Tribulations

 

TRIBULATIONS

 

By hatochiisai

 

Disclaimer:  I do not own “Criminal Minds” or any of the characters of the show.

 

Reidcentric

 

WARNING:  This work includes nonconsensual homosexual intercourse.

 

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Chapter 7

 

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Ryan Vanderwal stood staring at the cameras, focusing on Reid crawling towards the phone, which was ringing.  He stood behind his little brother, Neil, his elder brother Graham beside him.

 

“He’s had almost twenty four hours alone.  His illness?”

 

“Getting progressively worse.”  Graham said.  “The soup and medicine are helping some, but…”  He shrugged.

 

“Our time is limited, then.”  Ryan snorted.  He looked at his brother.  “You want him, he’s yours.  Now.  Just make sure you follow the guidelines I’ve laid out.  BOTH of you.  I’m gonna get some sleep.”

 

“Sure thing.”  Graham said with a grin, turning and walking away.  “Set up the room, Neil!”  Neil looked after his brothers and nodded, turning to the facility’s control panel…  he had designed it himself according to Ryan’s instruction.  It was brilliant.  It was a facility designed for one purpose…  destroying Spencer Reid and the BAU.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Oh, Spence…  you’re so pale…”  JJ said, softly.  Reid smiled slightly.

 

“I’m sick.”  He said, shrugging.

 

“We know.”  Rossi said.  “You’ve spent almost twenty four hours sleeping.”

 

“You’re running out of time.”  Reid said.  The others were silent.  “I’ve been here for five days.  He kills the victims after about a week.”  Hotch sighed.  “I…  I don’t want you to blame yourselves.”  Reid said.  “Don’t mourn, don’t grieve.”

 

“Reid!”  Garcia gasped.  “You…  you’re family!”

 

“There will be time for that later.  Just get the guy.  These are my last requests, if it comes to it.”  Reid said.  “Get the letter to my mom, and take this guy down.”

 

“Reid.  Our priority right now is getting YOU home safe.”  Hotchner said, trying to keep his voice steady.  “We know who has you.”  Reid’s head jerked up, eyes wide.  “Former Agent Ryan Vanderwal.”

 

“…  Ryan Vanderwal…?”  Reid murmured, eyes darting back and forth.  “He…  He worked with us…  I really only ever noticed…  him filing our cases.”  Reid said, eyes wide.  “He quit over a year ago.”

 

“Right.  When Rossi joined the team.”  Hotchner said.  “He tried to join the first time when YOU were brought onto the team.  He tried several times.  But he failed his psych eval every time.  In his mind, YOU were his only competition, and you beat him.  He didn’t think it was fair.  He worked his ass off and the position was given to you because you’re you.  When he failed to get in four times due to a psych eval, he quit.”

 

Reid nodded, and listened when Hotch continued.  “He has two brothers, Graham and Neil.  Neil flunked out of school where he was studying film.  Graham was discharged from the military for lewd conduct, and a failed psych eval.”

 

“Wow…  a family of nut jobs.”  Reid said with a laugh.  “And I’m here for the fun…”

 

“Their father was a convicted rapist, pedophile and murderer.  He died in prison not three months after he had gone in.”  JJ said.

 

“Ryan is the dominant personality.”  Reid said, slowly.  “Neil is the one working the cameras, and Graham has been…  taking care of me.”

 

“Hardly.”  Morgan snapped.

 

“What do you mean?”  Reid asked.  “He fed me…  bathed me…  got me medicine…”

 

“He also molested you when you were too delirious to know it.”  Morgan spat.  Reid’s eyes widened, then closed for a moment. 

 

“I…  excuse me?”  Reid gasped, shaking his head slightly. 

 

“He felt you up, Reid.”  Morgan said, leaning back.  “His hand up your shirt…  your face, your hair.  He even kissed you.  Just to the right of your mouth.”  Reid’s hand flew up to his face and touched it briefly. 

 

“Are you sure?”  He asked, sounding freaked out, then frowned.  “He…  He said I was beautiful…” 

 

“Several times.”  Rossi admitted.  “Watch yourself.  It sounds like the UnSub kept him from going after you in a full out sexual assault…  but their conversations suggest that he will…  and soon.”

