Categories > TV > Criminal Minds > Saving Spencer Reid
Morgan, J.J, Prentiss and Hotch were all in the briefing room. Morgan had tried Reid's cell phone for what seemed like the one-hundredth time, once again it rang and then went straight to his voice mail. Everyone at the table exchanged glances. There was only one time that they could think of when he was late like this; no one wanted to say it. No one wanted to admit or entertain the possibility that he could be back on Delaudid. The last time, they had almost lost their genius and no one wanted to go down that road again. Hotch was the first one to speak, he knew that as Unit Chief it was his job to mention the worst of possibilities because if they had in fact come to light then it would be his job to deal with them and the effects that they had on the team.
"There's no evidence to support that anything bad has happened. As far as we know he could have just slept in. He has been through quite a bit this past week." Even as he spoke he ran a hand through his hair.
Prentiss shook her head. "It's not just that. We have all been through quite a bit."
Morgan silenced her with a glare. "Hearing that Gideon was gone was one thing. We weren't the one's that found his body. Reid's never been really good with traumatic events and we know that. He's probably going to look at this at another one of his failures and we will all have to be here to pick up his pieces when he falls apart."
J.J. shook her head and looked right at Hotch. "Of all the people that could have found him why did it have to be Reid? Why would you have sent him in alone?" She hadn't meant for the last part to be out loud but by the time that she had realized that she'd spoken it was too late for her to correct herself.
Hotch didn't take offence to her questions. He knew that if the roles were reversed he would be asking her the same thing. She wasn't accusing him of anything she was just wanting to know why. He figured that he owed the team an explanation. "When I got to work that day, he had already been in Jason's office. I knew that if Jason was anywhere he was going to be at the cabin but I had no idea where that was. Reid told me that Jason had told him where the cabin was but he was very reluctant to tell me. So I had no choice but to let him go. I know that that may not have been the best decision but it was the only one that I had. Spencer felt that if he told me and Gideon was fine that Jason would be disappointed in him and angry that he had not kept the location a secret."
Morgan shook his head. "But Jason was dead. And now Reid won't even pick up his phone. What the hell are we supposed to do with that? And what about the suicide letter that Jason had left, he addressed it to Reid. That alone is going to mess with the kids head."
Before Hotch had a chance to respond to the accusation, there was a noise at the door. Reid was standing there, coffee in hand and walking into the room. He looked like he hadn't slept and no one mentioned that he was still in yesterday's clothes. As he sat near Morgan he seemed oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at him.
"I'm sorry I'm late. My alarm never went off. It won't happen again."
Hotch looked at the youngest member of their team in amazement. He knew that he should have at least been angry that the genius was late but he just didn't have it in him. He was just relieved that Spencer was there now and that there hadn't been (as far as he could tell) anything actually wrong. "Reid, you can take the day off if you need it." This wasn't what he had wanted to say, in fact Hotch had wanted to say nothing at all but he knew that the rest of the team was looking at him to say something.
Spencer sipped his coffee. He knew that he should take Hotch up on his offer; at the very least he could take a few days and go see his mother. Or he could find an isolated area not the cabin anywhere but the cabin and get his head together. But he also knew that they probably had a dozen cases that needed their (his) attention and that anything that was going on in his head would have to wait until later.
He adjusted his glasses and smiled. "No, that won't be necessary. Like I said, I'm sorry that I'm late and in the future I will be more diligent and make sure that this doesn't happen again." The tone that he used was the same tone that he used on other law enforcement officials who had treated him like he was too young to be doing the job that he was. Spencer knew that he had to be careful, he could be reprimanded for his tone or at the very least Hotch could insist that he go home and not return to work until the FBI's psychiatrist said that he was able to. If there was one thing that Spencer hated more than the dark it was a nosy psychiatrist. He had already decided that if worse came to worse he would talk to Hotch privately but for right now that wasn't an option.
Hotch nodded to say that he understood. The look that he shot Reid from across the table clearly told Reid, in no uncertain terms that they would be discussing this later. Spencer mentally shrugged; there were worse things to deal with than Hotch's temper.
Morgan just sat waiting. He had figured that Hotch had called them into the briefing room because they had a case. Then there was the situation they had with Reid, but since that had been cleared up, he figured that they would continue on with whatever case J.J. had found for them.
Hotch scanned the room, studying the faces of the people on his team. He knew that there was something wrong with Reid. And judging by the looks that he was getting from Morgan, Prentiss and J.J. they knew it too. But they also knew that Reid would tell them in his own time and if they pushed he would say nothing. Hotch cleared his throat. "I have nothing more to say, just that everyone should try and finish the last of the reports…I don't want any lose ends."
