𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐧 |~𝚂𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚎𝚒𝚍~|

Chapter Fifteen

"Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity, nothing exceeds the criticisms made of the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed." -Herman Melville

When it had been only 2 months since the incident, the doctor signed the note letting me go back to work. He said that I had healed faster than they expected.

I was instructed not to exert myself in any way. I also was not cleared to go into the field for another couple of months, so I would probably just stay with Garcia and communicate with the team over phone.

On the morning of my first day back to work, I rolled out of bed and took a shower. Then, I tried to tame my hair by putting in some gel and curl cream, but it only took down the frizziness a little.

I took my meds with a glass of water. Then, I got dressed, put on my shoes, grabbed my bag, and I was out the door.

I stopped at a local cafe to get coffee. I also bought a muffin for breakfast. Then, I was back in my car and on my way to the BAU.

When I walked through the doors, Morgan smiled at me from his desk in the bull pen. "Angel face! Welcome back."

I smiled. "Hi, Morgan."

Garcia saw me and rushed to give me a hug. "Oh my god, you're back!" She held me at arms length. "Look at you! I wouldn't even know that you were shot last month!"

I laughed. "Two months ago, actually."

Hotch walked up to me and shook my hand. "Welcome back, Leroy."

"Thanks, Hotch."

"How're you feeling?"

I nodded. "I'm ok."

He nodded. "I'm glad."

Gideon, Prentiss, and JJ greeted me, too. Then, we all met in the round table room.

Spencer was already there, so I sat next to him. "Hey, welcome back!" He said.

I smiled at him. "Thanks!"

Then, Hotch walked in, talking to a man I didn't recognize.

"You aren't sure whether anyone is in fact missing?" Hotch asked.

"No, I am sure. I just can't seem to convince anyone else of it," said the man.

"But no official investigation?"

"No."

"63 people can't be a coincidence, right?" asked JJ. 

"Reid, Leroy, any stats on the percentages of um... Well, I don't really know how to phrase the question." 

"Homeless who go missing?" asked Reid. "The very nature of homelessness suggests a lifestyle of fluidity."

"It's estimated that there are 553,000 homeless people in America. That makes up about 0.17% of the population. The cities with the most homeless are New York and Los Angeles, but that's probably due to the fact that those cities are also the most populous in America, so they will obviously have more-" 

"Leroy, on topic," said Hotch. 

"Sorry." 

 Spencer cleared his throat. "Honestly, they're not as transient as you would think. They generally stay in small, well-defined areas based on familiarity and what services are nearby." 

"So, you're saying that they don't just disappear?" asked the man. 

"Not normally, but I mean, that doesn't preclude the possibility," said Reid.