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Reid was kidnapped for nine days. Nine days the team had few leads to save him. The unsub completely changed MO after he took him. They profiled that Reid suited whatever fantasy the unsub had better. The other victims were crudely killed and dumped with the word Fail carved into their stomachs. They all showed signs of torture, whipping mostly and one had dislocated joints. A few had human remains such as blood and flesh in their stomachs, it implied the man was likely a cannibal. It would explain why they couldn't find any traces from his credit card for food and large parts of the dumped bodies had been cut out and unrecovered.
They only found him when the unsub wanted them to find him.
“My baby's body is getting cold, save him. He's dying without you and I don't want to be the cause,” had been the low, raspy phone call Hotch had received on the ninth day.
“Where is he?” He kept his voice steady, he was already walking out of his office and signaled the team.
“I'll text it” came the dull response, the man had no energy, “he was so good.. he's broken now, depressed or something I think. Make him better for me”
“He's not yours”
“Whatever you want to believe Hotch” he assumed he got his name from Reid’s contact, it was his phone who had called him.
The team went to the location immediately after it was sent. They stormed the building routinely, JJ and Rossi focused on Reid while the others continued to storm the place. Rossi called 911 JJ was too busy trying to keep herself calm and reassure Reid to even think about an ambulance.
His throat was slit deeply, he was hardly whispering but he was trying to say something. They couldn't hear him, all that came out were little incoherent noises.
“Your vocal cords are probably cut, don't try to speak, just focus on breathing. The ambulance is almost here” Rossi checked him over for any other injuries while JJ held down his neck.
When the house was cleared completely the team came back to the room with Reid, Morgan took over for JJ. Partially because having a loved one bleed out behind your hands is traumatizing and she didn't need that, and secondly she was shaking too much to apply enough pressure.
“The unsub’s not here. Reid’s phone is, he must've made the call and left” Emily relayed to the others. Reid probably didn't need to hear that but he was crying so hopefully he was too out of it to comprehend.
Hotch rode with him in the ambulance because he was the medical proxy. Everyone else piled into the SUV’s and drove immediately there.
Morgan had been following right behind the ambulance, it wasn't at all because he was breaking traffic laws that he got there so quickly after Hotch settled into a waiting chair. They joined him.
It was three hours until a doctor spoke with them. Morgan was a bit pissed they hadn't been told anything for that long but Reid had to go into surgery for his throat and there was no time to spare.
“As the emergency contact, would you like them to be here for the explanation?” the doctor asked Hotch. Who nodded, obviously. The doctor hated having to tell big groups what happened to their loved one, there were always such different heartbroken reactions. He could tell they all weren't biologically family but they were clearly a family.
“His vocal cords were cut, they are repaired now due to the surgery but it'll take him a long time to recover. Most people don't get full mobility of their voice back until at least three months. There's already steps he needs to follow regarding his voice written down in the room. It's very important to enforce them if you see him trying to speak. He's malnourished, I don't know how long he hadn't eaten, he didn't reply. If you could get that information to us it will be very helpful to his recovery. Speaking of which, he has been mostly unresponsive since coming out of the surgery. He's awake, he just doesn't reply. I think it's a response to the trauma. There's some cuts on his stuff and arms that looked like they came from a whip, his kidnapper didn't hit usual places where one would hit someone with a whip. Other than that, there's no other physical damage. I would recommend for him to see a psychiatrist though.”
“I'll take care of that, thank you. Can we see him now?” The doctor looked at him apprehensively but nodded.
“I would normally say one or two people at a time, but figuring that he probably misses you all if he's been kidnapped, I'll allow you all to go in. Just be careful with him. He could be very sensitive. His unresponsiveness may also be a result of the injuries, the kidnapper may’ve conditioned him so going back to normal too soon may be too much. Keep your voices down, no yelling”
They all nodded and filled the room as soon as the doctor was out of the way of the door. He left them alone, even if he didn't fully trust seeing all of them so soon was what the patient really needed right now.
Reid was a bit delayed with his reaction but he looked up at them.
“Hey baby, it's so good to see you. We've missed you so much, I swear we never stopped looking. We didn't take any other cases while we were trying to find you” Garcia carefully hugged him. He didn't react poorly to her movements so she didn't pull away.
“I figured you wouldn't be able to speak for a while so I bought you these” JJ said, her voice was shaky from where she had been crying earlier. She placed a notebook and purple markers in his lap, he mouthed a ‘thank you’ but didn't make eye contact.
