T H I R T Y F O U R
SPENCER SAT AT the foot of Scout's hospital bed, watching the nurse draw another vial of blood.
It was a different and much nicer nurse than last time, which he was silently grateful for. He didn't want to be kicked out of the room again and leave Scout to herself. And it wasn't like he had any obligation to stay with her - in fact, they weren't even dating.
But Spencer knew he couldn't leave.
The nurse started to sanitize Scout's skin where she had drawn the blood, tying some piece of small gauze around her forearm. She smiled gently, picked up the tools and vials she used, and left the two agents to themselves.
"So," Scout slurred and sent him a lopsided smile. "When was the last time you took a shower?"
Spencer rolled his eyes and leaned back into his chair, "Why? You don't care for my manly, musky scent?"
"Musky, yes. Manly, I don't think so. I would almost describe it as animalistic."
"So a primal scent?" He teased, leaning his head against his propped up elbow and resting his finger to his lip.
"Not quite. It's almost - like a skunk lying dead on the side of the freeway. Yeah, I think that's a much better description, don't you? Or should I have said an armadillo? You know, being from Las Vegas and all."
He narrowed his eyes, "You are a terrible human being, Scout Wiley."
"I try my hardest to be." And sent him a cheeky smile.
Spencer stared at the silly girl that sat before him. She was hard to keep up with most of the time, all be it because of her witty humor that kept him on his toes. And he didn't know exactly when he stopped seeing her as just another coworker.
Perhaps it was the game of cat and mouse that went on between them in the past months. Or maybe it occurred when he accidentally spilled coffee all over her and Scout had no fear in putting him in his place. Now, he was grateful that he bumped into her.
She was a big mystery to him. But he didn't want to uncover all of her secrets at once. No, he would much prefer to find each of them out through every interaction they had. That way, Spencer knew all of their conversations would be filled with anticipation.
"You okay there, Doc Ock?" Scout raised at brow at him curiously, pushing herself towards him and letting her legs fall to the side of the bed.
He sent her his ever famous closed mouth smile, "Hm? Yeah, I was just thinking - well, I don't know-"
"Spit it out, nerd. I promise I won't bite."
Spencer chuckled, "That's not what I remember."
Her face turned a shade of light cherry and looked away from him. He couldn't help but notice that she always did this whenever he caught her off guard. And he was always surprised with himself when he did flirt back - it was uncharacteristic of him but he couldn't help it. Scout being such a tease brought out a side of him that he didn't know he had.
Spencer was known to being so nervous and introverted that being anything else felt like uncharted waters.
Scary and rather, exciting.
"Are you seriously bringing that up now, Reid?" She rolled her eyes and tried to play it off as if his comment meant nothing.
Spencer leaned forward, "Ah, so now we're back to Reid. If I can recall, you called me something different when you were drunk in my apartment not too long ago."
"Zoom in on the word - drunk."
"How could I forget? You nearly downed half a bottle of vodka. I thought someone as short as you was genetically obligated to be a lightweight."
Scout scoffed, slapping him gently in the arm, "Since when did stuttering Doctor Spencer Reid become so straightforward? Aren't you supposed to be spitting out Doctor Who facts to me?"
"Well I could give you some Star Wars facts instead. Do you have much of a preference?"
"Oh hell yes, I do."
The pair stopped when the door flung open, revealing a infuriated Harper Wiley pulling herself in her wheelchair towards them. Behind her was a flailing and nervous nurse from earlier, trying to stop the woman from entering.
"Ma'am, I can't let you in there. You do not have authorized permission by the FBI-"
Harper ignored the nurse's attempts, sending a quick sneer and yelled, "The FBI can kiss my disabled ass if they think I need their permission to see my own daughter! They certainly did not push her out of their vagina so I think I have priority over them."
"Ma'am-"
"Uh, it's okay," Scout said as she straightened herself, pushing Spencer's hand away. "She's allowed to be here, I'll call my boss and let him know."
The nurse gave out an exasperated sigh before shaking her head and turning out the room. Spencer, who was quiet throughout the entire scene, was left shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Harper eyed him as she got closer to the bed, "Who are you?"
"Doctor Spencer Reid," The tall lanky man stood up and stuck out his hand, stretching from across the bed awkwardly, "I'm Scout's bo-"
"- Bodyguard! He's here looking after me and passing on details for the FBI because of, you know, - documentation." Scout chuckled out and rubbed the back of her neck.
Harper stared at his hand for a second before looking back at her daughter. He was internally was cursing himself out as he retracted his hand.