 

“Are you sure we should be telling him this?”  Emily hissed, covering the phone.

 

“He needs to know what he’s up against.”  Rossi answered.

 

“Won’t knowing just…  add to his torture?”  Emily asked.

 

“He needs to be prepared.”  Hotchner said.

 

“Guys?”  Reid called.  “Are…  are you sure about this?”

 

“Almost definitely, Reid.”  Hotch said.

 

Reid looked around nervously and hugged himself, turning his head and coughing.

 

“Reid…  Do…  do you think you can handle it?”  Morgan asked, gently.  Reid shook his head.

 

“I…  I don’t know…”  Reid stammered, voice shaking.  He jumped and whirled.  The door opened, and boots slowly came down the stairs.

 

“That’s Graham, Reid.”  Hotchner murmured.  Slowly, Reid stood.

 

“Graham Vanderwal.”  He said, and the man stopped, looking surprised.

 

“…  You know me?”

 

“Your brother and I competed for this job.  I got it.  He didn’t.  So…  he’s trying to get revenge.  On me and my team.”  Reid said.

 

“So you know who we are, do you Dr. Reid?  Dr. Reid… I don’t like it…  I think I’ll just stick to calling you Spencer.”  Graham said, walking across the room.  “You look like you’re feeling better.”  Reid eyed him, recoiling when the man lifted a hand and pressed it to his face.  “Your fever has gone down.  But it won’t stay down.  It will go back up.  When it does, you’ll die from it.”

 

“…  Not if your brother kills me first.”  Reid said, shaking his head. 

 

“It’s a shame…”  Graham said, cupping Reid’s cheek in his hand and stroking his skin with his thumb.  “Someone like you shouldn’t die…”

 

“Why?”  Reid asked.  “Because I’m beautiful?”  Graham blinked, then smiled.

 

“Yes.”  He moved closer to Reid, backing him into the wall.  Reid stared up at him, eyes wide.

 

“…  Don’t.”

 

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!!!”  Morgan shouted over the phone, and both Reid and Graham jumped and stared at the thing.

 

“I think we need some privacy, Spencer…”  Graham growled, glaring at the phone.

 

“I think I would rather stay here…”  Reid mumbled, swallowing thickly.

 

“Oh no…”  Graham growled, gripping Reid’s upper arms and slamming him into the wall.  He pressed himself up against Reid, leaning over and nuzzling Reid’s ear.  “Privacy is exactly what we need…”  And he turned, jerking Reid across the basement and up the stairs, Reid struggling to break his grip.

 

“No…  Don’t!”  He cried, eyes wide in panic.  “Please!  Guys!  GUYS!!!  Help me!”  He looked back at the camera, frantically.  “Rossi?  Gideon?! HOTCH!  Morgan!  MORGAN!  HELP ME!!!”

 

“REID!!!”  Morgan shouted, lunging at the phone with the rest of the team. 

 

“NO!  Stop!”  Emily shouted.

 

“SPENCE!”  JJ cried, tears streaming down her face.

 

“Leave him alone!”  Garcia sobbed, clutching tightly to Morgan.

 

“Goddammit!”  Hotchner shouted, pacing anxiously around the office.  Rossi and Gideon watched the scene, grimly.

 

“REID!”  Morgan shouted once more, but the door slammed.  They all grew quiet, watching as the man dragged Reid out of the basement and down the hall.  He took him to the first room…  the Goehring and Frost room…  the recreation of the place they tortured several women in.  Graham threw Reid to the floor and closed the door, locking it.  Reid scrambled away backwards, eyes wide in terror.

 

“Please don’t…”  He begged, shaking his head.  “Please…”  Graham ignored him, walking over to the bed and folding it up, staring at the rack of instruments.  “You don’t have to do this…”  Reid gasped.  “You can stop this…  you can HELP me…  I…  I can see that you care for me…  you can…  help me…?”