“When was the last time you've eaten?” Hotch asked. Before they got too comfortable, he needed to know. The way Reid deflated slightly told him he was doing the right thing. Better get it over with now so he can focus on positive things later. He opened the notebook and took a marker JJ had gifted him.
‘How long was I kidnapped?’
“Nine days. You didn't eat at all?” Reid shook his, he hadn't eaten. ‘Cannibal’ was what he wrote numbly on the paper.
“Don't worry Rossi and I will make sure you make up for all the meals you missed. And by that I mean Rossi will probably take care of all the boring meals and I'll make sure you're nice and full with desserts” Garcia said playfully, Reid laughed quietly, trying not to make a sound as per the instructions on his desk. The doctor had written it down because it was important he followed them and didn't know Reid had an eidetic memory and no need for a constant paper.
-First few days to a week: The first few days after surgery are crucial for initial healing. Doctor advises complete vocal rest during this period to allow the vocal cords to start healing. No talking, whispering, or throat clearing.
-A few weeks to a month in: The vocal cords may begin to heal more significantly. You may start speaking again, preferably under the guidance of a healthcare professional, but the voice may still be weak or hoarse. Follow-up visits are typical during this time to monitor healing.
-1–3 months: By this stage, many people notice considerable improvements in their voice and may return to more regular voice use. Doctors may recommend voice therapy to strengthen the voice and improve vocal function.
-Full recovery usually takes 3–6 months
Rossi read it over while everyone was giving their hugs, he rolled his eyes in a way he didn't mean when Garcia signed him up for cooking duty.
“Over my dead body will he be eating this tasteless hospital food” he commented in agreement.
Hotch's phone rang so he stepped out of the room. They pretended not to notice the way he flinched at the sound.
JJ ran a hand through his hair, talking idly about how things were in the office and anything amusing that had happened. Admittedly there wasn't much, none of them wanted to waste time joking when Reid was getting tortured. She ended up talking about Henry instead at some point. Even when she was working late nights trying to find leads, Will updated her over the phone.
Strauss had called regarding where they all went and what happened. Hotch briefly caught her up, speeding through so he could hang up and see Reid. Strauss could tell how worried the team had been for those nine days and decided to have mercy on them and let them be. Before going back inside, the doctor from earlier passed and he waved him over.
“About Reid’s vocal cords, since he had the surgery, he will be able to speak eventually, right?”
“He should. Most patients do but it unfortunately isn't something I can guarantee. We repaired it early on after it was cut, it will take a long time. Everyone's recovery process is different so if he doesn't start speaking in the first month then don't immediately assume he'll never again. It has taken a year or two for some. But he's young and mostly healthy, he'll recover in my medical opinion but there's always the off chance he won't. Just be prepared for both.”
He kept it in mind as he went inside. He didn't plan to tell anyone of this unless he needed to, they all seemed happy under the assumption that Reid was going to go back to normal soon. And maybe that was what they needed, Reid included.
A week passed mostly the same. Reid was ordered not to speak. He was in the hospital the whole week so the doctors could monitor the surgery and the wounds on his stomach and arms to watch for infection. Morgan helped him change his bandages when it hurt him too much to move. There were deep gashes all over his torso and some parts of his arms and shoulders. He was disgusted at the sight of the injuries but tried not to show it for Reid’s sake.
The boy had already switched from the hospital gown to a sweater and pants to hide his arms. The whip hadn't touched most of the lower arm but because it had been long it had struck the upper part. He didn't want anyone to see his bandages. Even though they kept quietly telling him there was nothing to be ashamed about.
For the week no one questioned him about the case. Getting what happened was important but his recovery was more. They needed to regulate his eating too, he had been starving for a bit over a week.
Now it was the second week and the question was finally asked.
“Can we talk about what happened?” Emily asked, it was just her and Garcia. They opted that a female presence may be what he needed at the moment. And not someone he would feel embarrassed to admit injuries too.
He shook his head. ‘Not yet. Please’ he wrote down, the marker shaking in his grip.
“Okay, that's okay, we can do it later… but please remember that it has to be soon. Anything you can give us will help. It will at least help Strauss relax”
“Yeah, you can just say what room he kept you in the most or something” Garcia chimed in helpfully.
‘Basement. He kept me tied there, there was a lot of blood too. It's where he enacted most of his fantasies. He really liked blood and guts. He'd’ he stopped writing.
“What would he do? Can you please tell us? After we won't ask until you're ready” Emily tried to gauge. Reid started crying softly but continued to write. Gracia's hand went to his hair immediately.