You don't ever shake someone's hand! What is wrong with you? Maybe Scout's mom doesn't shake other people's hands too? Maybe I just insulted her?
"You look to skinny to be a bodyguard."
He gave a closed mouth smile, "Most people just say that I look too young to be a doctor."
"I've seen Grey's Anatomy, no one's too young to be a doctor anymore-"
"That's a TV-" Spencer mumbled but Harper interrupted him.
"Anyways," The older woman in her wheelchair pull herself closer to the hospital bed. "What the hell is wrong with you? You don't think that you're poor kindhearted mother deserved a phone call? I mean, what were you thinking, Scout?"
"I wasn't-"
"Exactly. You weren't thinking at all. But instead of letting me know what happened after you were missing for 3 whole days, I had to call your office and ask what the hell was going on. And then, they kept me on hold for another two hours because that information was confidential! I am your mother, nothing is confidential to me! Hell, it wasn't until after I screamed did they tell me that you were in the hospital."
Harper sighed and rubbed her temples, "And you know how much I hate acting like a middle aged mother with the name Karen but you left me no choice."
"You're being dramatic." Scout rolled her eyes at how much her mother watched television.
"Am I?"
"Yes! Look at me, I'm fine. I'm not dead and I'm not in a coma. If you ask me, then that's a win. I was shot, it's not a big deal."
Harper's eyes widened, "YOU WERE SHOT?"
"No. Someone threw a bullet at me." She knew it wasn't the time for teasing but she couldn't help it. Sometimes, it was just too easy.
"Of course, I was shot, Mom! I work for the FBI, I'm basically a walking target."
Her mother gave a low huff before glancing back at Spencer and realizing that he was still quietly standing in the room, watching the argument that was taking place. She straightened her back and sent him another glare.
"You can go now. The doctor already gave consent for Scout to go home so your services are no longer needed."
"Wha-" He stuttered out, feeling nervous under her stare and back to his awkward state.
"Mom, please."
Harper shook her head, "I've got Miss 007 under control here. You can tell your boss or director or whatever that she's fine now. If she can argue with me, then clearly she doesn't need you around."
"Mrs. Wiley, I highly recommend that Scout stay longer so that she can be monitored by professionals-"
"Like you - Doctor?"
He stopped and pursed his lips. It wasn't normal for him to argue, it wasn't in his character. But something about this situation made him think twice.
Spencer glanced down at Scout who was looking at him with as much of a plea as she could muster. And that's when he knew how out of place he was. She said it best, he wasn't her boyfriend and he certainly wasn't a bodyguard. All the confidence that he once had faltered as he backed down.
Harper sneered, "If you're a doctor, then you're supposed to be smart. You have no place in our family matters so prove your intelligence and back off."
"Mom-" Scout gapped at her words, truly shocked at how unnecessarily over protective she was being. "-that's enough."
"Don't take it personally," Harper leaned back into her chair, "I just think he's full of crap."
"I - I should get going. Hotch is going to want to go over the security precautions for Quantico and I should be present for that."
Scout's eyes softened, "Spence-"
"I'll see you later, Wiley. Garcia should be available if you have any questions so don't forget to call her." He grabbed his coat and bag, not bothering to put them on in a rush.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Wiley."
Her mother merely nodded before reaching up to her daughter and pushing her hair behind her ear. But Scout ignored it and watched as the tall doctor walked out.
In that moment, the pain that came from a poisoned bullet couldn't compare to the insufferable longing that Spencer Reid induced when he closed the door behind him and didn't look back.
Please consider voting/commenting if you like this story and want show your support for more content.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
69k reads...i'm so proud.
Oh my fuck, I'm so sorry for the lack of updates during winter break. I've truly had such a terrible time with writer's block so this chapter is short because of it. I promise to update as much as possible to make up for it. And I hope you readers can forgive me because of it!
I know this chapter is kinda a filler but I promise things are gonna start pick up in the next update. And please don't hate Harper! I love her so much and shape her after my own mom and also Joyce Byers (mainly because Winona Ryder is exactly who I picture as Harper).
a special thanks to readers who comment:
@approximately_equal
@larae333
@g34rh34dz
@deborahsellis
@noplaceinheaven_1
@wackynatty
@cyn161
@ell_hound
@moonlightascending
@_stxdia_
@epicbeebo
@epicmishamigo
@yellowparadise
@darklesparkles
@maisiebug
@starryblossom
@junglejim221b
· · · · ·