 

“I care very much for you.”  Graham said.  “But I can’t help it.  I have to have you.”  He turned and walked over to Reid, grabbing his elbow and jerking him to his feet.  He handcuffed Reid’s wrists and jerked them up over his head, hanging the chain on a hook suspended from the ceiling.  Reid winced as his muscles and healing wounds cried in protest.  Graham stared Reid in the eyes, slowly running his hands down the agent’s arms, then his sides until he was gripping his hips.  Reid trembled, silently pleading with his eyes.

 

“Please don’t…”  He breathed.  Graham just smiled.

 

“Beautiful…”  He said, leaning forwards and kissing Reid. 

 

“STOP!”  Reid shouted, jerking away.  “Don’t…  don’t touch me.”  Graham stared at Reid, then anger sparked in his eyes.  He snarled, and buried his fist into Reid’s stomach.  Reid yelped, trying to double over, but he couldn’t.  He whimpered, gritting his teeth.  There were hands around his waist…  slowly they moved down, and Reid sobbed when he felt them taking his pants with them.

 

“Please…”  He begged, shaking his head.  “Please…  don’t…”

 

“Shhhh…  Just relax.  You might enjoy it.”  Graham purred in his ears as he stood again.  Reid gasped and jerked when a knife flashed.  He watched as it sliced through his t shirt, the scraps fluttering to the floor. 

 

The team squirmed in their seats.  They didn’t want to watch this.  They really didn’t.  But they had to stick with Reid…  they HAD to.  They took a slight comfort in the fact that the camera was only showing Reid from his waist up.  He was shaking his head, sobbing in fear.  “Please…”  A hand moved up his abdomen and over his chest, lightly rubbing circles over the skin.

 

“By the time I’m done with you…”  Graham hissed.  “You’ll be begging for more…”  Tears fell down Reid’s face.  His eyes darted around and finally rested on the camera.

 

“Help me.  Please.”  He begged, staring through the camera and at his team, breaking their hearts…  “Hotch…  Morgan…  please…”

 

“Shut up!”  Graham snapped, slapping Reid across the face.  “And let’s play…”  He turned and looked over the tools.  “I think that the men in that one case of yours liked this…”  He picked up a set of double prongs.  Two prongs in one direction, two in another.  He fit them under Reid’s chin, two prongs pressing under his jaw, the others right over his collar bones.  This kept his head erect and facing forwards.  He kept his eyes on the camera, his only bit of comfort knowing that his team was with him…  at least in spirit.  They were sharing in his pain, no matter how remotely.

 

Graham circled him slowly, looking him up and down, eyes gleaming.  He unbuckled his belt, and removed it.  Reid stared with wide eyes.

 

“Your skin is so pale…  I think it needs some color…”  He moved behind Reid and drew his arm back. 

 

“Oh no!  No!”  Garcia cried.  She turned away from the screen, but she couldn’t ignore the sounds…  the whistling of the belt sailing through the air and the sharp crack as it lashed across Reid’s back, immediately followed by a shriek of pain.  Reid arched his back, trying to move away.  Graham lashed him again, grinning in some sick delight, watched every move that Reid made, relishing in every pained cry.  He was panting within a dozen lashes, but it wasn’t in exertion…  Within two dozen lashes across Reid’s back and front, Reid’s knees had buckled and he hung from the handcuffs.  The metal had cut into his wrists and blood ran down his arms…  It also ran down his neck and chest from where the spikes had cut into his chin and chest.

 

“Stop…  please…”  He pleaded, body trembling in pain. 

 

“Alright…”  Graham purred, moving close to Reid again.  He stroked his cheek before removing the spikes from his neck and chest, and wrapping his belt around Reid’s neck.  “What does my brother ask?  Is it worse than you thought?”

 

“Please…”  Reid whispered.  “Please…  you don’t have to do this…”

 

“Yeah.  You always say that.  Ryan said so.”  Graham snorted.  “This is when you try to talk me out of it?  It won’t work…”  He ran a hand down Reid’s side to rest on his hip.  “I want you too much…”  Reid shook his head, gasping.  He flinched away from the hand stroking his cheek.  Graham snorted and turned, looking over what else he had to work with.  He blinked.  He didn’t even know what half of the stuff was…  but he was aroused.  He was getting to the point where he didn’t care what his brother wanted…  he turned and looked back at Reid.  He wanted him…

 

“Don’t touch me…”  Reid gasped.  Graham narrowed his eyes and grabbed Reid’s hips in both hands.  Reid writhed.  “Don’t TOUCH me!!”  He shouted, thrashing and kicking.  Graham glared, then slammed his fist into Reid’s jaw.  Reid yelped and fell to the floor, the hook in the ceiling ripped out. 