‘He’d pour blood on me and smear it around. He did it to his other victims too. He liked the way it looked and the fact it wasn't ours. He'd sometimes dump a bucket full on me. I'd get to shower at least but only at the very end’ tears fell down his face. He was trembling too much to cap the marker, he put it down and Emily did it for him. Garcia and her were telling him what a good job he did recalling tough things but it did little to make him feel better.
He could just remember the intense iron smell and the way he cried as the unsubs blood covered hand went against his mouth. His other hand massaging the blood into his hair as though it was shampoo.
Photos had been taken, he was partially sure. It was like a morbid photo shoot.
He couldn't tell them any of this.
Any progress to get Reid to react to them had taken a few steps back after the short interview. Reid drew back into himself.
They didn't spend a lot of time trying to get him out of himself because they had to get back to work. They didn't want another team to take on the case.
They had to investigate the house they found Reid in. They didn't tell him this, he probably knew, sometimes it hurt worse hearing things aloud.
It hurt them all having to see Reid so quiet. He always talked, he always talked a lot. And while it annoyed them sometimes they never wanted him to be unable to. Reid was almost emotionless without his voice. There were times where he was about to speak but someone had to gently quiet him. It was for his health that he didn't speak anymore for a bit.
He went to speech therapy after three weeks, he was allowed out of the hospital but the team visited him frequently to take care of him when he couldn't. He was still too hurt.
Speech therapy made him unmotivated to speak. They all noticed it.
He'd be happy, the happiest he's been since he was saved, and then the night would end with the reminder he had therapy in the morning and he'd become solemn. His vocal therapist said he was making steady progress at least.
Recovery was hard for him but they were all there for him.
Getting him to eat regularly was also hard. Memories it difficult to have an appetite, he'd be too out of it to feel or hear the rumbling of his stomach.
He needed their help and they all made sure to give it. This wasn't going to be one of the times they just assumed he'd be fine and left him to his recovery.
He still wouldn't talk about what happened.
“The case is now cold. We have to move on, according to Strauss” Hotch strained to tell the team.
“Cold!? An unsub like this doesn't just stop or not leave evidence. There has to be something we're just missing, we can find it-!”
“It's final, Morgan,”
“Why? Because the only evidence we have left is broken and by the time he'll be able to speak he'd have suppressed it?” Morgan snapped back.
He didn't mean his words, he never would refer to Reid, or any of them, as broken. He just couldn't believe they were going to let an unsub like this get away despite how much it put Reid and the other victims through.
He didn't mean the way it came out though. He was just frustrated.
“Reid, what's wrong?” Garcia asked gently. She came out of her office to chat with JJ or flirt with Morgan, she hadn't decided, but in the doorway was a quietly crying Reid. “Were they being loud?” She looked at them to see, Morgan seemed guilty and JJ and Emily looked sympathetic. Garcia brought him into a hug.
“Reid, you're not supposed-”
“Hotch, give him a second. He's crying,” she didn't want to show the boss disrespect but Reid was clearly overwhelmed. She stayed hugging him for a few moments longer before he pulled away, forcing his breathing to steady.
With his eyes downcast, he handed the letter and opened envelope that had gone unnoticed to Hotch. He didn't seem mad, he was oddly blank.
Hotch's expression hardened at the letter. It was two lines written in the middle of the paper, an empty line of space in between separating them. The ink was in a blue pen.
“The case is cold. You'll be back” he read aloud, emotionless despite the dread he was feeling.
Everyone was silent. Shocked.
“So it's true? It's cold?” Reid hadn't spoken at all since everything. His voice was low, almost inaudible, it was hoarse from lack of use. But they all heard how it trembled with repressed fear. He was on the verge of crying again and cleaned his eyes with his sleeve.
He left.
Morgan followed. Some of them weren't sure if that was a good idea but they trusted things would be fine and Morgan would be able to control himself. Morgan and Reid had a very brotherly relationship. They could fight and make up in an instant. Of course, this probably felt more like a betrayal than a fight, but they were usually able to work things out.
“Kid, you know I don't think you're broken, right? I'm sorry I said it, I didn't mean it, I swear. I never meant to say something like that, it's not true.” Reid shrugged noncommittally. “It's not true, you're not broken”
“I think I am” he said, the way he was close to crying only made it harder for him to speak. His throat felt tight.
“You're not. You're not broken,”
While Reid cried a bit more openly, Morgan pulled him into a hug. He had made small noises but didn't seem in distress due to the hug so Morgan took it as a good sign.
