..."
xxx
Five days later...
Spencer could feel the haze melting away from his consciousness. He was unsure how long he had been in the darkness for but he felt exceptionally exhausted. As awareness started to return to him in fragments, he noticed something hard seated between his teeth. His brow furrowed as he gagged softly on something lodged in his throat. He let out an almost inaudible whine around the tube down his throat. A bright light appeared in each eye. Spencer tried to swipe the light away but found his hands unable to move anymore than an inch from the bed.
"Welcome back, Dr Reid. The tube is helping you breathe. We tried to wean you off it through the night but you're still not able to breathe on your own yet." Spencer's terrified hazel eyes locked on to the dark-haired doctor at his bedside, "My name's Dr Snowball. I'm an intensive care consultant. Now, I just want you to nod or shake your head for me. Do you remember what happened?" Spencer slowly shook his head, his entire being trembling in horror that he had no memory, "You developed a dangerously high fever. We had to induce a coma to protect your brain. You did have two tonic clonic seizures in close succession. We completed a spinal tap and found that you had bacterial meningococcal septicaemia. This was on top of acute myeloid leukaemia. You had some swelling around your brain which has started to resolve but it has left you suffering from seizures. You've had a further three seizures since. One of your kidneys started to fail and had to be removed. You're not out of the woods yet. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Dr Reid?" Spencer studied the doctor's face for micro expressions and any signs of a lie. Realising that she was indeed being truthful, Spencer nodded. His brow furrowed. He desperately wanted to answer but the tube and his inability to successfully gain a single breath rendered him unable to. His eyes fluttered as his lungs went into a spasm.
"Dr Reid? I need you to relax. Let the ventilator do it's job." A single tear tracked out of the corner of his right eye and into his hair, "It's normal to feel confused and emotional when coming out of a coma."
A knock sounded at the door. Dr Snowball glanced over her shoulder to see JJ clinging to the door as if it were the only thing keeping her upright. The blonde agent stared wordlessly at her best friend's eyes open. She slid past the doctor and perched on the edge of the chair, her hands automatically reaching for Spencer's. Spencer turned his head slightly to look at her. He appeared more terrified than he had ever looked before. His skin remained a sickly shade of grey. His hazel pools beheld sadness, terror and something else... JJ recognised it immediately. He had the same look in his eyes when he attacked Luke.
"Spence? I know that look." Spencer's eyes were wide and apologetic, glistening with unshed tears, "Spence? Please, squeeze my hand or something." Spencer's hand weakly squeezed hers. He turned his head back to the face the ceiling.
"Dr Reid?" Spencer's chest went into spasm once more. His eyes rolled back into his head and his chest stilled. His grasp around JJ's hand slackened. The EKG let out a long and steady whine.
"Spence!" JJ could only watch in horror through the window as alarms sounded around her and staff bustled into the room. Dr Snowball pumped furiously on his chest, sweat beading her forehead as she desperately tried to revive her patient. Paddles were pressed to his bare chest, sending a current through his entire body which jerked against the restraints. For twenty long minutes that felt akin to twenty hours, the staff worked tirelessly to resuscitate the genius. JJ's vision blurred with her tears at the nauseating shade of yellow Spencer had turned. His eyes were half open but were lifeless and dull. She knew in that instant that her best friend had gone. Dr Snowball lifted her head and shook her head at JJ through the glass, her mouth pulled tight into a thin line. JJ pressed a palm to her mouth to stifle a sob. She watched the staff turn off the machines and detach the ventilator tube from the one down his throat. Dr Snowball gently closed Spencer's eyes.
Dammit, Spencer... Why didn't you just take a sick day?
