10Dr Spencer Reid survived days of torture at the hands of a group of torture enthusiasts called The Torture Teachers. But is he glad he came back? What has he come back to? And who has he come back as? Lots of angsty!Reid sequel to The Torture Teachers.
WARNING: Reid will be very out of character in this fic but that's intentional, he's been through a trauma and has been changed by it. I have an anxiety disorder myself and so I'm drawing from my own personal experiences. Apologies to those who have different ones but that's what makes humans so exquisite, right?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of the characters or ideas. I created this storyline with four original characters but do not own the rights to the show or its characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
Dr Spencer Reid lies in bed and stares at the hands of the clock on his nightstand as the seconds tick by. He can't sleep, but then again, he can never sleep. Not since...Well, he tries not to think about it.
He sits up, ruffling his short, brown, wavy hair and rubbing his tired eyes. The sounds of the clock echo so loud in his ears that he stands up and heads out to the kitchen. The young man stands in the kitchen of his small apartment and makes himself a cup of coffee with no sugar. He never wants the sugar anymore, it doesn't taste nice anymore. Nothing did.
Reid sits on the couch and drinks his coffee, watching the clock on the wall.
Tick, tock, tick, Chime!
The clock strikes 6 and Reid stands, pouring the remains of his coffee down the drain before he goes to get dressed for the day.
He doesn't take the subway anymore. He bought himself a car not long after he was released from hospital and allowed back home without his therapists or home-help that were assigned to him. He used the subway on his first day back to work; he didn't make it to the office. The crowds, the violence, the men in suits with scars and darkness in their eyes sent him into a blind panic and he began to hyperventilate before the train even left the station.
He has a fear of crowds now. He doesn't know why, he figures it's just because he's traumatised and crowds are quite energetic.
He drives his old blue Dodge to Quantico and heads into the office. Some things don't change; Reid walks swiftly into the bullpen of the BAU, sets his messenger bag down at his desk, rests his coat on his chair and makes himself a coffee, though again, he doesn't add any sugar. He looks behind him to see SSA Aaron Hotchner sitting at his desk. Hotch spots Reid and smiles, giving the young man a wave but Reid just looks away. Everyone treats him like a crazy person; smiling politely, waving sweetly, talking gently. They treat him like a hand grenade, so careful in case he goes off.
Well he won't, Reid knows he won't. He's fine, totally fine.
"Morning Reid." Emily Prentiss arrives, heading straight for Reid. "How you doin'?"
"Good." Reid answers, not looking up as he stirred his coffee.
"Good." Emily nods with a plastered on smile.
Reid wishes she'd leave. He loves Emily, he loves all his teammates, but he wishes they'd leave him alone. They always pussy-foot around him, always nice to him, never saying anything that may upset him.
Reid was grateful at first. It was hard, seeing the crime scene photos, seeing dead bodies just like his could have been if his friends hadn't got to him when they did.
Emily slowly leaves, going to her desk to put her bag down and take her coat off and Reid is glad.
Morgan is next to arrive and Reid rolls his eyes. "Hey Reid." Derek approaches him.
"Hey." Reid replies, not looking at Derek as the young doctor makes his way to his desk. Derek follows him.
"How was your weekend?" Derek leans on the wall of the office cubicle as Reid turns on his computer.
"Uneventful, yours?" Reid answers.
"Pretty good." Derek nods, unsure whether Reid generally cares how his weekend was or if he was just saying what he thought Derek wants to hear.
Reid nods and just watches the blank screen as his computer warms up.
Derek's furrows his brows and heads over to Prentiss' desk.
"There's somethin' up with Reid." Derek says quietly to her.
"Of course there is." Emily swats Derek on the chest. "The poor guy's been through Hell, give him a break."
Reid can hear everything. He is seething in anger as he grips the mouse of his computer to contain it.
He's fine. Sure he can't sleep, and has a little difficulty with crowds but they don't need to treat him like a living minefield. It's been 6 months since his ordeal, he's had time to heal and was on his way back to being his old self
He's been through Hell? What was Emily talking about? Think about other people, way worse things happen. People lose limbs, lose loved ones, and some don't make it through the hard times. Reid was one of the lucky ones, what about the others, the victims who didn't make it, who were killed by those unsubs.
Of course they aren't unsubs anymore. Reid knows their names;
Frank Jorgen - The guy who first kidnapped Reid, pretended he was a witness to the dumping of a body and assembled his 'friends' to take him.
Location - George Washington University hospital morgue
Thomas Kelly - The muscles of the operation.
Location - George Washington University hospital morgue
James Powell- The leader, the man who smiled at Reid as he plunged a sharp blade into his flesh, laughed as the blood poured out of him and felt oblivious to 4 bullets pumping into him as he lunged for Reid in one last desperate attempt to kill.
Location - Death Row.