“Please kid, remember something, anything about the case. Maybe we'll be able to convince Strauss to keep it open. What did he look like?”
“I don't remember,” he said quiet and tearfully.
“Yes you do, c'mon kid, I know it's in there somewhere. What does he look like? Just try and-”
“I don't- can't,” he sobbed. “Wore…wore a mask an’ when I tried to look at his- eyes he'd whip me.. I didn't get to see what he looked like.” Morgan cursed internally, exhaling heavily.
It really was cold.
All they'd found from the house were polaroid photos from the victims (and Reid), but they were printless. Considering all of the blood and smears everywhere you'd think there'd be forensic evidence but there wasn't. Any smears on the walls had no fingerprints, gloves were likely worn. The place was too much of a mess of DNA to locate the unsubs. Everything was too contaminated.
The basement was the only thing that seemed lived in. There was no furniture or sign the unsub had been anywhere else in the house. It was a secondary-holding location, it wasn't actually his house.
“He knew it was cold before me. How?” Reid sniffled, it clearly hurt him to speak but he wasn't strong enough to hold a marker at the moment. He was leaning exhaustedly against Morgan.
“..He must be in the FBI. Reid you're a genius” he kissed the top of his head. “Do you want me to bring you home?” Reid shook his head, pointed at him and mouthed ‘work’.
Normally he'd argue. Hotch was about to tell him earlier that he shouldn't be at work, he wasn't due back for two months and that was only if he was feeling better. But Reid was going through a lot and if the unsub had plans to take him back then it was safer to not leave him alone.
Then again, bringing him to where they were sure the kidnapper worked wasn't the best idea either but it had some pros.
Like when an agent from another team entered the conference room with papers.
Reid and him made eye contact for a brief second.
“These are the papers you ordered. Strauss didn't seem happy, she's uncertain it's worth it. But she said she'll give you guys a try,” he relayed, Hotch thank him professionally, “good luck, seems like a lot” he left after the casual comment. JJ was about to say something, maybe she already was, Reid hadn't been sure, the only thing going through his mind was him him him him.
It was him.
“It’s him. He.. he was the unsub”
“You said you didn't-”
“I didn't” he said, he tried to speak again but a squeak left him. He seemed irritated with himself for his voice giving out now and he quickly scribbled down ‘I saw his eyes momentarily, it's why I was whipped. I have an eidetic memory though, that moment was all I needed. Please believe me, I'm sure it's him’
They caught the man. In the interrogation room they sent Reid in, much to the younger's distress. But it would make him unravel quickly.
It did.
He was an unstable man. He always was, his behavior had plenty of reports.
Just seeing a sheepish Reid walk in alone had made him smile and his eyes widened.
“I knew you wanted me. There's no way they would send you in here. You probably snuck in, didn't you? You just couldn't wait to see me. Don't worry baby, it's understandable.” He cooed softly before his mood switched. The prolonged eye contact was getting to him. “Did you forget your training? Eyes down!” Reid flinched and instinctively did just that. His hands braced on his thighs too, just the way the unsub liked him to be sitting.
He didn't need to follow this anymore. Marcus was handcuffed. A cruel laugh, one he heard many times among the nine days, rang in his eyes. He spared a quick glance.
“I can see why you didn't want me to see your face. Your eye is scarred.” He tried to speak at a normal volume but it was difficult.
“So what? Your neck is going to scar, isn't it? Your stomach and chest definitely are. We're the same. Get me out of here and I'll let you feel pleasure this time.” Reid recoiled but stood. “Where ya going?”
“This is enough of a confession, I think”
“It is, thank you Reid. Go with Morgan now” Hotch said, entering the room. He recognized the look Hotch was giving Marcus. It was the same he gave Chadwick when they were in the prison. Reid smiled softly and left.
He had overused his voice quite a bit. He couldn't use it for the next few days.
Two months passed and he was able to speak pretty normally. He had difficulty carrying on long rambles which Morgan teased him about but he promised them they wouldn't be safe from those much longer. His throat didn't scar, some parts of his stomach did but he was never shirtless anyways. He didn't mind them too much, he wasn't as ashamed as he thought he'd be. Maybe it was the pure fact the unsub wanted him to be ashamed that made him fine with it.
Reid was a pretty spiteful person at times.
Getting used to the restrictions on his voice was difficult, but the team was there to remind and help him. They didn't act any differently when he had to use a notebook, sometimes one of them would quietly reassure him to save him from the embarrassment of it being public.
He had to say, only this once did he not mind the childish coddling. It was good for his recovering mental state.