 

Reid struggled to his feet, but Graham seized a handful of his hair.  He grabbed the bed and folded it down, then threw Reid onto it.  Reid fought, desperately, and was backhanded down again.  But Reid didn’t give up.  He threw himself off of the bed.  Graham snarled and lunged after him, grabbing the loose end of the belt.  He jerked it back and Reid gagged, moving back with it, but Graham planted his foot down between Reid’s shoulder blades and pinned him to the floor.  He pulled on the belt and Reid’s gasp was cut off.  He thrashed, clawing at the belt and struggling to breathe.  But Graham didn’t let up.  Reid quickly went limp.  Graham let go of the belt and pulled it off of Reid’s neck, picking him up as he struggled to get oxygen back into his body.

 

“These guys are gonna kill him…”  Morgan cried, pacing erratically around the room.  “Goddammit, why can’t we FIND these bastards!”  He turned back to the screen and watched as Reid was bound, bent over an old desk.  The cameras had switched (Morgan had a few colorful thoughts about the youngest brother playing with camera angles) and now the screen was dominated by a view of Reid from the shoulders up…  His eyes were wide and frantic.

 

“Don’t…  please!”  He cried, struggling with his restraints.

 

“Please…”  Morgan pleaded with men who couldn’t hear him, eyes on Reid.  “Please don’t hurt him…  please…”

 

“Morgan…”  Rossi said, gripping Morgan’s shoulder.  “He’s not going to stop.  Come on…”  He pulled Morgan towards the door, but Morgan shrugged him off.

 

“No.  I won’t leave him.”

 

“Morgan, you’re not with him.  He’s alone!”

 

“that’s right!”  Morgan shouted, whirling and stabbing a finger into Rossi’s chest.  “He’s alone, scared and hurting!  Because we aren’t there for him!  WE failed him!  And dammit, I ain’t leavin him now!”  He sat down and hugged Garcia.  “We aren’t leaving him…”

 

“Don’t!”  Reid was crying, wincing.  They couldn’t see what was being done to him.  He grimaced and whimpered.  “Please…”  His eyes flicked down towards his attacker, then widened.  His pupils dilated in fear.  “No…  No!  NO!!!  HOTCH!!!  HOTCH PLEASE!!!”  Hotchner winced and tuned away, covering his eyes with his hand.  This was torture…  “MORGAN!!!”  Morgan winced and turned away, too.  “MORGAN, HELP ME!!!  PLEASE!!!  GIDEON!!!  NO!  NO!!!”  Reid cried, and then there was a hand caressing his cheek.

 

“It’s okay…  It will hurt a bit at first…”  Graham told him.  “But it will get better…  you may even enjoy it…” 

 

“No…”  Reid whimpered, shaking his head.  “Please don’t…  please let me go…”

 

“Just hold still.”  Graham told him, soothingly, smoothing Reid’s hair from his face and wiping his tears away.  But more took their place…  “Shhh…  hold still.”  The team was silent, watching Reid’s face.  The hand moved down to his shoulder and held him there.  Reid’s eyes were fixed on the camera. Then they widened, and Reid’s face contorted in pain.

 

“Ah!  AHH!”  He yelped, thrashing, then his body jerked and he let out a scream that tapered off into broken sobs.

 

Tears slid down the faces of Emily, JJ and Garcia…  a solitary drop sparkled in the corner of Gideon’s eye before it fell.  Morgan and Hotchner’s eyes were glistening with the tears that they refused to allow to fall.  Rossi took a deep breath, and turned away.  He did not watch, but silently bore witness to Reid’s screams.

