Evolution, a Spencer Reid/Criminal Minds Fanfic

Chapter 14. Out of the Woods

Hotch added the information to the list of investigations J.J. should initiate. He ended the call and twisted in his seat to get a better look at Reid. Their eyes met. “Wow.” It was the only way the Unit Chief could think of to describe the last few days. Reid grimaced.

“I didn’t want this, Hotch.”

“I know, but it saved someone. And it…found…the others. That’s closure for the families. That’s important.”

“It made you sick, though, didn’t it?”

“Maybe because it’s your gift, not mine.” Hotch sounded tired. “You are gifted, Reid. In many ways.”

The doctor resumed looking out the window. “So are you, Hotch. It’s just my gift’s in my brain; yours is in your soul.”

Hotch didn’t know how to respond to that. So he didn’t.

xxxxxxx

At the hospital, Hotch and Reid were escorted away to different curtained cubicles. Chief Mayhew and Morgan easily found the team in the small facility.

Mayhew was feeling expansive. He was grateful the nightmare that had hit his community was over. He shook Rossi’s hand and thanked him with sincerity as well as concern for the agents who’d somehow contracted flu.

“Sorry about your men getting sick. But, between you and me, both those boys could stand to gain a few…ya know?” The Chief patted his own ample midriff.

Rossi smiled. “I’ll pass on the recommendation.” In his mind’s eye he could see the complete lack of appreciation that would greet such advice. Taking his leave of the police chief, he left Morgan and Prentiss to deal with any additional expressions of gratitude or dietary observations. He went to the nearest nurse’s station, flashed his credentials and asked about the girl who’d been brought in.

“We don’t know yet, sir.” The attending nurse looked genuinely sorry she couldn’t give him better news. “It’s touch-and-go at the moment. She’s on a respirator and full life support is standing by as a precaution.” She glanced around to ensure their privacy. “Her parents have been notified and they’re on their way…so are her other relatives…just in case. You know?”

“I know. I know all too well.” Rossi thanked her and asked where the ICU was. He told himself he wanted a better look at this girl. But in his heart of hearts he knew he wanted to stand close to her while he asked the God of his Roman Catholic upbringing, and any other powers that cared to listen to a man who’d seen too much death, to spare this one child. This one time.

Rossi was surprised to find Reid already standing vigil in Intensive Care. Hands shoved deep in his pockets, his steady gaze was trained on the still form connected to monitors by the same type of tubing that had been part of her crime scene. The two agents stood together, careful to keep out of the path of the steady stream of caregivers monitoring and adjusting equipment in this battle for a life.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. Never better.” The words sounded morose, nonetheless.

“Hotch?”

“I think he’ll be okay.” Reid turned his eyes from the girl to Rossi. “He shouldn’t have done that. Come after me like that.”

“Why not?”

“He doesn’t belong in…there…in places like that. He could have gotten lost, too.”

Rossi’s smile was grim. “Since when has Hotch ever obeyed a ‘keep out’ sign when one of the team was at stake?”

“Still. It’s all fading for me, Rossi. All the images are slipping away and I’m so, so grateful for that. But Hotch wasn’t meant for this kind of thing. What if it doesn’t fade for him? What if he can’t walk away from it?”

This time Rossi’s smile was a little more reassuring. “Kid, you think he doesn’t know how to leave stuff like this behind? After all these years?” He placed a comforting hand on the younger agent’s back. “Believe me. Hotch knows how to recover from nightmares. Worse ones than this. You’re the one we’re worried about.”

“I’m fine. Never better.”

But as Reid turned his attention back to the room with the beeping, flashing monitors, Rossi thought he’d never seen such deep sadness in his friend’s eyes. In an unsettling way, they reminded him of Hotch’s eyes on a very, very bad day.

xxxxxxx

Erin Strauss wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but rather than stir things up by calling any of the BAU team currently in California, she opted to use the time to explore on her own. She was a shrewd woman. She knew when to trust her instincts and this time they were directing her to IT. If there was any record of intra-office communication regarding clandestine medical treatments for anyone on Hotchner’s team, she had a feeling she’d find it in the den of that horrible Garcia woman.

The room was deserted, but Strauss still felt watched. From every shelf and corner some ludicrous little ornamental creature was either gaping at her or grinning or wobbling hologram eyes in her direction. It was disconcerting. And unprofessional. Just like Penelope Garcia. Strauss didn’t know why Hotchner had fought to put that woman on his team.

She stood in the center of the glaringly colorful space and trained years of experience along with her native suspicion on every feature, prominent or not. She missed the days when she could rifle through folders and files, looking for an incriminating paper trail. The digital age had killed some of her favorite, time-proven tactics. But data was data. If it wasn’t stored on paper and if it was something secret that shouldn’t be kept anywhere in a system accessible to the rest of the Bureau, where would Garcia keep it?

Strauss noticed the overstuffed cubbyhole decorated with fringe and baubles glued to its surface. With narrowed eyes she began her search. She didn’t rummage. She removed things with care. One at a time. Inspecting each item. She noted where each was in relation to the rest of the cubby’s contents so she could put everything back, leaving Garcia unaware that she’d, in effect, been hacked.

What’s this? The sparkling, blue kitten looked at Strauss with gentle innocence. But the Section Chief knew what a flash drive was. Her smile became a grin became a chuckle. She’d just found the equivalent of a folder of private papers. She pocketed the little creature and restored order to the cubbyhole. Nothing else in the room grabbed her interest. She was aware that it might be nothing. She knew it could be a long shot.

But her political killer’s instinct told Strauss that if there was anything worth investigating in Penelope Garcia’s office, it was this eccentric, little flash drive.

She left the IT room and was in a very good mood for the rest of the day.