Categories > TV > Criminal Minds
The Appointment
1 reviewDr. Reid has a doctor's appointment...and he doesn't want to go alone.
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Spencer sat at his desk inside the Bullpen, staring into his cup of coffee. He was contemplating on what to do. It had been only been a month since his ordeal with Tobias Hankel and his family doctor had said that he wanted to see him. There were so many diseases that could be transferred through less-then-clean needles and it would be awhile before he was cleared from each and every one of them. This was the big appointment. This was where they would be drawing blood from him again (he hated needles more now then he ever had) and they would be testing him for AIDS, HIV and a whole battery of unpleasant things. He wished that he didn't have to go, or at least that he didn't have to go alone.
He had briefly debated on asking his mother to go with him. She hadn't really been there for him when he was growing up and it wasn't as if his childhood had been a happy one. He knew logically that he couldn't ask her. The reasons for that were fairly simple. She was a mentally ill woman and if he took her out of her comfort zone; that could make a potentially stressful situation a complete disaster. No, he could never ask her to go. He had carefully considered every member of his team, the only one that seemed even remotely plausible was Derek Morgan but he knew that if he asked him to go to a doctor's appointment with him that would lead into a kinds of teasing and ridiculing that he really didn't need. In the end he decided that going alone was his best option.
Morgan wasn't as clueless as he seemed. Derek knew that Spencer had been going from one doctor's appointment to another that was only normal after the hell that the man had been through. What the young doctor didn't know was that after the initial appointment, Dr. Paul Glass had met with the team to discuss what he found and what the future would hold for their young doctor. So he knew that this appointment was coming before Spencer did. He knew that Spencer was nervous, depending on what the results were his life could be changed forever.
Derek walked into the break room and made a cup of coffee. He knew that he had to let Spencer know that they were all there for him but at the same time he didn't want to overwhelm him or make him think that they thought that he couldn't hand it. He knew that Spencer was very sensitive when it came to his job and whether or not people thought that he could do it. He shook his head. Despite his education and his intelligence he knew that Spencer had a lot to learn when he needed to trust others and their opinions and when he should just go with his gut.
He hadn't seen Spencer leave his desk but at some point he had to have because when he got to the break room Spencer was already there, pouring another cup of coffee. "What's on your mind pretty boy?"
Spencer shrugged, "What do you mean?"
Morgan sipped his coffee and carefully studied the younger man. "I mean that when you're frustrated over something or something has scared you, you tend to drink a lot of coffee. Or at least more than usual and that's saying a lot. So, what's on your mind?" He watched as Spencer put his cup to his lips as if to drink and then he put it on the counter and shoved his hands inside his pockets. Morgan knew that this was yet another thing that Spencer did when he was nervous and less than thrilled about what was going on. "Come on man, you know that you can talk to me."
Spencer readjusted his glasses and licked his bottom lip. Morgan knew from profiling the other man that Spencer did that when he was worried about something or knew that the other person was not going to like what he had to say. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I wanted someone to go with me. I couldn't think of anyone to ask and I'm scared." Spencer gulped what was left in his mug and poured himself another cup.
Morgan knew that he was preparing himself for Morgan to laugh at him or make fun of him. Morgan finished his coffee and looked at the younger man. He couldn't imagine what Reid had been like as a child and he was sure that Spencer's young adulthood hadn't been much better. "Reid if you want someone to go with you, I'll go. Just tell me what time."
"11am." The shock that Reid was feeling was clearly displayed on his face.
"Okay. I'll make sure that I'm ready." Morgan knew that it had to have taken a lot of courage for Reid to admit that he was scared and that he needed help. He knew from being around Spencer that he wasn't very good at expressing himself verbally and felt that he should be able to take care of every problem that he had by himself. Morgan shook his head. He was sure that Spencer was going chicken out, he was more than certain that at some point before the morning Reid would come and tell him that something had come up and that he had to reschedule. He was mildly surprised when that didn't happen.
By 11 am the next morning Reid was pacing the doctor's office trying to not let his mind conjure up too many grizzly images. He knew that the likelihood that he had contracted something was slim but there was that faint chance that he could have. He knew that if he did, depending on what it was and how treatable it was, his life could be drastically changed.
Morgan sat in the chair and watched his best friend practically torture himself. He had thought that the young doctor had been through enough but he also knew that there was no way that Spencer would stop until the doctor gave him a clean bill of health. He also knew that he would more than likely be going in with him. If it was not good news that he received he wanted to be there.
"Dr. Spencer Reid, we're ready for you."
Reid got up and nervously walked through the door into the main office. To say that he was surprised when Morgan got up and followed him in was an understatement. When he turned to face Morgan, it was like the black man could read his mind.