 

Reid cried out, his body jerking with every rough thrust…  Graham bent over him, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades, and slowly trailing his lips up Reid’s neck and along his jaw.  Reid cringed and turned his head away…  the team could no longer see his face.  But the sounds assaulted their ears…  the gasps and grunts of Reid’s attacker, and their team mates’ pained whines.

 

“Does it still hurt?”  Graham asked suddenly, curling a hand under Reid’s neck and lifting his head, holding the young man’s chin.

 

“…  Y-Yes…”  Reid hissed through clenched teeth.  Graham turned his head and kissed his face gently, his lips growing wet with Reid’s tears.

 

“Ah, well…”  Graham said in what was supposed to be a comforting tone.  “It’s okay…  it’s your first time…”  And he kissed him.  Reid recoiled with a shout.  Graham straightened up, and a moment later Reid’s body gave a violent jerk, and he cried out in pain.

 

“Tell me, Spencer…”  Graham hissed, angrily.  “Do you LIKE the pain?!”  Another jerk, another cry.  Morgan held Garcia tightly as she sobbed into his chest.  JJ had to leave the room.  Graham groaned, and then panted loudly…  the jerking had stopped, and they knew he had finished.  Reid winced and sobbed when Graham withdrew from his body.

 

Graham reached up above Reid’s head.  There were a few clicks and Reid was freed of the handcuffs.  His wrists were bloody and he drew them close to himself, whimpering.  Graham pulled Reid off of the desk, picking him up and laying him down on the bed.  The camera switched to an overhead view, again showing Reid from his hips up.  He was shaking and crying softly, fingers twitching from time to time.  He was flushed and sweating, and a fit of coughing bent him double.

“Shhhh….”  Graham hissed, pulling Reid to lie flat on his back again.  He kissed his cheek and rubbed his chest, then smoothed his hair away from his sweaty face.  Reid flinched, turning his head away slightly.  Graham nuzzled his ear and kissed down his neck.  The hand on his chest moved down to Reid’s hip.  He rolled Reid onto his side and pulled the young man’s body flush against his own, moaning.  Reid whined slightly.

 

“Don’t…”  He moaned.

 

“Shhhh…”  Graham soothed again, before lifting one of Reid’s legs and hooking his knee over his shoulder.

 

“Please…”  Reid cried, fisting his hands in the blankets.

 

“Hush.”  Graham commanded, moving into position.  The team watched him lean forwards and pain flash through Reid’s face.

 

“AH!”  He cried, drawing the blankets close and hiding his face, shoulders shaking in suppressed sobs.

 

“He’s not done yet?!”  Emily cried, wiping her eyes.

 

“He’s just getting started…”  Rossi growled, turning back to the screen.  They watched Reid writhe, flinching away from every touch across his sweaty skin and coughing from time to time.  The assault lasted just almost ten minutes, but Graham still wasn’t done.  He let Reid lie there for two minutes or so then lay down beside him, holding him, stroking him, caressing him.  Reid didn’t resist.  He just lay still, staring off into space, the occasional tear running down his face.  Every time he coughed Graham would hold him close, massaging his chest and kissing his neck and face.  Eventually he rolled Reid onto his chest and pulled him to his knees before pressing into him again.  Reid didn’t scream this time, he just groaned and cried.

 

The team watched in a silence broken by the occasional sniffle.  They watched the pain in his eyes grow and grow, before going blank.  His eyes grew empty, as if all life had drained out of him.  There was the occasional whimper whenever Graham shoved forward with an especially hard thrust, but other than that no sound came from his throat…

 

“…  He’s giving up…”  Hotchner said, softly.

 

“Can you blame him?!”  Morgan demanded.  “We failed him, Hotch…”

 

They turned back to the screen when Graham groaned.  This time, he collapsed onto Reid, and Reid grunted as he was all but squashed beneath the much larger man…  He easily weighed twice as much as Reid, if not more…  They lay there for a long time, almost half an hour.  Finally, Graham stood and walked away.  Reid didn’t move, other than shivering.  A few minutes later, Graham returned.  He had dressed.  He slid his arms under Reid’s shoulders and knees, lifting him up and carrying him from the room.  He took Reid into the bathroom.  Ryan was waiting.  He snorted.

