Categories > TV > Criminal Minds
Lights Out
1 reviewSet after the events of 8 x12 'Zugzwang'. After Reid witnesses Maeve get shot in front of him he withdraws into himself, shutting out his friends and the team. But can Morgan pull him out of his sh...
1Moving
Warnings: Spoilers for 8 x 12 'Zugzwang' for those that haven't seen it yet. Next chapter will have more warnings. It will be eventual slash.
"But there is greater comfort in the substance of silence than in the answer to a question." ~ Thomas Merton
Morgan had heard the gunshot not long after Reid walked into the building, instantly striking fear into his heart. Wondering if Reid had made another hasty decision and unable to talk himself out of it this time. He was also wondering if that he would find Maeve dead already, or that she was alive and that the kidnapper had killed Reid instead. He wished that Reid had not taken off the vest and gun, so the younger would go in somewhat protected.
As he ran up the stairs after he called out shots fired, he heard a second shot. Once he and the rest of the team ran up the stairs, he spotted Reid on the floor with his hand over his arm and Diane with a recognizable look in her eyes. Once Diane had blindfolded the young genius, or he thought she blindfolded him, Morgan was unsure what would happen next. Then things seemed to happen quickly, he saw Diane remove the blindfold and then he saw Diane kiss Reid while Maeve watched. He didn't know what to think about that, but that wasn't important at the moment.
He stood with the team, watching Diane stand next to Maeve. But what happened next he wasn't prepared for, he knew people like Diane would either kill themselves or want to be killed via suicide by cop. He heard Reid shout Wait! And then the shot ran out, he watched the younger man's reaction before he looked down at the floor. He noticed JJ, Blake and Rossi had lowered their guns along with Hotch before he holstered his own weapon. He had a feeling of shock, and a feeling in his chest he hadn't felt in three years since Haley was killed. He didn't witness her death, but the whole team including Hotch heard Haley saying her final words and the gunshot resonate over the phone.
The broken sobs coming from Reid soon shattered the silence in the room, making time run again after what felt like an eternity of silence following the gunshot and the entire moment seemingly going by in slow motion. Morgan didn't know what to say, no one did. Even Hotch's normal stoic demeanor seemed to crack, and he could have sworn he saw a tear form in their unit chief's eye. JJ had a look of horror and sadness mixed in; Rossi was disbelief and probably sadness as well. Blake was hard to read, but he figured it was shock and sadness mixed with disbelief.
Morgan also knew that the young genius in front of him was in shock, both from the pain of the gunshot in his arm and seeing Maeve get killed right in front of him. He knew this image would be impossible to get out of a normal mind, but even more so for someone with an eidetic memory. He heard footsteps behind them, turning to see Rossi and Hotch head toward the door. This was now a crime scene, and they had to let it get processed and the bodies had to be removed by the coroner.
He took a deep breath and walked up to Reid, hoping he could get through to the younger male. He knew the others were feeling bad for Reid, and what he had just gone through. But he also knew that JJ's relationship with him was still somewhat rocky, and Blake only knew him from lectures at Georgetown even though they were almost the same intellectually. But he hoped that his connection with Reid would break through the shell.
He also knew that Rossi felt the same loss after Caroline died, and of course Hotch after losing Haley three years earlier. Morgan wondered silently if the team was cursed in never having anything happy happening in their lives, aside from the birth of Henry and JJ's wedding to Will a few months earlier.
"Pretty Boy… come on. They have to process the scene, and you have to get checked out." Morgan spoke gently, putting a hand on the younger male's good shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we have to go."
Reid looked up at Morgan, almost not realizing that the older male was there. Even though he had heard Hotch and the others telling Diane to drop her weapon, nothing registered to him. But soon he did start to feel the pain in his arm, and suddenly remembered that he got shot after he was struggling with Diane to get her gun. "Derek…"
Morgan frowned lightly, hearing how broken Reid sounded. He stayed close to the other before offering his hand to help him up to his feet. He managed a faint smile as Reid accepted the gesture, soon moving his arm around the younger man's waist. "We can take as long as you need… but you really need that arm checked out."