"Reid, you never had asked me to go with you if you weren't freaking out. It's okay, good or bad I'm here for you." Derek thought that the mixed look of appreciation and shock was sad. He knew that Spencer liked to do things on his own but sometimes even geniuses needed help. He shook his head as the doctor came in with a stack of charts, he was guessing that it was probably the results of the tests that Spencer had gone through. It was pretty clear by the amount of papers that the doctor had that Reid had been tested for everything under the sun.
"Dr. Reid would you please sit down, we have quite a bit to discuss and not a lot of time." The doctor wouldn't continue until Spencer was sitting. Spencer was trying to be calm but he knew that until he heard all of the test results, calm was just going to be a fantasy. Spencer sat in the chair right across for the doctor, slightly shaking with anxiety and wishing that there was a fast forward button so that he could skip this part and go straight to where he's at home.
"All of your blood work came back clean, but I do want you to see me every three weeks for the next little while. I know that I said last time that sometimes diseases take awhile to show up, I just don't want there to be any surprises. How are the nightmares, cold sweats and flash backs?"
Spencer somehow knew that the doctor was going to bring those up. He could see the look of surprise on Morgan's face; he knew that he should have mentioned them but he just didn't know how he was supposed to work that into a conversation. He tried to pretend that Morgan wasn't there; he knew that Morgan would want to talk about this at some point. "The nightmares are still there, no better, no worse. The flashbacks seem to be gone but I seem to feeling anxious almost constantly and it's almost like I'm waiting for something really bad to happen."
Morgan nodded in agreement. He had seen the way that Reid seemed to check out a room before going into it. He had just figured that it was one of the many side effects that Reid suffered having been kidnapped.
"Okay, well I'll give you a prescription for a drug that will help with that. Whether you decide to get it filled or not, it's your decision."
As the doctor scribbled out the prescription Morgan watched Reid, he couldn't help but notice how small Reid looked. He knew that the younger man was tall but it was almost like he could make himself shrink. He would have thought it was cute if it wasn't for the fact that he knew that all Spencer wanted to do was disappear. Much to Derek's surprise he took the prescription from the doctor and stuffed it into his messenger bag.
"Thank you Doctor. I guess I'll see you in a few weeks." After stepping out of the office, he made another appointment and walked back to the car. The ride back to the BAU was silent.
Once again, they were back in the break room. Reid was dumping spoonful after spoonful of sugar into his coffee. He knew that he should say something to Derek but everything that he rehearsed in his mind just would sound lame, so he waited. When Derek came back into the break room he smiled at Reid. "Hey man."
Spencer put his coffee mug on the counter. He knew that if he didn't say something now, then he probably never would. "I just wanted to thank you for coming with me, you didn't have to."
Morgan put his hand on his friends shoulder. "Spencer, you're one of my best friends, if you ever need anything all you have to do is ask." Spencer smiled and Morgan left the room. Sometimes his pretty boy could be so silly. Spencer just smiled relieved that it was over.
He had briefly debated on asking his mother to go with him. She hadn't really been there for him when he was growing up and it wasn't as if his childhood had been a happy one. He knew logically that he couldn't ask her. The reasons for that were fairly simple. She was a mentally ill woman and if he took her out of her comfort zone; that could make a potentially stressful situation a complete disaster. No, he could never ask her to go. He had carefully considered every member of his team, the only one that seemed even remotely plausible was Derek Morgan but he knew that if he asked him to go to a doctor's appointment with him that would lead into a kinds of teasing and ridiculing that he really didn't need. In the end he decided that going alone was his best option.
Morgan wasn't as clueless as he seemed. Derek knew that Spencer had been going from one doctor's appointment to another that was only normal after the hell that the man had been through. What the young doctor didn't know was that after the initial appointment, Dr. Paul Glass had met with the team to discuss what he found and what the future would hold for their young doctor. So he knew that this appointment was coming before Spencer did. He knew that Spencer was nervous, depending on what the results were his life could be changed forever.
Derek walked into the break room and made a cup of coffee. He knew that he had to let Spencer know that they were all there for him but at the same time he didn't want to overwhelm him or make him think that they thought that he couldn't hand it. He knew that Spencer was very sensitive when it came to his job and whether or not people thought that he could do it. He shook his head. Despite his education and his intelligence he knew that Spencer had a lot to learn when he needed to trust others and their opinions and when he should just go with his gut.
He hadn't seen Spencer leave his desk but at some point he had to have because when he got to the break room Spencer was already there, pouring another cup of coffee. "What's on your mind pretty boy?"
Spencer shrugged, "What do you mean?"
Morgan sipped his coffee and carefully studied the younger man. "I mean that when you're frustrated over something or something has scared you, you tend to drink a lot of coffee. Or at least more than usual and that's saying a lot. So, what's on your mind?" He watched as Spencer put his cup to his lips as if to drink and then he put it on the counter and shoved his hands inside his pockets. Morgan knew that this was yet another thing that Spencer did when he was nervous and less than thrilled about what was going on. "Come on man, you know that you can talk to me."
