Archive of Our Own ^beta

Spencer held in the wince as he avoided the paramedics. He had declined to go to the hospital. He didn’t want to worry the team with his injuries. Two ribs had been cracked, Hotch had kicked him harder than he had probably meant to. The unsub had also given him a mild concussion when he’d been hit in the head with his gun.

He looked up from his spot as the man walked up to him.

“I hope I didn’t hurt you too bad.” Hotch said.

Spencer smiled, hoping it didn’t look like a grimace. “Hotch, I was a twelve-year-old child prodigy in a Las Vegas public high school. You kick like a nine-year-old girl.”

Hotch gave him a small smile before walking away.

Spencer let out a breath and tried not to double over. He would have to wait till they got home for him to get checked out properly. He pushed himself up and made his way to the SUV’s where the team was gathering. He dodged Derek on his way, throwing the whistle into the man’s chest with a smirk. He heard a laugh from behind him.

“Let’s get to the airport and go home.” Gideon says to the team.

Everyone mumbled their approval and clambered into the cars.

Spencer got into the back of the car Hotch was driving, knowing Gideon would figure out something was wrong too quickly. Derek climbed into the front seat, Elle and JJ getting into Gideon’s car.

Hotch pulled onto the road and set off for the airstrip.

Spencer tried to breath normally as they drove. He felt every bump and turn in his chest and it hurt. His head was aching.

Finally, they made it to the airport. He leaned against the window for a minute and tried to breathe through the pain. He jumped and held a groan in when Derek knocked on his window.

“You coming?” he mouthed.

Spencer carefully clambered out of the car, forcing himself to stand up straight.

“You okay?” Derek asks giving him a concerned look.

“Fine.” Spencer says, walking towards the plane.

The team clambered on and claimed their usual seats.

Spencer sunk into the couch, arms raising to support his chest. A wave a nausea rolled through him. He leaned to the side and closed his eyes, pretending to go to asleep. He heard the others get situated and sat down.

“Is he okay?” he heard JJ ask.

“He’ll be fine.” He heard Hotch say. “Just let him sleep.”

After a few minutes he felt the plane start to move. The slow movement was fine but as the plane started gaining speed, the more his chest ached. He grit his teeth and breathed slowly, as deep as he could. Finally, they were in the air and some of the pain receded.

“You guys sure you’re alright?” Came Derek’s voice.

“We’re fine Morgan.” Hotch says. “No one got seriously hurt.”

Spencer would have scoffed if his chest weren’t aching as it was. But he couldn’t be upset, as far as anyone was aware, he wasn’t hurt.

The first hour or two of the trip was smooth. The team talked amongst themselves, a few of them trying to get sleep. They were about to start landing when turbulence hit.

The plane rocked and there were exclamations around the cabin. Spencer sucked in a breath as he hit the back of the couch causing his chest to flare in pain.

“Put your seatbelts on everyone.” Gideon said doing his. “Spencer, get into a chair.”

Spencer slowly got up and headed towards a chair when they went through another patch of turbulence. Spencer was knocked to the side into a table.

There was a snapping sound, and he couldn’t hold in the cry of pain that came out of his mouth. One of his ribs had broken and the right side of his chest was on fire. He fell to the floor, head cracking on the ground. He curled up, arms wrapping around himself. His breaths were coming in gasps and wheezes. The pain in his chest amplified the pain in his head, both rising exponentially. The fall probably didn’t help his concussion.

“Spence!”

“Reid!”

Someone was leaning over him trying to get his attention. He couldn’t focus. His lungs were burning, and his chest hurt so much. His head was pounding, and his vision was blurring. He tried to take a deep breath but started coughing and couldn’t stop.

“Spencer you need to try and breath.”

“Can’t.” He wheezed, going into another round of coughing, curling in on himself. He let out a pain filled groan as there was another loud crack. The force of his coughing fit had caused the other rib to break.

He was rolled onto his back and someone was trying to uncurl him. He managed to look around at his team. Gideon and Derek were kneeling over him, trying to help. JJ and Elle were standing behind them looking extremely concerned. Hotch was white-faced staring at him.

“Not yo’r f’lt.” Spencer managed to get out around a cough.

“What was that?” Derek asked.

Spencer just groaned as he coughed again.

The plane rocked again. Spencer gasped as a sharp pain shot through his right side. He gasped and coughed, and something trickled out from the side of his mouth.

“Shit.” Derek muttered.