Reid didn't move, he heard Morgan's voice but everything else seemed like a blur. How had everything gone so wrong? He was getting somewhere, using his own tactics against Diane. And he knew that Maeve would hopefully understand what he was getting at. But then things backfired, badly. He knew it was going to end up being a murder suicide scenario, he just didn't think it would actually happen.
"Don't over analyze it. She took her own life and took Maeve's because of some twisted delusion in her head. And I know you will never get over this… not easily." Morgan replied, carefully leading Reid out of the loft and toward the stairs while the crime scene unit went to work and the medical examiners went to take the bodies.
Morgan walked Reid over to the back of the ambulance to let the paramedics check Reid's arm out, he didn't venture far since he did promise that he would stay right by his side. Even if Reid didn't hear it, he did promise the younger that he wouldn't leave him.
"Do you know your name?" One paramedic asked, watching the African American man help the younger looking man sit down on the back of the ambulance. "What day is it?"
"My name is Spencer Reid, the day is Wednesday." Reid replied, catching a glimpse of the coroner's van. He felt Morgan's hands on his cheeks, soon finding himself eye to eye with the older male.
"You don't need to see that, kid." Morgan spoke gently, making sure that Reid was focusing his attention on him and only him. "Are the questions necessary? He got shot in the arm and he is in shock, he did not hit his head or get a concussion."
"They are routine questions." The paramedic replied. "As for his arm, it does not look serious. We will take him to the hospital where he will get it checked thoroughly, get pain medication and antibiotics."
"I'm going along with him." Morgan spoke, glancing at the paramedic before helping Reid get into the back of the ambulance. "You'll be okay…"
"Physically, yes." Reid spoke quietly, lying back on the stretcher as he watched Morgan sit next to him. "I doubt I will be okay for a long time… don't let them give me narcotics."
"I won't." Morgan replied, watching Reid. "Pretty Boy, don't close your eyes. Stay awake for me okay? How much blood did he lose?"
"Not that much, it appears to be a graze. But the doctors will know more once they check him out. He is just going into shock, so try to keep him awake." The paramedic replied, checking Reid's vitals as they headed toward the hospital.
Morgan nodded, sighing softly as he moved to hold Reid's hand. He wondered if he would ever be okay again, or if this would be another trigger into possibly relapsing into abusing Dilaudid again. Or what if he would not be tempted by the drug and find other ways to try and escape the pain. Whatever happened he would be sure that Reid would not be alone through the grieving process.
"But there is greater comfort in the substance of silence than in the answer to a question." ~ Thomas Merton
Morgan had heard the gunshot not long after Reid walked into the building, instantly striking fear into his heart. Wondering if Reid had made another hasty decision and unable to talk himself out of it this time. He was also wondering if that he would find Maeve dead already, or that she was alive and that the kidnapper had killed Reid instead. He wished that Reid had not taken off the vest and gun, so the younger would go in somewhat protected.
As he ran up the stairs after he called out shots fired, he heard a second shot. Once he and the rest of the team ran up the stairs, he spotted Reid on the floor with his hand over his arm and Diane with a recognizable look in her eyes. Once Diane had blindfolded the young genius, or he thought she blindfolded him, Morgan was unsure what would happen next. Then things seemed to happen quickly, he saw Diane remove the blindfold and then he saw Diane kiss Reid while Maeve watched. He didn't know what to think about that, but that wasn't important at the moment.
He stood with the team, watching Diane stand next to Maeve. But what happened next he wasn't prepared for, he knew people like Diane would either kill themselves or want to be killed via suicide by cop. He heard Reid shout Wait! And then the shot ran out, he watched the younger man's reaction before he looked down at the floor. He noticed JJ, Blake and Rossi had lowered their guns along with Hotch before he holstered his own weapon. He had a feeling of shock, and a feeling in his chest he hadn't felt in three years since Haley was killed. He didn't witness her death, but the whole team including Hotch heard Haley saying her final words and the gunshot resonate over the phone.
The broken sobs coming from Reid soon shattered the silence in the room, making time run again after what felt like an eternity of silence following the gunshot and the entire moment seemingly going by in slow motion. Morgan didn't know what to say, no one did. Even Hotch's normal stoic demeanor seemed to crack, and he could have sworn he saw a tear form in their unit chief's eye. JJ had a look of horror and sadness mixed in; Rossi was disbelief and probably sadness as well. Blake was hard to read, but he figured it was shock and sadness mixed with disbelief.
