Spencer Reid- Dilaudid

Chapter Twelve

Waking up, I quickly look at the clock 10:30am
Wait. 10:30. Shit I'm late for work.

Quickly rushing to get ready I head towards the train station regretting not ever getting my license. When I finally arrive I grab a cup of coffee and head to the conference room making myself more late.

"Ooo Reid you're late" Emily says dramatically

I ignore her comment and take a seat hoping no one else comments

"Dude you were supposed to be here 2 hours ago" Morgan says
Why does he care?

"Thanks tips"
Everyone turns to look at me and I shrug them off  "What do we have today" I ask

"We will catch you up on the plane. Wheels up in 5" Hotch says and everyone files out except me

"Awesome" I mouth as everyone leaves the room

I board the plane early picking out my seat when the rest of the team boards giving me glares

"What? Are we going to get mad at Reid for being early too" I chuckle getting up and going to get coffee.
What is wrong with me today

"What is wrong with you today?" Gideon asks grabbing coffee as well

"I'm fine, just a little tired" I lie
I'm getting pretty good at it
"I'll be fine once I get some coffee" I add

"So where are we going" I ask

"New Orleans"
"Hey, an old friend of mine lives there now... Ethan." I reply

"Really? You going to give him a call?" Morgan asks

"Maybe..."
"We grew up competing against each other, our whole lives. We also both had our hearts set on the Bureau but on the first day he backed out."

"He probably just couldn't take the heat" Emily says laughing

"It's not really for us to judge is it" I defend

"Right... my bad" she says
Did I hurt her feelings?
Nah I think we're good.

"We have a serial killer we believe is a copy cat of Jack the Ripper" Gideon says changing the subject

"Here read this over" JJ says handing me the case. I read over the file within minute.
There all caught up, don't know what the big deal was

"So the discovery of a fourth victim in the French Quarter confirms the murderer is still alive?" I ask
"Yes, all the evidence and files had been lost in the flood, so the only clue we have is the word "Jones" that the lead detective wrote on the wall just before he drowned." Emily replies

Jones? What could that mean.

"These are copies of the newspaper articles leading back to early August 2005 that's all we have to go on" JJ says handing us the papers.

"He killed 3 times, stopped for 18 months then started killing again" Hotch mentions

"Get Garcia to look for any offenders in the area, anyone who spent the year doing time" Gideon says and Hotch gets Garcia on the line

"Or anyone that moved and recently moved back to the area after Katrina" I add

"The victims don't have anything in common, so where do we start?" Emily asks

"Square one, we start with the first victim.. Reid, Emily you go to see the victim see if you can find anything helpful there, the rest of us will head to the crime scene" Hotch says and I continue drinking my coffee.

***

Emily and I arrive at the morgue where our victim is being held. I take a look at the lifeless man with his throat slashed

"Victim has no defence wounds, no hesitation marks, cuts are methodically tact, most likely procedural" I mention

"So you think he has medical training" Emily asks

"Well obviously, how else could he carve around every organ and leave each one in tack." I say annoyed by her question

"Okay, seriously what is the matter with you? Are you pissed at me?" She yells getting angry by the second

woah wasn't expecting that

"What do you mean what is the matter with me?" I ask confused

"I've never seen you act like this" she says

That pissed me off, is she serious?

"Oh really, in the months that you have known me you've never seen me act like this? Hey no offense Emily but you don't really know what you're talking about do you?" I dictate leaving her to do all the work.

"Where are you going" she yells

"Wherever you aren't" I yell back

I phone up my friend Ethan trying to get my mind off this case, I can't do it anymore I don't even want to be here anymore

Jazz music plays in the background of the bar Ethan recommended causing me to laugh, classic Ethan.

"Hey Reid, I'm glad you called" Ethan says coming from the side

"Me too" I add

"Come let's get you a drink man" he says

We head to the bar grabbing our drinks "Are you going to ask the question? he demands

"What question" I lie

"Come on man it's only me here, I know you want to know, it's why you wanted to see me" Ethan says

"Why did you quit after one FBI training?" I race out

"Well, I'm sure you've considered the evidence what's your theory?"

"You were battling your own demons you didn't have time to battle anyone else's." I say conceitedly

"Not bad, not bad" he says

My phone interrupts and I look to see who it is
"Sorry" I add hitting ignore to Emily's call and continuing on with our conversation

"Hey Ethan can I ask you something? Do you every regret it? Quitting I mean, do you regret quitting the FBI?" I babble like always

"Well, I mean I may not be changing the world like you are but I have my music, it makes me happy. Doesn't take a profile to know that"

"Its' not easy you know... I don't believe or want to see some of the thing I see" I say

"Ya you look like hell man" he responds

"I'm fine" I lie letting out a chuckle

"Come on man I'm a jazz musician, I know what it looks like when someone's not well, this is the one time I can tell you something that you already know" he pauses to take a drink and I'm not ready for what he's going to say

"It's not going to help man, doing what you're doing. You're surrounded by the best minds in the world, and if you think they don't already know.. well.. for a genius.. that's just dumb."