“How soon till we’re on the ground?” Gideon asked sharply.

“I’ll talk to the pilot.” Elle nods. She came out a minute later saying it would be twenty more minutes before they were fully landed.

“Hold on Spencer.” Derek says. “Just hold on.”

Spencer nodded, taking in wheezing breaths. It was an odd sensation to only have one lung working properly. He was starting to get lightheaded. He tried to pull in another breath, but it wasn’t enough.

“Spencer?” came Derek’s voice. “Hey, look at me.” He was tapping on his face.

Spencer looked at Derek and the man looked worried. “Wha’s wr’ng?”

Derek just gave him a tight smile. “Just keep your eyes open okay?”

Spencer nodded, coughing again. He turned his gaze to the ceiling, feeling tired.

“His lips are blue.” Came a distant voice.

“Spencer.” Someone said. “Look here. Look at me.”

His eyes drifted to the side but couldn’t focus on any one thing. People were talking above him. He tried to take deep breaths, but it wasn’t working. He couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. He felt his heart rate pick up. He couldn’t breathe, he was going to die.

There were hands on his face and then Gideon was there. “Spencer you need to calm down. We’re almost on the ground and then we’ll get you help. I need to breathe as much as you can for me okay?”

Spencer nodded and pulled in a wheezing breath. “Hurts.” He whispered.

“I know it does.” Gideon smiles. “It’ll feel better soon though okay?”

Spencer cried out when the plane touched the ground, the bumps jostling him around. Gideon and Derek put their hands on him to keep him in one spot and as still as possible. They slowly came to a stop and the door of the plane was opened as quickly as possible.

Spencer just laid on the floor trying to breathe.

“Right here.”

Then Derek and Gideon were gone and there were people he didn’t know.

“Hey there. We’re the EMT’s here to take you to the hospital.” One said, putting and oxygen mask over his face.

“Sorry about your shirt but we need to see what we’re dealing with.” Two told him.

There was a tearing sound and then his shirt was gone. Someone sucked in a breath.

“I have two broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung. We need a chest tube.” Two relayed.

People were moving around him, but he couldn’t concentrate on who. Someone grabbed his hand and held it tight.

“This is going to hurt okay, Spencer? I’m really sorry about this.” One said.

The next thing he knew it felt like someone was stabbing him in the side. He grit his teeth and tried to hold in the scream that wanted to come out.

“H’rts.” He got out, unaware that he had started crying.

“You’ll be okay Spence.” Someone said wiping his face.

There was one last push of pain before some of the pressure let up in his chest and his breath came a little bit deeper.

“There we go, okay get him onto the board.”

There were hands on him, moving him. He whined as he was placed on a hard board and then lifted up.

“We’ll see you at the hospital.” Came Gideon’s voice.

Spencer nodded before his eyes closed, exhausted from the events from the day.

----

As Spencer became more aware, he felt someone holding his hand. There was a beeping to his right and his chest was sore. He tried to open his eyes, letting out a groan.

“Reid?” came someone’s voice. “Wake up Reid.”

Spencer forced his eyes open, vision blurry.

“There you are, come on.”

He looked to the side to see Hotch sitting in a chair.

“H’tch.” He whispered. “Wha-”

Hotch shushed him gently. “Two of your ribs broke on the plane, one punctured your lung. They fixed it right up. You also have a grade two concussion, from the hit with the gun and then the floor on the jet. You’ll be out of the field for a while.”

Spencer nodded and swallowed dryly. Hotch grabbed the water that was sitting on the table next to him and helped him drink it.

“Thanks.”

“Why didn’t you tell us your ribs were cracked.” Hotch asked. “Or that you had a concussion.”

“Didn’t want to worry you.” Spencer said looking down.

“Reid- Spencer.” Hotch says looking upset.

“I was going to get checked out when we got home.” Spencer tells him. “Turbulence interfered.”

“The paramedics had to put a chest tube in on the jet. You were almost intubated.” Hotch says, voice thick with guilt. “You were in surgery for three hours.”

Spencer refused to meet the man’s gaze.

“You should have gotten treatment before we left.” Hotch finishes.

“I thought I’d be okay.” Spencer whispered.

“I know. Next time a paramedic suggests you go to the hospital you go.”

Spencer nods. “I will.”

Hotch smiled for the first time that night. “I’m holding you to that.”

Spencer gave a small smile back. He had no doubts that the man would.