As they filed out of the briefing room even Spencer was surprised. He thought that at the very least he would be reprimanded for being late for work, but there was nothing. He figured that Hotch knew that he wasn't handling things as well as he should be. Reid sat in his chair and stared at the pile of folders on his desk. Maybe he wanted them to notice that he wasn't doing well, he brushed a some of his hair away from his face, now he was sure that was why he had forgotten to set his alarm the night before (something that he had never done before), it was the first step in his cry for help.
"There's no evidence to support that anything bad has happened. As far as we know he could have just slept in. He has been through quite a bit this past week." Even as he spoke he ran a hand through his hair.
Prentiss shook her head. "It's not just that. We have all been through quite a bit."
Morgan silenced her with a glare. "Hearing that Gideon was gone was one thing. We weren't the one's that found his body. Reid's never been really good with traumatic events and we know that. He's probably going to look at this at another one of his failures and we will all have to be here to pick up his pieces when he falls apart."
J.J. shook her head and looked right at Hotch. "Of all the people that could have found him why did it have to be Reid? Why would you have sent him in alone?" She hadn't meant for the last part to be out loud but by the time that she had realized that she'd spoken it was too late for her to correct herself.
Hotch didn't take offence to her questions. He knew that if the roles were reversed he would be asking her the same thing. She wasn't accusing him of anything she was just wanting to know why. He figured that he owed the team an explanation. "When I got to work that day, he had already been in Jason's office. I knew that if Jason was anywhere he was going to be at the cabin but I had no idea where that was. Reid told me that Jason had told him where the cabin was but he was very reluctant to tell me. So I had no choice but to let him go. I know that that may not have been the best decision but it was the only one that I had. Spencer felt that if he told me and Gideon was fine that Jason would be disappointed in him and angry that he had not kept the location a secret."
Morgan shook his head. "But Jason was dead. And now Reid won't even pick up his phone. What the hell are we supposed to do with that? And what about the suicide letter that Jason had left, he addressed it to Reid. That alone is going to mess with the kids head."
Before Hotch had a chance to respond to the accusation, there was a noise at the door. Reid was standing there, coffee in hand and walking into the room. He looked like he hadn't slept and no one mentioned that he was still in yesterday's clothes. As he sat near Morgan he seemed oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at him.
"I'm sorry I'm late. My alarm never went off. It won't happen again."
Hotch looked at the youngest member of their team in amazement. He knew that he should have at least been angry that the genius was late but he just didn't have it in him. He was just relieved that Spencer was there now and that there hadn't been (as far as he could tell) anything actually wrong. "Reid, you can take the day off if you need it." This wasn't what he had wanted to say, in fact Hotch had wanted to say nothing at all but he knew that the rest of the team was looking at him to say something.
Spencer sipped his coffee. He knew that he should take Hotch up on his offer; at the very least he could take a few days and go see his mother. Or he could find an isolated area not the cabin anywhere but the cabin and get his head together. But he also knew that they probably had a dozen cases that needed their (his) attention and that anything that was going on in his head would have to wait until later.
He adjusted his glasses and smiled. "No, that won't be necessary. Like I said, I'm sorry that I'm late and in the future I will be more diligent and make sure that this doesn't happen again." The tone that he used was the same tone that he used on other law enforcement officials who had treated him like he was too young to be doing the job that he was. Spencer knew that he had to be careful, he could be reprimanded for his tone or at the very least Hotch could insist that he go home and not return to work until the FBI's psychiatrist said that he was able to. If there was one thing that Spencer hated more than the dark it was a nosy psychiatrist. He had already decided that if worse came to worse he would talk to Hotch privately but for right now that wasn't an option.
Hotch nodded to say that he understood. The look that he shot Reid from across the table clearly told Reid, in no uncertain terms that they would be discussing this later. Spencer mentally shrugged; there were worse things to deal with than Hotch's temper.
Morgan just sat waiting. He had figured that Hotch had called them into the briefing room because they had a case. Then there was the situation they had with Reid, but since that had been cleared up, he figured that they would continue on with whatever case J.J. had found for them.
Hotch scanned the room, studying the faces of the people on his team. He knew that there was something wrong with Reid. And judging by the looks that he was getting from Morgan, Prentiss and J.J. they knew it too. But they also knew that Reid would tell them in his own time and if they pushed he would say nothing. Hotch cleared his throat. "I have nothing more to say, just that everyone should try and finish the last of the reports…I don't want any lose ends."
As they filed out of the briefing room even Spencer was surprised. He thought that at the very least he would be reprimanded for being late for work, but there was nothing. He figured that Hotch knew that he wasn't handling things as well as he should be. Reid sat in his chair and stared at the pile of folders on his desk. Maybe he wanted them to notice that he wasn't doing well, he brushed a some of his hair away from his face, now he was sure that was why he had forgotten to set his alarm the night before (something that he had never done before), it was the first step in his cry for help.
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