Chapter Text
spencer was, for lack of a stronger word, exhausted. he lays in the abysmal loneliness of the hotel room in providence, rhode island while his team is out celebrating cracking the case.
part of him wishes he was out with them. they're his family, after all. he should be out with them. maybe some drinking and hanging out with his family would do him some good.
the other part accepts the loneliness with open arms. he lets it consume him until he's nothing but a shell, much like a cicada shedding its own. the loneliness wraps its arms around spencer and holds him close and tight but the hug is neither warm nor comforting, just cold and he feels completely and utterly alone.
the sun has disappeared under the horizon now. the sky matches his insides when he notices the clouds rolling in. his family won't be at the hotel any time soon - the nigh is still young, as rossi would say - which makes him feel even more alone.
he rolls over to face away from the window, sighing quietly. part of him wonders if it's too late to go out and join them. he thinks about standing and leaving. leaving and joining his family. but he can't ignore the nagging in the back of his head, telling him that they don't want him there. if they don't want him there now, then why would they want him there ever?
he sighs once more. he pulls a thin sheet to cover himself with. it's useless in heating him up though it helps make him feel safer. maybe he can sleep it off, he thinks.
no, that won't work, he's too tired to sleep.
spencer tosses the sheet off, succumbing to the desire to be with his family. he ignores his thoughts, hoping he can drown them out by the time he finds his family.
he runs his hands through his hair and grabs his messenger bag. he grabs his phone off the nightstand, hesitating before calling derek. he isn't sure if he'll be fine with the change of plans.
spencer had felt sick. that's why he came to the hotel. they solved the case and everyone was happy except for spencer, it seemed. his face had paled and he felt lightheaded. he muttered a bullshit excuse about being tired before trudging his way back to the hotel.
he doesn't feel too great now, but being out beats feeling miserable and alone.
spencer, for the third time that night, sighs. he puts his phone back in his pocket without even shooting a text to derek. he bites his lip, glancing at the bed. he can't be in this room anymore. so, instead of laying back down, he leaves the room, not even bothering to lock it behind him.
being out at night is never a safe choice, but it gives spencer a thrill every time. it really shouldn't, but it does anyway, and he's out on the streets in the capitol of rhode island, alone.
there's a coffee shop nearby, spencer can practically smell it. well, not literally, he glanced at a map, but that doesn't matter. what matters is that he wants coffee.
he walks for roughly five minutes before approaching a small starbucks. there are only a few people inside when spencer walks in. someone follows in behind him. he thinks nothing of it at first - that proves to be a mistake.
he doesn't even make it to the counter before he hears a gunshot and screaming. it doesn't even faze him at this point. he sighs and turns around to face the shooter - well, the unsub, technically.
"everybody shut up!" he screams before firing another warning shot into the ceiling. thankfully, there aren't many people here this late. "everybody on your knees!" spencer scans the room.
a middle aged woman who looks perpetually tired stands up from her seat and gets on the ground next to a sobbing teenager who can be no older than sixteen. a young couple are closer to the unsub. the man is shaking and huddled close to his girlfriend. the workers are hidden behind the counter.
"i said get down on your knees!" spencer was too busy studying his surroundings that he didn't realize he hasn't sat until the gun is pointed at his chest. spencer looks the unsub right in the eyes. his eyes are the only thing visible underneath the black mask. he has this curious look in his eyes.
spencer sighs and slowly drops to his knees. so maybe he should've stayed in bed. maybe he should've called or at the very least texted derek. he pinches the bridge of his nose.
the unsub presses the gun to spencer's head. "what's your name?" spencer sighs and looks up at the unsub.
"just shoot me already." spencer's too tired to care. does he want to die? not necessarily, no. he won't go out of his way to die. but he wouldn't be too upset if he was threatened.
the unsub pulls his gun away from spencer's head and strikes spencer across the face with it. he turns away from him. he points it at the middle aged woman. her eyes widen. she can't even make eye contact with the unsub.
"what's your name." his voice is more hostile now, and it's more of a demand than a question. he keeps his emotionless brown eyes on spencer.
spencer feels blood trickle down his nose. he wipes it with his hand, but it doesn't stop. "did you know that assaulting a federal agent is against the law?" spencer looks at the unsub again. "my name is doctor spencer reid." the unsub points his gun at spencer again.
"what do you mean by that?" spencer decides his day's gone on long enough.
"i mean, my name is spencer reid. what part of that do you not get?" he's trying his luck here. there are two results: either the unsub gets frustrated and spencer can text hotch, or he'll get shot. it's a win-win situation.
"no i mean the federal agent part." his voice wavers like he's scared, but he spits on spencer's knee and kicks him in the stomach. spencer winces and curls in on himself, but doesn't allow himself to show any fear.
"oh, that. yeah. i work in the fbi. in the behavioral analysis unit, to be more specific. that means you have uh," he looks away to glance at his watch, "roughly two minutes until they get here." spencer gives a fake smile. it's a lie, but the unsub's scared. this will hopefully scare him enough to flee.
it works. the unsub's eyes widen. spencer only stares at him with the confidence of a florida man doing whatever it his that florida men do. he quickly reaches over to the cashier to grab the money before making his quick escape to the door. before leaving, however, he fires one more shot. spencer does see where it ends up. then, the unsub flees down the street.
spencer ignore the other customers as he pulls out his phone from his pocket. he dials hotch's numbers. he'll answer. he has to answer.
on the third ring, he does anwer.
"reid, i thought you were asleep. are you feeling any better?" hotch sounds like he's having a good time. spencer hates to ruin it.
"the starbucks i'm in just got robbed," he explains vaguely.
"what?" concern coats his words.
"unsub fired a couple warning shots, i scared him, he stole some money, shot another warning shot i think, and fled."
"are there any more people there? are you okay? are they okay?"
"yeah, i'm fine." and spencer finally looks around again at the other costumers who haven't said a thing. they don't look to be harmed, but they all just stare at him. "everyone else seems okay." the teenager points at spencer. spencer furrows his eyebrows before looking down at himself. "oh," he mutters. pain flares from his stomach suddenly and he feels like he's burning from the inside out.
"what? reid?"
"it appears that i've been shot."