 

“I’ll never understand you, Graham.”  He sneered, eyeing Reid.  “But you served a purpose…”  He said, shrugging.  “How are you feeling, Dr. Reid?”  Reid looked at him.

 

“…  Agent Ryan.”  He said, weakly.  The UnSub paused, then slowly removed his mask.  Ryan stared back at Reid, smirking.

 

“You’re not at your best, Dr. Reid.”  He said, stalking towards Reid as Graham set him on his feet.  Only Graham’s strong hands kept Reid standing.  Ryan got up in Reid’s face, smirking.  “You don’t deserve your job.”

 

“…  At least I passed my psychiatric evaluation.”  Reid hissed.  Ryan’s eyes flashed and he turned away, but after a moment he turned back, burying his fist into Reid’s stomach.

 

“AHN!!”  Reid yelped, doubling over and coughing.

 

“…  You’re a mess Dr. Reid…”  Ryan hissed.  “I think you could use a shower.”  And he turned on the shower in the corner.  Within minutes, steam was filling the room.  Ryan grabbed Reid’s elbow and tossed him in.  Reid let out a scream and scrambled to get out.  Ryan shoved him back in.  “Not until you’re done, Dr. Reid.”  He snapped, morbidly watching the water washing away the blood on Reid’s thighs. 

 

Reid whimpered loudly, pressing himself against the wall to escape the steaming water…  his skin was already red where the water had made contact.  Ryan snarled and his hand darted into the shower, grabbing a handful of Reid’s hair and jerking him forwards, directly under the water.  Reid cried out in pain and struggled.  His feet slipped and he crashed to the floor with a yelp, still being doused in scalding hot water.  Ryan didn’t let go.  He just watched Reid struggle with a deranged grin.

 

“You’re only making it harder on yourself, Dr. Reid…”  He hissed, watching Reid’s reddening skin.  “I guess it IS a bit hot, though…  let me cool you off…”  And he dragged Reid out of the shower and forced him into the tub.  Reid gasped loudly, struggling.  The water was freezing cold…  the tub was filled with ice…  Graham winced when Ryan plunged Reid’s head under the water.

 

“…  He seems obsessed with drowning…”  Rossi growled.

 

“It’s a painful way to die…”  Gideon explained.  Ryan waited until Reid’s thrashing stopped. 

 

“You take care of him.”  Ryan snapped, letting Reid go and walking out of the room.  Graham sighed and walked over, kneeling by the tub, picking up the shower gel and the cloth and beginning to bathe Reid again.  Reid whimpered at every touch of the rough cloth to his tender skin.  When Graham’s hand moved lower, Reid began to struggle.

 

“No…  No!”  He cried.  “Don’t!  Morgan!  Hotch!”  The team winced.  Graham was silent.  He finished bathing Reid and lifted him out of the tub.  He carried Reid to the mortician’s table and rubbed him dry, then dressed him again.  Finally, he gathered Reid into his arms and carried him down to the basement.  Ryan was waiting.  The view in the camera had changed…  the team noticed two boxes…  they were small safes with electronic keypads to unlock them.  They sat right before the camera in each corner.

 

“Tell me, Dr. Reid…”  Ryan said, slowly.  “Is it worse than you thought?”  Reid stared at him, numb.  “I am offering you a choice…  You have three.  One, you can…  try to stay strong…  hope that your team saves you.  Two…  you can end it all…”  He held up a blade…  an exacto knife…  he placed it in the first box and closed it.  “The code is ‘Nathan’.”  Reid stared at Ryan in disbelief.  He remembered that Nathan Harris had attempted to commit suicide by slashing his wrists with an exacto knife…  Reid had saved him…

 

“Or number three…”  Ryan said, and pulled out a bottle, and a syringe.  Reid’s eyes widened and his face went pale.  He looked ill.  “An escape…  The code is ‘Tobias’.”  He turned and placed the bottle and syringe in the box.  The team had no doubts as to what was in the bottle…  Dilaudid… 

 

“It’s your choice, Dr. Reid…”  Ryan said, smirking.  “And don’t bother trying to use the blade against us.  I will know immediately when you open a box, and which one you opened.  Sleep well…”  And he and Graham left the basement.  Slowly, Reid collapsed to his knees, unable to look away from the box holding the drug…  he was in pain…  his body was throbbing…  he was tired, sick, desperate…  but was he really THAT desperate?