Morgan also knew that the young genius in front of him was in shock, both from the pain of the gunshot in his arm and seeing Maeve get killed right in front of him. He knew this image would be impossible to get out of a normal mind, but even more so for someone with an eidetic memory. He heard footsteps behind them, turning to see Rossi and Hotch head toward the door. This was now a crime scene, and they had to let it get processed and the bodies had to be removed by the coroner.
He took a deep breath and walked up to Reid, hoping he could get through to the younger male. He knew the others were feeling bad for Reid, and what he had just gone through. But he also knew that JJ's relationship with him was still somewhat rocky, and Blake only knew him from lectures at Georgetown even though they were almost the same intellectually. But he hoped that his connection with Reid would break through the shell.
He also knew that Rossi felt the same loss after Caroline died, and of course Hotch after losing Haley three years earlier. Morgan wondered silently if the team was cursed in never having anything happy happening in their lives, aside from the birth of Henry and JJ's wedding to Will a few months earlier.
"Pretty Boy… come on. They have to process the scene, and you have to get checked out." Morgan spoke gently, putting a hand on the younger male's good shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we have to go."
Reid looked up at Morgan, almost not realizing that the older male was there. Even though he had heard Hotch and the others telling Diane to drop her weapon, nothing registered to him. But soon he did start to feel the pain in his arm, and suddenly remembered that he got shot after he was struggling with Diane to get her gun. "Derek…"
Morgan frowned lightly, hearing how broken Reid sounded. He stayed close to the other before offering his hand to help him up to his feet. He managed a faint smile as Reid accepted the gesture, soon moving his arm around the younger man's waist. "We can take as long as you need… but you really need that arm checked out."
Reid didn't move, he heard Morgan's voice but everything else seemed like a blur. How had everything gone so wrong? He was getting somewhere, using his own tactics against Diane. And he knew that Maeve would hopefully understand what he was getting at. But then things backfired, badly. He knew it was going to end up being a murder suicide scenario, he just didn't think it would actually happen.
"Don't over analyze it. She took her own life and took Maeve's because of some twisted delusion in her head. And I know you will never get over this… not easily." Morgan replied, carefully leading Reid out of the loft and toward the stairs while the crime scene unit went to work and the medical examiners went to take the bodies.
Morgan walked Reid over to the back of the ambulance to let the paramedics check Reid's arm out, he didn't venture far since he did promise that he would stay right by his side. Even if Reid didn't hear it, he did promise the younger that he wouldn't leave him.
"Do you know your name?" One paramedic asked, watching the African American man help the younger looking man sit down on the back of the ambulance. "What day is it?"
"My name is Spencer Reid, the day is Wednesday." Reid replied, catching a glimpse of the coroner's van. He felt Morgan's hands on his cheeks, soon finding himself eye to eye with the older male.
"You don't need to see that, kid." Morgan spoke gently, making sure that Reid was focusing his attention on him and only him. "Are the questions necessary? He got shot in the arm and he is in shock, he did not hit his head or get a concussion."
"They are routine questions." The paramedic replied. "As for his arm, it does not look serious. We will take him to the hospital where he will get it checked thoroughly, get pain medication and antibiotics."
"I'm going along with him." Morgan spoke, glancing at the paramedic before helping Reid get into the back of the ambulance. "You'll be okay…"
"Physically, yes." Reid spoke quietly, lying back on the stretcher as he watched Morgan sit next to him. "I doubt I will be okay for a long time… don't let them give me narcotics."
"I won't." Morgan replied, watching Reid. "Pretty Boy, don't close your eyes. Stay awake for me okay? How much blood did he lose?"
"Not that much, it appears to be a graze. But the doctors will know more once they check him out. He is just going into shock, so try to keep him awake." The paramedic replied, checking Reid's vitals as they headed toward the hospital.
Morgan nodded, sighing softly as he moved to hold Reid's hand. He wondered if he would ever be okay again, or if this would be another trigger into possibly relapsing into abusing Dilaudid again. Or what if he would not be tempted by the drug and find other ways to try and escape the pain. Whatever happened he would be sure that Reid would not be alone through the grieving process.
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