without you¹ | derek morgan. ✓

29 | helpless

no perspective!!

Derek lies in the hospital bed, looking down at the phone in his lap. He longingly awaits for a call from Charlotte, waiting to hear about any updates on the new case that presented itself from their accident. Little does he know that Charlotte is actually lying unconscious on the stairwell inside of her house.

She lies there on the staircase in the middle of her house, helpless. Her heart rate slowing down--she's still breathing, but she's blackout unconscious--her body won't let her wake up.

Her body trembles slowly, growing cold. She's not dead, she can hear her own heartbeat fill the room--but her eyes just won't open, her mouth feels like it's sealed shut--like she can't talk. She lies there, helpless--not able to call out for help or anything.

She lies there for what feels like hours before hearing a sudden knock on the door. She can hear the sounds of the knocking--but she can't move to answer the door or to call out--it's like she's verbally and physically paralyzed.

"Charlotte? Charlotte, are you home?" A familiar voice calls through the door.

Spence.

Charlotte tries to move, but she fails. She winces in pain, her body trembling a ton.

Suddenly, she feels a puddle of liquid filling up underneath her head--but she can't move to see what it is.

She hears more knocking, "Charlotte? C'mon, Charlotte, answer the door. I know you're not at the hospital with Derek--I checked--and you didn't show up to the bureau after Hotch called. Just answer the door. I don't know if you're scared to leave your house because of what happened or if you're just ghosting every one, but please, just answer the door." She hears Spence mumble through the door.

She lets out a strong wheeze, followed by a gag. She begins choking, her body trembling.

She hears Spence slam his arm against the door, "Charlotte!?" He yells in fear.

No response.

"Charlotte!?" He calls out, slamming against the door again--this time way harder.

"Char!? What's going on?" He asks.

No response.

Suddenly the front door busts open, breaking the lock on it. Spence's eyes search the front area of the house frantically before his eyes land on the stairwell--noticing Charlotte lying their helplessly.

"Char! Oh my God!" He yells, rushing over to her and grabbing her in his arms.

"Fuck." He mumbles, grabbing the back of Charlotte's head and pulling her into his lap.

"What the hell happened?" He asks, but Charlotte doesn't answer--she just lies there in his lap, her body cold and helpless.

She feels her eyes flutter open as she inhales  sharply. Her eyes frantically search around the room, before landing on Spence's.

Spence's eyes begin to water, "H-Hey... You're okay, you're gonna be okay. Just hold on for me. Please. I can't lose you too." He mutters, his tone shaking as he lets out a small sob, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Spence grabs out his phone, fumbling it in his hands as he dials 911.

"Hello? 911. What's your emergency?" The dispatcher asks in a low, calm tone.

Spence shakes his head lightly as he lets out another small sob, "M-My friend, C-Charlotte. S-She didn't show up f-for work, so I-I went by her place to check on h-her. She's on the s-staircase inside and she's b-bleeding a t-ton from the back of her h-head." He explains, practically choking on his words, "Y-You have to hurry, p-please." He states, practically begging the dispatcher to have the medics hurry as tears stream down his face.

"Stay on the line please, sir. The medics are on their way to your location right now." The dispatcher explains in a calmer tone.

He brushes strands of hair out of Charlotte's face before cupping her cheeks with his bloody hands. His thumb slowly strokes her cheeks, smearing a little bit of blood on them. Spence shakes his head, tears stinging his cheeks as they rush down his face.

Charlotte's eyes roll into the back of her head as her body begins trembling faster. She lets out a sharp exhale, followed by a ton of gagging. A cloudy substance spews from her lips. She's seizing. Damn it.

"What's going on, sir?" The dispatcher asks, hearing the indistinct noises of Charlotte seizing over the receiver.

"She's seizing." Spence mutters, turning Charlotte on her side as quickly as possible.

"Sir, I'm going to need you to-" The dispatcher begins.

Spence shakes his head, "I know what to do when someone is seizing!" She yells harshly over the phone.

It's not that Spence is worried about her in a romantic way--it's more of the fact that Charlotte seems to be the only one who understands him nowadays. She's the only one on the team who doesn't cut off his nervous rambling, she doesn't judge him for his indescribable love for halloween, she loves Spence for being himself.

Plus, he could never do that to Derek. He knows how much Derek wants to be with Charlotte--Spence even ships Derek and Charlotte, he just wishes Char would stop pushing Derek away so much.

He holds Charlotte's trembling body in his arms as he sees the room turn a flashing red and blue color--the medics have arrived.

The medics rush into the house, pulling Charlotte's body away from Spence, his arms feeling bare as they do, "You're going to be okay, ma'am." One of the medics state, pushing her with high doses of Diazapem.

Spence sits on the steps, watching as they roll her out of the house on a stretcher. He grabs out his phone, dialing Hotch's number.

"Hotchner." He hears Hotch mumble through the receiver, his tone firm and stern.

Spence let's out a shaky sigh, followed by a small sob, which begins to concern Hotch.

"Reid? Are you okay? What happened? Did you find Charlotte?" Hotch asks.

Spence nods at Hotch's words, "Y-Yeah I found her on the stairwell of her house. They took her to the nearest hospital." He explains.

"What happened?" Hotch asks.

Spence shakes his head, "I'll explain later. Just meet me at the hospital, please." He states before hanging up the phone.

He lets out a heavy sob, his body shaking from the fear and pain that he just witnessed. He almost lost his best friend, and he feels responsible for it because he stood outside of the house for so long instead of just walking in. He drops his head into his hands, sobbing.

His mind begins to wander, filling with so many questions--What the hell is he going to tell Derek when he asks where Charlotte is? He certainly can't tell him that she's in the hospital because that'll stress Derek out, and that's the last thing he needs.

What the fuck is he going to do?