 

The phone rang.  Reid turned and stared at it, a strange look on his face.  His lip trembled, and he turned away.  He crawled onto the cot and pulled the blankets up over himself, his back to the phone and camera…

 

“No no no…”  Morgan groaned.  “Don’t do this Reid…  pick up the phone…  Come on, kid…”

 

But Reid just curled up, wincing in pain.  The phone rang and rang and rang…  Reid didn’t move.  The phone stopped ringing.  Reid sighed and began to relax…  but it started ringing again.  Reid tried to ignore it…  he let it ring for fifteen minutes.  But it didn’t stop.  Finally, near tears in his frustration, he rolled off of the cot and smacked the button on the phone.

 

“WHAT?!”  He snapped, viciously.  The team was silent, startled…  they had never seen Reid snap before.

 

“Reid…”  Morgan said, softly.  “We’re here for you…”

 

“No.”  Reid choked, looking away.  “You’re not.  You’re miles away.  You don’t know where I am.”

 

“Reid, don’t do this.”  Hotchner said, firmly.  “You know we’re trying to find you.  Don’t push us away like this, you’re giving him what he wants.  You’re losing faith.  You’re giving up.”

 

“…  Can you blame me?”  Reid whispered.

 

“Reid…  when we get you back, you an’ me are gonna sit down together and have a long talk.”  Morgan said.  “Believe me.  I understand how you’re feeling.”  Reid didn’t respond.

 

“…  You’re running out of time…”  Reid mumbled, moving back to the cot and lying down, whimpering in pain.  “It hurts…”  He curled up, wrapping his arms around his mid section.

 

“We’re going to get you home, Spencer.”  Gideon said.  “Don’t lose hope.”

 

“…  It’s all I have.”  Reid murmured, his voice cracking before he was overcome by a coughing fit.  He pulled the blankets over himself and curled up beneath them, sighing.  His eyes fell closed almost immediately.

 

“Reid?”  Garcia called, gently.  Reid didn’t respond.

 

“Let him sleep.”  Gideon said, softly.  “That’s the best healing for him right now.”  They all settled down, trying to go through all the possible locations Reid was being held in…  But only an hour and a half later, Reid seemed to be in the throes of a nightmare.  He was restless, mumbling…  The team looked up at the screen when he thrashed, arm falling off of the cot. 

 

“No…”  He mumbled, rolling his head to the side.  “No…  Tobias…  Tobias, help me…  help me…  Guys…  Morgan?  Morgan, don’t…  Morgan, stop it!”  The team glanced at Morgan, confused.  “Hotch…  tell him to stop…  don’t jump in the…  in the elevator…”

 

Morgan groaned and covered his eyes with his hand, and the others laughed at him…

 

“Your elevator antics haunt him in his sleep, baby.”  Garcia teased.

 

“Man… that sucked.”

 

“I think that’s the only time you’ve ever screamed to me for help.”  Hotch added, smiling.

 

“No…  Morgan no!”  Reid cried, suddenly.  “Don’t leave me in here…  please…  Morgan…  Morgan!  Hotch!  JJ!  Please!  Don’t leave me!”  He jerked awake with a gasp when the phone rang.  He doubled over, assaulted by a violent coughing fit.  He slowly crawled off of the cot and hit the button on the phone.  His coughing ended and he inhaled, chest rattling with the congestion.

 

“Reid, you’re shaking…”  Garcia said, concerned.

 

“Yeah…  I had a nightmare…”  Reid rasped.

 

“You’re sick, Reid.”  Hotch said, frowning.  “You’re short of breath.”  Reid coughed again, picking up a water bottle and sipping from what little remained.  He turned and pulled the blanket off of the bed, wrapping himself up in it.  He laid his arm on the table, and rested his head down on it.

 

“I want to go home…”  He breathed, coughing more.

 

“We’ll get you home, Spencer.”  Gideon said.  “Soon…”  And Reid fell asleep again.