Spencer readjusted his glasses and licked his bottom lip. Morgan knew from profiling the other man that Spencer did that when he was worried about something or knew that the other person was not going to like what he had to say. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and I wanted someone to go with me. I couldn't think of anyone to ask and I'm scared." Spencer gulped what was left in his mug and poured himself another cup.
Morgan knew that he was preparing himself for Morgan to laugh at him or make fun of him. Morgan finished his coffee and looked at the younger man. He couldn't imagine what Reid had been like as a child and he was sure that Spencer's young adulthood hadn't been much better. "Reid if you want someone to go with you, I'll go. Just tell me what time."
"11am." The shock that Reid was feeling was clearly displayed on his face.
"Okay. I'll make sure that I'm ready." Morgan knew that it had to have taken a lot of courage for Reid to admit that he was scared and that he needed help. He knew from being around Spencer that he wasn't very good at expressing himself verbally and felt that he should be able to take care of every problem that he had by himself. Morgan shook his head. He was sure that Spencer was going chicken out, he was more than certain that at some point before the morning Reid would come and tell him that something had come up and that he had to reschedule. He was mildly surprised when that didn't happen.
By 11 am the next morning Reid was pacing the doctor's office trying to not let his mind conjure up too many grizzly images. He knew that the likelihood that he had contracted something was slim but there was that faint chance that he could have. He knew that if he did, depending on what it was and how treatable it was, his life could be drastically changed.
Morgan sat in the chair and watched his best friend practically torture himself. He had thought that the young doctor had been through enough but he also knew that there was no way that Spencer would stop until the doctor gave him a clean bill of health. He also knew that he would more than likely be going in with him. If it was not good news that he received he wanted to be there.
"Dr. Spencer Reid, we're ready for you."
Reid got up and nervously walked through the door into the main office. To say that he was surprised when Morgan got up and followed him in was an understatement. When he turned to face Morgan, it was like the black man could read his mind.
"Reid, you never had asked me to go with you if you weren't freaking out. It's okay, good or bad I'm here for you." Derek thought that the mixed look of appreciation and shock was sad. He knew that Spencer liked to do things on his own but sometimes even geniuses needed help. He shook his head as the doctor came in with a stack of charts, he was guessing that it was probably the results of the tests that Spencer had gone through. It was pretty clear by the amount of papers that the doctor had that Reid had been tested for everything under the sun.
"Dr. Reid would you please sit down, we have quite a bit to discuss and not a lot of time." The doctor wouldn't continue until Spencer was sitting. Spencer was trying to be calm but he knew that until he heard all of the test results, calm was just going to be a fantasy. Spencer sat in the chair right across for the doctor, slightly shaking with anxiety and wishing that there was a fast forward button so that he could skip this part and go straight to where he's at home.
"All of your blood work came back clean, but I do want you to see me every three weeks for the next little while. I know that I said last time that sometimes diseases take awhile to show up, I just don't want there to be any surprises. How are the nightmares, cold sweats and flash backs?"
Spencer somehow knew that the doctor was going to bring those up. He could see the look of surprise on Morgan's face; he knew that he should have mentioned them but he just didn't know how he was supposed to work that into a conversation. He tried to pretend that Morgan wasn't there; he knew that Morgan would want to talk about this at some point. "The nightmares are still there, no better, no worse. The flashbacks seem to be gone but I seem to feeling anxious almost constantly and it's almost like I'm waiting for something really bad to happen."
Morgan nodded in agreement. He had seen the way that Reid seemed to check out a room before going into it. He had just figured that it was one of the many side effects that Reid suffered having been kidnapped.
"Okay, well I'll give you a prescription for a drug that will help with that. Whether you decide to get it filled or not, it's your decision."
As the doctor scribbled out the prescription Morgan watched Reid, he couldn't help but notice how small Reid looked. He knew that the younger man was tall but it was almost like he could make himself shrink. He would have thought it was cute if it wasn't for the fact that he knew that all Spencer wanted to do was disappear. Much to Derek's surprise he took the prescription from the doctor and stuffed it into his messenger bag.
"Thank you Doctor. I guess I'll see you in a few weeks." After stepping out of the office, he made another appointment and walked back to the car. The ride back to the BAU was silent.
Once again, they were back in the break room. Reid was dumping spoonful after spoonful of sugar into his coffee. He knew that he should say something to Derek but everything that he rehearsed in his mind just would sound lame, so he waited. When Derek came back into the break room he smiled at Reid. "Hey man."
Spencer put his coffee mug on the counter. He knew that if he didn't say something now, then he probably never would. "I just wanted to thank you for coming with me, you didn't have to."
Morgan put his hand on his friends shoulder. "Spencer, you're one of my best friends, if you ever need anything all you have to do is ask." Spencer smiled and Morgan left the room. Sometimes his pretty boy could be so silly. Spencer just smiled relieved that it was over.
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